Chapter 17: The Meerkat and the Lion (Two-in-One)...
International train waiting room.
With less than two hours until departure, the waiting room was packed with people and luggage piled on top of luggage, leaving no extra room to stand.
The station attendant, dragging the weighing scale, struggled through the crowd, reached the ticket gate, and expertly called out:
"Everyone has checked their luggage!"
Before the words were even finished, the passengers, as if by prior arrangement, stood up abruptly and began putting on leather jackets and down coats.
The heating has been turned off since spring arrived, and it's quite cold inside the train station due to the late spring cold snap.
However, as they put on more and more clothes, many people broke out in a sweat and were panting heavily.
After putting on their clothes, they walked unsteadily, like Michelin Man, struggling to drag their huge luggage to the scales to queue up.
In a corner, a group of men and women of varying ages gathered together, their faces filled with excitement and unease at the prospect of embarking on a long journey.
Seeing everyone else putting on their clothes, this group found it quite strange.
"What are they doing?"
"Why do you need to wear clothes before getting on the bus? Is it cold on the bus?"
"Teacher Cai, should we let the students wear them too?"
The bespectacled man, referred to as "Teacher Cai," waved his hand dismissively and said:
“Those are all scalpers, not respectable people. We’re going there to study abroad, don’t learn their nonsense.”
Before he could finish speaking, a sneer came from the side.
Teacher Cai looked over angrily and saw a tall woman with short hair staring at him with a half-smile.
Like everyone else, she wore at least five leather jackets layered together.
However, because she is tall and slender, wearing so many clothes doesn't look cumbersome at all; instead, it gives her a unique sense of freedom and elegance.
The short-haired woman was accompanied by two other people, all dressed in similar layered outfits, clearly part of a group.
Hmph, a bunch of low-class gangsters!
Teacher Cai made a slight pursing of her lips and turned her head away as if she had never heard anything.
He... he didn't back down...
Facing the students who looked like quails, Teacher Cai felt much more confident and began to grumble:
"What are you all doing sitting there! Hurry up and get up to line up for your tickets! Look at you all, your butts are so heavy! Let me tell you, this isn't how it's done in Oros! Parents, don't bother sending your children off, they're all grown up and still can't wean themselves... Hurry up, who are you waiting for to invite you!"
After he vented his anger, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and saw that she was already gone.
Teacher Cai felt a sense of relief.
The waiting room was packed, and the platform was just as crowded.
People boarding and seeing off the train surrounded the entire train, making it impossible to get on. You had to squeeze in with your head held high.
Teacher Cai led about twenty students through a difficult struggle to break through the crowd and finally managed to squeeze onto the bus.
As soon as he entered the carriage, he saw a person standing in the aisle, opening the window to take something out of the train.
Hearing the sound, the man turned around and glanced back.
Teacher Cai's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, it's that woman again!
Unaware of the other person's complex thoughts, He Changyi glanced at the newcomer casually and continued to take the clothes from the person outside the car.
She carried 35 kilograms of luggage with her, checked in 40 kilograms, and was wearing a leather jacket, and hadn't even used up all the money she had paid for the goods.
But since she had to carry her luggage before boarding the train, and there were only so many clothes she could wear at once, He Changyi simply hired two people and bought two platform tickets. She had them each wear five leather jackets and then follow her through the ticket gate under the pretense of seeing her off. Finally, she handed the leather jackets to her through the window.
Now, He Changyi can bring ten more leather jackets.
As the last leather jacket was shoved through the window, a long, drawn-out whistle sounded from the platform.
He Changyi returned to the private room carrying a stack of leather jackets. As soon as she opened the door, she saw the bespectacled man sitting inside staring at her as if he had seen a ghost.
To avoid being robbed, He Changyi specially paid extra for a lower berth ticket this time, but unexpectedly, someone came to reserve the seat as soon as the train departed.
"Move aside, you've taken my bunk."
He Changyi threw his leather jacket onto the bunk without any hesitation, not caring whether it hit anyone.
The bespectacled man jumped off his bunk as if his pants were on fire, fleeing the private room without looking back.
A moment later, his voice could be heard from outside.
"Go, switch beds with me... What are you looking at? You, hurry up!"
He Changyi was packing her luggage when the door to the private room opened slightly. A round-faced girl walked in, smiled shyly at her, put her luggage on the shelf outside, and was about to climb up to the upper bunk.
He Changyi called out to her.
