Today is July 3rd, and tomorrow morning, Chen Meilan will be heading to the capital.
The baby in Qi Songlu's womb is now seven months along. After getting an ultrasound, they learned it's a girl, and she's due in two months.
She still needed to call Yan Wei to ask if there was anything he wanted her to bring to Yan Peiheng, or if he wanted her to buy anything for him from the capital.
When she called, Yan Wei immediately refused: "Meilan, we don't need anything. The capital has nothing to do with me anymore. I now have a 60-square-meter apartment from my work unit, and my wife is carrying my little daughter. That's all I need, and I'm quite content."
Chen Meilan detected something in his tone.
As family members, many things shouldn't be kept hidden like the father and son Yan Zhao did. Things need to be spoken openly and directly - that's the key to family harmony and prosperity.
"Second Brother, you probably understand why Dad gave his original little red building to Yuanyuan. As for the apartment he's living in now, even if he insists on giving it to me, I wouldn't accept it. So that apartment has nothing to do with us - the ownership should be discussed between you and Big Brother's family," Chen Meilan said frankly.
The little red building was three stories tall and had once housed several Soviet nuclear scientists after the liberation. After several decades, the interior was aging and needed renovation before anyone could live there, but the land and property rights alone were valuable enough.
The house was given to Yuanyuan because of Yan Xing's situation.
As for the current high-rise apartment with elevator, even if Yan Peiheng offered it, Chen Meilan wouldn't accept it for the sake of family harmony.
Speaking things plainly would reduce conflicts between siblings.
Yan Wei quickly said, "Meilan, that's not what I meant."
Was it not about the house that he was complaining?
How could it not be?
The reason he felt uncomfortable was precisely because of the house.
After a pause, he explained further: "For that high-rise apartment, I paid half the money when we got the property rights. Even if I don't care about the house itself, having a place to stay in the capital would be convenient, especially when Qi Songlu brings the child back there occasionally, don't you think?"
Chen Meilan immediately said, "I support Dad giving the house to you."
The old man's favoritism was his own foolishness. Chen Meilan and Qi Songlu had such a good relationship, and Qi Songlu's value was worth far more than an apartment in the capital. For this reason alone, Chen Meilan wouldn't let a house create a rift between them.
After simple preparations, they would depart the next day.
This trip to the capital was the children's idea - they wanted to take the train.
Jim was both optimistic and pessimistic, knowing this would probably be his last time in China, and since he didn't know how big China really was or what it looked like, he wanted to see the country properly from the train.
Little Wang and Yuanyuan and the others hadn't experienced much of their motherland's beautiful landscapes either, so they wanted to see the scenery from the train.
Carrying his violin and wearing his backpack full of world classics, Jim smiled at Yuanyuan before leaving home and said, "You must wait for me, wait until I grow up and come back to marry you."
"Brother, you can't make jokes like that anymore, people will tease me," Yuanyuan said.
Yan Sanye, who was brushing his teeth outside early in the morning, pointed at Jim and said, "This kid is quite good, polite, and likes to hug people. Completely different from those unsightly ones in Yan Zhao's family. He reminds me of Xishan when he was young. I really like him. Zhaodi, keep the wealth in the family, you should marry him in the future."
Yuanyuan replied, "Third Uncle, let your Yan Zhaodi marry him. I'm Yan Shengnan, and I'll never marry anyone."
Jim turned back to wave goodbye to Yan Sanye and said, "Grandpa, do you know that all the places I've lived in have been like hell? Yuanyuan is my little angel. If it weren't for growing up and being able to marry her, I would have wanted to commit suicide. You know, my big brother has attempted suicide several times. He told me that suicide is a form of release."
"What nonsense, what nonsense are you talking about?" Yan Sanye was hard of hearing and couldn't catch what was said, but by the time he asked again, Jim had already gotten in the car.
On this trip, Jim naturally wanted to have a thoroughly good time on the train.
The only regret was that Little Wang, who used to be as close to him as wearing the same pair of pants, had changed dramatically ever since Principal Liu's home visit last month. Not only did he often grab and hit Jim, but he also refused to play with him anymore.
Fortunately, Yuanyuan and Little Wolf were still his good friends, which wasn't bad.
Chen Meilan had bought tickets for a special tourist train line. Because of the recent speed improvements to the railway, they would board early in the morning and arrive in the capital by the next morning.
