RTAMEIN70s Chapter 23

Train

The train station was probably the busiest place, and after the whistle blew, another green train arrived, bringing a group of people and seeing off another group. The slow-moving green train and the dark freight cars passed by. As the train moved farther away, there were excited children’s laughter, shouting for their mothers, and counting the carriages one by one.

“Mom, look, that train that just passed by was so long!”

Trains varied in length, and when a long dragon-like train passed by, it would elicit exclamations from the children.

Zhan Aiping and Gu Sheng entered the train station at this moment. At this time, ticket inspections were not very strict. The train station was crowded with people, giving it a chaotic atmosphere. Colourful propaganda posters adorned the walls, and walls were filled with slogans.

Zhan Aiping felt as if she had stepped into an old photograph.

Train station staff blew whistles to warn the crowds of people who were crossing the tracks while the train hadn’t arrived yet. Multiple tracks intersected, and the ground was covered in large stones, with a scent of coal oil in the air.

The bustling crowd dispelled the desolate cold wind. Distant train whistles, ringing bells, and flashing signal lights all heralded the arrival of the train.

The train they were supposed to board had arrived.

The crowd rushed onto the train, and some lazy young men climbed through the windows.

Zhan Aiping and Gu Sheng didn’t rush to board the train. Gu Sheng stood in the cold wind, shielding her from it. He didn’t feel cold, and he leaned in close to her ear and said casually:

“You still have one last chance to act like a dog.”

Zhan Aiping gave him a sidelong glance. At the moment, her luggage was under someone’s control, and she only had a partially consumed bottle of North Ice Ocean soda in her hand, which someone had bought for her, along with quite a few others. Some people were really something; they used sweet words as well as verbal “bombs” on her.

Not only did he buy condensed milk, but he also bought a lot of milk powder, apparently intending to feed her with it in the future. Was he treating her like a child?

Among the things he bought, there were many that she loved to eat when she was a child.

She kicked his shin lightly. “Don’t you feel hypocritical? In a place where introductions are required everywhere, where can I go if I don’t go with you?”

If you have the guts, give me back my luggage and identity documents.

“It’s like telling a criminal who’s shackled and chained everywhere, ‘Go ahead, run, I won’t catch you.”

“Who would believe you?”

Gu Sheng said calmly, “You can run, really. I won’t catch you. Look, further ahead, isn’t that a vast wilderness and mountains?”

Zhan Aiping: “Where would I go?”

Gu Sheng: “You can become a wild person in the mountains, live off the land, and enjoy your freedom… You’re pretty good at making fire by rubbing sticks together, aren’t you?”

Zhan Aiping chuckled in exasperation. “From now on, you’re not allowed to use matches or lighters to start fires at home. You’ll have to rub sticks together for me every day.”

Gu Sheng said, “We don’t need to make fires at home. Let’s eat at the cafeteria. It’s not cold there in the winter, and if you feel cold, you can exercise to warm up.”

Zhan Aiping insisted, “I want to cook for myself.”

Gu Sheng chuckled, “Give it up. If you’re too lazy, I’ll have someone deliver meals to you.”

Zhan Aiping asked, “You really won’t eat the food I cook?”

Gu Sheng sighed, “I’ve eaten it once in my life, and I’ll never forget it.”

Zhan Aiping paused with her soda in hand, her lips moving, but she had no words.

Gu Sheng realized he misspoke and teased her, “If you force me to eat it, then I will.”

Zhan Aiping bit her straw and said, “It’s up to you, eat it or not. Let’s get on the train.”

She kicked his shin, saying, “Do your own heavy lifting.”

Leaving that remark behind, she boarded the train with her soda in hand. Since her luggage had been “confiscated” by someone, she decided to travel light, becoming an empty-handed traveller. She had her own helpful porter in tow.

Watching her agile figure as she quickly boarded the train, Gu Sheng stayed in place, the corners of his eyes lifting in amusement. He adjusted his hat, suppressing his smile, and followed her onto the train.

