Chapter 7 Entering the City
Chapter 7
They arrived in the city in the evening, and the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the large white walls of the station in a warm yellow light.
The train station in the city is significantly better than the one in their town.
The train station was somewhat like his primary school, consisting of a few whitewashed bungalows and a large open space.
The mud on the open ground was tamped down very evenly, without any pits or bumps.
A wooden sign stands at the edge that reads "Passenger Rest Area," and three rows of long wooden benches are placed underneath it.
As soon as Yu Pan stepped out of the station, she was taken aback by the scene at the exit: a row of motorcycles parked side by side, with drivers standing on both sides shouting at the top of their lungs.
"Young man, where are you going?"
"We can go anywhere, inside or outside the city!"
"Should I take a car?"
Startled by the commotion, Yu Pan shrank back behind Shen Yanzhou, grabbing his elbow with one hand and clutching his clothes with the other, walking closely behind him.
Shen Yanzhou ignored the shouts and patted Yu Pan's hand, saying in a low voice, "It's okay, let's find a place to stay first."
They walked around the station and chose the hotel that looked the cleanest from the outside.
Upon entering, the receptionist, a young woman wearing glasses, glanced at them and said in a nonchalant tone, "Checking in? The dormitory-style rooms are full; only standard rooms are available."
"Let's book a standard room," Shen Yanzhou said.
The girl's eyes lit up, and a smile immediately spread across her face: "Okay, nine yuan for a standard room."
Nine pieces!
Yu Pan gasped, her eyes widening, and instinctively tugged at Chen Yanzhou's sleeve.
This money is enough for him and Shen Yanzhou to buy food for half a month! They might even have enough left over to buy a pound of meat!
Shen Yanzhou, as if he hadn't heard his gasp, calmly counted out nine yuan from his purse and handed it over.
The girl took the money and handed over a register: "Register your name, address, and ID card."
Shen Yanzhou wrote down the message, and the girl gave him a brass key: "Room 5 on the third floor. There's a sign on the door. The stairs are over there."
Shen Yanzhou took the key and led Yu Pan to the third floor.
The stairs are made of cement, and hard-soled shoes make a 'thump thump' sound when you step on them.
The rooms are easy to find; there are only five rooms on one floor. Room number five is at the end of the corridor. Just insert the key and turn it to open the door.
The room was small, with two single beds and a small wooden table with peeling paint sandwiched between them. A large black box sat in the corner.
After closing the door, Yu Pan plopped down in a chair, staring angrily at the black box.
"Are you hungry? Shall we go out and buy something to eat?" Shen Yanzhou put his luggage bag on the table and took out his toothbrush and towel, placing them beside him.
Yu Pan jumped up, walked around the room, pointed to the bed, then to the light bulb, and finally gestured vigorously at Chen Yanzhou: "This is too expensive! It's such a small place, and the light isn't even as bright as ours, and it costs nine yuan a night?"
The thought of the light made Yu Pan even angrier; the lights in her house had only been installed for less than a month.
He gestured more and more urgently, and even his breathing became heavier.
"It's alright, it's nothing." Shen Yanzhou pulled him into his arms and gently patted his back. "I'm rich, and this price is fair. I asked around in town before, and everyone said it would cost at least twelve yuan in the city."
Yu Pan leaned on Shen Yanzhou's shoulder, feeling frustrated as she compared the two, concluding that the comparison was indeed much fairer.
Thinking about this, he couldn't help but calculate his expenses for the day.
We spent two yuan on food, four yuan on bus tickets to the city for two people, and nine yuan on a hotel stay. That's fifteen yuan for the day!
"I know you're worried about money." Shen Yanzhou led him to the bedside and let Yu Pan sit on his lap, speaking very softly.
"But money is meant to be spent. It's understandable to feel bad about spending it on useless things, but we don't need to feel bad about spending it on things that make us live in peace and eat comfortably."
"It's really expensive..." Yu Pan gestured and buried her face in Shen Yanzhou's neck, rubbing against him sullenly, twisting her body uncomfortably, unable to get over it.
Shen Yanzhou laughed as he rubbed against him. "It's not expensive. Think about it, if you were to stay in a dormitory with a dozen or twenty people crammed together like a school classroom, with people snoring and talking in their sleep at night, could you sleep well?"
Yu Pan raised her head, her eyes a little red, but she still stubbornly gestured: "It's not uncomfortable. Sleeping in the classroom is very comfortable, there are desks and chairs!"
“That’s different.” Shen Yanzhou’s fingertip brushed against the corner of his slightly red eyes. “Have you forgotten what Dad’s sleeping style is like? His snoring is like thunder. There’s probably a group of people snoring in the dormitory, keeping you up all night.”
Yu Pan frowned and thought for a moment. Uncle Chen's snoring could indeed shake the windows. He nodded honestly, "But you've never stayed in a dormitory before, how would you know?"
Shen Yanzhou went to the city to take some kind of certification exam, I think. He went in the factory's car and came back on the same day.