"Hey, wait a minute, who told you to put your luggage there?"
The little girl climbed halfway up the ladder, then stood there, neither up nor down, like a panicked little hamster.
"No, you can't put it here? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll take it right away..."
He Changyi's lips twitched. He felt as if he had become the villain who was oppressing women, and he had to explain himself.
"There are a lot of thieves on the train, and your luggage is likely to be stolen if you leave it outside. Anyway, there's space in the compartment, so you can put it inside."
The little girl then realized that He Changyi meant well, her round face flushed red, and she hurriedly climbed down.
"Thank you, thank you, I'll bring it in right away..."
The other two boys in the private room, who hadn't dared to speak until now, hurriedly brought back all the bags and packages that were on the luggage rack outside.
Once outside Beijing city, the train sped up, heading northeast.
Having traveled on international trains before, He Changyi knew that long journeys could be boring, so she prepared plenty of "spiritual nourishment" by bringing several novels.
At first, the other three people in the private room stared at each other, not daring to make a sound while He Changyi was reading. They would often sneak into other private rooms and come back after the lights were turned off.
Later, someone, feeling really bored, mustered up the courage to ask He Changyi to borrow a book.
Through borrowing and returning money, they discovered that He Changyi wasn't as aloof as she seemed, and the two gradually started talking.
He Changyi learned that the group of more than 20 people were all students going to Moscow to study, and the man with glasses was the teacher leading the group.
Students see the admission brochures in China and learn that they only need to study at a language school for a year to be admitted to major public universities in Moscow without taking an entrance exam.
The tuition for language schools is one thousand US dollars plus three thousand yuan. Although it is expensive, ordinary families can afford it if they grit their teeth.
Among this group of prospective international students, there are high school students who failed to get into university, office workers who are on unpaid leave, workers and farmers, all of whom are eager to change their own and their families' fate through studying abroad.
“My family sold everything they owned to support my studies abroad. I have to make something of myself in Moscow, or I’ll be letting my parents down.”
“My family has borrowed a lot of money, but once I return to China, those debts will no longer be a problem.”
“My classmates who didn’t get into university all went to vocational schools. Once I finish university in Oros, I won’t have to work in a factory. I can earn money sitting in an office.”
After everyone had recounted their revolutionary family histories, someone mustered up the courage to ask He Changyi:
"Sis, are you a middleman?"
He Changyi lifted her eyelids: "Yes. So?"
The person asking the question was both excited and nervous.
"I heard that black marketeers are willing to fight the Russians and make money by risking their lives. I used to think that black marketeers were all big and burly, like Li Kui or Zhang Fei, or even if they were women, they had to be like Sun Erniang. I never expected that someone like you would be a black marketeer. You really can't judge a book by its cover!"
He Changyi: ...
Theoretically, this should be a compliment, but why does she feel a little itchy to touch it?
For some reason, the students were somewhat afraid of He Changyi, but also inexplicably felt close to her.
Like a group of sneaky meerkats, they stared wide-eyed in fear while taking small, shuffling steps forward.
He Changyi, on the other hand, was like a lazy lion, leisurely swishing his tail as he listened to the meerkats grumbling in his ear.
The man with glasses, who was also Teacher Cai leading the group, always kept his distance from her.
If he accidentally bumps into He Changyi in the corridor, he turns around and leaves with practiced ease, his back view showing a hint of fleeing in panic.
In this carriage, the only two people who didn't have to fetch water themselves were him and He Changyi.
Teacher Cai directs the students to serve him, while He Changyi never has to say a word; every day, people who borrow books will voluntarily fill her thermos.
Those who didn't manage to get water shared some of the delicious food they brought from home with He Changyi, and even washed her lunchbox after they finished eating.
This made He Changyi feel quite embarrassed, so he decided to take extra care of these students who were traveling far from home for the first time.
When the train reached Khorzin, after passing this station, it entered the territory of Oros.
He Changyi made thorough preparations this time, obtaining a health certificate from the hospital in advance, thus saving the 130 yuan quarantine fee.
As passengers rushed to the station shops to buy Adidas, He Changyi crossed his arms, leaned against the train door, and nodded to the students who wanted to follow suit:
"Go back. It's not easy for ordinary families to save money, so please don't throw it into the water."
Most people believed it, but a small number were skeptical and hesitated as they watched the large crowd heading towards the store.
He Changyi didn't try to persuade her further, and took the opportunity to stroll and enjoy the breeze on the platform while the train was stopped.
