Chapter 15 The final challenge is emerging from seclusion.
With a long whistle, the international train bound for Beijing slowly pulled away from the platform.
When He Changyi arrived, she carried a package as tall as herself, but when she left, she only took a bag of food made by Grandma Vitalie.
As she heated the pies in the car, the aroma filled the carriage, attracting several curious onlookers—Slavic traders heading to Beijing to buy goods.
He Changyi generously shared the pie with the drooling guys.
They raved about Grandma Vitaly's cooking, praising it as the taste of their beloved grandmother's pies. They also brought out their own bacon and vodka to share with He Changyi.
He Changyi accepted all comers, pairing cheese with vodka, one sip at a time. He only used a fraction of his skills from drinking in China to knock out the group of guys, displaying remarkable ruthlessness amidst the clinking of glasses.
The Russian with a full beard was so drunk that he slid from his bunk to the ground, like a piece of soft clay, clinging to the table leg and begging for mercy.
By the end of the drinking session, He Changyi, with a flushed face and clear eyes, sat leisurely on the table, swinging his legs back and forth, spouting nonsense in the Emei language he had just learned.
"A hibernating brown bear could last longer than you. Next time you want to get me drunk, remember not to mix pickle juice into your vodka, or you can just go for spirits."
Slavic traders: zzzzzzzz...
The train sped along day and night, passing through the Ural Mountains, crossing the Siberian plains where the snow was melting, heading eastward toward the rising sun.
The atmosphere on the return trip was much more relaxed, probably because there was no need to sell anything, only to look after personal belongings. The pressure was much lighter, and the passengers were very talkative, wandering around the carriage, looking for people to chat with.
He Changyi got to know several Northeast China traders who lived on the border and specialized in "dealing with goods." Even during the most tense period in the relationship between the two countries, they did not stop. Now that the relationship between Zhong and E'e has broken the ice, they are even more determined to work hard and quickly.
There was also a Korean aunt from China, with a doughy face, always smiling but very shrewd and capable, the undisputed pillar of the family.
In addition, there were government officials who came to Russia for inspection, each with a Soviet-made binoculars and a mechanical watch, all of which they bought from Russians selling goods on the platform.
When they arrived, people on the bus were selling goods while people off the bus were grabbing them; on the return trip, the situation was completely reversed.
Leaders of all ranks who travel abroad on official business are extravagant, buying watches that cost five dollars without even bothering to haggle.
The domestic traders watched in amazement.
"You still bought it even though it's so expensive?"
The leaders didn't care: "What's five dollars worth? We've already bought it, let's just consider it helping out our big brother."
While the train stopped at the platform, He Changyi also got off the train to get some fresh air.
Seeing that she was dressed fashionably and was a young girl, someone came over to sell her brightly colored but crudely made matryoshka dolls.
He Changyi originally didn't plan to buy it. She was currently homeless and had nowhere to put it even if she bought it.
Just as she was about to refuse, she suddenly thought of something, and her words changed completely.
"Give me one, the biggest one."
When the Northeast China trader saw her return carrying a giant nesting doll that was half her height, he was so anxious that he slapped his thigh repeatedly.
"Oh my god, my dear sister, why did you buy this thing?! If you like it, I have plenty at home, as many as you want, it's much better than this!"
The Slavic middleman also rambled on and on, implying that they could buy better matryoshka dolls for He Changyi, made entirely by hand from genuine Siberian birch trees, crafted with meticulous care, and that they would appreciate in value just by being stored away.
However, the Korean aunt spoke up for He Changyi: "I was watching from the side, and I didn't buy anything too expensive. If the child likes it, let her buy it. It'll be a rare find even in Beijing."
He Changyi winked at everyone.
"It's fun, there are fifteen dolls inside."
Everyone: ...
Let's disperse, let the child play if she wants to. It's much better than her carrying a bottle of vodka around the train car looking for people to drink with.
—If she keeps pouring more water, everyone in this carriage will cross the border drunk.
If someone who didn't know better saw this, they might think that robbers had boarded the bus and that all the passengers had been drugged.
The atmosphere in the carriage suddenly became tense as the train approached Zabaikalsk station—the last station in Oros.
