The Story of a Small Station

Ren Xiaofeng had been feeling especially lighthearted these past few days. After being unemployed at home for over two years, he was about to start working, and he couldn't be happier. While some kids his age were still jobless at home, and others who had been sent to the countryside to work hadn't yet been recalled to the city, the fact that he had secured a formal job at this time was something to celebrate. Over these two days, he hummed a tune while packing his belongings.

"Xiaofeng, stop singing, come here and pack the pickled vegetables," his mother called.

His mother had shredded the mustard greens she had pickled herself, and sliced some lean pork into strips. She stir-fried a large pot of the mixture, let it cool, and then called Xiaofeng to pack it up.

"Mm-hmm," Xiaofeng responded, coming over to fill a large bottle with the pickled vegetables. His mother had chosen a big bottle on purpose, and after filling it, she estimated it weighed about two jin (about 1 kg).

His mother's feelings were mixed. She was happy that her son had found a formal job, but she was also worried that he would be far away from home.

The place Xiaofeng was going was far from home. The job was on a newly built railway line, and the living conditions would be tough. No matter where it was or how hard it would be, as long as he had a job, it was fine. That was Xiaofeng's wish.

After packing the pickled vegetables, he wrapped the bottle in newspaper and placed it into his suitcase. His father handed him a box of jasmine tea, a square tin weighing one jin. Xiaofeng put it into the suitcase as well.

The next day, after breakfast, his father pushed his bicycle, helping Xiaofeng take his suitcase and luggage to the meeting point. As they walked, his father advised him, "When you get there, write a letter home. Work peacefully and listen to your superiors." Xiaofeng kept his father's words firmly in mind.

Xiaofeng was the first to arrive at the meeting point. A Jiefang flatbed truck was already parked there. His father and the driver together opened the tailgate of the truck and helped Xiaofeng load his suitcase and luggage. After saying goodbye to his father, who rode away on his bicycle, Xiaofeng climbed onto the truck, sat on his luggage, and quietly waited for the others. He didn't know how many people would be taking this truck today, nor how long the journey would take.

Soon, two more boys and six girls arrived one after another. Together with Xiaofeng, there were nine people in total. Seeing that most of them were girls, Xiaofeng moved his luggage to the rear of the truck bed, making room at the front for the girls' luggage, as the front was less bumpy.

Then a middle-aged man appeared. He introduced himself as the head of personnel. He told everyone, "The place we're going today is called Ci'an, in Hebei Province. The journey will take about seven or eight hours." He told them to be mentally prepared.

After everyone was seated, the personnel head got into the cab, and the truck slowly started moving. At that moment, Xiaofeng's heart had already flown far away with the truck.

After about ten minutes, the truck stopped at the long-distance bus station. Xiaofeng, sitting on his luggage, was puzzled. "Didn't he say it would take seven or eight hours? Why did it stop just after starting?"

The personnel head got out of the cab and walked toward the bus station waiting room. Immediately, a girl carrying luggage followed him back.

The girl's name was Xue Yan. She was around seventeen or eighteen, wearing a small red plaid shirt, dark gray pants, and black cloth shoes. She seemed to be boarding the same truck. She followed the personnel head to the back of the truck. Xiaofeng happened to be sitting at the rear, so he stood up, helped pull the girl's luggage onto the truck, placing it at his feet, and then turned to give her a hand, pulling her up onto the truck.

Xue Yan sat on her luggage, right next to Xiaofeng. Xiaofeng had never been this close to a girl in his life, let alone held a girl's hand. He couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed.

The truck started moving, gradually picking up speed as it wound through the rugged mountains. Tall white poplars lined both sides of the road. It was the hottest time of the year, and cicadas in the trees chirped impatiently under the scorching sun, their calls echoing across the distance.

The truck sped along the road, with trees and scenery slowly receding on both sides. The asphalt road, under the scorching sun, gave off a sizzling heat. From his seat on the truck, Xiaofeng saw what looked like puddles of water on the road ahead, reflecting the sunlight.

The truck jolted along unevenly. Sitting on his luggage, Xiaofeng quietly pondered and dreamed about his future. He had graduated from high school at sixteen, but the country didn't allow high school graduates to directly take the college entrance exam. Instead, they had to go to the countryside. At that time, his father was working on a railway aid project in Africa, so Xiaofeng got special permission to postpone going to the countryside and instead worked temporary jobs in the city. For two and a half years, he did odd jobs on construction sites, burned boilers, worked as a porter, and endured a lot of hardship. He didn't know what kind of work he would be assigned at his new unit. He only knew that his monthly salary would be 33.66 yuan.

The driver braked slightly at a curve, causing the truck to jerk, snapping Xiaofeng out of his memories.

After eight hours of travel, they arrived in Ci'an town at four in the afternoon. The unit was located in a wilderness not far from this small town.

The truck stopped in the unit's yard. Everyone unloaded their suitcases and luggage. They looked at each other—all of them had been exposed to the wind and sun during the journey, their faces and arms bright red.

This place had originally been open wilderness. The operating unit had built administrative, living, and residential areas here. The administrative area housed offices for administration, political work, public security, and communications, while the living area contained a clinic, guest house, canteen, and dormitories. The two areas were separated by a narrow dirt road. Perpendicular to this dirt road was a wider road, a township road leading to the Ci'an Railway Station on one side and to Ci'an town on the other.

The personnel head handed the ten newcomers over to the local personnel department and left. The personnel director gathered them in the guest house, had each person introduce themselves, gave some instructions, and then they all went to rest in their rooms.

There were fewer boys. Ren Xiaofeng's name was immediately remembered by Xue Yan. Though there were more girls, because Xue Yan had interacted with Xiaofeng a little when boarding the truck, her name also stuck in Xiaofeng's mind.

