Drama Couple in the 80s

Chapter 20

The train arrived at around eight o'clock in the morning. Jiang Ya, with her luggage on her back, followed the crowd out of the station entrance. She carried a large makeshift travel bag made from a repurposed fertilizer sack, held a mesh tote and a small bundle in her hands, and dressed accordingly—embodying the image of a naive village girl entering the city.

Alongside the iron fence near the exit stood rows of people waiting to greet arrivals, but Jiang Ya didn't spot Jiang Yuan among them. She continued walking and stopped on the steps leading up to the station building's main entrance. At a glance, she took in the sea of drab concrete structures, reminiscent of narrow alleyways.

So this is what Shanghai looked like in 1980.

Jiang Ya and He Cheng had previously lived in Shanghai, staying for over half a year after graduation. Filled with ambition, their goal was to make it in a first tier city, starting with Shanghai. They tried their luck there for six months, working odd jobs while seeking better opportunities, but ultimately failed to find suitable employment. Later, an opportunity arose when He Cheng secured his dream job in Yangcheng, so they both moved there. They worked and lived in Yangcheng for seven years until their transmigration brought them here.

Scanning her surroundings, Jiang Ya lowered her gaze and spotted Gu Xingzhou standing below the stairs, waving at her. She descended with her luggage.

"Brother in law," Jiang Ya asked, "where's my sister?"

"Your sister couldn't come because the baby is too young and gets upset whenever she's away." Gu Xingzhou gestured towards an elegantly dressed woman nearby. "This is my mother. She specially adjusted her work schedule today to accompany me in welcoming you."

Taking a moment to process this, Jiang Ya politely nodded and greeted her, "Auntie, hello."

"Hello," said Mrs. Jiang, Gu Xingzhou's mother. "Xingzhou is rushing to work, and it's not easy for Jiang Yuan to go out. So I came to pick you up instead. Shall we head off now?"

Gu Xingzhou spoke up, "Little sister in law, why don't you return with my mom first? I won't be joining you, I still have classes today. I just took a break to meet you."

Jiang Ya nodded, "Go ahead with your work, brother in law."

With that, Gu Xingzhou hurriedly mounted his bicycle and left. Mrs. Gu then led Jiang Ya to wait for the bus while carrying her luggage. After transferring twice, they finally reached their destination.

Laden with bags, Jiang Ya followed Mrs. Gu down a narrow lane. It was just before 10 a.m., and the morning sunlight was pleasant. The elderly residents of the lane appeared quite leisurely. They encountered a woman carrying an old fashioned wooden bucket, and Mrs. Jiang greeted her in dialect. Both paused to exchange a few words.

"Auntie from the Gu family, this young lady is your relative, isn't she?"

"My son's sister in law."

"Oh, visiting from the countryside? She probably doesn't understand Shanghainese, does she?"

"No, she doesn't. When my daughter in law first arrived, she couldn't comprehend it either. Now she can mostly understand but still struggles to speak fluently."

"So she's come to stay with her sister in the city? That means another mouth to feed at your house, right?"

"You're right, my daughterin law has a rural household registration and still relies on rationed food."

They spoke their dialect rapidly, making it barely comprehensible for Jiang Ya. Understanding Shanghai dialect wasn't too difficult, but learning to speak it fluently was another matter—Jiang Ya herself couldn't converse in it.