Su Ying woke up very early—or rather, she had hardly slept at all the night before.
She felt a little excited, her heart pounding as though she had been transported back to her childhood, the first time she had ever visited the city. On that day, too, she had woken up early, lying awake waiting for dawn, filled with anticipation at the glitz and glamour of the city.
Su Ying was born in a rural village just outside the city of Chuncheng. She attended primary school in the village, moved to the town for secondary school, and only came to the city centre of Chuncheng for senior secondary school; she later attended university in Chuncheng as well.
For a full 24 years, her life had revolved entirely around Chun City; her furthest travels had never taken her beyond the journey between the city and her village home.
Today, however, a new chapter was about to begin in her life. This was the first time she had truly left the city, and the first time she had ever travelled far from home.
The sky outside the window was still dark, yet Su Ying could no longer wait. The clothes she had chosen for this trip had been laid out by her bedside the night before.
Su Ying slipped on her newly bought down jacket, paired with a pair of milk-tea-coloured, padded cotton-blend trousers, and a pair of white, padded trainers from a popular domestic brand.
Su Ying couldn’t get enough of these trainers. Priced at less than 200 yuan, they were surprisingly comfortable and well-fitting; the dense, soft padding inside kept her feet warm whilst remaining lightweight.
She recalled the cheap shoes she used to buy for just over fifty yuan; they were either the right length but pinched at the toes, or didn’t pinch but didn’t fit snugly.
It turned out that a pair of well-fitting shoes didn’t have to cost a fortune; if she’d saved up all the money she’d spent on shoddy shoes over the years, she could have bought several pairs of good ones like these.
As Su Ying dragged her suitcase out the door, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
The winter morning air was bitingly cold, yet surprisingly, Su Ying didn’t feel the chill.
Her new down jacket kept her remarkably warm; as she walked, her whole body felt toasty. If it weren’t for the cold wind stinging her face, she would almost have thought the temperature had suddenly risen.
She couldn’t help but run her hand over her new coat, silently marvelling to herself: ‘You really do get what you pay for. This is warmer than my duvet, and far more portable.’
She made up her mind: once she’d claimed her prize, she would buy a quilted duvet!
There was a direct bus from Su Ying’s residential estate to the high-speed rail station, but the estate was situated in a slightly out-of-the-way spot; her mobile phone estimated the journey would take about fifty minutes.
Standing at the bus stop, she glanced at the app, which showed the next bus was due to depart in twenty minutes.
She decided to treat herself once more and take a taxi!
Once she was seated in the air-conditioned ride-hailing car, it didn’t take long before Su Ying felt warm all over.
The quality of this down jacket seemed a bit too good; she quietly zipped it down a little.
The car drove along the early morning streets, the roadside trees receding steadily behind them, whilst the road was already bustling with commuters riding electric scooters through the chilly wind.
Leaning her head against the window, Su Ying watched the people bundled up tightly on the cycle lane, and a strange sensation suddenly welled up within her.
It was a complex emotion, a mixture of relief and guilt.
She should have been shivering in the cold wind just like them, yet she had been spared thanks to winning the lottery.
This reminded her of a final exam during her school days when the teacher had predicted the questions. The whole class had been secretly delighted, but she alone had felt anxious and uneasy; she had always felt as though she were cheating, stealing marks that did not belong to her.
Su Ying shook her head, trying hard to banish this inexplicable feeling from her mind.
She began to think about the homework she’d done the night before regarding travelling by high-speed rail, running through every step—from entering the station to exiting—in her mind several times over.
Although she had lived in Chuncheng for nine years and could just about be considered a ‘city girl’, she was still worried she would be at a loss in the high-speed rail station, exposing her true ‘country bumpkin’ nature.
However, when Su Ying actually stepped into Chuncheng High-Speed Rail Station, she realised the reality was quite different from the guide.
For instance, there was no need to scan her ID card to enter; there was just a single security gate. The ground-floor hall beyond security was rather empty, with only a service desk and escalators on either side leading up to the first floor.
She took the escalator up to the first floor and couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
As far as the eye could see, there was just one restaurant and a convenience store, with toilets and a water dispenser on either side. Seating was arranged in the centre, and beneath the large electronic display screen stood a single ticket gate.
This was a far cry from the large high-speed rail stations teeming with shops that she had seen in short videos.
Su Ying let out a soft sigh. Chuncheng truly was a small place; even its high-speed rail station was so compact.
Su Ying found a seat near the ticket gate, looked up at the electronic display and located her train’s departure time.
It was Su Ying’s first time travelling by high-speed rail. Worried that she might miss her train due to unfamiliarity, she had deliberately bought a ticket for midday. However, having got up so early, she had arrived well ahead of time, leaving her with more than five hours to spare before departure.
Time suddenly began to drag on endlessly. She felt restless; she wanted to play on her phone but worried the battery wouldn’t last.
