It was ridiculous, truly ridiculous.
Li Shuying was no naïve young girl. In her previous life, she had lived through seventy-eight long years. And yet, here she was, in this new life, momentarily distracted by the laughter of a man barely in his twenties.
She shook her head lightly, as if to scatter such frivolous thoughts. What nonsense, she admonished herself inwardly. Have I truly grown so shallow after returning to youth?
Fortunately, before her thoughts could wander any further, Zhang Wenhao and her brothers returned.
Li Jianmin was practically glowing with excitement.
"Little Shuying, you should have seen that woman's face!" he exclaimed, unable to contain himself. "It was as if she had swallowed a fly whole. At first, she tried to dismiss us again, but the moment she saw Uncle Zhang, ha! Her entire demeanor changed. In the end, she had no choice but to issue us sleeper berth tickets."
His tone was full of youthful triumph, as though he had just won a small but satisfying battle.
Li Shuying couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. Then, turning to Zhang Wenhao, her expression softened into one of sincere gratitude.
"Uncle Zhang, thank you very much for your help."
As she spoke, she extended her hands and placed the four apples into his palms.
"This is only a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it."
Zhang Wenhao froze.
He stared at the apples and for a moment didn't know how to react. Then he quickly shook his head, pushing them back.
"No, no, this won't do," he said firmly. "Last time, I already took those radishes from you without paying. That alone has weighed on my conscience. How can I take something like this again?"
Li Shuying gently shook her head, her voice calm but resolute.
"You are not taking advantage of me, Uncle Zhang. You truly helped us today." She paused, then added with a faint, knowing smile, "And there is no need to feel burdened. I may still need your help in the future."
Zhang Wenhao blinked, slightly taken aback.
"My help?"
Li Shuying nodded.
"Yes. Once I return from Baicheng, I will come to see you. There is a favor I will need to ask. So… please accept this for now."
Her tone was light, but her gaze carried quiet certainty.
Zhang Wenhao hesitated.
These apples were far too precious, especially in such times. Looking at the three siblings, their thin frames and worn clothing spoke more than words ever could. In his heart, he felt that if anyone deserved these apples, it was them.
Just as he was about to refuse once more, A sharp, crackling announcement of train's arrival echoed through the station loudspeakers.
The calm of the station shattered instantly and the once loosely scattered crowd condensed into a restless tide of urgency.
Li Shuying did not press him further.
She simply offered a small, polite smile, then turned without hesitation. Bending slightly, she lifted one of the bundles with practiced ease.
"Second Brother, Third Brother, let's go," she said.
Without waiting, she moved toward the platform.
Li Jianmin and Li Jianguo followed immediately, weaving through the growing crowd.
Behind them, Gu Zhenhua who had observed the entire exchange in silence gave a slight nod to Zhang Wenhao and stepped forward as well, his orderly close behind.
The train arrived with a deep, rumbling roar. Its dark green carriages, lined with rectangular windows, stood solemn and imposing.
The moment the locomotive came into full view, both Li Jianmin and Li Jianguo forgot themselves entirely.
"How do you think the engine pulls so many carriages, and with so much weight, Second Brother?" Li Jianmin asked, his voice brimming with boyish excitement.
Li Jianguo stared at the iron beast with wide, awed eyes. Steam hissed from its sides, and the metallic scent of coal hung thick in the air. "It does seem fantastical," he admitted, "but with modern engineering, nothing is truly impossible. I've heard there is even a dining carriage onboard. Passengers with sleeper berths can eat there without additional charge."
Li Jianmin's eyes lit up further. "Truly? We can eat hot meals during the journey? Don't we need ration coupons at least?"
Li Shuying, who stood beside them with a composed expression, shook her head lightly. "No. For sleeper passengers, meals are provided. There is no need for extra money or coupons."
Her calm tone steadied the two boys slightly, though their excitement remained barely contained.
Soon, carried along by the tide of passengers, the three siblings boarded the train.
When Li Shuying stepped into the carriage indicated on their tickets, she halted for a brief moment.
This… was not what she had expected.
Her gaze swept across the compartment, and a flicker of surprise passed through her eyes, it was a soft sleeper carriage.
She had anticipated, at most, hard sleeper berth. In this era, soft sleeper compartments were typically reserved for cadres, high-ranking officials, or military officers. Ordinary citizens rarely had access to such comfort unless they were willing and able to pay a steep price. Even then, availability was uncertain.
Three yuan and five jiao per seat, such a cost was no small matter.
For a brief moment, Li Shuying felt that the four apples she had given Zhang Wenhao were far too meager in return for such a favor.
"Little Shuying, what are you standing there for?" Li Jianmin's voice broke her thoughts. He had already passed ticket inspection with train attendent and was waving at her from inside. "Come quickly! Let's settle our things."
She nodded and followed after her brothers.
As she walked down the narrow corridor, she carefully observed her surroundings. The compartment was arranged with enclosed cabins on either side of the passage. Each cabin contained two tiers of bunks, four berths in total fitted with relatively clean bedding. The wooden frames were polished smooth, and small tables were fixed beneath the windows. The windows themselves were fitted with curtains, offering a degree of privacy rarely seen in ordinary travel.
The lighting was dim but steady, and compared to the noisy, crowded hard-seat carriages, this place felt quiet, almost insulated from the outside world.
It was not luxurious by later standards, but for this time, it was undoubtedly considered comfortable.
After placing their belongings neatly beneath the lower berth, Li Shuying finally sat down. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly.
At that moment, a familiar figure entered the compartment.
Gu Zhenhua.
