Chapter 212: Visiting Her Parents’ Home
Chang’an was a city of immense charm. Even though it could be compared to the international metropolis that would later become the economic hub of the Northwest, demolition and reconstruction hadn’t yet taken a heavy toll, so many places still retained their original charm.
Over the next three days, Li Yi took Tang Xue to visit one or two famous landmarks every day. They went to the Bell and Drum Towers, climbed the ancient city walls of Chang’an, and visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, among other places.
At that time, these sites hadn’t been restored or turned into tourist attractions, so admission was free.
The only regret was that the Terracotta Army at the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor had only been discovered a few years earlier and was not yet open to the public.
In addition to visiting these historic sites, Li Yi also treated Tang Xue to a variety of Chang’an delicacies.
Needless to say, authentic Shaanxi-style liangpi was a must, and you couldn’t miss out on youpo noodles, roujiamo, or yangrou paomo either.
Whether it was because her morning sickness had subsided or because the hometown cuisine better suited her taste,
In any case, over the past few days, her severe morning sickness—that feeling of nausea at the sight of greasy food—had actually disappeared.
Moreover, her appetite had improved considerably.
The two of them had a wonderful time over the past three days.
More importantly, through their travels, they rediscovered that feeling of being in love, and their marital bond grew even stronger.
Unfortunately, the three days flew by in the blink of an eye, and the couple had to continue their unfinished journey back home.
Li Yi had already checked: there are three trains from Chang’an to Yongxian, but all of them just pass through.
Apart from one that departed at night—which wasn’t really suitable—the remaining two were both viable options.
After some planning, Li Yi decided to take the train departing at 9:00 a.m., which would arrive in Yong County by noon.
To save time, Li Yi took advantage of Tang Xue’s rest period to go to the train station in advance and purchase the tickets and other necessities.
Since the journey was relatively short, Li Yi didn’t buy sleeper tickets; he just bought two hard-seat tickets!
On the day of departure, Li Yi got up early in the morning and took Tang Xue out for a bowl of mutton paomo.
He also thoughtfully bought two roujiamo sandwiches to pack in a lunchbox, planning to eat them if they got hungry on the way.
After breakfast, the two headed straight for the train station!
After nearly three hours of bumpy travel, the train finally arrived at Yongxian Station at 12:15 PM!
The moment they stepped out of the station, both Tang Xue and Li Yi were filled with memories.
Tang Xue was recalling what the station looked like three years ago when she was sent down to the countryside—it was as dilapidated and chaotic as ever, as if nothing had changed in those three years.
But looking at her husband by her side and the child growing inside her, she felt that everything had changed.
Li Yi, meanwhile, was trying to connect the small county town before him with the Yong County from his past life. Gradually, the train station before his eyes and the Yong County of his memories began to overlap, and his recollections suddenly became crystal clear.
In his previous life, he had arrived here several years later, by which time Tang Xue had already been dead for years.
After arriving here, Li Yi gave the Tang family a sum of money and had Tang Xue’s solitary grave relocated to a feng shui-blessed spot on the outskirts of town.
Later, he even purchased that stretch of woodland and developed it into a memorial park.
He didn’t want his wife and child to feel too lonely!
The two stood outside the train station, lost in thought, for quite a while. Finally, Li Yi patted Tang Xue on the shoulder and said, “Let’s go.”
“Mm-hmm!”
After leaving the station, Li Yi asked Tang Xue, “Do you know where the guesthouse is?”
“Why do you ask about the guesthouse?”
“I think we should find a place to stay first, then go back to your family’s house,” Li Yi said.
“Wh… why? Are you worried my parents won’t accept us?”
Li Yi nodded and said, “I have a feeling this trip back won’t go too smoothly!”
“It won’t be like that…”
Although her parents were indeed a bit biased, she was married now and had a child—could they really be so heartless as to disown Li Yi as their son-in-law?
Seeing Tang Xue’s agitated expression, Li Yi immediately reassured her, “It’s just a hunch of mine. Maybe I’m wrong, but I still think we should find a guesthouse to settle into before going home.”
“After all, you know the situation at your parents’ place—a whole family crammed into two small rooms. It’s already crowded enough. If the two of us move back in, there simply won’t be enough room for us!”
“Plus, you’re pregnant now and have to get up several times a night to use the restroom. The old house doesn’t have a bathroom, so it wouldn’t be very convenient at night. So whether your parents accept me or not, I still think it’s better for us to stay somewhere else!”
Tang Xue thought it over and realized Li Yi had a point.
Besides, her older brother was already 21 this year and had been working at the factory for several years—she didn’t even know if he was married yet.
If he was married, there really wouldn’t be enough room in the house, and it would indeed be quite inconvenient for the two of them to move back.
“Alright, let’s find a guesthouse first, drop off our luggage, and then go back to my place!”
“Alright!”
Although she had been away from Yong County for several years, she had grown up there, so Tang Xue led Li Yi to the county guesthouse with ease.
Upon learning that the two wanted to stay the night—and that Li Yi was from out of town—the staff carefully checked their various documents.
Only after confirming everything was in order did they assign them a room.
The conditions at the small-town guesthouse were rather mediocre. Even though Li Yi had requested the best double room available, it still made one cringe.
But given the conditions in a small town, he had no choice but to put up with it.
After settling in, the two skipped dinner and headed straight to the Tang family home!
……
The Tang Family Residence in the Steel Mill Compound!
It was noon, and the Tang family was having lunch.
Seated around the small round table were Tang Xue’s father, Tang Jizhong, and mother, Li Hongmei, along with her older brother, Tang Lei, and younger sister, Tang Bing!
In addition, there was a young woman—none other than Tang Lei’s girlfriend, Zhou Yanshu.
The spread on the table wasn’t lavish, but it was still quite decent compared to an average household—there were vegetables, meat, and even a small carp.
After all, three out of the four members of the Tang family were working, and since the steel mill was a relatively profitable enterprise, the wages were higher than at most other factories. Combined, the Tang family’s monthly income came to at least 120 yuan.
After taking just a few bites, Tang Bing suddenly said, “Mom, when is Tang Xue coming back? If she doesn’t come back soon, I’m going to lose my job!”
Li Hongmei glanced at Tang Lei sitting beside her and asked, “Xiao Lei, has that brat written back lately?”
“I haven’t received any. Dad, did you go check at the mailroom to see if it was sent to your workshop?” Tang Lei asked as he ate.
“I asked. Nothing,” Tang Jizhong replied gloomily.
“That good-for-nothing! I wrote her a letter back in May, and it’s already mid-August and she still hasn’t come back. Has she gotten too big for her britches?” Li Hongmei grumbled.
“Mom, what if she doesn’t come back?” Tang Bing asked, frowning.
“Does she dare? If that brat doesn’t come back, I’ll have your dad and your brother go to that godforsaken backwater and drag her back!” Li Hongmei snapped.
“But what if she doesn’t want to marry Uncle Liu once she gets back?”
“It’s not up to her whether she marries or not. If I say she has to marry him, she’ll marry him!”
Then, Li Hongmei added, “Besides, Director Liu is just a bit older—what’s wrong with that? Being older means he knows how to treat people right…”
However, just as the Tang family was discussing this openly inside the house, Tang Xue and Li Yizheng were already standing outside the door!