At that time, the unit was forming a cultural propaganda team. Xiaofeng was staying at the guest house, and for some reason, the person in charge took a liking to Xiaofeng. He came to the guest house repeatedly, trying to persuade Xiaofeng to join the propaganda team. Xiaofeng wondered why he, among the three boys, was the only one targeted. In fact, Xiaofeng had no artistic talent whatsoever—he knew nothing about music or performance, and had no interest in them. The person in charge employed every tactic, but Xiaofeng ultimately refused. Among the newcomers, only Xue Yan joined the propaganda team.

Xue Yan was about 1.6 meters tall, with fair skin and an oval face. Her eyes, set within long lashes, were large and lively, sparkling with spirit. Her delicate eyebrows arched like willow leaves across her forehead. Her refined nose was perfectly placed in the center of her face, very proportionate. She had thin lips, a slightly protruding chin, and a ponytail that fell freely down her back.

Whether it was the person in charge who told her or she simply knew that he had approached Xiaofeng, Xue Yan asked Xiaofeng when she saw him, "Ren Xiaofeng, why don't you join the propaganda team?"

In truth, Xue Yan really wished Xiaofeng would join her, since they had arrived on the same truck and were somewhat acquainted.

Xiaofeng replied, "I don't have that kind of talent."

"If you came, we'd be companions," Xue Yan continued.

Xiaofeng truly had no artistic talent. He knew he was tone-deaf and had no interest in singing or playing instruments.

After two days in the guest house, Xiaofeng was assigned to the communications work team and moved into the collective dormitory. The dormitory was a third-class building: brick pillars with mud walls, plastered inside and out with a mixture of rice husks and mud, a tarpaper roof, and an earthen floor. Such houses were poorly insulated but cheap to build.

Four people lived in the dormitory. Near the door was a brick stove for heating in winter, currently unused. The rats in the building were especially aggressive. There wasn't much food in the dorm, but the rats scurried everywhere, some quite large. Sometimes Xiaofeng and his roommates would try to corner one, but the rats would scurry up the interior wall corners and flee onto the roof beams.

The girls were all assigned to be train attendants on the trains. They lived in the building behind Xiaofeng's dormitory, right next to it. At the back of the living area was a small gate. Through it, a narrow path led to Ci'an Station, less than a kilometer away. Every day, Xue Yan and the other girls would take this path to board their trains.

The railway line between Ci'an and Shecheng had been under temporary operation for three years. One passenger train ran daily in each direction, along with several freight trains. Xue Yan and the others worked on this passenger train, traveling back and forth between Ci'an and Shecheng.

Life here was tough. The girls who came together were all very homesick. Some secretly wiped away tears; others called their families, complaining about their difficulties. Xue Yan was more optimistic. Not only did she go about her work every day, but she also comforted the other girls when they became emotional. Xiaofeng was also very optimistic, like a bird that had just flown out of its cage, breathing fresh air and soaring freely in the sky.

It had been almost a month since they arrived in Ci'an. One Sunday, when Xiaofeng was off duty, he went alone to a small shop in Ci'an town to buy some daily necessities like soap and toilet paper. Xue Yan also had the day off and happened to be there. They ran into each other.

When Xiaofeng saw Xue Yan, he called out first, "Xue Yan!"

Xue Yan hadn't noticed him. Startled by someone calling her name, she was momentarily taken aback.

"Are you here to shop too?" Xiaofeng asked.

Seeing it was Ren Xiaofeng, she quickly replied, "Yes."

"Are you off duty today too?" Xue Yan asked back. They chatted briefly and then each went about their business.

Not long after, the "Gang of Four" was overthrown, and the unit organized a parade to celebrate this historic victory. All employees except those on duty participated. Both Xiaofeng and Xue Yan were in the parade, though they walked in their respective units, holding small colorful paper flags. They only caught a glimpse of each other without speaking.

Ci'an had few people, so no one watched the parade. The procession beat drums, clanged gongs, and shouted slogans as they marched along the country paths.

After the parade ended, people began to disperse. Xue Yan walked at the front, slowing slightly, knowing Xiaofeng was behind her. Before long, Xiaofeng caught up.

When he saw Xue Yan, he quickly greeted her: "I saw you a long time ago."

Xue Yan said, "I saw you too."

Xiaofeng asked, "Are you off duty today?"

"No, we're parading today," Xue Yan replied playfully, then laughed.

Xiaofeng found her reply cute and endearing. He enjoyed interacting with this girl, feeling that Xue Yan was open, cheerful, and warm.

They walked and talked, unconsciously returning to the unit's yard, then parted to their own dorms.

A few days later, the unit held a criticism meeting to denounce the anti-Party crimes of the Gang of Four. Each unit was required to have a speaker. Over forty people attended, including Xiaofeng and Xue Yan. Xiaofeng represented the communications work team. When the host called on him, Xiaofeng calmly pulled out his speech from his pocket, glanced around the room, steadied himself, and began reading. He occasionally looked up as he spoke, unhurried and steady.

The meeting room was silent; everyone listened intently. When Xiaofeng said, "The Gang of Four is the golden lid on a vat of human flesh paste, the vanishing cream on a ghost's face," all eyes were on him. His speech was praised by the comrades, who said his metaphors were vivid and apt. Xue Yan was captivated by his delivery and demeanor. She found him simple, steady, ambitious, and reliable. Xiaofeng left a good impression on her.

When the meeting ended, Xue Yan was near the door and left first. She waited outside for a moment until Xiaofeng came out, then greeted him: "Your speech was wonderful. You were so calm and composed. You really have grace."

Xiaofeng was embarrassed by her compliment. "It was just reading from a script."

"Even if you read it, you wrote it yourself, didn't you?"

It was clear that Xue Yan was impressed and won over by his speech. To be honest, writing was not difficult for Xiaofeng. In middle school, his compositions were always praised by the teacher and read aloud to the class.

They stood there chatting for a while before realizing it was getting late. They said goodbye and returned to their respective dorms.

One afternoon, Xiaofeng went to the administrative office. He wanted to exchange thirty jin of national grain coupons for meal tickets. But he found the door locked—the administrator wasn't there. Xiaofeng returned to the communications work team. The team leader sent him to the train crew room to repair a phone, and he forgot about exchanging tickets.

