Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 177 Departure to Jing City

Everyone had left, and the family needed to prepare. On Monday the 25th, the children got up early on their own. He Ci'en returned all the novels she had borrowed from the bookstore; as for the ones she hadn't finished reading, she could find them again when she got to Beijing.

He picked up a set of Feng Menglong's "Three Words" from the bookshelf at home: "Stories to Awaken the World," "Stories to Warn the World," and "Stories to Enlighten the World." He hadn't had a chance to read this set before, but his aunt said it was an ancient version of the novel, so it would be perfect for passing the time on the train.

After breakfast, Jingyan took her lunchbox to the shop and filled three lunchboxes with braised meat and braised ribs. Sister Wang boiled nearly twenty eggs and also made some pancakes. He Zhijun walked around and picked up a large watermelon: "Take one of these?"

Grandma patted him on the shoulder: "So, are you going to bring a knife too?"

Jing Yan laughed so hard she almost fell over: "No need to bring a knife. We'll cut it in half before we leave. We'll bring spoons. Once we get in the car, the kids can eat it by scooping out half. We can do the same. Cut watermelons don't keep well, so we can bring this one too. Zhijun, it was your suggestion, so you carry it."

He Zhijun... "Xiao Li, all your luggage is here with me. You have nothing to carry, so you can have the watermelon."

He Chaoli... what did he do to deserve this? But there's nothing we can do, he's so young, what else can we do but obey? We could only nod and agree.

He Jin'an still had some brotherly affection, "Brother Xiao Li, let's each carry half of the watermelon."

He Chaoli nodded excitedly in agreement, finally no longer looking miserable. Jing Yan watched them without interrupting. These kinds of things are best left for the children to discuss themselves; too much adult interference can actually harm their relationship.

It was almost time, so Jingyan and her family locked their doors and windows and took a detour to the shop. They handed the key to the courtyard gate to Dou Zhixiao and told him to come over every day to help feed the chickens and to remember to pick any ripe vegetables to bring back, either for the shop or for the staff to share, as they were better than the old ones.

After finishing her chores at home, Jingyan went straight to the dock, bought a boat ticket, and boarded the ship. She then visited her uncle's house. Over the years, Jingyan had invested approximately 30,000 yuan in dividends with Yuan Xiaoling's decoration company, and she handed the savings account to her uncle.

Because the passbook was opened at a bank in downtown Shanghai, which is close to my uncle's house, if they don't have enough money on them in Beijing, my uncle can help them withdraw money and transfer it over. Otherwise, it would be terrible if they were out of town and had no money in their pockets.

The uncle smiled and took the bankbook, saying that Jingyan was worrying unnecessarily. He had heard from He Zhijun that their family had carried a huge sum of 10,000 yuan with them on this trip. These days, a family with 10,000 yuan was a rare find, perhaps only one in an entire village. This girl was really extravagant, taking so much money with her family on a short trip.

However, since the money was earned by her own mother and she hadn't said anything, he, as her uncle, had even less right to comment. But seeing that Jingyan had entrusted so much money to him, he couldn't help but say, "Even if you're worried about your family, you should still save money when you're away from home. It's not easy for you to earn money."

Jingyan smiled and nodded: "I know, Uncle. I brought most of the money because I was thinking that if there are any houses near Ci'en School that I can buy, I'd like to get one. Firstly, Ci'en is a quiet person, so if she doesn't like living in the dormitory and finds it too crowded and doesn't get enough rest, she'll have her own independent space."

"If family members occasionally visit him, he'll have a place to stay. A house, although it requires a large investment, always retains its value; after all, it's an asset. What do you think?"

The uncle pondered for a moment and nodded: "Your idea is correct, but even if we're going to buy a house, it should be in your name. After all, it's your money. It's already a great favor that Ci'en can live in it."

If Ci'en gets a job in the future, his employer will naturally allocate housing for him. Even if the employer isn't satisfied with the allocation, we'll make up the difference. You've already taken great care of us over the years.

To be honest, if I didn't know you were genuinely kind and a good kid, I really wouldn't have felt comfortable leaving him with you for four years. Putting aside everything else, the allowance and money you gave him for books during his three years of high school exceeded the living expenses we provided.

We've already taken advantage of you so much. From now on, Ci'en will be your child too. I won't say anything more polite; I'll remember it all. I really don't have that much money, but in the future, if you ever need us, our whole family will be there for you without hesitation.

