Era: Rise from the Wilderness

When this matter was mentioned, Li Hongfeng frowned, seemingly at a loss for what to do.

"Don't worry, everyone!"

Li Yunjing wasn't worried at all. Instead, he laughed and said, "Ruoxi and I are going to the train station to take the train back!"

"Um!"

After hearing Li Yunjing's solution, Lü Ruoxi, who had been somewhat worried, no longer had any concerns. She moved closer to Li Yunjing and nodded emphatically.

"this……"

Upon hearing Li Yunjing's idea, Zeng Honglin's brows furrowed as was his habit. Business people always subconsciously weigh the pros and cons and risks.

It's their first time buying goods, and they've encountered this kind of trouble. I've just "invested" seventy-five yuan as a favor, so giving them a ride seems like a natural thing to do.

"How about this!"

Zeng Honglin hesitated for a moment, then put on a smile and looked at Li Hongfeng, "Boss Li, how about this: you should just drive your car and deliver the goods back safely. This goods are the most important thing."

"I drove the two kids to the train station and watched them buy their tickets and go inside."

"That way you can rest assured, and they'll be safe on the road, how about that?"

"oops!"

"This...how could I possibly trouble Manager Zeng again?"

Li Hongfeng was taken aback at first, then overjoyed. He tightly grasped Zeng Honglin's hand and shook it vigorously, his gratitude overflowing. "This is truly... a timely help! Thank you so much! Thank you so much!"

"No problem, no problem at all. It's on my way, don't mention it!"

Zeng Honglin waved his hand, appearing very generous.

That's settled.

Zeng Honglin told them to wait a moment, and then quickly walked to a makeshift shed made of old canvas in the corner of the yard.

Lifting the canvas revealed a nearly new red Jetta sedan.

The car body was fairly clean, and in the afternoon sunlight, the red paint reflected a subtle sheen.

When the car appeared, Li Yunjing couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!" in his heart.

In the early 1990s, the Jetta was a truly great car, especially for small business owners like Zeng Honglin who ran a wholesale business. Owning a Jetta was not only a symbol of strength, but also meant a significant increase in their activity radius and work efficiency.

It seems that this "Manager Zeng" has more resources and connections than I imagined.

Zeng Honglin opened the car door, gesturing for Li Yunjing and Lü Ruoxi to get in.

The interior space was much smaller than a van, but it was clean and tidy. The seats were covered with cheap lace seat covers, the steering wheel was covered with a knitted cover, the dashboard was spotless, and there was a plastic, nodding lucky cat hanging on it.

The air was filled with a faint scent of leather cleaner and air freshener.

This car is much better than the Dafa bread truck that Li Hongfeng's workplace has.

Li Yunjing and Lü Ruoxi sat down in the back row.

The car started, and the engine sounded deep and smooth, much more pleasant than the roaring noise of the Dafa bread truck.

Zeng Honglin drove very steadily and skillfully, maneuvering his red Jetta nimbly out of the courtyard gate and onto the road.

Li Hongfeng followed closely behind in his Daihatsu truck, which was somewhat "breathless" from being weighed down by the cargo.

One red and one yellow, one new and one old, the two cars, one in front and one behind, traveled through the slightly congested streets of the coastal city in the afternoon.

The Jetta skillfully overtook and changed lanes, while the Daihatsu, like a heavily burdened ox, struggled to keep up with the red taillights ahead.

About twenty minutes later, the outline of Bincheng Railway Station came into view.

It was a Japanese-style building with two floors. The square in front of the station was crowded with people, and the sounds of various vendors hawking their wares, broadcasting announcements, and dragging luggage created a noisy sea.

The two cars stopped in a less crowded spot outside the station square.

Li Hongfeng and Zeng Honglin both got off the bus.

"Manager Zeng, thank you so much this time!"

Li Hongfeng grasped Zeng Honglin's hand again, speaking earnestly, "Once the shop is settled in, I'll definitely invite you over for a visit!"

"Mr. Li, you're too kind. I'll be a regular customer from now on!"

Zeng Honglin responded with a smile, then turned to Li Yunjing and Lü Ruoxi, "You two, be careful on the road, and pay attention to safety."

"Thank you, Uncle Zeng!"

Li Yunjing and Lü Ruoxi thanked them in unison.

Watching the red Jetta turn around, slowly drive away, and merge into the traffic, Li Hongfeng turned around to look at his son and Lü Ruoxi. His face showed the fatigue of a long journey, but his eyes were firm: "Let's go buy tickets."

The three of them entered the crowded and noisy ticket hall.

Under the high dome, several long queues were lined up, and the air was stuffy and murky.

The train timetable on the wall was handwritten on the blackboard with a brush, densely packed, and the characters were somewhat blurred.

On the radio, a female announcer mechanically broadcast train information in Mandarin with a Bincheng accent. Her voice echoed in the vast space, sounding somewhat distorted.

Li Hongfeng told the two children to wait aside, while he squeezed in front of a timetable and squinted to look carefully.

There is no train station in Fuzhou Town; the nearest station is Pushi (a county-level city), which is 20 miles away.

He quickly found a slow train that passed through Pu City in the afternoon, with a departure time of more than an hour.

"Let's take this one. It'll be at 4:20 PM, and we'll arrive in Pu City around 5:30 PM."

Li Hongfeng pointed to the timetable and said to Li Yunjing, "I estimate that if I drive back, unload the goods, and then rush to Pu City Railway Station to pick you up, it will be at least 6:30 at the earliest."

"Once you arrive in Pucheng, just wait at the exit. Don't go anywhere else, understand?"

"Okay, Dad. Don't worry, we'll wait at the exit and we definitely won't wander off."

Li Yunjing nodded in agreement.

These days, without a phone, you really can't find anyone unless you arrange a meeting place in advance.

Li Yunjing and Lü Ruoxi naturally dared not run around.

I bought two cardboard train tickets, with the departure station, arrival station, train number, time, and fare punched on them with a hole punch. The lettering was mimeographed and had a slightly raised texture.

Touching the train ticket in my hand, I felt that the texture was quite good, much better than the paper tickets from my previous life.

Li Hongfeng escorted the two of them all the way to the entrance of the station.

"Alright, go in."

Looking at the bustling crowd, he gave his son a few more instructions, still a little worried, before patting him on the shoulder: "Be smart and take good care of Ruoxi."

"Dad, please drive slowly on the road, don't rush."

Li Yunjing also gave instructions.

The father and son said goodbye at the bustling entrance of the train station.

Li Hongfeng watched his son and Lü Ruoxi's small figures, carrying their schoolbags, pass through the ticket gate with the flow of people and disappear behind the heavy curtain. A complex emotion suddenly welled up in his heart.

There was worry, reluctance, and a touch of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions) that "my son has grown up."

He turned and strode quickly toward his bread cart.

Over there, a truckload of goods was waiting for him to deliver home, and a family was waiting for him to let them know he was safe.

Squeezing through the thick, greasy blue cotton curtain at the ticket gate, the noise seemed to be partially shut out, but another, more specific and mixed atmosphere rushed towards me.