Chapter 234: Zhao Ruoyun

Zhao Ruoyun nervously got on the donkey cart heading to Zhao Fort Town, she was still urging Chen Feng.

"Hurry up, if we miss the train, our money will be wasted."

Chen Feng threw the parcel onto the cart and got on himself.

He felt a bit stifled; going to see his sister this time made him feel awful.

Back then, his sister went out to flee the famine for his sake; among those who fled the famine, it was a great fortune if three people could have one survive.

He has always felt guilty toward his sister.

Now his sister has a child, he feels ashamed to face her.

The Elder Clan Chief watched as everyone boarded the cart, waved at them, and said.

"Zhao girl, if you can avoid coming back, don't come back."

"Let's go, be careful on the road."

It's not that he despises Zhao Ruoyun and her child, but the chance to enter the city is too slim.

The chance to stay in the city is even smaller.

In most places, rural people spend their whole lives without leaving a village or town.

It's not that they don't want to go out, but they lack the money and the opportunity.

If you say you want to go to the city, you need an introduction letter, and the letter must state what you will do there.

For visiting relatives, you need the relatives' names, addresses, and what they do.

For handling affairs, you need to write down the matters clearly.

This introduction letter, once you leave the door, is checked not only when boarding a vehicle, but also for lodging, and sometimes even when eating or buying things.

This introduction letter is more important than the ancient travel permit.

After all, travel permits can be bought, but this letter—now many people have high awareness and are not quick to issue it.

After all, if something goes wrong, the person who issues the letter is also responsible.

Ni Kuang being able to carve a radish seal and flee also shows his broad knowledge; otherwise ordinary people wouldn't even understand the format of an introduction letter, let alone various official seals.

The mother and son all the way reached the town, then took a cart to the county, and from the county rode a cart to the city.

Finally, in the city they boarded the train heading to Jingcheng.

South Mountain City is a coal city, with coal as its main industry, built beside the mountain; here most people revolve their lives around coal.

Even Chen Feng dreamed of coming to South Mountain to work in a coal factory.

"Mom, would it be good for us to live in South Mountain?"

"I'll go to college and apply to the Coal College."

On the train, Chen Feng sat by the window, looking at the scenery of South Mountain City outside, and said.

Although Zhao Ruoyun had read for two days, her level was only that of a literacy class.

In her mind, nothing compares to land; land is everything for them peasants.

"I don't care about you, come if you want."

"Anyway, I'm not coming; the house at home has just been repaired, life is just getting better, I won't stir up trouble."

"There are clan elders looking after the village; once you go out, who knows us? If you run into bad people, they won't just bully us to death."

A middle-aged person in cadre attire sitting in the neighboring seat picked up the conversation.

"Big sis, I disagree with that."

"Our South Mountain Coal Mine feeds hundreds of thousands of people; how many have scrambled desperately to get into our factory."

"In the whole South Mountain City, there's no better job than the coal mine."

Seeing that the person was a cadre, Zhao Ruoyun didn't dare to argue and instead changed the subject.

"Big brother, where are you headed?"

The middle-aged person smiled.

"Going to Jingcheng to coordinate some oil supplies; for our coal mine, nothing is more essential than oil."

"With oil, the machines can run, and coal output increases."

"Now it's not like before; previously everything was manual labor, now much is mechanized."

Zhao Ruoyun was completely baffled; Chen Feng didn't quite understand either, but being more educated, he could still grasp a bit.

"Uncle, are you saying our mine is all mechanized now?"

"Mine carts? Coal drills?"

The middle-aged person felt embarrassed.

"Not exactly; there is some machinery, but most of it is still manual labor."

"This difficult period has just passed, and machinery is still in short supply."

"But coal transport vehicles are essential; otherwise, relying on manpower to move trainload after trainload of coal, who knows when it would be done."

Chen Feng felt a bit disappointed; he would rather operate machinery, which would be impressive.

The middle-aged person also asked Zhao Ruoyun.

"Big sis, where are you going?"

Looking at the mother and son's clothes, they don't seem like city folk.

Zhao Ruoyun laughed and said.

"My daughter married into Jingcheng; she's about to give birth soon, we're going to see her."

The middle-aged person, who had been indifferent, perked up upon hearing that.

"Married into Jingcheng? That's no small feat, big sis, you're in for blessings."

Zhao Ruoyun's face lit up with a bright smile, though there were wrinkles, but thinking about her son-in-law's background, her heart felt a pang of discomfort.

Who could have imagined that their whole family, loyal and righteous, would actually get involved with a capitalist?

She feels this is a black mark on her Chen family.

If it weren't for letting her daughter flee the famine, she would feel guilty and would never agree to this marriage, no matter what.

Moreover, she feels Yang Qing has ulterior motives, using their family.

She is also afraid, afraid of being implicated by Yang Qing.

If things really happen, she feels she would be letting down her Chen family's ancestors.

Also, she would be letting down her deceased husband and other Chen family members.

"Ah, her good life is theirs; we are ours."

"I don't even hope to bask in their glory; I just hope they can live well themselves."

Chen Feng's face twitched; still not taking advantage of them? In the past two years we've already taken several hundred from them—otherwise our house wouldn't have been blown in by the wind.

The middle-aged person indicated understanding.

"Yeah, as parents, who doesn't want their child to have a good life? They don't even care about themselves."

Zhao Ruoyun laughed.

"We've all come through hardship; what kind of days did we used to have, and what kind do we have now?"

"What more could there be to be dissatisfied with?"

No one spoke of disaster, because before the founding of the country they suffered famine year after year, selling children—these were common occurrences.

The great famine of 42 years was even more horrendous; although these three years are hard, compared to before they are still much better.

The middle-aged person nodded.

"That's right."

Perhaps he thought of something, didn't speak, just stared blankly out the window.

He has been to many places and knows many truths.

Especially those with lofty ideals.

For many things, suppressing them in his heart is very painful.

The darkness of human nature is far darker than he imagined.

This cannot be changed merely by having ideals; it is the evil rooted in people's hearts that is at work.

You replace one batch, and another will come, endlessly.

Chen Feng didn't understand why the middle-aged person suddenly became cold in conversation.

He also looked out the window.

The evening sky filled with rosy clouds, forests, houses, villages, and groups of workers off duty formed a splendid picture.

Slowly Chen Feng leaned against his seat and became intoxicated; the train moved, and one landscape after another unfolded before him.

From time to time, shouts came from the carriage.

"Wow, look at all those people."

"Wow, look at all those trees."

"Look, that's a mountain, so many, so many."

"Look, the river, so big—is this the Yellow River?"

…………

…………

Children, adults—they are all very innocent.

Chen Feng slowly also began to smile.

This world is so big, so big.