Chapter 232 Two in One
The train started moving. Everyone waved goodbye to Pei Che who was seeing them off at the window and began to pack their belongings.
The entire box is full of our own people, which makes us feel more at ease and as relaxed as if we were out for a trip.
It was not the first time for Mosquito to take a train, but it was the first time for him to sit in a sleeper berth, so he was a little excited.
Although Song Yuling had ridden in a sleeper before, this was the first time she had seen the entire compartment filled with people of the same age. She was actually more excited than a mosquito.
While tidying up his things, he chatted with Mosquito, and after a few words they became familiar with each other.
When Ding Guo introduced Mosquito to Song Yuling, he said his real name was Chang Wangyue. Now Song Yuling has started calling him "Yueyue".
Mosquito had no difficulty adapting to the situation. Her nickname was only used outside. Her grandmother always called her "Yueyue" at home.
After the two talked, they realized that their experiences were very similar. They both suffered for several years with their families and later returned to the city after being rehabilitated.
After putting things away, everyone took turns going to the toilet and then came back to lie down and sleep.
After Song Yuling lay down, she said, "Whoever wakes up early tomorrow morning, please call me and line up at the toilet door early."
Mosquito said hurriedly: "Remember to call me too."
Otherwise, if you get up late, just waiting in line for a seat will be very torturous.
Ding Guo smiled and said, "Sleep well, I'll call you tomorrow morning."
After everyone fell asleep, Ding Guo piled up the quilts to block the edge of the bed, turned on the small speaker to pay attention to the movement outside, slipped into the space to take a shower and wash clothes, set an alarm with Haozi for 3:30 a.m. outside time, and let Haozi listen to the movement outside and go into the bedroom to rest.
At 3:30 in the morning, Ding Guo was awakened by Haozi and appeared quietly on the bed in the box. He continued to make up for his sleep and opened his eyes at 4:30. He woke up the three people who were sleeping. They went to line up for the toilet with half-open eyes in a daze.
Dazhu also went next door to call Chen Dongfang.
After going to the toilet, he came back and took his things to wash up. After washing up, Mosquito stared at the electronic watch on his bedside and said in confusion: "It's not even five o'clock yet? Sister Ding Guo, you are not asleep, are you?"
But the toilet was really quiet at this time, with only two or three people waiting in line.
"If you fall asleep, you will wake up early!" Ding Guo said with a smile, "Let's sleep a little longer. We can eat when we wake up."
Everyone lay back down again.
Ding Guo didn't plan to sleep anymore and sat by the window reading a book.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flight attendant passing by with a thermos. Ding Guo hurriedly took a few people's teacups, filled each with half a cup of hot water and placed them on the table to cool. She continued reading.
At around seven o'clock, those who had been catching up on their sleep woke up one after another, tidied themselves up and prepared to have breakfast.
Ding Guo asked Dazhu to go to the next room and call Chen Dongfang to come over to eat together. Dazhu went to call him and came back and said, "Comrade Chen said he had already eaten, so let's eat by ourselves."
Ding Guo took out two apples from his bag: "Then let Comrade Chen have some fruit."
Dazhu handed it to him. Due to military discipline, Chen Dongfang subconsciously wanted to refuse. But then he remembered the old leader's instructions before departure, asking him to be more casual, so he thanked him and reached out to take it.
But I made a note of it in my mind and planned to pay the money and tickets after returning to the capital to report to my superiors.
Here, Ding Guo and others started to eat breakfast.
Ding Guo brought toast, steamed bread slices, boiled eggs, salted duck eggs, as well as hot sauce, canned meat and shredded pickles.
Mosquito also brought boiled eggs, steamed buns, and pickles. After steaming the steamed buns, he placed them outside to dry. They would not go bad if left overnight in this season.
Song Yuling brought similar things, but Ding Guo told her not to bring too much, as she would prepare it and there would be no room for too much.
Because it was hot, I didn’t bring any stuffing.
Dazhu followed Ding Guo.
Looking at the food on display, Ding Guo said, "Try to finish it in two meals. Don't leave it until the evening. We will buy it from the restaurant at night and tomorrow morning."
It’s not boring to ride in a car with a few like-minded friends. The time passes quickly while we chat and laugh.
The train meal we had that night didn't taste very good, but it was not inedible when paired with the chili sauce and canned meat made by Pei Che.