Jingyan smiled and shook her head: "Uncle, you're too kind. Grandma was worried that you were having a hard time in the Northwest. Now that you're finally back, your two older brothers are still there. It's not easy for you and Aunt to raise four children. If we can help out here in Ci'en, it will put Grandma's mind at ease."

Since I came to Haishi, my grandma has been my biggest supporter, no matter what I do. She's been so good to me, and I love her very much. She's getting old, and I want her to live a comfortable and happy life every day.

You don't need to feel so much pressure. It's all thanks to Grandma. You're her son, so I'm just your junior. We're all family, and harmony is the key to a prosperous family.

With tears in his eyes, the uncle said, "Yes, the greatest blessing in my life is being my mother's son."

Grandma glared at him: "Getting old, why are your eyes so easily moved to tears? Are your tears worthless now? Like Jingyan said, we're all family, we should help each other. Besides, Ci'en isn't an ungrateful child."

Jingyan genuinely treats him like her own son, so don't make things too complicated, otherwise it will hurt their relationship. Don't waste any more time; just keep the bankbook Jingyan left with you. If Jingyan really needs money over there, just transfer it to us.

"At my age, I probably won't be going on this long trip again. When I get there, I'll definitely have a good time sightseeing. And when I meet your dad in the next world, I can brag about his granddaughter-in-law, whom he never had the chance to meet, making that old man drool, hahaha."

Seeing how much the old lady was looking forward to the trip, the uncle couldn't help but smile: "I thought your car would arrive in the afternoon, before noon, so I bought all the groceries."

During the Spring Festival, you mentioned that in your hometown there's a saying: "Dumplings before departure, noodles upon arrival." Your aunt has already prepared the dumpling filling. Let's quickly knead the dough, roll out the dumpling wrappers, make the dumplings, eat them, and then head to the train station.

My aunt went to the supply and marketing cooperative this morning and bought several jars of canned yellow peaches and a pound of White Rabbit milk candy. She took them with her when she left so the children could eat them on the way. The jars can also be used as cups; otherwise, one military water bottle might not be enough for so many people.

He Zhijun and Jing Yan didn't refuse; after thanking them with smiles, the family got busy again. Many hands make light work, and they quickly filled three trays with plump dumplings. Seeing that the dumplings were almost ready, Sister Wang went to the kitchen to boil water, while Jing Yan had the children peel garlic to make garlic sauce for dipping the dumplings.

My uncle's house, which is not small to begin with, felt quite crowded today because of the large number of people. It was unusual that not everyone sat at the table to eat, because the table couldn't hold so many people. Everyone held a bowl or plate and ate dumplings while sitting on a stool or sofa. Luckily, there was only one dumpling. If there had been stir-fried dishes, it would have been really difficult to arrange seating for this meal.

Aunt shook her head and chuckled: "It's rare to have such a lively family at home. Now I know why we always go to Jingyan's place for family reunions every year. It's because their house is big enough to fit all of us."

Grandma nodded and smiled as she ate, "Yes, many children and grandchildren bring great fortune. Our family now spans four generations. I have no regrets in this life. A thriving family and harmonious community—this is a scene that many large families can only dream of, and I am fortunate to have it."

You are all good children. Now, your great-grandchildren are growing up and achieving their own success, which makes me truly happy. I visited Beijing with my father once years ago. It's been decades; I wonder what it's like now. I'm still quite looking forward to it.

Ah Sheng, next summer vacation, you should take some of the kids there for a trip. "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles," as the old saying goes, there's always some truth to it. Who knows, a trip there might broaden their horizons and make them more proactive and enthusiastic about learning when they come back. Now that policies are better, cultured people are becoming increasingly important, it's a natural trend."

The uncle bowed his head and listened attentively, eating his meal quickly. After resting for a while, he asked his wife to stay home and look after the three children while he took everyone to the train station. It was crowded, and his family occupied almost half of the seats on the bus. Fortunately, it was the starting station, so there were fewer people on the bus; otherwise, they might not have been able to get seats.

Upon arriving at the train station and finding the corresponding platform, He Zhijun showed his ticket to the staff, who, seeing that all the tickets were for sleeper berths, pointed to a passageway and said:

"These are your sleeper tickets. This is the starting station. The train is already over there on the platform. You can take your tickets and go through the special passage over there to board the train and put your luggage away earlier."