This journey was going to be long and took several days by train. Gu Sheng had bought two sleeper tickets, one upper and one lower berth. The train carriage was relatively spacious, with only upper and lower berths, and the beds were made of green-painted metal with thin white sheets. Some areas had already turned yellow from repeated washing.

Zhan Aiping sat directly on the lower berth, opened the window, and let the fresh air flow in, making her feel exceptionally comfortable.

In this era, steam trains were considered one of the most comfortable modes of travel. They chugged along leisurely, emitting puffs of black smoke from the front. Compared to the high-speed trains of the future, they moved at a relaxed pace. Passengers could freely open the windows, and if the train wasn’t too crowded, listening to the rhythmic clanging of the train and admiring the scenery outside was a truly enjoyable experience.

Many people dreamed of taking a train journey, and she had dreamed of it in her childhood as well.

She and Gu Sheng had once counted trains together. On a rainy day, his cousin had taken them to catch a train early in the morning. They were just half-grown kids at the time, running along the tracks. There were rice paddies along the way, white fences, and the sound of ringing bells.

Afterward, she had often dreamt of such scenes, running and running in her dreams, dreaming that they would miss the train.

Of course, in her dreams, she was always being carried by someone. She was too young, first his cousin carried her, and later it was Gu Sheng…

“What are you daydreaming about?” Gu Sheng had already stowed away their luggage and sat down beside her.

“Having second thoughts? Thinking of jumping out the window?”

Zhan Aiping snapped out of her reverie and took a sip of her soda. She stared at his face, expressionless, and said, “Don’t think of me as too capable. I’m quite delicate now, can only eat soft food.”

Gu Sheng: “…”

“Really, I’ve always wanted to be a delicate lady since I was a child, to be pampered and spoiled every day.”

Gu Sheng fell silent for a moment, looked into her eyes, and said, “Then I’ll accompany you to enjoy the soft life.”

Zhan Aiping: “… Maybe I should jump out the window after all.”

Gu Sheng grabbed her wrist, pulled her closer to himself, and said lazily, “You’re already on the pirate ship, there’s no running away now.”

“It’s fine to be a bit delicate. I don’t mind,” Gu Sheng draped a jacket over her. “Do you want to eat anything else? While I’m still in a good mood, I’ll personally feed you.”

Zhan Aiping leaned against the carriage and didn’t hesitate, saying, “Peel some sunflower seeds for me.”

Who doesn’t eat sunflower seeds on a train journey?

“And give me a leg massage. When I say I want to drink soda, hand it to me.”

“Later, I also want to drink milk powder.”

—Being a big baby is quite comfortable.

Shanghai was the starting station, and there was no one in the two adjacent sleeper compartments for the time being. After two stops, a married couple got on, and since there were other passengers around, Comrade Xiao Zhan had to regretfully end her short-lived big baby career.

However, she kept Gu Sheng busy, and there was hot water in the sleeper compartment. She had him make her some milk powder and continue to peel sunflower seeds and walnuts for her. During mealtime, she had him give her all the meat.

At this time, most people who could afford sleeper tickets had secure jobs, and the neighbouring couple from the state-owned factory found her extremely irritating. They thought she was a pampered city girl and difficult to serve.

The man quietly said to Gu Sheng, “Young man, you seem friendly. Just a reminder, you’ve chosen such a delicate partner. You might have a hard time in the future.”

Gu Sheng said, “I’ll get her through the door first, and then slowly straighten her out later.”

The man was stunned and looked at him with an incredulous expression before suddenly realizing what he meant.

This couple got off the train ahead of Gu Sheng and Aiping. While Gu Sheng was getting hot water, the wife warned Aiping, “You have to be careful with your partner. Men turn bad as soon as they get married. Don’t be fooled by his behaviour before marriage.”

“You’re such a beautiful young lady, and he just wants to get you through the door. Don’t believe a single word of the promises he wrote in that marriage certificate.”

Aiping replied, “I’ll be careful.”

It’s clear that there are still many good people in this world.

