Heading north to Shenzhen
Jian Jianan is looking at the scenery.
She leaned against the railing, looking at the waves under the boat, her mind full of thoughts.
She thought that she would always remember this escape-like journey. The Chinese New Year had just passed, less than half a month from now, and her parents had already discarded almost everything in the house and fled north to Guangdong.
They sold their positions, houses, and various belongings that could be sold, and left those that could not be sold to their close relatives. Finally, they packed up and set off on the journey north in a panic with the remaining luggage.
The family's only remaining luggage was carefully carried with them. These large packages were their entire belongings.
Jian Jianan didn't know what was going on, but her parents always had their reasons for doing this. Children don't have worries, so she easily accepted such a big family change, and the only thing left in her heart was the novelty of going to a new place.
The whistle blew and the ship started moving. Jian Jianan, who was enjoying the scenery, was held in her mother's arms and coaxed softly, "Go to sleep, Nannan. Mom will call you when we reach our destination."
The first Chinese-owned shipping company was established on South Yong'an Street in Shanghai. The ship they are taking today is from Hainan Island to Shenzhen, the first pilot city of reform and opening up.
You know, before the name was changed this month, Shenzhen City was still called Bao'an County. Jian Jianan's hometown is tens of millions of miles away from Shenzhen, so it is no exaggeration to say that he has left his hometown.
Although she was held in her mother's arms and soothed to sleep, Jian Jianan just couldn't fall asleep. Maybe it was the first time for the child to leave home and go to such a far place, or maybe it was because of her active nature, she was too excited to sleep.
Seeing her two children rolling their eyes, Su Qinxuan had no choice but to let them go and play. She told her son, "Beibei, you're the older brother. Remember to take good care of your younger sister, okay?"
Anyway, they were all on the boat and the guards were right next to them, so there was no need to worry about bad guys coming. Besides, children by nature cannot stand being restrained, so it is very difficult to let them stay in one place for a long time. Su Qinxuan simply sent her eldest son to take good care of her younger daughter.
Jian Jiabei nodded heavily, took his sister's hand and ran away. Su Qinxuan looked at the backs of his two children as they walked away with worry in his eyes.
They bought fifth-class tickets, which are standing-room only. They were the worst among the different levels of tickets, even worse than the lowest sixth-class.
Seeing his wife's expression, Jian Yangping sighed, "If only I had bought a cabin with a bed, even if it was a fifth-class cabin."
Su Qinxuan comforted them, "It's not a big deal. We adults are young and strong, so it's okay for us to stand for a while. Nanbeibei and the others are all very sensible and won't mind."
Jian Yangping smiled bitterly and said, "They are sensible and don't mind, but I do mind it very much. If...ah."
Thousands of words melt into a sigh. What if? If only I could go back to the way things were? If only I could take a different path? If only I could wake up sooner? If only I had more money?
Su Qinxuan comforted him, "It's not too late to start now. It's the best arrangement for our family to be together."
Jian Yangping nodded and wiped his face, "You're right, it's not too late to start now."
Jian Jiabei held his sister Jian Jianan's hand and walked slowly in the cabin.
They walked from fifth-class lounge to fifth-class cabin, and then continued walking until they reached the first-class deck.
The waves were rolling in an unclear place. Jian Jianan could only see the white waves closer. Even with the moonlight, it was still pitch black.
Although the brother and sister live on an island, they rarely see the sea. They usually stay in the city. At this moment, they are staring into the distance in fascination.
Jian Jianan squinted his eyes and felt the sea breeze for a while, then slowly said to his brother, "Brother, go back, it's time for dinner."
She sniffed and could smell the aroma of food coming from the first-class cabin. Needless to say, they didn't have that, but they had dry food made by her mother, which was also to Jian Jianan's taste.
Although Jian Jiabei felt it was inconvenient to take his sister, who was a glutton, with him wherever he went, his stomach was rumbling and he was hungry, so he took Jian Jianan's hand and walked back.
