The train started slowly, and Qian Chong lifted Hua Jie’s suitcase onto the luggage rack before turning to see Fang Shaojun struggling with her own suitcase, trying hard to lift it.
The impatient young man turned his head to see Lu Yunfei waveringly raising a large backpack with his slender arms, trying to place it on the luggage rack. It seemed unlikely that he would help Fang Shaojun with her luggage.
Turning his head again, he saw that Zhao Xiaolei was also busy, as Teacher Shen had brought quite a few things as well.
He pursed his lips, and although frowning, he still grabbed Fang Shaojun’s belongings and silently lifted them onto the luggage rack, then straightened everything out with his arms raised.
Fang Shaojun stared at the back of Qian Chong’s head, struggling to say “thank you” for a long time. Seeing Qian Chong retract his arms, she awkwardly turned her head and pretended to organize her backpack.
Teacher Shen had booked soft sleeper carriages for everyone, the ‘luxury suite’ of the entire green-skinned train, the kind with doors that could be closed at night for privacy and comfort.
Moreover, each compartment only had four beds, with two sets of bunk beds facing each other, soft and more spacious for sleeping.
For comfort, even though there were only six people, Teacher Shen still bought eight beds in two compartments.
The four kids in one compartment, Zhao Xiaolei and Shen Jiaru in another.
“Considering safety, the two of us will take the lower bunks.”
“Considering convenience, you two take the lower bunks.”
“You two choose.” Qian Chong finished arranging the bags, clapped his hands, and turned to ask Fang Shaojun and Hua Jie like an older brother.
Lu Yunfei was just about to sit down on the lower bunk, but hesitated and looked up at the other three.
Seeing that they seemed to be pondering, he finally slowly settled down on the lower bunk seat, thinking it’s okay to sit for a while at least.
“Upper bunk.” Fang Shaojun spoke first, turning to look at Hua Jie.
“Okay.” Hua Jie nodded, then tossed her small personal bag onto the upper bunk, pointed to the lower bunk, and asked Qian Chong with a smile, “Can I sit here for a while?”
“Go ahead.” Qian Chong raised an eyebrow, feigning seriousness with a nod.
They would be on the train for over a dozen hours, have dinner, sleep, and arrive in Harbin the next morning.
Fang Shaojun sat next to Lu Yunfei, and Hua Jie sat next to Qian Chong, finally settling down.
The four kids all breathed a sigh of relief together.
Then, there was a silence as profound as death and equally awkward.
When not drawing together, the four of them had absolutely no idea what to do or what to say.
They didn’t even know where to put their hands.
Just then, a vendor poked her head in and asked, “Is Hua Jie sitting here?” finally breaking the tense atmosphere.
“It’s me.” Hua Jie quickly raised her hand and stood up in the aisle, bending at the waist.
“Here, have some sunflower seeds and chips,” the auntie said as she sat on the edge of the bunk, placing a pile of snacks on the bed.
“I can’t take these, Auntie—” Hua Jie began to refuse.
“Take them, the conductor bought them for you, everything’s already paid for.” The train vendor auntie said with a smile, patting the seat next to her, “Sit, sit.”
Hua Jie then sat back down.
The other three teenagers looked at Hua Jie and then at the snacks on the bed. Although the snacks weren’t worth much, they still felt somewhat envious.
So… what exactly does Hua Jie’s father do? He seems to have quite the network.
“How’s your father’s business going?” the auntie asked, one hand on the small sales cart in the aisle, the other on Hua Jie’s leg.
“It’s going pretty well, it’s tough, but he loves what he does, and he’s thriving every day,” Hua Jie said with a smile, her dad seemed to have regained the vitality of his youth.
He was living each day with love and working very actively.
“Whenever we mention your dad on the train, everyone is so envious,” the auntie said, patting Hua Jie on the back, “You’re a lucky girl.”
“Ah, haha.” Hua Jie laughed somewhat sheepishly.
The auntie chatted for a bit more, patted Hua Jie on the shoulder, and told her she could call on her if she needed anything, then she left to continue her rounds.
Hua Jie placed the snacks on the table, and everyone started eating together.
Lu Yunfei thanked her and quietly opened a bag of sunflower seeds, crunching away.
Fang Shaojun didn’t reach for the snacks, instead turning to look out the window, while Qian Chong sat with his legs crossed, his gaze wandering, with nothing to say.
The air grew tense again.
Just as Hua Jie was thinking about whether to pull out her sketchpad, suddenly another police officer walked by and asked:
“Hua Jie?”
“It’s me.” The young girl hurriedly stood up again.
Fang Shaojun and the others turned around in unison, noticing this time there were no snacks.
“How is it? Are you cold? Is the temperature okay?” the police officer asked as he reached out to check the window to make sure there was no draft.
“It’s quite nice, not cold at all,” Hua Jie politely responded.
“Good, I’ll come to fetch you for dinner tonight, and you can join me in the dining car,” the officer said.
“Thank you, Uncle, but there’s no need, I’ll just eat with my teacher and classmates,” Hua Jie hurriedly and embarrassedly declined.
“No worries, just sit for now. I’ll come back for you this evening,” the officer said as he patted Hua Jie on the shoulder. His gaze swept over the other three students before he turned and left.
Hua Jie sighed in relief and silently sat back down, exchanging glances with the other three, none of whom spoke.
Qian Chong’s legs swung again as he was about to suggest that they draw quick sketches or portraits of each other, when suddenly someone else poked their head in.
All four looked up in unison.
“Have you had lunch?” the female train conductor asked, her eyes immediately finding Hua Jie.
“We have, thank you for the snacks,” Hua Jie said as she stood up again.
