Starting a new chapter in life

When He Zhijun finally managed to buy his train ticket and squeeze out of the station, his clothes were a little disheveled. He walked over to Jing Yan, picked up her luggage, and said, "Let's go, let's find the post office first and call home."

After the two left the train station, He Zhijun said, "Jingyan, our train tickets are for the afternoon of the day after tomorrow. I originally wanted to buy tickets for the 3rd, but they were sold out. The only tickets available are for the 2nd, and the latest we can get tickets are after the 6th."

Jingyan smiled and replied, "It's alright. We've already called home, taken a bus back to Panxian, and then hired an oxcart back to the village. We should be home before dark tonight. Tomorrow we'll go to the county post office to withdraw the money, then go directly to my second brother's house. Tonight we'll take a bus back to the city, sleep at my eldest brother's house, and leave directly from there. Perfect! We'll see everything we wanted to see. Perfect!"

He Zhijun ruffled her hair: "After I graduate in two years, I'll come back and stay with you for a while."

Jingyan shook her head: "No need. When my sister and brother miss me, they can come to visit us. We can also take a trip together. As long as we are all together, it doesn't matter where we are."

"Okay, then everyone can come to our area for tourism."

Upon arriving at the post office in the city, He Zhijun called Cui Hongru's hospital: "Mom, our train is on the afternoon of the 2nd, and we'll arrive in Yangzhou around 10 a.m. on the 5th. We've already bought the tickets, so don't worry. We just arrived in Jinzhou and will be heading back to Hongxing Village soon."

“Number Two, are you only staying in your hometown for one day? Jingyan hasn’t seen her family for over two years. Won’t they have a problem if you don’t stay a couple more days? Or you can come back a couple more days later, and we can celebrate the first day of the Lunar New Year together.” Cui Hongru felt a little reluctant to leave.

“But the train tickets are either for the 2nd or after the 6th. Jingyan said to buy tickets for the 2nd, and we can visit three stores in a day and a half. She said she wants to go home to be with her grandma, and it’s so rare for her to spend the New Year with us,” He Zhijun explained.

“Jingyan is a good girl,” Cui Hongru sighed.

After hanging up the phone and settling the bill, the two of them didn't want to carry too much stuff around visiting neighbors, so they went straight to their older brother's house. Their older brother hadn't started his holiday yet, but their sister-in-law was home. She was pleasantly surprised to see Jingyan, and Jingyan didn't stand on ceremony with her, saying directly, "Sister-in-law, Zhijun got into university in Haishi. He starts on March 1st, so we're planning to go back to Yangshi for the New Year. We're taking advantage of the break to come back and visit. We don't have much time; our train leaves on the afternoon of the 2nd. We'll stay at your house tomorrow night and leave directly from here on the 2nd. We'll first go back to Hongxing Village to see my fourth sister, then go to my second brother's house tomorrow, and then come over."

The eldest sister-in-law didn't even have a chance to interrupt, only hearing Jingyan rattle off a string of words. It wasn't until the two of them were about to leave that she finally realized, "Why don't you two eat something at home before you go?"

Jingyan waved her hand: "No, I'll go back to the county town first and then back to the village. I'll have dinner at my fourth sister's place when I get home. I'm off."

The older sister-in-law shook her head helplessly and put their luggage in the corner.

The two of them only brought a change of clothes, which made things much easier. After a long and arduous journey by car and oxcart, they finally arrived home before dark. Standing outside the gate, Jingyan shouted, "Fourth Sister, Fourth Sister, I'm back!"

Jinghuan, who was preparing food for the New Year inside the house, thought she heard Jingyan's voice. She said to Peng Chunsheng, who was watching the children inside, "I think I heard my little sister's voice. I don't know if I'm hallucinating. Go and check on her."

Peng Chunsheng picked up his son, who could walk but was still unsteady, and put him on the ground. He let the child hold onto the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), grabbed a flashlight, and went out the door. When he got to the gate, he saw that it was indeed Jingyan. His tone was full of surprise: "Jingyan, Zhijun, why are you back at this time? Come in quickly." He pulled out the latch, opened the door, and the two of them entered: "Brother-in-law, I'm hungry."

"Hurry inside, your fourth sister is frying meatballs, they're just right. I'll also cook you two a bowl of noodles, make sure you're full. Did you just get off the bus? Why is there so little food? Did you forget to bring your luggage back, or did you leave it at your eldest brother's house?" Peng Chunsheng followed them into the house, asking as they went.

“There’s just one quilt and a few sets of clothes; they’re at my older brother’s house,” Jingyan replied.