He stepped inside with the same composed bearing, his posture straight as a pine, the green uniform sitting impeccably upon his broad shoulders. Behind him, He Jianci quickly followed, placing the luggage in an orderly manner before straightening sharply.
"Deputy Company Commander Gu," he said with a crisp salute, "I will take my leave. If you require anything, I will be in the second compartment ahead."
Gu Zhenhua gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Without another word, He Jianci turned and left.
Li Jianguo, who had been watching this exchange, leaned slightly toward Li Jianmin and whispered under his breath, "Why is he in our compartment? And why isn't his comrade staying with him?"
His voice was low, yet not low enough.
Gu Zhenhua's gaze shifted toward them, calm and unhurried. "I have been assigned a berth in this compartment," he said evenly. "As for He Jianci, protocol dictates that a subordinate does not share quarters with his immediate superior during travel."
Li Jianguo stiffened, clearly not expecting his quiet remark to be overheard. A trace of embarrassment crossed his face. "I… I was only speaking casually," he said, forcing an awkward smile.
Gu Zhenhua did not press the matter. He merely inclined his head slightly. The compartment fell into a brief silence once more.
Outside, the train whistle sounded long and low. With a heavy jolt, the carriage began to move.
"The train is moving!" Li Jianmin exclaimed, his voice brimming with excitement as he pressed his face closer to the window. "Look... look how small the county has become!"
Even Li Jianguo, who was usually the more composed of the two, could not hide his astonishment. He leaned back slightly against the cushioned berth, his eyes still fixed outside. "I never imagined travel could be this comfortable," he admitted. "No dust, no long walking… just sitting, and yet the world moves."
Li Shuying smiled faintly, her gaze softening at their unrestrained joy. "Even so,it will still take around twelve hours before we reach Baicheng."
"Twelve hours?" Li Jianmin turned back, eyes wide. "So long?"
"It only feels long because you've never sat on a train before," she replied lightly. "Once you grow used to it, you will feel that even long distances are not so far anymore."
Li Jianmin nodded vigorously, then suddenly leaned closer to the window again. "But how does it even move like this? It's so heavy… so many compartments, so many people… and yet it runs faster than a horse!"
Li Jianguo's curiosity was also stirred. He folded his arms, frowning slightly in thought. "It should be something related to steam power, didn't we hear this in physics lesson in school?" he murmured. "It says that coal is burned to heat water, producing steam… but how does that steam move something this large is still unclear to me. And how does the force get transferred to the wheels?"
He paused, then continued almost unconsciously, his questions growing more intricate.
"And if it is steam pressure, then how is it controlled? Too much pressure should cause an explosion… so there must be some kind of regulating mechanism. And the wheels, how do they maintain traction on the rails without slipping, especially with such weight? And isn't there continuous energy loss due to friction and air resistance?"
He let out a small, self-conscious chuckle. "I'm just thinking aloud. These things are probably too complicated to understand until we reach university."
Li Jianmin blinked, already lost halfway through. "Second brother, what are you even talking about…?"
Li Shuying however cut him mid sentence and spoke, "It is indeed steam power," she said, her tone unhurried, as though she were merely explaining something ordinary. "Coal is burned in a firebox to heat water in a boiler. The water turns into high-pressure steam, which is then directed into cylinders."
Both of her brothers and even Gu Zhenhua turned to look at her.
"The steam pushes pistons back and forth inside those cylinders," she continued, her voice steady. "That motion is converted into rotational movement through connecting rods, which turn the driving wheels."
Li Jianguo's eyes widened slightly.
"As for pressure," she went on, "there are safety valves to release excess steam, preventing explosions. The engineer also controls the amount of steam entering the cylinders using a throttle, which regulates speed."
She gestured lightly, as if sketching the mechanism in the air.
"Regarding traction, steel wheels on steel rails do have limited friction, but the weight of the locomotive increases the normal force, which helps maintain grip. And yes, once the train gains momentum, it requires less additional force to keep moving, though energy is still lost due to friction and air resistance."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Li Jianmin stared at her as if he had just seen something unbelievable. "Little Shuying… since when do you know all this? Are they teaching you this in middle school this days?"
Li Jianguo was equally stunned.
Gu Zhenhua, who had remained quiet all this while, slowly lifted his gaze. His sharp eyes settled on Li Shuying. Earlier, he had only regarded her as a bold and mature little village girl. But now there was something else.
A faint, almost imperceptible change appeared in his expression.
Interest.
Gu Zhenhua's gaze was no longer merely observant, it had turned sharp, probing, as though he were trying to peel back the layers beneath her calm exterior.
He was not a man easily unsettled.
From a young age, he had grown up under the shadow of his grandfather's and father's legacy, measuring himself against their towering standards. In his heart, there had always been only one path, to serve the country, to protect its people. Everything else had long since become secondary.
His world was simple in its priorities, yet harsh in its demands.
Years of training, discipline, and experience had tempered him early. By the age of twenty-two, he had already seen more than most men would in a lifetime. People, in his eyes, were rarely surprising anymore. Their intentions, their fears, their limits, he could often discern them with a single glance.
And yet this girl was different.
It was an unfamiliar feeling and, if he were to be honest, even to himself... slightly uncomfortable.
Within the span of a single day, she had already caught him off guard more than once.
At the station, she had spoken without fear, even under his gaze.
And now she had casually explained principles that many educated men would struggle to articulate.
Gu Zhenhua's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and sometimes dengerous flashed into his eyes, though his expression remained outwardly calm.
A heavy feeling creapt his heart as a dengerous possibility ran through his head and unable to control his doubts and curiosity he asked...