She handed a piece of candy to the couple, and after they left, she leaned on Gu Sheng’s shoulder and sighed, “Do you want to join me in being a bad person like this?”

What a damn competitive spirit at work.

But this also added a bit of excitement to the monotonous journey. This slow-moving train heading south was leisurely for the first half of the day, torturous after more than four hours, and then it was just a mix of pickles.

The next day, Aiping started to feel a bit uncomfortable from sitting for so long. She leaned against Gu Sheng like a lazy fish. Perhaps she was becoming a bit more delicate, as she even found the train berth too hard, preferring to use his arm as a makeshift cushion.

Aiping, with her head resting on his arm, was beginning to doze off when a commotion erupted on the train. A heavily pregnant woman was about to give birth on the train, and the train attendants were scrambling to set up a makeshift delivery room using curtains. They had no idea where they were, perhaps in a dense forest or a tunnel, and the train couldn’t stop or reach a hospital anytime soon.

Since it was in the adjacent compartment, Aiping and Gu Sheng could hear the commotion. The woman in labour was trying not to scream too loudly, but when the pain became unbearable, she let out agonizing sounds that were difficult for everyone to bear.

“If it hurts, just scream.”

“It’s okay to shout it out.”

…

The commotion continued for some time, then it became even more chaotic.

“The baby is in an abnormal position… this is a difficult delivery.” The middle-aged woman standing next to the labouring woman turned pale. She had only assisted with a few deliveries before, and they were all uncomplicated, natural births without much risk involved.

At that time, most rural women gave birth at home, and the women in the vicinity had some experience with childbirth, whether little or much. Typically, natural births happened quickly, with the baby’s head coming out first, and in the blink of an eye, the whole baby was delivered.

However, if the baby was in an abnormal position, it would be a problem, potentially leading to a difficult delivery. In a normal delivery, the head comes out first, followed by the rest of the baby’s body. But if a foot or something else came out first, it could become stuck, which was the most severe complication.

In a hospital, an emergency caesarean section could be performed in such situations, but on a train like this, there was no time to reach a hospital. Now, the choice came down to whether to prioritize saving the mother or the baby. The woman in labour was becoming increasingly desperate, resembling an ant on a hot pan. She was also not a professional midwife, and she couldn’t handle the brutality of the situation. She stepped back and decided to quit early: “Someone else should take over. I don’t have experience with this difficult delivery.”

“My grandson, my grandson can’t be in danger!” A grey-coated old lady on the side was extremely anxious. She and her daughter-in-law were traveling to find her son, but little did they know that her daughter-in-law would go into labour on the train, and it was a difficult delivery.

She had consulted a fortune-teller before this journey, and she was sure that it would be a son this time, and she wanted to preserve her grandson, the root of their Liu family.

A female train attendant stepped forward, her face pale, to stop the old lady. They were also afraid that a tragedy with two casualties might occur.

The woman who was giving birth on the mat is called Zeng Guixiang. Her face was as pale as paper, and her hair was already soaked with cold sweat. She was thinking about her two little daughters at home and the words of her mother-in-law just now, which had chilled her heart for half a year.

At this critical moment, the one who would definitely be abandoned was her.

Her whole body felt like it was in an ice cave, and she had no intention of struggling anymore. She was only worried about her children back home.

Her thoughts and vision became blurry, and the faces of her two children appeared before her. But at this moment, a clear voice sounded in her ear, “Don’t panic, listen to me.”

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a lively and beautiful young girl.

Her mother-in-law shouted from behind, “You young girl, why did you come out here to cause trouble?”

“I’m here to help my daughter-in-law give birth.” The old lady’s eyes sharpened, and she was determined to deliver her grandson safely with her own hands, no matter the cost.

Gu Sheng said, “Let my wife give it a try. Don’t judge her by her appearance; she’s already a mother of three.”

Zhan Aiping: “…”

Train attendant: “…?”

**Nomad:

Gu Sheng: Don’t judge our appearance, we are successful grandparents.

Zhan Aiping: -_- ….