Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, a month had gone by, and it was finally time to head to the countryside.
The night before departure, the lights in the Lin household stayed on until very late.
Two suitcases sat in the living room. Suitcases of this era had neither pull handles nor wheels, and their capacity was nowhere near that of those in later generations. They were bulky and heavy.
One suitcase was packed with clothes, while the other contained daily necessities.
“Mom made some pancakes. Take them with you and eat them on the train tomorrow. And these three cans of sweet syrup fruit—though they’re a bit heavy, so it’d be best if you finish them on the train…” Wu Cuicui busied herself back and forth, packing things, afraid that she might forget something and leave her daughter suffering.
“These are the meal tickets for the train. Keep them safe. Three days’ worth should be enough.”
“Once you leave… who knows when you’ll be able to come back…”
As Wu Cuicui continued talking, tears began falling uncontrollably.
Lin Wanwan quickly set down the train meal tickets and walked over to comfort her.
“Mom, Mom, don’t cry. I’ll definitely take good care of myself. I’ll write one letter every month—no, two letters every month, okay?”
“It’s fine. Mom just can’t bear to let you go.” Wu Cuicui’s voice choked with emotion. Her eyes were red with reluctance and heartache. “We don’t even know what it’s like out there in the countryside. If there are jobs you can’t do, then don’t do them, okay? We don’t rely on work points to survive anyway. Mom has money. Mom will send you money every month!”
The overwhelming maternal love enveloped Lin Wanwan completely.
She could feel how cherished she was.
How happy she was.
Her nose suddenly stung, and tears rolled down her face as well.
Mother and daughter hugged each other and cried.
Beside them, Comrade Lin Guoqiang thought: “…”
Did he need to cry too? Otherwise, he seemed a little out of place.
“Alright, alright. It’s not like our daughter is leaving and never coming back.” Lin Guoqiang helplessly patted his wife’s shoulder and gently coaxed her. “If you two keep crying like this, the entire housing compound is going to get flooded!”
“Bullshit!” Wu Cuicui glared at him with reddened eyes, though she finally stopped crying.
Lin Guoqiang then looked at his beautiful daughter.
A stomach full of words got stuck in his throat, unable to come out.
In the end, he only said: “There’s an old comrade of Dad’s in Honghe Commune. His surname is Liu, his name is Liu Genfu. If anyone tries to bully you, go find Uncle Liu, or send Dad a telegram, understand?”
Men were not as good as women at expressing their emotions.
Yet Lin Guoqiang’s slightly heavier breathing still exposed the turbulence in his heart.
Lin Wanwan obediently nodded.
She blinked, and the tears hanging from her thick, long eyelashes fell again.
With a nasal voice, she responded: “Mm!”
She looked pitiful and adorable.
After crying for a while, Lin Wanwan soon grew sleepy. After washing up, she fell asleep almost the moment her head touched the pillow.
The next morning, her eldest brother and sister-in-law came over as well.
The two had specifically taken half a day off work to see her off.
Her train departed at ten in the morning.
The family sat together and shared breakfast before carrying the luggage and taking a bus to the train station.
The station was huge, with countless people coming and going.
Many young people like her were accompanied by their parents, carrying large bags and small bundles as they headed toward the waiting hall.
A green train belching gray smoke pulled into the station with a loud whistle.
Lin Guoqiang and Lin Wenhua boarded first with the luggage and stowed it away.
Following behind them, Wu Cuicui and Zhang Xiaohong held Lin Wanwan’s hands, still giving careful instructions.
“When you get there, remember to write to Mom and Dad, okay?”
“If there are jobs you can’t do, then don’t do them. Your health is more important.”
“Keep the money and ration coupons safe. Remember what Mom told you—don’t flaunt your wealth, or people will start eyeing you!”
Lin Wanwan responded patiently to every reminder.
She was just as reluctant to part with them.
The train was about to leave.
The Lin family could only step out of the carriage and stand outside the window by her seat, holding her hand through the window as their voices choked with emotion.
