country bumpkin

Chapter 331 Annual Vacation

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was the end of the year again. The factory was about to close for the holidays, so Tong Jiahui and Zhu Yanan wanted to prepare some local specialties from Haishi to take home.

They agreed to go to the market to buy some dried seafood to take home for their parents to try.

Yunya lay in bed listening to the two of them agree on a time, and she wanted to go with them too.

The three of them came together, and now that they're going home, one of them can't be missing. Tong Jiahui and Zhu Yanan also felt that excluding Yunya like this was a bit much.

After all, Yun Ya didn't know whether Bai Rui had cheated them out of their money or not. They were related, so both of them agreed that Yun Ya was the one in the know.

Now that I think about it, Yun Ya's relationship with them wasn't that good. Bai Rui is so cunning, she probably wouldn't tell Yun Ya about something like this.

Before the interview, the three of them were standing at the entrance of the shoe factory, and the other two saw Yunya pay the money.

And there was a thick wad of cash, at least 1000 yuan, and at most 1500 yuan like theirs.

Ultimately, Yunya was also implicated in this matter, so it's not her fault. She foolishly took out her own money too.

Then again, there's no such thing as a free lunch. If Bai Rui isn't after money, what is she after?

They were able to get them to the factory for free and even provided them with good food and drink for several days to cover their living expenses.

Nobody's a fool; if there weren't vested interests involved, who would believe it?

But Zhu Yanan and Tong Jiahui were angry that Bai Rui had taken too much money. They were neighbors from the same village, and she felt bad about cheating them like this.

At this point, Yun Yaxin also leaned towards Zhu Yanan and Tong Jiahui. Because she had heard from others that those who came in with the government had all paid 600 yuan.

She didn't dare tell the truth to Zhu Yanan and Tong Jiahui, but she still took 1000 yuan.

Zhu Yanan and Tong Jiahui had even more, a full 1500 yuan. In their small hometown, it would take their families a long time to save up that much money.

Having paid so much more than others, and still having to remember her favor, Bai Rui didn't lose out in this arrangement.

Later, Yunya and the other two never went to Luoquan Manor again, nor did they visit Luo Wanjun and the others.

This time, Tong Jiahui agreed to take Yunya with her to the market to buy New Year's goods. Zhu Yanan also did not object.

The three of them arrived at the market that day and were a little overwhelmed by the crowded queue. Perhaps it was because the Lunar New Year was approaching, but locals and tourists alike had gathered to buy New Year's goods.

Perhaps they all want to prepare things early so they won't panic if they can't buy anything at the end of the year.

Coastal cities have no shortage of seafood. There's fresh seafood and dried seafood.

People who come to work need to take long-distance buses or trains home, so they can't buy fresh seafood and can only buy dried goods.

They bought dried shrimp, dried scallops, and dried squid. Yunya's favorite is dried squid strips, which are all packaged in bags.

The price varied from 30 to 80 yuan per bag per pound. Yunya gritted her teeth and bought a bag of dried squid strips for 80 yuan.

This one tastes better, looks clean, and is more appetizing. The cheaper ones look like they have impurities, are a bit yellowish, and have more crumbs.

Better quality squid comes in whole, long strips; it's clean, light brown, soft, slightly moist, and elastic. The taste is also different.

The shop owner was very considerate and took out a small portion, put it on a small plate, and let people try it.

Tong Jiahui and Zhu Yanan also bought the same food. They spent 200 yuan today, and the three girls felt bad about it.

They hadn't expected dried seafood to be so expensive. But after a year of working hard away from home, how could they come back without bringing back some local specialties?

The three girls bought down jackets together. It was Yunya's first time buying clothes on her own, and she was overwhelmed by the choices.

Finally, I chose the same orange puffer jacket as Tong Jiahui. It was a small chuck style with a black and white stripe decoration on the sleeve, giving it a very casual look.

Zhu Yanan has fair skin, so she looks good in any color. In the end, she chose a dark red puffer jacket.

