Chapter 116
Even in the later generations, taking an overnight train was never a particularly pleasant or comfortable experience.
And that was back when disposable travel bedding existed.
Qiao Wei led Yan Xiang, and Yan Lei saw them onto the train.
Fortunately, because it was a sleeper carriage, the sanitary conditions were much better.
Even the attendant’s attitude was much better.
Especially upon seeing they were military dependents.
Yan Lei collected the bedding with the bedding ticket, and the three of them found their compartment together.
As soon as the door opened, Yan Xiang saw the inside and went: “Wow~”
Children always express such joyful and satisfied exclamations towards novel things they haven’t seen before.
Even adults, upon hearing it, would feel as if the world they were accustomed to and bored with suddenly became beautiful again.
Qiao Wei first had him sit on the bed on the other side while holding Xiangxiang. After Yan Lei finished making their beds with the bedding, she took off Yan Xiang’s shoes and placed him on their bunk.
Yan Xiang rolled over: “Papa, Papa! The sleeper berth is so much fun!”
The attendant came over to check tickets.
Yan Lei stood up, his hand resting on the upper frame of the compartment door. Because he was so tall, he had to lower his head to ask: “Comrade, are there many people in the sleeper section?”
Being asked by such a tall and handsome officer, the attendant’s service attitude was exceptionally good: “Not many. Only a few compartments are occupied today; they are mostly empty.”
It wasn’t the holidays, so there weren’t that many people taking the train.
Furthermore, for some cadres on business trips, if they were eligible to purchase sleeper tickets but only bought hard seat tickets, their work units would still reimburse them according to the sleeper standard. The price difference would go to them.
That is why many cadres would buy hard seats when traveling on business.
That was the era. Compared to one’s own comfort, saving some money for the family was more worthwhile. This was true even for cadres.
After all, every family had a bunch of children to feed, and a characteristic of the era was that if one person in a large family succeeded, they had to support the whole family; they couldn’t just look after their own small household.
Yan Lei gazed into the young woman’s eyes and gently requested: “My wife and child are traveling far away alone. If more people board, please don’t arrange them in the same room. Could you try to let them have the room to themselves?”
Such a handsome man doting on his wife and child made the young woman’s heart melt, and she readily agreed: “Rest assured, we will take care of the female comrade and the child.”
Yan Lei gently made another request: “I would like to purchase a supplemental sleeper ticket for the child and another set of bedding.”
The young attendant said: “I can’t issue a supplemental sleeper ticket. I can issue you an extra set of bedding, though.”
Only cadres at the division level and above and officers at the regimental level and above could purchase sleeper tickets. But since it didn’t restrict the passenger, one could use someone else’s credentials to buy them. The sleeper ticket Battalion Commander Li used to take Lu Manman home was bought using Yan Lei’s credentials. Sleeper tickets could not be casually supplemented.
But by offering to provide an extra set of bedding, the attendant was essentially letting them occupy a berth for free without paying the sleeper fare.
Yan Lei smiled extremely gently and complimented her: “Comrade, you are truly beautiful and kind-hearted. The railway department should have more young comrades like you—full of vigor and responsibility.”
The young woman blushed from the praise: “You flatter me. This is what we should do—serve the people.”
The young woman took him to get the bedding.
Yan Lei winked at Qiao Wei and followed her.
Qiao Wei: “…”
Qiao Wei’s eyes were opened.
So, there truly is no such thing as a man who is handsome without knowing it, or a woman who is beautiful without knowing it in this world!
Her old cadre usually wouldn’t even glance at young women; it wasn’t because he lacked biological instincts, but because he was highly self-disciplined!
He never flirted with young women, not because he lacked the technique, but because he didn’t need to do such “shameless” things.
Now, for the sake of his wife and son, what was pride? It was just smiling at a young woman and saying a few nice words.
There was nothing Regimental Commander Yan couldn’t do!
At this time, the train stopped for a long while, enough for Regimental Commander Yan to busy himself and make a bed for the child as well.
Yan Xiang was overjoyed: “I have a bed too!”
