Compared to intercity buses, the bus from Xinhong County to Hu Miao Town was especially dilapidated.
The inside was filled with the unique stifling smell of a car, making people want to pinch their noses.
The interior space was cramped, and the leather seats were worn out. During the journey, the windows often emitted a constant "clang" moan, as if they were about to disintegrate at any moment.
There were not many passengers; Xue Yuantong and Jiang Ning sat in the second-to-last row.
The seat in front of them was somewhat collapsed, leaning back a great deal, but Xue Yuantong, being petite, was not affected.
The journey was 30 kilometers, and the bus fare was 6 yuan.
Xue Yuantong whispered, "The bus is contracted by a single owner who owns many of these, specifically operating between the town and the county center."
"Back on the first day of the lunar month when I was returning home, the bus only charged 5 yuan, but later they raised the fare to 7 yuan. However, many people in the town resisted, so the owner reduced it to 6 yuan."
Jiang Ning did not speak; they had similar buses in Guyang County, just as dilapidated, and it seemed that the buses were all the same model.
He remembered that in 2019, in Yuzhou City, private buses heading to various towns and villages were ordered to cease operations, later replaced by public buses.
As the bus headed out of the county town, the conductor would stand by the door and shout at each bus stop.
However, even when they were nearly out of the county town, the bus was still not full, so in a bizarre move, just before leaving the county, the bus turned back into the town and looped around the same route again...
Thanks to the conductor's diligent touting, all seats were eventually filled with passengers, and not just that; there were also several people standing.
Finally, the bus departed for Hu Miao Town.
They had just left the county town when the conductor shouted,
"Everyone standing, squat down, squat down; there's a camera up ahead for checks!"
"Hurry up, squat down!" she said urgently, as if commanding in a battle.
Among the chaos, although the passengers muttered complaints, they knew the seriousness of the matter and cooperatively squatted down.
Only after passing through that monitored area did they stand up again.
The bus arrived at Hu Miao Town North Station, and the conductor stood on the bus and shouted,
"North Station, everyone get off the bus!"
By this time, there were only about seven or eight passengers left on the bus; the rest had disembarked at various villages along the way.
Xue Yuantong and Jiang Ning were the last two to get off the bus.
Hu Miao Town's bus station was an open-style station, that is, there was no station.
After getting off, the two stood by the roadside.
Xue Yuantong looked around at the familiar setting, her eyes suddenly regaining their sparkle.
Hu Miao Town had no high-rise buildings; within a hundred meters, the tallest building was only three stories.
The roads were mostly filled with bicycles and motorcycles.
Several electric rickshaws parked by the roadside, and an auntie stood next to one yelling,
"Where are you going, you wanna ride a rickshaw?"
Xue Yuantong waved her hand to decline. She pulled Jiang Ning forward, a few dozen meters ahead stood a straight river, about fifteen or sixteen meters wide.
Xue Yuantong stepped onto the arch bridge, leaning on the stone railing, she took a breath of fresh air.
A few people were fishing on the east bank of the river, and further east were vast emerald-green fields.
Xue Yuantong pointed at the river, reminiscing, "When I was young, many people used to swim here. Mom and I would stand on the bridge and watch them dive into the water, only coming up for air after half a minute."
Jiang Ning looked at the dull gray river water and asked, "And now?"
Xue Yuantong sighed, "Now the river has become dirty, and I haven't seen anyone swimming in it anymore."
Jiang Ning truly understood; the countryside was not as idyllic as many imagined, especially the towns in the central part. Due to poor garbage management and generally low education levels, the problem of littering was quite severe.
It would improve only a few years later when green garbage bins became widespread along the roadsides.
"Is your neighbor's house far?" asked Jiang Ning.
"Not far, just about fifteen minutes away."
Xue Yuantong looked towards a roadside tobacco and liquor store, "I want to go buy some things."
She had come to her hometown to visit a sick person on behalf of her mother, who told her not to come empty-handed. Buying some milk, fruits, and gifts would make the visit look better.
Xue Yuantong bought a case of walnut milk, a carton of pure milk, a large bunch of bananas, and a bag of big apples, spending a total of 160 yuan.
After purchasing the items, Xue Yuantong stared at the pile on the ground, wondering subconsciously how she was going to carry them.
Her physical strength was limited; carrying a case of milk was already tiring, let alone considering the distance over a kilometer from the village to the town.
She glanced at the rickshaws by the roadside, intending to call one.
Jiang Ning didn't let her worry; he bent down, picking up a carton of milk in each hand, and casually grabbed the fruit, not considering the weight a big deal.
"What are you doing standing there, lead the way," Jiang Ning looked at Xue Yuantong.
"Oh, right," she responded and led him forward until they crossed the road.
Her thoughts were quite complicated; many things she couldn't manage, Jiang Ning easily handled.
In her past life, she could only rely on herself and her mother.
"Jiang Ning, let me carry the fruit," she volunteered enthusiastically.
Jiang Ning glanced at her; considering the fruit weighed several pounds, it would definitely be hard for her to carry.
He remarked, "No need to be a busybody."
Xue Yuantong unusually did not retort.
They crossed the arch bridge, and to the east, the view suddenly opened up, a long stretch of asphalt road extended outward, fields sprawling on both sides.
Within five hundred meters ahead, there was only a power supply facility building.
"That's the only power supply facility in our town," Xue Yuantong explained.
The power facility occupied a decent-sized area, and Jiang Ning's Body Refining Thunder Technique emitted a faint vibration.
In front of the power facility was an open expanse of concrete.