Which way to go is the road?

At 4 a.m., as dawn was breaking, there were very few people in the ticket hall of the county train station. Only those who were rushing to catch the train at this time were queuing to buy tickets. After buying their tickets, they sat in the empty waiting room with their eyes closed, resting and waiting to board the train.

Back then, online ticket sales hadn't started yet. Besides buying tickets at the train station, you could also buy them at a ticket agency on the street, which would charge an extra five yuan service fee. However, with so many people, you still had to queue, so the agencies could only serve to divert people.

Most people still prefer to buy at the train station because they can save five yuan.

Xiang Fei was also queuing in the ticket hall at this time. It was 3 a.m., just after the rain stopped. He left a note for his family and came out. He tiptoed out of his alley and onto the street. The damp cold of the night made him shiver. The boundless darkness made him feel lost and disoriented. He didn't know where he could find a place to stay in this vast world.

He rode his old Flying Pigeon bicycle out of the village, wandering aimlessly forward. Before he knew it, he had walked along the road to school to the county town. At the crossroads leading to the school, he knew he could not turn left any further, so he continued straight ahead and naturally arrived at the train station. He parked the bicycle in front of his cousin Yuanfang's shop, locked it, and went straight to the ticket hall.

There weren't many people queuing at the ticket hall. Xiang Fei was second in line. Tickets for small stations went on sale 15 minutes in advance, so once you bought your ticket, you only had to wait a few minutes before boarding. At 4:15 AM, the ticket window opened. The first person in line was a middle-aged woman who didn't say where she was going and simply paid for her ticket. When it was Xiang Fei's turn, he asked her a question:

"Where are we going?"

"Where are you going? The bus to Yandu is in 15 minutes."

"I don't know where to go either."

"So, are you going to buy it or not? If not, move aside, there are people waiting!"

"Then let's buy tickets to Yandu. As long as we can get out of here, that's fine!"

The ticket seller said impatiently, "45."

Xiang Fei bought the ticket, patted the 155 yuan he had left in his pocket, and told himself to be careful with his money. He had left in a hurry and only had 200 yuan with him that his mother, Zhang Xiu'e, had given him to buy clothes. He couldn't very well go back and ask his parents for more money for the trip! Oh well, there's always a way out. Xiang Fei really didn't believe he could starve to death!

Sitting in the waiting room, Xiang Fei thought it over and over again. He felt he was being a bit neurotic. Even if he wanted to go out and explore, he could have told his family and found someone he knew to take him. There was no need to resort to the bizarre method of "running away from home," since no one was forcing him. But then he thought again, there's no turning back now. He was already out, and he couldn't possibly ride his bicycle back.

Setting aside all connections in life, creating a world in an unfamiliar place must be an extremely fulfilling thing.

Having never even left the county town before, Xiang Fei felt a sudden surge of adventurous spirit as he boarded the train. He walked briskly, carrying his schoolbag, as if gold ingots were waiting for him. Entering the carriage, he found it filled with sleeping passengers, sprawled out in various positions, all seemingly on their way out to make their way in the world. Xiang Fei had merely joined them; achieving anything significant and standing out from the crowd wouldn't be so easy. Thinking of this, he immediately deflated.

Let's find a seat first. After he picked up the ticket and looked at it carefully, he found that it clearly said: No seat.

Xiang Fei carried his heavy schoolbag into the carriage and found that there were no seats, and the aisle was full of people. Some people even curled up under the seats and slept peacefully with newspapers as pillows. The people in the seats couldn't bear to put their feet next to their faces and awkwardly avoided them.

Squeezing through the aisle, Xiang Fei arrived at the connecting area between the carriages, which was also packed with people. Everyone was leaning against various supports, dozing off with their eyes closed. The carriage doors were also blocked, and when the doors opened at the next stop, it would inevitably disturb all these people. There would be five more stops before reaching Yandu.

All the spots against the wall were taken, so Xiang Fei had to stand in the middle of the aisle with his backpack, holding onto the door frame for balance.

