An Unpredictable Journey Home
Seeing the photo of Taizhou Railway Station, a friend was surprised: "Isn't a group tour supposed to be by bus round trip? How come you're taking the train?"
October 7th marks the end of the National Day holiday, so traffic jams on the return trip are the norm. The guide said that the two-to-three-hour return journey would take seven to eight hours. Yesterday there was a traffic accident, and during the bus ride, the doors were not allowed to be opened at all. Everyone chimed in: "Can't a living person be held back by needing to pee?" Tour guide Wang suggested: "From tonight, stop drinking water." More chatter: "A complete guide to urination methods on the bus."
Amid the noise, we decided to buy train tickets from Taizhou back to Shanghai tomorrow. It was already past 9 PM. When I opened my phone, the tickets were sold out! But we could try to snatch tickets. I immediately thought of my old friend Zhang Jun. We've been friends for many years. At the end of 1997, we had a six-day trip to Guangzhou. I'm used to calling him 'The Wise One.' I called him; he was on a business trip somewhere in Shandong. Zhang Jun was enthusiastic and helped out late at night, keeping in touch with me on the phone while trying to snatch a ticket, or rather 'waiting for a rabbit to hit a tree stump.' After 10 PM, news came: someone canceled their ticket! He successfully grabbed it!
On the morning of October 7th, without the worry of being 'imprisoned' on the bus for seven or eight hours, I happily visited the last important scenic spot - Daohe Ancient Town. Since we didn't have to take the bus, we had plenty of time to stroll slowly around the ancient town. On the streets of the ancient town, taxis were rare, but Didi (ride-hailing) works nationwide. After 11 AM, we arrived at Taizhou Railway Station.
As the train crossed the Yangtze River, I was delighted to see the thousands of waves of rice and beans.
When the train arrived in Suzhou, my phone rang, and I had the following conversation with a fellow traveler who took the bus back to Shanghai:
-- Have you gotten home yet?
-- No, we're in Suzhou.
-- Huh? Our bus has already returned to Shanghai!
-- No traffic jam today?
-- No, just a little congestion.
Wang and I exchanged a knowing smile. Life is full of twists and turns! Man proposes, God disposes.
When the train arrived at Hongqiao, I took the subway, Line 2/6, speeding along like a flash. When I reached my doorstep, the streetlights were already on. Time: 6:07 PM.