Since the Math Olympiad was on July 7th, Little Wang's family's train tickets were booked by the school. As soon as they boarded, they ran into Liu Jiaxuan, who was also going to the capital for the Math Olympiad.
After asking around, they discovered that many children in this carriage were heading to the capital for competitions. They were all the same age, and most were taking the train for the first time. After the train left Xiping City, the landscape became all plains, and the children gathered at the windows, creating quite a lively atmosphere.
Liu Jiaxuan used to be bullied by Little Wang, but recently Little Wang had stopped bullying him, which made him somewhat smug.
Little Wang had a wallet in his back pocket that was his sensitive spot - he wouldn't let anyone touch it.
While Little Wang was seriously working on math problems, Liu Jiaxuan secretly took the wallet from his pocket and showed it to the other students.
The knitted wallet was made by Yuanyuan five or six years ago, but because Little Wang had taken such good care of it, it still looked new. Little Wang had always been wealthy, now worth five or six thousand yuan, and this wallet contained exactly five hundred yuan.
They were all classmates, and being able to go to Beijing for the Math Olympiad certainly made them all elite students, but it was the first time these children had seen so much money. They passed it around, looking at it with amazement.
Just as Chen Meilan sat down, Liu Jiaxuan's mother came over to chat with her.
Whenever Yan Zhao went out alone with Chen Meilan, if they happened to interact with other couples, it would often trigger disputes between those couples, and there was a reason for this.
For instance, at this moment.
Yan Zhao had bought four sleeper berths and brought four sets of bedding, replacing everything from bed sheets to duvet covers with their own.
He had also brought slippers, and as soon as they boarded, he had the whole family change into comfortable slippers.
All the fruit was washed clean, and since Chen Meilan had recently developed a taste for soy milk, he had prepared that as well.
The dry food was packed in a KFC paper box he had brought back from the capital many years ago, with tissue paper covering the top.
Although everyone had sleeper berths and was traveling with children, while other families' belongings were scattered everywhere with clothes flying about, this particular set of berths, thanks to Yan Zhao's management, looked like a hotel room as soon as they entered.
That wasn't all. When Chen Meilan stretched out her hand and suddenly said, "My nails are a bit long, I need to trim them," Liu's mother watched in amazement as Yan Zhao reached into a suitcase at her feet and precisely retrieved a nail clipper.
"Little Wang's mom, isn't your husband the deputy director of our city's Public Security Bureau?" she said. "You let him do all these things for you?"
When a man has some official position, either he feels too important to do housework, or women subconsciously become more submissive in their family life.
"He enjoys doing these things, so I let him be. He can't stay idle," Chen Meilan said.
She could see the envy and slight resentment on Liu's mother's face, but there was nothing she could do about it. Yan Zhao wasn't putting on a show.
He was naturally inclined to be helpful and hardworking.
She guessed that when Liu's mother returned home, she would definitely have an argument with her husband: "Look at Yan Zhao, and then look at yourself."
The conflict among the children erupted in an instant.
Yuanyuan suddenly shouted: "Who took my brother's wallet?"
A boy said, "I saw Liu Jiaxuan playing with the wallet earlier."
Liu Jiaxuan held up his empty hands: "What wallet? I haven't seen any wallet."
The other boys also chimed in: "We haven't seen any wallet, really haven't seen it."
Jim noticed one boy move slightly and immediately said: "Look at him, he's hiding something."
Yuanyuan rushed to that boy and grabbed his collar: "Hand over the wallet."
"I haven't seen it, really haven't seen it," the boy had already passed the wallet to someone else.
Another boy pointed at Liu Jiaxuan and said: "He's the one who stole it."
The adults were having a nice chat when the children started causing trouble. Liu's mother yelled at her son: "Why did you take someone's wallet? Give it back right now."
Liu Jiaxuan had only meant to play a prank, and now he didn't want to cause any more trouble.
But the wallet wasn't in his possession anymore, so he asked the other kids: "Where's the wallet? Quick, give it back to Yan Wangqi."
"I haven't seen it."
"I haven't seen it either."
Seven or eight boys emptied their pockets together, turning them inside out, and someone's wallet had gone missing.
Little Wang was still working on his math problems, alternating between calculations and writing, seemingly oblivious to the commotion.
