With the admission notices in hand, Su Xiaosi and Su Xiaowu prepared to set off for their respective schools.
Grandma Su was already accustomed to preparing luggage for her grandsons.
“The weather has been so hot lately, anything we prepare to eat will spoil! What will you do once you’re on the train?” Grandma Su fretted.
The weather was indeed very hot. If they brought food onto the train, it would likely spoil before the next day.
However, without bringing some food, relying solely on the food served on the train might be too much for the children to bear.
Su Xiaotian, hearing Grandma Su’s words, felt that this was a genuine problem.
The food on the train wasn’t good, and they needed to find a way to bring their own.
But in this hot weather, whether they brought steamed buns, dumplings, or even simple flatbreads, they would spoil quickly.
“Grandma, there are instant noodles in the city. We can just get some instant noodles to bring along,” Su Xiaotian suggested.
Grandma Su had seen instant noodles before; her third son, Su Laosan, had brought some back when he was on a trip.
She found them not as tasty as her own homemade noodles, and they were quite expensive.
“Those things aren’t as good as the noodles I make,” Grandma Su said dismissively.
Su Xiaotian smiled. Grandma was always so confident.
Indeed, Grandma was a very good cook. Even with the simplest ingredients, Grandma Su could create the most exquisite flavors.
Su Xiaotian felt that even with a hundred more years of practice, she wouldn’t be able to achieve that.
It was a shame that Grandma Su’s excellent cooking skills had no opportunity to be showcased.
If it were a few years later, and she could open a restaurant, Grandma Su’s culinary skills would surely bring in a fortune.
Thinking of this, Su Xiaotian suddenly spoke, “Grandma, why don’t you come with me to see Beijing?”
If they could open a restaurant for Grandma in Beijing, perhaps she could establish herself there.
The more Su Xiaotian thought about it, the more feasible her idea seemed.
However, no matter what Su Xiaotian thought, it ultimately depended on Grandma Su’s agreement.
Grandma Su glared at Su Xiaotian and said, “You child, you always come up with wild ideas. You go see your godparents, why should I go with you?”
“It’s just a visit. Who says one can’t go to Beijing for no reason?” Su Xiaotian disagreed.
But Grandma Su had her own reasons: “You child, you don’t know the cost of living until you manage a household.”
Alright, Su Xiaotian felt that she truly didn’t know the cost of living until she managed a household!
“My little business has finally gotten off the ground. If I leave for ten to twenty days, by the time I return, won’t my customers be snatched away by others?”
Su Xiaotian wanted to suggest that Grandma Su open a restaurant in Beijing and make a lot of money.
But in the end, she didn’t say it, not wanting to startle her grandmother.
Perhaps, some things were better done gradually.
“Grandma, have you ever thought about taking an apprentice?” Su Xiaotian suddenly asked.
Grandma Su was startled by this question. She quickly looked around, and only when she confirmed they were at home and no one else could hear did she breathe a sigh of relief.
“You girl, why do you say anything that comes to mind? Taking an apprentice is not allowed. We cannot exploit the working people!”
Uh…
Su Xiaotian didn’t know how to respond.
How was taking an apprentice exploiting the working people?
Then, Su Xiaotian suddenly remembered that the apprentice she and Grandma were talking about might be different.
“Grandma, I just feel that your cooking is so good, you should find someone to pass it on to!”
Grandma Su pinched Su Xiaotian’s cheek and said, “Pass it on to whom? I’m just an old woman from a farming family.”
Alright, Grandma probably never thought about how outstanding her cooking skills truly were.
It was understandable; in the past few years, even getting enough to eat was difficult, let alone the issue of good food.
Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that Grandma herself didn’t know how good her cooking was.
Finally, the Su family ate homemade instant noodles on the train.
To make the noodles tastier, Grandma Su specifically fried meat sauce and packed it into transparent glass jars.
Grandma Su generously fried several pots of meat sauce at once.
For this, she didn’t hesitate to use her two daughters-in-law’s and her son’s meat coupons for an entire month.
Grandma Su packed a total of fifteen glass jars, each capable of holding over a pound of meat sauce.
“Take this jar with you for the journey,” Grandma Su handed one jar of meat sauce to Su Xiaowu.
Su Xiaowu, smelling the aroma of the meat sauce, was already craving it. But why was he only given one jar when there was so much?
“Grandma, give me another jar!” Su Xiaowu shamelessly asked for more.
“You child, aren’t you ever satisfied?” Grandma Su smiled and playfully slapped her grandson.
