Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Winter arrived early in the Western Mountains. Snowflakes fell in flurries, large and lighter than goose feathers. A green-painted train slowly pulled into the station, its whistle hissing with moisture.

On the platform, an old man and a young girl stood in cotton-padded jackets, their backs straight as arrows, standing out from the crowd like cranes among chickens, displaying a bearing entirely different from others.

Wu Xingzhou had been in the Western Mountains for half a year, and more of his hair had turned white. Yet old as he was, he still cherished high aspirations. In these six months, the cultural relics from the Western Zhou tomb had been sorted and cataloged by the old gentlemen, guards had even been arranged for the tomb site, which was preserved relatively intact. With this matter settled, Wu Xingzhou, concerned about his comrades and relatives in the military region, intended to return. Old Gentleman Lin Hechen, advanced in age and finding winter travel inconvenient, stayed behind to return the following year.

Many came to see them off. Ning Yuanzhi, Zhang Shaoqing, and the Cao siblings were all there. Everyone was reserved; but as they say, "Though you see someone off for a thousand miles, parting must come at last." They watched the old man and the young girl board the train and involuntarily waved their arms, hoping to meet again someday.

This time, Ning Yuanzhi helped buy the tickets, finally securing two sleeper berths: a lower one and a middle one. Wu Xingzhou took the lower berth, and Feng Xia took the middle one, where they could see each other. At any sign of trouble, Feng Xia would have a clear view.

People gradually boarded the train. Their sleeper car had six berths. Besides Feng Xia and Wu Xingzhou, four young people also entered with luggage—three men and one woman, all around twenty years old. Their clothes were tasteful and clean, indicating a good family background. Obviously, they knew each other, chatting and laughing as they stored their luggage and discussed their berths.

Feng Xia and Wu Xingzhou were already lying down. The four newcomers kept their voices low to avoid disturbing them. Eventually, the female comrade took the lower berth below Feng Xia, and the three male comrades each chose a berth at random. They climbed onto their berths gently, showing good manners. As the train slowly departed, Feng Xia lay on her berth, watching the station recede. She took a butterfly-and-flower jade pendant from her pocket and absently rubbed it.

Time in the carriage passed even more slowly. The only thing that could lift Feng Xia's spirits was the arrival of the train attendant hawking boxed lunches.

"Any passengers want to buy a boxed lunch? Please raise your hand. Today's box lunches have stir-fried green beans with meat, braised pork, pumpkin soup, and rice. One kuai and three mao each. They're still hot!"

The attendant's voice was loud, making many people's mouths water. Feng Xia immediately raised her hand. When the attendant approached, she took two boxes from his basket, handed over the money, and called out to Wu Xingzhou to get up and eat. After a whole morning, their breakfast had long since been digested.

The four young people looked on enviously and also bought four boxes. They asked Wu Xingzhou if they could sit on his berth to eat. The old gentleman cheerfully agreed. The four sat down a bit nervously to eat. After the attendant collected the empty boxes, they became a bit more familiar with Feng Xia and Wu Xingzhou. The girl with long hair tied in a ponytail even took out a bag of tangerines and handed them to Feng Xia and Wu Xingzhou, inviting them to have a taste.

Wu Xingzhou, in turn, took out a handful of rice candy from his bag and gave it to the four. Through this exchange, the five began to chat. The four were all educated youth about to go to the countryside. Their families were well-off. Originally, they had completed high school and were preparing for college exams, but the Cultural Revolution had shut down the universities. The authorities ordered young comrades to go to the countryside to support and "recall hardships and appreciate sweetness." The young people's eyes sparkled with anticipation for rural life, clearly unaware of the hardships of remote and barren places.

Wu Xingzhou sighed inwardly and became more kind, encouraging the young people. He was erudite and could chat about almost any topic, hitting it off with them. They learned that the old gentleman's surname was Wu and his destination was Dongshan City, Shandong Province. Wu Xingzhou did not give his exact location, but the four students revealed all their personal details.

Wu Hongxia, wearing a blue cotton-padded jacket, had a glossy black ponytail that swung as she spoke, full of the vitality typical of youth. She had an oval face, straight brows, and bright eyes—a very pretty girl.

Her voice was crisp: "Old Gentleman, we are going to Daba Village, Wufu Town, Dongshan. I don't know if you've heard of it?"

Feng Xia's ears perked up. What a coincidence. She clicked her tongue. She turned her head and looked at the four sitting below. They were all neatly dressed, with good spirits. Feng Xia withdrew her gaze, lazily lying on her berth, her eyes vacant and unfocused, like a lifeless, exquisite porcelain doll.

Wu Xingzhou found the name familiar but couldn't recall it offhand. He thought for a moment, then his eyes swept to the figure in the blue sweater on the upper berth. Suddenly, he clapped his hand. Wasn't this the village where that girl was staying? He liked these four young people—their eyes were clear, their demeanor natural, and they were dignified and graceful. Thinking that a chance encounter was also fate, he wondered if he could ask Feng Xia to look after them a bit.

"Girl, girl, get up and see. These four comrades are going to your village, aren't they?" Wu Xingzhou raised his voice, calling up to the upper berth. Feng Xia sat up reluctantly, looking languid. Her slightly curly hair tips, jade-like fair skin, exquisite features, and a touch of lazy red at the corners of her eyes made her astonishingly beautiful.

A blue turtleneck sweater wrapped her slender neck, highlighting her delicate figure. She looked like a young lady from a wealthy family. The four below had never imagined that this little girl was actually a villager.

It wasn't that they looked down on villagers, but her bearing was so refined that she seemed raised in a brocade pile—utterly unlike a country girl.

The three male comrades averted their eyes, feeling shy to stare. Wu Hongxia, meeting Feng Xia's gaze, inexplicably felt her cheeks flush and sensed that this little girl brought a feeling of security—an inexplicable sixth sense.

It must be said that Wu Hongxia was very perceptive. Feng Xia could knock out eight or nine male comrades like those with one punch.

Feng Xia nodded lazily, apparently responding to the old gentleman. She performed an agile somersault, landing lightly from the upper berth to the floor, then stretched and asked lazily, "Can I sit here?"

Wu Hongxia's eyes sparkled, her cheeks slightly red. She hadn't yet recovered from that graceful move. Hearing Feng Xia ask, she nodded eagerly and said with a touch of shyness, "Yes, of course. Sit. Would you like some tangerines? They're very sweet."

She grabbed a big handful and put them in Feng Xia's hands. Feng Xia didn't refuse. She picked one, peeled it slowly, and put a segment in her mouth.

The other three male comrades looked at her with admiration and unconscious longing. No man can resist the charm of Chinese kung fu, and these four were no exception. The heroic tales and martial arts novels they read as children came alive in their minds, and they wished they could immediately bow to Feng Xia and ask her to teach them a few moves!

That somersault just now was freaking awesome!