“You must take good care of yourself. Don’t go hungry, and don’t overwork yourself…”
Lin Wanwan’s tears became uncontrollable again.
Sniffling, she nodded.
“I will. Mom and Dad, you have to take good care of yourselves too!”
“Woooo—Woooo—”
The train whistle sounded.
Two minutes later, the train slowly began moving forward.
Lin Wanwan leaned against the window and watched her family’s figures grow farther and farther away until they eventually became tiny black dots.
A bitter sense of reluctance filled her heart.
Only after the scenery outside became nothing but endless green vegetation, with no trace of the city remaining, did she finally withdraw her gaze and let out a sigh.
“Tch.”
An impatient snort came from across from her.
Lin Wanwan looked up, her brows lifting slightly.
Across from her sat a girl about her age.
The girl wore a white floral dress, with two braids hanging over her chest. Her arms were crossed, and she looked over with an arrogant expression.
This was Xu Zhishuang’s stepmother’s daughter, Xu Wen.
Her original surname had been Chen, but she later changed it to Xu.
Because Lin Wanwan was friends with Xu Zhishuang, Xu Wen always looked at her with hostility whenever they met. On top of that, Xu Wen had a terrible temper and carried herself like a spoiled princess.
Just thinking about going to the same place in the countryside as Xu Wen made Lin Wanwan feel unlucky.
Seeing Xu Wen’s expression, she had no intention of tolerating it.
Her gaze swept up and down Xu Wen’s body.
She curled her lips and elegantly rolled her eyes before turning to look out the window.
The damage from that action was one hundred percent effective.
Xu Wen immediately exploded with anger.
“What kind of look was that!?”
“The same kind of look you’re giving me.” Lin Wanwan replied indifferently.
Her eyes swept up and down Xu Wen again, lips curling dismissively.
She was beautiful.
Even making such expressions, she still looked beautiful.
Xu Wen’s eyes filled with jealousy.
“No wonder you’re such good friends with that bitch Xu Zhishuang. Turns out you two are exactly the same!”
“Oh my.”
Lin Wanwan raised a slender, fair hand and covered her nose, looking disgusted.
“Who left home without brushing their teeth? Why does your mouth smell so bad? Did you eat breakfast in the latrine this morning? What, did Uncle Xu refuse to let you eat at the table, so you had to run off to the toilet?”
“That’s not a very good habit. You should really fix it, or your bad breath will affect everyone else~”
Her voice was soft and sweet.
Her expression was sincere.
She sounded genuinely concerned.
As if she truly worried that Xu Wen would stink up the entire train.
“You! You!”
Xu Wen was only fifteen or sixteen years old and completely outmatched.
She became so angry that her facial features twisted slightly, yet she could not think of a comeback.
Lin Wanwan gave a light snort and looked away.
A quiet tune escaped her lips as she hummed to herself.
Her previous life’s battles with fake socialites and plastic sisters had not been for nothing~
She nudged the backpack at her feet farther inward and leaned back against the seat, closing her eyes to rest.
She no longer paid any attention to the person across from her.
The backpack was filled entirely with food.
Fresh pancakes made that morning, canned sweet syrup fruit, White Rabbit milk candies, peach pastries, sunflower seeds, fruit candies, and more.
Comrade Wu Cuicui had been terrified that her daughter might starve on the train and had stuffed the bag to the brim.
While the seat beside her was still empty, Lin Wanwan secretly transferred more than half of the food into the mall space.
She also stored away the money and ration coupons that Father Lin had given her.
Only twenty yuan in loose cash remained on her person.
It was said that there were many pickpockets on trains these days.
Just in case, storing everything in her space was much safer.
The train rattled and swayed along the tracks.
Before long, Lin Wanwan drifted off into a hazy sleep.
Only when the train stopped at a station and the carriage became noisy with activity did she open her eyes.
Just in time to see a tall young woman sitting down in the seat beside her.