Chapter 12.1 (2/2)

The new mother with her newborn baby was overwhelmed with emotion as she cried. Not to mention her, Aunty and I was so happy that we wanted to cry. The train employee was also happy, he excitedly went to the dining carriage to cook some sugar egg, and warm up some cow’s milk for the baby. The train conductor heard that the mother and the baby were doing well, he smiled squinting his eyes, “Everything has been arranged, the ambulance is waiting on the platform, once we reached the station, the adult and the baby can go to the hospital, to ensure that everything is all right.”

I felt like I was a guest struck with fright at a blockbuster movie, tired and weary. The doctor looked more tired, he was the leading man ah, although the child had no relations with him, but he was the hero that saved by the mother and the baby.

I just have time to go to restroom now, all along the way the pa.s.sengers who weren’t asleep asked me, “She given birth?”

I look cheerful, replied one after another, “Oh, yes she has given birth!”

There were pa.s.sengers on the upper bunk who eagerly stuck out their heads and asked me, “Is it a girl or a boy?”

“A big fat boy!”

“Oh! Congratulations!”

“Thank you, thank you!” I was happy as if I was the one who has given birth to my own child. The train will be bursting with happiness, and a Aunty specially came up, from her luggage gave me a tea eggs [2], “You must be tired, Miss, eat something to restore your energy.”

[2] Tea/spiced eggs uses ingredients like salt, soy sauce, pepper, ginger to braise. It’s a cold food, which is nutrient rich and taste delicious.

I simply refuse, she still shoved the whole package towards me, “If you can’t eat all of it, give some to the doctor for me. You have been busy for half of the night, it’s really not easy!”

Who says that the modern social humanity was indifferent? The pa.s.sengers on the train were all strangers to each other, but all everyone was warm-hearted. When I came back from the restroom, the train employee was looking for me, he pulled me towards the dining carriage, “Hustling about for half the night you must be hungry, eat a bowl of hot soup, everyone has worked hard.”

“Then the adult and the baby……”

“Another train staff will help take care of it, don’t worry.”

The dining carriage chef specially cooked up some noodles for us, under the noodles laid several egg. After becoming pregnant my appet.i.te was particularly good, I was bursting full. The doctor was also bursting full. I placed the whole bag of tea/spiced egg towards him, “An aunty gave this, she said you have worked hard and said I must give these to you!”

The doctor was very moved, he ate one boiled egg and gave the rest of the train conductor asking him to share it with everyone.

He said, “In my home town, when you gave birth to a child you’ll eat red eggs.” An authentic Sichuan [3] words just come out. I just remember he was a vet at the Wolong panda base, specializing in taking care of pandas it was my life most desirable occupation, so I seized the opportunity to ask him, “Is it fun to raise panda?”

[3] Sichuan is a province of the People’s Republic of China, located in the south-west of the country.

“It’s fun, they can act like a spoiled brat, they can listen to you, when you call them over, they would come over. There are times when they seem just like little kids.”

I just noticed that he was already over forty, I asked him, “Do you have children?”

“When he was in high school his performance was particularly good.” He paused a bit, “His eyebrow was quite high” His speech was a father full of pride, he slightly paused, said, “In May this year there was an earthquake, he and his mother went together, they’re not here any more.”

I stood there, thoroughly startled and foolishly looked at him, I didn’t know how to comfort him. His fingers unintentionally rubbed the edge of the bowl, “On the 12th I was working at the base, he and his mother were in the upper town, when the earthquake came they couldn’t escape.”

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