Extra 1
It is a silent night.
The majestic and heavy mountains were shrouded in thick darkness. Suddenly, a whistling sound of wind was heard in the distance. A moment later, a bright headlight pierced through the deep darkness from a tunnel deep in the mountains. A train blew its whistle and quickly passed through the long tunnel and jumped onto the flat ground.
This is a dilapidated green train, with parts clanging and jingling all the time. Every available place to stand on the rusty carriage walls is filled with people sleeping in a mess. The smell of instant noodles, cigarettes, foot odor, and an indescribable smell of human flesh mixed together and filled the hot air.
"Click!" The discarded empty cans were crushed and made a sound as if they could not bear the weight. A dirty and smelly shoe placed in the middle of the road was kicked and flew under the seat ten meters away.
"Ugh." The man bent over, one hand on his chest, the other covering his mouth and nose, making uncontrollable retching sounds. "Ugh, this section stinks even worse than the one I just came over. I should have known not to come here earlier."
The boy standing behind was holding a bottle of water, his brows furrowed, his voice a little hoarse, "...go over first."
The two of them finally reached the connection between the carriages. There was ventilation here, and the smell was much better than in the closed carriage just now, but the floor here was also full of people sleeping.
They found an open space large enough for two people to sit down. When their backs shivered as they leaned against the cold iron sheet, Song Yu seemed to finally realize that they had escaped.
The moment she climbed out of the door and the alarm rang loudly, she thought they would be caught. In a panic, she jumped into a taxi and rushed to the train station as fast as possible. She bought two train tickets to Haicheng, and then, it was now.
The two people only had a mobile phone and 3,000 yuan in cash, of which only 2,500 yuan was left after buying two train tickets, and their respective ID cards, which they had stolen before leaving.
"Have you been thinking about running away for a long time?" Song Yu asked the person next to him with his side face, otherwise how could he think of putting a mobile phone and cash in the time and space bag.
"If you don't run away, you'll be locked up for life. If not today, then someday in the future."
"What's your name?" Song Yu looked at his face. "I only know your name is 305."
"My name is Xu Qiao."
"Song Yu."
While in the taxi, Xu Qiao had already removed all the bandages on his face.
He had a handsome face, deep eyes and brows, a straight nose, and thin lips with a hint of blood. He was quite handsome, but there were still red marks on his face from the bandages that had not yet disappeared. In addition, he had not seen the sun for many days, so his skin looked too white and pale, as if he was sick. However, he had a very tall figure, and he did not look thin at all even though he had not eaten well for so many meals.
Song Yu turned his face away and looked at the bright yellow lights flashing through the train window, his heart pounding. Waves of light shone in continuously, casting a mysterious halo on their faces. The train was speeding, and their destination was Haicheng.
But what to do when we get to Haicheng?
She didn't have to stay with Xu Qiao. Going to Haicheng was just because she had no choice at the moment.
"Hey, Xu Qiao." Song Yu came forward and said, "Let's go our separate ways when we get to Haicheng. Lend me some money so I can buy a ticket."
"Where are you going?" Xu Qiao asked.
"I haven't made up my mind yet, so lend me the money first."
"No."
Song Yu said unwillingly, "I will pay you back double when I make money. Is that not okay?"
"No." Xu Qiao looked at her and said, "You have nothing on you. What's the point of just borrowing money?"
"You escaped with me, and I am responsible for you," said Xu Qiao.
When a young boy says this to a girl, someone walking by on the toilet will shake their head when they hear it. They wonder, "How can someone so young not study and elope?" I really don't understand what these little kids are thinking.
Song Yu was a little angry. "Why are you responsible for me? I can take responsibility for myself. You don't need to worry about me."
"Then tell me your plans after you get off the train. If you can explain it clearly, I'll lend you the money."
"..." She sat aside, speechless for a long time. She had no plans and didn't even know which city to go to. But at the same time, she didn't know whether Xu Qiao could be trusted. She even saw his appearance for the first time today. She regretted not saving money.
