“Huff!”
“Huff…”
On the railway line connecting Chang’an to Yong County, a green-painted train was chugging along at a steady pace.
Inside the carriage, Li Yi sat in his seat, dozing fitfully. Having spent half the night plowing the fields, he felt somewhat exhausted.
Jiang Xue, however, looked radiant and showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.
At that moment, she was leaning against Li Yi’s shoulder, flipping through a specialized finance textbook she’d bought in Hong Kong, which primarily covered international accounting standards.
Determined to manage her husband’s finances after graduation, she was giving it her all, studying whenever she had a moment.
By the window, Ye Lingyun was staring out the car window, though it was unclear whether she was looking at the scenery or lost in thought.
Across from Li Yi and the others, Zhang Ziqiang and Zhang Feng sat stiffly in their seats, neither speaking nor making eye contact.
Beside them, Yang Zhiwen stood in the aisle, casually observing the other passengers.
Hu Zhiqiang had come over early this morning and offered to send a car to take them to Yong County, but Ye Lingyun had declined.
Although that would have been more convenient, Ye Lingyun didn’t want to impose on others.
For one thing, there were so many of them that a single vehicle wouldn’t be enough; they’d need to dispatch two.
Moreover, since the vehicles weren’t Hu Zhiqiang’s personal property, mobilizing two official cars at once to transport them would create a rather unfavorable impression.
Secondly, the distance from Chang’an to Yong County was less than 100 kilometers, and the train ride took less than two hours.
Moreover, there were several trains a day from Chang’an to Yong County, making it very convenient—there was absolutely no need to trouble anyone.
So, the next morning, they went to the train station and boarded the train bound for Yong County!
Jiang Xue read for a while, but when her eyes began to feel a little dry, she stopped immediately.
Looking up, she saw her mother staring absently out the car window. Jiang Xue immediately asked with a smile, “Mom, what are you looking at? You seem so engrossed.”
Ye Lingyun said with a touch of wistfulness, “I was hoping to spot some familiar scenery, but we’ve been driving all this way and haven’t seen a single thing I recognize!”
“After all, it’s been over twenty years. It’s only natural that things have changed a bit,” Jiang Xue said.
“You’re right. Just take the train, for example—it’s different from how I remember it!”
“Aren’t trains always like this? What’s so different about them?” Jiang Xue asked curiously.
“Even though they’re both green-painted trains, there’s actually a big difference. I remember the first time I came to Yong County—the train was incredibly crowded. The seats and aisles were packed with people and luggage; there wasn’t even room to stand.”
Ye Lingyun continued, “I clearly bought a seat ticket, and that seat was less than five meters away from me, but I just couldn’t squeeze through. It’s nothing like now—the train is spacious and comfortable, and there aren’t even that many people standing.”
Jiang Xue smiled and asked, “So, Mom, did you stand the whole way when you first went to Yong County?”
Ye Lingyun nodded and said, “Yes. Back then, I didn’t even know I was pregnant. After I got there, I felt incredibly exhausted and unwell all over. I had barely been assigned to the textile factory when I fell ill!”
“Because of that illness, I even got publicly scolded by the factory director. If it hadn’t been for a roommate who took pity on me and sent me to the factory infirmary for treatment, I wouldn’t have even known I was carrying you!”
Jiang Xue frowned and said, “That factory director was so despicable. How could he treat you like that?”
Ye Lingyun shook her head and said, “They say a broken drum attracts a thousand kicks. Back then, both your grandfather and your maternal grandfather were in trouble, and I’d lost the protection of my family. Everyone wanted to take a few kicks at me—it was only natural!”
“Mom, you’ve suffered so much!”
“Actually, it wasn’t so bad. Life was certainly a bit hard, but when I found out I was pregnant with you, I was actually overjoyed. It’s just a shame that what happened afterward was truly beyond my wildest expectations!”
“Mom, it’s all in the past now. Aren’t we both doing just fine?” Jiang Xue said comfortingly.
“Yes, it’s all in the past…”
Just then, the train suddenly passed by a dilapidated Taoist temple.
