Chapter 4

At Chen Demao’s level, it was possible to book a sleeper ticket. 

However, given the current circumstances, it could be said that they were fleeing. 

There was no point in hoping for a sleeper, the simple and inconspicuous hard seat was the only thing that could ensure their survival. 

In other words, for the five-day, six-night journey, Chen Nongmo and Xiao Hu would have to sit the entire way to H Province. 

After finally squeezing into their seats, with her feet bruised from being stepped on, the girl was even more suffocated by the hard seat she was sitting on. 

She had always thought she was quite tough. During her university summer break, she worked three jobs a day and never thought much of it. 

But now, looking at the severely overcrowded carriage, with people stacked on top of each other, even the overhead luggage rack had several passengers lying across it, Chen Nongmo felt a heavy weight in her chest, as if a stone was pressing down on her heart. The uncertainty of her future life grew even greater. 

Was this the reality of the 1970s? 

To go out and have to prove oneself, to ride in a car like it was an escape from disaster… What would the final destination, Shanshun Village in H Province, be like? 

“Oranges! Sweet oranges! One mao per jin!” 

The shout from outside the window snapped Chen Nongmo out of her scattered thoughts. She looked toward the source of the sound and saw a middle-aged woman pushing a handcart, walking along while calling out, with quite a few people already gathering around. 

Wasn’t it said that private trade was not allowed in this era? 

“Yuyu, do you want to eat oranges? If you do, I’ll buy a few pounds.” After settling the luggage, Xiao Hu, dressed in casual clothes, handed two military water bottles to the girl. 

Chen Nongmo hung the water bottles on the back of the seat. She wasn’t particularly craving anything, and she didn’t want to trouble anyone, but… the air in this cramped place had a pungent odor that was overwhelming. 

Thinking about having to stay in such an environment for five or six days: “…Eat, thank you, Xiao Hu-ge.” 

“Why are you being so polite? I’ll go get them now. Watch the seat, don’t let anyone take it, alright?” 

Chen Nongmo nodded. “I know, Brother Xiao Hu.” 

“Also, don’t talk to anyone.” Xiao Hu took two steps but turned back with some hesitation to give one last reminder. 

Having been with the Chief for six or seven years, he had practically watched the girl grow up, so he was very aware of her past situation. He was genuinely worried that the girl, with no social experience, might be tricked by someone’s soft words.

“Okay.” Chen Nongmo nodded obediently. 

After saying this, she moved slightly to the side, sitting in the spot Xiao Hu had vacated. 

She then placed a large bag of food on the seat by the window, effectively blocking any wandering eyes from nearby passengers who might have been hoping to take the empty spot. 

Once everything was in place, the girl tilted her head back and flashed a weak, almost fragile expression toward the man, who seemed slightly surprised. 

Look at her—she was so delicate and unable to take care of herself. Who would dare to try and take her seat now? 

There was no way she was giving up her seat. After all, a five-day, six-night journey—was she supposed to stand the whole way? She wasn’t a saint. 

Xiao Hu “…” 

The oranges weren’t very sweet. They were cold and sour when she ate them, certainly not as good as the two cans of canned oranges in her bag. 

But sourness had its own benefits, at least the frustration in her chest eased up a bit. 

She didn’t throw the peel away but wrapped it in her handkerchief and stuffed it into her scarf. 

“What are you doing?” Xiao Hu asked, looking at the little girl’s actions with confusion. 

Upon hearing this, Chen Nongmo didn’t want to directly say she disliked the smell in the carriage. Instead, she took the peel from Xiao Hu’s hand, asked for his handkerchief, wrapped it up, and handed it back to him, signaling for him to place it in his collar. 

Xiao Hu did as she suggested and immediately noticed the refreshing fragrance of the orange peel. 

Although it couldn’t completely mask the unpleasant smells in the carriage, it did make a noticeable difference. 

If he did what the girl did, burying his face in his scarf, the effect would definitely be even better. 

