Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

At first, when Xu Bei was suppressing the thief, he was cursing and swearing, but now he was begging for mercy and wailing.

Upon seeing the train police officers, he burst into tears as if he had seen his saviors, crying, "You've finally come! I was almost beaten to death!"

Xu Bei and the other passengers in the carriage were both amused and exasperated by what they saw.

Laughter and chatter arose from all sides.

"They deserved to be beaten to death! If only they had known this would happen, they wouldn't have done it in the first place!"

"Yeah, right! These thieves are so despicable. So many people are extremely careful when they go out, and they still get robbed. Some of these are even their life savings!"

"Yes, it's absolutely outrageous!"

"Luckily, this young man knows a thing or two; he's quite skilled. Otherwise, who knows how many more people in this carriage would have been in trouble!"

"Who can argue with that?"

"..."

Amidst the cacophony of voices, a train police officer questioned Xu Bei and Wei Xuelin in detail to understand the situation.

Afterwards, they praised and thanked Xu Bei for his bravery, and then they were going to take the thief to the dining car to keep him under guard.

They also said that once the train arrives at the next station and stops, it will be run over and handed over to the railway authorities for processing.

As for whether he would be detained for a few days or how he would be educated, Xu Bei didn't care.

Anyway, his intervention wasn't just out of a kind heart to help those in need; it was also for his own benefit.

Otherwise, once the thief successfully steals Wei Xuelin's money, he will likely be the next target.

After all, the elderly man and woman sitting next to him looked very poor, and even if they really did have surgery, they wouldn't be able to squeeze any money out of them.

After the train police escorted the people away, the carriage returned to some calm, but Xu Bei's surroundings were anything but quiet.

Moreover, some passengers who dared not sleep anymore were also frequently watching Xu Bei.

Wei Xuelin and his wife Meng Yahui kept expressing their gratitude.

He also took out a pen from his shirt pocket, quickly wrote a line on a cigarette pack, and then handed it to Xu Bei with both hands.

"This is my home address and work phone number. If you ever need anything from me, please don't hesitate to ask. If it weren't for your generosity, I would have been in deep trouble."

Xu Bei glanced at the cigarette box paper; besides the home address, it also contained the name of the government agency and a phone number.

A thought crossed his mind: if he opened a shop in the city in the future, it might be helpful. In any case, having more friends means having more options, which is never a bad thing.

"Brother Wei, you're too kind. Anyone who saw something like this couldn't just stand by and do nothing, especially since you had such a young child with you."

"In this day and age, there are many people who dare to meddle in other people's business, but it is rare to find someone like you who is both warm-hearted and truly capable, and who can act so decisively and efficiently!"

Look at the people in this carriage. When that thief was committing the crime, who dared to make a sound? Who dared to move? Only you…”

Wei Xuelin poured out his flattering words as if they were free, and even though he lowered his voice to say the rest, Xu Bei was still slightly embarrassed.

"Brother Wei, if you keep going like this, I'm going to find another place to sit."

Wei Xuelin hurriedly said, "Please don't!"

Seeing this, his wife handed the child, who had been calmed down and stopped crying, to him, and took out two apples with red bananas from the bag under the seat, trying to force them on Xu Bei.

"Hey bro, have an apple. It's so soft and sweet, it's delicious."

Xu Bei naturally knew the high value of these winter fruits in the 1980s.

The red banana apples are even more expensive than the Kuo-Kuang apples, so you can guess that they're probably prepared for children. You can use a small spoon to scrape them and feed them to them.

"Thank you, sister-in-law, but I've never liked apples since I was a child. You should keep them for yourselves."

Besides, we're from the same hometown, and it's fate that we met by chance and ended up traveling together. So, it's only right that I help out while we're traveling."

Meng Ya Hui is also from Lindu, but unlike Xu Bei who works for the Forestry Bureau, she works in the city. However, she also has the typical straightforward personality of a Northeastern girl.

"There are no such things as 'should'. You're the one with guts, brother. You're a real man, and I admire you."

Even if you don't like it, take it; it'll keep in your bag to keep it smelling. If you don't accept it, I'll feel really uneasy.

Meng Yahui choked up a little as she spoke.

Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Xu Bei reluctantly agreed to accept one, saying, "Alright then, thank you, sister-in-law."

Meng Ya Hui immediately stopped crying and smiled. "Don't mention it. To be honest, if it weren't for your generosity today, we would have had to slink back home as soon as we got off the bus in the provincial capital."

Wei Xuelin immediately echoed sincerely, "Yes, not only did we lose money, but we also had to take leave from work. It's hard to explain to our families back home in Beijing; they're all waiting to see our DouDou..."

Xu Bei had already learned through their conversation that Wei Xuelin was from Beijing and had come here as an educated youth during the Down to the Countryside Movement.

Then he fell in love with Meng Ya Hui, who also went to work at the forest farm after graduation. The two got married and had their child several years later.

"Everything's alright now, it was a false alarm. But for the rest of the journey, Brother Wei and Sister-in-law, you should be careful. It would be best if you dressed in worn-out or old clothes so as not to attract attention."

Wei Xuelin and his wife both nodded vigorously, taking Xu Bei's kind advice to heart.

Because of the theft, almost no one dared to sleep soundly for the rest of the time; everyone was more vigilant and worried.

The green train swayed and wobbled as it arrived at the station, and the sky gradually brightened.

At 6:30 a.m., a piercing static noise came from the train's loudspeaker, followed by the announcer's clear and articulate voice: "Passengers, we have arrived at Bingcheng Station..."

Xu Bei and Wei Xuelin, along with their child, got off the bus together.

Since he was only carrying one bag, he also helped carry their bags with his quick and agile movements.

This naturally made the couple extremely grateful.

They even wanted to drag Xu Bei outside the station to find a place to eat.

However, Xu Bei firmly declined.

Because he needed to hurry up and find a place to sell the wooden stools, and then he needed to go and buy more stock, he didn't have much precious time to waste.

"Brother Wei, sister-in-law, we'll meet again someday."

"What do you mean 'see you later'? We definitely have to keep in touch!" Wei Xuelin grabbed Xu Bei's hand with surprising force. "When we get back from Beijing, we'll definitely treat you to a good meal, little brother."

You didn't mention it in the car earlier, but I just found out your family owns a shop near the Forestry Bureau. Now I don't have to worry about not being able to find you in this sea of ​​people.

Xu Bei didn't say anything in the car because he was worried that the thief might have had an accomplice who had followed him the whole way without getting off the bus. If that happened, the thief would know his background and it could be detrimental to his family.

But things are different after getting off the bus; I can finally speak the truth.

"Okay, then I'll wait for you and your sister-in-law to come back and invite me."

After saying goodbye to the couple and their child, Xu Bei went to a steamed bun shop alone with his bag to have breakfast.

The steaming hot steamed buns with sauerkraut and pork filling, along with millet porridge and pickled vegetables, immediately dispelled the cold and hunger.

Then, he boarded the trolleybus with the long braid and headed straight for another crowded market that he had inquired about beforehand...