The train driver in the courtyard

As night falls, every household lights up dim lights.

"Brother Aiguo, how many days will it take you to take the train to go abroad this time?"

Chen Xueru stood in front of the big stove skillfully, making pancakes. She asked with a smile as she made the pancakes.

"It will probably take more than ten days." Li Aiguo squatted beside the fire.

"Why does it take so long?" He Yushui, who was lighting the stove, was stunned and the firewood almost fell out of the stove.

Li Aiguo was quick-witted and picked up the smoking corn stalks and threw them into the stove.

"Be careful, don't set the house on fire." Aunt Liu, who was making pancakes nearby, scolded He Yushui.

He Yushui stuck out her tongue and said, "I have never heard of a train ride that takes more than ten days in my life. How far is that?"

"More than ten days is still a short time." Li Aiguo took a sip of tea from the enamel pot and said, "It's seven or eight thousand kilometers from here to Bulgaria. There is no direct train. We need to transfer in Moscow and then take the Trans-Siberian Railway to reach Bulgaria."

"Plane flies in the sky and is much faster than train. It's such a long journey, why don't you take a plane?" He Yushui asked, tilting her head.

Looking at He Yushui who had a hundred thousand questions, Li Aiguo was speechless for a moment.

The delegation to the Iron Group was led by Minister Teng himself.

The travel methods, food and accommodation were all arranged by the department, so it was not his turn as a train driver to speak.

However, Li Aiguo could vaguely guess the reason.

First, the department has the consideration of saving money.

Transferring via plane will cost several times more than taking a train.

The second is probably because the plane is unsafe.

Minister Teng is of a very high rank. In addition, Bulgaria is very close to the Middle East, a war-torn region where several passenger planes have been shot down.

For example, in 53, a Swedish DC-4 passenger plane was shot down by a Middle Eastern bully.

In 55, the L-149 passenger plane of the Little Overlord was shot down by Bulgaria.

In comparison, trains are much safer, and even if an accident occurs, the entire train will not be destroyed.

He Yushui had already turned into a million questions at this time, with his little head full of new and interesting things from abroad. He asked again: "Are there any good things in Bulgaria?"

"It seems that roses are quite famous." Li Aiguo has also learned a lot about Bulgaria's customs and culture recently.

"That thing can neither be eaten nor drunk, it's really boring." He Yushui curled her lips.

"Yushui, your brother Aiguo is going abroad on business this time, not to bring you anything."

Seeing that He Yushui was becoming more and more outrageous, Aunt Liu frowned and was about to scold him.

"Yu Shui is still young, and it will take several years for her to get married." Li Aiguo hurriedly stopped Aunt Liu.

"Mom, Brother Aiguo bullied me again." He Yushui pretended to complain.

Aunt Liu rubbed her head lovingly: "That's not bullying, that's education. Brother Aiguo is also your brother, and it's only right for him to teach you a lesson."

For a moment, the room was filled with a warm atmosphere.

As we were chatting, there was a knock on the door.

Li Aiguo turned his head and with the help of the dim light he could see the third uncle stealthily poking his head out of the door.

"Uncle, please come in quickly." Aunt Liu greeted the uncle.

"My sister-in-law is not here either. I have something to ask Aiguo."

Seeing the third uncle blinking his eyes and looking sneaky, Li Aiguo knew that he was up to no good.

really.

After leaving the house, the third uncle pulled Li Aiguo to a place where the wind was sheltered and whispered, "Aiguo, you are going abroad, can you buy some duty-free goods back?"

In addition to being able to exchange foreign currency, every person traveling abroad also has a certain tax-free quota.

But it’s not easy for the third uncle to know all this.

"Uncle, if you have anything to say, just tell me."

"I read in history books that the rose essential oil in Bulgaria is quite famous. Your third aunt likes it very much, so I wanted to ask you to bring some back.

Don't worry, Uncle San will reimburse you in full for any expenses you may have to pay."

"What is this? Essential oil? Uncle, wait a minute." Li Aiguo interrupted Uncle and asked with a frown, "Aunt likes rose essential oil? Do you know what it is used for?"

"I know!" The third uncle looked very clear, adjusted the frame of his glasses and said with his chest puffed out: "Rose essential oil is a high-grade oil, better than soybean oil, and it makes cooking more fragrant."

Li Aiguo was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "Uncle, before people said you were smart, but I didn't believe it. Today you really opened my eyes."

The third uncle also realized the problem and asked hurriedly, "Isn't it for cooking?"

Li Aiguo explained: "Rose essential oil is a cosmetic for little girls. It can improve dry skin, restore skin elasticity, and allow women to have fair, elastic and healthy skin."

"Ah, people abroad actually put oil on their bodies. This is really a waste of things."

"." Li Aiguo said: "Rose essential oil itself has nothing to do with cooking."

The third uncle opened his mouth a little wider, scratched his head and said depressedly: "The history books don't talk about these things, they just say that Bulgaria's specialty is rose essential oil."

