Chapter 222: Awesome
Noon.
Nanning.
Deng Yunheng, Song Yu, Liu Shangwen, Chong Feilong, Lin Jianjun, Zhao Changzheng, Sun Baoguo, and seven others walked out of the train station carrying their luggage, looking exhausted.
Zhao Changzheng, a native of Nanning and from the same class as Song Yu and Liu Shangwen, came from a well-off family and had excellent social skills. After the school's Guangxi Hometown Association was established, he was elected as its president.
Now that several fellow villagers had returned to his territory, he felt obliged to treat them well.
So, Zhao Changzheng perked up and said, "Dear classmates, you haven't eaten well on the train these past few days. Now that we're in my hometown, I must treat you to some of our local specialties."
Sun Baoguo quickly interjected, "President, you can treat the others. I'm short on time and won't be joining. If I head to the station now, I can catch the bus back to Beihai. If I go to dinner with you, I'll have to stay in Nanning overnight."
Zhao Changzheng smiled and said, "Old Sun, just stay in Nanning for one night. I'll arrange a place for you to stay. Don't worry!"
Sun Baoguo shook his head, "Thank you for your kindness, President. I'm eager to get home and can't wait any longer. When I return to school after the holiday, I'll come see you a day early, and we can have a proper reunion."
Seeing that Sun Baoguo was determined, Zhao Changzheng nodded, "Alright then, take care, and I'll see you after the holiday!"
"President, classmates, I'll see you all after the holiday!"
Deng Yunheng and the others bid him farewell, watching as Sun Baoguo hurried off to the bus station with his luggage.
After Sun Baoguo left, Song Yu asked, "President, what special dishes does your hometown have?"
Zhao Changzheng smiled, "There's a dish that was introduced just last year, called Lemon Duck. It's quite delicious. Are you interested?"
Deng Yunheng rubbed his stomach and grinned, "President, please arrange it quickly. I'm starving. This Lemon Duck sounds amazing. I can't wait."
Song Yu agreed, "Yes, I didn't eat or sleep well on the train, and now I'm really hungry!"
The others echoed the sentiment.
Zhao Changzheng stopped wasting time and waved his hand, "Let's go. I'll take you to try the Lemon Duck."
…
After the meal, it was already three in the afternoon.
At this hour, there were no buses heading back, so Deng Yunheng and the others had to stay in Nanning for the night.
Zhao Changzheng, true to his role as president, had already arranged accommodations for everyone before heading home.
Having spent several days and nights on the train, Deng Yunheng and the others were severely sleep-deprived. After eating, they were all exhausted. They washed up quickly and fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillow.
…
The next day.
10:00 AM.
Deng Yunheng and Song Yu boarded the bus to Bobai together.
As for Liu Shangwen, Chong Feilong, and Lin Jianjun, they took buses to Yulin, Beiliu, and Rongxian, respectively.
In later years, thanks to well-built highways, the trip from Nanning to Bobai would take just over three hours. But in this era, it took at least six hours, which felt like an eternity.
Fortunately, the two of them could sit together and chat to pass the time.
Deng Yunheng asked, "Sister Song, I haven't asked you yet—how many brothers and sisters do you have?"
Song Yu replied, "I have a brother and a sister. What about you?"
Deng Yunheng said, "I have seven siblings—an older brother, an older sister, a younger sister, and three younger brothers."
Song Yu wasn't surprised. In Bobai County at that time, having six or seven siblings was common. Having only three siblings in her family was considered rare.
"I see you're usually very generous. Your family must be well-off. What do your parents do?"
"My father runs a tile factory in partnership with someone in our hometown. Business is pretty good right now. We also grow a lot of fruit at home, and recently opened a restaurant in the county town. Our financial situation is indeed better than most families." Deng Yunheng didn't hide this, as honesty often leads to true friendships.
After sharing about his father, Deng Yunheng added in a low voice, "As for my mother, she passed away a few years ago."
"Ah!"
Song Yu hadn't expected that this cheerful fellow student had lost his mother so early. She quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."
Deng Yunheng waved his hand, "It's okay, Sister Song. It's been several years." Since she had asked about his family, he decided to ask in return, "Sister Song, I see your financial situation is good too. What do your parents do?"
Song Yu didn't hide anything either, "My father works in the government. He's the third-in-command there. My mother works in a department store. I'm not sure what position she holds, but she seems to be a small leader too."
Deng Yunheng had long suspected that Song Yu's family background was impressive, but it was even better than he'd imagined. He joked, "That's great, Sister Song. I'll rely on you to protect me from now on!"
Song Yu laughed, "You're funny. Your father runs a factory in your hometown and has opened a restaurant in the county. He's an amazing man. Why would you need me to protect you?"
Deng Yunheng replied modestly, "My father's factory is just a small business. As for the restaurant in the county town, I don't know how it's doing yet. I came back this time to check it out."
Song Yu said, "It should be doing well. The last time I met your uncle, I felt he was smart and capable. If he's done well with the factory, he'll surely do even better in the county town."
Deng Yunheng nodded, "I hope so. We'll see when we get there."
Song Yu blinked and asked, "What's the name of your restaurant? Where in the county is it located?"
Deng Yunheng said, "My sister wrote to me and told me it's called Suifeng Restaurant. It's located diagonally across from the People's Cinema. Unfortunately, I've only been to the county town once, and I didn't notice where the People's Cinema was at the time, so I'm not sure where the restaurant is."
"That's a good name, and the location sounds great. Do you remember Prosperity Road? The People's Cinema is on West City Road, which connects to Prosperity Road. It's the intersection next to Xinhua Bookstore. After the intersection, you'll reach West City Road."
"Oh, now that you mention it, I remember…"
The two chatted the entire way, and before they knew it, several hours had passed, and the bus successfully arrived in Bobai County.
(End of this chapter)