"What are you going to Dongguan for?" Bai Meihua asked.
"Looking for a job."
“Then come with me. My cousin makes a lot of money over there. She’s built a big brick house in the village. I used to be a teacher in the village, but I quit. I can recommend you.”
Bai Meihua's gaze followed Lu Feng's face, as if his face held an inexplicable attraction for the girl.
Lu Feng kept looking at the man opposite him. The man's age was hard to tell. He had a thin face, a hooked nose, and a stubble beard. His leather jacket was a bit old. He was leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed, looking around.
He met Lu Feng's gaze for a moment, then lowered his head.
The train rumbled forward, the carriages filled with accents from all over the country, and the smell of feet.
Across from me sat a middle-aged couple who said they were going to work in the south. Not many people go south to work these days. The two looked to be in their fifties, but when I asked, I found out they were just over forty.
"We farmers are a bit rough around the edges," the aunt smiled at Lu Feng and asked, "Going to school?"
"I'm just a worker too!"
“You don’t look like a laborer at all. You have such delicate skin. You look more like a rich young master.” The uncle looked at Bai Meihua and said with a smile, “You’re fair-skinned too.”
"I'm a teacher, and I went to Dongguan to work. My cousin said I earn a lot." Bai Meihua smiled, her eyes full of hope as she looked out the window.
Time flies when you start chatting. The couple across from us talked about all sorts of things, while an uncle next door took out some bulk liquor, took a couple of sips, and joined in the conversation.
Before he knew it, it was getting dark outside the carriage. Lu Feng noticed something was wrong: he couldn't see the trolley on the train.
These little carts used to sell so well, selling instant noodles, fruit, and everything else. I boarded the train this afternoon and haven't seen them since.
"Are you hungry? Let's eat!"
The aunt across from me took out her woven bag and started rummaging through it. After a while, she pulled out a few boiled eggs and then two steamed buns.
The man diagonally opposite him also took out sausages and steamed buns from his pocket and started eating. Lu Feng looked around and saw that everyone had brought their own food; some were eating cornbread and pickled vegetables, while others were eating flatbread.
Bai Meihua pulled a pancake out of her bag, spread some sauce on it, and ate it in big bites. She seemed to notice Lu Feng's embarrassment and asked, "Didn't you bring any food? I have a few more pancakes."
"No need, no need. Where's the food cart?" Lu Feng asked.
As soon as he said this, several people looked at Lu Feng. The couple opposite him looked at Lu Feng, and the woman whispered, "Young man, don't make a fool of yourself!"
Lu Feng was a little confused. He just wanted to go to the dining car to have a meal, so how did he end up being exposed?
"It's nothing, I'm just having a meal." Lu Feng stood up and walked towards the train attendant, asking about the location of the dining car. These days, eating on a train isn't cheap.
A simple boxed lunch, which looked like it was brought from the station, was placed in a styrofoam box and covered with a quilt. It was sold to Lu Feng for ten yuan!
Ten yuan is enough for an ordinary person to eat at a restaurant. The people on the train are all working people. Ten yuan for a boxed lunch is indeed a bit of a luxury. No wonder the aunt across from Lu Feng reminded him not to show off his wealth.
After casually eating a couple of bites of his boxed lunch, which wasn't very tasty, Lu Feng sat in the food cart, smoking and chatting with a passenger opposite him.
"Young man, you should stay in the dining car. Your compartment isn't very peaceful," the other person kindly advised.
"I sensed it too; there were a few shifty-looking guys." Lu Feng took a puff of his cigarette and asked, "Do we even have any sleeper berths?"
"No, it's completely full."
"Let me know when you'll have it." Lu Feng stood up, drank the water in front of him, and prepared to go back.
"You're going back? Didn't I tell you? That carriage isn't safe."
"Do they want money or their lives?" Lu Feng asked.
"I need the money!"
"I don't lack money. Besides, you knew there were some pickpockets in the crowd, yet you didn't arrest them?" Lu Feng shook his head, sighed, and prepared to go back.
"Arrest me? I'm afraid that if nothing happens to them, I'll lose my job."
Lu Feng stopped and glanced at him. We ourselves are not perfect, so we cannot expect this era to be perfect. He walked towards his own carriage. Lu Feng was mainly worried about Bai Meihua. It was her first time going out. What if someone stole her money? How would she live after getting off the train?
Back in the carriage, Lu Feng found that everyone had finished eating, and the man diagonally opposite him was gone.
Bai Meihua asked Lu Feng, "Finished eating? Was it expensive?"
"Not bad, ten yuan!"
Bai Meihua's eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed, "Wow, that's expensive! I think I'll just keep eating my pancake!"
It was already 8 p.m., and the temperature inside the carriage was starting to drop. Many people took out their coats, put them on, and prepared to doze off.
The couple across from us were talking about their child. They took out coats from their woven bags. Suddenly, the woman's expression changed drastically. She pulled out a cloth bag from the bag. Inside was a layer of cloth. After opening the cloth, there were only a few small bills left.
"The money is gone! How did the money go away?" the woman cried out in disbelief.
"Keep looking! How could it be lost? This is our living expenses!" the man said anxiously.
As soon as someone started shouting about losing money, everyone tensed up and immediately grabbed their bags to make sure their belongings were there. A short while later, the flight attendant came in.
"We lost our money! This is our living expenses!" the woman said, tears streaming down her face.
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