The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

The train slowly started moving, and the platform outside the window seemed to slide backward.

Ye Shu finally found her place in the crowded, narrow aisle.

He bought a sleeper berth, a hard sleeper, in a small open compartment with six beds on both sides.

He bought a middle bunk, put his suitcase and backpack on the luggage rack opposite him, and then climbed onto his bunk before letting out a long sigh of relief.

Finally, I can rest for a while.

Although the air in the carriage wasn't particularly fresh, mixed with all sorts of indescribable smells, at least it wasn't so chaotic, and the noise was reduced to the "clattering" sound of the train.

Ye Shu took out her phone and saw that it was already past 10 a.m.

He opened the chat window and sent a message:

I'm on the bus, it's so crowded!

A short while later, a reply came:

【Okay, little Shu, please be careful.】

Immediately afterwards, another message popped up, containing only three words:

I miss you.

As Ye Shu looked at these three words, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile. Her heart, which had almost collapsed just now, was instantly soothed by these three words.

He replied with an OK emoji, then put his phone in his pocket, intending to take a short nap.

People came to the lower bunk. They were two migrant workers who looked to be in their forties or fifties. They were clearly used to being out in the sun and wind all year round, with dark skin and wearing camouflage work clothes.

Judging from their accents, Ye Shu realized they were probably from nearby. Although there were slight differences, they were, in a broad sense, fellow villagers.

However, Ye Shu wasn't the type to be outgoing, nor did he have any intention of striking up a conversation. He silently turned over, preparing himself to lie on this bunk all the way home.

However, he underestimated the wonderful attraction between strangers on his journey, especially between fellow countrymen.

The two guys on the lower bunk were talking when they started taking things out of their bulging backpacks.

Roast chicken wrapped in oil paper, vacuum-packed pig's trotters, braised beef, pig's head meat, several cans of beer, a few small bottles of cheap but high-proof liquor, cucumbers and peanuts in plastic bags, and a few sausages...

This looks like they're having a picnic in the car.

The small table was quickly filled to the brim.

Ye Shu lay on the middle bunk, the aroma wafting upwards, making his stomach, which hadn't felt anything before, rumble.

At this moment, the older man in the lower bunk stood up, patted the edge of Ye Shu's bed, and gave Ye Shu a very simple but warm smile:

"Young man, are you alone? Want to come down and grab some food? We've bought quite a lot, and the road ahead is still long."

Ye Shu's first reaction was to wave her hand in refusal:

"No need, no need, you guys eat, I brought my own food."

"Oh! Don't be so polite!"

These two guys were very enthusiastic, and they seemed like straightforward people.

"We're all traveling, it's fate that we bumped into each other. Judging from your voice, we're from the same hometown, right? Let's come down and grab a bite together, it's so boring sitting up here."

These two guys were so enthusiastic, and the aroma of the things below was just too overpowering.

Ye Shu hesitated for a moment between "I'm sorry, stranger" and "It smells so good," but in the end, the simple and warm hospitality from the stranger prevailed.

He climbed down and smiled at his older brother:

"Then I'll have some, thanks, brother. I won't be polite."

"That's right, no need to be so polite."

The older brother laughed and made room for him.

Ye Shu felt really bad about eating and drinking for free, just as the flight attendant came by with a cart.

"Beer, soft drinks, mineral water, peanuts, melon seeds, and big bowls of noodles."

Ye Shu quickly waved and stopped the car. Looking at the prices, she felt a pang of regret, but gritted her teeth and bought a few cans of beer, along with two bags of vacuum-packed chicken legs and other snacks, adding a couple more dishes to her menu.

With food laid out and beer bottles opened, the small cubicle instantly became lively.

Once they started drinking, and since they were all from the same hometown, they began to chatter.

After chatting, it turned out that the two older brothers' homes were located in the same county as Ye Shu's home, which made the group feel much closer to each other instantly.

The two men were very talkative. They said they worked on a construction site in another province, painting the exterior walls of buildings.

"It's the kind of thing where you're suspended outside the building, tied with ropes, to do the work."

The guy across from me gestured with his fingers:

"We work hard under the sun and wind, earning only hard-earned money, but with food and lodging provided, it's better than farming at home."

When they talked about their family's development, their children who were still in school, and the elderly in their families, their eyes were filled with helplessness.

At this moment, a woman on the opposite bunk also joined in.

The woman looked to be in her thirties and was dressed quite well, unlike the two men who were dressed simply.

She seemed to have been sleeping upstairs, but now, drawn by the conversation and food below, she leaned down and asked:

"It's quite lively here! Can I join you?"

As she spoke, she got off the bed and took a bag of fruit and some snacks from the bag on the luggage rack.

This woman is generous and efficient in her actions and speaks in a very organized manner. Although she didn't specify what she does for a living, her words and actions reveal that she has seen the world.

She seemed to travel frequently and knew this route very well, and she spoke eloquently about her experiences in various places.

The meal on the train took an unusually long time.

Eating on a train isn't really about filling your stomach; it's a way to kill time and pass the time.

The main thing is to chat with others; the food and drinks are just accompaniments.

The four people are of different ages, professions, and experiences, but they came together in this small compartment because of a train, because of their similar accents, and because of their desire to go home.

Ye Shu was the youngest, and most of the time he just listened, munching on a chicken foot, as they talked about their experiences from all over the country, the hardships of working away from home, and the trivialities of their families.

However, Ye Shu didn't drink much alcohol, he just ate. Seeing that the others had also eaten and drunk their fill, he said, "I'm going upstairs to lie down for a while," and climbed back to his bunk.

He dared not drink too much. Although thinking this way was a bit petty, one should always be wary of others when traveling.

Even though the two older brothers and sisters seem to be simple, warm-hearted, and kind people, it's always better to be cautious.

The three people below drank for a little while longer before gradually dispersing.

The two men quickly tidied up the trash, and the woman returned to her bunk. The small cubicle gradually quieted down.

Ye Shu lay on her side, put on her headphones, and prepared to listen to music and drift off to sleep for a while.

However, just as he was about to fall asleep, he seemed to smell something.

It's hard to describe, but it's very pungent, like it's piercing your nose.

Ye Shu suffers from chronic rhinitis and usually has a less sensitive sense of smell, but now she can smell things again.

Just as he was wondering what it tasted like, he heard the woman in the opposite shop say to those below:

"Hey bro, why don't you put your shoes on? I really can't take it anymore."

Even sitting in the lower bunk of a sleeper berth, my feet are still sweaty. What kind of luck is this?

Ye Shu sighed, and after listening to the older brother's somewhat awkward apology and the sound of him putting on his shoes, he drifted off to sleep.