Yuanyuan was particularly angry because previously, it had always been Little Wang who bullied Liu Jiaxuan. She sympathized with the weak and wanted to look after Liu Jiaxuan. Moreover, that wallet was the first thing she had made after learning to knit, and back when Little Wang was still a stranger to her, it was because of that knitted wallet that he accepted her as his sister.
So the wallet was especially important to her.
Not to mention there was money inside.
The little girl personally searched the group of boys: "Where's the wallet?"
Because Yuanyuan was a minor celebrity, most boys were willing to cooperate with her, but there were always exceptions. When Yuanyuan had barely touched one boy's hand, he pushed her away: "Yan Wangqi, don't think everyone has to worship you just because you're a bit famous. Don't touch me, I hate you."
Where there are admirers, there are also critics.
Because she had acted in a movie, there were plenty of people who criticized and disliked Yuanyuan, but she didn't care.
She pushed back: "You're acting guilty. Hand over the wallet."
Since they were all acquaintances, the other children's parents hadn't intervened yet, and their family had four children.
Yan Zhao wasn't worried about anyone getting hurt, but he was puzzled by Little Wang's current behavior.
So he remained patient and watched his son.
The boy and Yuanyuan started scuffling, both grunting as they pushed each other.
Though Yuanyuan was a girl and kept getting pushed backward, she struggled to maintain her balance while still trying to reach for the boy's pockets.
"Keep searching, have you found it?" the boy taunted, one hand showing his empty pocket while pushing Yuanyuan with the other. "You think you're so great just because you acted in a movie? Think everyone has to pamper you?"
If there was no wallet in the boy's pocket, then Yuanyuan had wrongly accused him. She immediately said, "I'm sorry!"
"Whatever!" the boy said as he brushed past Yuanyuan to leave.
Little Wang suddenly stood up, slammed down his pen, turned around and pointed at the boy: "Gao Jiaming from First Middle School Affiliated, earlier Liu Jiaxuan handed the wallet to Fei Yifan from Second Middle School, Fei Yifan passed it to Cao Wenbin, and Cao Wenbin gave it to you. You hid it under the radiator, thinking no one saw?"
Gao Jiaming froze for a moment, then immediately said, "Yan Wangqi, you're talking nonsense. I didn't."
"Everyone else was just playing around, but you actually wanted to steal my money. You thought I didn't know?" Little Wang, who was the tallest among the children due to playing basketball regularly, thrust his chest forward, pushed the other boy away from Yuanyuan, and pulled the wallet out from under the radiator: "Anyone who tries to steal from me hasn't been born yet."
Gao Jiaming's face turned red and white, and suddenly his mother slapped him and dragged him to the bed.
Seeing the knitted wallet was dirty, Yuanyuan took it, dusted it off, and gave it back to Little Wang.
Little Wang pocketed the wallet, refilled his pen with ink, and went back to working on his test papers.
After the children's commotion, Liu's mother was both embarrassed and angry, and gave Liu Jiaxuan two loving slaps as well.
She pulled him back to the sleeper berth.
The chaos finally settled down.
Chen Meilan wasn't used to dealing with unfamiliar people, so she was quite relieved when Liu's mother left.
As for Yuanyuan, since becoming an actress, many people criticized her, but that was all behind her back - no one had criticized her to her face before.
Worried her daughter might be upset, she asked, "Are you feeling hurt? If you're hurt, tell mom. Or maybe we should stop acting altogether?"
Yuanyuan replied: "Even Liu Xiaoqing gets criticized for being fat, and people say Gong Li looks rustic. Let them criticize, it won't make me eat any less."
With that, she went back to looking out the window at the scenery.
This little girl had quite a good attitude.
Since Yan Zhao had made the beds very neatly, Chen Meilan was preparing to take a nap. Just as she lay down, she heard Yan Zhao suddenly say, "What a shame."
"What's a shame?" Chen Meilan asked.
Yan Zhao said quietly: "Little Wang was doing his problems earlier, I've seen the answer key, and he barely got any wrong. But he was multitasking - he knew exactly whose hands his wallet passed through and when."
Chen Meilan said: "It must have been a lucky guess, he wasn't even looking at the other children."
"No, he was watching the whole time. The test paper he was working on took three minutes longer than the previous one because he was multitasking, keeping track of where his wallet was going." Yan Zhao sighed deeply: "If he wasn't so focused on making money all the time, he'd make an excellent criminal investigator."
