Chapter 10: Taking the Train to the Countryside

In the following hours, Jiang Yuman wandered around the market but couldn’t find anyone selling seeds.

She wanted to buy some seeds to try planting them in her space, but there were none to be found.

Looking at the sun, it was already noon. If she didn’t head back soon, her family would start to worry.

She thought it was no rush; once they were in the countryside, there would undoubtedly be opportunities to get seeds. With that, she turned and headed home.

As she reached the door, she ran into Fu Jingchen, who was just about to go out.

Today, he was wearing a light gray short-sleeve shirt that accentuated his tall, robust figure, exuding a cold yet striking aura.

Unable to help herself, Jiang Yuman stole several glances before asking, “It’s getting late; are you still going out?”

“Not really. I came out to see if you were back,” Fu Jingchen explained.

He knew she had gone out to buy some camellia oil and snow cream.

With a smile, Jiang Yuman handed him her basket and winked, “Are you worried that I’d run away?”

Fu Jingchen’s gaze remained fixed on her face, his tone softening, “I’m not worried.”

If she had wanted to leave, she could have easily done so this morning. The fact that she was now back meant that she had meant what she said—she had no intention of leaving.

Jiang Yuman shot him a playful glance, then followed him inside.

“By the way, what did you do this morning?” she casually asked once they were in the house.

Fu Jingchen replied, “I went to get the train tickets.”

At this, Jiang Yuman’s attention was piqued. “What time does the train leave tomorrow? Let me see the ticket.”

These days, they only had old-style green trains, which weren’t as fast as modern ones, and any trip would take a long time.

She wondered if their seats were together; it would make it easier to keep an eye on each other.

“The train is at seven in the morning,” Fu Jingchen handed her a rectangular ticket.

It was stiff, without any personal information, only noting the departure and arrival locations and that they had hard seats, along with their seat numbers.

Jiang Yuman examined it closely and saw that they were headed to Luochuan.

Curiously, she asked, “Where is Luochuan? How long do we have to sit on the train?”

Fu Jingchen explained, “It’s in the north. We’ll be on the train for two days and one night.”

“Two days?” Even though she had prepared herself mentally, Jiang Yuman was still taken aback, feeling a dull ache in her backside at the thought of sitting for so long.

Most people would struggle with that long of a journey, let alone herself, a pregnant woman.

“All the seats are grouped together; when the time comes, you can lie down on my shoulder,” Fu Jingchen said, his lips pressed together, feeling a bit distressed knowing his pregnant wife would suffer.

“Okay,” Jiang Yuman replied without hesitation.

After all, he was the father of her child, and being a parent wasn’t an easy task.

As they were speaking, Mother Fu brought the dishes to the table. The family quickly finished their meal and returned to their rooms to pack their bags.

…

The next day, before the dawn broke, the whole family got up early, carrying large and small bundles of luggage to the train station.

As they arrived at the station and saw the long green train on the tracks, Jiang Yuman finally felt she was truly heading to the countryside.

Once they boarded this train, there was no turning back; they would be living in a poor, remote area for the next two years.

But she felt no hesitation or reluctance inside.

She had seen how well the Fu family treated her, and she felt grateful for them.

Such a kind family meant that when she eventually returned to her position, her better days were still ahead.

Thinking of this, she followed everyone up onto the train without hesitation.

Many people were trying to catch this train; it took them quite a while to find their seats.

They had a two-person seat, and Fu Jingchen made sure Jiang Yuman sat by the window to avoid being disturbed.

He busied himself, placing their luggage on the overhead rack while Jiang Yuman sat watching him, thinking how appealing his broad, sturdy shoulders were.

It wasn’t long after getting everything settled that the train began to rumble into motion.

The train was noisy and the smell unpleasant, but since Jiang Yuman had woken up so early, she felt drowsy soon after they started moving.

When she nodded off, Fu Jingchen gently supported her head so that she could nestle against his lap.

In her half-asleep state, Jiang Yuman felt she was resting in a comforting place and drifted into a restful sleep.

She slept soundly for a full hour before being awakened by the sound of children nearby.

“Are you awake? Are you hungry?” Fu Jingchen noticed she had stirred and asked.

“I’m not hungry; I just want to sit up,” Jiang Yuman said. After sleeping crammed between the two seats for so long, her back felt stiff.

Fu Jingchen helped her sit up straight.

“Hey, son, your wife doesn’t need to be so delicate just because she’s pregnant. Everyone is watching; once we get off the train, you can hug her tightly!” a voice called from nearby.

Jiang Yuman looked over and saw a woman sitting opposite her, holding a child in her arms.

The woman appeared to be in her thirties, with thick black braids, wearing a gray coat and capable-looking trousers.

She was looking at them with palpable disdain.

The child in her arms giggled at Jiang Yuman, excitedly slapping the seat—this was indeed what had woken Jiang Yuman just moments ago.

“If you have time to meddle, why not take care of your own child?” Jiang Yuman shot back, not inclined to indulge her.

The woman’s face darkened at this retort. “What’s wrong with my child? Did he provoke you? You had to make a remark about my child!”

“Enough already, Zhou Yun, keep it down!” A man sitting next to her interjected, noticing Fu Jingchen’s tall and imposing stature, looked quite uncomfortable.

The man’s expression shrank as he clearly didn’t want to provoke Fu Jingchen, and despite Zhou Yun’s irritation, she relented and fell silent.

Jiang Yuman rolled her eyes internally, not wanting to waste her breath arguing with someone like her.

Engaging with such folks was pointless and would only leave her feeling frustrated.

The following time, Jiang Yuman sensed Zhou Yun’s gaze lingering on them.

Whenever she and Fu Jingchen displayed even a hint of intimacy, Zhou Yun’s expression turned as if she had seen something filthy, which was utterly annoying.

Having experienced this woman’s unreasonable behavior, Jiang Yuman hoped to reach their destination quickly.

Time passed relatively quickly on the train. Finally, in the afternoon of the third day, they arrived at Luochuan Station.