Chapter 15: Chickens, Ducks, and Geese on the Bus

The driver was frustrated and yelled, “People need seats, and so do the chickens! You’re sitting the farthest away, and you’re still trying to haggle over two dimes. I’ll take you this time, but I won’t take you again next time.”

“You dare not take me! I’m your Uncle San!”

The two started arguing.

The driver insisted that the old man get the chickens out, or he would have to buy tickets for them.

The old man refused stubbornly. What started as a discussion about the chickens and tickets escalated into the old man bringing up how the driver used to wear split pants when he was young, claiming he had eaten his family’s food and should repay him.

The sounds of chickens, ducks, and geese, the arguments, and the cries of children feeling carsick all mixed together.

What a mess!

Lin Bingwei couldn’t help but admire the scene; this live rural drama was far more entertaining than anything on TV. No wonder people loved to watch the commotion at that time.

A young man finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Alright, alright, everyone stop talking. If the chickens won’t go out, I’ll go out and sit on the roof.”

Once he started, several young men climbed up onto the roof of the bus.

With a few people outside, everyone felt much more relaxed. The driver and the old man stopped arguing under everyone’s persuasion, and the bus started moving again.

Fortunately, they didn’t pick up any more passengers, and the driver didn’t stop for anyone waving on the way.

They were already not far from the city. They would either have to walk or wait for the next bus.

When they arrived at the bus station in the city, Lin Bingwei and the others quickly got off the bus and took deep breaths of fresh air.

Fortunately, none of them felt carsick; otherwise, it would have been unbearable.

Li Yurong pointed ahead and said, “Let’s go, we’ll eat at a restaurant.”

By this time, some individuals had obtained business licenses, and there were quite a few privately-owned shops in the city.

Li Yurong found a couple’s breakfast shop to take them for a meal.

The city was indeed different; breakfast was quite abundant.

There was rice porridge, soy milk, noodles, steamed buns, dumplings, fried dough sticks, and triangle pastries, among other things.

After asking them what they wanted, Li Yurong bought each of them a large meat bun while she got a vegetable bun for herself.

The Zhang family had a bit of money, and meals here didn’t require grain tickets.

But Li Yurong was used to being frugal and couldn’t bring herself to buy another meat bun.

Seeing her secretly hiding her food, afraid they would see she was eating a vegetable bun, Lin Bingwei felt a bit uncomfortable.

But she didn’t say anything.

After the meal, the three of them went to buy meat and New Year goods.

Thinking about how rare it was to have so many people around this year, Li Yurong was quite generous with her purchases.

They bought several pounds of sunflower seeds, peanuts, fried dough twists, and fruit candies.

She wanted to buy a small toy for her eldest grandson. Initially, Li Yurong thought about getting Zhang Jianguo a paper flower, but he didn’t want it and instead fixated on a toy revolver.

Li Yurong advised, “You’re too young for this; you can’t play with it. When you’re a bit older, Grandma will buy it for you, okay?”

Although he nodded in agreement, his eyes never left the toy gun.

The toy gun vendor eagerly promoted, “Old lady, it’s not easy to celebrate the New Year; just buy him one.”

“He’s too young; he can’t use it.”

“Just keep the bullets away from him; he can hold it and go ‘biubiu’.”

The vendor’s last remark touched Li Yurong. Her grandson had just started talking, but he still didn’t say much.

She thought that even if he made a few ‘biubiu’ sounds every day, it would be good.

“Alright, then wrap it up for me.”

“Sure thing.”

Zhang Jianguo was overjoyed with his toy gun, fiddling with it in his hands, aiming left and right, his smile never fading. Finally, he looked like a happy little kid.

After that, they went to buy some meat, along with a three-pound fish and a pork leg.

Heavily loaded into a backpack.

Li Yurong insisted on keeping it in the backpack, saying, “I’ll carry Jianguo later; I’ll just carry it back directly. I need to take this fish and meat back to process them, or they won’t be fresh anymore.”

Lin Bingwei wouldn’t allow it and insisted on taking some things out of the backpack to carry in her hands.

“It’s too heavy, and you still have to carry a child. These things won’t be needed today; I’ll take them, and this afternoon, I’ll pick up Zhang Tingyuan and bring them back.”

When Tingyuan returns, he will definitely have a lot of luggage; you two won’t be able to carry it all.

“We can manage.” Lin Bingwei guessed there would be a vehicle to pick them up. Since he was injured and had comrades bringing him back, the organization must have contacted the local authorities to send a vehicle to take him home.

Seeing she couldn’t convince her, Li Yurong had no choice but to give in as the bus was about to leave.

Having delayed for half a day, this was the last bus of the morning. If they missed it, they would have to walk back or wait until the afternoon.

Carrying so much stuff would be a real hassle.

Once on the bus, Li Yurong kept instructing Lin Bingwei, “It’s almost New Year, so there are a lot of people. Don’t wander off; just go straight to the station.”

“Don’t listen to strangers; if you have difficulties, find someone in military uniform.”

“Don’t skip lunch just to save money.”

After a long list of instructions, she finally stopped talking when the bus started moving.

Lin Bingwei watched as Li Yurong and her grandson left on the bus before heading to the station.

On the way, she saw a bun shop and bought a bun and a steamed bun.

Carrying so much stuff made it too troublesome to find a restaurant, so she settled for the buns.

After walking for about half an hour, she arrived at the station. It was still early, so Lin Bingwei found a place to sit and waited, placing her things beside her.

Feeling a bit hungry, she ate the bun and steamed bun.

Time felt like it was dragging on as Lin Bingwei kept her eyes on the big clock at the train station.

Finally, the clock struck two in the afternoon.

However, the platform she was waiting at had no train arriving.

She wasn’t the only one waiting for someone; there were already family members who hadn’t picked up their loved ones and were asking the staff for information.

Before long, a person with a loudspeaker announced that the train was delayed and asked the waiting families to wait a little longer.

After finally making it to two o’clock, only to encounter a delay? How frustrating!

After waiting for over half an hour, she finally heard the buzzing sound of the train arriving.

Before the train even stopped, a crowd of family members rushed towards it.

Seeing the commotion, Lin Bingwei loosened her grip on her things.

Injured soldiers wouldn’t push through the crowd; they would likely come out last.

Never mind, no need to rush; she would wait until they left.

Lin Bingwei remained seated, watching the comings and goings of people.

After the initial chaos of voices, the area gradually quieted down.

She heard the sound of a gurney being pushed beside her. Turning her head, she saw several medical staff pushing a single bed over.

Lin Bingwei guessed they were there to pick up Zhang Tingyuan.

“Comrades,” Lin Bingwei stood up and stopped a nurse, asking, “Are you here to pick up someone named Zhang Tingyuan?”

“Yes, and you are?”

Before Lin Bingwei could reply, she saw two young men in military uniforms helping someone down from the front train car.

It was exactly who she was waiting for—Zhang Tingyuan.

Lin Bingwei hurriedly waved to him, “Zhang Tingyuan.”

Zhang Tingyuan looked up in the direction of the voice and saw the young girl in the red dress, her long braid draped over her shoulder, particularly eye-catching.