People in the alley: A woman dressed as a man shouldn't be foolishly filial, Zhuang Chaoying

"Ah Ling, stay close to me, there are too many people."

Huang Ling clung tightly to Chao Ying's clothes and followed behind.

I finally made it out of the station exit.

A young man stood at the door, greeting people warmly. "Comrade, would you like a ride? It's only 15 cents per kilometer."

Zhuang Chaoying looked at the three-wheeled taxis parked by the roadside, with their metal shells and thick canvas roofs.

Zhuang Chaoying linked arms with Huang Ling. "How much does it cost to go to the Writers' Association?"

Six cents!

Huang Ling nodded. "Let's go!"

The young man immediately offered to help them carry their luggage.

Huang Ling stopped him, waving her hand. "No need, we can carry it ourselves."

The two got into the three-wheeled tortoise-shaped vehicle.

You can still smell a strong gasoline odor inside the car, sputtering and spitting!

The car started and drove forward, turning a corner.

Zhuang Chaoying felt as if the rear wheels were flying.

He quickly grabbed the seat and held Huang Ling securely in his arms. "Young man, don't rush, take your time."

The young man in front smiled. "This is your second day out here taking jobs. Hold on tight, you two!"

In less than ten minutes, the car stopped in front of the Writers' Association.

"We've arrived! Number 675, Julu Road!"

Huang Ling took out some small bills from her pocket, found six mao (0.6 yuan), and handed it to the driver.

"Perfect timing! Take care!"

Zhuang Chaoying walked ahead, took out her work ID from her pocket, and handed it to the old gatekeeper. "Hello, I'm here to see Chairman Wang."

The old man looked at the work ID and nodded.

Just as Huang Ling was about to go in, she was stopped by the old man.

Does this woman have a work ID?

Zhuang Chaoying turned around. "Grandpa, this is my wife, she came with me."

"Come and register. After you register, we can go in together."

The two walked inside.

At the door of Wang Yougui's office. "Knock knock knock!"

"Come in!"

Zhuang Chaoying pushed open the office door. "Chairman Wang!"

When Wang Yougui saw that the visitor was Zhuang Chaoying, he stood up. "Xiao Zhuang, Xiao Huang, please have a seat. I reckon you should be arriving soon."

Huang Ling handed over the apple in her hand. "President Wang, this is a specialty apple from Suzhou. It's quite delicious and can be stored for a long time."

Wang Yougui accepted the apple. "Thank you very much," he said, placing it on his desk.

"Xiao Zhuang, the tickets are all bought. We're leaving tonight and arriving tomorrow night. Now you'll see the benefits of joining our association, Xiao Zhuang. We can buy sleeper tickets, which are only available to cadres."

Zhuang Chaoying sat down in a chair and put her luggage bag aside. "President Wang, we can get to Kyoto in a day and a night, why are we going so early?"

Wang Yougui poured two glasses of water and handed them over. "I have some things to take care of in Kyoto this time, so I'm leaving two days early. Don't worry, Xiao Zhuang, the association will cover all your food and lodging expenses for the next few days!"

Zhuang Chaoying handed the tea to Ah Ling. "Thank you so much, Chairman Wang."

As expected, the practice of using public funds for meals and drinks will always exist.

In the afternoon, Zhuang Chaoying led Huang Ling to a nearby restaurant and they had a meal.

...

Wang Yougui walked ahead, carrying a bag of luggage.

Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling followed behind and boarded the sleeper carriage.

"Chaoying, this soft sleeper ticket isn't cheap, is it?"

"Ah Ling, it definitely won't be cheap. Anyway, it's not our money, so let's just sit here without worry. The soft sleeper just looks bigger than the hard sleeper."

Huang Ling sat down on the lower bunk. "Chao Ying, this is much wider than the hard sleeper berth."

Huang Ling took out the osmanthus cake and mooncakes she had bought while having dinner with Chao Ying from her bag. "President Wang, would you like some?"

Wang Yougui didn't stand on ceremony and took a mooncake to eat.

After finishing his meal, he clapped his hands. "Little Huang, I'm actually a bit hungry. Let's go to the dining car for lunch later."

It's true that wealthy and capable people know how to enjoy life. The dishes on this food truck are all freshly cooked by the chefs, reaching the level of a high-end hotel. They offer not only stir-fries but also Western food.

Zhuang Chaoying picked up a piece of stir-fried pork, tasted it, and thought it was quite good. Then she picked up another piece with her chopsticks. "Ah Ling, this is delicious, try it."