Xiang Fei looked around curiously, pondering – before, when he watched trains speeding by, he always envied the train's carefree and unrestrained journey between heaven and earth, but he never imagined that there was such bitterness and weariness, endurance and helplessness inside the train; it seems that most things do not have the glamorous appearance on the surface, but rather use a gorgeous cloak to wrap up the bitterness and unbearable inside, showing people only an illusion.

A commotion swept through the aisle of the train carriage, and a young man with dyed yellow hair, shifty eyes, and a sallow complexion squeezed out and stood next to Xiang Fei. He rubbed his forehead with his right hand, his eyes scanning the surroundings before settling on the left-hand door.

Following the man's gaze, Xiang Fei saw a short-haired girl who looked like a student, sitting on a small stool leaning against her suitcase, asleep with her hand covering the light. Although the posture was awkward, she looked like she was sleeping soundly, probably because she was too tired.

Perhaps because she changed her posture, the girl's handbag fell to the ground.

Just as Xiang Fei was about to help the girl pick up her handbag, before he could even act, a wallet suddenly flew over. Then, the blond-haired young man who had squeezed through earlier walked over and squatted down, seemingly picking up the wallet.

Xiang Fei quickly changed his angle and saw that after picking up the wallet, the blond-haired man also grabbed the girl's handbag and was about to zip it up, using his body to cover it. Without thinking, Xiang Fei kicked him. Because he was busy with both hands, he lost his balance and fell forward, landing right at the girl's feet.

The girl woke up abruptly, rubbed her eyes, and looked at the blond-haired man sprawled out on his back with a puzzled expression. When she noticed the bag in his hand, she asked warily, "What are you doing with my bag?"

The noise drew the attention of those around them, who opened their eyes to see what had happened. The blond-haired man's face immediately turned pale and he panicked, stammering as he stood up, "Your bag fell on the ground, I picked it up for you, here you go!"

After saying that, he stood up, turned around, and walked into another carriage. Of course, he gave Xiang Fei a fierce look along the way. Xiang Fei did not back down and glared defiantly at the blond thief until he disappeared at the end of the carriage.

The girl looked at the unzipped handbag with a puzzled expression, then looked around in disbelief, her gaze meeting Xiang Fei's concerned one.

Xiang Fei finally got a good look at the girl's face—a round, oval face with a pair of bright, sparkling eyes, fair skin, a white short-sleeved t-shirt, and blue jeans—a clean, crisp, and neat androgynous outfit! At first glance, he might have mistaken her for a handsome young man, but her slightly protruding chest reminded everyone that she was a girl.

"Have you checked if anything is missing from your bag?"

"Nothing's missing. What happened just now? How did my bag end up in his hands? And the zipper was open."

"Your bag fell to the ground from your arms, and you ran into a thief. Luckily, nothing was lost. You'd better keep a closer eye on your bag in the future!"

"I understand, but why did he fall flat on his back like that? Is he a clumsy thief? Even if he's clumsy, he wouldn't fall down while picking up a bag, would he?"

"He's not stupid. To cover up his theft, he deliberately threw the wallet on the ground and pretended to pick it up. He fell down because..." As he spoke, Xiang Fei laughed and made a kicking motion with his foot.

Seeing this exaggerated gesture, the girl giggled, revealing her adorable dimples—"It's you! Thank you! All my living expenses are in here. If he steals them, I'll be in big trouble! Thank you so much!"

"Don't be shy, it's all about helping those in need! The way that thief was squatting there made it feel really good to kick him. Kicking him was as easy as a leaf falling in the wind, but if I didn't kick him, I felt really stifled!" Xiang Fei squatted down too, so the girl wouldn't have to look up at him and feel awkward talking to him.

The girl smiled and looked at Xiang Fei with curious eyes: "You certainly know how to describe things. 'Like a leaf falling in the wind,' you said. 'Do you really need to use such flowery language to describe kicking someone? Besides, aren't you afraid he'll retaliate? What if he's carrying a knife?'"

"It's not as dangerous as you say. So what if he has a knife? Two fists can't fight four tigers. Even if he wants revenge, there are so many people around!" As he spoke, Xiang Fei looked around and noticed that the people around him were also listening to their conversation with great interest. So he deliberately raised his voice and asked, "Friends, are you going to help catch the thief?"