The next morning, Xiaofeng went to the canteen for breakfast. At the counter, he ordered two liang of steamed bread and one liang of congee. He didn't buy any pickled vegetables—the ones his mother had stir-fried were still not finished. When he took out his wallet, he suddenly realized he had no meal tickets left.

He had only vegetable tickets, not grain tickets. Xiaofeng was extremely embarrassed. Just as he was at a loss, Xue Yan came to the canteen to buy food. Xiaofeng asked her for two liang of grain tickets, bought a steamed bun, and returned to the dormitory. The next morning, Xiaofeng deliberately waited at the canteen. When he spotted Xue Yan, he tried to return the two liang of tickets. Xue Yan refused to take them.

"You actually care about two liang of tickets?" Xue Yan said.

"I have more grain coupons than I can use each month. Our dining attendants get a higher proportion of fine grain. I'll give you another jin of fine grain tickets," she continued, pulling out one jin of fine grain tickets and one jin of coarse grain tickets from her wallet and handing them to Xiaofeng.

Xiaofeng said, "Giving me so many tickets—won't you go hungry this month?" Xue Yan replied, "I don't use that many. I'm not as big an eater as you." She deliberately emphasized, slowed down, and drew out the words "big eater," then giggled and went to buy her food.

Through several interactions, Xue Yan found Xiaofeng attentive, honest, and responsible.

Xiaofeng was responsible for maintaining telephones and communication lines in the communications work team. One day, a cross-railway line pole had a broken insulator, causing a ground fault. It needed replacement, so the team leader took Xiaofeng along.

The pole was very tall, about twenty meters, a creosote-soaked wood pole with two sets of climbing hooks. Xiaofeng stood at the base, looked up, fastened his safety belt above his hips, put on his climbing spikes, slung the new insulator over his back, and began climbing. The wind was blowing, and the team leader directed from the ground. On the crossarm, Xiaofeng hooked his safety belt and began replacing the insulator. Looking down from that height, his legs trembled, and sweat soaked his clothes. After replacing the insulator, he slowly climbed down.

After finishing, the team leader had other matters to attend to, so he went off. Xiaofeng, carrying the broken insulator, a tensioner, climbing spikes, and a walkie-talkie slung over his shoulder, trudged back wearily. Just then, Xue Yan and her train crew returned from a trip and caught up from behind. Seeing Xiaofeng in that state, she called from a distance, "Ren Xiaofeng!"

Recognizing Xue Yan's voice, Xiaofeng stopped. When she reached him, he treated her like a lifesaver, shoving the telephone and tensioner into her hands, asking her to carry them back to the communications work team.

Shouldering the walkie-talkie and holding the tensioner, Xue Yan said, "Ren Xiaofeng, which one of us is the communications worker?"

Xiaofeng said, "I won't make you work for free. I'll treat you to... " He was about to say "a movie," but he swallowed the last words, because a boy inviting a girl to a movie implied a special relationship. He realized he had spoken without thinking. Afraid of hurting Xue Yan, he didn't finish the sentence.

But Xue Yan pressed him: "What did you say you'd treat me to?"

Xiaofeng smiled but didn't answer.

Xue Yan insisted, "If you don't tell me, I won't carry these things for you."

Forced into a corner, Xiaofeng had to say, "I'll treat you to a movie, okay?"

Hearing this, Xue Yan immediately said, "I'm not watching a movie with you!"

"How about you sing me a song instead, as a reward?" she continued.

"You're really bringing up the one thing I can't do," Xiaofeng said, then recalled the propaganda team incident. "That propaganda team leader had no judgment. How did he fix on me?"

Xue Yan laughed heartily. "Don't you know?" she said between laughs.

"Know what?" Xiaofeng asked.

"I'm not telling you," Xue Yan replied.

"No, you have to tell me today," Xiaofeng said in a commanding tone.

It was then that Xiaofeng learned it had all been Xue Yan's idea—she had told the team leader that Ren Xiaofeng had artistic talent.

Far from being angry, Xiaofeng found her spirited. He liked this girl. They walked and chatted, unconsciously arriving at the communications work team.

The workers there didn't know Xue Yan. Seeing her carrying the walkie-talkie and tensioner, following behind Xiaofeng, they looked at her with curious eyes. Xiaofeng quickly explained that the team leader had to attend to something and he had recruited her to help bring the equipment back.

Xue Yan put down the walkie-talkie and tensioner. Xiaofeng thanked her, and she left.

Before they knew it, it was late December, the depths of winter. The weather was bitterly cold. One afternoon, a broadcast from the unit announced that all employees under thirty were to muster urgently at the canteen, then go to Ci'an Station to board a railcar heading to the Shecheng Power Plant for emergency rescue operations.

Hearing the broadcast, Xiaofeng rushed back to his dorm, put on his cotton overcoat, cotton hat, and cotton gloves, and went to Ci'an Station. A railcar was already waiting. Xiaofeng and the others quickly boarded.

The railcar arrived at Shecheng Station very late. They spent the night at the crew dormitory. Early the next morning, they took a bus to the accident site. The scene was a mess—a coal train had collided with an empty train on the power plant's private line. The impact was catastrophic, killing one person and destroying the track. Without coal, the power plant faced shutdown.

Xiaofeng's task was to carry gravel and wooden sleepers and restore the line. In the freezing wind, they carried baskets of gravel. Their hands were too cold to stretch out; their ears were numb, their feet frozen. While others filled their baskets, they rubbed their hands, stamped their feet, and covered their ears to fight the cold.

Nights were even harder. There was no place to rest or sleep. Many people crowded into one room, huddling around a stove to keep warm. Too tired, they would doze off on stools, only to continue rescue work the next day.

Xue Yan and the other train attendants didn't join the rescue; they had to run their regular trains. Xue Yan knew Xiaofeng was out in the bitter cold, but she had no news of him. She worried but could find out nothing.