When passing by the first-class cabin, Jian Jianan couldn't help but look inside through the glass window out of curiosity. There were two small beds in the cabin with a table in the middle of the beds. A little boy was sitting beside the bed on a chair, staring blankly.
When Jian Jianan looked inside, she happened to meet the little boy's eyes. She quickly gave him a sweet smile, but the little boy turned his head away as if he didn't see it.
Jian Jianan was stunned for a moment. She had always had a sweet smile on her face since she was young, and was very popular with the elderly and the young. This was a rare occasion when she was given the cold shoulder.
Jian Jiabei said nothing and immediately dragged Jian Jianan back without giving her time to react.
The little boy was wearing an exquisite shirt and leather shoes, and he was sleeping in a first-class berth, which showed his difference from his brother and sister in every way.
Although he calls himself a little man, Jian Jiabei is still a teenager after all. He is scared to leave home suddenly, and his self-esteem is also at work. He can only drag his sister forward.
Jian Jianan was hurt by his hasty move of grabbing her. She couldn't stand this unpredictable brother who could change his expression at any time, so she shouted, "Brother, what are you doing?"
Jian Jiabei's face was dark: "Laugh, laugh, laugh, what are you laughing at? Didn't you see that everyone ignored your mother? Hurry back and eat, I'm going to be hungry even if you're not!"
Jian Jianan didn't bother to argue with him and didn't take what happened to heart at all. He followed his brother back with brisk steps.
The brother and sister quarreled and argued all the way, and naturally ignored the next action of the little boy in front of the window.
He raised his head and glanced in the direction the two of them had left, without saying a word. After a long time, voices outside the cabin were getting closer and closer.
"Old Dan, I'm still very worried. I couldn't sleep all night. Look at Xiaoqing, she's been like this since she was born. What if we change places and doctors can't cure her?"
The man known as Lao Dan comforted his wife, "Don't worry, I think Xiaoqing's condition has been gradually improving over the years. Our emotions as parents will also affect him. Let's cheer up and get through this together!"
The woman finally stopped crying and raised her head from her husband's arms to look at her son Shan Jiqing.
When Shan Jiqing was just born, the couple were extremely happy, but as he grew up, they gradually discovered that something was wrong.
He is too quiet.
Most children should be lively and playful, but Dan Jiqing doesn't have even a little bit of that.
In addition, due to the special times, her husband was assigned to work in Hainan Island, where there were no good medical conditions. The couple could only watch their son's condition deteriorate step by step.
Shan Tao comforted his wife: "Once we settle down in Guangdong, we'll take him back to Beijing to see a doctor. Don't you trust the doctors in the capital?"
Only then did the wife nod in agreement, feeling much better.
When Jian Jianan and his brother returned to their parents' house, they saw from afar that the two of them had spread out a mat on the deck and were waiting for them to come back with dinner.
Although there are no beds in the fifth-class cabins and sleeping on the deck is not allowed, the rule is that the dead are alive and we are all working people who come out to make a living. The staff on the ship are also working people after all and will not make things difficult for each other.
Besides, only those who are in the most difficult and forced situations would buy standing tickets, so the crew would turn a blind eye and let them do as long as they are not too excessive.
This journey, which would only take a few hours in later times, now takes a day and a night, so it is impossible to do it without sleep.
Jian Jianan suddenly threw himself into his mother's arms, "What's delicious, Mom?"
Jian Jiabei suddenly lost his sister's hand. He complained to his parents with a sour face: "I think she is just a little pig. She sleeps and eats all day long. The little pig has become a spirit!"
Jian Jianan retorted loudly: "Then you are the pig spirit's brother! Brother Pig!"
Su Qinxuan and Jian Yangping just smiled and said nothing. It was common for siblings to quarrel, but they actually had a very good relationship. They would just let it go and not take it seriously.