“I lived in a dormitory in high school, bro.” Shen Yanzhou laughed. “I took you there when school started. There were thirty people sleeping in one small room. You could hear everyone turning over or coughing at night. It was very noisy.”
Yu Pan stopped gesturing, but her lips were still pursed, clearly still feeling the pinch of losing those nine yuan.
Nine yuan.
It's not nine cents, it's nine dimes, it's nine dollars.
Shen Yanzhou pinched the soft flesh on his face. "Alright, don't be angry anymore. Come with me for a walk?"
"So we'll just leave our things here?" Yu Pan asked, pointing to the luggage bag.
Shen Yanzhou shook the key in his hand. "Don't worry, it's locked up. I have all the money on me."
Yu Pan was still worried, pointing to the books stuffed in the side pocket of her luggage, "What about my books..."
Losing his clothes was no big deal, but the book was precious; it was left to him by Teacher Ji.
“It won’t get lost.” Shen Yanzhou pulled his hand and walked out. “If it really gets lost, I’ll buy you a new one.”
Unable to dissuade Shen Yanzhou, Yu Pan had no choice but to go out with him. Once they were on the street, all his anger at the expense vanished.
Yu Pan stared wide-eyed at the colorful strings of lights that flashed overhead, and heard someone singing loudly and pleasantly on the street.
The road is lined with buildings on both sides, and there are glowing signs on the walls that read "Department Store" and "Ping An Hotel".
Snacks were also lined up in two rows along the roadside, including fried sweet potatoes, roasted chestnuts, and many other unidentified aromas that wafted into Yu Pan's nose.
Yu Pan couldn't take it all in; she looked left and right, and her steps became lighter.
Finally, they stopped in front of a small stall selling offal. There was something black boiling in the pot, and the aroma was completely different from the stewed meat at home.
"Young man, what would you like to eat?" The stall owner was a plump auntie, wearing an greasy apron, and had a loud voice.
Shen Yanzhou glanced at Yu Pan and saw that his eyes were wide open, staring straight at the pot, so he said, "Boss, two servings of beef offal, please."
"Okay!" the auntie replied briskly. "Find a small table and I'll bring it over for you right away. Would you like some noodles? Noodles with the gravy are delicious!"
Shen Yanzhou nodded: "Add two servings of noodles."
Yu Pan didn't hear what they were saying at all. He just stared at the bubbling pot. He couldn't quite recognize what was inside, but there were brown chunks that looked a bit like radishes.
A moment later, the aunt brought over two large bowls of beef offal and two bowls of clear soup noodles, saying with a smile, "Pour the braising liquid from the beef offal into the noodles and mix it in, it's guaranteed to be delicious!"
Yu Pan glanced at the diners at the other tables, and imitating them, poured some of the gravy into the noodles and stirred it with her chopsticks.
The rich aroma hit Yu Pan right in the head. She picked up a piece of meat, which looked like pig lung, but tasted even better than pig lung!
There are also brown chunks; it really is a radish!
It smelled so good that Yu Pan couldn't stop eating.
While eating, Shen Yanzhou kept an eye on Yu Pan.
The portions of beef offal and noodles served were very generous, as he knew Yu Pan's appetite.
Seeing that there was still some meat and half a bowl of noodles left in the bowl, Shen Yanzhou pressed down on his chopsticks: "That's enough, you'll get stuffed if you eat any more."
Yu Pan reluctantly put down her chopsticks, looked at the remaining meat in the bowl, and pulled Shen Yanzhou's hand to press it against her stomach.
She gestured to Shen Yanzhou that she was very tired from the car ride today and needed to eat more to have energy.
She was still pulling Shen Yanzhou's hand to touch her stomach, her eyes fixed on him, the meaning in them quite clear—
Touch me, my stomach is still flat!
Looking at his pitiful appearance, Shen Yanzhou's heart softened in the end. "Just finish the meat, but don't touch the noodles anymore."
After receiving permission, Yu Pan immediately picked up her chopsticks and devoured all the meat in her bowl.
Finally, he gestured to Chen Yanzhou, saying, "Eating only meat is a bit salty."
He ate a few more mouthfuls of noodles to clean his mouth.
Shen Yanzhou shook his head helplessly, and could only let him be.
Because they had to catch a train early the next morning, the two of them only strolled around the area. Yu Pan even picked out two copies of "Story Collection" from a street stall.
The book has probably been through several hands; the cover is incredibly old, and the pages are curled up, but it only costs a dime, so it's acceptable.
"I'll pay myself." Yu Pan gestured and took out a small cloth wallet from his pocket, which contained the change he had saved from weaving bamboo baskets. It was all small bills and coins. He counted out two one-mao coins and handed them to the shopkeeper.
Back at the hostel, after washing up and lying down, the consequences of Yu Pan's persistent coaxing to eat a few more bites came to light.
He stared at the ceiling with his eyes open, one hand covering his stomach, which was slightly bloated and aching.
I didn't feel it when I was out walking around, but now that I'm lying down, I feel a tightness in my throat and even breathing is a bit difficult.
Shen Yanzhou was almost asleep when he was woken up by the rustling noises.