There was nothing wrong with this trip except that it was a bit hot.
The train should have arrived at around 7:40 on the third morning, but it was nearly two hours late, arriving at around 9:00.
The traffic jam at the entrance was so severe that only one or two carriages could pass out.
Ding Guo took a look and said, "We will jump out of the window later."
Chen Dongfang came over here with the things and joined them, saying, "Comrade Dazhu and I will go out first, you pass the things out and then go through the window."
Ding Guo: “Okay!”
As soon as the train stopped, Chen Dongfang stretched out his hand and jumped out nimbly. Although Dazhu was not as flexible as Chen Dongfang, he was still okay. After jumping out, Ding Guo and the others handed out their luggage. Ding Guo said, "Mosquito should go out first."
Although she had never seen a mosquito drill through a window, she had escaped many times when she was in the black market, so jumping through a window was not difficult for her.
The mosquito didn't say a word and swiftly got out.
The next one was Song Yuling. Ding Guo simply carried her up and out of the window, as easily as sending a rag doll out. Mosquito was so shocked that he almost couldn't hold on to her.
Chen Dongfang was not surprised.
The old leader said that Comrade Ding Guo is strong and skilled, and if he really encounters any situation on the road, he can ask Ding Guo to cooperate with him.
But Mosquito had never seen this before, and before she could be surprised, she saw Ding Guo jumped out of the window flexibly, with a professional level no less than Chen Dongfang who was the first to go out.
She scratched her head and asked in a low voice: "Sister, have you practiced it?"
It's obvious that he has some basic skills.
Ding Guo smiled and said, "I've practiced it!"
mosquito:……
When she beat someone in front of Sister Ding Guo that day, she was worried that Sister Ding Guo would be scared.
I didn't expect that he was a martial artist.
Mosquito was very interested: "Sister, please teach me when you have time."
Although she is a good fighter, she is a self-taught fighter who has learned the skills by fighting with others since she was a child and has never received any systematic training.
Ding Guo: "Okay, I'll teach you when we get back to the capital."
The mosquito shook its head happily.
Everyone was carrying their belongings and pushing their way out with the crowd. Just as Ding Guo was about to remind everyone to be careful with their belongings, he saw Chen Dongfang grab a hand that was reaching for Ding Dazhu's pocket.
The pickpocket was caught without feeling guilty. On the contrary, he was very arrogant, with a fierce look in his eyes, and threatened Chen Dongfang in a low voice: "You are looking for death!"
Ding Guo kicked the man in the knee and said, "Who are you threatening?"
The thief's face suddenly changed, knowing that he had met a tough guy. He wanted to struggle, but Dazhu quickly grabbed his shoulder and said, "You think you are a thief and you are right!"
At this moment, the crowd around suddenly broke into a commotion, and many people screamed and rushed over here.
Ding Guo hurried to block it.
She was able to push away the people closest to her, but she couldn't take care of her surroundings at once. The same was true for Chen Dongfang. He hurriedly protected the two female comrades who were closer to him.
Although Mosquito is not as strong as Ding Guo, she has a lot of brute force. She uses her shoulders to push up against the people who are trying to squeeze in, preventing the people behind her from squeezing through.
Song Yuling and Dazhu also tried their best to push aside the people who were squeezing in, and they also had to keep an eye on their luggage, making the situation very chaotic.
When the commotion in the crowd ended, the man they had caught earlier had disappeared.
Ding Guo said: "It's obvious that they are their accomplices, taking the opportunity to cause trouble."
Mosquito wiped the dirt off his head and said angrily, "I just saw that bastard running away. I couldn't catch him."
Chen Dongfang said in a deep voice: "There are too many people here, let's go out first."
Ding Guo nodded and said to Chen Dongfang, "I'll lead the way. Comrade Chen, please stay by the side and keep an eye on everyone."
Chen Dongfang stood on the left. Dazhu wanted to stand on the right to protect Mosquito and Dasao, but Mosquito pressed his shoulders and pushed him inside, saying, "I'll go outside, you and Sister Yuling stay in the middle."
She raised her fist and said, "You can't beat me in a fight."
Sister Ding Guo's younger brother is different from her other younger brother. This one looks like a weak scholar. If a fight breaks out, he will definitely be the first to be killed.
Ding Dazhu: ...
Although it was unkind, Ding Guo still said, "Let Wangyue stay by our side." But he also reminded Mosquito, "Stay close, hold hands with Yuling, and don't get separated from us."
