It was dinner time, and the conductor pushed the dining car and started shouting: "Dear passengers, this train has prepared aluminum lunch boxes for everyone. Passengers who need them, please raise your hands to buy them. After eating, please put the lunch boxes on the table and wait for the conductor to collect them, or you can go to car 9 to eat..."
Fan Hua woke up to a burst of shouting...
She rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. It was already dark and she didn't know where she was.
Fan Hua didn't notice the man who had turned his back to her. She asked Geng Ailing, who was still knitting slippers, in a hoarse and lazy voice, "Sister Geng, where are we?"
"We just passed Qiu County, and I just heard from the conductor that we will arrive in Xing City in a while."
Fan Hua nodded after hearing this, and then took out two dry biscuits from her bag and gave one to Geng Ailing, "Sister Geng, here, I brought this with me when I escaped from home. I'm really poor now, and I can't afford to treat you to a good meal. Let's make do with this tonight and buy a box lunch tomorrow."
Originally, Fan Hua planned to ask Geng Ailing for free meals along the way, but after learning that Geng Ailing was also cheated, she felt embarrassed to cheat her again. After all, she didn't know what the situation would be like when they arrived in the south, so it was better for them to save their money for the time being.
Geng Ailing didn't bother to be polite and took one and started eating.
While eating, he asked, "Lihua, you just said you ran away from home, what happened?"
"Hey, it's nothing. My family wanted to force me to marry a forty-year-old man in the county town for a dowry of 500 yuan. I didn't want to get married, so I ran away. I planned to earn some money and go back after this storm is over." Fan Hua replied calmly.
She didn't notice at all that the man next to her straightened up instantly because of her words, and even clenched his fists unconsciously.
"What? What do your family think? You are so young and beautiful. You are over 40 years old and old enough to be your father! How could they let you marry such a man!" Geng Ailing felt very unfair for Fan Huaming.
"What else can I think? It's only 500 yuan for the bride price. If I marry you off, I'll have money to help my elder and second brothers get married."
Fan Hua said casually, as if this matter had nothing to do with her.
"Your parents are just selling their daughter! This is too much!"
"Okay, Mrs. Geng, let's not talk about them anymore. It affects my mood. Do you have a cup? I want to get some water. I'm a little thirsty."
"Yes, yes, yes. I brought it with me before I went out." He then took out a white enamel pot.
Fan Hua took it and planned to rinse it with hot water first. There was no other way. The original owner didn't bring anything when she escaped, and she forgot to buy anything before getting on the train. She could only use someone else's. Fortunately, Geng Ailing didn't mind lending it to her. In the face of strong physiological needs, psychological cleanliness is nothing.
There were no water dispensers on trains in the 1970s. There was just a loving kettle at the connection of the train. Sometimes the conductor would carry the kettle around the carriages to help pour water. When there was no conductor to serve, you could pour it yourself.
Fan Hua took the enamel pot and walked towards the love kettle.
As soon as she left, the man who was standing with his back to them immediately picked up his cup and followed her.
The conversation between the two people just now had already fallen clearly into his ears.
Zhao Yilu looked at the slender figure rinsing the cups, and thought of what Fan Hua had just said. He couldn't tell whether he was more angry at Fan's family or more guilty towards Fan Hua.
She must have felt very helpless at the time, which was why she wanted to leave her hometown alone. Fortunately, they met on the train, otherwise he would not know where to find her after he was discharged from the army three years later.
Zhao strode forward, walked behind Fan Hua and pretended to queue up for water, then secretly stuffed a handful of Da Tuanjie in his hand into Fan Hua's pocket.
Fan Hua, who was concentrating on rinsing the pot, felt something strange and immediately became alert. She thought she had encountered a thief. She subconsciously covered her pockets and stepped heavily on the person behind her...
Zhao Yilu, whose foot was stepped on, frowned for a moment in pain. He never expected that this little girl would step on him directly.
Fan Hua grabbed Zhao Yilu's hand that was stuffing money into his pocket and turned around. She wanted to see what this thief looked like!
"Is it you?" Fan Hua was very surprised to see that it was the handsome recruit with the straightforward and passionate eyes.
"Yes, it's me." Zhao Yilu replied calmly when he realized he was caught.
"Why are you touching my pocket?" Fan Hua's tone was sharp.