After three days, the first rotation of workers was replaced. Xiaofeng took the railcar back to Ci'an. As soon as he entered the yard, he met Xue Yan.

"You're back?" she asked quickly.

"Just got back. Haven't even gone inside yet."

"How was it? Tough?" Xue Yan saw that he looked haggard and thinner.

Xiaofeng said, "Not really. Just sleepy."

"Are you going back?" Xue Yan continued.

"I don't know. The leaders told us to wait for orders." Xiaofeng replied.

Just then, Xue Yan remembered the two bags of milk powder her family had brought her. She hadn't opened them. She told Xiaofeng to wait, quickly returned to her dorm, and brought one bag back to him.

Xiaofeng was very grateful for Xue Yan's kindness. Having no other friends in Ci'an, he regarded her as a confidante, sharing everything with her. The power plant line was repaired after six days, and Xiaofeng didn't go back. He soon recovered his strength.

After working in Ci'an for five months, Xiaofeng was transferred to Xin Town Station, a small station on the line. One day, just after returning to the unit from Spring Festival holiday at home, his superior called him in, told him to pack up, and go with his railcar to Xin Town Station.

At Xin Town Station, the superior settled him in and left. Xiaofeng was left alone, not knowing anyone. Xin Town was a fourth-class station with few staff, a quiet and lonely place.

Sitting absentmindedly in his room, Xiaofeng suddenly realized he hadn't even had a chance to tell Xue Yan he was leaving. He wondered what she was doing at that moment.

He stepped outside and found that the environment was actually quite nice. The station was built halfway up a hill, with a small hill behind it covered in a grove of trees that had already shed their leaves. In front of the station was a village, and not far from the village was a reservoir. Although it was frozen now, the scenery must be beautiful in spring. The station buildings were proper structures, spacious and bright, with one room per person. It was much better than Ci'an.

Xiaofeng desperately wanted to tell Xue Yan all this, but he had no way to contact her.

Despite the better living conditions, the station had no canteen. Single employees cooked for themselves. Some staff had families; they could eat at home after work. Xiaofeng didn't know how to cook, and there was no canteen. Every mealtime gave him headaches. His mother's stir-fried pickled vegetables weren't finished yet, but he couldn't eat that for every meal. He envied the married staff.

Xiaofeng began learning to cook. When he cooked rice, it either burnt, was undercooked, or had too much water. He could never get the water ratio or the heat right. Stir-frying was a complete mystery. He had never fried anything before—he hadn't even watched anyone do it. At home, his mother always prepared the food and set it on the table; he just ate.

Sometimes he cooked noodles. No matter how much water he added, the noodles would swell into a sticky, inedible mess.

Watching his colleagues fry eggs smelled so good and looked tempting. He decided to buy eggs and fry them himself—simple and delicious.

There was a market near the station held every fifth day. The day happened to be the fifteenth of the lunar month. Xiaofeng went early, walked around, found nothing he wanted to buy, and returned empty-handed. On the way back, he passed through Xin Town village and stopped at the supply and marketing cooperative. Still finding nothing suitable, he suddenly saw a sign listing the price for eggs: 0.68 yuan per jin. Excited, he asked, but there were no eggs in stock—only the price.

A peasant woman saw him asking and followed him out of the co-op, catching up. "Do you want eggs?" she asked.

"How much a jin?" Xiaofeng asked.

"Sixty-eight cents," she replied.

The same price as the co-op, so Xiaofeng followed her to her home. He weighed out one jin—eight eggs—paid, wrapped them in a handkerchief, and headed back. Just as he was about to leave the village, a village official stopped him. "Where did you buy those eggs?"

"At the market," Xiaofeng said.

The official didn't believe him and insisted on knowing who he bought them from. Apparently, the official had been watching him. Finally, the official dragged Xiaofeng to the peasant woman's house, forced her to refund the money, and made Xiaofeng leave the eggs behind.

Although the Gang of Four had been overthrown, the rural "cutting capitalist tails" policy was still enforced. The peasant woman had sold eggs privately, which was considered capitalism. At the time, farmers were limited in how many pigs, chickens, or trees they could raise. Exceeding the limit was considered restoring capitalism.

Xiaofeng was dejected. He trudged back slowly. Near Xin Town Station, he met Master Yang from the track maintenance team.

From a distance, Xiaofeng called out, "Master Yang!"

Master Yang wasn't in the same unit as Xiaofeng. Xiaofeng's unit handled railway passenger and freight transport; Master Yang's unit handled track maintenance—lifting and aligning tracks, adding ballast, etc. But they knew each other.

Xiaofeng poured out his woes about cooking and the failed egg purchase. Master Yang comforted him: "Come eat in our canteen. Give me your grain coupons and money. I'll exchange them for meal tickets for you."

"Our canteen food is pretty good," Master Yang added.

Master Yang lived not far from Xiaofeng. The canteen was about two hundred meters from Xiaofeng's room. Elated, Xiaofeng immediately went back, got his coupons and money, and handed them to Master Yang.

Master Yang gave Xiaofeng the meal tickets. That very day, Xiaofeng went to the track maintenance canteen, bought a serving of twice-cooked pork and two steamed buns—less than thirty cents in total. It was the first satisfying meal he'd had in days.

There were few staff at the station. Apart from work, meals, and sleep, there was no entertainment. Two trains passed through each day, one in each direction. The hustle and bustle when trains stopped provided the only diversion. Whenever a train arrived, Xiaofeng and the others would step out onto the platform to watch it pull in, stop, and depart, as passengers boarded and got off.

One day, Xue Yan was on duty. Several of the girls who had arrived together were train attendants. Xue Yan's Mandarin was standard, and her voice was pleasant, so she was assigned as the train announcer. When the train pulled into Xin Town and stopped, Xue Yan usually didn't leave the broadcast booth. But that day, for some reason, she stepped out and stood at the carriage door. Looking down onto the platform, she spotted Xiaofeng.