Su Xiaowu didn’t feel any pain, but he still pretended to rub the spot where he was hit and wailed, “Grandma, I’m your own grandson.”
“What own grandson? I only have a dear granddaughter!” Grandma Su said without hesitation, completely ignoring her grandson’s pained expression.
Su Xiaosi couldn’t help but chuckle at Su Xiaowu’s antics.
Grandma Su ultimately couldn’t bear it: “I asked, you’ll be on the train for four days. This one jar is enough for you.”
“But there’s still so much left!” Su Xiaowu mumbled.
Who said he couldn’t eat meat sauce after getting off the train? His brothers went to Beijing and didn’t return for a year and a half. He was going to the South and definitely wouldn’t be back anytime soon.
Grandma Su looked at the remaining jars and finally offered an explanation.
“These two jars are for your Aunt Taohua. These two are for Grandpa Du and Grandma Du. These are for your eldest, second, and third brothers. The remaining jars are just right for Grandpa Chi and his friends to eat on the journey!”
Grandma Su had already made her plans.
Hearing his grandmother explain everything so clearly, Su Xiaowu didn’t say anything more.
Fine, he’d eat Grandma’s meat sauce next time he returned; no need to rush.
However, Su Xiaotian couldn’t bear it. She took a jar of meat sauce and handed it to Su Xiaowu.
“Brother, this is one of my jars. Take it with you and eat it when you get to school!”
Everyone was surprised by Su Xiaotian’s sudden decision to give a jar of meat sauce to Su Xiaowu.
“Xiaotian, why only give it to Xiaowu and not me?” Su Xiaosi teased Su Xiaotian.
“No, Fourth Brother, my brother is going to military school, which is different from yours. Besides, he’ll be all alone in the South, and I bet he won’t even get used to the food!”
Others might not know, but Su Xiaotian was well aware of the differences in diet between the North and the South. It would be difficult to adapt at first.
Taking a jar of meat sauce would be helpful, even if he just ate it with steamed buns.
Su Xiaotian’s words brought back Grandma Su’s sadness about Su Xiaowu going to military school in the South.
“Your sister really cares about you,” Grandma Su smiled and patted her grandson. “When you get there, if you don’t adapt, write to us. Tell Grandma what you want to eat, and Grandma will make it and send it to you.”
Su Xiaowu hadn’t expected such a treat and was incredibly surprised.
“But, Grandma, can you understand if I write to you?” Su Xiaowu suddenly said cheekily.
Grandma Su had been studying with her grandsons, and it was very difficult, but her progress was minimal.
This was something no one dared to mention. Su Xiaowu’s sudden remark was precisely why Grandma Su was angry.
Grandma Su grabbed the broom nearby and threw it at Su Xiaowu.
Because of Su Xiaowu’s playful antics, the atmosphere of parting was greatly lightened.
The next day, Su Xiaowu boarded the train heading south first.
Two hours later, Chi Ge, along with Chi Yiyuan, Su Xiaosi, and Su Xiaotian, boarded the train heading north.
Instantly, only Grandma Su and her few sons and daughters-in-law remained at the train station.
Grandma Su quietly wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and grumbled, “Your father and your second brother are truly something. The children are leaving, and they didn’t even come to see them off!”
Liang Xiu understood her mother-in-law’s feelings best and knew that her mother-in-law was simply upset because the children had left and was taking it out on them.
Therefore, she smiled and walked to Grandma Su’s side, supporting her arm and saying, “Mother, since both Second Sister-in-law and I don’t have to work today, why don’t we go back and help you?”
Hearing about making money, Grandma Su immediately revived and walked away quickly.
Qi Liangying looked at Liang Xiu, whose words had completely revived her mother-in-law, and it was hard not to be envious.
Meanwhile, on the train, Su Xiaotian and the others, a group of old and young, had boarded.
Fortunately, they had asked someone to buy them sleeper tickets in advance, saving them the trouble of squeezing into seats with others.
Su Xiaotian had ridden in a sleeper car in her previous life, but Su Xiaosi never had.
“Grandpa Chi, can you sleep on the train?” Su Xiaosi asked curiously.
Would it be uncomfortable to sleep on the train?
Would it be like sitting in a tractor?
The train’s sound was a clatter, much louder than a tractor’s.
“Yes, the beds are a bit small, but much more comfortable than hard seats!” Chi Ge replied while looking after Su Xiaotian.
Chi Ge’s health wasn’t very good. Although it had improved somewhat over the years, his legs and feet were indeed not very convenient.