Yan Lei gave Qiao Wei a thousand instructions and warnings about various precautions before getting off the train.
He even stayed on the platform, gazing longingly inside from outside the window, looking just like a statue waiting for his wife.
Never having seen Regimental Commander Yan like this, Qiao Wei found it hilarious. She forced herself to hold it in and put on a serious face: “I know, don’t worry, go back, go back.”
Yan Lei naturally refused to leave. Before the train started, his final instruction to Qiao Wei was: “Remember, no one at home is allowed to give you a hard time. Not even my mother.”
After all, Yan Lei grew up in the countryside and had seen plenty of mothers-in-law tormenting their daughters-in-law.
Clearly a kind-faced old lady who was good to everyone, clearly the kindest person who couldn’t bear to see others suffer even a little bit—yet she was as wicked as a ghost only to her own daughter-in-law.
As a man, Yan Lei couldn’t understand it, but he acknowledged this fact.
This trip, Qiao Wei was going back to fulfill his filial duties.
No one was allowed to give his wife a hard time!
Regimental Commander Yan had gone through fire and blood to achieve his status today; he was never one to let people push him around, nor was he a spineless person without a mind of his own.
He gripped the train window and said to her: “You aren’t a timid person who lets others bully you. If something happens, feel free to argue if you need to. Focus only on right and wrong, not on status.”
Qiao Wei held his hand and could feel his strength.
“I’m not going to the execution ground; I’m going to your home.” She smiled slightly, “I’m not even afraid of struggle sessions. Don’t worry.”
Yan Lei squeezed her hand again and again. Only when the train started moving did he let go, watching the green-skinned train gradually pull away.
“Mama, don’t be afraid.” Yan Xiang solemnly declared to Qiao Wei, “Papa isn’t here, I will protect you.”
Qiao Wei smiled until her eyes curved: “Alright.”
The train picked up speed with a rhythmic clatter.
When it was time to eat, Qiao Wei said: “Let’s go, let’s go to the dining car to eat.”
Sister Yang’s mindset was to bring one’s own food when traveling, similar to the idea of bringing instant noodles when traveling in later generations. But Qiao Wei was someone who knew how to enjoy life, and since it was Yan Xiang’s first time on a train, he should go and see the dining car.
Qiao Wei decided to save the meat pies Sister Yang had made for a midnight snack and go to the dining car for their main meal.
There was actually a special carriage on the train called a dining car. Yan Xiang: “Wow~”
The dining car on the train was almost equivalent to a State-run Restaurant.
Qiao Wei and Yan Xiang had a lovely meal. Just as Qiao Wei had thought, in this environment, it was hard for the child to fall asleep. The two of them kept talking, and as they talked, they got hungry again. They ate the meat pies Sister Yang had made and fell asleep only after they were full.
The next day, after Qiao Wei woke up and got herself and Yan Xiang tidied up, the train arrived.
Having slept all night, they got off the train full of energy, appearing exceptionally distinct among the many passengers who had sat in hard seats all night with weary faces.
The Yan Village Party Secretary nudged the eldest of The Yan Household with his elbow: “Is it her? Is it her?”
The Party Secretary remembered having met Yan Lei’s wife before, and he didn’t think he was old enough to forget what someone looked like, but he just couldn’t confirm if this female comrade with the child was Yan Lei’s wife.
Yan Lei’s eldest brother was named Yan Zhu.
Yan Zhu felt just as confused as the Party Secretary.
Was this female comrade in a white shirt and green military trousers, with bright eyes and looking spotlessly clean, really Yan Lei’s wife who always had a long face all day long?
It always felt a bit like her…
But also very unlike her…
However, the crowd had dispersed, and there were no other female comrades traveling alone with a child.
Just then, that female comrade suddenly saw them and actually walked straight over.
“Big Brother?” She greeted Yan Zhu with a smile, then turned to the Party Secretary, “Second Uncle, right? Do you remember me? We met a few years ago. I am Yan Lei’s wife, Qiao Wei.”
She generously extended her hand to the Village Party Secretary, nodding and smiling.
The aura about her was exactly like a leader who had come down to the village to inspect.
