Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 414 All Kinds of People

The salesperson said, "One hundred and fifty. The leaders are all making things up. They don't know anything but give orders blindly."

A hand reached out and slapped the sales clerk on the head: "What are you babbling about? You never watch your mouth." A train police officer appeared in sight, and the sales clerk pointed at the middle-aged man and said, "Brother Hu, perfect timing, this guy is smoking, twenty yuan fine, but he won't pay."

The woman next to me was grumbling as she mopped the floor. The train attendant, holding a child and trying to avoid her little hands, said, "Alright, alright, give me the mop and take the child."

The older woman slowly dragged her hand along, saying, "Will it kill you to carry me for a while? I'll take a break and mop this floor clean for you. Do you want me to take care of the trash? I'll sweep the floor again for you, you haven't finished sweeping yet."

The man who had been making a fuss about the bag was laughing nearby. The train conductor glared at him and said, "What are you laughing at? Close the window! Can't you see this kid is cold? Will he die if he smokes one less cigarette? Don't you know smoking is prohibited on the train?"

A man in the upper berth asked, "Train conductor, where are we?"

The train police officer said to the man, "Are you going to pay or not? Don't explain to me. If you don't pay, get off at the next stop and go to the police station."

The train conductor looked up at the upper berth and asked, "Where are you going?"

The woman mopping the floor smoothed her hair and said to the train police officer, "Lift your feet a bit, I'll mop this area too, it's covered in egg yolk."

The person in the upper bunk said, "Xingcheng."

The train police officer said to the man, "I'm not joking with you. If you get caught, you're out of luck. If you don't pay the fine, you're guaranteed to get off at your destination."

The sales clerk, holding the hundred-yuan note Chen Hui had given her, called out, "Does anyone have a hundred-yuan note in change? Could you give me some?"

The train conductor said, "What's the rush for Xingcheng? It's still early, we'll arrive around noon."

The middle-aged man reached into his pocket and said, "Look at this, officer, I know your station's leader. He even threw my eggs at me."

Someone at the front of the carriage shouted, "Train conductor, why has the hot water stopped?"

The woman mopping the floor handed the mop to the train conductor and took the child from him. The train police officer said, "You know the Minister of Railways? I don't. Who threw eggs at you? Where are these eggs? What about the shells? You're going to eat them if they don't throw them away?"

The train conductor took the mop and shouted to the front of the carriage, "There's no water left. We'll add water at the next station. You can get more later."

The guy in the upper bunk said, "Can you let me down? My feet smell a bit, and I've been wrapping them in a blanket the whole time."

The older woman, holding her child, looked up and asked, "I didn't smell anything. How did you get up there?"

The train police officer was getting impatient, frowning as he said, "I don't have time to waste here with you. Are you going to pay or not?"

"Who the hell eats stinky tofu on a train? Are they crazy?" someone shouted from the middle of the train.

Xiao Hong said to Xia Maosheng and Chen Hui, "You two have such big bellies! You just ate two meals, is there any room left?"

Geng Hui said, "This red sausage is delicious, even better than regular sausage. Take a bite." She held the Bingcheng red sausage to Xiao Hong's lips.

Xiao Wei took out some change from his pocket and said to the cashier, "I have some change here, please give him back that hundred."

The train attendant, dragging a mop, walked to the middle of the carriage: "Who's eating stinky tofu? Put it away right now, and open the windows for a bit. There are so many people here, can't you be a little more considerate?"

The guy in the upper bunk next to me was a little embarrassed. His face turned red as he climbed down from the upper bunk to look for his shoes, saying, "My feet sweat terribly, no matter how much I wash them, it doesn't help. I'm really sorry."

The train police officer took the two crumpled bills from the man and said, "You have to follow the rules when you're out on the train. Smoking is not allowed in the carriages, so don't smoke. Stop looking at others and just mind your own business. This money is to teach you a lesson so you'll remember it, understand?"

The sales clerk handed Chen Hui a hundred yuan note, then took the thirty yuan note from Xiao Wei and said, "Can I get you a big bubble gum for a yuan? Don't spit it on the ground, spit it outside, or Brother Hou will scold me. We're not allowed to sell this on the bus. It's hard to clean up."

The woman holding the baby sniffed and said, "It does smell a bit. Young man, your feet smell strange. You'd better go to the hospital to get them checked out. They look like they're rotting. Don't rush to put on your socks, take them off so I can take a look."

The man said, "Ma'am, those eggs really are mine. Can you give them back?"

The train attendant walked over with a mop, stood it up to the side, picked up a broom, and said to the vendor, "Hurry up and move it away. You're just a poor wretch here if you're not selling anything." The train policeman handed the money in his hand to the train attendant.

Xiao Wei said, "It's really not easy doing what you guys do, you're so busy."

The train conductor, sweeping the floor, said, "There's no other way. I took on this lousy shift. If there were any other way, anyone who wanted to do this job would be a coward."

"Cigarettes, fruit, sunflower seeds, playing cards, mahjong, checkers, beer, drinks, mineral water, sausages, bread, peanuts." The salesperson put on his hat, pushed the cart away, and the railway police officer followed behind, sizing everyone up.

The woman bent down and carefully examined the guy's feet in the upper bunk, saying, "These aren't just sweaty feet, they're infected. Get off the train and go to the hospital right away, otherwise it'll be harder to treat, and you might even have to have your leg amputated."

The middle-aged man standing to the side said, "That's a really strong kick. Ma'am, those eggs are definitely mine."

Someone shouted, "Who ate anything? Can't you smell it yourself? Can't you be a little more considerate?"

While sweeping the floor, the train attendant said, "Hey lady, are you a doctor? You're quite bold. Hurry up and put your clothes on, they just got into a fight over there because of smelly feet. Don't listen to what others say, go to the hospital and see a doctor if you want to see a doctor."

The older woman straightened up and said, "What's wrong with smelly feet? What kind of man doesn't have smelly feet?"

The train conductor said, "Ma'am, that's a bit harsh. You're generalizing about everyone on the train."

The man said, "Ma'am, he just threw my eggs away, they really were mine."

Xiao Hong and Geng Hui shared the sausage, taking bites from each other, and said, "It's really delicious with a bit of garlic. Do they sell it where we live? I haven't noticed before."

Xiao Wei said, "If you like it, I'll buy it for you. I should be able to get some."

The older woman put her child on the berth and pulled out the half-bag of eggs from under the berth, saying, "Stingy as ever, you're a man for a reason." She took out two eggs and handed the bag to the older man. The train conductor had already glanced at the bag, looked up, and said, "Don't throw the eggshells on the ground. Don't put them on other people's berths anymore, or I'll throw them away."

The guy in the upper bunk, having put on his shoes, said, "Wow, you really know this? I really have an infection!"

The train conductor said, "Honestly, don't you know your own limitations? If you're worried, get off the train and go to the hospital. Besides, change into some breathable shoes; these rubber shoes are really stuffy." Back then, many people wore these non-breathable "leather shoes." They were cheap, but they really made your feet feel hot. In the summer, your feet would feel like they were on fire after just a few steps.

(End of this chapter)