August 24th, 7:30 AM.
The train announcement echoed, as the train from Hu City to Shen City was about to make a stop at Yu Zhou Station.
In the soft sleeper carriage, Xue Yuantong looked out towards Yuzhou City, feeling warm inside, the place she called home.
"Jiang Ning, we'll take a taxi back home," she said. She hadn't told her mother about her return.
Xue Yuantong planned to surprise her mother.
"No need for a taxi, my cousin will pick us up," Jiang Ning said.
Jiang Junlong, upon learning of his trip back, had booked a spot to pick him up at the station ahead of time. It was the end of August, and even Yu Zhou Second Middle School had given its students a break.
Tongtong had mentioned the day before yesterday that when they returned to the river dam, they wouldn't be able to see Chuchu right away, because the peanuts in her village were ripe. Chuchu had gone back to the village to help with the peanut harvest and would only return after the busy farming period.
...
