Chapter 57
The northbound train whizzed along the tracks. The sleeper carriages were much more spacious and less noisy than the hard-seat carriages, which were less crowded.
The train would take another hour to reach the capital. The five of them took turns sleeping along the way. They carried a lot of money with them, fearing that pickpockets would steal their money when the train stopped at a station at night.
Chen Jingbai, who had filled the water glass, walked over from the aisle and handed it to He He. "Have some water. We're almost in the capital."
He He looked a bit listless. It was the first time she had spent two days on a train, and even though it was a sleeper berth, she didn't sleep well.
On the first day, there was a middle-aged man next to her in her sleeper berth who snored so loudly that it kept her awake all night. Fortunately, the middle-aged man got off the train early the next morning, and she was able to sleep through the second night.
Chen Jingbai sat opposite He He. "The snoring person is gone. How did you sleep last night?"
He He, her eyes still half-closed, said, "I finally fell asleep yesterday."
Chen Jingbai: "Once we settle down in the capital, we can finally get some rest."
Cheng Surin walked over from another carriage. "The train has started serving breakfast. I see there's fried noodles and porridge. What would you like to eat? I'll go buy it for you."
He looked at Chen Jingbai's father and asked, "Uncle Chen, what would you like to eat?"
Mr. Chen waved his hand: "You guys eat. We haven't finished the pancakes we brought from home. I'll just eat the pancakes."
Chen Jingbai: "Don't eat the biscuits, Dad. This is the only meal we have. The biscuits are dry and hard to swallow this early in the morning."
Chen Jingyi also said, "Yes, Dad, just listen to Xiaobai."
In the end, apart from He He who wanted to drink porridge, everyone else was going to eat fried noodles. The train attendant selling breakfast from the cart hadn't come yet, so Chen Jingbai went to the dining car with Cheng Sulin to buy some.
After having breakfast, He He also woke up and regained her energy.
When the train announced that it had arrived at the capital city, no one disembarked carrying large bags or small suitcases.
This time they decided to stay until the start of the semester, to stay here a little longer, and to go back after Chen Jingbai's ear has recovered. Today is June 25th, and they can stay in the capital for a month.
Since they were going to stay in the capital for a month, they didn't plan to stay in a guesthouse. Instead, to save money, they chose to rent a house in the capital for a month.
The Cheng family has already made arrangements; someone will pick them up when they get off the bus and take them to their rented house.
Northerners are all tall and strong. The person who came to meet them was the son of He Hesan's uncle's comrade-in-arms. He was a man of few words and left after dropping the person off.
I had originally planned to invite him to a restaurant for a meal, but he declined.
The house is a single-story house in a hutong, not very big, only about 20 square meters. Inside, it is divided into three sleeping rooms, and the bedrooms are also very small, barely enough to fit a bed.
The homeowners were allocated a tenement building years ago, and this place was left vacant, which is why they were able to rent it.
The room has been cleaned briefly and is very clean; everyone just needs to unpack their luggage.
There were only three rooms. In the end, the girl lived in one room, the boy lived in one room, and the remaining room was given to Chen's elderly father.
Mr. Chen put down his things, looked around the bright room, and said with tears in his eyes, "Xiao He, Xiao Cheng, I don't know how to thank you enough. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be able to rent such a nice house in the capital."
He He and Cheng Sulin were embarrassed.
He He: "We need to stay too, Uncle Chen, please don't be so polite."
Cheng Surin bluntly stated, "We're family, so let's not speak like outsiders."
Cheng Sulin's words stunned everyone for a few seconds, and they all looked at Chen's father.
How dare you! You haven't even married Chen Jingyi yet, and you already dare to say such things in front of Chen's father.
Mr. Chen laughed heartily, “We’re all family, so let’s not stand on ceremony. After we’ve packed our things, we’ll go out to a restaurant for lunch, and it’ll be my treat.”
Cheng Surin's face lit up with excitement. "Okay, let's go out to eat tonight."
Everyone quickly packed their things, made their beds for the night, and went out to eat together at noon.
The capital city is very different from Rongcheng. The roads are straight and don't turn left or right. The buildings are also very different, with historic courtyard houses everywhere.
He He chattered away on the way to the restaurant, curious about everything.
Chen Jingbai was responsible for asking around for directions to the restaurants.
These days, there are already some privately owned restaurants on the streets of the capital, but everyone still decides to go to state-run restaurants.
They've just arrived in the capital and don't know anything, so it's best to stick with state-run restaurants.
After arriving at the state-run restaurant, they chose a table that could seat five people, ordered their food, and waited patiently for the waiter to serve it.
The state-run restaurants here in the capital are different from those in Rongcheng. Here, you can order food at your seat, and then a waiter will bring the dishes to you.
The service has improved a lot in the last two years. When they asked what the specialties of the capital were, the waiters were very helpful in making recommendations.
They were lucky; they arrived just in time. The state-run restaurant happened to be serving the most famous roast duck in the capital that day, and the waiters praised them for their perfect timing when they brought the dish to them.
Finally, they also ordered Kung Pao Chicken, Braised Pork Knuckle, Braised Tofu, and a plate of stir-fried vegetables.
He He eagerly awaited the waiter's arrival of the dishes, wondering if the roast duck was really that delicious.
Chen Jingbai smiled and said, "You'll see when the food is served."
He He: "I guess... it must be delicious. After all, it's so delicious that word has spread to Rongcheng. The TV also said that the roast duck in the capital has the best taste."
When the fragrant roast duck was served, everyone tasted it and realized that the Beijing roast duck lived up to its reputation; it was truly delicious.