Ye Lingyun paused for a moment, then said excitedly, “I remember this Taoist temple. It’s a bit run-down, but I still have a vague memory of it. I thought buildings like this had been torn down long ago—I never expected it to still be here!”
Jiang Xue immediately replied, “That must be the Sanqing Temple. It’s probably been preserved because it’s a bit far from the county seat!”
“That’s possible!”
“Mom, Sanqing Temple is about thirty kilometers from the county seat. I estimate we’ll reach the county train station in about half an hour. Would you like to rest for a bit?”
“No, thank you!”
Then Ye Lingyun added, “I don’t know what’s wrong, but the closer we get to the county seat, the more nervous and excited Mother seems to be!”
“Mom, you aren’t…”
Just as Jiang Xue’s expression grew tense, Li Yi’s voice reached her ears: “It’s nothing. Mom, this is just the normal ‘fear of returning home’!”
“Really?”
Li Yi nodded and said, “It’s like that whenever you return to a familiar place—and Mother’s memories of this place are so vivid!”
Li Yi then turned to his mother-in-law and asked, “Mom, what are your plans once we get to Yong County?”
Ye Lingyun thought for a moment and said, “I’d like to visit the place where Xiao Xue used to live and go to school, then take a stroll through the county town and the place where I used to work back then. I’d also like to meet up with my old roommates. I don’t think there’s much else!”
“Alright, those are all simple things. Once we get to Yong County, Xiao Xue and I will accompany you and help you do them one by one!” Li Yi said.
“Alright…”
……….
“Woo… woo…”
With a long, low-pitched whistle, the train slowly pulled up to the station platform.
Immediately afterward, an announcement rang out over the train’s PA system: “Attention all passengers: We have arrived at Yongxian Station. The train will be stopping here…”
Once the train came to a complete stop, Yang Zhiwen and Zhang Feng carried their luggage, while Li Yi and Jiang Xue accompanied Ye Lingyun. The group joined the other passengers in line to disembark!
Stepping off the warm train, they were met by a biting cold wind, causing both Jiang Xue and Ye Lingyun to shiver involuntarily.
Li Yi, however, felt fine. In his opinion, compared to Qingshan County, the temperature in Yong County was actually quite pleasant.
At the very least, it was just a bit chilly, not too severe, with temperatures hovering around minus ten degrees at most.
Think about their home in Qingshan County—not only did they have to endure steel-sharp northwesterly winds during this season, but they also had to deal with occasional blizzards, and temperatures would often plummet to well below minus thirty degrees.
Compared to that, Yong County felt practically as warm as spring!
After leaving the train station, Ye Lingyun didn’t rush off but stood outside the exit for quite a while.
She remarked that even though more than twenty years had passed, this train station hadn’t changed a bit.
At that moment, Li Yi pulled out the camera he carried with him and took a few photos of her and Jiang Xue.
There were solo shots, a mother-daughter photo, and eventually, Li Yi even joined in for the final shot.
After taking the photos, Jiang Xue looked at Li Yi and asked, “Where are we going now?”
“Let’s go to the county guesthouse first and settle in before we do anything else!” Li Yi said.
“Okay, then let’s go over there and find a horse-drawn carriage!” Jiang Xue said.
Just then, Ye Lingyun suddenly asked, “Xiao Xue, is the guesthouse far from here? I remember the county town isn’t very big. If it’s not too far, maybe we should just walk there!”
“It’s not that far—only about two kilometers. But your health…”
“I’m fine. Besides, two kilometers isn’t that far!” Ye Lingyun said.
Since it was exactly 11 o’clock, the temperature was a bit higher than in the morning or evening, and she wanted to take advantage of this time to see what the town was like—maybe she’d even spot some familiar buildings!
“Alright then, since you want to walk, we’ll accompany you!” Jiang Xue said.
After that, the group picked up their luggage and other belongings, preparing to walk the two kilometers to the guesthouse.
But just then, two cars sped up and stopped right beside them…
………..