"Would you like to take anything else with you?"

"Then forget it. Your third aunt doesn't have that kind of hobby." The third uncle rolled his eyes and said, "I heard that the ham there is also very famous. How about you bring some back?"

Li Aiguo: "."

He felt that if he spoke any more words to the old man, the money in his pocket would be stolen, so he turned around and went back into the house.

The third uncle was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet behind him: "I'll split the money with you after we sell the ham. It's 30-70. How about I get 70% and you get 34-60%?"

Snapped.

Li Aiguo closed the door.

The world suddenly became quiet.

Early the next morning.

The car from the department arrived at the gate of the courtyard on time.

Chen Xueru sent Li Aiguo to the car and watched it disappear at the end of the street before turning around and returning to the courtyard.

Jia Dongxu saw it all and ran to Yi Zhonghai's house in high spirits: "Master, Li Aiguo is on a business trip again."

Yi Zhonghai, who was lying on the bed, immediately got up after hearing the news.

"Doesn't Li Aiguo travel frequently? What's the big deal?"

"Master, I heard that Li Aiguo is going abroad this time. Just think about it, foreign countries are so far away, it will take at least a month. The New Year is coming soon, and we have to hold various activities in our compound, and we need you, an old man, to help us..."

Jia Dongxu stopped talking halfway through his sentence, and Yi Zhonghai already understood what he meant.

Chinese New Year is an important festival, and it is the time for him, a big shot, to show off his power.

It just so happened that Li Aiguo was not in the compound, and he wanted to take this opportunity to regain his position.

"Dongxu, help me up. I want to go for a walk around the compound."

Yi Zhonghai suddenly looked seven or eight years younger.

the other side.

After Li Aiguo met up with Minister Teng, he and the delegation boarded the international train to Moscow.

After a long journey, the international train finally arrived at its final destination, Moscow. Li Aiguo asked Liu Guozhang and learned that since Minister Teng still had some official business to attend to, the delegation would need to stay in Moscow for two days before going to Bulgaria.

"Director Wang, I'd like to take half a day off." After the delegation checked into the hotel, Li Aiguo knocked on the door of Director Wang of the delegation.

Director Wang was a meticulous person. He adjusted the frame of his glasses and said, "According to regulations, we are not allowed to leave the team without permission during our trip. Comrade Patriot, if you have any urgent matters, I can send a comrade to accompany you."

"Can Director Liu Guozhang accompany us?" Li Aiguo knew that this was the rule of the delegation and did not refuse, but proposed a compromise.

"Director Liu is an old comrade, so of course it's possible." Director Wang nodded.

In this way, Liu Guozhang left the hotel with Li Aiguo.

"Aiguo, where are you going?" Liu Guozhang was still confused at this time.

"Moscow State Institute of International Relations."

Li Aiguo raised the bag in his hand.

"Do you have any acquaintances in Moscow? At the School of International Relations?" Liu Guozhang was surprised.

The Moscow State Institute of International Relations is the most famous diplomatic school in Russia. It is also well-known in China and is the first choice for foreign affairs personnel to pursue further studies.

It is said that the sons of Coal Industry Minister Vakhrushev, the son of Foreign Trade Minister Menshikov, and the son of Deputy Internal Affairs Minister Dekanozov all studied here.

"Didn't I come to Moscow on a business trip last time? On the train, I met a comrade from the Foreign Affairs Department named Yu Jinan."

Li Aiguo cut out the beginning and the end and recounted the whole process of how he met Yu Jinan.

After Li Aiguo returned to China, he did not break off contact with Yu Jinan, and the two often exchanged letters.

When Yu Jinan learned that Li Aiguo was going to pass through Moscow, he asked him to bring some local specialties from his hometown.

"This kid makes friends wherever he goes."

The two came to the Moscow Institute of International Relations at 76 Vernadsky Street, Moscow, where Li Aiguo met Yu Jinan, who was studying at the institute.

Compared with the last time on the train, Yu Jinan now looks more mature. The childishness on his face has disappeared and his eyes have become more determined.

"Driver Li, it's really a trouble for you to bring this thing all the way here." Yu Jinan shook hands with Li Aiguo.

"We are all friends, there is no need to say such polite words." Li Aiguo looked at the package with pretended curiosity: "Can I know what local specialties your family sent you?"

"Driver Li, are you worried that the things you brought are contraband? I am no longer the young boy I was back then." Yu Jinan immediately guessed what Li Aiguo was thinking.

Li Aiguo simply stopped pretending: "According to the regulations, I should open the package before leaving, but I see that it is wrapped tightly and your mother handed it to me personally. I hope you can open it yourself."

As soon as these words were spoken, the slight pride that had appeared on Yu Jinan's face because he had guessed Li Aiguo's thoughts suddenly disappeared.

He nodded gratefully at Li Aiguo and reached out to untie the rope on the package.

Inside the package was a red cloth bag. When the red cloth bag was opened, there was a layer of cotton. Under the cotton was a pair of round-toed cloth shoes with thousand-layer soles.