He turned on the bedside lamp and saw that Yu Pan's lips were deathly pale; his heart was pounding. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Yu Pan frowned, trying to shake her head, but couldn't hold it in and vomited all over the floor.
The ground was covered with undigested beef offal and noodles.
Shen Yanzhou immediately understood; Zhunshi had just eaten too much.
Yu Pan vomited for a while, almost throwing up everything she ate that evening. Her complexion improved slightly, but her eyes were red, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Shen Yanzhou.
Shen Yanzhou didn't say anything. With a sullen face, he cleaned up the vomit on the floor and the sheets, and then went to the washroom to get hot water to wipe Yu Pan's face and hands.
He rummaged through his bag and found some Po Chai Pills, then went downstairs to the hot water dispenser to get a cup of warm water. "Take the medicine."
Yu Pan obediently took it and swallowed it with water.
Since the bed was soiled by her own vomit, Yu Pan had no choice but to share a bed with Shen Yanzhou.
After Shen Yanzhou lay back on the bed, he carefully touched Shen Yanzhou's arm and wrote in his hand with his finger, "I was wrong. I won't eat it again if you tell me to stop."
Looking at his droopy face, Shen Yanzhou's anger had long since dissipated, leaving only heartache.
He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "It's not your fault."
It was his fault.
Knowing full well that Yu Pan was oblivious to hunger and fullness, and knowing that Yu Pan would never eat more if she didn't give in, she still indulged him.
“It’s my fault.” Yu Pan gestured, then got up and straddled Shen Yanzhou’s lap, just like when they were little. “If you don’t let me eat it in the future, I won’t eat it.”
"It's my fault, I didn't take good care of you." Shen Yanzhou gently stroked Yu Pan's back, his voice filled with self-reproach.
Yu Pan shook her head, disagreeing with his statement. She wanted to gesture, but Shen Yanzhou helped her lie down by supporting her buttocks.
"It's late, and we have to take the bus tomorrow." Shen Yanzhou's lips brushed against Yu Pan's ear. "Go to sleep."
Yu Pan nodded. The bed was a bit small, so he snuggled up next to Shen Yanzhou, found a comfortable position, and fell asleep in no time.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Shen Yanzhou woke Yu Pan.
When Shen Yanzhou got off the bus yesterday, he made a point of checking the departure time. The bus to Baixi Town departed at 8:30 a.m.
He always left room for maneuver in his actions, and just after eight o'clock, the two arrived at the station ticket hall.
Perhaps because she felt nauseous last night, Yu Pan was exceptionally well-behaved today. After breakfast, she even held Shen Yanzhou's hand and touched her stomach to let him know that she hadn't eaten too much.
But when he saw Shen Yanzhou pay for the train ticket, he couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
The bus ticket to Baixi Town costs fifteen yuan per person.
After Shen Yanzhou paid, the ticket seller handed him two handwritten tickets with the departure time and license plate number written on them. "Make sure you check the license plate so you don't get on the wrong bus."
The two had only walked a few steps out of the ticket hall when they heard an argument starting behind them.
A middle-aged man pointed at the ticket window and yelled, "This ticket is usually six yuan! Why are you charging me eight yuan today? This is robbery!"
The ticket seller seemed used to this phenomenon and pointed to the sign standing in front of him.
Yu Pan looked in the direction he pointed and saw that the sign was written in chalk that the ticket price would be increased by two yuan during the Spring Festival travel rush, and the words were written in large characters.
Shen Yanzhou didn't like watching the excitement, so he pulled Yu Pan towards the waiting area and quickly found the corresponding bus.
This vehicle broadened Yu Pan's horizons once again; it was actually the legendary sleeper bus!
Yu Pan had only heard of this kind of car when migrant workers returning home for the Chinese New Year were chatting, and he never expected that he would ride in it himself!
There are two rows of berths on each side of the carriage, and it's two levels!
The berth was narrow, just big enough for one person to lie down, and covered with a thin mat.
The two found their bunks and sat down. Yu Pan sat next to Shen Yanzhou and excitedly gestured, "This is the same as your school dormitory, isn't it considered a shared bunk bed?"
Shen Yanzhou smiled and nodded, "Yes, that counts."
Yu Pan was delighted; yesterday she had been curious about the dormitory-style bed, and today she found herself sleeping in a similar one.
As the departure time drew closer, the bus gradually filled with more and more people, and the air was filled with various smells.
Yu Pan wrinkled her nose; it didn't smell very good.
The bus finally started moving, swaying and rattling as it pulled out of the station.
Neither of them slept well last night, and they're feeling a bit sleepy right now.
They used their duffel bags as cushions and their cotton-padded coats as blankets.
It was stuffy inside the car, but not cold.
Yu Pan lay down next to Shen Yanzhou and soon fell asleep.
In his half-dreaming, half-awake state, he seemed to really hear snoring, high and low, like drumming, exactly as Shen Yanzhou had described...
He moved closer to Shen Yanzhou, snuggling up to him, and then fell into a deep sleep again.
A note from the author:
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