Chapter 48

"Are you sure about going to the capital?"

Looking at Xu Junran, Long Yin Yue fell silent for a moment before asking.

Xu Junran nodded: "We have to give it a try. Besides, I have a classmate whose parents are professors at the agricultural university. I can ask him for help."

Only then did Long Yin Yue feel relieved. She wanted to say something but hesitated and didn't speak.

After bidding farewell and leaving, Xu Junran returned to his home in Li Family Town.

Yes, in Li Family Town, there was Xu Junran's home.

It was a small house where Xu Junran often came with his adoptive father in his previous life, watching his adoptive father mourn his parents.

But in this life, it was the first time Xu Junran had returned here.

Looking at the simple furnishings inside, Xu Junran smiled. From now on, he would live here.

After tidying up, the bed and other items in the room were all newly replaced. Since the house was near the ancestral hall, after learning that Xu Junran would return to Li Family Town to take up a position, Long Yin Yue had people clean up the place. He knew very well that according to Xu Junran's character, if he returned, he would definitely live here.

Sitting in front of the dim oil lamp, Xu Junran frowned. The first thing to solve was electricity.

At present, most rural areas in China did not have electricity. A place like Li Family Town, which was poor, had a low standard of living, with few forms of entertainment and no television. During the New Year, the production team leaders would organize activities at the brigade headquarters, including basketball games, tug-of-war, and weightlifting, like a small sports meet. Everyone would sweat and happily take home prizes like hoes. When it was a particular team's turn to host the activities, people from nearby areas would flock to the "sports field," some having to walk a long distance, but their interest never waned.

If a place had a film screening organized by the county, it would be as exciting as the New Year, with people from neighboring villages rushing to watch, creating a sea of people.

Electricity and transportation were the two major factors hindering the development of a region. If he wanted to make Li Family Town prosperous, he had to solve these two issues.

Shaking his head, Xu Junran calmed his somewhat chaotic thoughts. Things had to be done step by step. For now, he needed to focus on formulating his plan.

Spreading out a sheet of paper, Xu Junran wrote a few words, stroke by stroke.

Outside the window, night gradually enveloped the small town. Occasionally, the barking of dogs, the crowing of roosters, and the cries of children mixed with the scolding of adults could be heard.

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The train sped forward, and the high-rise buildings of the city quickly receded into the distance. Soon, it reached the countryside. The green wheat fields on both sides of the railway tracks rushed backward. The withered leaves on the rows of poplar trees were blown by the whirlwind created by the speeding train, falling and occasionally hitting the train windows, making a "swishing" sound.

Xu Junran sat by the window, looking at Lin Yuqing, who was sitting opposite him: "What's wrong? Not used to it?"

Lin Yuqing nodded: "This is the first time I've traveled so far. I don't understand why you're taking me to the capital."

Xu Junran smiled: "I'm taking you to Pengfei City. You'll go there first, and I'll take care of other matters in the capital."

He wasn't lying. After having Li Qiankun send Lin Yuqing to Li Family Town and arrange for her to work in the commune office, Xu Junran started to get busy. He didn't go to the grassroots production sites; each production team had its own dedicated leaders. Besides, he had more important things to do.

He made a trip to the county town, obtained an introduction letter from the county committee, and asked Yang Weitian to help buy two sleeper tickets through his contacts at the railway bureau. Xu Junran then took Lin Yuqing on the train to the capital.

In the 1980s, train travel was far less developed than in later times. It took two days and two nights to travel from Quanzhou City to the capital. Fortunately, Xu Junran had experience with train travel in both his previous and current lives, so he wasn't too afraid.

At this time, train tickets weren't as hard to get as they would be later, but they weren't easy to buy either.

At the very least, sleeper tickets weren't something ordinary people could buy. To get a sleeper ticket, one had to be a cadre and have an introduction letter from their unit. If Xu Junran hadn't asked the county committee to issue an introduction letter for himself and Lin Yuqing and gotten help from Yang Weitian's friend at the railway bureau, he wouldn't have been able to get sleeper tickets and would have had to sit in a hard seat for two days and two nights.

Moreover, the trains at that time were not fast, traveling at speeds of 30 to 40 kilometers per hour, stopping at every station. Xu Junran, who was used to fast travel, found it a bit hard to adapt, but with Lin Yuqing as company, they chatted, and the time passed quickly.

Out of habit, Xu Junran raised his right hand and subconsciously made the gesture of holding a cigarette between his index and middle fingers, but he smiled bitterly, remembering that he didn't have the means to smoke at this time.

People are like this; even if they are reborn, the habits formed over decades are hard to change.

Smiling bitterly, Xu Junran looked outside, his gaze involuntarily falling on Lin Yuqing.

Her long, black hair cascaded over her shoulders. Lin Yuqing wore a light blue sleeveless dress that revealed her youthful arms and legs, and she had on a pair of pink sandals. She exuded a striking charm that combined maturity and innocence.

In the compartment where Xu Junran and Lin Yuqing were, there were only the two of them. At this time, few ordinary people could afford to travel by train, and most were cadres on business trips. Moreover, there was no nationwide ticketing system, so Xu Junran and Lin Yuqing would likely be traveling alone to the capital.

Over the two days and two nights, Lin Yuqing felt her face flush for some reason.

For Lin Yuqing, she was different from Yuan Xiaoyue, who was still naive and knew nothing. She clearly understood the difference between men and boys. Although she hadn't truly become a woman, the things she had heard and seen made her realize how difficult it was for a woman to find a good man.

That kiss in the restaurant with Xu Junran was Lin Yuqing's first encounter with a real man.

Any woman cherishes her first kiss, especially under those circumstances. Xu Junran had stepped forward to protect her, and although they had only known each other for a few days, Lin Yuqing knew that this seemingly young but very experienced man had left a deep impression on her heart.

Forgetting someone takes a lifetime.

But falling in love takes only a few seconds.