Chapter 5: Leaving Home, Boarding the Train

The night before departure, everyone repeated their reminders again and again. No one knew when they would meet next, perhaps in half a year, perhaps in one, three, or even five years.

The next day, the train was scheduled for noon. That morning, Grandma Su cooked noodles for breakfast, while Momo made two stir-fried dishes to prove she could take care of herself. To her delight, the whole family praised her cooking.

“Momo, you’ve hardly set foot in the kitchen before. How can your cooking be this good?”

Mother Su was astonished. She was hopeless in the kitchen, always busy with work, never with time to learn. Who would have thought her daughter had such skill?

Momo smiled.
“I learned from Aunt Wu. I found it interesting, so she taught me. I just hadn’t cooked myself before, but I remembered all the recipes and steps.”

Aunt Wu had been their housekeeper for over ten years, practically watching Momo grow up. When the Su family was reported, they had quietly given her a sum of money and sent her home, so she wouldn’t be implicated. Saying she had learned from Aunt Wu made perfect sense.

Of course, the truth was different. As an orphan in her past life, Momo had long learned to cook. During her master’s degree, while interning at the hospital, she rented a place near campus and cooked daily. With practice—and the help of countless online recipes—her skills had grown. She could whip up dishes from every region with ease.

Grandpa chuckled.
“Good, good. At least we don’t have to worry about you starving.”

Seeing her display this morning, half of their worries eased. After all, life was made of simple things: eating, wearing, living, traveling. If one could eat well, the rest would follow.

After breakfast, they packed the luggage into the trunk. Only Father Su would accompany Momo to the station; if the whole family went, it would draw too much attention.

In the car, Momo watched as her family’s figures grew smaller and smaller. Tears welled up despite herself. She had only been with them three days, yet she already felt they were truly her family. To live in a home where people cared about her… it was a dream she had once thought only possible in sleep.

The station was crowded. Unlike the sleek train stations of later generations, this one was chaotic, like a bustling marketplace. People carried all sorts of things in their hands.

“The train’s here. I’ll carry the luggage, Momo, you hold onto my coat.”

Father Su was afraid she might get pushed aside in the crush. He kept all the bags himself, while Momo clung tightly to his sleeve. Thankfully, the soft sleeper carriage was far less crowded than the hard seats, though even here, her hair ended up tousled by the jostling.

Once on board, Father Su stowed the luggage under the bed and placed the box with valuables directly on top of it.

“Momo, be careful once you get there. Don’t flaunt your wealth. Keep the money safe. From now on, you and he must support each other and live a good life. If he ever treats you badly, then divorce. Our Su family’s daughter doesn’t need to endure mistreatment.”

Divorce was rare in these times, almost unheard of, but so what? As long as the law allowed it, she had the right. Father Su’s eyes reddened as he spoke. The girl he had cherished like a pearl in his palm was leaving for a distant land, to marry into another life. The thought wrenched his heart.

Momo reached for his hand.
“Dad, don’t worry. I’ve grown up now. From now on, I’ll take care of you and Mom.”

You raised me, I’ll care for you in old age. She was their only daughter.

“Good, good, good.”

They exchanged a few more words, but soon the train was about to depart. Two more passengers entered the compartment, and Momo urged softly:

“Dad, you should get off now. The train’s leaving.”

Father Su stood reluctantly.
“Alright. Dad’s going now.”

Half a minute after he stepped onto the platform, the train began to move.

Momo sat back on the seat, opened a book, and immersed herself in reading. With no phones and three long days ahead, books were the only way to pass the time.

The compartment had four bunks. One remained empty. The other two were occupied by a man and a woman in their thirties, both refined in appearance, giving the impression of engineers.

Suddenly…. knock, knock, knock.

“Who is it?”

A voice called from outside.
“I’m the train’s chief attendant. I’m looking for Comrade Su.”

Momo quickly got up and opened the door.
“I’m Su Momo. Were you looking for me?”

The man nodded with a smile.
“Yes. I’m Wang Wu, the chief attendant. I once served under your father. He asked me to look after you. If you need to use the restroom, let me know, I’ll arrange for a female attendant to go with you.”

Momo bowed her head politely.
“Thank you, Uncle Wang. I will.”

“I’ll also deliver your meals to you. Try not to leave your cabin, especially not in the hard seat cars. They aren’t safe. If you need anything, come to me.”

These were dangerous times. Human traffickers prowled the trains. All it took was a drugged drink, and by nightfall, a girl could be dragged off at a station, never to be seen again. Train staff heard of such cases almost weekly.

“Alright, Uncle Wang. For meals, just one meat dish and one vegetable dish is fine. Here’s my money for the three days, it’s no trouble.”

Father Su had prepared it beforehand. It wasn’t right to make someone pay out of their pocket, especially when this wasn’t part of their job.

Wang Wu waved it off.
“It’s nothing. Just take care of yourself.”

With that, he left. The other two passengers exchanged glances; they were lucky. Sharing a compartment with this girl meant they would benefit too.

The first boxed meal soon arrived; meat, vegetables, plenty of rice. Far too much for Momo’s small appetite. But in this heat, food spoiled within hours, and wasting it wasn’t an option. Many people didn’t have enough to eat as it was.

In the end, she forced herself to finish it all, cleaned the lunchbox, and sought out Wang Wu.

“Uncle Wang, I really can’t eat that much. Could they serve me less next time?”

He scratched his head.
“The kitchen prepares them in bulk, so it’s hard to adjust. Next time, just share your rice with your female bunkmate. She’s eating the same meals as you.”

That made sense. The meals couldn’t be split for one person, but sharing would solve the problem.

“Alright then. I’ll do that. Thank you.”

Back in the compartment, Momo approached the woman across from her.
“Hello, Comrade. May I ask your name?”

The woman, surprised to see such a delicate girl glowing with health and beauty, quickly sat up straight.
“Hello, I’m Luo Luo, and this is Wang Junjie. We’re both factory workers.”

“Nice to meet you. I have a small request, these boxed meals are too much for me. Would you mind if I gave you part of my rice in the future?”

Luo Luo’s eyes lit up. This was a blessing from the heavens.
“Of course, of course! I have a big appetite, I can finish it. But I can’t just take advantage of you. How about I give you milk candies in exchange?”

After all, anyone who could afford a soft sleeper wasn’t poor, but fairness was fairness.

Momo smiled.
“That sounds perfect. Thank you… You’ve solved a big problem for me.”

And so, in the small compartment, the three passengers grew familiar quickly, chatting easily. As it happened, all of them were headed to the same final stop.