Ding Dazhu: ...
Song Yuling couldn't help laughing and said, "Listen to my sister!"
She also realized that she and her brother-in-law were the weakest among the group. Since they were weak, they should just follow orders and not cause trouble for others.
Ding Dazhui took a step back obediently, and was protected in the middle by his sister, Chen Dongfang and Mosquito in a triangle, and followed them to squeeze out with the crowd.
The chaos at the train station is well-known, but the chaos at this station was beyond Ding Guo and his friends' imagination.
Not long after I walked, I heard a sharp cry coming from the front: "My bag, my bag, someone is stealing my things..."
Soon, exclamations one after another rang out among the crowd.
"My money, who stole my money?"
"Robbery, someone is robbing, is there anyone who cares?"
Ding Guo said: "Hold your gifts and follow me closely."
Ding Guo led the way in front, while Chen Dongfang kept his eyes and ears open and paid close attention to the surroundings.
Song Yuling grabbed the strap of Mosquito's bag and tried hard to block the person behind her who wanted to squeeze in between them.
Dazhu didn't care about the difference between men and women, he held the bag that Song Yuling was carrying tightly.
With Ding Guo clearing the way and dividing the crowd, everyone finally squeezed out of the station with great difficulty, sweating all over.
The others checked the luggage and belongings on their bodies, while Ding Guo looked for someone.
Soon, she found a sign with her name on it among several people holding up signs.
"Over there!"
After crossing the road with a few people, Ding Guo saw the person who came to pick her up. He looked like what Aunt Yu had described. She said, "Hello, is this Comrade Lu Wenming?"
When Lu Wenming saw several people running towards him, he guessed something and hurriedly said, "It's me. Are you Comrade Ding Guo?"
Ding Guo smiled and said, "It's me, hello Comrade Lu!"
Lu Wenming: "Hello, hello, let's leave here first."
This is really not the place for small talk.
Lu Wenming was familiar with this place, so he led a few people to leave from the side. When they reached a place with fewer people, Ding Guo asked, "Comrade Lu, you have been waiting for a long time, right?"
Lu Wenming: "It's OK, it wasn't too long. The train is not too late. I don't know if you saw the fat guy standing next to me waiting for someone, he has been waiting for five hours."
Although Lu Wenming speaks with a local accent, it is not heavy.
Then he asked, "Is Sister Yu okay?"
Sister Yu?
Ding Guo was stunned for a moment before smiling and said, "Very good. Aunt Yu also asked me to say hello to you on her behalf."
Lu Wenming smiled and said, "It's all good."
Lu Wenming was not sent down to the countryside, he went to a farm in the northwest.
Worked with Yu Shaofen and others.
Knowing that Yu Shaofen was sent down with her husband and that her class background was also influenced by her husband, they were not as shy about treating her as they were about treating people whose class background was actually problematic.
We didn't dare to get too close openly, but we would chat in low voices when working together.
On the way, Lu Wenming asked Ding Guo: "You are here to pan for gold, right? You have really come at a good time."
After coming back, he found that the wind direction here had changed and was much looser than when he left.
Especially this year, since the Spring Festival, the number of outsiders here has increased.
Ding Guo glanced at Chen Dongfang from the corner of his eye. Chen Dongfang looked at him with his eyes and nose, as if he was not listening. Ding Guo smiled and nodded, saying, "It's not gold panning, but I heard that the policies here have been relaxed a bit, so I came here to see for myself."
Lu Wenming: "It's a little more relaxed here. When I left, people didn't dare to talk about Hong Kong City, but now some people dare to travel back and forth between the two sides."
But it was also a secret trip back and forth.
But the inspection is very strict. Even so, this is also a signal.
Lu Wenming didn't know Chen Dongfang's identity. He thought that everyone who came here had the same purpose, so he chatted without hesitation and asked, "What do you want to buy? Clothes or electronic products?"
Ding Guo noticed from the corner of his eye that Chen Dongfang had fallen behind by a few steps and cast his gaze towards the street next to him. Ding Guo retracted his gaze and said with a smile: "Take a look, and bring some of the goods that are not available in the capital."
Lu Wenming nodded: "That's good. I'll go back and try to see what goods are easy to sell, and then I'll make targeted purchases later."
Mosquito came up and said, "We also want those head-patterned socks. The styles here are more novel than those in the capital."
