Chapter 182 Taking the Train
The train traveled for an hour and stopped at the first stop after leaving Beijing.
The loud whistle woke Song Yuzhu up. He opened his eyes and asked, "Where are we?"
"We just arrived in Gu'an, you can sleep a little longer."
Song Yuzhu raised her head and looked out the window. There were many passengers waiting to get on the bus on the platform.
Some of these people are businessmen, others are working in the south, and a smaller number are visiting relatives and friends.
Passengers got on the bus one after another holding their tickets, and two middle-aged men carrying luggage sat opposite them.
The two men were in their early forties, and judging by their attire, they must be from decent families. They wore new-style short shirts and long pants made of fine cloth, and their hair was tied up with a silver crown. One was a little taller and had a beard, and the other was shorter and had a round face. It was probably their first time riding a train, and they sat on the chairs a little awkwardly.
Gradually, everyone got on board, the attendant closed the doors, and the train started slowly again.
The old-fashioned train has a problem where it will suddenly shake when it starts.
"Ouch!" The two of them were so scared that they grabbed their chairs at the same time and looked around anxiously.
Song Yuzhu said: "Don't be afraid, it will be fine once it starts moving."
"Are you two brothers going to the South?"
Seeing that he looked friendly, the other party nodded and said, "Yes, we are going to Suzhou Taicang County to visit our relatives."
"Suzhou, that's not close. Why don't you go by water? It's faster and more comfortable."
The older man said, "To be honest, I have a problem with seasickness. I feel dizzy and nauseous when I get on the boat. If it weren't for this train, I'm afraid I would never be able to go to Suzhou in my lifetime."
"No wonder, water sickness is really hard to deal with. It's more convenient to take a train."
"Where are you going, little brother?" the older man asked.
"My brother and I went to Hangzhou to visit a friend."
The two men looked at Zhao Xiao next to them and were frightened by his cold appearance and serious expression. They quickly turned around and continued chatting with Song Yuzhu.
"Hangzhou isn't close either. It takes seven or eight days by train."
"Yes." The reason why Song Yuzhu chose to take the train instead of taking the boat was that he wanted to experience the life of ordinary people.
After getting familiar with each other, the tall man started talking, "This train is really great. You can go wherever you want. In the past, if you didn't have a driver who knew the way, you would be completely in the dark and couldn't find your way."
Song Yuzhu smiled and said, "Yes, the train is indeed much more convenient."
The man stroked his beard and continued, "Besides, the train ticket is not expensive. It only costs 400 coins per person to travel from Gu'an County to Suzhou."
The round-faced man who was traveling with him corrected him, "It's four hundred and ten coins."
"Well, ten cents is still considered money when you are out and about? How much would it cost to take a carriage? Forty taels of silver would hardly be enough to get you there!"
The person sitting in the back also echoed: "Brother, you are right! A few years ago, when we went to Yangzhou, the cost of food and lodging alone was fifty or sixty taels of silver."
The person who was speaking should be a businessman. He was a little fat and had a mustache, and was accompanied by two assistants.
The merchant introduced himself, saying that his surname was Zhou and that he was in the cloth business. This time he went south to prepare to receive the goods.
He was very talkative and well-traveled, and he told people about his past experiences as a trader.
"Before the railway was built, it was really difficult to go to the south. Although it was faster to go by water, it was easy to run into pirates on the road. Those people killed people without blinking an eye. Once you ran into them, you would almost certainly die."
Someone asked: "Brother Zhou, have you ever encountered pirates?"
Merchant Zhou said, "I have actually encountered this. Seven or eight years ago, I took a ship to the south to purchase goods. At that time, the waterways were not as strictly controlled as they are now. When the cargo ship was sailing in the Chuzhou area, it encountered pirates."
The other people in the car stopped talking and listened to him quietly.
"I remember it was in May, around the Dragon Boat Festival. It was almost three o'clock in the morning, and I was sleeping soundly when I was suddenly awakened by a crash. The boat shook violently. Then I heard someone on the boat shouting, 'The pirates are coming! The pirates are coming!'"
"I was so scared that my legs almost lost control."
A young man at the end of the carriage said, "What's there to be afraid of? Just pick up your weapons and fight them. The worst that can happen is that we will both die together."
Merchant Zhou smiled and said, "Little brother, you are right, but I have a wife and children at home. How dare I die?"
Song Yuzhu nodded slightly. How could she bear to leave when she had concerns in her heart?
"I was terrified at the time. It was the first time I had encountered such a thing after years of traveling. I was so scared that I crawled under the bed and silently chanted "Amitabha" in my heart, hoping to escape the disaster."
Everyone's heart was in their throat and they looked at him nervously.
Merchant Zhou picked up the water cup to moisten his throat and continued, "Soon after, the pirates boarded the ship, tied everyone on the deck, and looted the money on the ship."
"You must be wondering whether I was found or not. To be honest, I was found by them, and they tied my hands and feet and took me to the deck."
Everyone sighed in disappointment, but then they thought that since Zhou Shanghu was not dead, he must have encountered an unusual adventure.
Merchant Zhou said, "Those pirates are so vicious and cruel. They kill everyone, regardless of gender, age or status. They cut their necks with a knife and throw them into the river. After the bodies have been soaked in the water for ten days or half a month, even a Golden Immortal would not be able to tell who is who."
"I was tied to the side of the boat. I don't know where I got the courage from, but I just jumped into the river! The water was so cold. I still remember the bone-chilling chill."
