At seven o'clock in the evening, Hesta boarded the high-speed train heading for Songxueyuan.
Her car was supposed to leave at 9:15 tonight, but a few girls in the afternoon secretly told her that if the evening class was not particularly important, there was no need to stay until the end. She could just wait for the teacher to finish calling her name before sneaking out. .
Although some teachers will be aware of this and call roll a second time before the end of class, this is usually in the middle or end of the semester, and the first few weeks of school are generally safe.
Hesta followed suit and moved the schedule forward by two hours.
Night had fallen outside the window, and she sat by the window, looking at her own shadow on the glass, still thinking about everything that happened in the afternoon.
Several middle-aged people sat down in front of and behind her. They tried to lift their suitcases, but failed several times. Hesta glanced at the luggage racks at the front and rear of the car - the luggage racks that were empty when she got on the bus were now filled with boxes.
"Need help?" Hesta asked.
"I need it, thank you -" Before the few middle-aged people could finish their words, they discovered that Hesta's right sleeve was empty. They were stunned for a moment, and just as they were about to say something, a suitcase was already firmly placed on the luggage rack by Hesta.
"What else?"
"Oh." The smiles returned to the faces of several middle-aged people. They stepped aside and pushed the box to Hesta. "Sorry to trouble you!"
"You're welcome."
When they sat down again, they naturally added Hesta to their conversation. They seemed to be about the same age as Xu Ruyi, but they didn't have the aura of old age about them. With the help of a translator, Hesta reluctantly started a conversation with them, and then he realized that they were all from the south. They had studied and worked together since childhood. The sisters had just retired this year, so they traveled around the 14th District in the South together.
They originally planned a three-day itinerary for their trip to Orange Town, but when they arrived in Orange Town, they felt that there was nothing interesting here, so they gathered together and after visiting several major attractions intensively, they set off back to Songxueyuan that night. .
Before getting off the bus, the lady sitting next to Hesta handed her a box of persimmons.
"None of the persimmons we buy now are made in season, and this brand is just okay," the middle-aged man warned. "Orange Town's persimmons are famous. You have to wait until November. At that time, you can just go out on the street." Buy some and try it, it must be really good.”
Hesta thanked her somewhat ignorantly. When the car stopped, she helped the aunts take down the suitcases one by one. The aunts chatted animatedly and quickly got out of the car. They walked very far without forgetting to turn back and face Hesta waved her hand.
The autumn night in Songxueyuan was already a little chilly. Hesta carried the persimmons given by her aunts and walked to the landmark designated by Su Lei. She placed the box under the light of the street lamp, carefully observed the white frost on the persimmon skin, and then smelled it. These flat orange fruits exuded a special fragrance.
When she actually took a bite, she was immediately fascinated by the sweet taste - if this was considered reluctant, how delicious would the persimmons in season in November be?
"Jane?" Si Lei's voice came from far away, "I'm sorry you're a little late. Have you been waiting for a long time."
Hesta turned around and quickly recognized the familiar figure.
"Want to eat persimmons?" Hesta also walked in the direction of Si Lei, "I just met a few people in the car-"
When Si Lei walked from the dim night in the distance to the light, the expression on Hesta's face suddenly froze.
After only three months of not seeing each other, she felt as if Si Lei in front of her had almost changed. Although the face is still the same and the voice is still the same, some subtle changes that are difficult to detect make Si Lei look particularly wilted... like a withering tree that has begun to slowly lose its vitality before winter has arrived.
"What did you just say?" Si Lei put his hands in his pockets and walked up to Hesta. "You met... in the car?"
"A few passengers." Hesta raised his hand and handed the persimmons over, "Would you like to eat?"
Si Lei picked up one and said, "Have you had dinner?"
"not yet."
"Let's go." Si Lei chewed and pointed in another direction, "I haven't either."
Hesta followed, and this time, as she got closer, she suddenly smelled a distinct smell of tobacco on Si Lei.
…
Si Lei took a taxi and took Hesta to a night market. It was only two streets away from the blood hospital, but it was extremely noisy, crowded with people, and there was a lively scene everywhere.
It was almost ten o'clock now, and the night market seemed to have just begun. A dazzling array of snacks and cheap items were displayed along the street. Many of them were things Hesta had seen for the first time, but she was still shopping absent-mindedly.
"It would be quite convenient if it was only two streets away from the hospital," Hesta said softly, "Do you often come here to eat?"
"No, it's my first time here too." Si Lei yawned, "I asked the nurse in the afternoon that a friend was coming in the evening and if there was any place nearby suitable for a simple meal. She told me there was a night market here. , they usually come here to have something to eat after their night shift."
"...Did I come at a bad time?" Hesta stopped, "If you are already very tired now, why not——"
Si Lei laughed on the spot, rubbing her cheeks with both hands, as if trying to cheer up.
"It's not inappropriate, I'm a little tired, but you came just in time," Si Lei raised his head, "I've been thinking about where to take you for dinner in the afternoon... How is your campus life?"
Hesta also laughed, "...If you want to talk to me about this, there is too much I can say."
The two of them walked all the way to a food stall at the end of the night market. Although it was windy and slightly cold at night, there were still many people sitting on the outdoor tables outside. Si Lei found a position with the wind behind him and sat down with Hesta. The boss came out to greet her very quickly. She left behind three old menus with greasy corners, and soon went to greet other customers in a hurry.
Si Lei asked Hesta about his taste while ordering the dishes. After a while, he called the boss over to take the order.
The boss took a note and wrote down the names of the dishes, "We pay here first after ordering. You see..."
"I'll do it," Si Lei said, "How much does it cost?"
"sixty seven."
Si Lei began to take out his wallet and took out a box of cigarettes from his pocket and placed it on the table with a matchbox stacked on top.
Hesta's eyes fell on the pack of cigarettes. After the boss left, she said, "...when did you start smoking."
"Just these two months, it seems...but don't worry, I will definitely not slap you in front of you. My sense of public morality is still stronger than Qianye's."
Hesta was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"I thought I was the only one who was tortured here," Hesta pulled out a pair of chopsticks from the chopstick bucket and handed them to Si Lei, "but it seems you are about the same..."
"Let's talk about you first," Si Lei said, "Why do you look so haggard?"
"Gaunt?" Hesta was a little surprised, "Am I?"
"I was a little surprised when I first picked you up at the station," Si Lei said softly, "We haven't seen each other for a long time, how come you have changed so much."
(End of chapter)
