Chen Lan and Xiang Xi, each shouldering a large backpack, followed the crowd of disembarking passengers out of the train station. Upon emerging, they found the Suifenhe train station bustling with people, and a considerable number of "old Russians" were present, creating a lively scene.
Chen Lan led Xiang Xi around to the front of the station, hoping to get a good look at what Suifenhe train station was like. They discovered it was a row of two-story buildings in a Russian architectural style, oriented north-south.
Chen Lan wanted to go inside the waiting room for a closer look, but Xiang Xi was not interested. So, Chen Lan asked Xiang Xi to wait there for a moment before they left. Curious, Chen Lan walked into the waiting room and found it had a steel arch beam structure, making it very spacious and bright, with thick doors and windows. Chen Lan mused, "This is definitely built by the old Russians; it's truly solid!"
The waiting room was broad and open, decorated with many geometric reliefs. The walls were lined with yellow wooden wainscoting, lending it a solemn and elegant air. The black and white checkered floor tiles further accentuated the distinct Russian architectural style.
On the west side of the waiting room, centered above the door, were three large characters: "Suifenhe." Below them were seven characters in a foreign script. Chen Lan couldn't read them, but assumed they were Russian.
Stepping out of the waiting room, Chen Lan noticed the station was built against a mountain. The overall architectural style of the station exhibited characteristics of the Art Nouveau period. The window lintels were adorned with traditional Russian motifs, and the walls, painted white with grey accents, conveyed a sense of solemnity and grandeur.
Having satisfied her visual curiosity, Chen Lan and Xiang Xi, each with their large backpacks, walked out of the train station. Looking at the stream of people, they suddenly didn't know where to go. They exchanged bewildered glances and were momentarily at a loss. It was only then that Chen Lan realized she had no idea which specific outpost Xu Mingxuan was stationed at in Suifenhe.
She asked with a smile, "Little Watermelon, did Xu Mingxuan tell you which outpost he's stationed at in Suifenhe!"
Xiang Xi replied smugly, "Of course I know!"
He then retorted dramatically, "No way! Little Berry, you don't even know exactly where your man is serving, and you dare to come out for a visit? You really are something! You're such a bold and reckless one!"
Chen Lan paid no mind to Xiang Xi's sarcastic jabs and teasing. She needed his help and couldn't afford to get angry. Instead of being upset, she subserviently took the large backpack from Xiang Xi, slung it onto her own back, and then looked at Xiang Xi with an innocent, smiling expression.
Xiang Xi said haughtily, "Little Berry, listen carefully. Brother Mingxuan is stationed at the Dongning Outpost; Dongning, have you heard of it? That place is the famous Dongning Fortress! Legend has it that it's only separated from the Russian side by a river."
Seeing Chen Lan listening intently, Xiang Xi immediately began to boast, continuing, "It's said that the Kwantung Army, in order to build that Dongning Fortress, recruited a large number of our country's laborers through deception. Over 170,000 people participated in the construction of that fortress. During the construction, countless people died! They say people died every day, sometimes dozens a day. It was so tragic! The souls of our 170,000 laborers lie buried there."
Hearing Xiang Xi reach this point, Chen Lan suddenly remembered. She said, "Oh! Little Watermelon, I remember Dongning. Legend has it that the terrain there is precipitous, the ground is open, and it offers excellent concealment, making it a strategically vital area throughout history. The Battle of Dongning, which took place in Dongning, was the final battle of World War II, known as the 'Maginot Line of the East.' After this battle, World War II truly concluded."
Chen Lan and Xiang Xi stood at the bustling entrance of the station, chatting merrily, when suddenly they heard someone call Xiang Xi's name. They looked at each other in confusion and then simultaneously looked up. They saw the dark, lean Er Zhuang grinning widely, his teeth a stark white, sitting on an ox cart and beaming at them.
The two immediately shouted excitedly, "Er Zhuang! It's Er Zhuang! That's great! Er Zhuang is here to pick us up." Xiang Xi ran forward excitedly and gave Er Zhuang a bear hug, asking curiously, "Er Zhuang, how did you know we were coming to Suifenhe for a visit today!" Su Dan Novel Network
Chen Lan, carrying the two large backpacks, walked up and echoed their curiosity, "Yes! Er Zhuang, how did you know we were coming to Suifenhe for a visit, and how did you know we'd be arriving at this exact time?"
Er Zhuang scratched his buzz cut, grinned widely, and said, "Battalion Commander Qin sent a telegram to our commissar! As soon as our commissar received the message, he immediately sent me to the station to pick up Sister-in-law and Brother Xiang Xi. Fortunately, I arrived in time; otherwise, I would have almost missed you. That would have been a big problem."
Chen Lan thought to herself, "No wonder Er Zhuang came to pick me and Xiang Xi up; it turns out Battalion Commander Qin, that good Samaritan, notified Xu Mingxuan!"
She then chimed in, "We almost missed you, didn't we? If Little Watermelon hadn't been showing off, Little Watermelon and I would have been wandering around asking for directions long ago. Come to think of it, there are benefits to being a chatterbox, aren't there? It saves us from taking many wrong turns."
Xiang Xi immediately shouted, "I say, Little Berry, who's a chatterbox?"
Chen Lan said self-consciously, "I am. I'm talking about myself. Okay!"
Seeing the two of them start bickering again, Er Zhuang quickly intervened, "Here, Sister-in-law, quickly put the backpacks on the ox cart. It's getting late, and it'll be dark soon. Let's go!"
Chen Lan and Xiang Xi immediately stopped arguing. Chen Lan tossed the two extra-large backpacks onto the ox cart that Er Zhuang was driving and then quickly hopped on to sit. Er Zhuang shouted, "Giddy up, giddy up!" and the ox cart began to move slowly forward.
As Er Zhuang drove the ox cart, he began to introduce Dongning as if he had opened a floodgate of words. He said, "Sister-in-law, Brother Xiang Xi, Dongning is a good place. Like our valley, it has many mountains and trees, with a topography characterized by 'nine mountains, half water, and half fields.' The climate here is warm and humid, with abundant produce. It's also famous for producing Tantou fish, Dama蛤 fish, and Matsutake mushrooms, among many other mountain delicacies. It's even called the 'Little Jiangnan of the North.'"
Along the way, they heard Er Zhuang continuously describing Dongning while simultaneously saying, "Oh, oh, dada dada." Chen Lan noticed that when Er Zhuang said "oh, oh," the ox cart turned left, and when he said "dada dada," the ox cart turned right. Chen Lan found it quite amusing!
Just as Er Zhuang was unable to stop talking, Xiang Xi suddenly asked, "Er Zhuang, you've been talking about how great this place is for so long! Let me ask you, is there a water shortage here in Suifenhe this year?"