Lu Wenming: "Stockings? I passed by a stall before and heard the stall owner shouting there. He is also from Hong Kong. He said that they are in great demand anywhere in Guangzhou."
As they were talking, Lu Wenming suddenly stopped, pointed ahead and said, "Do you see that area? The stalls there are quite concentrated, and they sell all kinds of things. In addition to the area near the station, there are several other places. I'll take you to the guesthouse to put down your luggage, and walk around the area today. I'll take you to other places tomorrow morning."
Everyone looked in the direction Lu Wenming pointed and saw a lot of stalls and people gathered in front of the stalls.
Ding Guo remembered that when he was reading period novels, the protagonists who came to the south to purchase goods wholesaled things not far from the train station.
Later, sheds were built. Now there are still a few sheds here and there, which should be built by the stall owners themselves.
That should be the prototype of the later wholesale market.
Everyone's spirits instantly perked up and their eyes lit up.
Ding Guo felt the same way. She knew that the South had been liberalized earlier, but she didn't expect that some people would set up stalls openly so early.
Ding Guo asked, "Is anyone else checking?"
Lu Wenming whispered, "Yes, it's mainly to check for parallel imports. There are other inspections as well, but the frequency is not that high. It's said that the policy will be changed, but I heard that the official document has not been issued yet. If the limelight here is too strong, it will be suppressed. However, the punishment is not as terrible as before, just a small fine."
Then he added, "Let's go to the guesthouse first, put down our things and then take a look around."
Ding Guo: "Okay, thank you for your help!"
"No trouble, no trouble."
Ding Guo opened the bag, took out an unopened can of hot sauce, two cans of meat, and a bag of dried black fungus and handed them to Lu Wenming, saying, "This is our first meeting, and I don't know what you like, so I just brought you some things. Don't despise me."
Lu Wenming declined twice, then took it with embarrassment, saying, "How could I reject such a good thing? It's too expensive for you."
"It's just a small token of my appreciation. It's not a big deal!"
When he arrived at the guesthouse, Lu Wenming switched to the standard local dialect when speaking to the person at the front desk.
Then I asked Ding Guo: "There are no single rooms, only large bunk beds and triple and quadruple rooms."
Ding Guo said: "Two triple rooms, we will pay for three beds in the other room, so don't arrange any more people."
The staff at the front desk had a strong local accent, and Ding Guo and his friends had a hard time understanding them. Lu Wenming acted as an interpreter and asked Ding Guo and his friends to show their letters of introduction, and then they paid the money and deposit, and took out two thermoses and several washbasins from behind the table.
He spoke a lot more, and Ding Guo understood the room number, shower, and toilet. The other words were spoken too fast and Ding Guo didn't understand, so he had to look at Lu Wenming.
Lu Wenming said, "This lady said that the hot water in the bathroom is available from 6am to 8am and from 4pm to 8pm. There is hot water only during these two time periods. It is not available at other times. However, the hot water in the water room is available all day. Also, you are asked to take your keys with you when you go out. If you lose your keys, you will have to pay for them. You can leave your valuables at the front desk or in the room. These two rooms are close to the front desk and they can see them."
Ding Guo thanked them and they went to see the room.
The room is on the first floor, not far from the front desk. Standing at the front desk, you can see the doors of the two rooms at a glance.
Considering the lack of surveillance facilities, the locations of these two rooms are indeed safer.
Ding Guo, Song Yuling and Mosquito live in room 102, while Chen Dongfang and Ding Dazhu live in room 103.
Ding Guo said: "Put your things down and we'll simply pack up and go out for a walk."
After saying this, he glanced at Chen Dongfang, and his meaning was very clear: if Chen Dongfang had other arrangements, they would go there by themselves.
Chen Dongfang nodded: "Let's go and take a look first."
Ding Guo looked at Lu Wenming again: "It may take some time."
Lu Wenming said: "It's okay, you guys take your time to clean up, I'll be waiting in the hall."
It's hot in the north and even hotter in the south this season. Everyone wants to take a bath, but there is no hot water at the moment. We can only use the water from the thermos to dilute it and simply scrub ourselves.
Ding Guo was fine. She had gone to the space to cook for herself last night. Although she was sweating a lot, she was not sticky like she hadn't taken a shower for two or three days. Song Yuling and Mosquito wanted to wipe herself clean.
