Restarting life in Siheyuan

At 6:30 on July 1st in Beijing, the scorching sun gradually faded and a hint of coolness blew through the air, perhaps because it was evening.

"Let's go, it will be too late if we don't leave now." Zhu Xuefeng shouted at the gate of the Central Courtyard while pushing the cart. Although Nanluoguxiang is not far from Xizhimen Railway Station, it still takes a lot of time to queue up for ticket checking and enter the station in advance.

"Here we come, here we come." He Yushui had already packed everything, and Sha Zhu and Lou Xiao'e followed him out.

"Brother, ride slower on the road. We are in a hurry and there is still more than an hour left." Sha Zhu followed with He Yushui's bag and greeted the third uncle who was looking back with his hands behind his back.

"Zhu Zi, are you sending Yu Shui to the station? I heard you're going to the grassland for internship?"

"Yes, you are well-informed. My sister likes the grassland. Let's go there."

"Go for a walk, go for a walk, but don't stay there. The winter there is freezing cold. It's miserable. It's only July now. It's cold in the mornings and evenings. Be careful."

He Yushui was following behind and whispering with Lou Xiaoe. When he heard the third uncle's reminder, he smiled and replied.

"Thank you for reminding me, Third Uncle. I came back when the weather got cold. I have to spend the New Year with my brother and sister-in-law, right? Third Uncle, I'll see you later."

The four of them left the compound together. The neighbors who had just finished their meal greeted them one after another, and whispers of discussion could be heard from time to time. Now many people knew that He Yushui had chosen to go to the grassland for an internship, and they couldn't understand why he would go to the grassland instead of staying in Beijing.

"Brother, I leave it to you. Make sure to get it to the car. It's a mess over there."

"Okay, brother, let's go. We still have to buy platform tickets. If we go too late, there won't be enough time to queue." He Yushui took his bag, put it on the front step, and turned to get on the bus.

"Sister-in-law, we are leaving. See you during the New Year."

Zhu Xuefeng started the car and slowly drove west along the alley. The station was not far away, just at the northwest corner. It would take less than twenty minutes to ride there. After exiting the alley, he turned right and headed west.

"Is there someone to pick me up over there?"

"Well, someone from the factory picked me up, and my classmate is going too, so it's nothing."

It's nothing. Zhu Xuefeng just smiled. He hadn't reached his destination yet after getting off the train. He had specifically asked around and found out that there were still dozens of kilometers of dirt roads. The main means of transportation there was not cars, so it would be a hassle all the way from the train station. Fortunately, he would get off the train tomorrow morning, so there would be nothing to worry about during the day.

"Be careful to stay awake when you're on the bus at night, and hide your money."

"Why are you as long-winded as my brother? Just ride yours. I've sewn it in, so I'm sure it'll be fine."

He Yushui was dissatisfied with Zhu Xuefeng's chattering and couldn't help but hit him lightly, but then he seemed to feel that it was inappropriate and suddenly fell into silence.

After passing through a few dilapidated alleys, you will arrive near Xizhimen. Then go through a long and winding alley in front and you will reach the station. There is no subway at that time. By the way, it seems that the subway will be built next year.

Although this area is not far from Dongcheng, it is already Xicheng District. The exhibition hall that was just put into use not far away is the newest building here. The area near the railway station is still dilapidated alleys and low bungalows. It is far less majestic and tidy than the railway station in Beijing, and even more dilapidated than the old railway stations in many small towns in later generations. However, this place is not only the starting point of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, but also one of the important transportation hubs in Beijing.

Although it was dilapidated, the constant flow of people in the alley proved that it was indeed busy and orderly. After bumping along the unrepaired alley road for nearly 300 meters, we finally saw a small square and arrived at Xizhimen Railway Station.

"This road is so dilapidated. When it rains, there are so many potholes that we can't drive on it." He Yushui muttered. It was only when she was riding in the car that she realized how dilapidated the road was.

There seemed to be a faint fishy smell in the air, making He Yushui feel uncomfortable again.

"I can't stand it. I heard the smell on the train is really bad. It takes more than ten hours. You just have to bear with it."

The railway station has not been renamed yet. The dilapidated railway station seems to be frozen in the long river of time, and every corner exudes traces of history. It is like a weathered old man, quietly telling the glory and vicissitudes of the past.

Walking into the station square, there are faded red brick walls on both sides, which are covered with traces of time. There are some slogans hanging on the wall. The gatehouse of the train station is taller and more imposing than the gatehouse of the train station on Qianmen Street.

Outside the red wall on the left, there are long queues in front of several shiny iron ticket gates. Many men, women, old and young with red cheeks are standing or sitting, and many of them are still chewing dry food. Unlike most people in Beijing Railway Station who are dressed neatly and brightly, the passengers here are completely another kind of people, wearing tattered clothes, long hair hanging casually, and that strong smell of...

