Hearing the female comrade speak up, the other two women regretted not being faster.

Originally, the four seats had been occupied by three women and one man, Lu Yaozu.

If Ning Shu had been a man, the other three wouldn’t have thought of letting Lu Yaozu take a seat, as it could have led to gossip about men and women sitting so closely together.

“I’m sorry, that’s not convenient,” Ning Shu refused decisively.

Though Erbao was a small boy and she wasn’t overweight, train seats were generally wider than usual chairs, leaving plenty of space.

However, she disliked being cramped and didn’t want a stranger crowding their seats.

The woman who had asked fell silent after Ning Shu’s refusal.

The other women felt relieved that they hadn’t asked first; it would have been awkward to be rejected after seeing Lu Yaozu’s success.

The carriage was still bustling, as the train was stationary, with people getting on and off.

It wouldn’t depart immediately.

People in the carriage peered outside, trying to catch a glimpse of the city through the train windows.

After settling down, Yibao took a book from his backpack and began reading.

Following his lead, Erbao and Sanbao also took out books to read.

Sitting next to Yibao, Lu Yaozu was intrigued by these studious children.

Looking around the carriage, he saw others either waiting idly or chatting.

But when he glanced at the content of Yibao’s book, he was puzzled.

As a university student, he found it incomprehensible.

He understood every word, but the sentences made no sense to him.

Although Lu Yaozu had been away in the countryside for eight years and had forgotten much, he had attended a decent university and considered himself intelligent.

His foundational knowledge was intact.

Yet, he couldn’t understand what this child was reading.

Yibao turned to look at him, seeing his wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression, then calmly resumed reading.

“Little comrade, what grade are you in now?” Lu Yaozu, despite his seemingly casual demeanor, was actually quite observant.

He respectfully addressed Yibao as “little comrade,” sensing that Yibao, who was reading a book even he couldn’t understand, might dislike being spoken to as a mere child. He had heard of gifted children and wondered if Yibao might be one of them.

Moreover, considering the complexity of the book, it was unlikely to be suitable for a typical child.

To show his respect, he chose to address Yibao as “little comrade.”

Upon hearing Lu Yaozu’s words, Ning Shu and the three children looked at him.

Yibao replied, “I’m in fourth grade.” He blinked, seemingly puzzled as to why Lu Yaozu was asking.

However, he was polite and answered since Lu Yaozu was sitting in a place that Ning Shu had agreed to, making it a sort of acquaintance.

Lu Yaozu was surprised to hear that the child was in fourth grade. “You’re in fourth grade and reading such advanced books? That’s impressive. Do teachers now require fourth graders to study this? I haven’t kept up with what students are learning after the college entrance exam was canceled.”

Moreover, Lu Yaozu was single, living in a dorm for educated youth.

If he were married with children, he might not have asked such a question.

“No, They don’t.” Yibao corrected him.

“Huh?” Lu Yaozu asked curiously. “Then why are you reading these books if your teacher doesn’t require them?

Do you understand them?

I see they are about physics and chemistry—this is middle school level knowledge, but you’re still in elementary school, right?”

“This is about radio technology,” Yibao explained calmly.

He was unfazed by the surprise.

Radio technology is essentially part of physics and chemistry, so Lu Yaozu wasn’t entirely wrong.

“You understand radio technology?” Lu Yaozu felt a bit embarrassed, realizing that even as a soon-to-be university student, he didn’t understand these topics.

“Yes,” Yibao confirmed, then continued reading.

Lu Yaozu thought, “So, this is what a genius looks like? Meeting someone like this on a train?”

Lu Yaozu wasn’t discouraged but rather pleased.

His father was an officer, and he was somewhat proud.

It was good for the country to have more talented youths.

He then turned to Ning Shu, “Comrade, your children are impressive. To understand such advanced knowledge at such a young age means they will definitely achieve great things and contribute to the country.”

“Thank you for your kind words,” Ning Shu replied briefly.

