Chapter 120 1/2

Qiao Wei only briefly stopped by at the Yan family’s place, then headed straight to the county town with Yan Lei’s parents and Yan Zhu.

When she arrived, the train station she got off at was in the county town. But this trip required taking a long-distance bus.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a busy time, so there weren’t many passengers. The bus conductor and the young man accompanying them didn’t leave until they bought their tickets and boarded the bus.

Four adults and one child got on the long-distance bus.

By this point, Yan Lei’s parents and Yan Zhu still felt like they were dreaming.

Originally, it was Yan Lei’s wife who had come back, and she should have stayed at home. How did it turn into them following her to the provincial capital non-stop?

But after experiencing the events of the day, Qiao Wei’s image in their minds had undergone a complete transformation.

Even the village leader listened to her.

When she spoke, all the prominent figures in the village listened attentively.

Although Yan Lei’s father and Yan Zhu didn’t quite understand those major issues, when she explained them, her speech was very clear, the timeline smooth, the major events distinct, even they could understand half of it.

Who could know so much about national affairs?

Yan Lei’s father and elder uncle couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe towards Qiao Wei.

At this time, Yan Xiang had already reached his nap time and fell asleep in Qiao Wei’s arms.

Yan Lei’s mother praised softly, “Look at this child, so easy to take care of.”

Not noisy, not unruly, listens to what adults say.

The daughters-in-law said bringing Yan Xiang to see the old man would cause trouble, and suggested leaving Yan Xiang at Yan Zhu’s place. Yan Lei’s mother didn’t regret not listening to them now.

A child is better off with his biological mother.

After several hours on the long-distance bus, they arrived in the provincial capital when it was dark.

The four adults got off the bus with Yan Xiang, and the three people who had never seen a big city before looked around.

“Look, there’s a building over there! It’s three stories high!”

“The street lights are on all the way here? That’s a lot of electricity.”

“So many bicycles.”

Qiao Wei didn’t have many feelings about this. As soon as she got off the bus, she bought a map of the provincial capital from the station window and asked about the best hospital and nearby guesthouses.

While the three members of the Yan family were still feeling emotional, Qiao Wei already knew where to go: “Let’s go, we need to take another bus.”

The best hospital was the First People’s Hospital, and it was best to stay in a guesthouse near the hospital for treatment.

Staff at the long-distance bus station are often asked for this information and know it all. Moreover, when Qiao Wei asked in standard Mandarin, the staff dared not underestimate her.

But when they got on the bus, because the father and son from the Yan family were amazed by everything they saw in the big city and couldn’t help but say a few words, the ticket seller glanced at them with a look that said, “Country bumpkins.”

At this time, bus ticket sellers especially looked down on country folk. It might also be because of the nature of their work, they come into contact with more people from different places, so they have a higher chance of encountering rural people.

This is the norm in society, and Qiao Wei couldn’t help it.

But when the ticket seller was checking tickets on the bus, she squeezed past Yan Lei’s mother and suddenly sniffed, “What’s that smell?”

She frowned and glanced at Yan Lei’s mother a few times, then squeezed away disdainfully.

Yan Lei’s mother hung her head very low, shrinking like a quail.

Qiao Wei couldn’t help but frown.

She quietly approached and sniffed lightly.

There was indeed a smell.

She had been smelling it all the way on the long-distance bus. She thought it was the smell on the bus.

But now, it seemed to be… coming from Yan Lei’s mother?

Yan Lei’s mother glanced at her, shrank back slightly, as if feeling uneasy about her approaching.

The bus passed by the First People’s Hospital.

Yan Zhu exclaimed, “Such a big hospital.”

Just as imposing as the county government and the train station.

Soon they got off the bus, and Qiao Wei had found out that the guesthouse closest to the hospital was just a few minutes’ walk away.

Introduction letters were used when buying tickets and accommodation.

The receptionist at the guesthouse took a quick glance at the four adults, two men and two women with a child, assuming they were two couples, and said listlessly, “Couples need to show their marriage certificates for accommodation.”

Qiao Wei leaned her arms on the counter and said, “There’s only one couple. We’ll stay separately, two men in one room, two women in another.”

She then asked, “Is there hot water? Can we take a shower?”

The receptionist glanced at her watch. “Hurry, hot water stops at 8:30.”

Qiao Wei nodded. “We won’t shower today, we’ll do it tomorrow.”

“Showering requires purchasing a ticket.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“For the people.”

The receptionist, still lackluster, added this sentence at the end.

It was evident that the sports development in the provincial capital was much more advanced than in Bocheng County.

Qiao Wei took the keys and led everyone to find their rooms and arrange their accommodation.

The rooms were actually very simple, with two beds, two bedside tables, a desk, a washbasin stand, two washbasins, two pairs of plastic slippers, similar to those in bathhouses.

But none of the Yan family members had seen such things before, so they found them quite rare.

Qiao Wei checked the bedding.

Dry and clean. Qiao Wei was quite satisfied with this.

“Mother, this room is for father and Zhu. You’ll stay with me,” Qiao Wei said. “Let’s go.”

Yan Lei’s mother hesitated for a moment.

But with two men and two women, Qiao Wei and Yan Zhu weren’t a couple. If they didn’t stay like this, would they need to open another room?

She had just heard that the accommodation fee for one night was 25 cents.

Ultimately unwilling to spend the money, she didn’t raise any objections and followed Qiao Wei.

The attendant brought hot water. One bottle of hot water per guest, so two hot water bottles for two people.

She also told them where the bathroom was.

Qiao Wei boiled water to sterilize the cups in the room and let them cool. She took out towels, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. “Mother, let’s freshen up.”

It was Yan Lei’s mother’s first time in the provincial capital, and she was afraid of showing any signs of being out of place. She followed Qiao Wei closely wherever she went, doing as she said.

Qiao Wei called out to the father and son on the other side and went to freshen up together.

The two men were a bit awkward but followed suit.

Back in the room, Qiao Wei asked, “What happened to father and elder brother just now? If there’s anything uncomfortable, you can tell me, and I’ll tell them.”

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing,” Yan Lei’s mother hurriedly said. “Everything’s fine. And there’s hot water.”

She thought to herself, when was the last time the old man and the eldest son washed their faces and brushed their teeth at night? Wasn’t this a first in history? It must feel awkward.

But with her daughter-in-law being so dominant, and now everyone being afraid of her, the two men didn’t dare to say, “We don’t wash our faces or brush our teeth at night, and we might not even do it in the morning.” They could only follow suit and freshen up properly.

But she saw even little Yan Xiang washing up obediently, indicating that the daily habits of people like Qiao Wei were just like this. It wasn’t intentional to emphasize it in front of them.

They might as well just listen to her.

The next morning, Qiao Wei took them to have breakfast in the guesthouse restaurant.

The food was deliciously hot, but it all cost money, and they had to use ration tickets.

Yan Zhu had sharp eyes and noticed the ration tickets Qiao Wei pulled out, quietly informing his parents, “These are all national ration tickets.”