Xiaofeng was standing with the station staff, looking at the train. Xue Yan wanted to call out to him but couldn't bring herself to. Xiaofeng also saw her standing at the door. Their eyes met. Before they could exchange a word, the departure bell rang. Xiaofeng could only wave. Xue Yan waved back, turned, and reentered the carriage.

It was then that Xue Yan learned Xiaofeng had been transferred to Xin Town Station—that explained why she hadn't seen him in Ci'an recently. Back at the crew dormitory, she rested, and soon it was dinner time. She picked up her bowl and chopsticks and went to the canteen. For some reason, her steps felt heavy. In the past, going to the canteen brought a sense of anticipation.

As she walked, Xue Yan thought about Xiaofeng. It was mealtime for him too, but the station had no canteen. Could he cook? Where did he eat? Did he burn his rice? Did he oversalt his vegetables? Her mind was full of him.

The next time she was on duty, as the train approached Xin Town, Xue Yan finished her broadcast and went early to the carriage door. As soon as the train stopped, she stepped down onto the platform. Xiaofeng saw her and walked over.

Xiaofeng said, "You're on duty today?"

"Mm-hmm," Xue Yan answered. "When did you get transferred here?"

"Almost a week ago," Xiaofeng said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Xue Yan asked.

"Didn't have time."

"Does the station have a canteen?"

"No."

"So you cook?"

"Still learning."

"Do you have cookware?"

"I need an electric stove and a basin for washing vegetables."

"I'll bring them when I come back," she said.

Just then, the departure bell rang. Xue Yan quickly climbed onto the train. At the door, she waved to Xiaofeng, and the train pulled out. Xue Yan turned and went inside.

When Xue Yan reached Shecheng, she bought an electric stove and an aluminum basin for washing vegetables, and brought them to Xiaofeng. He tried to pay her, but she refused.

From then on, every time the train stopped at Xin Town, Xue Yan would leave the broadcast booth and stand at the door or step down onto the platform. Sometimes she saw Xiaofeng; sometimes she didn't. She didn't know why she did this.

Even when she saw him, they could only exchange a few words or just a greeting, because the train only stopped for two minutes. But no matter what, just seeing Xiaofeng made her feel more settled.

There was a walnut tree behind Xiaofeng's room. When autumn came, it was full of nuts. Some branches extended over Xiaofeng's roof. One day, he and his friends climbed onto the roof and picked all the walnuts within reach. Xiaofeng gathered about two jin. He didn't eat them; instead, he dried them in the sun for a few days, peeled off the green husks, and planned to give them to Xue Yan when she passed through Xin Town.

One day, the train returning from Shecheng stopped at Xin Town. As soon as it stopped, Xiaofeng saw Xue Yan at the door and came over.

"Xue Yan, I brought you some walnuts," he called out loudly.

Xue Yan thought he had bought them. She took them, said "Thank you," and asked, "Are the new walnuts already here?" She boarded the train happily.

A few days later, the tree's owner came to pick walnuts. Discovering that the branches over the roof had been stripped, he confronted Xiaofeng and his friends. They all claimed ignorance. The owner looked at their hands and said, "Look at your hands—still dare to say you don't know?"

Each of them had dark brown stains on their hands from peeling the green husks, which wouldn't wash off for weeks. Angry, the tree owner took their washbasins as compensation.

Some time later, the unit organized a technical skills competition in Ci'an. Xiaofeng was recommended to participate. He took a train there the morning before the competition and returned the next afternoon. As it happened, Xue Yan was on duty. After her broadcast, she came and sat opposite Xiaofeng. They chatted. A worker from the track maintenance team, returning from visiting his hometown, was also in the same carriage, sitting next to Xiaofeng across the aisle. Since he was also a railway employee, he didn't have a ticket. When the train attendant asked to see his ticket, a dispute arose.

The policeman on duty came to mediate, but the man wouldn't back down. Seeing that reason didn't work, the policeman pulled out his gun to intimidate. Unexpectedly, the man stood up and wrestled for the gun. The gun went off, the bullet piercing the carriage roof. As the gunshot rang out, Xiaofeng, without thinking, covered Xue Yan's head and pushed her down. They both crouched low.

After everyone regained their composure, they were all shaken. Standing up, Xue Yan looked at the Xiaofeng before her, seeing him as tall and heroic, brave and dependable.

"Ren Xiaofeng, thank goodness for you today. You scared me to death," Xue Yan said.

"To be honest, I was scared too," Xiaofeng replied.

Xiaofeng's selfless protection moved Xue Yan deeply. At that moment, she felt like crying but held back. Seeing Xiaofeng right there gave her a feeling of security that spread throughout her body. This incident greatly increased her trust and reliance on Xiaofeng.

Master Yang from the track maintenance team had previously worked with Xue Yan's father. He was from Shaanxi. Later, he transferred to the track team and came to Xin Town. His wife had passed away from illness, leaving him with a seven-year-old son. He knew Xue Yan. Every time the train stopped, he'd greet her. Over time, he grew closer to Xiaofeng and often mentioned Xue Yan to him. Gradually, Xiaofeng learned a bit about Xue Yan and her family.

From Master Yang, Xiaofeng learned that Xue Yan's family lived in Shangzhou, and her father was also a railway worker. Xue Yan had attended a railway-affiliated school since childhood. She had a younger sister.

One day, Master Yang came to Xiaofeng's room with nothing to do. He asked if Xiaofeng had a girlfriend. Xiaofeng smiled and said no. Master Yang said Xue Yan didn't have a boyfriend either, and he thought they'd make a good match. He offered to play matchmaker.

Xiaofeng thought quickly. Despite Xue Yan's many merits, he was only just twenty, and Xue Yan might be even younger. He was content to keep things as they were. When he was a little older, he would broach the subject—both they and their families would be more accepting. Now, it might be difficult for both families.

Master Yang found his reasoning sensible, so the matter was dropped. Xiaofeng never asked if Xue Yan knew about Master Yang's matchmaking attempt, and Master Yang never said.

