Chapter 56 Meeting

It was impossible to set off immediately, as it was already late. Chen Lishu first went to the Chen family to inform them. Fortunately, Wu Chunmei had already cleaned the rabbits and wild chickens, and had also prepared a jar of pickled vegetables. If Chen Lishu hadn't strongly objected, Wu Chunmei would have made her take the entire jar. In the end, after much persuasion, Chen Lishu managed to get two jars packed.

At home, there were also two pairs of cloth shoes prepared by Li Xiulan, her own clothes for changing, and various other items packed into two large bags.

When Chen Lishu left, Gu Xingguo borrowed a bicycle and accompanied her to the train station.

The train departed at twelve noon and arrived the next day at noon. The ticket price was a total of two yuan and forty cents.

After buying the tickets, Chen Lishu and Gu Xingguo sat on the long benches in the waiting area until the train, which was running late, finally arrived at half past one in the afternoon.

The green train was packed with people. Besides those occupying seats, the aisle and even the area by the toilet were filled with people, not to mention everyone carrying large bags and luggage.

The carriage was filled with a mixture of sweat, foot odor, and the smells emanating from various items. As soon as Chen Lishu boarded the train, she almost couldn't help but vomit.

After searching for a long time, she finally found her seat, only to find a woman already occupying it. Chen Lishu smiled and showed her ticket, and the woman readily got up.

Gu Xingguo helped her place her belongings on the luggage rack and gave her a final reminder before turning and getting off the train.

Not long after Chen Lishu sat down, the train began to move slowly. Chen Lishu secretly felt fortunate that she had a window seat; otherwise, she would have been in trouble.

The narrow carriage already had limited space. Chen Lishu sat until evening, then got up to use the toilet. Upon returning, she took out the cucumber she had brought and began to eat it.

Li Xiulan had also given her six or seven eggs, telling her to eat them if she got hungry on the way. However, in this environment, she had no appetite. The cucumber, however, was something she could manage to eat a few bites of.

After a long night, as the provincial capital drew nearer, despite not having rested well, Chen Lishu felt quite energized.

Unsurprisingly, the train was delayed as usual. By the time she disembarked, it was already past three in the afternoon.

After the arduous journey, her clothes were wrinkled and out of shape, and she hadn't had a proper wash. Chen Lishu first found a restroom, changed out of the everyday clothes she was wearing into the outfit she had made herself, tidied her face and hair in the mirror, and then headed towards the station exit.

Although there were many people at the exit, Chen Lishu immediately spotted a tall figure in military green amidst the crowd.

Perhaps due to the hot weather and frequent outdoor training, Gu Xingdong had tanned significantly. The only thing that hadn't changed was his pair of eyes, sharp like a leopard's. The moment they met hers, they were filled with a deep smile.

"Here," Gu Xingdong waved towards Chen Lishu and, as she approached, he directly reached out to take the two bags from her hands.

To Chen Lishu, who was almost overwhelmed by the weight of the bags, they felt like empty bags in Gu Xingdong's hands, carried with effortless ease.

"You must be exhausted. The car is waiting outside. Once we get to the dormitory, you can rest properly," Gu Xingdong said, his eyes never leaving Chen Lishu.

Although he had always known his wife had fair skin, it was summer now. Gu Xingdong felt as if her exposed arms and legs were glowing with whiteness, dazzling his eyes.

Two dark braids were woven from the top of her head down to her back, finally resting on her chest, revealing a smooth and full forehead slightly lowered. Gu Xingdong's prominent Adam's apple couldn't help but move.

Gu Xingdong's intense gaze felt as though it could burn her. Chen Lishu, under his scrutiny, didn't know what to do, so she lowered her head, trying to avoid his gaze.

When they reached the outside, a military jeep was parked by the roadside. Wu Zheng, sitting in the driver's seat, couldn't help but lean out to look.

It should have been the soldier Xiao Sun driving, but Wu Zheng was too curious to see what the person Gu Xingdong had been keeping in his heart and thinking about looked like, so he snatched the job from Xiao Sun.

Now, seeing Chen Lishu's silhouette, Wu Zheng only wanted to curse.

She was damn good-looking! "Sister-in-law, right? My name is Wu Zheng. I've known Old Gu for several years, and now we're working together. How does the saying go? A fated encounter, haha."

Wu Zheng got out of the car, speaking as he took the items from Gu Xingdong's hands. He secretly weighed them and, feeling their substantial weight, was certain they contained delicious food.

They had known each other for a long time, and with a single movement, Gu Xingdong knew what he was thinking. He raised an eyebrow but didn't expose him.

"Hello, Comrade Wu Zheng. My name is Chen Lishu," Chen Lishu greeted him with a smile.

Comrade Wu Zheng. Wu Zheng savored the name, realizing that no one had ever called him so formally before.

"Cough." With a slight cough from Gu Xingdong, Wu Zheng came back to his senses and waved at Chen Lishu, saying, "No need to be so formal. You can call me Old Wu, just like Old Gu."

"There's no need to be polite with him. Just call him Old Wu," Gu Xingdong whispered close to her ear.

As Gu Xingdong drew closer, a strong aura of masculinity emanated from him, making Chen Lishu blush involuntarily.

"Okay," Chen Lishu responded, and then they both got into the car.

The car started and drove out of the city. After nearly an hour's journey, it finally stopped at the entrance of a camp. Wu Zheng leaned out of the car window and said a few words to the sentry at the gate. After being granted passage, Wu Zheng drove the car all the way to the dormitory entrance.

As the base had only been newly built for a little over half a year, the family quarters were not yet complete. The visiting dormitories were just a few single-story rooms behind the office building.

"I still need to return the car, so I won't come in. Sister-in-law, you've just arrived today, so get some good rest. Tomorrow night, you and Old Gu will come to my place for dinner."

Having delivered his passengers, Wu Zheng, being considerate, didn't disturb them. After putting down the items, he turned the steering wheel, and the car sped away.

"Let's go in," Gu Xingdong said, leading the way with the bags. Chen Lishu nodded and followed closely.

Upon entering, there was a corridor with several rooms distributed on both sides. Gu Xingdong took out the key he had obtained from the quartermaster and opened the door to one of the rooms. Inside was a room of about twenty square meters.

By the window, there was a bed about 1.5 meters wide. The military green bedding on the bed was neatly folded. To the right, there was a table and two chairs. Near the door, there was a washbasin stand, with an enamel washbasin on it. Beside the stand, there was a military green thermos flask.

The dormitory had been empty since its completion. Ever since he heard that Chen Lishu would be coming, Gu Xingdong had specifically prepared these things for her.

"At the end of the corridor, on the right, is the bathroom with a showerhead. Would you like to take a shower first?"

She hadn't expected to be able to shower in this place. After squeezing onto the train all night, she felt a stale odor clinging to her. Hearing Gu Xingdong's words now, she nodded eagerly.

Seeing her obedient demeanor, Gu Xingdong felt an urge to embrace her and kiss her dearly, but she had had a long day and should rest properly. Thinking about it, he could only forgo the impulse.