dmims Chapter 36 Entering the City
Chapter 36 Entering the City
The group went to get the car.
No one noticed that in the corner not far away, Wang Xiuying was standing there with a vegetable basket on her shoulder, her eyes fixed on the little red book in their hands.
She came to the service center to buy salt. Just as she got there, she saw the Bai brothers and the two capitalist ladies coming out of the regimental headquarters, holding... a marriage certificate?
Wang Xiuying's mind went blank.
Wait a minute, weren't they already married?
They've already had a group wedding, why are they only getting their marriage certificate now?
Moreover… she squinted and looked closely; it seemed that Bai Rongbei had handed the book in his hand to Lin Weiwei.
Was it Su Wanwan who received Bai Si'an's book?
This order... is completely reversed!
She suddenly remembered the rumors she had heard a while ago, that something went wrong on their wedding night... She hadn't paid any attention to it at the time, thinking it was just idle gossip.
But now, looking at this bizarre order of marriage registration, and considering Bai Rongbei's subtle protection of Su Wanwan earlier...
A bold guess took shape in Wang Xiuying's mind.
Could it be... that they really slept with the wrong person?
So that's why they're going through the procedures again now to get the marriage certificate replaced?
The thought made her heart race.
If that's the case, then this is a very serious matter!
The two brothers got married and divorced, and then married each other's ex-wives... Isn't this just messing around with relationships?
Although the procedures are legal, it will sound terrible if word gets out!
A cold smile appeared on Wang Xiuying's lips.
She was just looking for an opportunity to suppress these two pampered young ladies, and now, perfect leverage has been delivered right to her doorstep.
She watched the four figures walk away, then turned and walked quickly toward the family compound.
We need to "leak" this out quickly.
The military jeep belonging to Bai Rongbei was parked at the entrance of the camp, clean and shiny, its green paint gleaming in the sun.
Lin Weiwei exclaimed "Wow!" as soon as she saw the car, and ran over to it, circling it once: "This car can seat four people?"
"Sure." Bai Rongbei opened the driver's side door. "The back seat will be a bit cramped."
Bai Si'an had already walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and sat down.
His right leg is not very convenient, so it's more spacious for him to sit in the front.
Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan opened the back door of the car.
The back seat was indeed small; when the two girls sat inside, their legs were touching and their shoulders were almost touching.
"Hold on tight." Bai Rongbei started the car, and the engine roared to life.
The vehicle drove out of the camp and onto a dirt road in the Gobi Desert.
Unlike the truck ride that day, the jeep had a canopy, so we didn't have to brave the sand and dust, and the seats were softer.
But the road was still the same road, full of potholes and pebbles.
The car bounced along, and Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan were initially excited, peering out the window.
Outside was an endless expanse of Gobi Desert, with yellow sand, stones, and sparse camel thorns. Occasionally, one could see herdsmen driving their flocks of sheep in the distance, like clusters of moving white dots.
The sky was a bright blue, with very few clouds, and the sun shone brightly.
"This view... is quite spectacular," Su Wanwan said softly.
"It's just too desolate," Lin Weiwei added. "You can't even see a single tree."
After driving for about half an hour, their excitement wore off.
That's insane, absolutely insane.
My internal organs were shaking along with the car, and my stomach started churning.
Su Wanwan's face turned pale first. She covered her mouth and whispered, "Weiwei... I feel a little unwell."
Lin Weiwei wasn't much better off. Leaning against the car window with her eyes closed, she said, "I...feel like throwing up too."
Bai Rongbei, who was driving in front, glanced in the rearview mirror and said, "Hang in there, there's a hill ahead. We'll rest after we get over it."
The car bumped along for another ten minutes or so before finally climbing a gentle slope.
There was a flat area at the top of the slope, and Bai Rongbei parked the car.
As soon as the car stopped, Su Wanwan pushed open the door and rushed out, squatting by the roadside and dry heaving.