After more than half a year at Xin Town Station, Xiaofeng was transferred again to Shecheng Station. Before leaving, he went to find Master Yang to say goodbye, since he had looked out for him in many ways. But Master Yang was on home leave. Xiaofeng never saw him again, and the matchmaking matter was as if it had never happened.

Xiaofeng's transfer was sudden. He didn't have time to tell Xue Yan. She didn't know he had moved. Every time the train stopped at Xin Town, she still habitually left the broadcast booth and stood at the door or on the platform. But she never saw Xiaofeng again. She didn't know why.

The day after Xiaofeng arrived in Shecheng, an employee was being isolated for investigation at the station police office and needed guards at night. The leadership assigned Xiaofeng and another to watch. After the isolation was lifted, Xiaofeng was sent to the communication office to lay communication cables. He didn't return to the Shecheng communications work team until a month later.

Team leader Liu was a very good friend of Xiaofeng's, about four or five years older, and recently married. Liu's wife, whose maiden name was Tian, was on the same crew as Xue Yan. Xiaofeng often visited Liu and Tian's home. A photo of Tian's crew including several close friends sat on their table. In the photo, Xue Yan looked even more youthful, beautiful, and charming.

Seeing Xiaofeng looking at the photo, Tian came over and pointed out who was who. When she pointed at Xue Yan, she said, "This is Xue Yan. She's been here for about a year. She's the announcer on our crew." Xiaofeng didn't respond, not revealing that he knew Xue Yan.

Xue Yan hadn't seen Xiaofeng in a long time. One day, her train arrived at Shecheng Station. After all passengers disembarked, the crew cleaned the train and went to the crew dormitory to rest. Xue Yan put down her travel bag and went to the bathhouse. Since the train was steam locomotive-hauled, it was very dirty. After bathing and dressing, she returned to her room, feeling thirsty. She picked up her thermos and went to the boiling water room. Xiaofeng was there, also filling his thermos.

Seeing him, Xue Yan was surprised. "Ren Xiaofeng, why are you here?"

Xiaofeng said, "I've been transferred here."

"When?" Xue Yan asked.

"About a month ago," Xiaofeng replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she pursued.

"As soon as I arrived in Shecheng, I was assigned night duty, then sent out on temporary assignment elsewhere. I just got back," Xiaofeng explained.

Only then did Xue Yan realize that Xiaofeng had left Xin Town more than a month ago. She was a little upset.

"Every time you move, you don't tell me. It's really annoying."

"I really didn't have a chance to tell you. Don't blame me unfairly," Xiaofeng defended himself.

Xue Yan felt wronged. She had been eagerly looking for him at Xin Town, not knowing he had already left. Her eyes reddened, and tears welled up.

Xiaofeng didn't notice. He filled his thermos, told Xue Yan where he lived, and left.

Xue Yan started filling her thermos. For some reason, her hands trembled. Several times, the water splashed out of the bottle, almost burning her.

When her thermos was full, she returned to her room and poured a cup of boiling water. She reviewed the times she and Xiaofeng had spent together. She thought he was like a wooden dummy, making her feel neglected. But then she reconsidered: she had never expressed anything to him, nor he to her. She decided he hadn't done anything wrong, and her anger gradually subsided. She decided to visit his room sometime.

Xiaofeng returned to his room, poured some boiling water, picked up a book—"How the Steel Was Tempered"—and read while sipping. He was moved by the spirit of Pavel, and regretted that Pavel and Tonya never ended up together. After a while, he felt tired. He washed up, lay down, and continued reading before falling asleep.

Xue Yan and Xiao Tian were on the same crew and good friends. They often visited each other. Xiaofeng and Liu were also good friends and often visited the Lius' home. Sometimes Xue Yan and Xiaofeng would meet there. They would just greet each other. One day, Xue Yan came to Xiao Tian's home again. Xiao Tian asked her, "What do you think of Ren Xiaofeng?"

Xue Yan said, "He's quite nice."

"I think you two would be a good match. Shall I introduce you?" Xiao Tian offered.

Xue Yan was actually willing. She found Xiaofeng ambitious, responsible, and dependable. But maidenly shyness prevented her from answering directly. She just gently bit her lower lip, fiddled with the hem of her clothes, and smiled shyly.

A few days later, Xiaofeng came to Liu's home. Xue Yan was also in Shecheng because she was on duty. She put down her travel bag and came to see Xiao Tian. When she entered the room and saw Xiaofeng, she greeted him and sat down. Someone called her from outside. She went out; it turned out that the group had planned to go shopping. Xue Yan left. Xiao Tian then said to Xiaofeng, "What do you think of Xue Yan? She's so beautiful. Shall I introduce you?"

Earlier, at Xin Town, Master Yang had proposed the same thing. Now Xiao Tian was bringing it up again. Xiaofeng thought the same: "We're both still young. If I bring this up now, both families might object. Let's just let it be for a year or so." Xiao Tian and Liu found his reasoning reasonable, so they dropped it.

Later, back in his room, Xiaofeng pondered. Master Yang had wanted to introduce Xue Yan to me. Now Xiao Tian also wanted to introduce the same person. Master Yang and Xiao Tian didn't know each other, yet both suggested the same person. Was this coincidence or something else? Xiaofeng racked his brain but couldn't find an answer.

The reason Xiaofeng refused was not that he had a bad impression of Xue Yan. He just felt he was too young—he wasn't even twenty-one yet. Starting a relationship at this age would not pass muster with his father, and others would gossip.

After returning to Ci'an, Xue Yan bought a box of chocolates and a few jin of apples, planning to visit Xiaofeng on her next trip. When she boarded the train, she carried the chocolates and apples into the broadcast booth. For some reason, the train seemed to crawl along. She could hardly wait to reach Shecheng. After finishing her duties, she took the things to Xiaofeng's room, but found the door locked.

She didn't know where he was. She stood there blankly for a moment, then returned to the dormitory.