After opening the door and entering the house, Mosquito and Song Yuling first checked the money and tickets sewn into the clothes.
The things on her body were fine, but only then did she realize that Song Yuling's handbag had been cut, though not completely through, and the things inside were not lost.
It was probably because of the crowded period after getting off the bus. He must be in cahoots with the person who stole the things. When he saw his companion being caught, Ding Guo and the others became alert again, and the person who cut the bag stopped.
Song Yuling was so distressed: "This was given to me by Dayong when we were dating."
Speaking of Dayong, I don’t know how he did in the exam.
In fact, before Dayong left, Song Yuling mentioned that she wanted to go with him to take the exam, but Ding Dayong was reluctant to let her go back with him.
It was a hot day, and it was not comfortable to take the train. Besides, he had to leave after the exam, and would be gone for half a month. Yuling was not very familiar with Taozi, and Dayong was afraid that she would not feel comfortable staying in Fengning.
Little did he know that just after he refused his wife's offer to accompany him to take the exam, his wife took a longer train ride to the south.
The two went to fetch water, and Ding Guo told them to scald the basin with boiling water before using it.
While they were getting water, Ding Guo took advantage of the time difference to slip into the space, wipe the sweat off his body with a wet towel, and changed his clothes before coming out.
After packing up, let's go to the stall area together.
As soon as we got to the outskirts, we were almost unable to move because of the mosquitoes.
There were crowds of people in front of each stall. People outside were asking prices and bargaining, while the stall owners inside were shouting out their prices, refusing those who bargained too hard, and cursing.
The buyer was not annoyed even after being scolded, and continued to bargain with great patience.
In short, the noise here is so deafening that your head will start to buzz after listening to it for too long.
Ding Guo and his friends all have a common problem. What they like to hear most is not the price, but the emphasis on "no ticket required".
Song Yuling felt that her eyes were not enough, so she squeezed in to look at two stalls, and she couldn't help but want to grab something.
The same went for Dazhu. Although this kid had no intention of doing business, when he heard this one cost one yuan, that one cost three yuan, and the pants next to him cost four and a half yuan or five yuan, his face turned red with excitement.
He also started planning what to buy for his father, his mother, and Dalin.
Even though Mosquito had seen a lot of good stuff in the black market for many years, he squeezed in to take a look. When he came out, his eyes were frighteningly bright. He excitedly called Ding Guo: "Sister, sister, look at the pants and sweatshirts on this stall. The price is not high and no ticket is required..."
As the leader, Ding Guo felt that he had to act calm and composed. He patted her hand soothingly and said, "Keep calm. Go in and take a look around first."
This area is just indescribably alluring.
Chen Dongfang fell behind a few people, observing his surroundings calmly. The prices and the fact that no tickets were required that popped into his ears were also the information he had collected this time.
Lu Wenming also smiled and said, "All the good stuff is inside. It's your first time here, so don't be impatient."
The first time he came here after returning to the city, he lost his temper. After just looking at two stalls, he had already picked up three pairs of trousers, two sweatshirts, and a few pairs of socks in his trouser pockets.
When I went inside, I found that there were clothes with more beautiful styles, which could not compare with those sold outside.
After pulling out Song Yuling and Dazhu who were reluctant to leave, the group continued to walk inside.
Ding Guo warned the others: "Don't rush to buy in the first one or two days, observe first. Such a large market will not disappear in a day or two, so don't be impulsive."
A few people nodded, but they all stood on tiptoe and craned their necks to glance at the stalls inside.
It's lively outside, and even more lively inside.
There were more people gathered around.
If Ding Guo and his friends want to see the goods, they have to squeeze in.
Chen Dongfang took two steps forward and whispered, "You guys go over and take a look. I'll help you keep an eye out for pickpockets from behind."
There are many people, and there are many pickpockets.
In the first few years after this place opened, both the station and this place were extremely chaotic.
Ding Guo nodded: "Thank you for your help, Comrade Chen."
Lu Wenming also said, "I will help you keep an eye out with this comrade, but..." He scratched his head, "If the stolen money is not much, don't make it public if you can. It's okay to suffer a small loss. If you make a big fuss, you may be retaliated and suffer a big loss."
Ding Guo said: "Thank you for the reminder, we will pay attention to it."
They began to crowd in front of each stall to look at the goods, see the styles, and listen to the prices.
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