To her relief, she didn't see any familiar students on her way to the store.
The train started moving again, and the passengers who had bought counterfeit and shoddy clothes were cursing and swearing on the train. He Changyi noticed the round-faced little girl's red and swollen eyes.
"Why are you crying? Are you homesick?"
The little girl pouted and sobbed as she said:
"Teacher Cai made us pay a 150 yuan transit fee and an 80 yuan bribe to customs... I didn't have that much money with me, so he told me to get off the train and wouldn't take me to Moscow..."
The other two boys were also very down.
"My mom gave me a thousand yuan to keep me safe, which is the last bit of savings our family has... but I've already spent more than two hundred yuan before even going abroad, what are we going to do now..."
"Teacher Cai said we have to pay. If we don't, our passports will become invalid, and even if we go to Russia, they'll send us back..."
He Changyi frowned. She had never heard of any transit fees or kickbacks.
"Alright, stop crying. Which private room is he in? Take me there."
Teacher Cai was counting money in the private room, spitting on his saliva, when suddenly the door was kicked open. He was annoyed and was about to curse the clumsy guy when he turned around and saw the most unpleasant person he wanted to see.
"I've heard that you have to pay transit fees and kickbacks when you go abroad, but I've never heard of that before."
Teacher Cai was startled, and her eyes darted around as she tried to deny it.
Before he could finish speaking, he saw several students following behind He Changyi, as well as others who had peeked out after hearing the noise.
"What nonsense are you talking about? We've always been collecting transit fees and kickbacks. Don't you know the rules? You didn't pay before, which is equivalent to fare evasion. We're different from you; we bought our tickets legally."
He Changyi squinted.
"Fare evasion?"
She said slowly and deliberately:
"Do you mean that public officials openly abuse their positions to accept bribes? Or are you saying that there are toll booths along the border, and people are prohibited from leaving the country if they don't pay?"
Upon hearing He Changyi's words, the students who had paid all looked at Teacher Cai with suspicion.
Teacher Cai was inwardly groaning, but outwardly remained defiant:
"These are all standard practices. If you don't understand, don't talk about it. Don't mislead our students. If they can't study abroad, can you take responsibility for that?!"
He Changyi didn't get angry; instead, he laughed.
“Yes, I really can’t take that responsibility. But the train conductor travels between China and Emei all year round and knows the situation better than anyone else. Come on, let’s go ask him together. If you’re right, I’ll buy you a leather jacket; if you’re wrong, I’ll return the money to the students immediately.”
Upon hearing the first part of He Changyi's words, the round-faced girl's expression turned ashen. If even this older sister wasn't willing to help, then she truly had no hope.
But when she heard the second half of the sentence, her eyes lit up instantly.
The other two boys chimed in, "That's right, let's go find the conductor together! They can't just charge us over two hundred yuan for no reason!"
"Yes, if the conductor really insists on paying, then we'll accept it..."
"I'll go ask the train conductor which carriage the conductor is in!"
The other students chimed in, and for a moment Teacher Cai was caught off guard, her eyes darting anxiously back and forth.
"Then, the tank commander is an Oros! Who here understands Oros language except you? They can just translate whatever you say, so isn't that cheating?"
He Changyi readily agreed.
"Just find someone on the bus who speaks Ethnic language and have them translate. If that doesn't work, find a few more. They don't know either side of us, so they can't possibly be in cahoots to scam us, can they?"
The students all thought it was a good idea, and some volunteered to go to other carriages to find people who understood Emei language.
However, even after the enthusiastic translator had finished, Teacher Cai still refused to go to the train conductor. When pushed too far, she slammed her hand on the table and yelled at the students, asking them if they weren't planning to study abroad.
Of course, he didn't dare to give He Changyi a hard time, and precisely turned his face to a position where she couldn't see him.
The older students realized something was wrong, but since they were already under someone else's roof, they still wanted to study abroad.
Some people had second thoughts and whispered:
"Forget it, we've already spent ten thousand yuan, what's two hundred more?"
Some people refused to give up.
"How can that be? The money for going abroad is my parents' life savings. I can accept it if it's spent on my studies; but asking me to pay two hundred yuan for no reason is unacceptable!"
The carriage was in an uproar, and people from other carriages came to see what was going on. Even the Oros train conductor came over to see what was happening.
He Changyi chased everyone out, closed the door to the private room, and tapped the table with his finger.
