Chapter 39: A Pleasant Surprise

Chapter 39: A Pleasant Surprise

Tan Aizhi kept grumbling about Song Xilan creating unnecessary trouble, but she still searched high and low to find many things for her to take back. There were cotton shoes for her father, a knitted sweater for her mother, fabric for her sister-in-law, and some trendy city items for her nieces and nephews.

Before she knew it, she had packed a large bag.

Song Xilan had an opinion: "Mom, are you trying to make me move? I'm just one person, how can I carry so much? I still need to bring my own clothes!"

Tan Aizhi: "Don’t worry, we’ll take you to the bus tomorrow morning, and then your uncle will pick you up. You won't have to carry it."

Song Xilan: "..." She had originally planned to go to the station herself!

The buses at this time were very early, leaving at six in the morning.

Because there was only one bus a day going there, leaving in the morning and arriving around noon, and then returning in the afternoon.

The next day, before dawn, Song Xilan was pulled out of bed by Tan Aizhi.

She made her scrambled egg fried rice: "We’re skipping soup today, so you won't need to use the bathroom on the bus. I filled the thermos with hot water, don't drink too much at once, just sip when you’re thirsty."

She also boiled five eggs for her: "These are for the road. Oh, and this." She found a few oranges and stuffed them into the bag she was carrying, "If you feel carsick, smell the orange peel. Also, take a pack of biscuits, you can eat them if you get hungry."

"I know, it's only a few hours! I'll have lunch at my grandma's, I don't need to bring so much food."

"You never know, the bus might break down. There's no village or shop around, you'd starve!" After saying this, she felt it was unlucky and quickly patted her mouth, "Pei pei! (to ward off bad luck)."

In the end, it was Song Baili who cycled her over to the bus station.

When they entered the waiting hall, Song Baili put the big bag full of gifts on the ground: "Wait here, I'll go buy the ticket."

Song Xilan's heart was pounding, and her eyes secretly scanned the surroundings.

Finally, she caught sight of a familiar military coat in the corner.

But it was cleaner than the last time she saw it, probably washed.

The man was completely wrapped in the military coat, huddled on the waiting chair, his head lowered as he dozed. The collar of the coat was turned up, covering most of his face, only the top of his head was visible.

But Song Xilan recognized him at a glance, it was Jiang Chengxiao.

He was holding a luggage bag in his arms, with two tin buckets beside him, filled with various items, looking ready for a journey.

Soon, Song Baili returned with the ticket.

"Dad, I can wait here by myself, you should hurry back to work!"

"No rush, work can wait. If I don't personally see you onto the bus, your mom will scold me when I get back."

Song Xilan pouted, feeling a bit annoyed.

She wasn't deliberately trying to hide anything, it's just... it was hard to explain. She couldn't clearly explain why she was following Jiang Chengxiao back to the countryside. Should she say that if she didn't go with him, he would have to marry someone in the countryside, and their son-in-law would be lost?

At this moment, the station's broadcast sounded, notifying the passengers of their bus to board quickly.

Song Xilan stood up, glanced back nervously, afraid that he had fallen asleep and didn't hear the broadcast.

But she saw Jiang Chengxiao had already stood up, hung the luggage bag around his neck, grabbed a bucket in each hand, and walked towards the ticket gate.

He was in front of Song Xilan and her father, but his appearance was so different from the image he had presented in front of Song Baili before, so he went unnoticed.

Song Xilan breathed a silent sigh of relief.

But Song Baili insisted on personally seeing her onto the bus, ensuring her luggage was stowed before he could relax.

As she checked her ticket for the seat number, someone cheerfully called out, “Xilan? What brings you here?”

Song Baili didn’t catch that the greeting was for his daughter, but he saw Song Xilan frantically waving her hand and putting her index finger to her lips, signaling for silence. Following her gaze, his eyes widened in surprise.

“What’s he doing here?”

Song Xilan laughed, “Hey, Jiang, what a coincidence!”

Song Baili thought, “Yeah, right!”

Jiang Chengxiao walked over, casually taking the luggage from Song Baili and stowing it above, saying, “What a small world. I’m heading to Yangsongkeng to visit my buddy’s parents. How about you, Uncle Song?”

Song Xilan replied, “I’m visiting my mom’s parents for her. What a coincidence—they’re also in Yangsongkeng. My dad’s just here to drop me off; he’s not coming along.”

Jiang Chengxiao quickly patted the window seat next to him. “Take this seat. It’s nice to have someone you know for the trip.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle Song, I’ll look after Xiao Song.”

Song Baili was speechless at how chummy Jiang was.

A woman behind them waved her ticket and snapped, “That’s my seat! What’s the deal? Why are you in my spot?”

The woman had a stern look and a sharp voice—clearly not one to mess with.

Her outburst drew the attention of everyone else on the bus.

Not wanting to make a fuss, Song Xilan started to get up to give back the seat.

Jiang Chengxiao took the ticket from Song Baili’s hand, glanced at it, and casually pulled an orange from his pocket, handing it to the woman. “Hey, sorry about that. We’re together and wanted to sit together. How about we swap? Here’s our original seat, up front by the window. It’s less bumpy and more comfortable. I’ll help you with your luggage, alright?”

You know what they say—kill them with kindness. The woman took his orange and saw that the seat was indeed no worse than her original one. Most people prefer the front of the bus anyway, so she decided to be kind. “Alright, you young couple have a tough journey ahead. I’ll do you a favor.”

Though the “young couple” comment irked Song Baili, Jiang’s smooth handling eased his mind about Song Xilan’s safety.

After a few more words of advice, he got off the bus. Song Xilan patted her chest and sighed in relief.

Then she heard Jiang Chengxiao ask, “Is this a surprise for me?”