He was perceptive, observant, and had particularly clear logical thinking.
The reason he had been mediocre in his studies all along was that all his attention was on making money.
Such a shame.
He might become a businessman in the future and make money.
But if he became a police officer, worked as a criminal investigator, Yan Zhao had to admit to himself that he wouldn't be as good as his son.
Wasn't that a waste?
Chen Meilan looked at Yan Zhao, who was wearing an Eastern-style jacket today, with a white shirt and black dress pants. With his crew cut, at 34 years old, he looked neat and capable. Apart from his dark skin, strong eyebrows, and determined eyes, his face had almost no wrinkles. In casual clothes, he looked much better than in his unchanging green uniform and green cap.
Little Wang's eyes and brows resembled Zhou Xueqin's, much softer and more delicate than Yan Zhao's.
At eleven or twelve years old, during puberty, it was usually the ugliest time for boys, but he hadn't become ugly. With his close-cropped crew cut and thin frame, those peach blossom eyes - one could tell he'd grow up to be a heartbreaker among young girls.
Such a handsome young man would be wasted working for the state.
Better to let him become a boss and make big money.
Once he makes money, wearing a suit and tie, he'd be like a domineering CEO.
By then, with a group of young girls following him around, Yan Zhao would be dazzled just looking at potential daughters-in-law.
Seeing a fly land on Chen Meilan's cup of soy milk, Yan Zhao had to pour it out and make her a new cup.
This "King of Hell" seemed to be in a particularly good mood today, looking at Little Wang and saying: "But he doesn't seem to have that mindset recently, he's reformed, which is good."
Setbacks help children grow up. Little Wang had matured into a steady, mature young man because of this setback, which was a good thing for him.
When he grows up and makes money, he'll probably have lots of girls following him around like Lu Dabao, and Chen Meilan thought this would be quite nice too.
But enough about that for now.
Yuanyuan, Jim, and the others had been watching the scenery along the way. The train was more lively than Tianqiao, with vendors occasionally coming through selling sweaters that fell apart after one wash, and razors that broke at the slightest touch.
More surprisingly, there was someone with a worn bag who sneakily chatted with everyone in the car, claiming to sell family heirlooms, including a thick gold bracelet bigger than Yan Zhao's finger, gleaming brilliantly.
He said it was a family heirloom and only cost thirty yuan.
In the new era, scams came in all forms, and everyone was bound to be fooled sometimes.
And each of the children fell for one scam.
Jim got that thick gold bracelet for his mother, Little Wolf bought some easily-damaged razors for his father, and Yuanyuan bought a bunch of two-mao pens for Little Wang to use. When Little Wang tried one, the nib split immediately, making it completely unusable.
Since Yan Zhao sat still as a mountain, constantly reading the newly revised Criminal Law, Chen Meilan said: "Officer Yan, the train is full of scammers selling fake goods, and you're not doing anything about it? Didn't you see each of your children got scammed?"
The great Officer Yan kept his head buried in his book, not even raising an eyebrow: "Train security is the responsibility of the railway police. Besides, society is so complex - don't you think the children need to experience being scammed sometimes, learn some lessons?"
So despite being a police officer, he just watched the children get scammed?
And even thought this was educational for the children?
Chen Meilan remembered something else and said: "I don't know if Jim left his violin behind, but according to Principal Liu, he has an exceptionally strong learning ability. He even submitted an article to 'Children's Digest' recently, and it was quite well written. Although he didn't make it to the finals in the Math Olympiad, ranking in the thirties is quite impressive for an American child. When we get to Beijing, you should talk to your sister-in-law about easing up on his education after they return to America, not pushing the child too hard."
"He's been with you and Yuanyuan for so long but never thought to buy you anything, yet he buys Liu Xiuying a gold necklace - I won't say anything about that," Yan Zhao turned a page in his book and said decisively.
Yan Zhao was obviously joking.
But Chen Meilan was being serious.
Despite Jim's optimistic personality, he had a subtle sense of world-weariness.
He didn't like to compete or fight for things, and often told Chen Meilan that he might choose to commit suicide when he grew up.
He also mentioned that his older brother Mike had attempted suicide multiple times, saying that suicide wasn't scary and was actually a form of release.
Chen Meilan had never encountered a child with such thoughts before, and found it quite frightening.
