Chapter 78 - 78

Chapter 78 The Return Journey" Sister Yun, my grandparents said you're going home for the New Year? Is your home far away?" Xiao Zhu asked curiously."Of course it's far, it takes three days by train! Sigh...""Little Sister Yun, you must be working so hard. How about I marry you when we grow up? That way your home will be right here, not far away.""Haha..." Yun Ting was amused by Xiao Zhu's childish words and laughed out loud. It was just too funny."By the time you grow up, I'll be old. Besides, even if I get married, my family will always be my family! I can't just abandon my parents and family after I get married, can I?""That's true! So what should we do?""You little brat, eat your food and grow up properly. Don't worry about adult things."Time flies. Yun Ting bought a train ticket for the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. She got up early that day and planned to ride her bicycle to take the bus herself, and put the bicycle in her space when she had the chance.Unexpectedly, Yang Qingqing said she would reluctantly give her a ride.This person is really something; they mean well, but they still speak awkwardly as if they're unwilling.She is truly a beautiful woman with a cold exterior but a warm heart.Yun Ting packed a few changes of clothes and some dry goods. The package looked big, but that was just the surface; the contents were actually inside her storage space. She could take them out when she was almost home. Anyway, with this big package as a cover, no one would know what was inside.Yang Qingqing watched Yun Ting board the bus.As soon as Yun Ting got on, there was a seat available, and it was even by the window. She was so lucky. She turned around and waved goodbye to Yang Qingqing, as if she could see the reluctance in the other's eyes.Suddenly, I felt a pang of sympathy for Yang Qingqing. While she was enjoying a joyous New Year with her family, she was confined to the cold and impersonal Educated Youth courtyard.She had some understanding of Yang Qingqing'shome in this world, and it was a complicated situation. No wonder she severed ties with her; if it were her, she would have done the same.Although some of the educated youth haven't gone home yet, she's never interacted with people! So, in the end, isn't it still just her?As soon as the bus started, Yun Ting couldn't think about anything else. The main problem was that the bus smelled terrible, with all sorts of odors. She covered her nose with her sleeve and closed her eyes, which made her feel a little better.The bus swayed and rattled, but thankfully we didn't encounter anything strange along the way and arrived at the city's train station smoothly.At this time, the train station was quite crowded. Although it didn't have the grand scale of the Spring Festival travel rush in later years, it was still much more crowded than usual. Many of the people were educated youth who had gone to the countryside to visit their families.Yun Ting checked the time; her train wouldn't arrive for about half an hour. She found a place to sit and wait. Luckily, she was wearing many layers, otherwise, the cold wind would have been unbearable.After a long wait, the train finally arrived at the station. Yun Ting didn't want to wait a moment longer. The waiting area at this time was not like the ones in later generations; it was open-air!After a long and arduous journey, Yun Tingfinally boarded the train and managed to snag a seat, albeit a hard seat, which was still better than standing.She put her bag down before sitting down and looking out the window, where she saw people hurrying by.Just as she was lost in thought, a girl across from her asked, "Hello, comrade, are you also an educated youth sent to the countryside?"Yun Ting turned to look at her. The girl had dark skin and her face was flushed from the cold.Yun Ting smiled and nodded in response, saying, "Hello.""Where did you go to work in the countryside? How come your skin is so fair and smooth? I really envy you.""Heh~ I have naturally fair skin and can't get tanned. Actually, I have to do a lot of farm work every day when I go to the countryside. It's exhausting.""Wow! That's great. Look at me, I'm almost as black as charcoal."Yun Ting chatted with the girl across from him for a while and learned that she was also an educated youth sent to the countryside. When asked, she found out that the two of them had been sent to the countryside not far apart, since they were from the same community.Pan Hong's face lit up with excitement at the mention of going home.She said she hadn't been home for three years.It was a little heartbreaking to say that.At first, Yun Ting and Pan Hong were chatting. After they got to know each other better, two other girls joined in. They were all educated youth who had been sent to the countryside, and they quickly started chatting.The topics were nothing more than what the production brigades were like in the countryside and what the people were like there.After this conversation, Yun Ting realized that their Xiangyang Brigade was quite good. The Brigade Leader was upright, and the villagers were also decent, only occasionally a little unpleasant.Pan Hong said that in their brigade, the Brigade Leader was incompetent. Not only did the Educated Youth receive low work points, but they also didn't get any good opportunities.They could only earn a maximum of six work points even if they worked themselves to the bone. Life was really hard, and not having enough to eat was the norm.They were given the worst batch of grain, andthe educated youth had no way to express their suffering. Many of the educated youth couldn't stand it and married men from the village, but Pan Hong was unwilling. She always felt that they would have a chance to return to the city sooner or later.Some educated youths didn't even have money to buy tickets and had to sneak in without paying. For example, the two girls next to Pan Hong would get extremely nervous whenever a train attendant started checking tickets at a station, and they would always hide in the toilet.Pan Hong was lucky this year; she found a Ganoderma lucidum on the mountain and sold it for some money. Otherwise, she would have been one of those who evaded the ticket. They didn't want to take advantage of the public facilities if they hadn't had no other choice; they were all forced into it.Yun Ting was also quite moved.Midway through, when everyone had taken out their own food, Yun Ting realized that she hadn't eaten anything either.To avoid drawing attention, she prepared some cornbread and cornbread made from mixed grains.I was originally planning to eat something nicer, but after looking at the three girls across from me, I gave up on that idea. Oh well, I won't provoke them.The train was really slow at this time; it felt like ages had passed and we weren't even halfway there yet.Yun Ting had a simple meal of cornbread and multigrain steamed buns, but hasn't eaten since. She also seems a bit listless."Pan Hong, I'm going to the restroom. Could you please watch my things for me?"Actually, there weren't any valuables in her package, but no one knew that!"Okay, go ahead! I'll keep an eye on things for you."Yun Ting then went to the toilet. At this time, the toilets on the train were indescribable; the smell...Yun Ting held her breath and went inside, immediately entering the space."Phew~" After taking a deep breath of the fresh air in the room, I finally felt alive again.There is a time difference between the space and the outside world, so she ate her fill in the space and took a quick shower, which made her feel much better. She didn't linger and, after calculating the time, decided to go out."Pan Hong, do you want to walk around a bit? Otherwise your legs and feet can't take it.""Okay, could you please keep an eye on my things for me while I go for a walk?"They didn't stay out for long before returning, mainly because they were afraid of running intothe Train Attendant. If their tickets were checked, they wouldn't be able to explain themselves clearly, so they were anxious the whole way."When will this end? Will we ever be able to go back to the city?" Lu Li, the girl next to Pan Hong, said in a desperate whisper.Pan Hong patted her gently with red eyes, but there was determination in her eyes, "I believe that day will come, we must hold on."Yun Ting was surprised by Pan Hong's determination. She knew the course of history, but Pan Hong had no idea! This girl's determination would surely lead her to great things in the future.