Chapter 56 What You Tricked Me Out of Today, You Will Spit Back Out in the Future

Whether in the year 2022 or 1981, train stations before the Spring Festival are always a battlefield that homeward-bound travelers deeply loathe yet have no choice but to face.

Especially in 1981, although the floating population was smaller, train schedules were even scarcer.

There was no self-driving, and supplementary modes of transportation such as road transport and aviation were severely lacking; the entire pressure of passenger flow was crammed onto the railway system.

Standing on the high platform outside the provincial capital's train station and looking at the endless, densely packed sea of human heads beneath his feet, Li Ye felt like his trypophobia was about to flare up.

And this was just the provincial capital of Dongshan Province. If it were a major railway hub like the provincial capital of Henan Province, it would be even more life-threatening.

Because back then, many domestic trains could not go directly to their destinations; passengers had to transfer at such hub cities.

In his past life, Li Ye had heard a military friend of his father's say that seven or eight young men going home for family visits passed through the Henan provincial capital and couldn't even squeeze their way to the ticket transfer window.

Left with no other choice, across the railing, they tossed one of their comrades like a human flying trapeze, and he had to step on people's heads just to reach the window.

Yet looking at the "not-too-crowded" scene before him, Li Ye deeply doubted whether an elegant, single woman like Teacher Ke could cope with such a harsh environment where one's "feet leave the ground yet one stays standing."

However, Li Dayong and Jin Peng, who stood beside Li Ye, did not feel any "trypophobia" at all; instead, they were rather excited.

Jin Peng said, "Do you know, Xiao Ye? Boarding the train from here, you can reach Yangcheng in two days and two nights. Gold nuggets are everywhere over there, and you can just scoop them up in hemp sacks and make a fortune..."

Looking up at the tall roof of the train station, Li Dayong said with yearning, "I wonder if we'll be able to catch a train from here next year to go to university far away..."

People in the early 1980s had far too few opportunities to step outside their hometowns; many people remained trapped for decades within a county measuring only a few dozen miles across. (Many female relatives in the author's hometown were just like this.)

Therefore, ambitious young men with aspirations of traveling the four corners of the earth were full of longing for distant places and brimming with anticipation for the unknown.

Li Ye took a puff of his cigarette. "Next year! Discuss it with Hao Jian next year and see who wants to take a trip to Yangcheng to check out the situation."

Jin Peng's eyes lit up instantly as he looked at Li Ye. "Really?"

Li Ye nodded. "Really. Go test the waters first. Making money doesn't matter much; just gaining some life experience and broadening your horizons."

Jin Peng nodded. "Good."

He had always been clever, economical with words—once he understood, that was enough.

Li Dayong's eyes lit up as well, and he said, "It's not safe for Brother Peng to brave the world alone. Can I ask for some time off and tag along?"

Without even thinking, Li Ye said, "You stay put honestly at home."

Li Dayong was stunned for a moment. Quietly, he inched closer to Li Ye, tugging at his sleeve, his burning eyes full of entreaty.

Every boy has a dream of traveling the rivers and lakes to brave the world. Now, telling them about all the train bandits and highway robbers along the way didn't make them feel any danger; instead, they found it extremely thrilling.

Coldly, Li Ye said, "If you don't want to study for the college entrance exams all by yourself next year, then don't go anywhere and honestly review your lessons for me."

"........."

"Pfft~"

Jin Peng burst out laughing directly, but instead of comforting this junior martial brother, he piled on like kicking someone when they were down, saying, "Dayong, do you think we're still short of people now?

"Ergou and Sanshui pester me all day long, wanting to tag along and help out, and I don't know how many times they've begged. You, a scholar meant for studying,竟然 are actually competing with us for food?"

Out of spite, Li Dayong moved away and squatted by himself. He felt that this senior martial brother Jin Peng lacked character and hadn't helped a brother out at a critical moment.

Jin Peng smiled and ignored him. Suddenly, looking into the distance, he said in a low voice, "They're here."

Then, Li Ye saw that parting-haired man who made people's teeth itch, along with the taciturn, blade-sharp bald man.

Li Ye could never have imagined that today he would witness such a bizarre person who knew how to both submit and stand tall.

That parting-haired man named Ma Rui had been tyrannizing the market and acting like a total bandit just a moment ago, yet in the next breath, he became exceptionally smooth, slick, and worldly.

Not only did he not "start a brawl" with Li Ye and the others, but instead he threw his arm around Jin Peng's shoulder, becoming "friends."

Naturally, the business was successfully concluded as well: grain ration coupons at sixty-five cents a catty, which turned out to be even more expensive than the regular market rate.

Li Ye simply fell for his trick. That gift of gab, that tongue of his—he was better than a crosstalk performer. Jin Peng, Li Ye, and Li Dayong combined couldn't match him.

Li Dayong looked down on such a bully-the-weak, fear-the-strong sort of creature, but Li Ye didn't fuss over it. He asked Ma Rui to help procure some high-end cigarettes and alcohol, as well as a sleeper ticket to the capital.

This fellow patted his chest and took full responsibility, claiming he had relatives in both the native produce company and the railway department, and as long as you had money, there was nothing that couldn't be done.