The square was bustling with people, but there was no uniformed patrol. Maybe the square was too small to need one? Turning his head, he found that He Yushui was also constantly looking at this vicissitudes and heavy old station. Zhu Xuefeng pulled out his right hand and shook it in front of He Yushui's eyes.

"Don't look at it anymore. You need to get in line quickly. Give me your ticket. I'll go to the lobby and buy a platform ticket."

He Yushui looked at the queue and whispered, "How about I go buy it, and you help me stand in line."

According to He Yushui's idea, he originally didn't want to let Zhu Xuefeng send him to the station, but when he saw these passengers who were obviously different from those at other stations, he became unsure and changed his mind.

Listening to other ethnic languages ​​coming from time to time, Zhu Xuefeng also understood He Yushui's thoughts and said with a smile, "You're backing out before you even get on the train? Life over there is much harder than in Beijing. Those who can afford to buy tickets to Beijing are considered to be in a good situation. Many of them can't even afford a ticket. You'd better think it through."

Zhu Xuefeng knew how miserable the grasslands were at that time. The situation was even worse than that in several provinces affected by drought. The climate was also extremely harsh, and desertification was very serious. Even if the house was closed tightly, after a day, the house was full of sand. There is a saying that goes, "Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, two taels of soil a day, if it is not enough today, make up for it tomorrow."

Speaking of He Yushui's decision to leave the capital and settle down in the grassland, Zhu Xuefeng felt nothing but regret and admiration. He just didn't know if He Yushui would regret it if he really ended up in such a harsh environment.

"Stop talking nonsense, help me line up, I'll go buy the ticket." He Yushui gritted her teeth, shook her head, and turned to go to the hall. Zhu Xuefeng looked at the two pigtails that were raised, "You're still stubborn, wait for the consequences."

He pushed the cart into storage, returned to the queue and stood at the end. In just a short while, the queue had visibly grown by several meters. Now it was less than an hour before departure. People kept pouring out of the alley, and the small square became crowded in a short while. The sharp-eyed Zhu Xuefeng had already noticed that some monks had started to work and were constantly squeezing and shuttling through the crowd.

These people are really omnipresent. The situation in Dongcheng District is much better now. Of course, there is no patrol at this station. With so many people, Mr. Buddha will certainly not miss such a good opportunity.

Seeing a father and son being targeted not far away, Zhu Xuefeng was about to warn them when suddenly two women and one man squeezed out from the crowd, grabbed the wrist that Foye had just grabbed, and growled.

"Public security!" The Buddha lost his spirit in an instant. Soon the owner and the Buddha were taken away. It seemed that no one was surprised or noticed in the crowded crowd. More people rushed in from the entrance of the alley. It seemed that there was no patrol here, but plainclothes police. Zhu Xuefeng had gained some experience, but the three police officers seemed to still have some childishness. It was estimated that they had just left school not long ago.

I don't know how long it was before even the Buddha was taken away in two groups. The iron gate of the ticket gate was opened with a crash. A dim light shone through the shiny iron sheet. It seemed like it was getting dark. The team didn't know who pushed them and they stumbled forward a few steps together. Then they heard a loud roar coming from the iron fence.

"Line up! You won't be allowed to enter the station if you don't line up!" The majesty of the uniform was still very oppressive. The pushing and shoving team slowly calmed down and the team lined up in an orderly manner to form a long queue, which turned several corners and extended out in the square. Those who came later consciously lined up at the end of the queue, like a full and greedy snake.

"How come there are so many people in such a short time? It took me a while to find you." Although it was a cool day, He Yushui was sweating profusely. Zhu Xuefeng leaned back, leaving a space in front of him, and let He Yushui into the team.

"I guess they are all on this train. It's time to check their tickets and enter the station. There are so many people here."

He Yushui was also shocked when he saw the huge crowd. "There must be at least 2,000 people. Can they fit in this trip?"

"Girl, this is your first time riding on our 'Grassland Train', right? This is not a lot of people. There are a lot of people in autumn. I have seen many more people than this."

The man in front turned around with a grin on his face and spoke with a smile. His dark, shriveled and wrinkled face made it impossible for the two to tell each other's age.

"Uncle, this is not too much. Can't we fit everyone in this trip?"

"Of course there's no room to sit, but if there's a place to stand or squat, it's fine. After a night of hard work, you'll get home."

The green trains at that time generally had about 118 seats in each carriage, and ordinary trains had 16 carriages. If all the people queuing in the square were from this train, it would be exactly as the old man said.