"Go! Go! Go!" A few people responded sparsely, and they all looked like students. A few older people kept their eyes closed and endured the second half of the journey with indifferent expressions.

"Look, if a thief dares to make a move, he'll become a rat crossing the street! Besides, thieves are all guilty and won't dare to do anything!" Relying on the support of several students, Xiang Fei continued, bowing to the students as he spoke.

The girl moved the stool aside, casually laid her suitcase down, and patted it: "You look uncomfortable squatting like that, come on, sit here!"

"Don't break your things. I just got on the bus and haven't been standing for long, I'm not tired yet!"

"There are just some clothes and books inside, nothing to worry about. Please have a seat!"

Xiang Fei waved his hand, wanting to say something to decline, but the girl grabbed his hand and pulled him over. Because Xiang Fei was squatting with one leg on his back, he was caught off guard and fell face-first onto the suitcase, looking quite unsightly.

The girl laughed heartily and said nonchalantly, "Just sit down! What's with all the fussing, man? Are you alright?"

"It's okay! It's okay! Don't dawdle, I'll sit, I'll sit!" Xiang Fei said timidly with an embarrassed smile, but the people around him laughed maliciously, making Xiang Fei feel very embarrassed.

"I didn't mean it just now. Have some water? I noticed you didn't bring any!" the girl said, trying to make amends as she looked at Xiang Fei, whose face was flushed.

"Okay, thank you!" This time Xiang Fei didn't dare to refuse. He took the bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and drank it.

"My name is Dong Lu, let's get acquainted." Watching Xiang Fei take a sip of water and screw the cap back on, the girl extended her right hand with a smile.

Xiang Fei rubbed his hands on his clothes again and again, then slowly stretched them out, as if he needed to make full preparations even for a handshake. Dong Lu couldn't wait and directly took his hand. It was delicate, soft, but a little cold.

Xiang Fei didn't react for a moment, his hand mechanically held. Only when the girl smiled and shook her hand at him did he know how to respond, and said with an awkward smile, "My name is Xiang Fei."

Because he lived in the countryside, he usually greeted people by asking, "Have you eaten?" or "Where are you going?" or just smiling. Xiang Fei had never formally shaken hands with anyone before, not even at school. In the minds of middle school students, "handshakes" were something that only happened in society and were a very formal form of social etiquette.

This first handshake on the train made Xiang Fei feel very uncomfortable. Was this what it meant to leave school and enter society?

"Where are you going?" the girl asked first.

"Yandu!"

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know what to do! I failed the college entrance exam, and I felt stifled staying at home, so I wanted to go out and explore!"

"So where in Yandu are you going? Who are you going to see?" When rural people go to work in other places, they usually stay with relatives and friends. This has two advantages: first, it provides a temporary place to stay and makes life easier; second, it allows them to find a job and earn money as quickly as possible. Dong Lu naturally asked about this, but she didn't expect that Xiang Fei's situation was not ordinary.

"Why do I have to find anyone? I don't know anyone in Yandu, so I don't have a fixed place to go! I failed the college entrance exam. I found out my results yesterday, and I left early this morning because I couldn't stand everyone's expressions of pity or ridicule. Even expressions of concern made me feel awkward, so I left! I went to the train station and luckily there were tickets to Yandu, so I boarded this train. Anyway, wherever I go, I'll start from scratch. The world is vast; there must be a place for me!"

As Xiang Fei spoke, he looked out the car window. It was already dawn, and the corn seedlings in the fields on both sides of the railway were just sprouting. No matter how the last wheat harvest turned out, the emergence of these corn seedlings always brought new hope.

"You came out so early, you must have run away from home secretly, right? Although I understand how you feel and admire your decisive and reckless courage, it's still a bit foolish of you to do this. Your family must be so worried about you! You didn't take much money with you, did you? In Yandu, everything costs money. Without any acquaintances, how will you survive in Yandu? You can't just beg for food when you run out of money, can you?"

"I took 200 yuan! But after buying the train ticket, I only have 155 left. That should last me a few days! Then I'll find a job, and with my salary, I'll have money to live on, right?"