“No problem, eat more, you look thin,” the conductor said as she handed over a pair of disposable slippers, “Wear these, they’re more comfortable.”
“Ah, thank you, Auntie,” Hua Jie said, visibly touched.
“No need to thank me, your dad has already asked us to check on you,” the conductor joked with a smile, “Okay, everyone get your IDs and tickets ready, the ticket inspector will be here soon.”
Before Hua Jie could respond, the conductor suddenly called out to the train attendant in charge of their car, “Xiao Zhang, come here, do you remember that little peach wood sword that was given to you during training by Uncle Hua?”
“I remember, I still wear the peach wood sword on my belt,” said Xiao Zhang, dressed in a conductor’s uniform, as he walked over and started to lift his jacket to show his peach wood sword to the conductor.
“No need, no need,” the conductor quickly stopped him, “This young lady, Hua Jie, is Uncle Hua’s daughter, she’s traveling to Harbin. Keep an eye on her luggage and look after her if there’s any issue.”
“Ah, Uncle Hua’s daughter is all grown up now,” Xiao Zhang leaned in to look at Hua Jie, smiling until his eyes disappeared.
“Hello… brother,” Hua Jie continued to smile.
“Alright, sit down, call anyone if you need anything,” the conductor said as she patted Hua Jie on the shoulder and sent Xiao Zhang back to his post before waving goodbye and leaving.
Hua Jie sighed again, long and deep, and when she sat back on the soft bunk, she felt her waist was sore from all the sitting and standing.
“Are you the celebrity of this train ride?” Qian Chong couldn’t hold back anymore and asked mockingly.
“It seems so,” Hua Jie replied without getting upset, instead responding with a serious smile.
Qian Chong couldn’t help but chuckle, “Shall we do some quick sketches? You draw me, I draw you.”
“Sure,” Hua Jie said as she stood up. “It’s tucked in the big bag, can you get it for me?”
While Qian Chong fetched her sketchboard and pencils, Hua Jie also asked him to bring down the backpack that Shen Mo had given her.
After sitting down, she first set aside the sketchboard and opened the zipper of Shen Mo’s large backpack.
Inside, it was packed with snacks from around the millennium—a classic collection including Babob, Guoba, walnut cakes, egg cakes, dried figs, Xizhilang jelly, Wangzai steamed buns, and even a packet of popping candy.
Hua Jie examined each item, feeling as though these were the kind of snacks a parent might prepare for a child before a school sports day.
She pulled out some AD calcium milk and Jianlibao drinks for everyone. Seeing that Lu Yunfei’s mouth was dry from eating sunflower seeds, she simply opened a straw and poked it into the calcium milk, handing it to him.
Lu Yunfei thus held a calcium milk in one hand and sunflower seeds in the other, looked up at Hua Jie, and suddenly felt that this girl, younger than him, seemed so much like an older sister.
It made him feel like a baby.
“Are you going to draw or not?” Qian Chong went outside the compartment, pressed down on a seat across the aisle, and sat down, urging her.
“Got it.” She opened another bottle of calcium milk, handed it to Qian Chong, glanced at Fang Shaojun—who was once again looking out the window—and didn’t initiate conversation.
She also grabbed a bottle of calcium milk for herself, tore open a packet of Babob, then found a comfortable position leaning against the side of the train carriage and began drawing Qian Chong.
Inside this small space of the train carriage, aside from the train’s rumbling, the sounds of drinking calcium milk, and cracking sunflower seeds, there was only the swish of pencils across paper.
Outside the window, the urban landscape had vanished, replaced by rolling mountains, vast frosty wetlands, primordial forests dusted with snow, and the periodic passing of utility poles.
The mountains in the north were desolate yet majestic, and the occasional flock of birds added a lively touch to the chilly wilderness.
After a while, Fang Shaojun also took out her sketchpad, but she was drawing the fleeting natural scenery outside the window.
Only Lu Yunfei continued methodically eating his sunflower seeds, staring out the window in a long daze.
…
The night on the train passed quickly, with the children drawing until the lights were about to be turned off.
Everyone was a bit excited and had trouble sleeping, but they mutually agreed not to engage in awkward conversation.
Although they had spent several months drawing together, they still weren’t very familiar with each other.
After the lights were out, Hua Jie lay in her bunk, peeking outside. The trees and grasslands speeding by the train were all white, reflecting the night light.
The vast, uninhabited wilderness inspired an urge to burst out and run wild.
Hua Jie lay on the bed, gazing out of the window, moved by the pristine beauty of the Greater Khingan Range.
Suddenly, the opening of “Ghost Blows Out the Light,” set in the wilderness of the Northeast, popped into her mind.
What would it be like deep in those deserted mountain forests? Were there bears? Snakes? What about wolves and silly roe deer?
“Qian Chong, are you asleep?” Hua Jie asked softly.
“Can’t sleep. What’s up?” Qian Chong, lying in the bunk below, asked somewhat irritably.
“Let me tell you a bedtime story,” she whispered.
“A dark fairy tale?” He perked up immediately.
“No, a new one. I met a guy who told me about it, he said he’d write it down in a few years,” Hua Jie said as she began, “It’s a tomb-robbing story about two good friends, one named Hu Bayi and the other Wang Kaixuan…”
She began to speak in a hushed voice, lying on her bed.
Qian Chong lay back, closed his eyes, and listened intently. At first, he wasn’t much affected, but as he listened, he became enthralled, occasionally getting startled, or urgently asking, “What happens next?”
Fang Shaojun, who was initially lying with her back to Hua Jie, turned over after a while and lay flat, straining her ears to listen.
Lu Yunfei also turned his head, occasionally opening his eyes to look in Hua Jie’s direction, clearly listening as well.