The upper is made of black coarse cloth with rounded edges, and is carefully sewn with fine stitches.

The thousand-layer sole is made up of layers of upper garments stacked together.

These robes are made from scraps of cloth that are collected from daily life, a layer of paste and a layer of cloth, which are slowly dried in the sun.

Then he used an awl to pierce the thick soles with great effort, and finally used needle and thread to sew them tightly together. The dense threads were like crisscrossing paths.

The whole pair of shoes looked particularly shabby compared to the leather shoes on Yu Jinan's feet, but Yu Jinan held them in his hands as if they were treasures.

"When I was in school, my family was poor and I had no money to buy shoes. I had to wear straw sandals to school in the middle of winter. As a result, I got frostbite on my feet every winter."

"My mother worked for a wealthy family in the city at the time. She used the rags thrown away by the wealthy family to help me sew my first pair of thousand-layer cloth shoes."

"My frostbite miraculously healed. From then on, every few years, my mother would find a way to sew me a pair of cloth shoes with thousand-layer soles."

"I came to Moscow this time because I was delayed by illness, so I left in a hurry and forgot my shoes at home."

As he spoke, Yu Jinan took off his leather shoes and put on the pair of cloth shoes with thousand-layer soles, regardless of the people coming and going on the street.

Liu Guozhang noticed that the corners of Yu Jinan's eyes had turned red, and he felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

Just now, he felt that Li Aiguo was wasting his time by traveling thousands of kilometers to deliver shoes to someone.

Now after hearing what Yu Jinan said, I finally understood.

This is not a pair of shoes, it's an anchor.

As long as he puts on his shoes, Yu Jinan's heart will always remain at home.

This doesn't matter to most people.

However, these foreign affairs personnel who come here for further studies are often tempted by various things.

Yu Jinan changed his shoes and seemed particularly excited. He invited Li Aiguo and Liu Guozhang to have dinner in the college's small restaurant.

He started talking about life in the academy. As they were talking lively, Li Aiguo suddenly asked, "Are you still in touch with the girl who got sick on the train?"

"Chen Xianglan? I, we are in touch, and we are in touch often."

Yu Jinan, who was talking so eloquently just now, now blushed. "Driver Li, you are Xianglan and I's benefactor. I won't hide it from you. I plan to marry Xianglan after I finish my further studies and return to China."

"This is a good thing. You should treat me to an extra drink at the wedding." Li Aiguo said with a smile.

He felt like he had a talent for being a matchmaker.

It's a pity that matchmaking is not considered acceptable these days, otherwise Wang Po would have no chance of success.

"Driver Li, are you going to Bulgaria this time to attend the Iron Group meeting?" At this time, Yu Jinan's words caught Li Aiguo's attention.

Li Aiguo's spirit became alert again, and he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Jin'an, I haven't told you about this, right?"

"I have a special information channel. Don't worry, it's a formal channel, actually."

Yu Jinan was about to continue speaking when Li Aiguo's face changed and he interrupted him, saying, "Comrade Yu Jinan, we are here to deliver shoes today. The shoes have been delivered and it is time to go back."

Yu Jinan woke up suddenly and realized that he had made a mistake.

"Driver Li, I was negligent."

"Jin'an, an old senior of mine once told me something, and now I'm telling you this. In this world, apart from the organization, you can't trust anyone, including your relatives, partners, and friends."

When Yu Jinan raised his head, Li Aiguo was gone.

He sat down in a daze, sighed and said, "It seems that I have to find a way to write a letter of apology and hand it in when I go back tonight. Yu Jinan, Yu Jinan, you are too young."

When Yu Jinan returned to the dormitory, an old Russian in a student uniform rushed over and said, "Dear Yu, I got a new model of Volga. How about we go racing in the suburbs?"

Yu Jinan looked at Vakhrushev's son Chekov and smiled: "Are we the only two? Where are Vasily and Semenovich?"

"Semyonovich flew home last night. It was said that his father was going to celebrate his birthday. Vasily went with us. I don't know where he got a box of cocktails from. You know cocktails, right? They are said to be fine wines from the Americans. Let's have a good time today."

"Give me a moment."

Yu Jinan took off his cloth shoes, carefully put them into the box, and then put on the pair of shiny leather shoes.

He pushed the door open with firm steps and walked out.

"Comrade Chekov, we can set off!"

Liu Guozhang had participated in activities before liberation. Although the conversation between Li Aiguo and Yu Jinan seemed stupid, he still vaguely guessed the truth of the matter.

"Patriotic, Yu Jinan is a good comrade, but he is too young. There is no need to be so strict with him."

"It is precisely because he is a good comrade that I reminded him." Li Aiguo looked around and lowered his voice and said, "If Yu Jinan reveals any flaws, he may never be able to go back in this life."

A gust of cold wind from Siberia blew into his collar. Liu Guozhang felt chilled and could not help but tighten his collar. (End of this chapter)