The dining car on the train cooked its dishes on the spot in huge woks. Passengers who wanted to eat or drink still had to use grain coupons and meat coupons. It was no different from eating at a state-run restaurant under normal circumstances.
The train crew's meals were also prepared by the dining car's cooks. The meal fees came out of everyone's monthly wages; they all chipped in and ate together.
Of course, there were perks to eating on the public dime. Compared with regular meals, they did not have to pay much out of pocket. Though supplies were still scarce at the time, things had finally begun to recover. The food could not be called particularly good, but at least no one went hungry.
By the time Wang Yan and Wang Xin returned, the dining car was already filled with the aroma of food. A few tables of passengers were drinking, while the crew sat together on the other side, chatting and laughing.
"Yo, the two great heroes are back," Cai Xiaonian called out dramatically.
"Look at you, jumping at everything. Not steady at all. Old Lu, you haven't trained your apprentice well," Wang Yan replied with a smile, taking his lunchbox to get food.
"Exactly. One look, and your lunchbox has the most meat. You didn't eat both our portions too, did you?" Wang Xin was no less sharp-tongued as he jabbed at Cai Xiaonian.
"Get lost. My dad gave me this."
Cai Xiaonian's father was a train driver—the General Manager Hu from Beijing Love Story, Shi Xiaomeng's boss. There was also the fireman Wu Changgui, along with Niu Dali, who was practically an apprentice.
Wu Changgui was the man who lost the chicken, Cao Debao from The World Between Us. Niu Dali was no stranger either—the