Song Yu sat in silence, the shadows of leaves cast from outside the window passed over her lonely body again and again. Perhaps because it was night, her body felt a little cold, and her stomach began to hurt without any warning.
Noticing that something was wrong with her expression, Xu Qiao asked, "What's wrong with you?"
"I'm going to the bathroom." She stood up and walked towards the bathroom. Turning back, Xu Qiao followed her silently. "What are you doing?"
"The toilet door over there is broken."
The toilet on the train could be described as a nightmare that Song Yu never wanted to set foot in again in her life. She suppressed her inner discomfort, tried not to touch anywhere, and planned to get it over with quickly.
The door was indeed broken and could not be locked. Xu Qiao stood at the door to guard it for her. She felt a little relieved, at least she didn't have to worry about anyone breaking in.
However, as soon as she took off her pants, the cold sweat that had subsided immediately came back, and her period had come.
There was a small dark red stain on her panties, which had even seeped through the back of the panties. She frantically searched her pants to see if there was any trace of it, and sure enough, there was.
During the time in the sanatorium, due to her mood swings and the unnutritious and unpalatable meals, her period didn't come last month. Perhaps it was because she was relaxed, but it came at this critical moment.
She was suddenly at a loss and wanted to use some paper to pad it. The moment she set her eyes on the paper in the toilet, Song Yu couldn't help cursing. There were even scattered cigarette ashes on the paper.
"What's wrong?" There was a sudden knock on the door. It was Xu Qiao who heard her voice. "Are you okay?"
Song Yu thought she cursed quietly. She bit her lip and said with a pale face, "I'm on my period. I don't have anything on my hands. I wanted to use some paper, but the paper is a little dirty."
The voice outside the door paused and asked, "Are your pants dirty?"
"Um."
"Wait a moment."
She heard Xu Qiao's footsteps gradually fading away, and for a moment she felt a little nervous. If he left, there would be no one to guard the door for her, so she could only hold it open with her hands.
But Xu Qiao didn't come back for a long time, and a sudden panic washed over her. Could it be that Xu Qiao had left because she was a nuisance? She ignored the nausea and picked up the cigarette ash on the paper, intending to make do with it and go out to find someone.
Just as I was about to put it on, there was a knock on the door. "Open the door."
It was Xu Qiao's voice.
Song Yu was startled, then he carefully opened the door a crack, and a strong arm came in with a light blue piece of clothing, "Wrap this around yourself first."
It was Xu Qiao's coat. She held the clothes in her arms and realized there was something inside. She peeled it open and saw several sanitary napkins of different colors lying quietly in the clothes.
Coming out of the restroom, Song Yu saw Xu Qiao's back facing the carriage. She tightened the clothes tied around her waist with her hands and said, "I'm fine."
Xu Qiao turned around when he heard the voice, and Song Yu saw the thin layer of sweat on his forehead at a glance. In the late night with heavy dew, there were still people in the carriage who were so cold that they had to wrap themselves in blankets. He had to ask many people to borrow those sanitary napkins in different packages.
"Xu Qiao." Song Yu looked up at him, "I'm not leaving. I'm going to Haicheng with you."
The dim headlights outside the window roared past like a hurricane, the scenery quickly receded, and ahead was their vague and unknown freedom.
The train slowly arrived at the station after traveling for nearly ten hours. People got off the train carrying bags of all sizes, like birds just out of a cage, and the noise was very noisy.
There were two people with empty hands among them. The girl had a blue jacket tied around her waist strangely, with the sleeves hanging down and jumping in the air due to being kicked by her legs. The boy's figure was very conspicuous among the crowd, and his height was far above the local average.
The people passing by were more or less curious and looked at the two of them, but after being stared at by Song Yu, they turned back as if nothing had happened.
They followed the crowd out of the station. Song Yu looked at the bustling crowds and vehicles ahead and asked, "Where are we going now?"
Xu Qiao looked down at the map on his phone and said, "First, find an agent to rent a house so I have a place to stay."