Since they didn’t know each other well, there was no need to say too much.

“Oh, by the way, comrade, how much was your train ticket? I’ll cover it.” After chatting with Ning Shu’s family for a while, Lu Yaozu remembered he hadn’t paid for the ticket and quickly brought it up.

Ning Shu said, “No need for the ticket. If you could help with buying food or something when we get there, that would be great.” She didn’t want to accept the ticket because if Lu Yaozu gave it to someone else later, she would lose her influence over the seating arrangement.

She preferred to keep her options open.

Lu Yaozu thought Ning Shu was just being polite, but he didn’t push the matter further.

When it came to the issue of tickets, Ning Shu had already made up her mind.

She decided that when they bought food, she would treat them to a meal. “Then I won’t be polite. Thank you, comrade,” she said.

“No need to thank me,” Ning Shu replied.

The train finally started moving, and as the sound of the train filled the air, everyone quieted down.

Even the conversations that continued were hushed whispers.

“Comrade, are you heading to the capital too?” Lu Yaozu asked, feeling bored and striking up a conversation with Ning Shu again.

Earlier, he had talked about where he was from but hadn’t asked about their destination. “Don’t misunderstand, I just want to know where your tickets are for so I can plan how long I can stay in the seat. If you’re getting off before the capital, I need to be prepared.”

Ning Shu didn’t misunderstand him.

Chatting on a train to pass the time was perfectly normal. “Yes, we’re going to the capital,” she said.

After thinking for a moment, she added, “My husband is a soldier stationed in the capital. We’re moving to join him.”

It wasn’t that she wanted to broadcast Lin Guodong’s situation, but in this era, stating her status as a military wife provided protection for herself and her three children.

As a woman traveling alone, she needed this kind of identification for their safety.

Lu Yaozu’s voice involuntarily grew more enthusiastic upon hearing this. “What a coincidence! My father is also in the military in the capital.”

Ning Shu’s mind raced.

There were indeed many people with the surname Lu in the capital, but not so many in the military.

Even among the large number of military personnel, there couldn’t be too many with the surname Lu.

Among common surnames like Wang, Chen, Lin, Qian, and Zhang, Lu was less common.

And among those named Lu, having a son sent to the countryside narrowed it down even further.

Judging by Lu Yaozu’s age, he was at least 20, meaning his father had to be over 40.

Only one person came to Ning Shu’s mind: the regiment commander Lu who previously lived in the courtyard house.

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Thinking this, Ning Shu became more interested in the conversation.

If Lu Yaozu was indeed the son of that regiment commander, what a small world it was.

She had no enmity with the commander, but the matter of moving furniture had caused some tension.

Naturally, she didn’t have a good impression of the commander and his wife, and they likely felt the same about her and her husband.

“What’s your father’s name? Maybe my husband knows him,” Ning Shu said. “If they do know each other, it would indeed be quite a coincidence for our families.”

Lu Yaozu thought for a moment.

If their husbands were stationed at the same place, it was very likely they knew each other.

His father’s rank as a regiment commander was quite high.

If this comrade’s husband served in the same place, they would undoubtedly know each other.

Lu Yaozu was initially hesitant about revealing his father’s name, fearing that Ning Shu might use it to leverage connections.

However, he dismissed this concern, reasoning that Ning Shu’s husband was likely a senior officer, and even without directly stating his father’s name, she could easily find out from her husband if they were indeed familiar.

So, Lu Yaozu decided to reveal his father’s name: “My father is Lu Qingshan. I’m not sure if your husband has mentioned him. By the way, what is your husband’s name? Maybe my father knows him.”

Ning Shu was surprised by the coincidence.

She thought about whether she should reveal the truth but decided it would be best not to mention it directly.

Given that there were many people around, she didn’t want to risk any misunderstandings or complications.

Instead, she said, “I do know your father’s name.”

Lu Yaozu was astonished. “Really? Is it that small of a world, or is our country so small that I meet someone who knows my father on the train?”