Li Ye gave him a fifty-yuan deposit, and they agreed to meet at the station in two hours.

Now it seemed that, at the very least, this fellow wasn't short-sighted enough to swallow Li Ye's fifty yuan.

"You've kept the three brothers waiting for a long time. With the holidays right now, finding people is truly no easy task, but I've managed to scrape together the things you asked for.

"It's just that my second aunt at the railway bureau is off duty today, so she could only help you buy three platform tickets..."

Ma Rui opened two bulging canvas bags containing four cartons of cigarettes, over a dozen bottles of liquor, and some supplementary foodstuffs.

The cigarettes were the filtered Mudan brand, known as "Little Zhonghua." The liquor was not bad at all: six bottles of Maotai, with the rest being Xifeng.

Li Ye was barely satisfied with the goods, but failing to secure a sleeper ticket left him extremely disappointed.

However, being completely unfamiliar with the provincial capital, if they tried to buy tickets at the station on the spot, even platform tickets would require a very long wait in line.

"Fine! Figure out how much it comes to in total."

"Alrighty! For the Mudan cigarettes, brother, since you're taking entire cartons, it's eight-fifty a carton. As for the Maotai, I didn't have coupons, so that's fifteen a bottle..."

Li Ye: "........."

If it weren't for the bustling crowd at the station, Li Ye really would have demonstrated manual brick-splitting on this grandson.

Mudan cigarettes cost a little over fifty cents a pack, and he had jacked the price up by 60% for himself. Maotai with a coupon cost eight yuan a bottle, and here he had almost doubled it.

Ma Rui was extremely observant; seeing Li Ye's displeasure, he immediately said, "Don't think it's expensive, brother. I've already told the folks over there that if these can't be sold, I can just return them the same day."

Li Ye glanced at him, silently counting out the cash and paying the bill.

Speculators in this era were all of this breed; if they weren't cold-hearted enough, how could they possibly make a fortune?

With the money and goods settled, Li Ye and Li Dayong packed up the items and headed first to the station entrance to wait for Teacher Ke.

As for Jin Peng, he draped his arm over Ma Rui's shoulder and chatted and laughed cheerfully for quite a while.

After Ma Rui left, Jin Peng returned to Li Ye and said, "Don't worry, however he profited off us, I'll make him spit every cent back out."

Li Ye: "When you go out seeking wealth, don't stain your hands with blood unless it's an absolute last resort."

Jin Peng smiled. "As if! That Ma Rui is interested in our maltose candy business. Once he's taken our bait, how could he not let us lead him by the nose?"

Fine! When it came to roaming the rivers and lakes, Li Ye admitted he was no match for Jin Peng.

......

Teacher Ke got off the bus from Qingshui County to the provincial capital, jogged all the way to the train station, and then inwardly cursed her bad luck.

A few days ago, when she had walked half the night and queued up early in the morning to buy tickets, the provincial capital's train station hadn't been this crowded!

With the Spring Festival approaching, the train station grew more congested with each passing day—such was simply the way things were.

"Please make way, please make a path, my train is about to arrive, the ten-thirty train..."

Teacher Ke could no longer maintain her poise. Shouting, she squeezed her way forward, regardless of whether the people in front of her were elderly or children; she simply couldn't afford to care anymore.

However, holding a small bag in her arms, a large bag slung over her shoulder, and a bundle strapped to her back, she looked as bloated as a little bear. How could she possibly force her way through the sea of humanity?

"Make way, please, my ten-thirty train..."

Teacher Ke was frantic with anxiety, her throat hoarse from shouting.

The earliest bus from Qingshui County was at eight o'clock, and by the time she hurried all the way to the provincial capital, it was already close to ten. How could the remaining half-hour possibly be enough?

"Stop shouting, sister. I've been squeezing here for ages and can't budge either. Screaming your lungs out won't help; throwing away what you're carrying might let you squeeze through..." A scrawny man next to her stared at Teacher Ke and said.

Teacher Ke glanced at him and hugged the small bag in her arms even tighter.

Inside was the manuscript for *Fireside Deserter*, along with her travel introduction letter. These two things were literally her life!

As for the spare clothes in her shoulder bag and the twenty large steamed buns in her bundle, at this moment they were all burdensome liabilities—discarding them was wrong, and keeping them was wrong.

The spare clothes were one thing, but she didn't have many ration coupons on her. What would she eat once she reached the capital?

Although years of destitution had "wilded" Teacher Ke to the point where she could survive on grass, she certainly couldn't survive on nothing at all.

Yet if she missed the train and failed to reach the capital, then... what would become of her husband? What would become of her son?

Recalling the countless moments of helplessness over the years, Teacher Ke's eyes blurred, rendering everything indistinct.

So what if you tried to be tough? So what if you were strong?

What could any of that change?

"Teacher Ke, Teacher Ke... Teacher Ke..."

Suddenly, loud, resonant calls drew closer without a single pause.

Teacher Ke wiped her face, stood firmly on her tiptoes, and then caught sight of Li Ye's handsome face, alongside Li Dayong's bear-like bulk.

"I'm here, right here!"

Teacher Ke sniffed, fiercely waving her slender arms like wild grass dying of thirst in a drought, welcoming the impending drizzle.