Upon entering the house, Jinghuan looked at the two of them, her eyes immediately filling with tears: "Jingyan, you're back." Before she could even put down the strainer, she rushed over to hug Jingyan. Jingyan took a step back, snatched the strainer from her hand, placed it in a basin by the pot, and then hugged Jinghuan: "Fourth Sister, I've missed you so much over the years."

Jinghuan's eyes were already brimming with tears: "I missed you too. You must have had a hard time these past two years, being all alone over there. How long will you stay this time? Why don't you spend the New Year at home? I'm preparing food for the New Year right now."

Jingyan pushed her away, took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears: "Fourth sister, you still have the same old problem, you always cry first when something happens. You're the one who's made of water, aren't you? I'm doing fine over there, I have no worries about food or clothing. By the way, Zhijun got into university in Haishi, he'll start on March 1st, so we're planning to go back to his hometown. We'll come back to see you and my two older brothers. Time is a bit tight, so I won't be going to see my two older sisters."

"You got into university? That's great news! Have you bought your ticket home yet? When is it?" Jinghuan wiped her eyes and asked with a smile.

"We're leaving on the afternoon of the 2nd. Zhijun's grandmother was also brought back to celebrate the Spring Festival with us this year, and we thought we could also make it back for a family reunion. His grandmother hasn't celebrated the Spring Festival with them for over ten years, so we're a little rushed." Jingyan smiled a little shyly.

"I originally wanted to stay at home for two days before going back, but tickets are in short supply now. If it's not the 2nd, the only tickets available are after the 6th. I don't want to disappoint the elderly, so I have to apologize to my sister."

Jinghuan hadn't expected her younger sister to stay at home for such a short time, but seeing her was better than not seeing her at all. At least her sister looked quite well and didn't seem to have suffered. Suppressing her disappointment, she quickly said, "You haven't eaten much all day, have you? Come inside quickly. I'll cook you a bowl of chicken noodle soup. I started making it this afternoon, and it smells delicious. I'll also pick out a plate of radish balls and some fried ribbonfish pieces from yesterday. Come inside quickly, wash your hands, and wait to eat."

Jingyan smiled and thanked her. When she opened the door, she saw a child walking along the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and her eyes widened: "Fourth Sister, you gave birth to a little nephew for me? When did this happen? Why didn't you write to me to tell me?"

Peng Chunsheng replied with a smile, "You just turned one year old. Your fourth sister told me not to write to you about this. She said she'd give you a surprise when you come back. How about it? Surprised?"

Jingyan glared at him: "You let my fourth sister be so unreliable? If you had told me earlier, I could have prepared a gift for my nephew. You came back empty-handed. Where do you put my face?"

“Hey, we’re all family, why bother with gifts? If you really brought gifts back, your fourth sister would definitely be furious with you, saying you’re being distant with her.” Peng Chunsheng was good-natured and still smiled.

Jingyan made sure her hands weren't cold, then went over and picked up the child. The baby wasn't heavy, and didn't cry or fuss when held by a stranger. Instead, the baby looked at Jingyan curiously, showing a few small baby teeth and smiling adorably.

After playing with the child for a while, Jinghuan came in carrying two large bowls of noodles and looked at her: "Hurry up and eat, aren't you hungry? Put Dali down, this child is quite heavy."

Jingyan put the child down, turned around and took the bowl of noodles. After Peng Chunsheng set up the kang table, she put the bowl on the table, took off her shoes and sat cross-legged on the kang. Jinghuan then brought in chopsticks, fried meatballs and fried fish, put them on the kang table and said, "Eat quickly, or the noodles will clump together."

Jingyan took the chopsticks, took a bite of noodles, and exclaimed in admiration, "Fourth Sister, your cooking is so delicious! Ah~, it's much better than mine!"

Jing Huan sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with the child in her arms, and said with a smile, "There's nothing I can do, you just don't have a knack for cooking, otherwise I would have taught you how to cook a long time ago."

Jing Yan shook her head and said, "I can make braised meat. I make some every month in Jiang City and sell it at the market. There's almost never any left over. Don't you think my cooking skills have improved?"

"All meat smells good. Alright, stop joking. I'll give you the savings book you left at home later. Make sure you have plenty of money with you when you go to Shanghai. Tomorrow, go to the county post office to withdraw some money, then visit your second brother's house and say hello. After that, go to your eldest brother's place. It'll be more convenient to leave from there the day after tomorrow." Jinghuan was habitually worried about her younger sister and helped coordinate the route.

Jingyan nodded: "I don't know if my second brother and sister-in-law will be home tomorrow. My eldest brother wasn't home today."

“Regardless of whether they’re home or not, at least the two kids are home. The older one is eight and has started elementary school, and the younger one is five. His mother-in-law will also be home. There will be people at home. No matter what, if you’re going to Yangzhou, which is so far away, you should at least let them know,” Jing Huan instructed.

