Lan Ying fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"Ning! Honestly, I know my brother and mother only forced me to marry because they had no choice! But agreeing to that marriage should count as repaying everything my family did for me! I don't want to go back! Can I come with you? I-I can do lots of work! And anything I don't know, I can learn!"
As Lan Ying spoke, tears welled in her eyes again.
"All right! Then you don't have to go back!" Song Ning said. "Come to Fuzhou with me first. I'll think about what to do along the way!"
Lan Ying nodded eagerly. As long as Song Ning was willing to take her along, she would accept any arrangement.
Fortunately, Chen Liang had booked an entire soft sleeper compartment again, just as Boss Song had requested.
It had exactly four berths, so they didn't need to buy Lan Ying an extra ticket.
In those days, hard seats and hard sleeper berths sometimes sold out, but soft sleeper berths never did.
Lan Ying was visibly ill at ease after boarding the train.
She sat as stiff as a post, not daring to move.
"You've met Comrade Chen and Comrade Han before," Song Ning said. "You don't have to be so nervous!"
Lan Ying nodded, then finally spoke, looking embarrassed.
"It's just... I've never been on a train before! Or sat in such a nice seat! All of this... feels like a dream!"
Song Ning smiled. "This is only the beginning! Someday, I'll take you on a plane!"
Lan Ying's tears spilled over again.
It was already ten at night when they arrived in Fuzhou.
To reach Ping Tan Island, they still had to travel from Fuzhou to Fuqing County, then take a boat to the island.