The station master was really at his wit's end. With so many people around, he could only growl in a low voice, "Mom, Xiaowen is my niece. Can I not be anxious? But the on - duty staff down there all said that she never left the station. Most likely, she didn't go missing at the railway station. It's useless for you to put up these notices here!"
One of the young comrades also chimed in to persuade them, "Yes, we're here to help you two look for her."
The two elders remained unmoved.
They didn't want to hear these words. All they wanted was to find the only precious granddaughter left by their daughter who had sacrificed herself for the country at the border.
Why didn't Wen Jiayin bless her daughter in the sky?
Why did she go missing on the way?
The old lady's eyes instantly turned red again, making her already swollen and aged eye bags droop even lower. "We should have sent someone to pick her up back then. We shouldn't have let her come alone. She's never been to such a far - away place by herself. How could she know the way back?"
The station master fell silent too.
She was the orphan left by his own elder sister.
How could he not be heart - broken?
"Mom, it's also my fault. I thought that as long as someone sent her onto the train there and we picked her up here, nothing would go wrong."
They looked at each other silently, all immersed in the pain and self - blame of losing a loved one.
"Cough, um... I think I saw your granddaughter on the train to Chuncheng four days ago."
Suddenly, they all looked up at Li Chuchu, which startled her.
The station master's mother stared at her intently. Her old eyes were like a dying man clutching at the last straw. She asked uncertainly again, "You really saw her?"
Li Chuchu confirmed with them, "Is she the one wearing a white flowery short - sleeved shirt and with a low ponytail? And she's very quiet and doesn't like to talk much."
Before the station master could react,
The station master's mother nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, that's her! The person who sent her onto the train called us that day. She was wearing a white flowery top. Where is she? Did you see her?"
"She went to Wancheng with a girl named Li Xiaguang and an aunt with a Northeast accent. That aunt told them that she would take them to work in her family's factory, and then Li Xiaguang invited her to go together. You can go to Wancheng and look for her."
As soon as these words were spoken,
The two elders were both sad and happy. They were happy that they finally had news of Jiang Wen. But they were sad that Jiang Wen was taken to Wancheng by others. She was so introverted and quiet. She shouldn't have run around!
The station master, being an official, had a sharp sense of perception. He stared at Li Chuchu seriously, "How do you know this information?"
Li Chuchu thought: She really didn't like dealing with these officials. She was just trying to help them, but they didn't even give her a good look. They were so suspicious. If it weren't for the poor old couple, she really wouldn't have bothered to say anything.
"Because Li Xiaguang is my upper - bunk roommate. She and that aunt once invited me to go with them, but I refused. And after they saw my husband coming, they didn't insist anymore."
The word "husband" made Shen Yanshan feel a little dazed. With a calm face and a just tone, he said, "Yes, I did notice these two people. And after the train stopped in Wancheng, I saw the three of them get off the train together."
The station master's pupils trembled slightly.
This matter was of great importance.
It seemed that Xiaowen's case was not an isolated one. It showed that there were people in the carriage who were deliberately and systematically targeting single women in the carriage.
Wancheng was a place that Wen Jiahui had passed by on a business trip before. This place was quite chaotic, in every sense of the word. A proper factory would never just pick up a girl from another place on the train to work.
Thinking of this, the wrinkles between Wen Jiahui's eyebrows deepened a bit more.
Li Chuchu quickly said, "That's all I know. My husband and I have to catch the train back. I hope you can find Jiang Wen soon." She could only fulfill her obligation to inform them. She couldn't help with anything else.
The station master wanted to say something, but he couldn't force them to stay at this moment. He could only ask, "What's your name?"
"Li Mei."
After saying that, she pulled Shen Yanshan and quickly left before anyone could react. After squeezing through the sea of people rushing to catch the train and sitting on the corresponding berth, Li Chuchu gasped for breath.
"Fortunately, we got away."
Shen Yanshan raised his eyebrows slightly, "Why? Don't you want to help?"
"No, it's not that. I've said all I should say. Even if they kept us there, it wouldn't be useful. More importantly, we should keep a low profile on this trip. We'd better not meddle in things that aren't our business, so as not to get into trouble."
"Then why did you go up and tell them that you saw Jiang Wen? You want to be a hero. Aren't you afraid that they'll suspect you?"
This wasn't Shen Yanshan mocking Li Chuchu. He just didn't quite understand.
She wanted to do a good deed, but she didn't leave her real name. And she was afraid of getting into trouble. What was the point?
Li Chuchu spread out the quilt and covered herself. She lay on the bed comfortably, adjusted to a proper position, and let out a soft sigh. "I just want to sleep well at night. I don't expect anything else."
She just wanted to follow her conscience and then leave the rest to fate.
...
It took as long to go back as it did to come. The nearly two - day train journey was really wearing, but fortunately, there were no strange people around this time. Everyone seemed quite normal.
They ate the food they had brought themselves, and occasionally chatted with the people next to them in their hometown dialect.
After seeing Li Chuchu wake up, Shen Yanshan took out the barbecued meats he had prepared in Chuncheng, sliced them thinly, put them in an aluminum lunch box, and heated the lunch box in boiling water before they could eat.
The barbecued meats were roasted golden yellow, with a shiny luster on them. They looked very tempting. This was a combination of several kinds, including roast goose, sausage, and cured meat.
The only drawback was that there were few white pancakes in Chuncheng. People here mainly ate porridge.
This stuff was not easy to take on the train, but fortunately, there were steamed buns and rice for sale on the green - skinned train. They could just buy two boxes of rice at the dining car, and it was still hot when they got it.
Li Chuchu took a bite of the roast goose leg, a bite of the green vegetables, and a bite of the rice. She ate very happily.
It was another day when the people next to them were munching on their white steamed buns and looking enviously at Li Chuchu and Shen Yanshan eating.
After the meal,
Li Chuchu suddenly remembered something.
She quietly leaned over to Shen Yanshan and lowered her voice, "Shen Yanshan, where did you put the tape recorder?"
Shen Yanshan tilted his chin forward, "In the front carriage."
"Will it be safe? Will it get bumped?" If it really wasn't okay, she could still find a way to temporarily put the radio into the space and take it out when they arrived at the station.
Shen Yanshan nodded and also replied in a low voice, "I said it was a fish tank and put a fragile label on it."
Li Chuchu was stunned.
"Did they agree to let you put it there?"
Shen Yanshan hooked his lips and held up two long fingers at her.