The rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive diesel bus pulled away in front of him, its mechanical roar and exhaust backfire reverberating from the rear compartment, the vibrations seeming to shake Lin Yuhui's chest. After the bus passed, the street stretched empty once more. Raindrops illuminated by streetlights pelted the pavement with a sharp patter. Only beneath the bus shelter's canopy could one find slight respite from the storm, though his pant legs were already soaked by the spray of water.
后置后驱的柴油公交车,在面前起步,车尾机舱传出来的机械和排气炸裂声的震动仿佛震颤了林语晖的胸腔.汽车驶过后,眼前又是空旷的街道,雨滴被路灯照亮噼啪地打在地面,只有公交站的雨棚之下才能略微避一避风雨,但是裤脚已经被崩起的雨水打湿了.
In the rain-drenched night, most lights in the distant office buildings had already faded. Within the concrete jungle of the metropolis, this was never home for migrant workers. A young woman stood waiting for the bus nearby, her white skinny jeans clinging to her form, an umbrella propped in her hand. Lin Yuhui felt she seemed farther away than the apartment buildings shrouded behind the curtain of rain.
雨夜里远处写字楼的灯火已经大多熄灭,大都市的钢筋水泥的森林里,从来不是外来务工人员的家.旁边远远的一个年轻女生同样在等公交,白色紧身铅笔裤,手撑雨伞,林语晖甚至觉得她的距离比那雨幕后的公寓楼还遥远.
Amid the screeching brakes and swaying carriage, a dim orange glow came into view—the platform lighting. The incandescent bulbs along the platform passageway shone unusually brightly. As the station announcement echoed through the speakers, passengers began streaming onto the train in a bustling crowd.
在刹车的吱嘎声和车厢摇晃中,一缕昏黄的橙色的灯光映入眼帘,那是站台的照明,站台通道的白炽灯异常耀眼,随着广播报站的声音,开始有旅客熙熙攘攘地上车.
Oh, so it was just a dream. Lin Yuhui gazed out the window of his train berth and realized they were parked overnight at some station. But recalling the dream's scenes, after a lifetime of wandering, he sometimes couldn't tell whether the images in his dreams were merely dreams or his own real experiences.
哦,原来刚才做了一个梦,林语晖从自己火车卧铺床位的车窗望出去,意识到了这是某个车站的夜间停车.只是回想刚才梦里的情景,经过这半生的漂泊,有时候他已经无法分清自己梦里的情景到底是梦还是自己真实的经历了.
This trip to take up a position in Changxing County, Huzhou, required a transfer in Nanjing. Lin Yuhui preferred traveling by overnight sleeper train, allowing more daylight hours for local transfers.
这一次去湖州长兴县赴职需要在南京转车,林语晖喜欢乘坐夜间行驶的卧铺列车,这样就能够留给白天更多的时间乘坐市内交通转车.
Before dawn broke, he dozed off again and again in a daze, and the overnight journey on the train soon came to an end.
趁着天还没亮,他迷迷糊糊地又眯了几觉,这趟车一宿半天的旅程很快就结束了.Nanjing Station was packed with people, but thankfully the COVID-19 control procedures were relatively simple—those without a health code or travel history code only needed to have their temperature checked. Lin Yuhui carried no such codes—he deliberately avoided obtaining them. Without a health code, there could be no yellow or red codes. He refused to risk being arbitrarily quarantined. If he were isolated merely as a suspected case, he'd face the risk of cross-infection in a crowded facility. For someone with his heart condition, that could be fatal.
南京站人头攒动,还好新冠疫情控制的程序比较简单,没有健康码或者行程码的只要测体温.林语晖没有任何码,因为是他故意让自己没有的,因为根本没有健康码就不会有黄码或者红码,他可不想被糊里糊涂地拉去隔离,本来没有被传染,就因为疑似被拉去隔离,结果一集中跑不了交叉感染.对于他的心脏状况来说可能会要命.
Lin Yuhui had years of business travel experience under his belt, yet even with the station signage and his pre-prepared map, he still couldn't locate the subway entrance he needed. With no other option, he had to ask a staff member. It turned out the entrance required walking through a shopping mall to reach—a decision that must have been calculated down to the last penny.