Though he understood everything, he accepted whatever came his way without resistance.
He thoroughly enjoyed his time with Yuanyuan and Little Wolf, but the desolation in his eyes made him seem like someone in their seventies or eighties.
She hoped Liu Xiuying would treat this child well in the future.
The next day at eleven in the morning, the train arrived at the capital.
Yan Zhao had specifically called Cui Zixiang, intending to have him pick them up, but as soon as they exited the station, Yuanyuan's sharp eyes spotted Yan Peiheng: "Grandpa."
Yan Peiheng's attitude toward Yuanyuan bothered not only Chen Meilan but even Yan Zhao, as he had almost never actively responded to the child's enthusiasm.
Instead, he reached out from afar to pull Little Wolf: "Kid, how's your shooting practice going?"
Little Wolf made a gun gesture with his hand: "Pew pew!"
Yan Peiheng laughed heartily and said, "Stay longer in the capital this time. Grandpa will let you do live ammunition training at our military district's shooting range, and I'll personally coach you."
"Grandpa, will we use real guns?" Yuanyuan eagerly asked.
Yan Peiheng nodded: "Yes."
Air guns were far inferior to real guns in terms of recoil and impact, and even if one became proficient with air guns, they could only be used for bird hunting or Olympic competitions. To truly master marksmanship, one needed to practice with real guns and live ammunition.
Yan Zhao patted his son's head.
While the police department also had a shooting range, bringing in outsiders for live ammunition training required provincial approval, so despite Yan Zhao's several requests, they were never approved. However, Yan Peiheng could make this decision at the military district, so Little Wolf could begin live ammunition training during this holiday.
This was perfect timing for Yan Zhao too, as he hadn't had proper training at the police department in recent years due to limited firearm access. He could train alongside his son while helping him, and also regain his former touch with weapons.
When they reached the roadside, the children all recognized grandpa's old Leopard car and rushed to get in.
Yan Peiheng stayed back a step, didn't get in, and called out softly: "Little Zhao!"
This voice made not only Yan Zhao but even Chen Meilan's scalp tingle.
Yan Zhao turned around, looking at his father as if he'd seen a ghost.
Only when he was very young had Yan Peiheng called him that way.
It was the most affectionate way a father could address his child.
"Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell? Did something show up in your medical examination?" Yan Zhao asked.
Sun Nutao had had that same look when he got his terminal illness - could the old man be sick?
"Gu Xiao arrives on July 9th, Liu Peng and his wife will handle the reception," Yan Peiheng sighed almost inaudibly, then continued: "Because of 271's success, I can't really voice any opposition, but Little Zhao, your father..."
He looked back at Chen Meilan: "I'm not being petty or jealous, and this doesn't have much to do with you all, but father sacrificed time with your mother and gave up the prime years of his life for the military, so I don't want military assets flowing outside. You understand, right?"
Yan Peiheng was now in a very passive position; because of 271, he couldn't oppose Gu Xiao's arrival and had lost all dignity to speak about it.
But as a compromise, the old man hoped Yan Zhao and his wife could help keep an eye on things.
How ironic - he had once firmly believed that Yan Zhao was dull and stubborn, at best capable of supporting himself as a carpenter.
Unexpectedly, now he could only rely on him.
Yan Zhao opened the car door and said: "Get in. Don't call me that anymore. My name is Yan Zhao."
Secretary Mao was driving today, so Yan Peiheng sat in the back with the children, and Chen Meilan took the front passenger seat.
She was still most worried about Hu Xiaohua, so she needed to ask Secretary Mao about the current situation at Food Factory 81.
The capital was at its peak of rapid economic development. Last time they visited, there were only traffic jams at overpasses and traffic lights, with few cars on the main roads. But now the streets were full of vehicles, and due to insufficient traffic lights and newly wealthy people driving recklessly, along with pedestrians not yielding to cars, accidents were frequent. There was constant stopping and starting, honking horns everywhere, and roadside shops competing with loud speakers.
After two years away, roads everywhere were being torn up and rebuilt, with demolition and construction happening all around - quite a bustling scene.
In the intense heat, Secretary Mao didn't dare use the air conditioning for Yan Peiheng's health, so they drove with the windows open, making the car feel like a steamer.
Chen Meilan had to practically shout in his ear, and it took quite a while before Secretary Mao could hear her question clearly.