The merchant shuddered and continued, "After I jumped into the water, the ropes that bound my hands and feet came loose as I struggled. I happened to be able to swim, so I swam to the shore with all my strength. Later, I pulled out a gold tooth to use as travel expenses and returned home safely."
Hearing that he had arrived home safely, everyone clapped their hands excitedly and said, "It was really thrilling!"
"Those who survive a great disaster will surely have good fortune in the future!"
Song Yuzhu said: "Ordinary people would be shocked if they encountered such a thing, but you were able to jump into the river to survive, which is much better than ordinary people."
The merchant smiled and waved his hand, "You are too kind. Since then, I have never dared to go out by boat again. Now, thanks to the railway built by the imperial court, we can go anywhere safely, conveniently and quickly!"
These words touched Song Yuzhu's heart, and she nodded with a smile in her eyes.
Zhao Xiao whispered, "Just a few pirates."
Song Yuzhu couldn't help laughing and gently bumped his arm. This is called integrating into the people. Do you understand?
*
As noon approached, the train started selling boxed lunches. The attendant pushed a cart with two large wooden barrels filled with hot meals.
Two steamed buns, one meat and one vegetable, cost twenty cents and were served in a stainless steel bowl, which was very convenient.
Many people paid for food, and Zhao Xiao also bought two. The vegetarian dish was stir-fried shredded potatoes, and the meat dish was stewed pork with cabbage. The taste was average, but the portion was large, so even people with a big appetite could eat their fill.
Song Yuzhu was full after eating only half a steamed bun, so she naturally left the rest to Zhao Xiao.
Song Yuzhu was not in good spirits in the afternoon, so he leaned back in his chair and dozed off. He also opened the system to check what was going on in Shangjing.
When he opened the system, the glaring countdown made his heart tremble, and he immediately turned over the map without looking at it.
As usual, the morning court session was over, and Song Yutong was playing Go with the Grand Tutor in a side hall. The Grand Tutor was holding the white chess pieces, and Song Yutong was holding the black chess pieces. He glanced at the chessboard and saw that the black chess pieces were surrounded by the white chess pieces, and there was no way to save the situation.
Song Yutong held the chess piece in his hand and refused to give up, frowning as he observed the chessboard carefully.
Time passed minute by minute, and just when Song Yuzhu thought her sister was about to surrender, she suddenly dropped the black chess piece in her hand onto the chessboard, changing the situation in an instant.
The Grand Tutor stroked his beard and smiled, "Your Highness, this tactic of advancing to retreat is a good one."
Then the two of them started playing again. This game lasted for an hour, and in the end Song Yutong still lost. Compared with the Grand Tutor, she was still a little naive, but being able to play to this level was already very good. Song Yuzhu herself might not be able to beat her sister.
After playing chess, the Grand Tutor took his leave. Song Yutong then asked the eunuch to bring the memorials and started today's work.
Song Yuzhu's head began to hurt as she looked at the basket of memorials. Watching her sister reviewing the memorials methodically, she felt relieved but also a little distressed that her sister had to be so busy at such a young age.
The train stopped at two more stations and the carriages were full.
In the evening, the food attendant came over pushing a cart to sell dinner.
After finishing their meal, they prepared to rest.
At night, passengers can go to the end of the train to buy sleeper tickets, but the sleeper berth tickets are very expensive, costing five hundred wen a night, and ordinary people simply cannot afford to spend that money.
Song Yuzhu had to get a good rest due to health reasons, so the two of them took their luggage and went to the end of the carriage.
Each berth has four single bunk beds, which is slightly more spacious than modern berths.
Zhao Xiao originally wanted to book a room for himself, but unfortunately all the berths were fully booked, leaving only the last room with two beds available.
There was no choice but for the two to buy tickets for a shared room. When they entered, there was already someone living there, with a servant standing next to them to serve them.
As soon as the two came in, the man frowned and looked them up and down unceremoniously. Seeing that they were dressed in ordinary clothes, he said in a very arrogant tone: "You two go live somewhere else, and I will give you double the money."
Song Yuzhu was about to speak when Zhao Xiao said even more bluntly, "I'll give you ten times the money, and you get out."
The man snorted coldly and ignored them. Instead, he ordered his servant to help him massage his legs and waist.
"Are you okay?" Zhao Xiao helped Song Yuzhu lie down with her clothes on.
"It's okay." Song Yuzhu coughed twice and his eyes fell on the bed opposite. Coincidentally, the man was also looking at Song Yuzhu with a look of contempt on his face.
Song Yuzhu wanted to laugh in her heart. She wondered what the other party's expression would be if he knew her identity.
The man opposite suddenly yelled, "Ouch! You ignorant beast! You hit me so hard that my waist was almost broken by you!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The servant knelt on the ground and kowtowed.
The man kicked him in the chest and said angrily, "You shameless fellow, go out and sleep standing up tonight!"
"Yes." The servant walked out tremblingly.
Anger was already gathering between Zhao Xiao's brows. Song Yuzhu was afraid that he would alarm other people in the car, so she pulled his hand and shook her head.
The purpose of this incognito visit is to understand the people's sentiments. It would be meaningless if my identity was revealed.
Zhao Xiao grabbed the railing and jumped onto the upper bunk. He took out a dagger from his arms and started to wipe it, staring at the man opposite with a gloomy look.
The man was frightened by Zhao Xiao, and after muttering a few words, he dared not cause any more trouble.
Late at night, Song Yuzhu was suddenly awakened by a noise: "My jade pendant is lost! It's an heirloom from my ancestors, and one piece is worth a thousand gold!"
(End of this chapter)
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