He had to admit, the little girl was quite clever. Xiao Hu grinned, showing his big, white teeth, and gave her a thumbs up. 

Chen Nongmo’s eyes curved into a smile at the compliment, just as she was about to peel another orange. However, her gaze unexpectedly met a pair of eager eyes.

It was a middle-aged man, looking to be about the same age as her father, Chen Demao. 

He had fair skin and a refined demeanor, suggesting that he had once been a man of stature. 

But now, his clothes were tattered, his lips cracked, and he had no proper seat. He sat huddled in the aisle, his whole being exuding a sense of weariness and numbness. 

Yet, his tired eyes, though weary, were fixated with longing on the oranges resting on Xiao Hu’s knee. 

Xiao Hu had clearly noticed this as well. After a brief pause, as if pondering something, he silently took two oranges from the bag and handed them to the man. 

The middle-aged man appeared caught off guard by the gesture. For a moment, he froze, not knowing how to respond. 

Then, a man seated beside him, dressed more respectably, waved his hand with a smug smile, his tone condescending. “Little comrade, you shouldn’t do this. This man is a member of ‘□□’ and a criminal who needs to be sent for labor reform. I’m from the security department, escorting him. I suggest you stay away from him. A person like him doesn’t deserve such good things to eat.” 

As those words left his mouth, the last glimmer of light in the middle-aged man’s eyes faded. He slowly lowered his head, hugging his knees, as though trying to curl himself into a ball. He no longer looked in their direction. 

The people nearby, having heard those words, turned their faces away in disgust, as if trying to avoid a plague. 

Chen Nongmo, her head lowered as she peeled her orange, subconsciously pressed her lips together. Thoughts of her parents, who were also caught up in the political turmoil, surfaced in her mind. Her hands stopped moving for a moment. 

The sound of the steam train’s whistle blared again. 

The train gradually picked up speed, the clanking and rattling noises growing louder as they pulled away from the vast N City. 

Chen Nongmo turned her head and quietly gazed out the window, watching the scenery retreating in the distance.

She could feel the thick stack of money bills that had been prepared for her at her waist, and the suffocating weight in her chest made it hard for her to breathe. 

Were her parents… also experiencing this kind of treatment? 

With this thought, she subtly glanced at the middle-aged man, who still had his head lowered. Her fists slowly clenched tighter. 

---

The next morning, after sending off his daughter, Chen Demao received a notification telling him to prepare his belongings and to depart for H Province that evening. 

Where exactly they were going was still confidential. 

But these simple instructions made it clear to both of them that the final outcome was far better than they had anticipated. 

If they were being sent for labor reform or labeled with some negative tag, the treatment wouldn’t be so polite. 

Having mentally prepared themselves, the couple remained relatively calm when they received the news. 

Ji Mo didn’t dare to pack too many things.

She quickly gathered two sets of old clothes and cloth shoes for herself and her husband, along with a few boxes of regular medicine that a friend, Xiu Zhen, had managed to get through connections. Then she stopped. 

Once everything was packed, she sat down beside her husband, who was frowning and smoking, seemingly lost in thought. She forced a smile, trying to sound casual as she said, “This is good, better than I expected. My daughter is in H Province too, so maybe we’ll be able to see her soon. Don’t worry.” 

Chen Demao stubbed out his cigarette and patted his wife’s hand, sighing deeply. “It’s not that I’m worried about that.” 

“Then what is it?” 

What was he worried about? Naturally, he feared that someone might be working behind the scenes. 

At times like this, he didn’t want to drag anyone else into it. 

After hearing her husband’s analysis, Ji Mo frowned, concerned. “Do you… have a guess as to who it might be?” 

Chen Demao was not the type to keep everything from his wife, so when he heard her question, he didn’t hide the truth. “The old leader is too busy to take care of himself, so it’s unlikely to be him. I think it’s probably that boy, Wuwen.” 

Ji Mo froze for a moment, then became anxious. “It really is him… Do you think it will drag him into trouble?” 

