“The south is truly warm. I’ve been taking off layers all along the way.” Hu Xiu, who had never left her county town in her entire life, held the equally restless Guo Guo as they sat by the window watching the passing landscapes and architecture. Everything felt fresh and novel, especially the temperature difference between north and south, which she found utterly fascinating.
Lin Ting held Miao Miao in her arms. The little girl was usually quiet and rarely threw tantrums.
But after being cooped up in the palm-sized compartment for three days, the initial novelty had worn off, and she quickly became listless. This morning, she had even thrown a rare tantrum and cried once.
Lin Ting understood completely. Even as an adult, she found the journey somewhat unbearable, let alone a child who was barely four years old.
Fortunately, the little girl was easy to comfort. After holding her and telling her some stories, then humming a few songs, she fell asleep.
Hearing her mother-in-law’s exclamation, Lin Ting replied in a hushed voice, “It’s over ten degrees Celsius here. There must be at least a twenty-degree difference from back home.”
Upon hearing this, Hu Xiu, who was only wearing a light jacket and still felt warm, expressed surprise: “No wonder I still feel hot. Southern cities are nice. I even saw flowers blooming earlier, unlike our place which is still covered in ice and snow.”
Seeing the envy on her mother-in-law’s face, Lin Ting smiled. “You came at a good time. If you had come in January, you definitely wouldn’t feel this way.”
Hu Xiu: “Why is that? Could January be colder than where we’re from?”
Lin Ting: “There are no heated brick beds here in winter, and it rains a lot. The cold seeps right into your bones.”
Hu Xiu genuinely didn’t know this, but now she was eager to learn about the environment where they would be living, so she pressed for more details.
Since it helped pass the time, Lin Ting softly and slowly began describing the scenery of Jiangnan.
The other man and woman in the same compartment were procurement officers from a factory who had traveled between north and south many times before. They occasionally chimed in, making the time somewhat easier to bear.
On the other side.
In order to personally pick up his family at the train station, Huo Xiao had specifically cleared half a day.
Knowing that his mother and wife had brought a lot of luggage, he had even approached the Brigade Commander and secured a small military truck.
When the time was about right, Huo Xiao, who had been counting the days, informed his partner and hurriedly drove off with his orderly.
Xing Guoqiang, who witnessed everything, found it both amusing and somewhat heart-wrenching.
However, from what he knew, in over ten years of service, Huo Xiao had only returned home three or four times.
Subtracting the time spent traveling, how many days of actual reunion could there have been?
Life as a soldier isn’t easy… No wonder he’s so happy.
Thinking this, Xing Guoqiang checked his watch and also grew restless.
He instructed his orderly: “Xiao Chen, go to the Family Compound and tell your sister-in-law to prepare an extra portion for dinner. Old Huo’s family is arriving, and after the bumpy journey, they probably won’t have the energy to cook… Actually, northerners value dumplings upon arrival. Tell your sister-in-law to make dumplings directly!”
Xiao Chen acknowledged and was about to rush off when he was called back.
Xing Guoqiang, thinking of his somewhat scatterbrained wife, added another instruction: “Make plenty. If we run short of flour or anything at home, borrow some from the neighbors first.”
Xiao Chen: “…Understood, Political Commissar.”
“Alright, go ahead!”
“Yes, sir!”
Huo Xiao had no idea that dinner for his family was already taken care of.
Driving himself, he arrived at the train station an hour before the train was scheduled to arrive.
Even in the 1960s and 70s, the Tianjing Railway Station, as the ancient capital of six dynasties, was built with grandeur and sophistication, even featuring a designated parking area.
Huo Xiao parked the car and tossed a “Wait in the car” to the orderly in the passenger seat before hopping out of the driver’s seat.
Seeing the regimental commander heading toward the station, the orderly He Xiaojun urgently leaned out the window to remind him, “Commander, there’s still an hour left. If the train is delayed, it could be even longer.”
Huo Xiao only replied, “I know!” and continued inside without looking back.
Witnessing this, He Xiaojun slapped his forehead, silently cursing himself for being foolish.
Just from the commander’s fervor in tidying up the residence these past few days, it was clear how eager he was to see his family.
He Xiaojun simply found it hard to believe that the seemingly aloof commander was actually so attached to home.
After a while, watching the hurried travelers passing by, He Xiaojun couldn’t help but sigh, hoping the train would be punctual today and not delayed…
Huo Xiao, tall and long-legged, and clad in a military uniform, stood out conspicuously even in the bustling Tianjing Railway Station.
Upon entering the platform, he didn’t push through the crowd but instead found a spot where he could see the train’s arrival.
Huo Xiao could feel the surrounding gazes, but he paid them no mind, focusing only on the joy of his dream coming true—his family was finally reuniting.
Truth be told, he had always felt guilty toward his family.
Joining the military had been Huo Xiao’s lifelong conviction, but he was an only child.
In the past, he and his mother could be said to have relied on each other for survival.
After enlisting, upon learning that deputy battalion-level officers could apply for their families to accompany them, he began practicing military skills day and night, studying cultural knowledge, and striving to accumulate military merits.
Ultimately, as wished, in his fourth year of service, he was recommended for advanced training at a military academy.
After obtaining his university diploma, his path to promotion in the talent-starved Troop indeed became smoother.
