sjar Chapter 11 Going to the countryside
Chapter 11 Going to the countryside
Shen Nian got up after three in the morning to make dumplings. In her previous life, when she was with her grandmother, every time she went to school, her grandmother would make dumplings for her and remind her, "Dumplings when you get on the bus, noodles when you get off, and remember to have a bowl of noodles when you get there."
Zhang Aiguo and Wang Jing came over with a bag after they had just finished eating dumplings.
"Uncle Zhang, Auntie, why are you here?" Shen Nianle shouted.
Wang Jing smiled at Shen Nian and said, "You don't know when you'll be back. Your uncle Zhang and I will definitely come and see you off."
Zhang Aiguo handed the ticket to Shen Nian: "Niannian, it will take at least two or three days to get to Liao Province from here. I asked Zhou to get you sleeper tickets."
"Uncle Zhang, I'll give you the ticket money." Shen Nian said as he was about to take out his pocket.
Zhang Aiguo waved his hands repeatedly: "I know your character. I asked Chen Yang to take the place for going to the countryside that Li Cui signed you up for. I bought this with your educated youth resettlement allowance, and there is still some left." Then he handed the remaining money to Shen Nian.
Wang Jing handed over the bag in her hand again: "Auntie made some cakes for you. It's so hot, I didn't dare make too many. Remember to eat them. Be careful on the road. Remember to write to me and your Uncle Zhang when you arrive."
"Hey, thank you, auntie, and thank you, Uncle Zhang." Shen Nian took the bag and thanked them.
"You girl, why are you being so polite?" Zhang Aiguo scolded her with a smile. "Come back when you have time. Your aunt will send you the rent for this house every month. If you have any difficulties, just call your uncle!"
"I will. Uncle Zhang, take care of yourself and Aunt." Shen Nian's eyes also turned red.
"You two boys, don't run around everywhere. Listen to your sister!" Zhang Aiguo reminded Shen Nian'an and Shen Nianle again.
Shen Nianle saluted playfully: "I promise to complete the task!"
"Comrade Shen, we are leaving." The educated youth going to the countryside were all taken to the train station by large trucks.
"Let's go." The people in the car urged.
"Uncle and aunt, we are leaving. Please take care of yourselves." Shen Nian paused when he reached the car door, looked back at Zhang Aiguo who was standing there, and bowed.
The truck drove for about half an hour and finally arrived at the train station.
Shen Nian was carrying a large backpack and holding two suitcases in his hands. The two brothers Shen Nian'an also carried bags on their backs and held hands. They followed the large group onto the train and began to look for their own sleeper cars.
"From now on, you two have to follow me and cannot leave my sight. You must tell me where you go." Shen Nian warned the Shen Nian'an brothers. The human traffickers at this time are very rampant, and it is easy to lose children if you are not careful.
Shen Nian'an and Shen Nianle looked at Shen Nian and nodded seriously.
The sleeper car is more spacious and comfortable than the hard seat car. Shen Nian had just found the car and had not yet entered when he heard a male voice coming from inside.
"No one has come yet. There must be no one here. Jiaojiao, you can sleep on the lower bunk."
"No, what if someone else gets on the bus at this station? It wouldn't be nice to sleep in someone else's bed without their permission." It should be the girl named Jiaojiao who was speaking.
As soon as Shen Nian stepped into the carriage door, she saw a man sitting on a stool with his back to her, and a young girl sitting on the lower bunk. When she saw her come in, she looked at her with a smile. The man was wearing the green military uniform that was popular at that time, and the girl was wearing a white skirt.
"Comrade, is this bed yours?" the girl asked Shen Nian shyly.
Shen Nian looked at the ticket in his hand, two lower bunks and one middle bunk, and nodded: "This bed is for my brother." He put the luggage on the other lower bunk, and Shen Nian'an and Shen Nianle also put down their backpacks.
"Hello comrade, my name is Ye Jiaojiao. My berth is the middle berth. Can I exchange the lower berth with you?" Ye Jiaojiao looked at Shen Nian with her bright big eyes.
Upon hearing this, Shen Nian looked at Ye Jiaojiao. As her name suggests, she was petite and delicate, with fair skin, and exuded the innocence that was unique to girls of her age.
"My name is Shen Nian, and these two are my younger brothers Shen Nian'an and Shen Nianle. This lower bunk belongs to my younger brother Shen Nian'an. You can ask him if he's willing to switch with you."
Ye Jiaojiao looked at Shen Nian'an and Shen Nianle who were wearing exactly the same clothes and took a deep breath.
"My name is Shen Nianle, and the person next to me is my brother Shen Nian'an." Shen Nianle seemed to see her embarrassment.
Ye Jiaojiao smiled a little embarrassedly, "Comrade Shen Nian'an, can I use the middle berth to exchange berths with you? I... I'm a little afraid of heights, and it might be scary to sleep up there." Ye Jiao became even more shy. She, an adult, told a child that she was afraid of heights.
Shen Nianle looked at Shen Nian, and seeing that she had no objection, he nodded, "Okay, I can switch with you."
"Thank you, Comrade Shen Nian'an." Ye Jiaojiao thanked him happily and began to pack her luggage.
