The little girl's name is Nina.
She became the joy of Zhou Sen and Anna's entire journey.
On the tracks where the train is running, I look out the window at the spring scenery, and my heart is racing.
At this moment, Zhou Sen didn't think about his identity or mission at all. Maybe it would be a good choice to take the train all the way west and sit directly at the terminal.
"Uncle Steven, will you and Aunt Martha have a baby?" Nina asked with innocent eyes.
"Maybe. Your Aunt Martha is not in good health. If she gives birth to a baby, she may have problems." Zhou Sen was stunned for a moment. After all, he reacted quickly, and he couldn't bear to deceive such an innocent child.
Anna's cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
"Dad always said that it would be great if mom could give him another little brother." Nina said innocently.
When Nina's mother heard this, her face instantly became embarrassed: "You two, don't listen to Nina's nonsense."
"It's okay. With one more little brother, Nina will have one more person to protect her from now on. That's good too." Zhou Sen chuckled.
Preferring sons over daughters is not just a phenomenon among Chinese people. Foreigners also hope to have a male to inherit their surname and family business.
These are the rules of a patriarchal society. If you want to change this, you must first overturn the rules of this society and create a new set of rules.
This is not based on human will, but is a rule ultimately formed based on social relations and development, as well as social stability.
Once it is overthrown without a new set of rules to replace it, society will lose stability, conflicts will break out, and violent conflicts will have a more far-reaching impact than war.
Off topic, Zhou Sen doesn't think he can give any solution, because he is not a person who thinks actively.
His ideal is actually very simple, to survive until the next century.
There is a restaurant on the train that provides three meals a day, but the taste is hard to say.
Zhou Sen originally wanted to ask Anna to go to the dining car with him, but Anna said that she had no appetite and didn't want to eat, so she asked him to go alone.
What kind of delicious food can be found on the train? Zhou Sen ordered a glass of house wine and a piece of spaghetti and ate some.
Brought Anna some bread and four hard-boiled eggs.
It is nearly 800 kilometers from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk. According to the speed of the train and the loading and unloading of passengers along the way, it will take at least a day and a night to arrive.
After handing the bread and eggs to Anna, Zhou Sen took a kettle and boiled water. There was boiling water on the train, and it was free.
Although Nina is lively, she is a girl after all. She is talkative and not as noisy as boys. She is quieter when she is not talking. After lunch, she was coaxed to sleep by her mother.
Zhou Sen gave the lower bunk to Anna. He lay on the upper bunk alone and took out the newspaper he bought at the station. Newspapers are not only a way of entertainment, but also a source of news and intelligence.
Zhou Sen mainly browses domestic news. The news here is relatively blocked and slow, so what he can see is basically from many days ago.
Tired of reading newspapers.
He got out of bed and smoked a cigarette, took a breath in the corridor, and then looked at the scenery in the distance. To be honest, he might not have the chance to do it again in the future. This might be the only chance in his life to set foot on what once belonged to him. land.
"The tickets are checked, the tickets are checked, take out the tickets..." A train police officer walked over and shouted, asking passengers to take out their tickets for him to check.
This is a routine rule, and it is normal as long as you are taking the train.
There are many Chinese living in Khabarovsk. They were actually Chinese in the past, and some of them were Chinese who fled after the Manchurian Incident and took refuge there. They slowly settled down there.
Just like the Belarusians living in Ice City, they have long intermarried with the locals and become locals.
The Daur ethnic group where the hunters belong is a typical example. Although they still retain some culture, their living habits have basically become Russian-like.
Therefore, Zhou Sen's yellow skin and face were not too eye-catching. After the police officer checked him, he returned the ticket to him.
Zhou Sen made a cup of milk for Anna, and also made a cup for little Nina.
Little Nina's tutoring was very strict. With her mother's approval, she reached out and took away the glass of milk and drank it in small sips.
Zhou Sen added some oatmeal to Anna's milk.
Anna took it and stared at Zhou Sen. In the eyes of outsiders, she and Zhou Sen were a young and loving couple.
Nina's mother's eyes flashed with envy, but she quickly calmed down.
Snacks are also sold on the bus.
The price was not expensive. Zhou Sen bought some melon seeds, peanuts, and some sweet and sour preserved fruits. It was really hard to find something to do with his mouth along the way, especially for a woman.
Moreover, Nina's mother is from Khabarovsk, so she can ask her about some information. Of course, Zhou Sen is not easy to ask. Anna is a woman, so it is easier for them to let down their guard and communicate with each other.
Of course, Zhou Sen is also listening and analyzing, finding the information they want to know from the chat, which is one of the basic skills of an agent.
The train is very slow, but much faster than walking. If you take a car, it may take more than three times as long and cost more.
For a country with a vast territory, railway transportation is the most economical and affordable way to travel, not to mention that railways also have huge strategic significance.
Russians have a special liking for wine. Zhou Sen was very lucky that there was a mother and daughter in the same compartment with them. It would have been a disaster if they had met a Russian man.
At night, when I opened the carriage door, the smell of alcohol was wafting over me.
It's definitely hard to sleep well on the train, but as a well-trained agent, you can always seize any time you can to rest.