Huang Ling took a bite. "Hmm, it's really good." Then she leaned closer to Chao Ying and whispered, "Chao Ying, I never thought train food could be this good. I always thought it was just boxed lunches."

Wang Yougui put the reimbursement voucher into his pocket, looked at the loving couple Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Huang across from him, and smiled. "Xiao Huang, you'll understand after a few more outings. Eat, eat more!"

After a day and a night, I slept and ate three meals, and arrived in Kyoto on the second night.

I could feel the cold air getting into my nostrils.

Huang Ling was shivering from the cold. "Chao Ying, it's really cold up here!"

Zhuang Chaoying pulled A-Ling closer to her. "Let's go buy a cotton-padded coat tomorrow, so you can stay closer to me."

After getting off the train, Wang Yougui led them directly to the hotel.

He followed Wang Yougui with the key in his hand.

"Xiao Zhuang, Xiao Huang, I've booked room number 15. I'll be sleeping next to you. You two can go out and have some fun these next couple of days. I'll come over early on the 15th to take you to the awards ceremony."

Zhuang Chaoying nodded. "President Wang, please go ahead and do your work. We'll take a couple of days to look around, and we definitely won't miss the award ceremony on the 15th."

As soon as I entered the room, I started sweating before I even took off my clothes.

"This room must have heating, otherwise it wouldn't be so warm."

Huang Ling had stripped down to just her thermal underwear. "Chao Ying, it's really nice up north. There's heating in the house, it's so comfortable, much better than winters back home!"

Zhuang Chaoying lay on the bed. "How about we come and live in Kyoto from now on?"

Huang Ling quickly waved her hand. "No, I was just saying. My family is all in Jiangsu Province."

Zhuang Chaoying was carrying two thermos flasks. "I'll go get some water."

In comparison, Zhuang Chaoying prefers the North, where the four seasons are distinct and there is heating in winter, rather than relying on her righteous spirit to resist the winter.

The temperature in the room was at least 25 degrees Celsius, and he was sweating even though he was wearing a sweater.

Carrying the thermos back to the room, he found that the accommodations were not as good as the hotel he and Ah Ling had stayed in. This was a state-run guesthouse, without a private bathroom. To wash up and use the toilet, one had to go to the toilet and water room at the very end of the corridor.

"Ah Ling, open the door, it's me, Chao Ying."

Huang Ling opened the door.

Zhuang Chaoying entered the room.

He took an enamel mug out of his bag and poured a full cup of water.

After washing up, I lay down on the bed. There were two small beds in the room.

He lay on his side, looking at Huang Ling opposite him.

He got up and crawled directly into Ah Ling's bed.

"Chaoying, this bed is too small, go back to your bed."

Zhuang Chaoying rested her head on Huang Ling's arm. "No, I want to sleep with you."

Looking at Chaoying, Huang Ling thought back to when they lived in a dormitory in the tenement building, where they slept together, squeezed in together. But she didn't like Chaoying back then, as she slept in reverse order, especially after giving birth to Xiaoting. If it weren't for Chaoying clinging to her, she really wouldn't have wanted to have sex.

She doesn't know what's wrong with her now, but she also likes Chao Ying's closeness, and even touched Chao Ying's hair.

"Ah Ling, this is my first time being a husband too. If there's anything I've done wrong, please feel free to tell me."

Huang Ling lowered her head and smelled Chao Ying's hair. The smell of brain oil mixed with the smell of soap was a bit intoxicating.

"Chao Ying, you're doing great now. You think more than I do. Sometimes I even wonder if you're still Chao Ying!"

Zhuang Chaoying's heart skipped a beat. Had he been discovered? He felt a mixture of fear and anticipation.

He asked tentatively.

"Ah Ling, what would you do if I weren't Zhuang Chaoying?"

Huang Ling breathed hot air into his ear. "What should I do? I'll hold you tight, make sure you can't escape, and make you my Chao Ying forever!"

Zhuang Chaoying supported herself, looking down at A-Ling. "A-Ling, I love you!"

Huang Ling reached out and hugged his neck. "Chao Ying, I love you as you are!"

Their breaths mingled together!

The beds in this guesthouse are of poor quality; they creak very loudly, and Zhuang Chaoying is afraid of beds that don't sit well!

Huang Ling gripped his arm tightly.

"Superhero~~~~~~~~~~"

"Ah Ling~~~ Look at me!"

...