Chapter Ten: Journey to the Capital
Leaving the laboratory, Zhang Mingyang mulled over why Grandpa Wang insisted he intern at the Aerospace Bureau.
“Could it be because I’m handsome?”
...
Returning home, Zhang Mingyang glanced at the clock—almost noon. His grandparents were still caught in their silent feud; lunch sat untouched on the table.
Knock, knock...
Grandma came out to eat.
“Mingyang, you eat by yourself, I’m not hungry.”
Not hungry? Zhang Mingyang went to knock on Grandpa’s door.
Knock, knock...
“Grandpa, come eat. The food’s getting cold.”
“My boy, I’m not hungry either. Go ahead and eat.”
Not hungry either. Zhang Mingyang looked at the full table, then peeked at the two rooms, shaking his head with a wry smile. “Nearly eighty years old, and still acting like children throwing tantrums!”
Forget it. If they won’t eat, I will.
He pulled out a chair and sat down, grabbing a steamed bun in one hand and some dishes in the other, deliberately raising his voice, “Oh! These ribs are delicious! Mmm! The fish is tasty too! And the shrimp isn’t bad either!”
After a while with still no movement from the other rooms, it seemed the two were determined to hold out.
“Fine, they’ll get hungry sooner or later.”
After finishing, Zhang Mingyang put the leftovers in the fridge and called out, “I’ve put the dishes in the fridge. Eat when you’re hungry.”
Back in his room, Zhang Mingyang turned on his computer, logged onto the lab’s intranet, and checked that email again.
“I have to be there by eight thirty tomorrow morning—so soon!”
“It’s 480 kilometers from Jiyang to the capital where the Aerospace Bureau is. Even by ‘supersonic plane,’ it’ll take nearly half an hour. That means I’ll have to get up by six, then...”
He roughly mapped out his itinerary and realized he’d need an early start tomorrow.
“I’d better pack my things now instead of scrambling in the morning.”
He dragged out the suitcase he’d only just put away three hours ago and threw in a few pieces of winter clothing at random—enough for several days, he figured.
“Wait, the email didn’t say how many days I’ll be gone?”
Realizing this, Zhang Mingyang hurriedly checked the email again. As expected, there was no mention of duration.
His right eyelid twitched.
“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”
“No, I’d better ask.”
He pulled out his phone and dialed the contact number from the email.
Ring, ring...
“Hello?” The call connected.
“Hello, I’m one of the visitors scheduled to tour the Aerospace Bureau tomorrow. Could I ask how many days the tour will last?”
“Of course. May I have your name, please?”
“Zhang Mingyang—Zhang as in ‘bow,’ Ming for ‘bright,’ Yang for ‘sun.’”
“Thank you, Mr. Zhang. We’ve found your name on the guest list. The ‘Journey into Space’ tour covers three cities and will take about three days.”
Three days? That’s not too long.
“All right, thank you, I understand.”
“Anything else I can help you with, Mr. Zhang?”
“No, that’s all. Thank you!”
Hanging up, Zhang Mingyang then called his advisor, Wang Hongyang, to ask for leave.
Ring, ring...
“Hello, Yangzi—I know about it. Just go. I’m busy here, I’ll hang up now.”
Beep, beep, beep...
And with that, Wang Hongyang ended the call.
This... this...
Zhang Mingyang held his phone uncertainly, at a loss for words.
“I’m more and more convinced this is a setup.”
But since everything was settled and his leave approved, Zhang Mingyang had no more excuses.
He kept busy until ten in the evening; hungry, he left his room. The living room was dark, the lights off. Feeling his way to the fridge, he saw the lunch leftovers were untouched—his grandparents hadn’t eaten.
He quietly approached Grandma’s door, pressed his ear to it, and listened carefully.
“Nothing—maybe she’s asleep?”
He went to Grandpa’s door and heard his grandfather’s unmistakable snoring.
“So they’re both asleep; I’ll leave them be.”
He took out the leftovers and ate a little in the dark.
After eating, Zhang Mingyang set his alarm and lay in bed, his mind replaying recent events, until he drifted off to sleep.
...
Beep, beep, beep...
The alarm blared at six the next morning, urging Zhang Mingyang to get up.
He dragged himself from bed, washed quickly, and grabbed his suitcase to head out.
Before leaving, he looked at his still-sleeping grandparents, wrote a note, and left it on the table, reminding them not to forget their meals and telling them he’d be away for a few days.
Outside the residential complex, Zhang Mingyang ordered an airport shuttle via his phone, boarded, and set off for Jiyang Airport.
Due to rush hour traffic, he dozed for almost half an hour on the way, finally arriving just ten minutes before security closed.
After strict checks and X-rays, he finally boarded the supersonic passenger plane to the capital.
A true country boy, it was Zhang Mingyang’s first time on a plane and his first trip to the capital.
“Dear passengers, please activate your safety system. The aircraft is about to take off...”
The flight attendant’s announcement left Zhang Mingyang momentarily confused. Safety system? Where is that?
He glanced around and imitated the others.
“All set.”
As the plane taxied and the afterburners ignited, they prepared for takeoff.
“Young man, do you get airsick?” a middle-aged woman beside him asked, noticing his nervous fumbling.
Airsick?
It was his first flight—he truly had no idea.
“Auntie, I don’t get airsick.”
“Oh, you look like it’s your first flight. If you feel sick, just press the mask button on your right.”
Zhang Mingyang replied confidently, “No worries, Auntie. With a constitution like mine, how could I get airsick?”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a wave of intense acceleration lifted him from his seat.
The delta-wing plane shot skyward at a steep angle.
“Ugh...”
The overwhelming g-forces pressed on his chest like a boulder, making it hard to breathe.
No longer caring about saving face, Zhang Mingyang quickly pressed the mask button. An auxiliary respirator popped down from above; he clapped it to his face immediately.
The woman next to him smiled serenely, “See, young man? You should heed your elders, or you’ll suffer for it.”
Unable to speak, Zhang Mingyang could only nod, ruefully reflecting on his youth.
Once the plane leveled out, he felt much better, stowed the respirator, and closed his eyes to rest.
After nearly half an hour in the air, the plane landed smoothly at the capital’s international airport.
Disembarking, Zhang Mingyang saw a missed call from his grandmother on his phone.
He’d slept through the flight and hadn’t noticed. He called her back at once.
During the call, he briefly explained his trip and urged her to make up with Grandpa before hanging up.