In fact, that day after breakfast, Xiaofeng had gone out to patrol the line. He walked one section from Shecheng toward Ci'an. He found a broken insulator on a pole and needed to replace it. The concrete pole was about eight meters high. It had rained the previous night, so the pole was damp. Not paying attention, he had donned his climbing spikes and the insulator and started climbing. He slipped and fell, tearing off all his shirt buttons. Luckily, he wasn't injured. His legs shook badly. After a long rest, he climbed up again and replaced the insulator.

By the time he finished patrolling and returned to Shecheng Station, it was very late.

Xue Yan was disappointed not to have seen Xiaofeng. The next morning, she returned to Ci'an with the train, planning to try again on her next trip.

At Ci'an Station, passengers were boarding the train to Shecheng. In the broadcast booth, Xue Yan began her announcement: "Dear passengers, the train is about to depart from Ci'an Station. Those seeing off friends and relatives, please get off immediately."

At that moment, a girl around twenty, wearing a dress and carrying a travel bag, boarded the car where Xue Yan was. Soon after she sat down, the train started. It was very hot. She raised the window as high as it would go, but the breeze was still warm. After more than an hour, when the train departed Xin Town, ticket inspection began.

Xue Yan's voice came over the loudspeaker: "Dear passengers, the train is now conducting ticket inspection. Please have your tickets ready to assist the train attendants."

When the attendant approached the girl, she found her arms on the small table, her head buried in them. The attendant asked for her ticket. No response. Thinking she was asleep, the attendant shook her awake. The girl lifted her head. The attendant saw her sweating profusely, her face pale. "Are you sick?" she asked. The girl nodded. The attendant hurried to the broadcast booth and asked Xue Yan to broadcast a request for any medical professionals among the passengers to help.

Soon, two medical workers came to that carriage. It turned out the girl had overexerted herself on the journey, hadn't eaten properly, and combined with the heat, she had a touch of heatstroke and low blood sugar. The medical workers said, "It's not serious. Give her some candy or sugar water, and she'll recover soon." Xue Yan went back to the broadcast booth, grabbed three chocolates, and gave them to the girl. "Eat these chocolates. You'll feel better soon."

After the girl ate them, she recovered in a little while.

The girl was very grateful. Xue Yan noticed that she didn't have a local accent and asked where she was from. The girl said she was on a business trip passing through. Her boyfriend worked in Shecheng, and she had come to visit him. She had boarded the train at Ci'an Station.

The train was delayed, so it was dusk by the time they reached Shecheng. The girl got off, worried. She planned to stay in Shecheng overnight and leave the next morning. Her boyfriend worked at a steel plant in Shecheng, which was far from the station.

After dinner, Xiaofeng came to the platform. The Ci'an communications work team had sent a telephone exchange for him to pick up.

"Brother, why are you here?" the girl spotted Xiaofeng.

Xiaofeng saw it was his cousin. She was the same age as him, a few months younger.

"I was just transferred here about a month ago," Xiaofeng said.

"Why are you here?" he asked. The cousin told him about what had happened on the train.

After getting the telephone exchange, seeing it was late, Xiaofeng asked the dormitory manager to give his cousin a room. He bought her a meal from the canteen and chatted with her in her room. He told her he would see her off at the bus station at six the next morning. Then he returned to his room.

After dinner, Xue Yan, carrying the chocolates and apples, went to Xiaofeng's room. The door was locked. She didn't know where he was and returned to her dormitory, still carrying the things.

The next morning, Xue Yan got up before six. As she came out of the restroom, she saw Xiaofeng seeing off his cousin, both coming out of his cousin's room. Xue Yan immediately stepped back into the restroom. She recognized the girl—the one who had come to visit her boyfriend. But she never imagined the boyfriend was Ren Xiaofeng.

No wonder Ren Xiaofeng had been evasive and indecisive about their relationship. Overcome with dizziness, Xue Yan almost couldn't stand. She watched the two leave the dormitory building before stepping out of the restroom and returning to her room.

Back in Ci'an, Xue Yan was in a terrible mood. She felt pain and anguish. That night, she couldn't sleep.

Xiaofeng saw his cousin off at the bus station, then returned, had breakfast, and went out to patrol the lines.

Xue Yan hadn't slept well the previous night and lay in bed all morning. In the afternoon, just as work started, the personnel director sent for her. He told her she was being transferred to the higher-level office to work as a typist. He gave her the transfer order and told her to hand over her duties. Xue Yan felt lost. The scene she had witnessed at the Shecheng dormitory had dealt a heavy blow. She decided not to confront Xiaofeng about the girl, nor to tell him about her transfer. She completed the handover and left Ci'an.

Xiaofeng didn't know Xue Yan had transferred.

Near Shecheng Station, there was a motor pool involved in railway construction. They often screened open-air movies. One day, the film was "Ashima." Xiaofeng and Liu went to watch.

"I'll save a seat for Xiao Tian; she'll come later," Liu said. Xiaofeng assumed Xue Yan would come with Xiao Tian. But the movie started, and Xue Yan didn't appear.

Xiaofeng asked Xiao Tian, "Why didn't Xue Yan come?" It was then that he learned Xue Yan had been transferred.

When Xue Yan was around, Master Yang and Xiao Tian had tried to bring them together, but Xiaofeng had refused, citing his youth. Now that Xue Yan had transferred without even saying goodbye, Xiaofeng felt deep regret and melancholy. He blamed himself for not seizing the opportunity.

Sometimes you don't realize how important someone is until they're gone.

Xue Yan's sudden departure took Xiaofeng a long time to get over.

Six months passed. Xiaofeng received a letter from his father, with a photo enclosed. In the photo was a girl around twenty-one or twenty-two, with delicate features, bright eyes, fair skin, arched eyebrows, a straight nose, and closed lips, smiling at him. She was very beautiful. His father had found her as a potential match for Xiaofeng.

