Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Chapter 143 Going Out

With the encouragement and comfort of her three siblings, Zhao Fengying calmed down considerably.

However, he still didn't intend to take the five-pound pancakes and sorghum candy that Xu Dashan brought back.

"You should take it all back and eat it yourself. It's not like I can't make pancakes, but I don't eat their food. Besides, you can buy sorghum candy here!"

Left with no other choice, Xu Dashan had to give in to her partially, saying, "Fine, if you don't want the big pancake, I'll take it."

After he finished speaking, he took out a square box from his bag.

"However, this sorghum candy is different from the ones we have here. You should keep it and eat it. I didn't buy you anything from all this way—"

Xu Bei looked at the sorghum candy box with a small sailboat printed on it and felt inexplicably amused.

As a man himself, he could probably guess what Xu Dashan was thinking.

His elderly mother, sister, and older brother's family had all been sent away. If he came back alone and used some small favors to appeal to their family ties, perhaps his mother, who had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and his children could ease their relationship with him.

"What's the difference? Aren't they all from the same province?"

As soon as Xu Bei finished speaking, Xu Li immediately chimed in, "Exactly. So how can sorghum candy taste like White Rabbit milk candy?"

When Zhao Fengying saw her two children speak up, her attitude became even more resolute. "Yeah, what's the difference? Before we got divorced, I never realized you could be so thoughtful. Now you're trying to stir things up again!"

You think you can win people over with a little bit of candy? Don't be delusional! We can never forgive what you, your grandmother, and your sister did. From now on, it's best if we go our separate ways and leave each other alone!

Xu Dashan actually had that thought, but when he was caught out, he felt embarrassed and annoyed. He stiffened his neck and pretended to be tough as he spoke.

"You're overthinking it. I had no such intention! Fine, since you don't want it, I'll take it all. I haven't been home for several days, and I asked Zhao Laosi and the others to help burn down the house. I don't even know how it looks yet. I'll be going now!"

With Xu Dashan's safe return, Zhao Fengying's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, could finally be put at ease.

But the thought of her useless brother and mean-spirited sister-in-law definitely wouldn't make her feel good.

Xu Beitai understood his mother's feelings, so he first brought up the previous topic of how to arrange things for Xu Juan.

After all, going to the hospital and getting medical treatment would take anywhere from two to three days, and it's definitely not suitable for a young girl to live alone.

The group quickly reached an agreement that she should go home with Xu Li for a few nights.

As for the rented house, Zhu Wenliang can just go over and light a fire after get off work at noon.

Then, Xu Bei offered to take his mother to the neighborhood committee to get a letter of introduction to distract her, and then go to the city to buy train tickets, and they would leave on whichever day they could get them.

This method worked. Zhao Fengying was so excited and nervous about going on a long trip that she didn't have much time to think about those old, trivial matters.

While Xu Bei had everything arranged perfectly at home and in the shop, he also took some time to visit his good friend Da Hei and asked him to help with the fire at the new house every day.

As for the owner of the house, it must be the carpenter boss who has never shown his face.

Big Black had no doubt about this.

After all, this boss, whose name has been heard but whose face has never been seen, has been around for some time.

Moreover, he didn't believe Xu Bei would have the financial means to buy a house.

I almost pounded my chest to assure you that the mission would be completed without any mishaps.

On the afternoon of the seventh day of the first lunar month, Xu Bei and Zhao Fengying successfully boarded the green train bound for the provincial capital.

For the latter, who doesn't travel often, once he boarded the hard-seat carriage and found a window seat for two, he became extra wary and attentive to the other passengers. He thought anyone with a slightly pointed face looked like a thief rather than a good person.

After all, his son and Wei Xuelin had actually experienced being threatened with a knife by a thief, so it was impossible for him not to be extra careful when he went out.

Xu Bei watched his mother's alarmed expression from the side. Although he could understand, he also felt helpless and heartbroken.

He had no choice but to lean close to her ear and whisper, "Mom, the more you act like this, the more real thieves will target you, thinking you're a good target. So try to relax and act like nothing's wrong. Anyway, all the money is with me, so just enjoy your trip, okay?"

Zhao Fengying had long regarded Xu Bei as her pillar of support and trusted his words completely. She immediately nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll try to relax."

Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she asked, "But son, did you put it away properly?"

"That's definitely foolproof." Xu Bei didn't want to say more, lest someone with ulterior motives overhear and make things worse. He changed the subject and said, "Mom, I remember my sister specially brought us a bag of sunflower seeds and peanuts. Let's take them out and have some."

"Okay, then let's eat it. If you think it's too dry, go get some water from the jar."

As Zhao Fengying spoke, she took things out of the bag at her feet, and soon some melon seeds, peanuts, and an enamel mug for drinking water were placed on the small table.

The passengers sitting opposite me were a friendly older woman and a young man, both of them traveling alone.

Zhao Fengying was an outgoing person, and she quickly struck up a conversation with the elderly woman and her son.

Xu Bei and the young man, on the other hand, seemed rather quiet and reserved. They would either cross their arms and look out the car window or peek through the cracks in a newspaper.

The green trains of the 1980s were incredibly slow, and they would stop at even the smallest stations.

Xu Bei used to find going out alone extremely boring.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have preferred to spend a little more money to have Chen Jianguo help them load the goods, rather than make another trip back and forth before the New Year.

However, now that my mother is by my side, even just listening to her chat with others and smelling the scent of face cream and faint cigarette smoke on her, I feel at ease and at peace.

Listening to the clattering sound, after more than ten hours of travel, the train finally arrived slowly at the provincial capital's railway station in the morning.

Xu Bei had already packed his things and led his mother to the carriage junction to wait for them to get off the train when they were almost there.

"Oh my god, we're finally here. Son, it's really not easy to get anything done here. You've been running back and forth so much, it must have been exhausting."

Although Zhao Fengying didn't manage to stay awake and sleep several times along the way, she still felt tired, especially since her legs and feet were swollen from being restrained.

Xu Bei reached out to help his mother adjust her scarf, and said with a smile, "Of course. But Mom, when I was younger, I recovered after just one night's sleep."

Once the train stopped, the staff opened the doors.

The mother and son followed the other passengers off the train.

As soon as I stepped onto the platform, I felt the much fresher, cool air that was much better than on the train, which went straight into my nostrils.

The provincial capital was much warmer than my hometown in the morning, but because the platform was empty, the wind was quite strong and blowing loudly.

People getting off the bus usually instinctively shrink their necks and tighten their collars.

Xu Bei discerned the direction to exit the station, then led his mother out of the station with practiced ease.

Although the Spring Festival has passed, there are still many traces of celebration near the provincial capital's train station as the Lantern Festival is not yet over.

After a night on the train, even though I ate something on the train, I was still hungry by now.

Therefore, Xu Bei took his mother directly to a breakfast shop in front of the station for a meal.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they boarded the long-haired trolleybus and set off to find Chen Jianguo, following the map as their guide.