Su Qinxuan took out a piece of food from the package, opened the jackfruit leaves that wrapped it, and handed it to her children. Although it was not as hot as when it was just out of the oven, the aroma of coconut wafted out as soon as the leaves wrapped around the glutinous rice cake were opened.
Jian Jianan took a bite, and coconut meat, glutinous rice flour, and crushed peanuts burst out in his mouth. He took another sip, and the sweetness of brown sugar also came up. The various ingredients blended together, creating an unexpected harmony.
Coconut rice cake is one of Su Qinxuan’s specialties.
The brother and sister had no time to bicker anymore and started to eat voraciously. They thought that drinking some Qingbuliang after finishing their meal would be very nourishing.
Qingbuliang is also a specialty food of Hainan Island. It is made with coconut milk as the base, and various small ingredients such as peanuts, red beans, mung beans, taro, lotus seeds, etc. are spread on top. It is so relaxing to drink it in one gulp while enjoying the refreshing sea breeze.
Jian Jianan's family of four are having a great time, eating each other's food. Although it is obvious that the family is not well off, the warm family atmosphere and delicious food make many people envious.
There were also people making beds and sleeping next to them, and from time to time some of them would smell the fragrance coming from their direction, and their stomachs would rumble.
Especially with the strong coconut aroma in it.
Most of Hainan Island is located in the subtropics, and a small part is in the tropics. Its unique geographical location allows it to grow many magical plants.
Coconut is one of them.
Coconut milk can be drunk, coconut meat can be eaten, and it can also be ground into powder and added with water to make coconut milk.
Everyone around was filled with people who had left Hainan Island, many of whom, like the Jian family of four, had left their hometown and headed north to the mainland in search of new opportunities. Now, when they smelled the familiar coconut aroma, they couldn't help but feel a strong sense of homesickness and appetite.
The famous woman swallowed several times, but finally couldn't help asking: "Um, big sister, is this delicious?"
Jian Jianan looked at her and nodded seriously, "It's delicious." The woman looked embarrassed. She only brought a few bags, and her clothes and shoes were quite worn.
She went north to Guangzhou to live with her daughter, who worked in a garment factory in Guangzhou. Her monthly salary was more than enough to support herself, so she was not afraid to take her elderly mother with her.
In order to save money, the woman did not bring any dry food with her. When she was hungry and thirsty, she just drank water, hoping to get through it this way.
She asked hesitantly, "Then...then can I have a bite?" After asking, she lowered her head awkwardly, wishing she could crawl into the crack of the ground.
Jian Jianan answered readily: "Of course! You don't even need food coupons, just three... mmmmm"
Before she could finish her words, Su Qinxuan quickly covered her mouth with her hand. She smiled and said, "Children are ignorant and say nonsense. Eat whatever you want. We have small appetites and we don't know what to do with all the leftovers. In this weather, let alone a day, it will be spoiled overnight."
Besides the woman who took the initiative to speak, Su Qinxuan and Jian Yangping happily shared the remaining food with the people around them. "It's good that you don't mind. Come and eat. We are all from the same hometown, so why be polite?"
The people around them accepted their kindness, kept thanking them, and started chatting with them.
Su Qinxuan was holding Jian Jianan while listening. When she looked down, she saw her daughter also listening attentively with her eyes wide open and her ears perked up. She laughed dumbly and nodded her daughter's head, "You little money-grubber."
What he got in return was Jian Jianan's puzzled look.
What's wrong, Mom? Don't you like the little money-grubber?
The boring journey passed quickly. A day later, the ship blew its whistle, and they arrived at their destination, the newly renamed Shenzhen City, which was also the forefront of reform and opening up.
Su Qinxuan held her daughter Jian Jianan in her arms, Jian Yangping held his son Jian Jiabei's hand, and the four of them looked at the port together, with a lot of thoughts in their minds. Was this decision really the right one?
Leaving home, taking a gamble, and coming to Shenzhen to give it a try, can this really allow a family to live a better life?
At this moment, no one knows the answer, but time will tell.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
