Chapter 176: Bringing Qing'er Back to the Capital for the New Year

Don't say otherwise; as soon as the idea came up, Lu Cheng got excited.

Big brother and sister‑in‑law can't go back for the New Year, which keeps Mom worrying, but if we can bring Qing'er back, Mom will be overjoyed.

"Qing'er, we should go home; Uncle has to work," Yan Baoyue said, reaching out to hug her daughter.

But Qing'er especially loves the train, curling up in a corner of the seat, refusing to leave.

"That child!" Yan Baoyue shook her head helplessly, looking at Lu Cheng: "Qing'er really loves playing with you; last time you left at midnight, she cried and fussed all day."

"Is that so, Qing'er!" Lu Cheng stretched out his arm, and Qing'er immediately leapt into his arms, giggling as he tickled her.

"Sister‑in‑law, not to hide it from you, in our Hu Tong I'm the king of children; no matter how big the kid, they all like to play with me."

Yan Baoyue laughed along: "Originally my brother and I planned to go back this year, but after your brother started working at the Commune, he's been swamped; he even has to take a voluntary shift during the New Year, so he probably can't return. Please explain to Mom and Dad."

Lu Cheng, holding Qing'er as she clambered on his shoulder, said, "Sister‑in‑law, you don't need to explain. I know my big brother; he just feels that now he's not registered in the Capital City, so going back would cause trouble for the family."

But any family has its hassles; go back and talk to him properly, and try to secure a chance to return for next year's New Year.

Yan Baoyue smiled and nodded; when she heard the whistle, she knew the train was about to depart.

She hurried to stand: "Alright, Lu Cheng, everything's fine here. Tell Mom and Dad not to worry. The train's leaving, so sister‑in‑law won't chat with you any longer."

"Qing'er, quickly say goodbye to Uncle; we have to go."

Qing'er clutched Lu Cheng's neck tightly: "No, I want to ride the big train."

"That child!" Yan Baoyue deliberately pulled a stern face: "Listen, Uncle has to work. We'll ride the train again next time; hurry back home with Mom."

"Not going."

"You want to find Dad, right? Come on, Mom will take you to find Dad."

Qing'er still pouted: "Not looking for Dad, looking for Uncle."

Yan Baoyue laughed helplessly; just as she was about to forcibly take her daughter, Qing'er slipped into Lu Cheng's arms and refused to come out.

Lu Cheng smiled and said, "Sister‑in‑law, how about letting Qing'er come with me back to the Capital City for the New Year? It'd also give her a chance to ride the train."

"Huh?" Yan Baoyue thought it was a joke: "How can that work? No, no way."

"It's fine, sister‑in‑law; if you're worried I'll take her, I won't give her back."

Yan Baoyue laughed: "That's not what I mean; Qing'er is still young, she can't endure such a long train ride, and besides she'd be disturbing your work,"

"That's no problem; I'll arrange a berth for her at night, and the train has food and drink of all kinds. There are female staff on board, they're all fine and can help look after her."

Yan Baoyue opened her mouth: "I'm not worried about that; Qing'er has never traveled far, she's mainly too young, and once we get to the Capital City she'll be noisy at night."

"Sister‑in‑law, just rest assured; with a whole family we can certainly soothe a little child."

"But…" Yan Baoyue actually wasn't worried about those things; she was afraid of causing trouble for the parents over there.

"But I haven't told your brother either."

"Then what's there to say? My brother listens to you."

Yan Baoyue laughed again: "Your brother doesn't listen to me! He's now working at the Commune; everyone in the production team says he'll become an official someday. If I dared to oppose him on anything, my dad would scold me."

Lu Cheng laughed along: "Haha, then you also have to keep an eye on my brother. Alright, sister‑in‑law, the train's about to leave; why don't you go back first? Rest assured, after the New Year I'll definitely deliver Qing'er safely into your hands."

"Oh dear…" Yan Baoyue was still uneasy, but thinking of all these years without returning to the Capital City to see the parents over there, letting Qing'er go would also count as a substitute for her and Lu Feng.

After a moment's hesitation, she stepped back and looked at her daughter: "Qing'er, would you like to go with Uncle to see Grandpa and Grandma?"

Qing'er immediately bobbed her little head, like a chick pecking grain, making Lu Cheng laugh.

"Look, sister‑in‑law is willing; Qing'er isn't afraid of people, so it's a good chance to broaden her experience."

Qing'er is a member of the Lu family; in the future the Lu family hopes to establish deep roots in the Capital City, and each child of the next generation must be well nurtured to achieve accomplishments in various fields.

Yan Baoyue didn't know whether to be angry or happy, tapping her daughter's forehead: "You really have no conscience, not even wanting Mom."

Saying that, she turned to Lu Cheng again: "Well, Lu Cheng, it seems she truly wants to ride the train, so I have to trouble you."

"Sister‑in‑law, you always say such polite words; Qing'er is my niece, and I haven't even had time to dote on her yet."

At that point, Yan Baoyue reluctantly handed her daughter to Lu Cheng, and when she got off the train, she kept looking back step after step.

Listening, she saw that her daughter didn't cry because of her departure; instead she happily ran around the carriage, so she waved goodbye to her daughter.

If you ask whether she's at ease, she certainly is; after all, that's her own uncle.

Lu Cheng thus successfully took Qing'er away; indeed the child is still very young, not even three years old.

After playing on the train and getting tired, she inevitably started looking for Mom; none of the female staff on the train could soothe her, and only Lu Cheng holding her could calm her down.

There was no choice; Lu Cheng could only hold Qing'er while on duty in the carriage.

Some passengers saw it and teased him.

"Yo, still working with a kid; are you having a spat with your wife?"

"You still dare to argue with your wife even with a kid; now she's quit, so the child has to be looked after by himself."

Lu Cheng really thought Qing'er was his own daughter, and wondered which woman could have been lucky enough to bear him a child.

But after a night of adjustment, Qing'er became full of energy again, and could frolic with many of the male and female staff on the train.

Sister‑in‑law's worries were not unfounded; Lu Cheng had indeed thought it would be simple, not expecting a child to cause so much trouble.

Whenever he didn't see her, he worried excessively, searching the whole carriage.

He kept asking whether she was thirsty, hungry, or needed to use the restroom.

He's a Big Old Master, not that meticulous; if it weren't for the female Comrade helping watch over her, he'd truly be swamped.

At such a young age, he's already living the pre‑parenting life.

When the train finally began returning to the Capital City, he finally exhaled, and Qing'er, exhausted from playing, fell asleep on his shoulder.

Fearing to wake Qing'er, Lu Cheng sat still, not daring to move, while listening to a few Train Staff chatting idly.

"Hey, have you heard? In a few days the Railway Department will hold a dance performance; then we can all go watch."

"I thought it was an award ceremony, because the warship we docked at Beijing Station arrived, and selling it will provide a lot of funds; the department will commend the Delegation going to West Germany."

"Pretty much, the award ceremony and the ball open together; once the awards are done, the dance performance starts, right?"

"Hey hey, I also heard something: the Department Committee wants to recommend a person to the Work‑Farmer‑Soldier University, and the school is our Capital City's Qingbei."

"Whoa, who's so lucky? If this comes out, they'll be directly promoted to Section Officer."

"\"I don't know that, \" the Train Staff said, looking at Lu Cheng, \"Group Leader Lu, do you know? \""

Lu Cheng shook his head slightly and didn't dare to speak; otherwise he would wake the sleeping Qing'er, and the young master would cause a commotion again soon.

As for what they were talking about, Lu Cheng wasn't interested; he just wanted to get home quickly and then leave Qing'er with his mom.