After thanking him, He Zhijun returned and told everyone that the nine of them, carrying a long line of backs and shoulders, had passed through the special passage. Sure enough, their train had arrived at the platform, and the carriage doors were all open.

They found the sleeper car, and the ticket inspector at the door looked at them and held out his hand: "Please show your ticket, thank you!"

He Zhijun handed over a stack of six sleeper tickets: "These are our tickets. The two youngest children should be traveling for free, right?"

The ticket inspector nodded. "There are nine of you. The two children can enter for free, but the rest of you will have to pay full price."

He Zhijun pointed to his uncle: "He's here to see us off. He'll be getting off the bus before it leaves."

The ticket inspector nodded, pressed the ticket down with the ticket clip, and handed it back to He Zhijun: "Then you can get on the train first. Those who are seeing you off before departure, remember to get off, otherwise you won't be able to get off once the train leaves."

The uncle nodded with a smile, and the whole family boarded the train one by one, finding their corresponding sleeper carriages. The six sleeper tickets were consecutive, making it a perfect room for the whole family to stay together, which was great.

We stuffed the luggage under the lower bunk and piled the food on the luggage rack above. It was all packed up in no time. Hmm, the watermelon was on the small table. It was the kids' first time on a train, let alone a sleeper.

Jingyan didn't want to go up to the top two bunks, so she let He Ci'en and He Chaoli climb up to sleep there. He Zhijun and she stayed in the middle bunk, while Grandma and Sister Wang slept in the lower bunk. They also put one of Zhizhi and one of An'an in their arms to sleep.

After looking around, the uncle led He Zhijun to find the toilet and hot water. Once everything was confirmed, he said goodbye to his grandmother and reluctantly got off the train. At this time, people started boarding the hard seats, and the quiet platform suddenly became noisy.

Jing Yan glanced at He Zhijun: "Did you put the suitcase with the money in there properly? Even though it's just our family in this room, there's no door, so we still need to be careful. It's a 30-plus hour drive, and we won't arrive in Beijing until around noon the day after tomorrow. That's too long."

He Zhijun nodded: "I put that small box inside my pillow. It's safe, don't worry."

After a while, the car slowly started moving. The whole family stuck their heads out of the car windows and waved to the old man on the platform until they were out of sight. Only then did they gradually pull their heads back in.

There was almost no feeling of being away from home. The children were very curious about all the scenery outside the window, chattering and talking to themselves, making quite a commotion. He Ci'en looked at it for a while, but the scenery outside was all the same, so she sat on her grandmother's bed and read a book.

The boys were full of energy and didn't want to stay on the lower bunks, so they climbed up to the upper and middle bunks. He Zhijun and Jing Yan didn't care. The two lower bunks were more than enough for six adults. However, after a while, they all got bored and climbed up to lie down in their pre-assigned positions.

As the train clattered and swayed, the group soon fell asleep. Train journeys are inherently boring, and unlike the crowded and noisy hard-seat sections, the trip was relatively peaceful. The first day's meals consisted of food they had brought themselves.

Starting the next day, He Zhijun went to the dining car to buy food at mealtimes. The train food was never good; it was just enough to fill them up. After only two meals, the children didn't want to eat anymore.

When Jingyan returned from the restroom, she saw a train attendant pushing a food cart in the hard-seat carriage, loudly hawking his wares. She immediately spotted bowls of instant noodles and her eyes lit up. She thought to herself, "Now there are instant noodles!"

This is an essential food for train travel! The kids will definitely love it. It's perfect since she doesn't like eating the fast food on the train anyway, so it's a good change of pace.

She quickly caught up with it, but fortunately the food cart wasn't moving fast and the aisle was crowded. Jingyan caught up with it in no time: "Comrade, is this instant noodles?" she asked, pointing to an orange-red box.

The train conductor was somewhat surprised. This item was currently only sold on the railway. Major stores and supply and marketing cooperatives sold it in bags, and it wasn't available in all cities. It was considered a rare item. He didn't expect that someone would actually recognize it.

She nodded quickly: "That's right. Soaking them in boiling water for a while makes them taste better, even though they're not as chewy as homemade noodles. They're juicy and make your stomach feel much better when you're hungry."