"It would be great if we could add a few more trains. With so many people, I think it'll be hard to squeeze in." He Yushui looked at the increasingly long queue and felt a little nervous. These people were carrying a lot of stuff, big and small bags.

"It's easy for the girl to say that. We can't even lay out the rails. We have to climb mountains and go through tunnels all the way here. It's impossible to lay more rails. We also have to take other lines into consideration. We are content with having a grassland train."

"Oh, I see. Are there many tunnels?"

"There are a lot of them. There are always dozens of them along the way. Once you enter the tunnel, you can't see anything from the car. You have to be careful then."

The old man was kind-hearted. Knowing that it was He Yushui’s first time there, he gave her a friendly reminder.

"Thank you, sir. Is your family also from the Zhaowuda League?"

"Well, my home is in BLYQ. It will take two days to get home after I get off the train. Trains are more convenient. It only takes one night to get to Beijing, which is less than a thousand miles away, and it takes two days to get to our home, which is only more than three hundred miles away."

"Uncle, you must have had a hard time coming out. Isn't there a long-distance bus from your home to the city?"

"Oh, you mean that big bus? We had one before, but it broke down after a few days. They said the axle was broken, and there was no place to repair it. We don't know when it will be open to traffic again. But I think it's a disaster. If the road on the grassland is not repaired, the axle will probably break in a few days if it is opened to traffic again."

There was a noise coming from the front, and the ticket checking for entry had already begun. The old man stopped talking, picked up a few packages and quickly caught up.

The ticket inspector casually tore off a small piece of the platform ticket and said, "Get out quickly after you drop me off. A train will arrive soon. If you try to use the platform ticket to leave the station again, we will consider you as evading the ticket."

"Oh, okay, there's still time."

"Of course, we will clear the platform, just get out quickly." The ticket inspector reminded enthusiastically. Zhu Xuefeng saw that only half of the five-cent platform ticket was left in his hand, and wanted to ask if there would be any problem leaving the station with this thing, but a huge force from behind sent him directly into the station.

"I'll carry it. We have to keep up with the team." The passengers who entered the station ran one by one and headed straight for the overpass inside the station. Zhu Xuefeng immediately realized that these people were saving space for the package, so he hurriedly picked up He Yushui's package and pulled her onto the overpass. The iron bridge made a banging sound from being stepped on.

On the platform, under the dim lights, the shiny rails seemed to tell the stories of countless travelers. Several green locomotives were quietly parked beside the tracks.

In this dilapidated train station, time seems to slow down and become heavy. Every hurried step seems to echo the history, making people feel the weight and depth of history.

After squeezing out of the car with great difficulty, she looked through the window at He Yushui, who was wiping the sweat off her face. This train ride was unbearable for her, as the entire car was filled with the charming scent of the grassland.

"Hurry up and get out of the station. Tell my brother and sister-in-law that I'm fine." He Yushui leaned out of the window and shouted, "Don't be too late to get out."

"If you have any problem, just write back!" Zhu Xuefeng habitually instructed.

"Who is it for? Is it for you? Hurry up, I'm fine. Besides, there are classmates over there."

Zhu Xuefeng was speechless for a while, forgetting that he had to leave in September as well. He wanted to say something but was kindly reminded by the conductor.

"Comrades who have finished sending their children to the station, please hurry and leave the station. Do not linger. Please hurry and leave the station..."

Zhu Xuefeng had no choice but to wave goodbye and leave under the conductor's gaze.

Zhu Xuefeng was almost suffocated when he found his small pedal under the dim light. Next to the pedal were several stalls of things emitting a strong smell of sheep, which drifted in the wind and almost suffocated him.

Check the seat, it's fine. Next time, I'll have to let Sha Zhu deliver it no matter what. It's a must. I'll make a trip today. Comrade Xiao Xia still has some opinions, so he should be waiting in the compound now.

After a bumpy ride out of the long and quiet alley, Zhu Xuefeng let out a long sigh of relief. The conditions in this old train station were really too harsh. Seeing a small broken courtyard not far away suddenly open its door, Zhu Xuefeng subconsciously slowed down, only to see three young men coming out with a smile. They were the plainclothes police who had just arrested Mr. Fo. The faces of the three were filled with the youthful vigor. Perhaps because they had arrested two waves in a row, they all seemed to have a little satisfaction.

Zhu Xuefeng rode over on his bike and couldn't help but turn his head to take a look. A man in uniform was closing the door, and there was another man in uniform further inside. It seemed that... yes, the one inside was Section Chief Ma from the steel rolling mill, and the one outside was the policeman who had a dispute over a sesame cake last time. Yes, he himself said he was a policeman from Xizhimen Railway Station. What a coincidence, but why was Section Chief Ma also wearing a policeman uniform?
(End of this chapter)