Starting a new chapter in life

Jingyan didn't understand, but she was obedient and nodded, watching the truck stop in front of the door.

The man gestured for the two men to get into the driver's seat, while the remaining three jumped into the back of the truck. The truck itself had a canopy, but the extra section was open-air, though no one seemed to care. They went straight into the canopy section, and once everyone was settled, the truck started moving.

Upon arriving at the door, the boss opened the gate completely. He sat in the car watching the car, while the remaining four followed the two women into the house. They first moved the large items from the master bedroom and living room, and then moved the items from the second bedroom. With many people, they were able to move everything in about two hours. After everything was moved, Jingyan brought out a large bag from the kitchen: "These are the pots and pans we've been using for cooking recently. We don't plan to use them for a while, so we'll move them along with the rest."

He Zhijun took it and carried it to the truck bed. The boss's decision to bring an extra truck bed was indeed correct. It didn't look like much normally, but when they were all put together, it filled one and a half truck beds. Actually, if they were stacked up, they could probably fit in a whole truck bed, but considering the slippery roads in winter, they chose the safer way.

Jingyan took her small wallet, and the couple locked the door, got into the driver's seat, and headed straight for the train station. Once there, He Zhijun went to find someone, and soon the stationmaster came and led them to the freight truck platform. Everyone got out of the car and began unloading into the designated carriages. Jingyan watched them unload from the platform, while He Zhijun watched from inside the carriages. After they finished unloading, everyone gathered together, and Jingyan paid the man at the secondhand shop ten yuan. The five of them then drove away.

The couple followed the stationmaster to the office, where the stationmaster was writing a receipt: "Your goods totaled over 1,400 jin, which is indeed less than a ton, but it should be calculated as a ton. The distance is over 2,490 kilometers. We didn't calculate the detours and transfers, only the normal driving distance. So, please give us fifty yuan."

Jingyan opened her wallet, counted out five large ten-yuan bills, and handed them over. The stationmaster took the money and handed over the receipt: "This has the carriage number, the quantity and weight of the goods, the origin and destination, and the fees charged. As long as you pick up the goods within one month, you don't need to pay any extra money."

He Zhijun took the receipt, read it over, folded it, and handed it to Jing Yan to keep. He then took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed it to her, saying, "Thank you so much for your help this time."

The stationmaster took the cigarette and waved his hand, "It's no trouble at all. I follow the rules here. You'd better send a telegram or something to your family, showing them the contents of the receipt, so they can arrange the drop-off and pick it up directly when you arrive."

To be honest, you're the first person to use private shipping services for such a long distance, from the Great Northern Wilderness to Haishi. But you didn't lose out by shipping it. Just look at those cabinets and beds you have; even buying secondhand would cost two or three hundred yuan. You really can't afford to lose them, since they'll be useful everywhere. Now that we've finished this, you can go back. I still have work to do here later.”

The couple said goodbye to the stationmaster and left. Jingyan reminded them, "We need to call Mom and tell her. We also need to buy train tickets back to Liaoning Province. We can get ready to go back now."

"You've emptied the kitchen, how are you going to eat these next few days?" He Zhijun asked her.

“Let’s see which day our train tickets are for. If it’s late, we can have the kitchen utensils from Battalion Commander Gao’s house brought over and borrow them for a couple of days. If it’s early, we can make do at the state-run restaurant for a couple of days,” Jingyan said. “We can carry our changes of clothes and bedding back to my hometown without any problem. That way we won’t have to go through the post office to send parcels. We can save money wherever we can.”

He Zhijun thought about it and it seemed to make sense. They were at the train station, so they found the ticket office from the freight station entrance. There weren't many people traveling at the time, so the queues at the train station weren't long either. They quickly got to the front of the line: "Hello, do you have any tickets to Panxian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province?"

The ticket seller checked and said, "There are no direct trains, only from Harbin to Jinzhou. If you want, I can issue you a connecting ticket. It means you can take a train from Jiangzhou, get off in Harbin, and transfer directly to a train to Jinzhou without leaving the station. It will take about half an hour in between. But you'd better be prepared, in case the train is delayed and you are stranded on the platform for a longer time. Or if you are not in a hurry, you can buy your ticket in Harbin."

Jing Yan glanced at He Zhijun beside her, and He Zhijun nodded: "Comrade, what time is the earliest bus? We want to buy a connecting ticket, but what if our bus to Jiang City is delayed and we can't catch the connecting bus?"

"We won't miss it here. There are no stops along the way. The problem is with the bus you need to transfer to, which passes through Harbin and might cause delays." The ticket seller was very confident.