Zhu Yanan also bought a teddy bear doll for her brother's child. When turned on, the teddy bear lights up, sings, and plays music.

She thought children would love such a gift. Yunya bought one too, thinking her uncle's daughter would also like the toy.

They carried large and small bags of belongings back to their dormitory. Once there, they began packing.

The last month's wages have been paid, and they all keep the large sums of money close to their bodies for safekeeping.

There are small cloth bags sewn on the outside of the thermal underwear. Put the coins into the cloth bags and sew them up with a needle.

The remaining change was kept in the coat pocket for easy access when needed.

With everything ready, it was time to go home.

That day, dozens of buses lined up at the entrance of the shoe factory. They were going to various cities, and four of them were heading to the same city.

Yunya followed the group, carrying a woven bag on her arm and a black backpack on her back, and walked with difficulty toward the gate.

She was in front of Zhu Yanan and behind Tong Jiahui; the three of them were in the same car.

Just as they were lining up to board the bus, they saw Bai Yan. Bai Yan was on another bus next to them.

She also saw Yunya and the others. Bai Yan waved to them and they waved back.

Because there were too many people and it was quite noisy, they couldn't hear each other talking. After waving to each other, they stopped talking and followed the crowd onto the bus.

After going upstairs, Yun Ya found a seat by the window. Tong Jia Hui was in the seat behind her, and Zhu Yanan was next to her, right next to her.

Once everyone was on the bus, the driver closed the door and prepared to start the engine.

Several drivers heading to the same city waved to each other, signaling that they were about to set off.

An older driver started the car first. Three cars followed closely behind.

The bus moved slowly forward, and the heater inside the bus started working, gradually dispelling the winter chill with its warmth.

Tong Jiahui leaned against the window, watching the scenery rushing by outside, her heart filled with longing for home.

The bus drove smoothly on the highway, occasionally swaying due to bumps in the road.

Yun Ya and Zhu Yanan chatted quietly beside each other, sharing their experiences of the past year.

Suddenly, the car slammed to a halt; it turned out the road ahead was under emergency repair. Everyone was jolted forward by the sudden braking.

The driver got out of the car to check the situation and came back to say that it would take some time before they could get back on the road.

The passengers started complaining, and Yunya and the others became anxious, worried that they would be late for getting home.

Fortunately, the road was cleared soon afterward, and the bus started running again.

The long journey had left everyone exhausted, and Yunya fell asleep without realizing it.

In her dream, she returned to Kongjia Village, where she met her relatives and friends. The whole family sat together, eating the local specialties she had brought back, and laughter echoed in the house.

When I opened my eyes again, I had already walked half the distance, and it was very dark. Some sections of the road had streetlights, while others had no streetlights and were completely dark.

Only the headlights of the bus illuminated a broad road leading to their hometown.

The car stopped at a gas station, waking the sleeping people.

The driver shouted, "The car needs gas! Anyone who needs to use the restroom, hurry up and go. Once you're back on the bus, we won't stop again on the way."

Some people rubbed their eyes, still half asleep, and followed the people in front of them off the bus to use the restroom.

Some girls were so sleepy they couldn't keep their eyes open, and since they couldn't get off the bus to use the restroom, they continued to sleep and dream.

After the car was refueled and the driver paid, he checked the seats in the car to make sure everyone was there before setting off.

This is also an experience they have learned from; his former colleagues had made the same mistake.

The bus stopped halfway to let passengers use the restroom, but when it left, it didn't check the seats and found one empty.

The man had diarrhea and didn't hear the driver calling for help. He only came out after the car had driven quite a distance.

In the end, it was the gas station staff who took him to the next gas station on a motorcycle and got him into a car.

The gas station staff also charged him for the ride. The driver was half responsible, and the man was half responsible. Each of them paid 10 yuan to the gas station staff as a delivery fee.

From then on, whenever these drivers stopped halfway and set off again, they would carefully check whether all the seats were occupied.

There has never been another instance of leaving passengers behind.