Wu Lei thought Zhi Xia would be overjoyed, but unexpectedly, Zhi Xia shook her head.
Wu Lei's smile on his face instantly froze.
Could it be that he had guessed the other party's meaning wrong?
Just as he was thinking this, he heard Zhi Xia say: "I won't hide it from Brother Wu, since I was little I've had a particular knack for tinkering with these kinds of things. Just now I also heard that Brother Wu works at a food factory, so I wanted you to taste the mung bean cakes I just made and see what you think of the flavor. Getting your praise would be enough for me, I didn't intend to sell the recipe."
Pei Jing looked at Zhi Xia in confusion, he had the same thought as Wu Lei just now.
But now it seems that he was narrow-minded, she really just likes cooking.
Thinking back to the chef at home when he was young, who also particularly liked researching dishes, and would be overjoyed whenever he researched a new dish and asked people to try it, getting praised made him extremely happy. Zhi Xia was probably like this too.
Wu Lei was just a little disappointed, but since the other party had said it like that, he didn't insist further.
However, he still tentatively asked for the specific address where Zhi Xia was going, thinking that he would leave a friendly gesture, in case he really needed the other party someday.
And looking at the clothes of the brother opposite, he should also have some position in the army. Based on the thinking of having more friends for more options, he wouldn't lose out either.
People are often like this, so-called feelings are mostly maintained by interests. Even without interests, people are still willing to get along well with others when they don't lose out, just in case they can really use the other party someday!
Of course, there are also a small number of stupid and malicious people who only do things that harm others without benefiting themselves.
Zhi Xia handed over the remaining mung bean cakes and the oil paper to him, "It's fateful to meet like this. I can see that Brother Wu is also someone who loves delicious food. I'll give this to Brother Wu. I hope you won't look down on it."
In this era when everyone could barely eat their fill, even coarse grains were in high demand, let alone delicacies made from fine grains like these.
To be able to share food with others, they must either be one's own relatives, or there is something to gain.
Wu Lei didn't dare accept it for a moment.
Zhi Xia probably sensed his hesitation, and smiled again, "Brother, don't think too much. I'm also a foodie. I heard Brother Wu works at a food factory, so you must come into contact with all kinds of cakes and pastries often. I just wanted to use the mung bean cakes as an icebreaker to establish a good connection."
Pei Jing glanced at Zhi Xia inconspicuously. Being able to portray her love of eating so purely and unconventionally, this was the first time he had seen it.
Wu Lei only felt reassured to accept the food. He really couldn't think of anything the other party could gain from him. It must be as she said, they shared a common hobby and wanted to establish a good connection.
As a grown man, he couldn't take advantage of a woman either, let alone that those who could afford sleepers were all people of some status, if not, they had connections at home.
Although reluctant, he still took out the White Rabbit milk candy he had brought back for his child from his bag, "Miss, I don't have any good stuff on me now, this is for you to sweeten your mouth."
Zhi Xia knew that since she had given out her food, it would be improper not to accept something from the other party. But a grown man bringing White Rabbit candy should not be something he would bring for her.
She thought for a moment, grabbed a few, and jokingly said, "Brother Wu, this candy shouldn't be for you to eat, right? And I don't dare take too much of this precious stuff, I'll just take a few, you should put away the rest."
Seeing that the other party was a girl who knew moderation and didn't take advantage, Wu Lei truly felt that he had good judgement and didn't befriend the wrong person.
Although reluctant, he still said, "Don't hide from you, miss, I got this on my way back from the south to bring home for my kids. Today I took advantage of you, if you and Brother Pei Jing get a chance to come to the city in the future, come to the food factory and ask for me by name. I will definitely do my utmost as a host."
Zhi Xia took out another pack of mung bean cakes from her bag and gave it to Pei Jing to eat, while she ate two herself.
Wu Lei got up and went towards the bathroom. Pei Jing then said, "Just now I also thought you wanted to sell the recipe. But you can't do this kind of thing again in the future when going out. You have to keep a low profile. Fortunately this Wu Lei is not a bad person, otherwise you doing this would be very dangerous, especially on trains, there are all kinds of people, you never know who is good and who is bad."
"I know, I'm not an idiot either. If not for you being here, I wouldn't dare talk casually with others." What Zhi Xia said was true. She was clearer than anyone how chaotic trains were in the 1970s and 80s.
With underdeveloped technology and no surveillance, it was the heyday for thieves and kidnappers. If you really got kidnapped, it would be difficult to even find you.
But thieves and kidnappers weren't blind. Obviously there was someone in military uniform next to her, who would dare pluck the tiger's whiskers?
"Then what were you trying to gain from befriending him? Were you thinking of working at the food factory?" Pei Jing frowned. "It's not that I don't agree with you going out to work, it's just that you don't understand the situation there. The army is still some distance from Lingjiang City, the country roads are difficult to traverse to begin with, and when it rains on cloudy days, they get all muddy. You're currently pregnant, it's really not suitable for you to go to work."
From when she found a job at a restaurant not long after returning home, combining with this matter, Pei Jing guessed that the young lady probably wanted to go out to work.
Having ambition was a good thing, but reality really didn't allow it.
"I didn't think that much, I really just wanted him to taste my cooking." Zhi Xia smiled and asked him, "Do you think my behavior of giving away food to others when everyone in their own homes can barely eat their fill is foolish?"
For Zhi Xia, who didn't lack food, this was normal, but it did look hard to understand in the eyes of outsiders.
Pei Jing did think this way, but he was considerate and didn't want to hurt the young lady's feelings, so he tactfully said, "No, don't overthink."
What he was distressed about was not the lost food, it was her.
It's not necessarily a good thing to connect with others so easily. Thinking about the environment she grew up in, her inner heart must have craved the approval of others right?
Those who lack love can only use love to warm others. Pei Jing felt that his future task was a bit heavy.
Pregnant people were naturally prone to sleepiness. Although she had slept for half the afternoon, when darkness came, she was still very drowsy.
More people had also boarded the train, and the big man on the other side was snoring loud enough to shake the heavens, while the person whose berth was close to Zhi Xia's had smelly feet. Going to the other side meant knocking heads with another person when sleeping, also not resting well.
Zhi Xia sat up supporting herself for most of the night, and was extremely sleepy. She had no choice but to curl herself up into a ball and cover her head with the quilt, before she could finally dilute the stench of the smelly feet.
After a night, her whole being was visibly wilted.
In the morning, Pei Jing climbed down from the upper berth and saw her dejected appearance.
"What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?" Pei Jing asked with concern.
Zhi Xia shook her head, "I just didn't sleep well, I'll sleep for a bit later and I'll be fine."
Pei Jing thought of the earth-shaking snores last night, and could probably guess some of it, but he couldn't tell people not to snore, after all it was uncontrollable.
He went to pour hot water for Zhi Xia, and originally wanted her to eat something, but she had no appetite, so he could only let her drink some water.
When sleeping again, Zhi Xia switched places with Pei Jing and went to the upper berth before she could finally rest well.
She had also tried immersing her consciousness in the space, but that was just her consciousness controlling the space, and could not block her five senses.
On the second day of the train ride in the afternoon, the weather grew colder and colder, fortunately they had brought clothes, and Zhi Xia had also put on the cotton-padded jacket made by the old lady.
After two days and three nights on the train, they finally arrived at Lingjiang City. They hadn't even gotten off yet but could already feel the chill, and once off the train, the wisps of cool breeze froze her to shudder violently.