Many might view this approach as overly pragmatic, but Huo Xiao believed his original intent to defend the homeland remained unchanged.
He simply sought a win-win situation, because only by climbing higher could he reunite with his mother.
Unfortunately, one inconvenience after another arose, compounded by his mother’s reluctance to leave her hometown, turning the matter of family accompaniment into a tug-of-war between them.
It wasn’t until he adopted the Dragon and Phoenix Twins, and with too many people in Rongcheng knowing him, that he temporarily set aside the idea of having his mother accompany him, fearing the children’s identities might be exposed.
Now, at 29 years old, transferred to a completely unfamiliar environment, his long-cherished wish was finally coming true.
Huo Xiao was even happier than he had anticipated, for his life now included not only his mother and children but also a wife.
A wife who met all his expectations…
“Choo-choo…” After what felt like an eternity, the whistle of the steam train snapped Huo Xiao out of his reverie, startling him.
He instinctively looked toward the direction of the train’s arrival but could only faintly make out billowing smoke.
Yet, it was enough to make Huo Xiao’s mood boil with excitement, much like the other passengers on the platform:
“The train’s here!”
“The train’s pulling in!”
“It’s here, it’s here, so fast!”
“How magnificent!”
“Don’t push, everyone, or you’ll fall off!”
“…”
Familiar with the layout of the train cars, Huo Xiao ran toward the rear carriages while most people clamored and crowded toward the front.
Sure enough, in the third-to-last carriage, he spotted his long-awaited wife through the window.
At the same time, Lin Ting also noticed Huo Xiao standing out prominently in the crowd.
She first smiled and waved at him, then gestured for her mother-in-law and the children to look his way.
Although the Dragon and Phoenix Twins still remembered their father, they hadn’t spent much time with him and didn’t feel particularly excited.
In fact, compared to seeing their father, they were more eager to get off the train.
Hu Xiu, however, was extremely excited. Seeing the couple in their compartment climb out through the window and jump down, she immediately followed suit and started climbing out as well.
Lin Ting was startled, worried that her mother-in-law might accidentally fall, and instinctively grabbed onto her clothes.
Fortunately, Huo Xiao had already pushed his way to the window and reached out to catch her.
After his mother landed safely, Huo Xiao extended his hand to his wife: “It’s crowded up front. Come down through the window too. Don’t be afraid, I’ll catch you.”
Lin Ting had climbed out once before, when her second brother had helped her down.
She was already quite familiar with the process, so when Huo Xiao spoke, she first handed the two little ones out, followed by the small bag she carried with her.
After checking one more time to make sure nothing was left behind in the compartment, she climbed onto the window ledge.
Then, with a firm grip around her waist, she was swiftly set down on the ground.
The speed was so fast that Lin Ting didn’t even have time to feel embarrassed.
Their reunion was naturally filled with joy.
But the environment was crowded and noisy, and they had to raise their voices just to be heard, making it unsuitable for conversation.
Moreover, there was still a lot of luggage to retrieve. Huo Xiao bent down, picked up the Dragon and Phoenix Twins with one in each arm, and raised his voice: “It’s too crowded right now. Let me take you to the car first, and we’ll deal with the luggage later.”
Lin Ting agreed. Train stations were always high-risk places for losing children, especially since her two kids were so good-looking.
However, she was a bit worried about the luggage being misplaced, so she shouted: “You take the kids and Mom out. I’ll find the train attendant and wait for you by the luggage car.”
Huo Xiao glanced at the sea of people on the platform and felt uneasy: “Maybe we should all go out together?”
Lin Ting replied: “Don’t worry, have you forgotten that I’ve traveled alone before?”
Hearing this, Huo Xiao didn’t insist further. But before leaving, he couldn’t help but add: “Don’t talk to strangers.”
Was he treating her like a child? Lin Ting found it both amusing and exasperating: “Got it, Dad Huo!”
Huo Xiao…
The drive from the train station to the troop where Huo Xiao was stationed took an hour and a half.
By the time they got off the train, it was already past 3 p.m.
Moving the luggage took some extra time.
So by the time they reached their destination, it was a little after 5 p.m.
As the truck entered the Family Compound, Huo Xiao honked the horn a few times, worried that children might suddenly run out.
As a result, by the time they finally arrived at their doorstep, many Military Dependents had been drawn by the sound of the horn and were gathered around the truck, chattering excitedly.
Huo Xiao paid no mind to their curious stares. After all, everyone just loved to join in the excitement, and any new family moving in would receive the same treatment.
So, after parking the truck and jumping out of the military vehicle, he merely nodded politely to the crowd and went straight to the back of the truck.
The military truck only had two seats, but the truck bed was covered with a tarpaulin, so it wasn’t cold inside.
Just like at the train station, Huo Xiao first helped his mother out, then took the Dragon and Phoenix Twins, and finally lifted his wife down.
Lin Ting hadn’t expected him to carry her in front of so many people.
Especially when she heard someone laugh and say, “The young couple is so affectionate,” her ears turned red. She couldn’t help but glare at the man: “It’s such a short height—I could have gotten down myself. Why did you have to carry me?”
Huo Xiao replied honestly, “…I’m just used to holding you.”
Lin Ting…