He found an agent online. When the agent heard that they wanted to rent a house, he quickly sent them several houses for them to choose from. They chose a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment that looked okay. The agent felt that there was a chance and immediately sent them the address, asking them to go there when they were free.
After searching for the bus route, they took the bus to the address sent by the agent. After getting off the bus, Song Yudong looked around, but before he saw the agent, Xu Qiao pulled him into a women's clothing store.
"Go choose a pair of pants." Xu Qiao stood behind her and pushed her.
The shop's owner was an auntie, and the interior decoration was ordinary. Song Yu was very thin, and had almost no desire to choose pants, which were similar in style. She randomly picked a dark pair from the row of pants hanging on the shelf, gestured, and decided that she could wear it. "I'll take this one."
"Don't you want to try?"
"No, I can wear it. It's too troublesome to try on pants. This is it."
The aunt came up with a smile on her face, took the pants and walked to the cashier. As she packed the pants, she praised Song Yu for her good figure and good taste, and kept saying good things. She packed the pants and handed them to Song Yu, "A total of 218."
Song Yu was stunned for a moment. She had clearly picked the cheapest one. She frowned and said, "Then I don't want it. Get the cheapest one in your store."
Auntie's face froze. "Little sister, this price is not expensive at all. You probably haven't seen anything really expensive. Just touch the material of our pants and you'll know how good they are. They are definitely worth the price."
"Those cheap pants are made of very poor quality, very rough material. Redness on the skin is not a big deal. They also have a lot of chemicals added to them, which can cause allergies. But this pair of pants is different. They are very popular. I even sold two pairs yesterday."
Song Yu frowned and was about to say something when he saw the hand next to him hand out three red banknotes, "This is it."
She turned around and looked at Xu Qiao disapprovingly and whispered, "These pants are not worth that much money."
"Unless you want to wear those." Xu Qiao pointed to the colorful pants next to him, which were obviously worn by old ladies.
Song Yu immediately fell silent.
After buying the pants, he found a public restroom to change into them. When he came out, Song Yu was holding Xu Qiao's clothes in his hands, looking a little unnatural. "I'll wash them for you when the time comes."
Xu Qiao hummed and tried to reach out to take the clothes, but Song Yu stopped him, "I'll get it."
Seeing that she insisted, Xu Qiao didn't say anything more.
The agent had been waiting for them on the street for a long time. When he saw the two of them coming, he walked upstairs while introducing the house to them.
The house was on the sixth floor of an old building, facing the street. Although it was a bit old and small, it was generally clean and tidy. Song Yu didn't have any big requirements for her accommodation, so when Xu Qiao asked for her opinion, she just said "OK".
"If you two decide to rent this place, the rent is 1,100 a month, one-third of the deposit. I've brought the contract with me." The agent pulled out the contract and pen from his bag. "Just sign here."
The rent is 1,100, with a deposit of one and three months' payment, totaling 4,400 yuan.
They have no money.
This was the first time in Song Yu's life that she felt financially strapped. She couldn't help but think that if she hadn't had her period and if she hadn't soiled her pants, then at least she wouldn't have to spend an extra 200 yuan, and maybe the number 4,400 wouldn't be so far away and out of reach.
She secretly glanced sideways at Xu Qiao, only to see that his expression remained unchanged as he rejected the agent's repeated offers of contracts and pens. "Is there a cheaper deal? One that doesn't require a deposit of one-third of the rent?"
The agent's expression changed immediately. He threw the contract over and his eyelids drooped listlessly. "No, this one I have is the cheapest. Haicheng is by the sea, and any cheaper house would be uninhabitable."
"If you ask me, people should live in a better place. Otherwise, what's the point of living? You'll suffer too. Miss, don't you agree?"
There was obvious instigation and hidden malice in the agent's tone. Song Yu's expression changed. "If you don't have any, find someone who has a cheaper house. Don't waste our time."