The customs here are a model set by Russia; they are very tight-fisted, do not accept bribes, and there is absolutely no possibility of them being lenient.
Especially for foreigners, if they take more foreign currency out of Russia than they declared upon entry, even if it's just one dollar more, customs will confiscate it without hesitation.
The resellers are the least willing to take this train; if they had any other choice, they wouldn't buy a ticket for this train.
Now that customs officers are about to board the vehicle for inspection, everyone on board is using their own ingenuity to frantically hide the US dollars they are carrying.
A middleman bought several fur coats and, fearing they would be confiscated by customs, searched the entire train carriage for help.
He Changyi wore the most expensive sable coat with a full fox fur collar. After putting it on, the lower half of her face was buried in the fur collar, with only her eyes showing. She looked like a cold and beautiful noblewoman from Sa'e.
The middleman who was looking for help clapped his hands when he saw it.
"Girl, you're the only one in this car who can pull off this outfit! You look even better than those foreign supermodels!"
The Korean woman, also dressed in fur, put her hands on her hips and deliberately said:
"How can you talk like that? When other people wear your clothes, it's called 'stylish,' but when we wear them, we look like bandits?"
Someone nearby, always eager for chaos, immediately chimed in:
"Who said that? What Mountain Eagle? That's so rude! How can you talk like that! I think this is clearly the Black Bear Demon."
Korean auntie: ? ? ?
The middleman who sought help denied it three times: "I didn't, I didn't, I didn't say that!"
He Changyi burst out laughing.
The relaxed atmosphere lasted only until boarding the train at the Oros customs.
Well, as expected of a model customs officer from Russia, their appearance after getting on the vehicle was quite extraordinary.
His uniform was impeccable, his expression solemn and serious, and his eyes, like those of a hawk, precisely locked onto the traders in the carriage.
The group of people who were on official business looked more like wealthy people, but customs only gave them a cursory inspection, while paying special attention to the traders who were generally dressed simply, and even some who were shabby and slovenly.
Customs officers went straight to the carriage where the smugglers were, closed the door, made them take off their clothes, and then began searching them.
The smugglers were experienced; they only carried some insignificant loose change and coins on their person, and the most valuable item was the counterfeit watch on their wrist.
Finding nothing on the smuggler, customs officials conducted a thorough search of his luggage, opening the toiletries bag containing his toothbrush and towel, shaking the towel, trying to squeeze out the toothpaste, and examining every possible hiding place for US dollars.
Some traders, following the old method, rolled up US dollars into thin strips and stuffed them into toothpaste tubes, only to be caught on the spot by customs and forced to watch helplessly as the tubes were confiscated.
Just when some people were thinking they had escaped unscathed, customs officers, who were carrying a stick, started tapping and knocking around in the carriage. Before long, they found the money hidden in the ceiling and the carriage walls.
In the end, even the leaders who were on official business were not spared.
They bought several cartons of American-made Marlboro cigarettes in Mosk, which were all confiscated by customs without any mercy.
Customs officers walked along the aisle of the train, inspecting and confiscating items as they went, leaving behind a gloomy and desolate scene.
The fur smuggler, pale-faced, watched helplessly as customs officials stopped in front of He Changyi.
He Changyi remained calm and even gave the customs officer a friendly smile.
Customs officers remained unmoved and began their inspection with a stern face.
First came the luggage, then the berths, and finally they started knocking on the walls and lifting the carpets, even pulling down the windows to check if anything was hanging outside the vehicle.
However, even with such a thorough and meticulous inspection, customs found nothing.
He couldn't help but ask in broken Chinese, "You didn't register your foreign currency when you entered the country, and you didn't carry any foreign currency when you left. How did you live in Russia?"
He Changyi rested his chin on his hand and said in a deep voice:
"I met a kind old lady from Oroqen..."
customs:……
Why don't you say that God the Father has appeared to you and given you bread, milk, and shelter?
He didn't believe He Changyi's words at all. Looking at the luxurious fur coat this Chinese woman was wearing, he was sure she had hidden the US dollars in some secret place.
Customs officials' attention fell on the giant matryoshka doll at the foot of the bed.
"Take your Matryoshka apart."
