The current state of trains is still quite chaotic, especially in the carriages with standing and seated tickets. Some aunties and older women, traveling far to visit their children or relatives, often bring along their hens, ducks, and the like.
Small dogs aren’t a problem as long as they’re kept from defecating or urinating everywhere.
Song Wei felt reassured. Speaking of which, she had never taken a train in this era before, so she was somewhat looking forward to it.
Wolf One had returned. Early in the morning, he had run off and came back carrying a small puppy in his mouth.
Hei Dan was overjoyed by the two chubby little puppies. These two little ones were much cuter than Wolf One and Wolf Two had been when they were young!
Lin Zhen noticed that this breed of dog was indeed intelligent, especially the slightly larger one. While playing in the yard, it began trying to herd the two sika deer and the silly roe deer, occasionally crouching low and barking.
But it was still too small, and its voice was too high-pitched. Neither the deer nor the roe deer were afraid of it.
The silly roe deer even knocked it over with its head.
But the little pup wasn’t discouraged.
The three of them, holding their rice bowls, sat in the yard and watched as the little dog engaged in a battle of wits with the three larger animals.
“A herding dog, living up to its name,” Lin Zhen remarked. “But some of our local dogs aren’t bad either.”
The local village dogs were also quite clever, excelling at guarding homes and protecting their owners. Some could even accompany hunters on their expeditions.
However, the latter required some training.
This herding dog was still very young and likely hadn’t been trained, yet it seemed to have an innate ability to herd.
Song Wei said, “I hope it can bring us some pleasant surprises.”
With only three days left before their departure, Lin Zhen had arranged for Hei Dan’s living and meal arrangements in the village and had gone to buy train tickets.
He managed to get two sleeper tickets.
Some items that couldn’t be carried along had been packed up half a month earlier and sent ahead by mail.
On the day of their departure, Hei Dan, with red eyes, and Jiang Wenwu watched as they boarded the train.
Song Wei leaned out of the train window.
“We’ll be back soon, Hei Dan. If anyone bullies you, go find your Wen Yong brothers or take note of it, and we’ll deal with it when we return.”
Hei Dan nodded solemnly. “I understand.”
Though he was sad and reluctant to see them go, he wasn’t being unreasonable.
It was heartbreaking to see.
If it were allowed, Song Wei and Lin Zhen would have taken him along, but this wasn’t a leisure trip.
Given her uncle’s current status, it was better to be cautious.
The train clattered into motion. Jiang Wenwu, holding Hei Dan, chased after it for a short distance until it disappeared from view before leaving the station.
Lin Zhen and Song Wei squeezed through the crowded train. The air was filled with a mix of unpleasant smells.
Sure enough, some people had brought chickens and ducks, either in baskets or cradled in their arms.
The little herding dog they had brought along, nicknamed “Little Boss,” was very well-behaved. Wrapped in Lin Zhen’s coat, it hadn’t made a sound.
The sleeper carriage was much less crowded and quieter.
Song Wei and Lin Zhen’s bunks were next to each other, one above the other. Lin Zhen let Song Wei take the lower bunk.
Next to them was an elderly man with glasses, who looked quite scholarly.
“Awoo~”
A furry little head poked out from Lin Zhen’s coat, its big, dark eyes looking around curiously.
The old man across from them adjusted his glasses and looked over, a hint of surprise on his face.
Lin Zhen coughed.
“Sir, I’ll put the puppy on the floor for a bit. Don’t worry, it won’t run around or make a mess. If it does, we’ll clean it up.”
The old man smiled. “No problem. The little fellow is quite cute.”
As they spoke, a young man carrying a thermos walked over.
“Dad, try not to read too much on the train. It’s hard on your eyes.”
The young man also looked curiously at the chubby little dog lying obediently on the floor.
“You brought a dog on the train? What breed is it? I’ve never seen one like this before.”
Lin Zhen replied, “A friend gave it to us. It’s called a Border Collie, and it’s a herding dog. My fiancée and I are heading to the northwest to visit relatives and thought we’d bring this little one along as a gift.”
“A herding dog? Does it really herd sheep?”
The young man seemed quite interested in the puppy, though he meant no harm.
The two parties struck up a conversation, and the atmosphere became quite pleasant.
“Why is it an upper bunk? I don’t want an upper bunk. It’s so narrow, and you have to climb up and down.”
A dissatisfied complaint rang out in the carriage, and everyone turned to look. It was a well-dressed young woman.
Beside her, a slightly shorter man with glasses was trying to placate her.
“Only upper bunks were available when we bought the tickets. Let’s make do.”
“No way! Go and swap it for me. I want a lower bunk!”
The man had no choice but to ask around if anyone was willing to switch, but no one was foolish enough to agree.
When he asked Song Wei and Lin Zhen, they naturally declined as well.
In the end, the man had to pay extra to swap with a middle-aged woman who had a lower bunk.
After the swap, the young woman still complained about the smell, which left everyone speechless.
You were the one who wanted to switch, and now you’re complaining?
The middle-aged woman’s face darkened, but the man apologized profusely, preventing an argument.
The two seemed to be a couple. As the saying goes, one was willing to endure, and the other was willing to put up with it.
They thought this was just a minor incident, but as night fell, things took a turn.
Lin Zhen took the puppy to the restroom to take care of its business.
The little dog had a fixed schedule for relieving itself and preferred to do so in grassy areas. Of course, there was no grass on the train, so when it got urgent, it would clamp its tail and tug at Lin Zhen or Song Wei’s pants, circling in place.
When Lin Zhen returned from the restroom with the puppy, he met the curious gazes of the old man and the young man.
“It actually knows how to use the restroom?”
At such a young age, wouldn’t it fall through the hole in the train toilet?
Lin Zhen explained, “We let it do its business on some toilet paper.”
“That’s still impressive. This little dog is so smart—it doesn’t make a mess anywhere.”
The young man looked envious, but unfortunately, the dog wasn’t his.
When it was time to sleep, Little Boss didn’t wander around. It simply lay down on Song Wei’s shoes and closed its eyes to rest.
In the middle of the night, a scream suddenly echoed through the carriage, waking everyone up.
“What’s going on?”
Little Boss also raised its head, alert.
Song Wei pricked up her ears. The scream sounded familiar—it seemed to be the woman who had swapped bunks earlier.
“My things have been stolen!”
At these words, everyone was instantly wide awake and began checking their belongings.
Song Wei and Lin Zhen were no exception.
Fortunately, they had kept their important items close while sleeping. If there had been a thief, their alertness would have surely caught it.
“My money! Five hundred yuan is gone!”
The woman’s shrill voice filled the carriage. The man tried to comfort her, but she wouldn’t listen and even slapped him across the face.
“It’s all your fault! Go find it! That’s five hundred yuan—get it back for me!”
“I was woken up by that person, so they couldn’t have gone far. Everyone in this carriage is a suspect. No one is allowed to leave!”
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