After packing her luggage, Ye Jiaojiao took out the money, counted it, and handed it to Shen Nian: "I have to compensate you for the difference in the price of the bed. I took advantage of you, so I have to give you the difference."
Shen Nian didn't refuse. He took the money and put it in his pocket. They weren't very familiar with each other, so there was no need to pretend to be generous.
The carriage gradually became lively, with people constantly coming in and out, looking for their own carriages and seats.
Shen Nian noticed that most of the people in the carriage were probably educated youth. Most of them were wearing green military uniforms, and their faces showed a hint of nervousness and anticipation.
After the train started, Shen Nian took out the bag Wang Jing gave her and opened it. In addition to a few cakes, there was also something wrapped in cloth.
Shen Nian took out two cakes and handed them to Shen Nian'an and Shen Nianle: "This is what my aunt prepared. Eat it."
The two little guys took the cake and ate it slowly.
Shen Nian took advantage of the bag to open the cloth inside. There were several Great Unity and some national tickets inside, which she put into the space.
Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang might be afraid that she wouldn't accept it if they gave it to her in person, so they used this method to subsidize them. Forget it, I'll send them some other things when things get stable. Food and daily necessities are in short supply in the city now, so I'll send them some when things get stable.
Sitting in this carriage were Shen Nian's three siblings, Ye Jiaojiao and another male comrade. No one was talking and it seemed quite quiet. The only sounds were the friction between the train wheels and the rails and the occasional voices coming from next door.
"Are you also educated youth sent to the countryside?" Ye Jiaojiao was a little curious. Shouldn't you bring your two younger brothers with you when you go to the countryside?
Shen Nian nodded, obviously seeing her confusion: "Yes, we are going to the countryside in Liao Province. There are only three of us left at home, so I will take them with me."
"Are you going to Liao Province too? We are also educated youth going to Liao Province. Which commune are you going to? Which brigade?" Ye Jiaojiao exclaimed.
"We are going to Shuangxi Brigade under Heishan Commune." Shen Nian thought for a few seconds.
"We are also going to Shuangxi Brigade. What a coincidence." Ye Jiaojiao was even happier. Now she had an acquaintance. She was worried that she would not know anyone when she went to the countryside.
The train is very slow now. Although it is a bit boring to sit there, Shen Nian doesn’t feel bored because Ye Jiaojiao is there to chat with him.
After chatting, Shen Nian learned that the other male comrade was called Zhao Gaoxuan, and they were from the same courtyard.
Zhao Gaoxuan doesn't talk much. He spends most of his time reading and occasionally gets water for Ye Jiaojiao.
After sitting on the train for a long time, the two little ones couldn't help but feel restless. Shen Nian'an was still okay, but Shen Nianle was like a monkey, curious about everything on the train, running around in the carriage. Later, after being taught a lesson by Shen Nian, he finally calmed down.
The next day at noon, the conductor came over with a dining cart selling aluminum lunch boxes. Each lunch box was fifty cents and no ticket was required. Shen Nian ordered three, and Ye Jiaojiao and the others ordered two.
Not long after lunch, the train stopped and two people got on.
They looked like a middle-aged couple, about forty years old. The man was dark-skinned and short, and the woman was also dark-skinned and slightly plump.
The two of them attracted everyone's attention when they came in.
"Who of you is sleeping in this bunk?" The woman asked loudly, standing next to Shen Nian's bed.
"It's me." Shen Nian pointed to his own position.
"Let's switch, you can sleep on the upper bunk." The woman said and was about to sit on Shen Nian's bed without waiting for Shen Nian's consent.
"Comrade, I have already bought a ticket for this bed, and I have rested here before, so it is not easy to change." Shen Nian politely refused and prevented the middle-aged woman from sitting down.
The woman was immediately displeased when she heard this, and her voice became even louder: "How can you be so ignorant, little girl? I just want to trade berths with you, why are you so picky?"
"How can this old lady talk like that? We have already bought tickets for this bed. Can you change it just like that?" Ye Jiaojiao, who was sitting on the lower bunk, was also unhappy.
"What's wrong with buying the ticket? I'll give you the money!" The woman put her hands on her hips.
Shen Nian frowned slightly, and said firmly, "Auntie, please calm down. I bought the ticket for this bed, so it belongs to me. I don't agree to exchange beds with you. If you want to change beds, you can go and negotiate with the flight attendant instead of making a fuss here."
"Okay, okay, if you don't want to change, then don't change. Hurry up and go up." The middle-aged man who had been silent all the time tried to smooth things over and glared at the woman.
The woman's face flushed and paled at Shen Nian's words. She glared at Shen Nian and Ye Jiaojiao, then turned around and climbed onto the upper bunk, muttering, "It's just a lower bunk, what's the big deal?"
After the farce ended, the carriage did not return to calm. The woman kept cursing on the upper bunk.
Shen Nian was not affected at all.
Ye Jiaojiao rolled her eyes so hard that they almost popped out of her head. It was her first time traveling far away and she met such a shameless person.
The two continued chatting, while the woman watched them from the bed. The man sat by the window smoking, glancing at Shen Nian from time to time, with a dangerous glint in his eyes.