林语晖已经有了多年差旅经验了,但是即便这样,按照车站指示标志和自己手里提前准备的地图,他依然没能找到要去的地铁入口,鼻子下面还有嘴,只有问工作人员了.原来这个入口要走进一个商场才能到达,真是经济账算得算盘珠子噼里啪啦响.
As he walked through the mall corridor, he spotted a promising fast-food restaurant in the food court. It served home-style dishes that looked delicious. Lin Yuhui disliked junk food; he only wanted normal food. What constituted normal? Food like what was cooked at home. But time was tight—he needed to catch a train transfer, followed by a long bus ride. This was another journey where he had to reach his destination before dark.
当他走过商场通道的时候,发现餐饮街有一家快餐店很不错,都是家常菜,很美味的样子.林语晖不喜欢吃垃圾食品,他只想要正常的食物,何为正常呢?就像家里做的饭菜那样的.可是时间不允许啊,需要换火车,之后还有很长一段公交的路程,这又是一个需要在天黑前到达目的地的旅程.
After boarding the subway from Nanjing Station to Nanjing South Station, Lin Yuhui finally felt she could relax a bit. This was a crucial link between two train connections. Although the map she had searched showed the subway journey took only 42 minutes, she still needed to factor in walking time at both ends and the time waiting in line to enter the station next time. So it was still somewhat rushed. But sitting on the subway seat, there was nothing else to do.
坐上南京站开往南京南站的地铁后,林语晖终于感觉可以放松一点了,这是衔接两趟火车之间的重要环节,虽然自己搜索到的地图上显示这个距离地铁运行时间只要42分钟,但是还要计入两端步行时间,下次进站排队时间,所以还是有些紧迫的,只是坐在地铁座位上的这个时间就没有什么事情可做了.
Lin Yuhui slung his backpack across his chest and wedged his suitcase between his legs, glancing now at the station announcements, now at the passengers streaming by. Though May had already ushered in summer here, he found it odd how few people were riding the subway at midday. Yet there were many young women dressed fashionably, looking like students. On a Thursday afternoon, did none of them attend classes?
林语晖把背包背在了胸前,行李箱夹在两腿之间,时而看看报站,时而看看往来的乘客.5月份的季节,这里已经进入了夏季,他很奇怪中午这个时间乘坐地铁的人不多,但是很多年轻女生,穿着时尚,好像学生的样子,星期四中午时间,难道她们都不上学吗?
The subway journey was long, winding its way from underground to the surface. Along the way, the scenery shifted from towering skyscrapers to neighborhoods shaded by greenery. Lin Yuhui particularly loved those aging residential complexes, lush with trees and brimming with the warmth of everyday life. They seemed to belong to a bygone era, utterly out of step with this fast-paced age.
地铁的路程很长,从地下一直开到地上,沿途的景致也从高楼林立到绿荫人家,林语晖很喜欢那些上了年纪的老旧小区,树木繁茂,生活气息浓郁,仿佛它们依旧属于与这个快节奏时代格格不入的那个久远年代.
Upon arriving at Nanjing South Station, Lin Yuhui finally breathed a sigh of relief—there was still ample time to queue for temperature screening and ticket inspection before boarding. He bought a quick meal on the second floor near the escalator to stave off hunger. He chose a McDonald's burger over KFC; even for fast food, he wanted to pick something he actually liked, since he was paying for it himself. One advantage of such food for him was that it never upset his stomach.
当到达南京南站,林语晖终于松了一口气,还有足够的时间排队测体温检票进站.他在自动扶梯二楼买了快餐充饥,他选择了麦当劳汉堡,而非肯德基,即便是速食产品,他也想选一个自己喜好的,毕竟都是自己消费.这类食品对他来说的一个优点是从来不会吃了它坏肚子.
Standing on the second-floor platform of the escalator, his back to the flowing crowd, he gazed outward through the tinted glass. Unnoticed, the weather had shifted—dark clouds churned, gusts whipped the willow branches into wild swaying. Thankfully, he was already inside the station building. He took a bite of his burger, leaving teeth marks on the layer of butter sandwiched between the buns. He loved the taste of that butter and the satisfying fullness it brought. Large raindrops, carrying mud, pelted against the glass outside. From the slightly open ventilation window beside him came the scent of rain mingling with the earth. Lin Yuhui savored his food while watching nature's performance on this glass screen.
