Chapter 9: The Farewell Station_1

Huo Yingjie couldn't calm down for a long time after returning. He was not as optimistic as He Tiantian; they had said goodbye, and he had no idea when they would meet again.

He couldn't lose Tiantian again. Without the person he admired, even with wealth and power, lofty and superior, his heart would still feel empty and lonely in the still of the night.

The next morning, Wang Shuping got up early to make scallion pancakes and boil a few eggs for her daughter to eat on the train. He Jingyu helped He Tiantian carry her luggage, hurrying to the train station.

"Tiantian, Tiantian..." Huo Yingjie held a package, inside of which were things he had prepared for He Tiantian, hoping that she would have a better life in the countryside.

When He Tiantian saw Huo Yingjie, she was deeply moved. It was fortunate and without regret to see Huo Yingjie again before leaving.

A group of people went to the train station, where the low train station building was filled with people and various smells. Although the heat of summer was unbearable, it could not overshadow the youthful faces and the faithful smiles.

The parents who came to see them off were reluctant to leave, earnestly instructing on how to conduct oneself in the world. He Tiantian wasn't too sentimental on the way, but seeing these scenes, she couldn't help but tear up, knowing that once she boarded this train, she would have to face the world alone.

But He Tiantian was prepared, with tender shoulders but a strong heart and firm beliefs, capable of overcoming all difficulties.

Wang Shuping, with a handkerchief, wiped away her daughter's tears, choking up, "Be careful when you're away from home."

"I will, take care, Dad and Mom, Brother Yingjie, you too," He Tiantian said with a sob, burying herself in her mother's embrace.

Huo Yingjie and He Jingyu felt a sourness in their hearts, but they had to persist in order to survive. They placed He Tiantian's baggage on the rack of the train before disembarking reluctantly.

He Tiantian sat by the window, with Huo Yingjie, He Jingyu, and Wang Shuping outside the window, looking up, ceaselessly admonishing and entrusting.

As the departure approached, all words eventually turned into tears. Through tear-blurred eyes, they watched the train start moving.

Wuu wuu wuu...

The green-train emitted a puff of white steam as the wheels began to roll, creating a thundering noise, but no sound could muffle the painful thumping of a heart aching from goodbye.

Huo Yingjie ran alongside the train, shouting, "Tiantian, you must wait for me, wait for me..."

He Tiantian reached out her hand, touching Huo Yingjie's hand, tears streaming down her face.

As the train sped up, Huo Yingjie could no longer keep up with its pace, and the lengthy train gradually became smaller until it disappeared into a point out of sight.

"Yingjie, Tiantian will come back," He Jingyu said, comforting the grown-up boy before him.

Huo Yingjie clenched his fists tightly and nodded, "Okay, let's go back." He had to take good care of Tiantian's parents.

He Tiantian wiped her tears and composed herself.

Inside the train, the sorrow of parting lingered.

However, they were all young people, and soon, under the guidance of the staff, they began to sing cheerful, inspiring songs.

"Go to the countryside, go to the border areas, go to where the motherland needs us the most..." It wasn't clear who started it, but everyone joined in singing.

"One Generation Stronger Than the Last," "The Great Party is Calling," "Good to Go to the Mountain and Countryside," "Rushing to Where the Motherland Needs Us Most," "Revolutionary Youths Aspire in All Directions" — one after another, as if they would never tire, clapping hands, keeping rhythm, their voices spreading far and wide.

He Tiantian also followed along, singing a few lines, but mostly she just mouthed the words silently, without making a sound.

By noon, everyone was hungry and began unwrapping the lunch their families had prepared for them. He Tiantian took out the scallion pancakes her mother had made and nibbled on them. The taste of her mother's cooking, filling her mouth, brought happiness to her heart.

When children leave home, family members always prepare some delicious food for them to bring, and everyone else had things like pancakes, steamed buns, and eggs.

Feeling down, He Tiantian hadn't spoken all along until a girl, somewhat older than her, said, "My name is Li Yuanyuan, and what's yours?"

"I am He Tiantian," He Tiantian replied shyly. Being young and away from home, it was better to speak less.

"Where are you headed?" Li Yuanyuan asked. "I've been assigned to Taoyuan County. How about you?"

"I'm headed to Taoyuan County, too," He Tiantian smiled, "We can travel together."

"Really? Your face looks so tender, how old are you?" Li Yuanyuan asked, clearly noticing that He Tiantian was younger than the others.

"I am sixteen," He Tiantian said, claiming to be a year older than she was, as she didn't want others to know she was too young, thinking she would be easy to bully.

"Sixteen, that's not very old either. I'm eighteen. From now on, just call me Sister Yuanyuan," Li Yuanyuan said. "We come from Nan City, let's help each other out in the future."

So young, and already heading to the countryside, her family must really be willing to let her go, Li Yuanyuan thought, feeling compassionate towards He Tiantian, taking on the role of a big sister, ready to look out for He Tiantian in the future.

"Okay," He Tiantian nodded, not rejecting Li Yuanyuan's warmth. Being away from home, even if they couldn't become friends, it was still best not to become enemies.

The other people around also introduced themselves, but none of them were going to Taoyuan County, so He Tiantian did not talk much with them.

It was the hottest time of the year. Everyone had sweat on their faces and bodies, and the car was filled with the unpleasant smells of sweat and body odor.

However, He Tiantian found herself feeling very cool, without a single drop of sweat. Since she was young, she had always sweated easily, and on such a hot day, her face would normally be covered in sweat, and her clothes soaked, but now she was surprisingly cool.

Upon closer examination, He Tiantian noticed something strange—the coolness was emanating from the area around her left ankle, spreading throughout her body.

Could it be that her body had built-in central air conditioning?

He Tiantian reached down to feel around but found nothing on her ankle! She wanted to stretch out her foot to check, but with the cramped space, and everyone's luggage around, it wasn't a good time to look. She'd wait until she was settled down to investigate. As the usual time for an afternoon nap came, He Tiantian grew sleepy and dozed off, cuddling her small package.

When she woke up, it was already evening.

He Tiantian asked Li Yuanyuan to keep an eye on their luggage while she went to one end of the train car to ask the attendant for some hot water, and also to use the toilet.

The bathroom smelled foul, and the stench was overpowering. He Tiantian hurried to relieve herself, then ran out after fastening her trousers. The curiosity about why her ankle was cool had slipped her mind completely.

On her return, she brought back a kettle of boiling water to have dinner. Everyone else also started to get water and eat.

After a day and a night, everyone's enthusiasm had worn off, leaving them listless and hoping to arrive at their destination as soon as possible.

With each train station they reached, people would disembark, and the number of passengers on the train gradually dwindled. The empty train car seemed all the more desolate.