Chapter 714: Find a way to enter the city
The windlass beside the well creaked, and He Yushui poured a ladle of cold water into the copper basin:
"But where are the trains at this time? Yesterday I heard from Mr. Zhang from the supply and marketing cooperative that the number of trains has been reduced by half recently..."
Before he finished speaking, Wang Jianguo had already grabbed the straw hat from the corner and put it on his head:
"I'm going to the train station now to try my luck! If I can't find a car, I'll be back before the sun sets!"
Yang Xiaohua was so anxious that she hung the bed sheet on the rope:
"What if I can't come back at night? I have to leave a message!"
"If I am not seen by dark,
Wang Jianguo backed toward the gate of the courtyard, his trouser legs brushing against the loofah vines in the corner.
"Just tell Brother Shuzhuo that I'm going to the city to look for someone! He'll understand!"
Yang Xiaohua took the wooden clip out of her mouth and murmured:
"Hopefully I can catch the last train..."
He Yushui looked at Wang Jianguo's hurriedly receding back, and felt as if something was grabbing her heart.
She clutched the wet apron, her nails digging deep into the fabric, and suddenly remembered that there were still a few steamed eggs left at the bottom of the bowl.
"etc!"
She shouted at the top of her lungs, then turned and rushed into the kitchen without waiting for a response.
The coarse porcelain bowl on the clay stove was still warm, with three white boiled eggs lying in the bowl, with a faint layer of burnt marks on the edges.
She cooked the eggs for a few minutes longer because she was afraid they wouldn't be cooked through.
She grabbed the blue cloth bag hanging on the beam. Her hands were shaking so badly that an egg almost fell, but fortunately it was caught in her palm in time.
“Biscuits. And biscuits.”
She muttered to herself as she tiptoed to take down the tin box on the top shelf of the cupboard. The lid of the box was printed with a faded peony pattern, and it made a slight rusty sound when she opened it.
There was half a pack of peach biscuits lying inside, with the corners broken into crumbs. She got these from the supply and marketing cooperative, and she poured them all into the cloth bag.
The old locust tree in the yard rustled. He Yushui didn't even bother to wipe the sweat from his forehead and ran out on the dew-soaked stone road.
He didn't even notice that one of his cloth shoes had slipped away. The pain of his bare feet stepping on the gravel was nothing compared to the anxiety he felt in his heart.
Seeing Wang Jianguo riding a bicycle from a distance, she shouted with all her might:
"Brother Jianguo——!"
Wang Jianguo braked suddenly, and the chain made a sharp sound. He Yushui ran up to him, panting, his chest heaving violently, and his blue cloth pocket was damp from sweat.
"Take it and eat it on the way,"
She stuffed the cloth bag into Wang Jianguo's hands, her voice still containing a gasp.
"Or else you'll be hungry all the way."
Her fingertips touched the calluses on his palms, which were rough and prickly, but also made her nose sore.
Wang Jianguo looked at the corner of the biscuit box sticking out of the cloth bag, and his Adam's apple moved.
He remembered that when there was a flood last year, He Yushui braved the heavy rain to bring him a raincoat.
Thinking of sowing in spring, she always silently helped him to make the ridges neat and tidy.
"Thanks, girl."
His voice was muffled as he hung the cloth bag firmly on the handlebars. The hemp rope left deep marks on the metal handle.
The bicycle bells jingled, and Wang Jianguo's figure pedaling quickly blended into the steaming summer air.
He Yushui stood there, watching the dust gradually dissipate, and then he discovered that there were bloody scratches on the soles of his feet at some point.
She looked down at her empty palms, then looked up into the distance. The unfinished words Wang Jianguo said before he left seemed to still echo in her ears, mixed with the chirping of cicadas, drifting towards the direction of the city.
Wang Jianguo looked back at the old locust tree at the entrance of the village. On the tree was still hanging the red cloth strip that was tied when the site of the health center was selected last year.
The cobblestone road beneath his feet was bumpy, but he walked with great determination.
This time when he goes to the city, he must invite brothers Yang Huaixi and Dou'er. Even if he has to go to every corner of the city, he must get the construction of the health center done.
Because in his heart, this is not only a health center, but also the hope for health for the young and old in the whole village.
The midday sun softened the asphalt road, and the wheels of Wang Jianguo's bicycle rolled over the road, making a sticky sizzling sound.
His back was already soaked with sweat, his blue shirt stuck tightly to his spine, and his trouser legs were rolled up to his knees, revealing his calves that were rubbed black by the bicycle chain.
The clinic drawings in the basket rustled as the bike was bumpy, as if urging him to speed up.
The red brick building of the train station blurred into a shadow in the heat wave. Wang Jianguo slammed on the brakes and his bicycle hit the stone steps outside the guardhouse.
The iron bell made a long, shrill sound, startling the sparrows under the eaves and making them fly around in panic.
He didn't bother to straighten the overturned car, and rushed into the guard room in two steps. The wind he brought over knocked over several registration forms on the table.
“Zhang Lei! It’s me!”
Wang Jianguo leaned against the door frame and breathed heavily. Sweat beads fell from his chin onto the concrete floor, leaving dark dots.
The duty room was filled with a stuffy atmosphere. The wall clock was ticking, mixed with the squeaking sound of the old electric fan.
Zhang Lei, who was writing inspection records at his desk, suddenly looked up and the tip of his pen left a long ink mark on the paper.
After seeing who was coming, he immediately smiled and was about to stand up and greet:
"Jianguo! What a rare guest! Please take a seat..."
"Is there a train to the city today? I have something urgent to do!"
Wang Jianguo interrupted him and pressed his palm hard on the mottled wooden table, causing ripples in the herbal tea in the enamel jar.
His eyes were red and bloodshot, as if he had been up all night, and his hair was wet and stuck to his forehead.
Zhang Lei was stunned. Looking at his friend's anxious expression, his smile gradually faded.
He picked up the curled-up work schedule on the corner of the table, and the yellowed pages rustled in the wind of the fan.
The train information with ink not yet dried jumped in front of his eyes. His fingers quickly ran across the densely packed form, and his Adam's apple rolled up and down nervously:
"Comrade Jianguo... a passenger bus just left yesterday, there is definitely no bus today."
Wang Jianguo's face turned pale in an instant, his knuckles turned white from being pinched, and he almost left several marks on the table.
Seeing this, Zhang Lei quickly added:
"But! There is a freight truck today, which will leave at 12:30 noon and is transporting timber to the city. But the conditions are not good, and it has to be in the cargo compartment..."
Wang Jianguo's fingers dug deep into Zhang Lei's arm, and the temperature of his palms almost burned through the fabric.
He stared at the mottled train schedule on the wall, his eyes repeatedly wandering over the words "freight train", his Adam's apple rolling twice with difficulty:
"A truck is fine too! Zhang Lei, you must help me arrange it so I can get on the truck!"
There was unmistakable earnestness in his voice.
Zhang Lei looked at his friend's red eyes and dusty clothes, sighed, and reached out to take out half a pack of crumpled cigarettes from the drawer.
The moment the match was lit, the orange-red flame reflected the embarrassment on his face:
"Yes, I can."
He handed the cigarette to Wang Jianguo, and when he saw the other party waving his hand to refuse, he took a deep puff, and the smoke he exhaled slowly dissipated in the sultry air.
“But you know, this lumber truck…”