…
The morning light shines in through the car window, and the interior of the car is filled with golden yellow, which reflects on people's faces with a glow and warmth.
"woke up?"
Zhou Sen got off the upper bunk and saw Anna sitting on the lower bunk, leaning on her elbows and looking out the window. The window was opened a crack, and the wind from outside blew in, blowing the hair on her forehead. At this moment, she was filled with holy thoughts. smell.
"I'm going to wash my face. Do you want to come with me?"
"No, I've already washed it."
Zhou Sen didn't say anything. He took a towel, a toothbrush and a cup and opened the door and went out. Nina was still sleeping in her mother's arms. Both mother and daughter slept on the lower bunk. Although they were squeezed into a small bed, the little girl My mother doesn't feel at ease sleeping alone, not to mention Nina is very clingy to her mother.
After washing up, Zhou Sen came back and asked Anna what she wanted for breakfast.
Anna asked Zhou Sen to buy her some oatmeal. Zhou Sen agreed and went to the dining car to have breakfast alone.
He wanted a sandwich, an omelette, and a cup of coffee.
After eating, I packed up and brought back a bowl of oatmeal.
The rest of the journey was very uneventful. The train only stopped at Ussuriysk (Twin Cities) and Bigin, and then went straight to Khabarovsk (Burli).
The train has arrived.
Khabarovsk is the capital of the Far East, the political and military center, although the city is not large.
But its status and geographical location are unique.
This is the intersection of the HLJ and the Ussuri River, the throat of the waterway, and the home of the Amur River Fleet of the Soviet Far East Navy.
This naval fleet is a river fleet, similar to the Jiangshang Army of the Puppet Manchukuo, but its strength is still much higher.
"Goodbye, little Nina!" On the platform, mother and daughter Zhou Sen, Anna and little Nina waved goodbye.
"Uncle Steven, Aunt Martha, you are welcome to come to my house to play!"
"Okay, uncle and aunt will definitely go if they are free." Although it is an unrealistic promise, it is also a good hope.
"Let's go, find a place to settle down first, we're going to stay here for a while." Zhou Sen gently held Anna's waist and said.
"It's too inconvenient to stay in a hotel, why don't we get a house?"
"Then there's no need to look for a house now. You have to settle down and meet the hunters and the others?" Zhou Sen said.
Khabarovsk is the capital of the Far East region, the seat of the Far Eastern Military District, many military agencies, and the special police school where Front once attended.
Soldiers wearing Soviet military uniforms can be seen everywhere on the streets here, almost equally with ordinary people.
To be honest, this feeling of oppression is very heavy.
Moreover, this is the location of the Soviet Far East Intelligence Department, but the intelligence and counter-espionage forces here are definitely not weak.
No one is interested here, except the Japanese.
The construction standards in Khabarovsk are not high. They are all two or three-story Russian-style buildings. The streets are very wide. Although there are many people on the streets, once the wide streets are spread out, they look a lot sparse.
The climate here is good, and there are green trees and shady trees everywhere. It is not as prosperous as the Ice City, but it is much more refined.
The city is not big, and the people's lives are relatively comfortable. Although it is a border, it is separated by a wide river. This natural barrier blocks all possible invasions.
At least there hasn't been a war here for a long time, not to mention there are a large number of troops stationed locally. Under the protection of a strong army, it is natural to feel more at ease.
"This is the one, Amur Hotel." Dragging two suitcases, one large and one small, Zhou Sen was really struggling.
"We are from the United States and came to Khabarovsk to visit relatives. Give us a room." Zhou Sen handed the documents to the front desk of the hotel.
"We have a common room and a suite, which one do you two choose?"
"Let's go to the suite. It's more comfortable to stay in the suite." Zhou Sen made the decision directly. Anyway, he didn't spend his own money, and he didn't spend it in vain.
The check-in procedure was very simple. After registering, a waiter came over to help them carry their suitcases to the guest room on the second floor.
The room is very large and spacious, with a large bed, a small living room, and a separate bathroom. The conditions are very good.
If you stay in Ice City, you will get a lot of money for this night, but in Khabarovsk, it will be cheaper if you pay in rubles.
"Steven, according to the agreed time, you must report that you are safe tonight." Anna said.
"Don't worry, settle on the house first, and we'll report it's safe before it's too late. This is for our safety." Zhou Sen said, "I'm going to get the radio back first. Teacher Shibuya's mission for the hunters is in addition to assisting them. In addition to our work, they should stay and continue to lurk. They must find a job and have a legitimate identity and reason to stay."
"how do you know?"
"I guess, otherwise, for a mere joint mission, there is no need to send so many people and divide them into two groups." Zhou Sen said, "You and I must go back, so the hunters will naturally stay."
"Chief Shibuya said that you are very smart, but you just refuse to use this smartness to serve the empire. Otherwise, you would have achieved something long ago." Anna said.
"Although Teacher Shibuya thinks highly of me, I am still a Manchurian. This is a fact that cannot be changed." Zhou Sen chuckled.
Anna was about to retort, but Zhou Sen raised her hand to stop her, because there was a sound of footsteps outside the door.
