Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 198 - 194: Picking Up the Car

She refused Wen Qing’s gift on one side, while Shen Yiguang had just finished speaking with Minister Xia on the other and was walking over to her.

Yang PeiMin then said, "Shall we go eat something?"

Shen Yiguang looked at her little face which seemed to have lost a bit more weight since she arrived and readily agreed.

Qiao Ying, Xiao Xu, Shen Yiguang, and his wife, totaling four people, were the only ones who went. They ate steaming bowls of noodles at a noodle shop next to the train station. Shen Yiguang had wanted to buy her some dry food to eat on the train, but Yang PeiMin had already prepared everything with Qiao Ying the day before, so there was no need to purchase more.

Upon their return to the station, it was about time. Shen Yiguang helped her onto the train.

Yang PeiMin recalled scenes she had seen in TV dramas, where the girl would board the train, sitting by the window, and wave goodbye to her boyfriend outside, followed by the boyfriend running along the platform, waving as the train departed. Glancing out the window at Shen Yiguang’s calm and steadfast gaze, she couldn’t help but laugh at herself. She really couldn’t ask for too much.

Actually, her mindset and circumstances had changed at this point. She felt she would be coming back before long, so although Yang PeiMin also felt reluctant to leave, she didn’t seem as distressed as when she first got married.

Once she could no longer see Shen Yiguang’s figure, she turned her head and said to Qiao Ying, "I am full and sleepy now."

Qiao Ying’s bunk was right across from hers. It wasn’t originally her bed, but she had swapped with someone else. Hearing Yang PeiMin say this, Qiao Ying’s lips twitched into a smile, and she gave PeiMin a reminder, "Then you’d better take the chance to sleep a bit, because I’m afraid someone from the troupe will come to discuss makeup with you later."

Yang PeiMin was startled and hurriedly arranged her bed to lie down, not forgetting to instruct Qiao Ying, "If someone comes looking for me later, just say I’m asleep."

Qiao Ying laughed, "Isn’t that a bit much? What did you do last night?"

Yang PeiMin’s face turned slightly red, and she turned away, her back facing Qiao Ying, and said, "Don’t talk to me; I’m asleep."

In reality, she had slept several hours in the car earlier, and now with so many people and the noise, it was hard to fall asleep.

After a while, she was just bored and thought it was better to get up and chat.

Seeing her sit up, Qiao Ying had an ’I knew she would do this’ look on her face, "Awake, aren’t you? If you’re up, come join us and chat with everyone."

Then various members of the troupe took turns coming to talk to her.

Qiao Ying sat next to Yang PeiMin, listening to all the questions from the group and the solutions PeiMin provided. Jotting them down in her notebook, she was very pleased with this interaction.

Thus, Yang PeiMin had a fulfilling couple of days on the train, chatting with a few members from Qiao Ying’s troupe, making a few friends, and luckily not encountering any unbearable individuals. Of course, the carriage was quieter than usual because of these women in costumes.

In the afternoon, a little after two o’clock, they arrived in Q city.

Yang PeiMin bid farewell to Qiao Ying and the others because she saw Yang Peiguo waiting for her.

Yang Peiguo, wearing a faded blue short-sleeve shirt, oversized black trousers, and black cloth shoes, stood out in the crowd with his dark skin and plain, square face. His tall figure loomed over the other passengers as he intently watched the stream of people disembarking from the train. Perhaps it was because of this particular train schedule that he had been looking for someone several times already today. Now, a look of eager anticipation mixed with a bit of reservation was evident on his face.

Then he spotted Yang PeiMin, clad in a white short-sleeve blouse. She was very conspicuous in the crowd because her brother-in-law had called the day before yesterday to describe the color and style of her clothing, and indeed, her clothes stood out among a sea of blue and black garments.

He hurried over, calling out loudly, his steps quickening in his urgency, fearful that she might not see him and walk in the opposite direction. The crowd was dense and it was difficult to find someone if they got separated.

It turned out to be Yang Peiguo who had come to pick her up. A look of surprise appeared on her face, followed by delight. She raised her hand and called out, "Big brother, over here."

The members of the Cultural Troupe felt relieved seeing her family had arrived to pick her up, especially Minister Xia, who felt satisfied that he had fulfilled Shen Yiguang’s request to ensure Yang PeiMin was safely handed over to her relatives.

Wen Qing couldn’t help but smile as she sized up the man rushing over, then turned to Yang PeiMin and asked, "Is this your big brother, Pei Min? Your real big brother?"

Yang PeiMin casually nodded, and by then Yang Peiguo had reached them and she cheerfully called out, "Big brother."

Yang Peiguo’s face beamed with joy, looking very much relieved as he said, "Minmin, I’ve finally waited for you." He then quickly took her luggage.

"Minister Xia, Mr. Mai, Qiao Ying, and everyone, thank you for taking care of me all the way. This is my big brother; he has come to pick me up. You can rest assured," she announced.

After saying goodbye to the troupe, she followed Yang Peiguo out of the train station.

They needed to take a bus to the county and had to buy separate tickets.

While waiting for the bus, Yang PeiMin asked Yang Peiguo why he was the one who came, as it had been Yang Peijun who had come when she was traveling to the city, thinking that he had experience and could smoothly handle it.

Yang Peiguo said, "Peijun still had unfinished chores at home."

Normally a man of few words and straightforward honesty, Yang Peiguo was nevertheless the one Yang Dahai was most satisfied with when it came to decision-making and handling affairs. Among the three sons, he was the one who most resembled their father, Yang Dahai, and as the eldest, he was far more reliable than Yang Peijun. Although he didn’t have a knack for entertaining conversation—like Yang Peijun, who would amusingly retort, "What’s wrong, don’t you like your third brother coming to pick you up?"—

Yet Yang PeiMin animatedly said to Yang Peiguo, "Big brother, you’re much more reliable than third brother. As soon as he got on the bus, he started chatting up a storm with everyone, completely forgetting about me, his little sister. That’s why I felt at ease seeing you."

Unable to suppress a laugh, Yang Peiguo responded, "Didn’t he gamble with you last time? Dad found out about it afterward and scolded him, saying he shouldn’t be so careless with money and telling you to save it for the future."

Blinking, Yang PeiMin pondered, was there another underlying reason why Yang Peijun hadn’t come?

"By the way, big brother, have you eaten?" she asked.

"I have. I brought some steamed buns with me, so don’t worry about me. Are you hungry? I’ve kept two for you just in case you didn’t get to eat on the train," Yang Peiguo hurriedly said as he took the steamed buns out of his cloth bag.

Waving her hand, Yang PeiMin replied, "No need, big brother, I’ve already eaten, and I have some food with me. I was just worried you hadn’t eaten." She was about to suggest going out to eat if he hadn’t, but swallowed her words upon detecting from Yang Peiguo’s tone that he wouldn’t agree.

When she inquired about the situation at home, Yang Peiguo went through each detail: "Everyone is doing quite well. Mom and Dad are in good health; there haven’t been significant changes with the collective’s work, and Dad’s job is similar to previous years. As for Mom, she has been making caramel with Peiying, and these days the store has been ordering more... We’ve paid back the money owed by the collective, and our family’s situation has improved... Your sister-in-law is doing fine as well, no ailments, she’s eating and drinking well... And as for your third brother’s wife, we initially thought she was expecting, but she just lost her appetite, not pregnant..."