Sisters in the Deep Forest Valley: Many Fun Things

In early June, Qincheng was just beginning to get hot.

At 5 PM, in a certain college entrance examination venue, a voice announced, "Ding! Exam over... Please proceed immediately..."

As the broadcast ended, the candidates gradually left the examination room.

Lin Chunyi also strolled out, took out her phone from her bag, pressed the power button, and while walking, she pondered how to spend the next two months.

"Dili li, dili li li..." As soon as I turned on my phone, I received a call from my mother.

"Xiaoyi, have you finished your exams? Mom made braised pork trotters, sweet and sour pork ribs, spicy chicken wings, and spicy blood curd. Come back and eat quickly, or the food will get cold."

My mother started by reciting the names of the dishes.

"Mao Xue Wang? Did they add a lot of chili powder? Mom! Wait for me, wait for me! I'll be home in half an hour, no, twenty minutes. Don't let that glutton Lin Lanshan eat it first!"

Lin Chunyi instantly forgot all her holiday plans and rushed home.

The sky is big and the earth is big, and eating is the biggest thing.

At the dinner table celebrating Lin Chunyi's success in the college entrance examination, Lin's father took a puff of his cigarette and exhaled softly, saying:

"Xiaoyi has worked so hard for the college entrance exam these past few days. Let's not talk about the exam and scores for now. Let's have a good rest for a couple of days."

Lin Chunyi held a pig's trotter in her left hand and put it in her mouth, while using her right hand to pick up some tripe with her chopsticks. She nodded.

"Xiaoyi, eat slowly. No one's going to take it from you. Don't choke. Here, have another piece of rib." Lin's mother looked at her child wolfing down her food with heartache and put another piece of sweet and sour rib on her plate.

Lin Chunyi kept talking, but pointed to the person in the seat on the left with the pig's trotter in her hand. Lin's parents turned their heads to take a look.

...They all wiped away their sweat.

The person sitting to the left is Lin Chunyi's younger sister, Lin Lanshan, who is 15 years old and a junior high school student who will be taking the high school entrance exam soon.

She was holding a bowl when she stood up and put the fourth spicy chicken wing into it...

"What are you doing? I'm taking the high school entrance exam soon too. Can't I get some extra help beforehand?"

Lin Lanshan glared at her sister who was silently complaining, and then leaned over as if to bite the pig's trotter in her sister's hand.

Lin Chunyi quickly withdrew her hand, snorted, glared back, and resumed her battle.

Mr. Lin covered his eyes and said helplessly:

"Watching you two eat like it's a grand show almost made me forget the important matter. Xiaoyi, Lanshan has her high school entrance exam in less than two weeks. I'm planning to have you two go back to your hometown after she finishes the exam. Your mother and I have been too busy with work this year, and we probably won't have time until the Chinese New Year. You two have a long holiday this time and no homework, so it's a good time to go back and see your grandparents and maternal grandparents. They must miss you too."

Lin Chunyi paused, realizing that she hadn't been back to her hometown in a long time.

There are always various reasons: the holiday is too short and there are make-up classes, or parents are too busy and don't have time, etc.

"No problem, I haven't been back to my hometown in ages."

Lin's mother was a little worried. The two children were still young, and it might not be safe for them to travel back by themselves. "Should we let them go back by themselves?"

"Don't worry, Xiaoyi is eighteen years old this year. She can take Lanshan with her without any problem. It's only a three-hour flight."

Upon hearing that she would be taking a plane back, Lin Chunyi quickly interrupted and said to her father:

"No, no, wait, Dad, I don't want to ride an airplane, I want to ride a train, one of those old green trains!"

He swallowed the meat in his mouth and continued:

"Mom and Dad, I want to ride a green train. I saw a video the other day where someone said: taking a long-distance train is like a trip. Buy a hard sleeper ticket, fill a backpack with all your favorite snacks, put disposable sheets and blankets on the berth, take a nap when you're tired, and when you wake up, lie in bed eating snacks while watching the scenery slowly pass by outside the train window. Wow~ it sounds so cool!"

Lin Lanshan couldn't sit still when she heard about the delicious food. She rubbed her hands together and said:

"I agree! I agree! I want to take the train too. I'm going to buy lots of spicy snacks, jelly, and all sorts of delicious food. Hmm... I'll also download a few TV series and eat my way back while lying down. Ah~ just thinking about it makes me so happy!"

……

Lin Lanshan probably only had "eating" on her mind.

Mr. Lin checked the train tickets and frowned, saying:

"A 40-hour train journey is too long. Even if you buy sleeper berths, it will be very difficult for the two of you. Besides, with so many people coming and going on the train, it's not safe."

As Lin's mother watched her two beloved daughters' eager eyes dim, she began to feel reluctant to discourage them.

Then he said to Lin's father:

"Xiao Yi is an adult now and has traveled to several nearby cities a few times, so there's nothing to worry about. It's just that Lan Shan hasn't been out much yet. But just let her stay with her older sister, listen to her, and not wander off on her own. Besides, she has her own phone. If they want to take the train, let them take it. It's not easy for them to have such a comfortable holiday."

"You were just worried about their safety traveling by plane on their own..."

Mr. Lin turned to look at his two daughters, whose eyes were filled with longing and anticipation, and said with a conflicted expression:

"We haven't taken a train in years, and we don't even know how much the train journey has changed. There's still some time before Lanshan's exam, let me check again and think about it some more."

A little over a week later, Lin Lanshan's middle school entrance exam also ended.

During this time, Mr. Lin researched many precautions for taking long-distance trains online and listened to Mrs. Lin's advice several times.

In the end, I decided to buy hard sleeper tickets for the two sisters to go back to their hometown on the third day after the exam.

The day before I boarded the train.

"Tomorrow, when you two get on the train, find your berths first. I bought you a middle berth and a lower berth that are connected. Remember to put your bags on the berths before your suitcases. Keep your cell phones, ID cards, power banks, and other important items in your shoulder bags. Keep the bags on your body and don't take them off the whole way, not even when you go to the toilet! Got it?" Mr. Lin began to instruct.

The two nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, we've got it!"

Lin's mother was packing her two daughters' suitcases, one green and one pink, both 22 inches.

"Each of you should carry a backpack with snacks. I'm worried that it will be inconvenient for you two to carry suitcases when getting on and off the bus, or when changing buses and going up and down the stairs, so I'll only pack a few clothes and shoes for you. You can buy the rest when you get back."

The next morning, there were still four hours before departure.

Before sending his two daughters to the train station, Mr. Lin asked again:

"Have you brought everything? My bag contains my phone, data cable, power bank, ID card, and dozens of bills and coins. I also keep checking to make sure I have two suitcases, two backpacks, and two shoulder bags with me."

Lin Chunyi and Lin Lanshan carefully searched through the items in their handbags, checking one by one to make sure nothing was missing.

Yes, they're all there.

"We brought everything, don't worry, Dad. We remember, and we'll check our things anytime."

"Old Lin, it's still early. Take them to the train station and watch them go through security before they leave. Go on, be careful on the road!" Lin's mother watched them leave.

Mr. Lin responded and carried two suitcases downstairs. His two daughters followed closely behind.

Two hours later...