His parents had started looking for a match for him. Only then did Xiaofeng realize he was grown up, of marriageable age.

Looking at the letter and photo, Xiaofeng thought: if he had never met Xue Yan, he would have considered this marriage seriously. But now, Xue Yan's memory was stirred again. He still felt he would rather choose Xue Yan. After all, they had interacted before and had some emotional foundation.

Xiaofeng felt he was at a crossroads of emotion. He needed to decide quickly. His family was waiting for an answer, while Xue Yan had vanished without a trace.

After much thought, Xiaofeng decided to write to Xue Yan immediately, to find out her situation and feelings. But he didn't have her address. He asked Xiao Tian and then picked up his pen.

What should he write?

This was his first letter to her after her transfer. He wasn't sure whether she would receive it. If he wrote about romantic feelings and the letter fell into the wrong hands, it could cause trouble for her. Out of concern for Xue Yan, he decided for safety's sake not to bring up emotions. He knew that his elementary school teacher had later transferred to the school where Xue Yan had studied. He could ask about that teacher—that would sound natural.

He wrote the letter and sent it. Within a few days, Xue Yan replied, answering his questions. Xiaofeng was overjoyed to receive her response. His anxious heart settled.

He didn't write to his family immediately. Instead, he wrote another letter to Xue Yan. In this one, he recalled their past interactions, expressed his longing, explained some misunderstandings, and apologized. After sending it, he eagerly waited for Xue Yan's reply. But she didn't respond.

Xiaofeng wondered if she was on a business trip or had gone home. Maybe she hadn't received his letter. He wrote the same letter again. Still, no reply.

He began to suspect that Xue Yan had changed her attitude toward him. One day, he visited Liu and Tian's home and told Tian about his correspondence with Xue Yan. Tian said, "Xue Yan is working in an office now, and it's been so long. Maybe she looks down on us workers."

Xiaofeng thought she was right. He knew that environment could change a person, and time could too. Xue Yan had moved to a better environment, and half a year had passed. It was entirely possible, and understandable, that her feelings had changed. He didn't resent her.

He realized he had made a mistake regarding Xue Yan: he had been indecisive and never made his intentions clear to her.

By now, Xiaofeng had completely lost hope with Xue Yan. Feeling he couldn't repeat his earlier error, he decided to go home and meet the girl his family had found. She was well-suited and he was satisfied with her. He hadn't answered his family yet; he couldn't delay any longer.

Without further hesitation, Ren Xiaofeng took home leave, got a ticket, and boarded the train home.

Since arriving at her new workplace, Xue Yan had been very busy. Every day, documents from various departments had to be typed on schedule. She often worked overtime and night shifts.

When she received Xiaofeng's first letter, she thought of their past and replied. Since his letter only mentioned the teacher, she responded only about the teacher.

In fact, she received his following two letters. She hadn't been away, nor had she gone home. She didn't reply because she thought Ren Xiaofeng was dishonest. She believed that he had had a romantic problem with his girlfriend and was now trying to rekindle old feelings with her. She thought he was despicable.

One day, the personnel chief called Xue Yan and gave her a transfer order. Her typing job was to be taken over by a new girl. During the handover, Xue Yan discovered that the new girl was the one who had fallen ill on the train.

The new typist recognized Xue Yan and remembered her help during the illness. She said, "Thanks so much for helping me on the train that time."

Xue Yan asked, "Did you meet your boyfriend then?"

"Yes. The train was delayed, and I stayed at your dormitory overnight. I left the next day."

"Isn't your boyfriend at Shecheng Station?"

"He's not at the station. He works at a steel plant in Shecheng. My brother is at the station."

Xue Yan immediately recalled the scene she witnessed at the dormitory restroom. "Your brother? What's your brother's name?"

"Ren Xiaofeng."

Xue Yan's head spun. Ren Xiaofeng was her brother. Only then did she realize she had made a huge mistake. She regretted not verifying the situation with Xiaofeng. She had misunderstood him.

She immediately asked her superior for leave.

By the time Xue Yan arrived at Shecheng Station and went to Xiaofeng's room, the door was locked. Xiaofeng had already been home for several days.

She found Xiao Tian. Xiao Tian told her, "Xiaofeng said his family found him a girlfriend. He went home to meet her." Xiao Tian reproached Xue Yan for abandoning Xiaofeng so rashly.

When Xiaofeng arrived home, his mother was overjoyed. It had been a long time since she had seen her son. He had grown taller and gained weight. She prepared a table of his favorite foods and sat with him, asking endless questions. The next day, Sunday, his father arranged for him to visit the girl's family. The girl's father and Xiaofeng's father were former colleagues who knew each other well.

If there had been no misunderstanding with Xue Yan, Xiaofeng would have chosen her, given their history. But now, with Xue Yan out of reach, he had to end that chapter and start anew.

Xiaofeng brought two bottles of liquor he had bought in Shecheng—Shecheng sorghum liquor was very good—and some fruit. He went to the girl's home.

The girl and her parents warmly welcomed him. It was clear that they were very satisfied with him. The girl was even more beautiful than in the photo. And so, Xiaofeng began a relationship with her.

Having missed Xiaofeng in Shecheng, Xue Yan regretted handling things rashly, causing a misunderstanding with hard-to-repair consequences.

Leaving Xiao Tian's home, Xue Yan felt dizzy. She returned to the dormitory and lay down. The next day, back at work, she immediately wrote a long letter to Xiaofeng, explaining why she had misunderstood him, apologizing, and asking for forgiveness. She expressed her longing and wished to reconcile.

After sending it, Xue Yan was on edge every day, hoping for his reply. She didn't know the outcome of his home visit, nor whether he would forgive her and reopen the door to their relationship.

Xiaofeng never received that letter. After twenty days of home leave, he had established a romantic relationship with the girl. He then came back to handle his transfer, leaving Shecheng Station.

And so, Xiaofeng and Xue Yan lost contact, never to meet again.

The small station remained as calm and lively as ever, continuing to write its own stories.