Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 944 Arrival in Baotou
The woman settled down on the lower bunk next to her with her child. Wang Zhan stayed in his own bed and did not go over. Only his sister Wang Li came over and looked at the little person quietly.

There were really no new passengers on the bus along the way. Wang Li played for a while and went back to bed. Wang Zhan also fell asleep in a daze.

When Wang Zhan opened his eyes again, it was already bright outside the window. Wang Zhan walked to the restaurant car and asked the attendant for a pot of hot water.

He returned to his berth and made a cup of milk for Wang Li. Of course, he also made a cup for the woman opposite him using his own teacup. He also took out a few steamed buns and gave one to the woman before waking up his sister.

Wang Li drank milk and kept looking outside. Outside the carriage was a vast grassland with herds of cattle and sheep, and herdsmen riding horses, driving herds of sheep and cattle.

Wang Zhan also saw this. Considering the scarce supply of meat in the old city, why weren't these cattle and sheep sent to the city?
After the woman finished her breakfast, the baby woke up and started crying loudly. The woman quickly untied her backpack. It seemed that the baby had urinated. After changing the diaper, the woman turned her back. Wang Zhan saw this and felt that it was a bit inappropriate for him to be there, so he walked out of the small compartment, walked to the aisle between the two carriages, and lit a cigarette.

At around ten o'clock in the morning, the train slowly pulled into its terminal, Baotou Station. Wang Zhan had already packed all his things, and Wang Li had also packed her small shoulder bag. The two of them said goodbye to the woman and got off the train first. The woman was afraid of the crowds and planned to get off last.

After exiting the train station, what comes into view is a straight avenue. This is the street, with heavy traffic, busy and orderly.

The whole Baotou was crowded with people, and everywhere was a mixture of black and gray. Wang Zhan could see that this was a very simple steel city. There was almost no green vegetation, and the roads were also very scarce, unlike Nanluoguxiang, which was full of alleys.

Except for Steel Avenue, other wide roads all lead to the various factory areas of the steel plant. However, only Steel Avenue is paved with asphalt, while other roads are mostly dirt roads, so when trucks pass by, dust is flying everywhere.

Wang Zhan took his sister to ask around for directions to Bayannur, but no one could tell him. By noon, Wang Zhan still hadn't gotten any information. Wang Zhan was a little frustrated, but his sister said she was hungry, so Wang Zhan took her for a walk, found a mutton restaurant, and walked in.

The restaurant is not big, with only four tables in the front hall. Today is a weekday, so there are not many people.

An old man with a white beard was sitting in front of the kitchen door and taking a nap. Wang Zhan called out softly, "Uncle? Uncle?"

The old man woke up from his sleep. Wang Zhan knew at a glance that he must be a Mongolian. The old man looked at Wang Zhan and his sister and asked, "Let's eat. Alas, there are usually not many people at this time. He fell asleep. What do you want to eat? It's written on the blackboard."

It was then that Wang Zhan saw a small blackboard hanging on the wall. There were four dishes written on it: braised lamb chops, stewed lamb, lamb hotpot and braised lamb. The staple foods were steamed buns and flatbreads.

Wang Zhan looked down at his sister, and Wang Li pointed at the braised lamb and said, "I want to eat braised lamb."

Wang Zhan turned around and asked, "Grandpa, I want one stewed mutton, one braised mutton, and four steamed buns."

"The steamed buns are two taels each, and four steamed buns cost eighty cents, which costs eight taels of food coupons. The stewed lamb costs two dollars and fifty cents, and the braised lamb costs two dollars. The total is five dollars and thirty cents, which costs eight taels of food coupons." said the old man.

Wang Zhan directly took out the money and food coupons and handed them over. Wang Zhan felt that it was quite expensive, as it was already a month's living expenses.

The old man seemed to have guessed what Wang Zhan was thinking and said, "Don't think it's too expensive. You'll know when you come up."

Wang Zhan and his sister found a seat and sat down. After nearly thirty minutes, the old man came up with a basin that was half the size of a washbasin and put it on the table. The old man smiled and said, "I guess you can't finish these two dishes. When there are leftovers, I'll find a lunch box to pack for you. You won't be charged for the lunch box."

Soon a large plate of braised lamb was served. Wang Zhan now understood why the two dishes were so expensive. Even four people could not finish them. After the old man brought the steamed buns, he sat at the kitchen door again, took out a pipe, lit a pot of tobacco, and started smoking.

Wang Zhan and his sister were also a little hungry, so they started eating right away. Wang Zhan stopped eating only after he had eaten one-third of the food. He was full. Wang Li had a small mouth and ate slowly, so she continued eating. The old man asked, "Where are you from, kid?"

"Ah, how do you know I'm from another place?" Wang Zhan asked.

"Not only do I know that you are from another place, I also know that you just got off the train not long ago. The sweat smell on the train has not dissipated yet." The old man laughed.

Wang Zhan sniffed himself. Perhaps he had gotten used to the smell on the train, so he didn't notice any smell on himself. Wang Zhan smiled and said, "Yes, I just got here from Sijiu City by train."

"Visiting relatives, is there anyone from home coming here to support?" the old man asked again.

Wang Zhan shook his head and said, "Not really, I'm just looking for someone. I want to go to Bayannur, but I've been asking around all morning and I still don't know how to get there."

The old man was stunned, and then said, "Boy, it's very difficult to go there. There is no car going there. Occasionally, there are local horse carriages coming here, but they are rare. Most people come here on horseback."

Wang Zhan then realized that this was the case. Wang Zhan asked, "Uncle, do you know the route?"

The old man nodded and said, "I have an Anda living there, but if you want to take the main road, you have to buy a carriage first. If you can ride a horse, it may be faster."

Wang Zhan said, "I can ride a horse, but I don't know where to buy one."

The old man looked at Wang Zhan, thought for a while, and said, "Okay, I'll do you a favor today. I can lend you a horse, but you have to leave some money as a deposit. As for the route, I'll draw it for you. You're pretty smart, so you should be able to find it."

"Thank you so much, uncle. Just tell me how much the deposit is and I'll give it to you directly. It's the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me to meet you today." Wang Zhan suddenly became happy. He was really stunned by the sudden surprise.

The old man said, "It's not easy to be away from home. You are just a child. Forget it. You can keep fifty dollars. When you come back, bring the horse back and I will return it to you."

Wang Zhan directly took out fifty yuan from his pocket and handed it to the old man. The old man took it and said, "Just watch your sister eat. I'll go get your horse."

Wang Zhan smiled and nodded. Not long after, the old man walked in from the front door and said, "Boy, can you really ride a horse?"

"Don't worry, uncle, I have learned and I can ride." Wang Zhan said firmly.

"Okay, the horse is right at the door. I've given you the saddle and whip. You should also take good care of my horse. By the way, its name is Ajinai, which means a fine horse." said the old man.

"By the way, uncle, my name is Wang Zhan, and this is my sister Wang Li. I haven't asked for your name yet?" Wang Zhan asked.

"Just call me Has. By the way, I have a letter. Please take it to him for me. I'll give you the address. He lives in Bayannur Town." said the old man.

"Okay, I'll definitely deliver it." Wang Zhan said.

(End of this chapter)