The train ride from Yao City to Mo Du took sixteen hours. They planned to leave in the afternoon, sleep on the train overnight, and arrive in Mo Du the next morning.
They had booked a private soft sleeper compartment. With four people, each had their own bunk. Zhu Yanyi and Zhu Zhibin were on one side, while Luo Gang and Wang Ye were on the other. Zhu Zhibin usually had her own bodyguard, but since she was traveling with Zhu Yanyi, she let her guard rest.
"Brother Luo, the black bag you’re carrying has lotus root powder, tea eggs, five-spice beef, and peanuts that I prepared. Take them out so we can eat and pass the time," Zhu Yanyi said. She was lying by the window, watching the scenery outside. She blinked and chewed her lip, clearly bored.
"Okay." Luo Gang took out the food. Zhu Zhibin joined in, saying, "We also have peaches and tomatoes. Let’s take some out too. It’s a good time to eat them."
The peaches and tomatoes were grown by the Zhu family. They were very fresh, sweet, and juicy.
"Good." Luo Gang took out the peaches and tomatoes and handed them to Zhu Yanyi and Zhu Zhibin. Since they were already washed, they could eat them right away.
Zhu Yanyi picked up a tomato and took a bite. It was juicy. Because the fertilizer included diluted Spirit Spring water from Zhu Yanyi, it was full of spiritual energy, making it taste exceptionally good.
"Brother Luo, do we have hot water? I want to drink," Zhu Zhibin said from the upper bunk, biting into a peach.
"You’re eating peaches and drinking water?" Zhu Yanyi shook her head, speechless.
"Peaches taste like peaches. Water tastes like water." Zhu Zhibin seemed to have developed some strange habits lately.
"I never thought about what water tastes like," Zhu Yanyi said casually. She asked Luo Gang for a cup and picked up the thermos on the table. But when she lifted it, it was light. "It’s empty. I’ll go get water."
"Miss, let me go," Wang Ye said, taking the thermos from her. "Although fewer people come and go in this soft sleeper compartment than in the hard seat area, there are still people around. It’s safer if I go." He then left.
Zhu Yanyi shrugged and didn’t argue.
When Wang Ye returned with the water, he smiled. "Miss, look who this is?" Besides Wang Ye, there was someone else at the door.
Zhu Yanyi was slightly surprised. "Uncle Chan Yao? What are you doing here?" Indeed, she had unexpectedly met Zhu Chanyao on the train.
Zhu Chanyao smiled. "I’m going to Zhu City. I bought a standing ticket and was standing near the corridor. I saw Wang Ye getting water, so he brought me over."
The train ride from Yao City to Zhu City took about three hours, so it wasn’t far. Zhu Yanyi smiled slightly. "Zhu City? I heard it’s famous for producing various fabrics, isn’t it?"
"More or less. The cheapest fabrics are from Qiao Town. Ani, where are you going?" Zhu Chanyao asked curiously.
"Dou Miao and I are attending a summer camp in Mo Du, so we’re going there," Zhu Yanyi answered casually. "Why did you decide to go to Zhu City, Uncle Chan Yao? Does Grandpa En Fu know?"
Zhu Chanyao replied, "He knows. It was Grandpa En Fu who sent me. Ani, you might not know this, but Zhu City is the root of our Zhu family ancestors. We plan to visit and, if possible, move our ancestors’ graves to the Zhu family cemetery in Zhu City. That way, even if we are gone, our ancestors will still have descendants to honor them."