"The earliest connecting ticket you can buy is for the train that passes through Harbin at 10:00 AM on the 29th and arrives in Jinzhou at noon on the 31st. If it's this train, the train you need to take in Jiangzhou departs at 7:00 AM. This is the starting station, so I suggest you arrive at the station to check in at 6:30 AM. Do you want to?" The salesperson helped confirm the train number.

"Yes," He Zhijun said decisively.

"You need a letter of introduction to buy train tickets. Do you have your letter of introduction with you?"

He Zhijun took out a letter of introduction from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it over. The ticket seller took it, and when she saw that it was issued by the military and stated that the reason for leaving was to be admitted to university and that she was bringing a family member with her, her attitude improved a lot. "Do you want a hard seat or a sleeper berth for the long-distance bus?"

"It would be best if there were sleeper berths available, thank you for your help." He Zhijun was also very polite to her because of her good attitude.

"Two combined tickets, for the long-distance bus, sleeper berths, consecutive numbers, one upper berth and one lower berth, full price tickets, one is fifty-five yuan and the other is fifty-seven yuan. The fifty-seven yuan ticket price can be discounted by half because you are a student, so the total is eighty-three yuan and fifty cents." The ticket seller announced the ticket prices.

Jingyan handed over the money, and after taking back the letter of introduction and the tickets, the two left the ticket hall. "When we came here, we came directly with the army and didn't spend any money. Now that we have to spend money ourselves, it really hurts. Back then, you helped me buy my fourth sister and brother-in-law's tickets. Were they this expensive?" Jingyan then remembered the cost of her fourth sister's tickets back then.

He Zhijun shook his head: "At that time, I was in the army and asked the logistics department to help me buy tickets. They were discounted tickets, and the combined tickets for the two of them only cost about fifty yuan, which was exactly my monthly salary. The logistics department deducted it directly, so I didn't feel bad about it."

Seeing that Jingyan was still distressed, He Zhijun immediately took her to the post office to make a phone call. Cui Hongru had just returned to the nurses' station after finishing her rounds with the doctor when she heard someone calling her to answer the phone. Realizing it was her youngest son, she rushed to the front desk. Once there, after catching her breath, the phone rang, and she quickly picked it up and put it to her ear.

"Mom, this is Zhijun. The luggage and furniture have all been shipped. The train departs tonight. The arrival time in Shanghai is uncertain, but it should arrive before the New Year. We can pick it up after the New Year." He Zhijun's voice came through the phone.

"When are you coming back? Will you be able to get home before the New Year? Your grandma also promised to come back for the New Year this year. If you can make it back too, our family will truly be reunited."

“We just bought train tickets. We’re going back to Liaoning Province to visit Fourth Sister and the others. We plan to stay for two days. After that, we’ll see how the ticket situation goes. We’ll call you again once we get tickets back to Yangzhou,” He Zhijun continued.

Cui Hongru was very excited: "Okay, once you buy the tickets, tell me the return date and train number, and I'll pick you up at the station. There are only four days left this month. I guess you'll be in Jingyan's hometown before the Lunar New Year. Don't go back empty-handed, buy some things. Your daughter left home after marrying you, and her family must be very worried. Try to come back before New Year's Eve. You haven't seen your grandmother for several years. She only agreed to come home for the New Year after hearing that you brought your wife back this year. Don't disappoint her."

He Zhijun agreed, and after finishing his business, he hung up the phone. The phone bill was indeed still expensive, costing 1.2 yuan. When He Zhijun took out his money, Jing Yan stopped him: "Keep the money you have on you. You'll be home for the New Year. If you need money and don't have any in your pocket, you'll ask me for it. If your parents see this, they'll think I'm being unreasonable as their daughter-in-law. I can't refuse to give you any money to save face."

He Zhijun smiled and put the money back in his pocket: "Then I'll trouble my wife to pay the bill."

Jingyan glared at him, took out her money and handed it over. The young girl who was collecting the money held back her laughter and watched the two leave side by side. She couldn't help but feel a little envious. There really aren't many men these days who can be so loving towards their wives.

He Zhijun dragged her to a state-run restaurant for a meal: "After dinner, we'll go find Battalion Commander Gao. The bus leaves early the day after tomorrow. Let's tell him to have him and his wife come to inspect the house tomorrow. We also need to ask Sister Gao to take her sister-in-law to say hello to Aunt Chen, since we've changed accommodations. We'll eat at the state-run restaurant tomorrow, and we'll leave early the day after tomorrow. Time is pretty tight. Oh, right, should we send a telegram to Fourth Sister first?"