After dinner, Peng Chunsheng and He Zhijun took the children to sleep in the east room, while Jingyan and Jinghuan slept in the west room. Having not seen each other for more than two years, the two sisters had a lot to talk about. They chatted about the past two years and before they knew it, dawn was breaking. Jinghuan exclaimed, "Jingyan, hurry up and get some sleep. We've been talking too much."

Jingyan smiled and said, "It's okay, we can sleep at my brother's house. We'll sleep on the train for three days after we get on, so we can catch up on our sleep no matter what."

"Did you buy sleeper berths when you went back?" Jing Huan asked.

Hearing Jingyan's affirmative reply, she breathed a sigh of relief: "Since you're not going to sleep, get up and help me make dumplings. We'll eat dumplings before you head out. I won't see you off to the county. Remember to write back to let me know you're safe when you get to Yangzhou."

Jingyan readily agreed: "I know, Fourth Sister. I'll write home as soon as I get there and try to get you a letter before the Lantern Festival."

Jinghuan smiled and patted her on the shoulder: "Don't think too much about it. The journey is slow. The post office will probably not start working until around the sixth day of the first lunar month. It will take at least half a month to arrive. I'll be satisfied if I can receive it in February."

After a busy morning with her fourth sister, and after eating dumplings, the young couple, clutching the savings book her sister had found for them, tightened their scarves and hats and trudged through the deep snow to the village entrance to wait for the oxcart. Jinghuan watched their figures disappear into the distance from the doorway, and tears began to flow again. Peng Chunsheng helplessly pulled her into his arms and comforted her, "Jinghuan, don't be sad. You should be happy. Jingyan is living a comfortable life, and now your brother-in-law has been admitted to university. Their lives will only get better and better in the future."

Jinghuan buried her head in his chest and said in a muffled voice, "I'm worried because my brother-in-law got into university. His family was well-off to begin with, and they're all intellectuals. Now that he's a university student, he'll only go further in the future. But Jingyan only has a junior high school education. She'll be unfamiliar with the place and the people there. If she gets bullied, none of us, her family, will be able to stand up for her. I'm really worried about her."

Peng Chunsheng paused in comforting her, his tone becoming somewhat serious: "Don't worry, let's live our lives well. If Zhijun really wrongs Jingyan in the future, we'll bring Jingyan back. She's not without a family. No matter what, at least she won't go hungry."

Although Jingyan and He Zhijun didn't speak on the way, they couldn't really, as the cold wind easily got into their mouths. After riding in the oxcart and swaying all the way to the county, their buttocks ached and their bodies were cold. The two went straight to the state-run restaurant. They weren't hungry at this point, so each of them had a bowl of rice porridge and a salted duck egg cut in half. They drank it facing each other, and after finishing the bowl of porridge, their stiff and cold bodies finally warmed up.

"Jingyan, did you not sleep well last night?" He Zhijun asked, noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

"It's not that I didn't sleep well, it's that I didn't sleep at all. I haven't seen my fourth sister for so long, and we chatted until dawn. But it's okay, I can get a full night's sleep at my eldest brother's house tonight, and I'll catch up on sleep when I get on the train tomorrow. Anyway, it's a three or four-day train journey." Jing Yan felt pretty good about herself and didn't feel listless.

Once they were warmed up, the two went straight to the post office and withdrew the money from their savings account. Jingyan said, "How about we send this money home? I always feel uneasy carrying it around with me."

“Your underwear has pockets, right? Put it in there later. This is our secret stash of money, of course we have to keep it to ourselves,” He Zhijun said with a smile.

Jing Yan looked at him in shock. He Zhijun chuckled and said, "I was just kidding you, and you actually believed me? But it's almost the end of the year, and it's uncertain when the remittance will arrive. It's safer to carry it with you. We're traveling in sleeper berths, which is relatively safe. How about you carry half and I carry half, and we share the risk?"

Jingyan thought this was a good idea and immediately nodded: "Then you can take them all. I won't take any, otherwise I won't feel at ease catching up on sleep in the car."

He Zhijun was also at a loss with her. But then again, 150 ten-yuan bills were indeed quite a lot. He first wrapped them in red cloth and put them in the inside pocket of his clothes: "I'll hide them when we get to my second brother's house. I'm not really at ease leaving them here."

The two took a bus to their second brother's house. Luckily, the whole family was there. They were quite surprised to see Jingyan and the others. When they learned that they were just visiting and had to go to their eldest brother's house, their sister-in-law and mother hurriedly cooked a meal together. After eating, Jingyan said goodbye to her second brother, who personally saw them off onto the bus to the city.