“If it really is him, it’s probably because of Old Master Shao’s connections. It’s not easy to repay a favor like that.”

Thinking of this, Chen Demao felt the urge to smoke again. 

Wuwen had never received much help from him growing up, except for money.

On the contrary, now it was Chen Demao, the father, who was in trouble and needed his son to take on the risk and the favor. 

He felt both happiness and regret in his heart. 

In the end, all kinds of emotions swirled inside him.

It was really hard for him to express. 

Ji Mo had clearly thought of this as well. She wrapped her arm around her husband’s and slowly leaned her weight against him, gently comforting him in a soft voice. “Don’t worry. As long as we’re both alright, there will be a chance to repay this.” 

Looking at his wife, who refused to think only of herself, and thinking of their children, so far away, a man who had never shed a tear even after being struck by bullets felt a lump in his throat.

Despite everything, a surge of strength filled him. 

He was silent for a long time before he hoarsely replied, “…Alright.” 

---

The journey seemed endless, as though it could go on forever. 

Five days passed. The train moved slowly, stopping and starting, passing countless stations and unloading and loading passengers. 

Chen Nongmo alternated between sitting and standing, exhausted from the constant shifts. Occasionally, she would take turns lying down with Xiao Hu or stretch her legs when the train stopped at a major station. 

But no matter what, exhaustion was inevitable. 

After five days, confined to such a small space, her body and mind were thoroughly drained. 

“It’s almost there. Just one more night, and tomorrow morning around six o’clock, we’ll reach Pingtou Station.” Xiao Hu, who had just squeezed to the back to get some hot water, smiled as he noticed the girl’s pale face. She looked like a wilting little cabbage, and he tried to encourage her. 

Chen Nongmo weakly nodded, not even in the mood to speak. Her back and her bottom felt completely numb, as though they no longer belonged to her. 

In the first couple of days, she had tried to maintain a sense of “refined atmosphere,” like using the orange peel to scent the air. 

But after five days, with her body coated in every kind of unpleasant smell, Chen Nongmo had completely given up on trying to fight it. 

She had been raised delicately, like soft tofu, and seeing her in this state made Xiao Hu both amused and a little heartbroken. He handed her the freshly filled water bottle. “Drink some water.” 

Upon hearing this, Chen Nongmo’s face turned green, and she gritted her teeth in refusal. “I won’t drink!” 

If Chen Nongmo had to say what was the hardest part of the train ride, aside from dealing with the inevitable needs, nothing else could compare.

Going to the restroom was pure torture.

Xiao Hu struggled to suppress his laughter. The girl appeared well-behaved, like a lady stepping out of a painting, but after a few days of close quarters, he realized she actually had quite the temper and was incredibly clever.

She wasn’t afraid to secretly roll her eyes when something displeased her.

For example, the middle-aged man who sat in the aisle, allegedly a “reformed laborer” who would get off at the same station as them, wanted an orange. The girl would peel one in advance and, when she went to the restroom, she would quietly pass it to him when she walked past.

If Xiao Hu hadn’t been paying close attention, he might have missed it.

At the thought of this, he glanced down the aisle. After meeting the middle-aged man’s eyes for a brief moment, he quickly looked away without drawing attention.

Xiao Hu understood well. Yuyu’s compassion was part of it, but it was also likely a case of transference. He was certain that the girl had learned about Chief’s situation.

With this in mind, Xiao Hu lost his earlier playfulness. He hung the water bottle up and shifted the conversation to something else, hoping to distract Yuyu. “Tomorrow morning, I wonder if your mother will be at the train station to pick us up.”

As expected, this topic caught her attention. She turned to him, uncertain, and replied, “She probably won’t. Didn’t they say after we get off the train, we’ll have to change buses several times?”

Xiao Hu, who had met Cao Qiuhua and understood the relationship between the two families, smiled and said, “I think she will. Not only will your mother come, but I bet even your brothers will be there too.”

Chen Nongmo blinked…

Her brothers? How many brothers did she have?