"Alright, have some self-respect. Where's the money? Hand it over."
Teacher Cai lowered her head and secretly glared at He Changyi a few times, not daring to let He Changyi notice.
Seeing the guy huddled in his bunk like a slug, He Changyi impatiently urged him:
"Hurry up, I'm not in the mood to waste time with you. Either you take it out, or I'll do it myself. I'll count to three, three, two—"
Before the word "one" could even be uttered, Teacher Cai pulled the money out of her inner pocket, hesitated for a moment, and reluctantly threw it on the table.
He Changyi felt disgusted by the warmth of his body on the banknotes and didn't want to count them.
"Twenty people, two hundred and thirty yuan each, that's four thousand six. If one bill is missing, you don't want to know the consequences."
Upon hearing He Changyi's threat, Teacher Cai paused, then quickly looked up and gave her a resentful glare.
Then he took off his shoes and pulled out a wad of banknotes from under the insoles.
—You can practically smell it.
He Changyi turned around, opened the door, and said to the students who were eavesdropping outside:
"Alright, the problem is solved. Your teacher Cai didn't have a thorough understanding of the policies for studying abroad, which caused a misunderstanding. Now he has realized his mistake. Come over here and collect your money."
The students cheered.
Although He Changyi lightly covered up the truth and said it was all a misunderstanding because they still had to go with Teacher Cai to the language school to complete the enrollment procedures, everyone present knew what had actually happened.
After this battle, the meerkats, big and small, trusted He Changyi even more and wanted to follow him everywhere.
He Changyi was now living a life of complete ease, with everything done for her.
Even when she went to the toilet, the round-faced little girl wished she could hold her arm and serve her to the toilet like an empress dowager.
With one side gaining and the other losing, Teacher Cai felt extremely dejected and had no choice but to fetch water herself from the thermos.
The train traveled westward and crossed the border.
When the train stopped at the Oros station, traders on board were ready to go, while Oros people below held up their rubles, eagerly waiting for their food.
The students also brought a lot of goods, intending to sell them to earn some living expenses.
Among the Chinese people selling goods, He Changyi's smooth and fluid movements stood out.
Facing a group of customers crowding around her, practically shoving rubles into her face, she smoothly counted the money and sold the goods, then expertly snatched the goods back with her left hand and threw the counterfeit money at their faces with her right.
When she returned to the train to restock, she casually pulled the hook that was extended to the upper bunk in, and outside the window came the loud cursing of a thief who had lost his balance and fallen.
When He Changyi got off the bus with the clothes again, she grabbed the arm of the student selling goods at the window and pulled him inside, so the guy who jumped up to grab the goods missed his target.
After several such encounters, the way people in the carriage looked at He Changyi could no longer be described simply as admiration.
—They seem to have seen the concept god of the real estate reseller world.
The cargo in the carriages dwindled rapidly at a visible rate, and the students made a fortune. Moreover, thanks to He Changyi's guidance, they avoided the traps that novice traders often fell into. Everyone's wallets were bulging, and they were beaming with pride.
Having money in your pocket gives you courage.
Even though some students hadn't learned the Emei language, they dared to go to the station store alone to buy things. They gestured to the salesperson to buy a pitcher of beer, and then gave two bottles to everyone to celebrate the opening and the prospect of making a fortune.
If it weren't for the fact that tuition fees are non-refundable, some people would have given up on studying abroad and directly followed He Changyi to become middlemen.
However, in stark contrast to the students' elation, He Changyi, who had been relaxed when he first got on the bus, became wary.
There's too much money.
The lion, lazily swishing its tail, stood up and looked at the enemy hidden in the darkness.
Just after the train left Ulan-Ude Station, in the early hours of the morning, when everyone was fast asleep, faint and disorderly footsteps suddenly came from outside the compartment.
He Changyi opened her eyes, and by the moonlight from the window, she saw a bent wire extending through the crack in the door of the private room.
The next second, the latch stuck in the door lock was pulled off by the wire.
With a soft click, the door opened.
A note from the author:
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The game will be available for purchase on Wednesday, and as usual, I will update 10,000 words that day. After that, I will update 6 words a day, and if I have time, I will try to update 10,000 words a day.
Anyway, thank you all for your support, *kiss*
The column has a preview of the next novel; feel free to add it to your favorites if you're interested: "An 80s Kid Ventures to America" and "A Young Man Arrives at the Film Studio [70s]".
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