The outer skin is crispy and completely separate from the duck meat, while the duck meat is chewy and the shredded meat doesn't get stuck in your teeth.
He He enjoyed the meal immensely. The roast duck was delicious, the braised pork knuckle was delicious, and the Kung Pao chicken was also incredibly tasty.
Finally, everyone returned to their rooms with round bellies.
They had just arrived today and had plenty of time, so they decided to rest for a day and accompany Chen Jingbai to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow, since there was no rush to go to the hospital immediately.
They figured they wouldn't need so many people to go to the hospital, so they decided to have He He and Chen Jingyi stay home to look after the house, familiarize themselves with the surrounding area, and see where they could buy groceries and pots. They figured they could cook at home from now on, which would save them a lot of money compared to eating out.
The next day, Chen's father and Cheng Sulin accompanied Chen Jingbai to the hospital, while He He and Chen Jingyi stayed behind to take care of the housework.
As they inquired, they made their way to the supply and marketing cooperative. The neighbors, seeing that they were newcomers, were not hostile. Some people had come to greet them warmly the day before and even told them where the meat processing plant of the supply and marketing cooperative was, as well as the newly established market.
When He He and Chen Jingyi returned with the things they needed, Chen Jingbai and the other two also happened to return.
When Chen Jingyi saw them, her face lit up with joy. "How did it go? What did the doctor say?"
Chen Jingbai's face was radiant, and his eyes were full of smiles: "After today's examination, the doctor assessed that I can have surgery, and the chances of the surgery being successful are very high."
Mr. Chen was also excited: "The doctor said Xiao Bai's ear can get better. We came back to pack our things, and he can be admitted to the hospital this afternoon. The surgery can be scheduled for tomorrow."
Cheng Surin: "Yes, if things go well, he can be discharged in a week and then he can recuperate at home."
"So fast! I thought I'd have to stay in the hospital for half a month." Chen Jingyi's smile never faded; she was happy for her brother.
"I'll go get your surgery supplies. Xiaohe and I have already bought the kettle and washbasin today."
Chen Jingyi acted swiftly and decisively, immediately going inside to pack her things.
The others went inside one after another, leaving only He He and Chen Jingbai outside.
Upon hearing the good news, He He looked at Chen Jingbai with great excitement, her mouth agape in a wide smile.
Chen Jingbai walked over and stood beside her. "I'm so happy today."
He He smiled and said, "I'm very happy too!"
After lunch, we packed up the things we needed for hospitalization, and in the afternoon, everyone accompanied Chen Jingbai to the hospital to complete the admission procedures.
The hospital didn't need to keep so many people, so Chen Jingbai told everyone else to go home, leaving only his father behind.
However, the surgery didn't start until the next day, and Chen's father returned to his rented place that evening.
The surgery was quick on the day itself, taking no more than two hours. Chen Jingbai was wheeled out of the operating room. The doctor said the surgery was very successful and that he could be discharged and go home after a few more days of observation in the hospital if his condition stabilized.
After Chen Jingbai was taken back to his ward, He He sat beside him, looking at his tightly bandaged ear, and felt a pang of heartache. "Does it hurt?"
Chen Jingbai said softly, "It won't hurt with the anesthesia, so don't worry about me."
Knowing it was meant to comfort her, He He couldn't help but tear up. It was the first time she had witnessed someone close to her undergo such a major surgery. After waiting for two hours, it was impossible not to be scared.
Although she knew the chances of the surgery being successful were high, she couldn't help but worry and fear what would happen if the surgery failed and Chen Jingbai didn't even make it off the operating table.
Chen Jingbai reached out and wiped He He's eyes. "Don't cry, I'm really fine. The thought of being able to hear you speak clearly in the future makes me very happy."
He He choked up, "Fortunately, the surgery went smoothly."
The two chatted cuddly for a while longer before Chen's father and Chen Jingyi, who had gone out to buy food, returned.
When He He saw them return, she stepped back a little and distanced herself from Chen Jingbai.
Tonight, Chen's father will stay to take care of him, and tomorrow it will be Cheng Sulin. The two will take turns taking care of him.
He He also wanted to stay with her, but they wouldn't let her come, saying that she and Chen Jingyi should just stay at home. They said the hospital was crowded and noisy, and it would be safer for a man to stay there late at night.
Chen Jingbai went even further, not even wanting anyone to accompany him, saying that it was just ear surgery and his hands and feet were fine, and he could manage on his own at night.
However, he couldn't argue with the others and finally agreed to leave someone at the hospital to take care of him.
From then on, Chen Jingyi and He He would take turns delivering three meals a day. That was the agreement, but when it was He He's turn to deliver, Chen Jingyi would also come with her.
When it was Chen Jingyi's turn, she refused to let He He accompany her and insisted on leaving He He at home.
Chen Jingbai's ear has recovered very well, and he was able to be discharged on the fourth day after the surgery. He will come back to the hospital for a follow-up visit a week later.
When he was recovering at home, Chen Jingbai didn't need anyone to accompany him. He told them not to worry about him, saying that since he had come to the capital, he had to take a good look around the capital.
So, during the rest of their time in the capital, everyone except Chen Jingbai explored the entire capital.
It was everyone's first time visiting the capital, and their first time seeing a city landscape so different from Rongcheng. Everyone was in high spirits, exploring the city to their heart's content, and didn't mind walking all the way.
He He also bought a lot of small commodities that are only sold in the capital, thinking of sharing them with her family after returning to Rongcheng. She also took a lot of photos in the capital, thinking that when she showed them to others, they would know that she had been to the capital.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com