At this time, the train was crowded, and he walked with difficulty.
But Chi Ge was excited; after many years, he was finally on his way back home.
He recalled that many years ago, when he brought Xiao Yuan, they didn’t even have sleeper berths, let alone seats.
The grandfather and grandson had to squat on the train. When they were tired, they would lie down in the aisle to sleep for a while.
Back then, Xiao Yuan was very young, and he protected his grandson the entire way, fearing that someone would step on Xiao Yuan, making it very difficult.
So many years had passed in a flash, Xiao Yuan had grown up, and they were finally returning home.
“Xiaotian, you must stay close to us and don’t get lost. The train is crowded!” Chi Ge was most worried about Su Xiaotian.
“Grandpa Chi, walk slowly, there’s no rush,” Su Xiaotian said, concerned about Chi Ge’s health.
Su Xiaotian was a young girl, agile and quick.
Most importantly, Su Xiaotian had practiced martial arts for several years, and her strength was much greater than that of ordinary young girls.
At this moment, she was carrying quite a bit of luggage herself and could still walk steadily.
“You girl, you look so soft and cute,” Chi Ge smiled, looking at Su Xiaotian.
The group quickly found their berths.
For the four of them, they had managed to get one lower berth, two middle berths, and one upper berth.
Getting such berths was considered quite fortunate.
Chi Ge finally breathed a sigh of relief after ensuring the children were safely brought to their berths.
“Come, children, let’s put the larger luggage on the racks first.”
Chi Ge took charge of directing.
Su Xiaosi, Chi Yiyuan, and Su Xiaotian worked together to put the larger luggage onto the racks.
The children were all strong, and the young people were quick and nimble, but Chi Ge was afraid they might accidentally hurt themselves.
However, just as they were placing the luggage on the luggage rack, an accident occurred.
A woman, about sixty years old, ran rapidly in their direction.
Chi Ge, fearing he would block the old woman’s path, quickly stepped back.
Unexpectedly, after Chi Ge stepped back, the old woman rushed forward and unceremoniously lay down on Chi Ge’s lower berth.
Chi Ge was old, and his hands and feet were not convenient. He had put in a lot of effort to get this lower berth.
But what was this woman’s intention?
After a moment of stunned silence, Chi Ge took out his ticket to confirm if he had misread the berth.
No, it was indeed this berth.
Su Xiaotian, who had just climbed down from the middle berth, saw this scene.
The woman was carrying a floral cloth bundle, and as she lay on the berth, the bundle trailed on the ground.
Just as Su Xiaotian was pondering the situation, she suddenly heard the woman speak.
“Cuihua, quickly bring the child over here. I’ve found my seat.”
Su Xiaotian was instantly dumbfounded.
What was going on? Found her seat?
This was their seat!
Just then, a middle-aged woman with a child of about seven or eight, dragging luggage, walked towards them.
When the middle-aged woman saw Su Xiaotian and the others standing and watching, with no one offering help, her expression immediately turned unpleasant.
“You people, how can you be so unfeeling? Don’t you see I’m a woman with a child and have to move luggage? Why aren’t you helping?”
This entitled attitude left everyone speechless.
Before Su Xiaotian and the others could speak, the middle-aged woman actually started cursing, and with foul language at that.
Su Xiaotian was dumbfounded!
Chi Ge was also dumbfounded!
He had lived for most of his life and didn’t know such a thing could happen.
They stole their sleeper berth and then expected them to help move luggage?
“Comrade, could you please get up? This is my berth!”
Chi Ge didn’t want to get into further entanglement with these people, so he just wanted to get his seat back.
Unexpectedly, the old woman lying on the berth suddenly sat up, her triangular eyes staring intently at Chi Ge, as if Chi Ge was trying to snatch her belongings.
“What do you mean, sir? Are you trying to snatch my seat?”
All three of them, including Su Xiaotian, were dumbfounded.
Who was snatching from whom? Didn’t she feel guilty saying that?
Clearly, the elderly woman didn’t feel guilty.
She truly didn’t feel guilty. In her mind, whoever snatched the seat got it, since she was quick and ran fast.
“This is really our seat!” Chi Yiyuan patiently explained.
But some people are destined to be unreasonable.
“Yours, it’s yours just because you say so? How about you call out, and if the seat answers, I’ll admit it’s yours.” The elderly woman said smugly to Chi Ge, Chi Yiyuan, and the others.
The middle-aged woman, having finally dragged her luggage over, was still gasping for breath but didn’t forget to curse.