She didn't eat much in the morning, and what came out was mostly sour water, which made her eyes water.
Bai Rongbei got out of the car, walked to her side, squatted down, and gently patted her back.
His hands were large, and the pats on his back were of moderate pressure.
Su Wanwan vomited for a while and felt a little better, but she was still weak and couldn't stand up.
Bai Rongbei took a water bottle out of the car, unscrewed it, and handed it to her: "Rinse your mouth."
Su Wanwan took the kettle, rinsed her mouth with her mouth, and then handed it back to him.
"Thank you..." she said weakly.
Bai Rongbei didn't say anything, but handed her another handkerchief.
Su Wanwan wiped her mouth and then noticed that he had been squatting next to her the whole time, with dirt on the knees of his military trousers.
She felt a little embarrassed and tried to stand up, but her legs gave way and she almost fell.
Bai Rongbei reached out and supported her arm: "Slow down."
His palms were very warm; you could feel the heat even through the fabric of his shirt.
Su Wanwan steadied herself, her face slightly flushed: "I'm fine... I'm just a little dizzy."
On the other side, Lin Weiwei also got out of the car, but she didn't vomit. She was just pale and leaning against the car, panting.
Bai Si'an walked over and handed her a water bottle: "Have some water."
Lin Weiwei took it, took a sip, and handed it back to him: "This road... is too difficult to walk on."
"That's how it is on the frontier," Baisian said. "You'll get used to it."
"I don't want to get used to it." Lin Weiwei pouted, looking at Su Wanwan squatting by the roadside. "Wanwan, are you alright?"
Su Wanwan nodded: "Much better."
The four rested for about ten minutes before getting back into the car.
This time, Bai Rongbei drove even slower, trying to avoid the large pit.
But the road is what it is; even if you go slowly, it's still bumpy.
Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan leaned back in their seats, closed their eyes, and tried their best to suppress the nausea.
Bai Si'an took out two oil paper packets from his satchel and handed them to the back: "Eat some of these, they'll help you calm down."
Lin Weiwei took it and opened it; it contained dried apricots, golden yellow in color, and looked sour.
She popped one into her mouth, and the sour taste melted in her mouth, which actually suppressed the nausea somewhat.
"For Wanwan." She took another one and handed it to Su Wanwan.
Su Wanwan took it and ate it in small bites.
"Where did you come from?" Lin Weiwei asked Bai Si'an.
"Old Zhang from the cookhouse gave it to me; it was sent from his hometown," Bai Si'an said. "He said it helps with motion sickness."
"Thanks," Lin Weiwei said, popping another one into her mouth.
The car continued driving forward.
The Gobi Desert seems endless, with the same yellow sand and the same stones; after looking at it for a while, your eyes get tired.
Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan were drowsy but couldn't fall asleep, so they just dozed off.
After an unknown amount of time, a different color suddenly appeared ahead.
It is green.
Although they are sparse, there are indeed trees and houses.
"We've arrived," Bai Rongbei said.
Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan immediately perked up and peered out the car window.
It's a small town, not very big, and most of the houses are adobe houses, all gray and dusty.
The street was a dirt road, full of potholes, with some shops on both sides, but the storefronts were all very small.
There were quite a few people on the street, some in military uniforms, some in civilian clothes, and some in ethnic costumes, all dressed in bright colors and looking very nice.
The car slowed down even more as it entered the city.
The streets were crowded with people and vehicles, mostly oxcarts, horse-drawn carriages, and bicycles; cars were a rare sight.
Bai Rongbei honked his horn, and the crowd in front slowly made way for him.
"This is the city?" Lin Weiwei's eyes widened. "It's smaller than I imagined..."
"That's what a small border town is like," Baisian said. "The regional capital is 300 kilometers away; that's what a real town is."
The car drove for a while longer before stopping at an intersection.
"Let's go eat first," Bai Rongbei said. "The state-run restaurant is up ahead."