"Hu Xiaohua? He's doing very well, Commander Liu thinks highly of him," Secretary Mao said loudly.
Chen Meilan felt something wasn't quite right, so she asked Secretary Mao: "Is Hu Xiaohua still working at Food Factory 81?"
"Yes, since it's close by, he's staying in the military district's bachelor dormitory," Secretary Mao said.
Having not called for a week, Chen Meilan was worried about Hu Xiaohua, so she said: "Please, Secretary Mao, take me to the bachelor dormitory first."
Since Chen Meilan wanted to go to the bachelor dormitory first, Secretary Mao had to take a different route.
This route happened to pass by Food Factory 81.
Being an old factory, it looked dilapidated at first glance.
The children, looking at the high walls and blackened chimneys, all said: "This place is really run-down."
After Chen Meilan took over 271, it was completely renovated within six months.
Food Factory 81 had been under Zhang Xiangming's management for six months now, but it still looked shabby, showing that Commander Liu's family hadn't invested much money in the factory.
By coincidence, it was almost two in the afternoon when Jim suddenly shouted: "Auntie, look quickly, someone's wearing a gold necklace exactly like mine!"
Chen Meilan looked carefully, and it was indeed Hu Xiaohua.
She asked Secretary Mao to stop the car and jumped out, calling out: "Xiaohua?"
Hu Xiaohua was holding a briefcase in one hand and about to light a cigarette with the other. When he saw Chen Meilan, he acted as if he didn't know her and turned to run.
"Why are you running? Stop right there," Chen Meilan called out. "Do you want me to call Xue Mingfang and Wang Meng to come skin you alive?"
"Oh my, Sister-in-law, it's you!" Seeing he couldn't escape, Hu Xiaohua turned around.
Chen Meilan got straight to the point: "Why haven't you called me lately?"
Hu Xiaohua smiled and immediately started flattering: "I've been busy. Sister-in-law, you must be busy too. Take care of yourself and get some rest. You know, besides my Aunt Su Wen, you're the person I care about most."
Having worked together for so long, they knew each other well. Chen Meilan could tell from Hu Xiaohua's evasive eyes that he must be hiding something.
So she asked: "How's the food factory doing these days?"
Instead of discussing work, Hu Xiaohua pulled out his gold necklace to show Chen Meilan: "Sister-in-law, have you seen this family heirloom gold necklace? It's real gold, eye-catching, isn't it? My mother-in-law gave it to me, it's her family heirloom."
"Your mother-in-law? Who?"
"Commander Liu's wife, Madam Liu!" Hu Xiaohua said.
Since they were all close, Chen Meilan spoke frankly: "Xiaohua, you must have something going on if you haven't contacted me for so long. Tell me what's happening."
"Sister-in-law, come on, I'm really doing fine," Hu Xiaohua said, touching his gold chain.
But when he looked at Chen Meilan, his eyes would redden and he'd sniff - Chen Meilan wouldn't believe nothing was wrong even if you killed her.
She decided to be direct: "You're thirty-two already, and Liu Jingjing is barely in her twenties. Do you really think Commander Liu's family would accept you? Xiaohua, don't forget, you've been to prison, and your children will never be able to work in good positions. I can believe that Jingjing likes you, but if you're saying Commander Liu and his wife approve of you, even ghosts wouldn't believe that."
There must be some problem here, but he didn't want to talk about it, and the reason was that he believed he could become Commander Liu's son-in-law.
Chen Meilan had to cruelly burst his bubble.
Hu Xiaohua became angry immediately: "Sister-in-law, don't look down on people. If my future parents-in-law didn't like me, would they give me such a thick gold necklace, a family heirloom?"
Whether it was real gold or a family heirloom, Chen Meilan could tell just by grabbing it and rubbing it between her fingers.
This kind of thing was still rare now, but in a few years, they would be everywhere, with everyone wearing one around their neck.
Once, Lu Jingyu had given Yuanyuan one exactly like it.
But before she could reach out, Jim got out of the car wearing his large gold chain around his neck and said, "Uncle, look! I have the same gold chain as you. Mine is also a family heirloom from someone else's family. I bought mine on the train. Where did you get yours?"
How could there be identical family heirloom gold chains?
Jim added: "Mine cost thirty yuan. How much was yours?"
Hu Xiaohua stood there thunderstruck, completely dumbfounded!