站在扶梯二楼平台,背对着往来人流,透过茶色玻璃向外望去,不知什么时候天气变了,乌云翻滚,阵风狂曳着垂柳的树枝条来回地摇摆.好在他已经到了车站建筑内部,咬一口汉堡,中间夹层的那层黄油上面留下了他的牙印,他很喜欢那层黄油的味道和它所带来的饱腹感.硕大的雨点带着泥噼噼啪啪地打在了玻璃外面,旁边微启的通气窗,传来雨水与大地交融的气息,林语晖一边享受着食物,一边观享着大自然在这一片玻璃屏幕上的表演.
Sitting on the high-speed train from Nanjing South Station to Changxing Station, with only a few stops along the way, it was already three in the afternoon. The scenery remained largely the same throughout the journey—tunnels and the verdant mountain ranges stretching by. Lin Yuhui hadn't expected to find such mountainous terrain in the southern water towns, but after gazing at it for so long, he began to feel a bit weary.
坐在南京南站到长兴站的高铁上,沿途只有几个经停站,但是现在时间已经是下午三点了,这一路的风景差不多都是一样的,隧道与沿途的青翠山峦.林语晖没有想到在南方的水乡地带还有这样的山地地貌,只是看得时间久了也有些疲劳了.
Lin Yuhui had his eyes closed, resting his mind while listening intently to the station announcements inside the carriage. Suddenly, there was a clatter. He opened his eyes to see a mineral water bottle fall to the floor diagonally across the aisle. The culprit was a young woman who had been asleep moments before.
林语晖闭着眼睛,正在养神,留心听着车厢内的到站广播.突然咣当一声,他睁眼一看,原来是过道斜对面一个矿泉水瓶掉在了地上,而丢掉它的是一个姑娘,她刚才睡着了.
Lin Yuhui couldn't help but find it a bit amusing. She looked like she could be a college student, but as a young woman traveling alone, she was far too careless—actually falling asleep. Perhaps the security back home had shielded them too well. Thinking back to when she herself had just graduated and entered society, she remembered how vigilant she had to be on trains, wary of pickpockets and druggers. Whether they were actually there or not, she always stayed alert. Better safe than sorry—that much was undeniably true.
林语晖不由觉得有些好笑,看起来她像大学生一样的年龄,只是作为年轻女性独自出门太没有警惕了,居然睡着了,或许是国内治安把她们保护得太好了吧.想想自己刚毕业步入社会的时候,那时候坐火车要警惕小偷,投迷药的,反正不管有没有,自己总是保持警惕的,小心驶得万年船,这一点是没有错的.
The train was approaching Changxing Station, with only a minute for the stop. Lin Yuhui didn't want to miss it, so he pulled his suitcase to the door ahead of time and waited. He studied the tracks, trying to figure out which side the doors would open on when the train pulled in. He turned around just as the girl who'd dropped the bottle walked right up to him, looking up at him. It turned out she was getting off here too.
就要到长兴站了,停车时间只有一分钟,林语晖不想错过,便提前拉着行李箱到达了车门处等待,看着铁路线,分析着到站的时候哪边的车门会开,一回头,刚才那个丢瓶子的姑娘正好走到自己面前,正仰着脸看着自己.原来她也要在这里下车.
Lin Yuhui did not avert her gaze. Her round face and fair skin were complemented by eyes that sparkled with vitality. Her slender figure and thick, dark hair radiated the essence of youth.
林语晖并没有回避她的目光,圆润的脸庞,白皙的皮肤,她的双眼灵动而神采.窈窕的身姿和浓密的青丝,无不散发着青春的气息.
Was it because he'd never seen a Jiangsu-Zhejiang girl before that she made such an impression? Or was it the security of finally stepping onto a stable path after so many years of singledom? In that moment, Lin Yuhui suddenly wanted her contact information. But it was just a fleeting thought. He was already in his forties, and his heart wasn't in the best shape. How could he possibly jeopardize this young woman's future? He knew he'd been staring into her eyes for far too long. Steeling himself, he finally tore his gaze away.
不知道是第一次看见江浙姑娘才会这样印象深刻,还是自己已经太多年的单身旅程,如今终于将要走上稳定的人生道路的安全感,一瞬间林语晖竟然想要要她的联系方式.而那只是一身而过的念头,自己已经四十多岁了,而且心脏还不好,怎么好耽误人家姑娘的前程.他知道自己已经盯着人家的眼睛看了很久,狠了狠心,移开了自己的视线.