Lu Yang went to ask his boss for leave early in the morning, and the boss glanced at him.
"You just gave me leave a few days ago, and now you're asking for leave again? No thanks."
“There’s an emergency at home, and besides, I rarely take vacations in the past few years. Please consider this as me saving up my vacation days from previous years for this year.”
"Get lost."
He ran back to explain the arrangements for this period of time to the deputy battalion commander, while Song Qing packed his things at home.
Last night, Lu Yang asked her if she wanted her and her daughter to stay in Northeast China while he went back alone. However, Song Qing hadn't been home for a long time, and she also wanted to go back and visit.
Ancheng is far from Xin'an, and she can only go back once every two or three years.
The last time I saw her mother was about two years ago.
"Mom, will we come here again after we go back to Grandma's house?"
“We’ll go back for a while; this is our home too.”
They were returning in a hurry and didn't plan to bring much. Song Qing quickly steamed a pot of buns to take with them on the journey. The train ride back to Xin'an would take three days and two nights, and although food was sold on the train, they still needed to prepare some dry rations.
"We bought tickets for the 4 PM train, and the manager will send a car to take us to the train station."
"Okay, the department store will deliver the sewing machine later. You go and pick it up. I'll go find Aunt Tian."
They spent 246 yuan yesterday to buy a Shanghai brand sewing machine, which was only delivered today.
Aunt Tian was also surprised to hear that they suddenly wanted to go back, and gave Song Qing all the rabbits she had hunted in the mountains before the New Year and the wild boar meat she had received from the village's winter hunt.
"You should bring something with you on your trip back. This meat is dried so it will be easier to carry."
"No, I can't have it."
"Don't be shy with your third aunt. There are also the mushrooms and dried fish that I dried earlier. Or I can steam a basket of buns for you to take with you."
“I’ll steam them; these are too precious for Auntie.”
These dried meats weighed over ten kilograms, along with various dried mushrooms. Song Qing insisted on giving Aunt Tian money, but Aunt Tian refused to accept it.
"Take some things back with you so your elders at home will feel at ease. You should go back and pack them now."
Song Qing came not only to inform Aunt Tian, but also because there was still some furniture in Lizicun that hadn't been delivered.
They estimated it would take them ten days to half a month to get back, and there wasn't enough time to go to Lizicun now. They could only give the remaining wages to Aunt Tian and ask her to make a trip to Lizicun when she had some free time, so that they could wait for her to return before delivering the goods.
Around 1 p.m., the family of three packed their bags and got into a military jeep to go to the train station.
Lu Yang carried two large bags on his back, while Song Qing carried a small bag and held An An's hand the whole time.
"The bus won't arrive for another hour."
The city produces coal and is also an industrial hub, so the train station is bustling with people.
"Mom's roast chicken."
They bought a smoked chicken near the train station just yesterday, and An'an still remembers it.
The chicken was marinated with some kind of spice, and besides looking delicious, it tasted exceptionally good. She couldn't forget it after just one bite.
"You guys wait here, I'll go buy one."
Lu Yang found a bench for the mother and daughter to sit down while he went to buy the items. Song Qing kept her eyes fixed on the bundles while holding An'an's hand tightly.
When the two of them came here before, they were also terrified the whole way, feeling that no one seemed like a good person, fearing that their things would be stolen and that their child would be lost.
An'an nestled against her mother's legs, looking around curiously.
Finally, Lu Yang returned, and Song Qing breathed a sigh of relief. It's always good to have a man with you when you go on a long trip.
"Would you like to eat some now?"
They had just eaten lunch before leaving, but Lu Yang thought that the smoked chicken tasted best when it was fresh out of the oven, and that it wouldn't taste as good if left until evening.
"want!"
"Then have some."
Lu Yang took a lunchbox to get food. He opened one of the lunchboxes, and the family sat down on the bench to eat.
The smoked chicken smelled so good that everyone around couldn't help but salivate.
Finally, someone couldn't resist and came over to ask Lu Yang where he bought it. He was a poor man who was willing to travel, and since he had finally made the trip, he had to eat it no matter how expensive it was.
Soon the crowded waiting room was filled with the aroma of smoked chicken. Who doesn't crave meat these days? The sound of swallowing saliva rose and fell.
With a rumble, the train finally pulled into the station. Lu Yang got up, slung a large bundle over his shoulder, and carried another one in his hand.
"Give me that small bag, and you take the child."
Song Qing picked up An An, while Lu Yang carried two bundles in one hand and used the other to grab Song Qing.
"There are a lot of people, so you'll have to stay behind me."
"Don't push, watch the carriage before you come in." There were so many people that the staff's voices were drowned out by the noise of the crowd. Lu Yang squeezed his way up while keeping an eye on the mother and daughter behind him.
They had bought sleeper berths, and after finally squeezing in, they both breathed a sigh of relief.
"These are our seats." Their tickets were for adjacent berths, one upper berth and one lower berth.
Lu Yang put his things on the upper bunk, and Song Qing started tidying up the lower bunk. "Brother, our seats are here."
A shifty-looking man dressed in black ran in with a ticket in his hand. He saw Song Qing and instinctively whistled.
What a beautiful and fresh-faced woman.
Lu Yang was standing behind Song Qing, tidying up his things, when he heard the whistle and glanced over indifferently.
The man was originally planning to have his companion come over and watch together, but when he suddenly saw Lu Yang with an unfriendly look in his eyes, he quickly shrank back.
"Are you blind? Didn't you see you stepped on my foot?"
"Brother, I'm sorry."
The man who came in after him exuded a powerful aura. He saw the woman inside with an angry expression, and then looked at the cold-faced man. There was nothing he couldn't understand.
"You bastard, keep your eyes to yourself and don't cause me any more trouble."
Judging from the man's figure, he was definitely a soldier. They had important business to attend to and couldn't afford to be targeted by a man.
The train started moving, and since it was still early, everyone was talking, but no one was talking here.
The shifty-eyed man knew he had gotten himself into trouble, so he put his things away and left.
They came here to scout out the terrain and carry out smuggling; they couldn't let themselves be targeted before they even made a deal.
The man on the lower bunk sat for a while and then left, leaving only Lu Yang and his family inside.
"You guys sleep on the lower bunk, I'll keep watch."
The upper bunk is unsafe. Besides being difficult to climb, there's also the risk that someone might sneak up there in the middle of the night and he might not even know.
Similarly, Lu Yang couldn't sleep alone on the upper bunk; he was more worried about leaving the two of them downstairs.
Song Qing was already very angry when the man whistled. Women are more likely to encounter unclean people when they go out.
Thankfully, those two are out now.
Around 5 o'clock, the sound of train attendants selling food began to come from the carriages, and finally it was their turn.
"Braised pork, stir-fried pork, and rice, anyone want some?"
Song Qing quickly replied, "Yes, yes, one pound of rice, and two servings of braised pork. Do you have any soup?"
"Yes, egg and tofu soup."
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