After saying that, without waiting for the agent to reply, he looked up and said to Xu Qiao: "Forget it, it seems that he doesn't have many resources. Let's find someone else."
"Yeah." Xu Qiao looked at his phone and was obviously looking for something else. The two of them walked out the door without stopping.
"Wait a moment," the agent stopped them. "I do have a cheap apartment. The location isn't great, but judging by your state, I don't think you'd care much for it. It's on the first floor of this building. The rent is 800, one month deposit and one month rent."
The two looked at each other, turned around and said calmly, "Let's take a look."
The environment of the house on the first floor was indeed not very good. It was a single room, even smaller than the previous one, and the furniture was very worn. It was located on the first floor and there were signs of dampness and mold on the walls. Fortunately, it had everything it needed. The window faced the street and was equipped with iron bars for anti-theft. Not much light could get in, so it looked very dark. When the lights were on, it was bleak and looked like a fully equipped prison cell. Fortunately, the rent was cheap, and with their limited wealth, they could not expect much else.
They signed the contract, paid the money, and the process went quickly, and they received a key.
When walking with Xu Qiao in a small supermarket to buy daily necessities, Song Yu finally came to his senses and realized that they were really about to start their own life.
There was only one bed, and she wanted to ask Xu Qiao how the two of them would sleep together, but she couldn't open her mouth until she saw Xu Qiao bought an extra quilt and mattress.
She breathed a sigh of relief quietly, after all, she was not prepared to sleep in a bed.
Daily necessities were very expensive, so they ate something hastily outside. When they returned to the rental house, it was already dark, and the room looked more like a prison cell than it did during the day.
They bought curtains to cover the window leading to the street. After covering it, the whole space became very airtight. Song Yu sat on the bed, watching Xu Qiao who was going back and forth to organize daily necessities. Inexplicable emotions surged up in her and made her at a loss.
She took the cheap clothes she had bought and planned to take a shower. After entering the narrow bathroom, she came out shortly afterwards with a rather grim expression and said to Xu Qiao, "This water heater seems to be broken."
Upon hearing this, Xu Qiao put down what he was holding, stood up and checked, then quickly went out. When he came back, he was holding a water heater in his hand.
"I contacted the landlord, and he said he would send someone to check on my house the day after tomorrow. I'll just have to use this for today." He filled a large bucket of water, carried it outside from the bathroom, plugged it in, and put the thermos in to boil water.
Seeing his calm expression with his eyes downcast, Song Yu asked, "Then...what are we going to do here in the future?"
They have no relatives or friends here, and their money is almost gone. They don't know what to do or how to do it tomorrow, what to eat tomorrow, and what they can afford to eat.
At their age, most of them are still arranged by their parents, and it's not that she is incapable of taking care of herself, but Song Yu is not yet able to adapt to all of this.
"I'll go out and look for a job tomorrow," Xu Qiao said calmly. "They said there's a high school here. Once I save enough money, I'll go there."
Song Yu was stunned. "Then can our student status be transferred here?"
"You can study there on a temporary basis first, and then go back to register for the college entrance examination. As long as you pay the money, you can study there on a temporary basis. I just asked about it." When he said these words, he was very calm, as if no matter how big the problem was, he could turn it into a safe situation.
Song Yu didn't know when he asked this question. She had no objection to this arrangement. After all, what else could she do at this age if not studying?
On the first night, Song Yu couldn't sleep. The bright yellow headlights of the trucks roaring past on the street shone through the curtains onto the wall. She stared at the pale ceiling above her head with her eyes open, one hand hanging down from the bed.
She hadn't planned on doing anything, and didn't expect any response, but when she tried to pull her hand back, her fingertips were gently pinched soothingly.
She pulled her hand back, turned over and faced the window. The itching and numbness from her fingertips gradually permeated her whole body. Her heart was beating nervously. She thought she would still suffer from insomnia, but unexpectedly, she felt sleepy soon and fell asleep.
This was their first night of freedom, and the boys' confusion, hesitation and determination mixed together to form a beautiful dream.
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