Jingyan shook her head: "By the time the telegram arrives, we'll probably be there too. There's no need. I know my own home. Once we get to Jinshi, we can take a bus to Panxian, and then find an oxcart to take us back to the village. You know, transportation is inconvenient now. I've been here for over two years, and I've only been to see my third sister once with my fourth sister. I haven't been back since. In the future, the distance will be even greater, and it will be even harder to see her."

“You didn’t mention missing your third sister before. I knew I’d taken you there a few days ago. How about we reschedule our train tickets? We can go see her first,” He Zhijun suggested.

Jingyan was only tempted for a moment, but she still shook her head rationally: "Forget it, the train ticket is really expensive. Besides, your grandma is still at home looking forward to your return this year. If it weren't for the savings book you gave me in my hometown, I would have been thinking of withdrawing the money and taking it with me. I didn't plan to go back. Now that life is getting better and better, transportation may become more convenient in the future. Then I can not only come back to see them, but also let them come to our house to play."

He Zhijun also felt that this day would come eventually. After having dinner at the state-run restaurant, He Zhijun took Jingyan to the military family housing. It was Jingyan's first time entering a building of this era. To be honest, it wasn't as good as she had imagined. The stairs were a bit narrow, and the two of them couldn't even walk side by side. They had to turn sideways to climb to the third floor. He Zhijun knocked on the door of Battalion Commander Gao's house.

Battalion Commander Gao and his wife warmly invited them in. Jingyan was used to living in spacious houses, and she was quite unaccustomed to the small size of the rooms.

It was already dark outside, and He Zhijun didn't bother with pleasantries. He went straight to the point: "Battalion Commander, Jingyan and I are leaving home at six o'clock the day after tomorrow. Didn't you say you wanted to take over my house? Why don't you take your wife and child to see it tomorrow? Jingyan can also take your wife to see Sister Gao at the neighborhood office. Jingyan can also talk to her about the grain rations and other things. We also need to meet with the landlady, Aunt Chen. There's quite a bit to do."

Battalion Commander Gao glanced at Ren Cuihua and nodded: "Didn't you say last time that you were paying a year's rent upfront for that house? How long until you have to pay again this year?"

“Eight months exactly,” He Zhijun replied.

"Five yuan a month, that's forty yuan. I'll give you the money first, and I'll bring your sister-in-law to your house tomorrow morning." Battalion Commander Gao told Ren Cuihua to give him the money.

Ren Cuihua went inside, took out the money, and handed it to Jingyan. Jingyan didn't refuse and put the money into her small wallet. He Zhijun then took Jingyan home. Once home, they turned on the fire in the stove, and the room warmed up quickly. Jingyan filled a basin with water and left it open on the stove to boil: "Let's use the washbasin to boil water for washing up later. When we leave, we can put it in our pockets and hang it on our bodies so we don't have to worry about bumping into things."

He Zhijun smiled and nodded: "Okay, it's not a big deal if you don't wash your face for two days. Of course, it's best if you can wash it."

The next morning, the two got up and were quite glad that there was a heated kang bed in the Northeast winter, so the mattresses and quilts they had left were thin and easy to carry. In the empty house, apart from lighting the stove and washing their faces and brushing their teeth, there seemed to be nothing else to do. They could only look at each other in bewilderment. Fortunately, it didn't take long for Battalion Commander Gao and his family to arrive. He Zhijun showed Battalion Commander Gao and his wife the remaining firewood and coal, as well as the winter vegetables in the cellar. They walked around the house and the surrounding area, and Ren Cuihua was extremely satisfied.

"Jingyan, where did you buy the chicks? I'd like to raise a few chickens too. Getting some seeds for the vegetable garden isn't difficult. We'll transfer Lao Gao's grain ration to Hongqi Commune after the New Year. Could you take me to the street office?" Ren Cuihua was very satisfied with her new home.

The two left the house, leaving the four men (two adults and two children) behind. When they arrived at the neighborhood office, Jingyan told her where to collect her monthly salary. Since Sister Gao hadn't come to work today, she took Ren Cuihua to Sister Gao's house. Sister Gao was very happy that Jingyan had found someone to renew the lease. This way, she wouldn't have to help find tenants anymore. Besides, this person was also a military wife, so there wouldn't be much trouble in the future. It would be best to save herself some worry.

She readily led the two to Aunt Chen's house. Aunt Chen knew that Jingyan had left because her husband was taking the college entrance exam, and she was very happy for her.