Matryoshka is the Emei pronunciation of "matryoshka doll." Upon hearing the customs officer's words, He Changyi's face showed a hint of tension.
"There are fifteen nesting dolls inside, and it will take a long time to take them apart."
Seeing that she seemed hesitant, the customs officer's eyes lit up, and he issued the order without room for refusal:
"open!"
He Changyi pouted and reluctantly began to unpack the matryoshka dolls. The customs officer stood next to her, his eyes sharp, not missing a single detail, and he would even touch the inside of the matryoshka dolls.
Seeing that she was dawdling, the customs officer even pushed aside He Changyi and took over the opening himself.
Fifteen nesting dolls may sound like a lot, but actually taking them apart only takes a short time.
The bed was already covered with matryoshka dolls that had been taken apart, arranged from largest to smallest, filling the entire bed.
Other customs officers who had finished their inspections also came over to watch, filling the carriage to the brim.
Passengers who wanted to watch the spectacle could only stand at the door, tiptoeing and trying to peek inside.
As the size of the matryoshka dolls gets smaller, customs officials are processing them more slowly and are conducting more thorough inspections.
Everyone held their breath until they unpacked the last nesting doll—
As the tiny matryoshka doll, no bigger than a finger, was taken out, a tightly rolled stack of banknotes also fell out.
"oops……"
The unscrupulous traders sighed with regret, while the customs officers, beaming with delight, quickly unpacked the banknote rolls, preparing to record the amount of foreign exchange confiscated.
Suddenly, he stopped what he was doing and looked at He Changyi in disbelief.
"ruble?!"
"Why did you hide the rubles in Matryoshka?!"
He Changyi answered honestly:
"I heard that rubles aren't allowed to be taken out of Osas, but they're still money, and it would be a real shame if they were confiscated..."
customs:……
Onlookers: ...
Customs officials are speechless. Who on earth would hide rubles so well?
The total amount did not exceed three hundred, the largest banknote denomination did not exceed fifty rubles, and it even included kopeks, which were not commonly used by Russians!
If it weren't for the fact that the largest quantity of ten rubles was similar in color to the US dollar, he wouldn't have misread the money.
Who can accept the drastic shift in the dollar's value, turning it into a mere ruble?!
He Changyi continued to ask with a pained expression:
"Are you really going to confiscate them? These rubles can be exchanged for fifteen yuan, which can buy a lot of steamed buns in China."
The customs officer, expressionless, took all the rubles and gave He Changyi a receipt, telling her that she could retrieve them from customs within two years by presenting the receipt.
He Changyi was skeptical.
"You really think you can give it back to me? You're not kidding me, are you? If I don't go to Oros again, isn't that the same as having it confiscated? Maybe I should just forget about it, it's not much money anyway..."
The customs officer didn't want to say another word to her. He threw down the receipt and left, his steps as firm as if he were going to defend Stalingrad.
He Changyi refused to give up and kept chasing after him, saying:
"How about we talk this over? If we can't pay it all back, half will do! Or you could give me that fifty ruble note..."
The train departed Zabaikalsk station; next stop, Zhongguo.
The carriage was filled with noise. The smugglers who were caught lamented their bad luck and cursed the Russian customs for being inhumane; those who were lucky enough to escape were overjoyed and quietly retrieved the US dollars they had hidden in various nooks and crannies.
He Changyi's gaze fell on the aluminum lunchbox on the table.
The lunchbox contained instant noodles soaked in boiling water, steaming hot, with the seasoning packet generously sprinkled on top, and the red spicy broth was incredibly appetizing.
The Oros customs officers were meticulous; they specifically picked up the lunchbox to check it, and only put it back in its original place after confirming that there was nothing underneath.
He Changyi sat down and slowly picked up the noodles with his chopsticks. In no time, he finished them all, leaving only soup in the lunchbox.
She greeted the people in her compartment and took her lunchbox to the handwashing station at the end of the carriage.
The lunchbox was tilted, the soup poured out, and the contents at the bottom were revealed.
—It was a stack of US dollars sealed in plastic.
A note from the author:
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I've lost, so I'm starting to type with my eyes closed...
Goodnight, see you when you wake up~
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