"I want to give you some money..."
When Fan Hua heard him say this, she looked at the hand that she was still holding in confusion. Sure enough, he was holding a handful of unity in his hand.
Fan Hua frowned tightly. Could it be that this person really knew the original owner?
"Why did you give me money?"
Zhao Yilu looked around and luckily no one noticed them. He said softly, "Can you let go of my hands first?"
Fan Hua belatedly let go of Zhao Yilu's hand and continued to examine him. After a close observation, she found a small brown-red mole at the corner of Zhao Yilu's eye, which was very unique and beautiful.
Zhao Yilu covered his lips and coughed lightly to hide the discomfort on his face, then he said, "I just happened to hear the conversation between you and the sister-in-law next to you. I know you were forced to run away from home, so you must not have much money on you. I went to join the army this time and thought it would not cost much, so I didn't bring much with me. Take these first, eat well, and ask if you can change to a sleeper berth. Wait for me... I will send you the allowance when I earn it."
When Fan Hua heard him say this, her mind was full of question marks...
"Excuse me, but who are you...?"
Zhao Yilu's expression became more serious. "You don't recognize me?"
Zhao Yilu couldn't tell whether he was angry or aggrieved. They had done such an intimate thing before, how could the girl not recognize him!
Fan Hua realized that this person really knew the original owner, so she quickly found an excuse to explain, "You just heard what I told Sister Geng. I escaped secretly. It was night when I escaped. I accidentally fell into a ditch and got dizzy. When I woke up, I didn't remember some things before."
Zhao Yilu frowned. So that's how it was. No wonder she didn't recognize him.
Then he asked with a worried look on his face, "How are you now? Do you have any other symptoms? Remember to go to the hospital for a checkup when the train arrives. Don't be careless if you fell on your head."
Fan Hua laughed dryly, "It's nothing, it doesn't hurt at all, I just forgot some people, I still remember most things, by the way, you haven't told me who you are? Why do you know me?"
Zhao Yilu was thinking that since Fan Hua didn't recognize him, he might as well just tell her his real name and then explain the rest later.
"My name is Zhao Yilu, I am..."
Before Zhao Yilu could finish his words, Fan Hua interrupted him excitedly.
"You are Zhao Yilu!"
"Yes, it's me." Zhao Yilu didn't understand why Fan Hua was so excited.
Just when he wanted to continue chatting with Fan Hua, a soldier holding a water cup walked over here.
"Take care of yourself. I'll find a chance to talk to you in detail later." Zhao Yilu said and turned around and walked back.
Fan Hua stood there in a daze, this person turned out to be the cannon fodder brother Zhao Yilu!!!
She remembered that in the original book, He Siyan and Xie Yuting met because Zhao Yilu was injured. They were brothers from the same father and mother. He Siyan took his father's surname and Zhao Yilu took his mother's surname.
In the original book, Zhao Yilu, who had a bright military career, was injured in the leg by an explosion during a mission and was sent to the military hospital. The heroine Xie Yuting happened to be a student of Zhao Yilu's attending physician. During the days when He Siyan took care of his younger brother, he became familiar with the heroine Xie Yuting. Their relationship developed rapidly while Zhao Yilu was seriously injured and hospitalized!
But Zhao Yilu was a pitiful person. Although he survived this serious injury, one of his legs was sawed off. From then on, he could only rely on crutches and wheelchairs.
There is not much description of Zhao Yilu in the novel. His appearance is mainly to promote the development of the plot and give the male and female protagonists an opportunity to get to know each other.
Later, I learned from the casual chat between He Siyan and Xie Yuting that after Zhao Yilu injured his leg, he returned to his hometown and was depressed for several years. It was not until 1986 that he suddenly decided to go to Beijing to do business. After several years of hard work, he became a wealthy business tycoon.
Coincidentally, 1986 was the year when the original owner, Fan Lihua, passed away.
In the book, Zhao Yilu never married, and was very kind to Fan Lihua's twin children, raising them as if they were his own...
Fan Hua had a very good impression of this cannon fodder brother, not only because he was very outstanding, but also because of their names. After all, her name was taken from Fan Hua in "Along the Way with Flowers". When she read this novel, she was wondering whether the name of this Zhao Yilu would come from the same plot as her own?
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