Everyone was rushing to get on the train, a surging crowd where people in the front were shoved forward by those in the back. Tis like this were always a pri opportunity for pickpockets.
After a difficult struggle, they finally made it onto the train. Behind them, they could hear shouts from people who had lost a shoe in the crush or discovered their wallet was missing.
Thankfully, they had anticipated the risk of thieves back ho and had secured their money on their person.
Xue Xingzhou led them to their compartnt, a four-berth sleeper that their family occupied. He then went to check on his berth in the adjacent cabin; it was an upper bunk.
After they put down their bags, He Lang stepped out for a mont. He returned and told everyone where the restroom and the hot water dispenser were.
Then he told the children, "If any of you need to use the restroom or want a drink of water, you have to tell one of us. No running out by yourselves, understand?"
"We understand, Dad."
The children had been gazing all around since they’d boarded. They had never seen a train before and were filled with curiosity.
Daya was the most obedient. She knew her job was to look after Shiyi, just as her grandmother had instructed her back ho. From the mont they’d left, her eyes kept darting toward Shiyi. Xue Yue smiled and told her she didn’t need to be so tense.
Daya blushed and lowered her head.
Xue Yue patted her head. "With us here, nothing will happen to Shiyi. Once we get to Beijing City, if there’s ever a ti when it’s really just you and Shiyi at ho, then you can watch him. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. It’s all right, relax, okay?"
Daya looked up at Xue Yue, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, but she nodded anyway.
Xue Yue smiled. ’This girl is certainly responsible,’ she thought. ’It’s just that her upbringing made her overly cautious, always trying to read the expressions of others. We can work on correcting that slowly over ti.’
After a short while, the train started moving with a CLACKETY-CLACK. Ruanruan and Shiyi pressed their faces against the glass to look outside, while Daya and Ziqing also peered out curiously.
Zhang Qian laid a sheet of paper on the small table, then pulled a few apples from her bag and set them on it.
"I brought these apples from ho. Anyone who wants one can just take one."
Xue Yue smiled and asked Zhang Qian, "Have you ever been to Beijing City?"
Zhang Qian shook her head. "No. I’ve been to the provincial capital plenty of tis with our commune director, but Beijing City is pretty far. I hear it’s not as cold there as it is here, though."
Xue Yue hadn’t been either and was also filled with curiosity about Beijing City.
The children lost interest in the view after a while, so Xue Yue brought out so picture books she had packed. Ziqing started telling them the story from one of the books. Daya, who had never attended a single day of school, couldn’t read the words but could understand the drawings, so she leaned in to look as well.
When it was ti for dinner, soone ca through selling als. They bought two hot portions for the children to share. The train food wasn’t very good, but Xue Yue had packed boiled eggs, brown sugar sponge cakes, and at pies from ho. Though the food was cold, it still tasted decent. They got so hot water to go with it and made a simple al of it.
As bedti approached, He Lang noticed soone pacing endlessly in the corridor outside. The person kept craning their neck to peer into the compartnt, eyes scanning the occupants and their belongings. He and Xue Xingzhou exchanged a glance—both were instantly on their guard.
That night, Xue Xingzhou went to his berth in the cabin next door, while the others slept in their compartnt.
He Lang was a light sleeper. Shiyi slept on the inside of the berth, tucked in beside him. The little one had fallen asleep long ago.
On the lower bunk opposite them, Xue Yue and Ruanruan were sleeping.
In the dead of night, He Lang’s ears twitched. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a dark silhouette standing in the doorway of their compartnt.
The figure seed to listen for any sounds from within before slipping quietly inside, a flashlight in hand. This was clearly a seasoned thief. They didn’t even bother with the luggage, knowing people kept their valuables on their person. Instead, they went straight for the sleeping passengers.
He Lang watched the thief approach Xue Yue’s bunk. Just as a hand reached out, He Lang shot up, grabbed the intruder, and pinned them to the floor. The person let out a startled cry, waking Xue Yue and Zhang Qian, though the children slept on.
Just then, Xue Xingzhou arrived. He hadn’t been able to sleep in the cabin next door. At this ti of night, the train car was filled with the sounds of snores, grinding teeth, and mumbled sleep-talk, but the faint footsteps had been just distinct enough for Xue Xingzhou to notice.
When the compartnt light flicked on, they saw a man in a hat who stood only a little over a ter tall. The sight left them stunned.
"It’s just a kid?" Xue Yue exclaid in surprise.
No wonder He Lang had felt sothing was off.
Xue Xingzhou stared at him for a few seconds. "No, he’s an adult."
The man might be short, but a closer look at his face revealed he had to be in his early thirties.
The man panicked and began to struggle. "What are you grabbing for? I didn’t take any of your things!"
Xue Xingzhou glanced at He Lang, who nodded. "He didn’t get the chance."
Xue Xingzhou’s gaze fell on the man’s bag. A glint appeared in his eyes as he reached for it. Seeing this, the man began to struggle violently. "Those are my things! What are you doing?"
He Lang sensed they were onto sothing and went right up, snatching the bag and opening it.
Sure enough, inside were several wallets of different shapes and sizes. It looked like they weren’t his first targets of the night.
With evidence in hand, Xue Xingzhou hauled the man to his feet. "I’m taking him to the train police. He probably has an accomplice."
The man heard this and imdiately began to beg. "Brothers, please, let go! I didn’t take anything from you. Look at ... if I had any other choice, if I wasn’t at the end of my rope, I wouldn’t be doing this for a living."
He made his plea sound pathetic, but no one paid him any attention. Xue Xingzhou simply dragged him away.
Zhang Qian let out a sigh of relief, patting her chest. "That scared to death."
It wasn’t just Zhang Qian; Xue Yue had been frightened too, being woken up like that in the middle of the night.
He Lang said to them, "It’s okay now. You all go back to sleep. I’ll keep watch."
Xue Yue looked at him. He Lang nodded at her. "Go to sleep."
A long ti passed before Xue Xingzhou returned. Seeing that He Lang was still awake, the two of them stood in the corridor to talk.
"Did they catch his accomplice?" He Lang asked.
"No. They were probably nearby and took off when they heard the commotion. But this guy is caught for good. When we were with the train police, soone else was there and imdiately identified their wallet as one of the stolen ones."
"That’s good."
After that little incident, the adults took turns resting. Finally, on the morning of the third day, they arrived in Beijing City.
It was just after six in the morning when they stepped off the train, and the sky was barely light.
Ruanruan and Shiyi, woken from a deep sleep, were both still groggy. He Lang carried Shiyi in his arms.
The train station was bustling with people, and a constant stream of bicycles and cars flowed past. In the distance, skyscrapers pierced the skyline—a sight none of them had ever seen before.
He Ziqing sighed in admiration, "So this is Beijing City. It’s so beautiful."
They looked around as they walked towards the exit.
"Xingzhou—!" a voice called out from not far away.
They turned to look and saw Zheng Guofeng.
He waved to Xue Xingzhou’s group and hurried over.
"Uncle Zheng!" Xue Yue called out happily.
Zheng Guofeng drew near. "After you called, Xingzhou," he said, looking over the group, "I checked the train schedules and knew there was one arriving in Beijing City this morning."
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