Chapter 135: Train Ticket

They walked out of the kitchen one after another, leaving Gou Dan behind to clean up the aftermath. Since they had just finished cooking, it was inevitable that some residue had splattered onto the stove and walls.

As soon as they sat down, Xi Nian and his three companions approached. Zhong Yuxiu greeted them with a smile.

"Comrades, please sit. Come, try the mutton soup Gou Dan made."

Zhong Yuxiu served each of them a bowl of soup, then proceeded to serve Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo, and finally herself. She took a sip; the soup was rich, flavorful, and completely free of any gamey odor. It was delicious.

"Why haven't I seen Gou Dan today?" Xi Nian asked after taking a sip, nodding repeatedly. "The base of the soup is very well-developed. It’s even better than what the master chefs at the state-run restaurant make."

Zhong Yuxiu smiled. "He’s busy in the kitchen."

"Your Gou Dan’s culinary skills are truly impressive," Xi Nian praised without reservation, his eyes filled with envy. "I wish I had a robot like that; I’d be able to have a gourmet meal every time I got home."

"You could always learn a bit yourself. Cooking is a skill in its own right. Once you master it, you can make whatever you want without having to wait on anyone."

Xi Nian shook his head. "Me? I don’t have the talent for it. I can make things edible, but never delicious."

Zhong Yuxiu felt a sense of relief. It was rare to find someone as clumsy in the kitchen as she was, and it lifted her spirits!

"Well, that’s fine. At least you won't starve when there's no one to cook for you. I’m hopeless at it. Before I had Gou Dan, when I lived alone, I just got by with two bowls of porridge a day. It was a lonely way to eat, and I was always hungry."

"Your choice of words is quite interesting," he remarked.

Zhong Yuxiu smiled faintly. "Eat your food."

The group enjoyed their meal. When they were finished, the table was covered in leftovers. Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo even scooped rice onto their plates to mix with the remaining broth. The other two guards, initially hesitant, followed suit, grabbing plates with leftover sauce to fetch more rice from the kitchen.

"Excuse our behavior," Xi Nian said, slightly embarrassed.

"Not at all. Not wasting food is a good habit and a virtue," Zhong Yuxiu said with a gentle, serene smile. She was used to this. She tilted her chin toward Hao and Tian. "They are always like this; they can never bring themselves to pour out the broth after a meal."

Xi Nian gave a sheepish laugh. "Life is a bit better now than it used to be, but only a bit. There are still many people out there who don't have enough to eat."

"True. That’s why we must accelerate our technological development." She thought back to the days when she had been sent to the countryside, hungry and cold. If not for the backing of the mountains and the care of Yan Rushan, she didn't know how she would have survived.

As they talked, they watched the other four finish off the broth on their plates, leaving only a few drops of sauce behind and not a single grain of rice.

***

Before leaving, Xi Nian handed her two train tickets. "The tickets are for 9:30 tonight. There’s still time if you head out now."

"Thank you very much," Zhong Yuxiu said, taking them. "Comrade Xi Nian, please wait a moment."

Under Xi Nian’s puzzled gaze, Zhong Yuxiu stood up and went to the storage room, returning with a few New Year’s gifts. "A return gift. Please travel safely."

"I accept this with gratitude. Farewell." Xi Nian led his men away.

Zhong Yuxiu stood at the door, watching them leave, then turned back and said, "Comrade Hao, Comrade Tian, could you come here for a moment?"

"What is it?" Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo had been clearing the table. Hearing her, they put down their things and walked over. "Comrade Zhong, is there anything you need us to do?"

"No," Zhong Yuxiu said, handing them the train tickets. "It’s 7:30 now, and the train is at 9:30. Have you packed your things?"

Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo nodded. "We finished packing early this morning."

"Then let’s go."

"We’ll wash the dishes before we go," Hao Nan said, taking the tickets. He kept one and gave the other to Tian Shangguo based on the destinations marked on them.

Zhong Yuxiu shook her head. "Don’t worry about the dishes; Gou Dan will handle them. It’s a long way to the station, and there are no vehicles at this hour. Go get your luggage. We’ll go to the Yan residence—I’ll ask Comrade Yan Rushan to give you a lift."

"There’s no need to trouble them. We can make a phone call and have a comrade come pick us up. Comrade Tian’s bicycle and sewing machine need a truck. I have a comrade in the Beijing transport team, and since they have trucks now, it would be perfect to ask him to help."

They knew Comrade Zhong was seeing Yan Rushan, and while they could ask for his help, they couldn't allow Comrade Zhong to bother him with such trifles.

"The transport team—so they have trucks now?"

"Yes, trucks."

Zhong Yuxiu understood. "Then go ahead and contact him. It’s not convenient to carry a sewing machine in a small car anyway."

"Right, I’ll go do that now." Hao Nan abandoned the dishes and ran off to make the call. Tian Shangguo continued packing. Zhong Yuxiu carried the dirty dishes to the kitchen and gave them to Gou Dan to wash.

After Hao Nan finished his call, he and Tian Shangguo headed upstairs. Moments later, they came back down carrying a military duffel bag and went to the storage room to collect the items they had purchased.

Zhong Yuxiu went upstairs to grab a cotton-padded coat to throw on. "Let’s go. I’ll see you off. Comrade Hao, when will your comrade arrive?"

"He’ll be at the gate of the compound in half an hour."

"Then we’ll need help moving all these things." The compound was vast; moving it all was a problem.

Hao Nan said, "Comrade Zhong, Tian Shangguo and I are enough. The heaviest item is the sewing machine. We can stack the bicycle on top of the sewing machine, tie the rest of the items to it, and the two of us can carry it together. We don't need anyone else."

"Are you sure?" The sewing machines these days were incredibly heavy.

"It’ll be fine. You don’t need to see us all the way. Once we get the items to the compound gate, my comrade should be there."

Tian Shangguo added, "Please take care of yourself. We’ll be gone for the next half month, so you need to be careful. Don't go out unless necessary; it’s warmer at home."

"I know, I know. Go ahead and tie it up." Zhong Yuxiu stepped back, letting them secure everything to the sewing machine. Witnessing the pile transform into a small mountain, she still felt uneasy. "Why don't we just call someone to help? It’s only a phone call away." She could always give them some food or a pack of cigarettes as a token of appreciation.

Hao Nan shook his head quickly, and Tian Shangguo disagreed as well. "Comrade Zhong, thank you for your concern, but we don't need help. We can do it."

Zhong Yuxiu remained skeptical. The sewing machine was heavy enough on its own, and with all those other things, it was too much.

"Don’t worry. We’ll pace ourselves. If it’s too much, we’ll just walk slowly." Unless absolutely necessary, they preferred not to impose on others.

"Alright then. You start heading out, and I’ll pack some New Year’s goods for you to take home." With that, she walked straight to the storage room.

Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo exchanged a helpless look, telling her back that it wasn't necessary. How could they possibly accept even more of her things?

Zhong Yuxiu ignored them. She rummaged through the storage room, packing half of the snacks and dividing the meat into thirds. She then went to the main room, opened the gifts Xi Nian had brought, and gave them a portion of the dried seafood. She skipped the mountain goods, as those weren't highly valued in the inland, especially in rural areas.

She stopped only after filling two large bags.

"Comrade Zhong, there’s too much here." They wouldn't be able to carry it all!