"200 yuan, that's a lot! Not counting accommodation, it's enough to eat for several days. At 30 yuan a day, it'll last you five days. And then what?" Dong Lu smiled bitterly, "You watch too much TV or read too many books. You really want to start from scratch in the city? Looking for a job and earning a salary? Even if you find a job, who's going to pay you in less than a month? You're dreaming!"

Dong Lu's words of cold water woke Xiang Fei up. His plan and ideas were too idealistic and hadn't been tested in reality. Continuing on this path would definitely lead to setbacks. This was probably a common problem for all recent graduates, but what could he do? Experience and lessons couldn't be bought, and he couldn't stop or even retreat just because he might encounter setbacks!

Who cares? Let's just keep hitting walls! We'll become experienced "warriors" after all that bumping around.

"What are you thinking about? Why are you frowning? Say something! Are you afraid you'll starve to death if you can't find a job? Don't worry, I'm here for you!" Dong Lu said with a chivalrous expression, taking full responsibility. "Since you were so brave and protected my wallet, I'll find you a place to stay, and I can even lend you some money to help you get through this initial difficult time. How will you thank me?"

"I just got out here and I have nothing!" Xiang Fei said, recalling a scene from a novel, and looked at Dong Lu with a wicked grin. "How about we follow the rules of the martial arts world? I'll humble myself and offer myself to you!"

"Get lost! You're so ugly, tanned like a piece of charcoal, and you want to offer yourself to me? Offer yourself to your big head!" Dong Lu said, lightly slapping Xiang Fei on the forehead!

Xiang Fei rubbed his forehead and laughed, "If you don't want me to, then don't. Do you think I want this? A woman's appearance, a man's personality. Whoever wants you as their girlfriend, those who know might be fine, but those who don't might think there's something wrong with their sexual orientation!"

"Are you talking nonsense? How dare you say I'm neither woman nor man!" In her anxiety, Dong Lu even spoke in her Shandong dialect, grabbing a mineral water bottle next to her and about to smash it at the other side.

Xiang Fei quickly apologized, "Alright, I was wrong. By the way, since you put it that way, why don't you go to Yandu too? What are you going to Yandu for? Who are you looking for?"

"I won't do anything, and I won't be looking for anyone in Yandu. I'll just go to university there!"

Upon hearing the word "university," Xiang Fei felt a pang of pain, but he quickly masked it and continued calmly, "Oh, that university? What's your major?"

"I study journalism at Yandu Broadcasting University, which is what people used to call Yanguang. I'm from Qingdao, Shandong. I'm 22 this year and will be a junior this fall. Was that detailed enough? I've never been this specific even when the police check my household registration!" Dong Lu said playfully, seemingly noticing Xiang Fei's odd behavior. She then looked at Xiang Fei with a teasing expression.

Xiang Fei avoided her gaze, muttering with his head down, "I didn't ask that many questions! At worst, I'll tell you my details. I'm 23 this year, failed the college entrance exam for three consecutive years, and I have a younger brother and a younger sister. My father has eight children, and he's the sixth oldest. We make a living by farming..."

Xiang Fei wanted to continue, but Dong Lu interrupted him with a laugh, saying, "Alright, alright, even if I were checking your household registration, I'd only be checking yours. Why would you tell me how many siblings you have, or what your birth order is? We're not on a blind date!"

Xiang Fei laughed and said, "I just wanted to explain in more detail than you said, so it wouldn't seem like you suffered some huge loss!"

"Okay, okay, I didn't suffer any loss, alright!" Dong Lu paused for a moment before continuing.

……

The two chatted casually yet broadly, from TV dramas they watched as children to martial arts novels, from childhood memories of stealing vegetables to their budding crushes on the opposite sex in middle school, and from the various flavors of Beijing snacks to their university life.

The worst thing about traveling is the loneliness and boredom of being alone. No matter how delicious the food or how comfortable the transportation, nothing beats a close companion. Sharing drinks and laughter, being carefree and uninhibited, chatting about everything under the sun, offering warmth and support to one another.