Chapter 19: The Little Wife Is Really Delicate

Trains in this era weren’t fast—it would take until evening to reach their destination.

Ye Muqi was carrying a large bag of food—some of it was prepared by Xia Ying, while others were snacks like sunflower seeds and fruits she’d taken from her spatial storage. After all, a whole day on the train would be unbearably boring without something to eat.

The old-fashioned train wasn’t comfortable either. The conditions were basic, and the seats were the hard type—no cushy padding, just stiff leather coverings.

It was Ye Muqi’s first time riding such an old-style train, and she curiously looked around.

The windows could still be opened—pushed up and down—but they couldn’t be opened very wide.

The seats were arranged face to face, with a table in between. Ye Muqi and Rong Jingchen sat on the side facing the direction of travel.

As soon as Ye Muqi sat down, she leaned out the open window to look outside.

On the platform, Ye Zhengfeng and Xia Ying were still there, peering into the windows of the carriage, clearly searching for her.

Seeing this, Ye Muqi suddenly felt a pang of emotion in her heart.

“Dad! Mom!” she couldn’t help but shout, waving her hand out the window.

“There she is!” Ye Zhengfeng and Xia Ying hurried over. Ye Zhengfeng quickly shoved a bag of oranges into her hand.

“Just saw someone selling them, so I bought a few for you to eat on the train,” Xia Ying explained.

“Thanks, Mom.”

Ye Muqi took the bag of oranges, feeling the unexpected weight of their love.

The train began to move slowly. Xia Ying quickly reached up for one last grasp of Ye Muqi’s hand, her face full of reluctance.

“Take care of yourself over there, and call home often!” Xia Ying shouted.

Watching the train carry Ye Muqi away, Xia Ying stood on the platform and couldn’t help but silently wipe her tears.

Even Ye Zhengfeng’s eyes turned red. He wrapped an arm around Xia Ying’s shoulders and didn’t look away until the train had completely disappeared from view.

“When I get a break, we’ll come back and visit your parents,” Rong Jingchen said. He was long used to this kind of parting. He’d joined the army at fifteen, and it had been eleven years since. It was hard at first, but after a while, it became routine.

But clearly, his delicate little wife hadn’t adjusted yet.

“Okay.”

Ye Muqi nodded obediently and wiped her eyes.

…

The train had passed several stations, and Ye Muqi’s curiosity about the old-style train had worn off. After sitting for so long on the rock-hard seat, she was now just sore all over.

Her butt hurt too!

She rummaged through her luggage and pulled out a thick winter coat, folded it, and sat on it—finally feeling a little better.

“Do you want one too?” she asked Rong Jingchen, holding up another piece of clothing.

“No need.” He shook his head, watching as she also placed another piece behind her back as a cushion.

He could really feel now just how delicate his little wife was.

Still, at least she figured out a solution herself instead of throwing a tantrum in public—that was an improvement.

As more and more people filled the train car, the small windows didn’t help much anymore. The air grew heavy with all sorts of smells from people eating on board. The mixture of odors became quite unpleasant.

Ye Muqi started to feel sick. After a while, her stomach even began to churn.

“What’s wrong?” Rong Jingchen noticed her fidgeting again and saw the discomfort on her face.

“Ugh… I think I’m a bit motion sick.” She pressed her chest lightly and patted it to try to suppress the nausea.

She had never thought second-class seats on high-speed rail were especially comfortable before, but compared to this, those were like heaven!

Rong Jingchen glanced at the window beside her and sighed inwardly. He reached for the oranges Ye Zhengfeng had given them, peeled one, and handed it to her.

“Oranges can help with motion sickness,” he said, passing both the fruit and the peel. “Smelling the orange peel helps too.”

“Mm… thank you.”

Ye Muqi took the peeled orange. The sweet and tangy scent did help calm her stomach.

The orange peel’s aroma also helped cover the unpleasant smells in the carriage.

After eating a few segments, she finally started to feel better.

“Drink some water,” Rong Jingchen added. “If it’s still uncomfortable, try leaning back and sleeping for a bit.”

Although he found her pretty delicate, this wasn’t new to him. And her parents had reminded him many times, so he was mentally prepared.

Ye Muqi took a few sips of water. The train had only been moving a few hours—there was still a long way to go.

She couldn’t sit around like this for ten more hours. There were no phones or tablets in this era, so she decided to take Rong Jingchen’s advice. She leaned her head toward the window and tried to fall asleep.

Rong Jingchen watched her close her eyes, then glanced at the clothes she’d placed on the seat and the orange peels he’d just discarded…

His delicate little wife—could she really adapt to life in the military family compound?

Soon, Ye Muqi fell asleep. She leaned against the window, slightly frowning in discomfort, instinctively shifting in search of a better position.

She moved her head to the seat back—but it was still too hard—then turned again, this time leaning against Rong Jingchen.

The moment her head touched his shoulder, her frown relaxed.

Mm… this position was nice!

At such close distance, Rong Jingchen could even smell the faint fragrance from her hair—light and pleasant, like a peaceful haven in the foul-smelling train car.

His little wife was motion sick and uncomfortable. Being able to sleep was a good thing.

Rong Jingchen swallowed slightly and adjusted his posture, relaxing his body so she could sleep more comfortably.

…

Beijing was the final stop.

Passengers got on and off, but as the train neared the capital, the number of people gradually decreased again. Ye Muqi had been asleep the entire time, not waking even once.

It wasn’t until about 5 PM that she finally opened her eyes, still a little dazed from sleep.

She felt her head resting on something warm and slightly soft—and quite comfortable. No wonder she slept so well!

In a good mood, Ye Muqi lifted her head, intending to see what she had been leaning on—only to be met with Rong Jingchen’s side profile and sharply defined jawline…

“You’re awake?” Rong Jingchen felt the weight on his shoulder disappear and slowly turned to look at her.

“Ah…” Ye Muqi nodded a bit awkwardly. There were far fewer people in the carriage now, and the smell wasn’t as bad—it was definitely more bearable.

“Is your shoulder okay?” she asked, noticing him rubbing his shoulder. Outside, the sky was painted with sunset hues.

She had slept quite a long time—and Rong Jingchen hadn’t woken her up even once?