She didn’t have a power bank and had forgotten to buy one. Although she’d brought a charging cable, she’d read in her travel guide that some trains had charging sockets at every row of seats, whilst others only had them at the front and rear of the carriage.
Su Ying didn’t dare to gamble on whether there would be a charging port in front of her seat, and besides, her phone was already several years old and drained its battery extremely quickly.
Once she’d cashed in her prize, she was definitely going to get a new phone – an Apple one!
She’d never used an Apple before, and the thought made her smile involuntarily.
With that in mind, she began to draw up a mental shopping list.
A new phone was a must, and she’d need a power bank too—she’d heard Apple devices drained their batteries quickly. Should she upgrade her laptop as well? She’d only added more RAM during last year’s 618 sales, so it should last a while longer. But perhaps she could treat herself and clear out her entire shopping basket?
……
She let her imagination run wild like this for five hours.
Until the electronic announcement notified Su Ying that boarding had begun for her train.
Su Ying snapped to attention. Toting her suitcase, she hurried to join the queue, clutching her ID card tightly in her hand as she stood on tiptoe, watching how the people ahead were passing through the ticket gates.
She even began to worry: what if her ticket didn’t scan? What if the machine malfunctioned? What if…
Just as she was thinking this, it was her turn.
Su Ying took a deep breath, placed her ID card on the machine, and her details and train number immediately popped up on the screen; the gate swung open.
She walked through in a daze, glancing back at the stream of people passing through, then looked down at the ID card in her hand, unable to believe how easy and convenient it had been.
Su Ying quickly pulled out her mobile to check her seat: “Carriage 15, Seat 10F, Carriage 15, Seat 10F…”
Muttering the numbers to herself, she followed the display’s directions down the footbridge. The platform floor was marked with different colours indicating carriage positions, and she quickly found her carriage by matching the colour to the markings.
“Carriage 15, Seat 10F.”
After double-checking her seat number, she slipped her phone back into her pocket, feeling much more at ease.
Su Ying surveyed the station. It was small, with only three platforms and three tracks; looking up slightly, she could see the ‘Chuncheng Station’ sign.
She was about to leave Chuncheng and head for the provincial capital. This city, where she had lived for nine years, suddenly seemed both familiar and unfamiliar at that moment.
The train pulled in shortly afterwards. Su Ying boarded with the flow of passengers and found her seat. She had deliberately chosen a window seat; the journey from Spring City to the provincial capital would take nearly two hours, and she wanted to take in the scenery along the way.
Chun Cheng Station was a small station, with the train stopping for only two minutes. She had barely stowed her luggage and sat down when the train began to move slowly.
Watching the station sign for “Chun City” recede into the distance, growing smaller and smaller until it vanished from view, Su Ying finally snapped back to reality, realising that she had truly set off on her journey.
She began to examine the high-speed train’s seat with curiosity. Leaning back against the seat, she slowly adjusted the angle, glancing back sheepishly as she did so, afraid of disturbing the passenger behind her.
Having finished examining the seat, she then fiddled with the window blind with great interest, trying to slide it up and down.
Finally, she scanned the QR code on the armrest, like a curious child finding everything new and exciting.
It was mealtime when Su Ying boarded, and the carriage attendant was pushing the trolley past.
Su Ying couldn’t help but crane her neck to have a look. Although she knew that boxed meals sold on high-speed trains were expensive, she still couldn’t help but gasp when she heard the price was 48 yuan.
She didn’t believe for a moment that the food on the high-speed train was freshly cooked in an open kitchen with a visible sink; surely it was just pre-prepared food that had been reheated, yet they were charging such a high price?
Su Ying decided she could hold out a little longer and wait until she reached the provincial capital to eat.
The woman sitting next to her, however, did buy a boxed meal. Hearing the sound of her neighbour eating, Su Ying couldn’t help but swallow hard.
This subtle gesture was quickly noticed by the other woman. Looking at Su Ying, who looked rather awkward, she smiled and struck up a conversation: “Boxed meals on the high-speed train are a bit pricey, aren’t they? Once we’ve got the money, we’ll travel in Business Class—they serve not only snacks but boxed meals too!”
Su Ying had, of course, seen the price of Business Class tickets when she bought her own; they cost far more than just the price of a single boxed meal.
However…
Su Ying asked curiously, “If I only bought a Business Class ticket for one stop, would they still serve a boxed meal?”
The woman replied with certainty: “As long as it’s mealtime, they’ll serve a meal even if the stop only lasts a few minutes.”
Su Ying called out to the stewardess almost without hesitation, raising her arm as neatly as a primary school pupil, her clear voice ringing out through the high-speed train compartment: “I’d like to upgrade my seat!”
Two minutes later, carrying her suitcase and under the astonished gaze of the woman in the neighbouring seat, she was led by the staff through the compartments into the empty business class section.
The moment she stepped into the business class section, Su Ying almost held her breath. The spacious area was divided into six separate compartments, offering the utmost privacy.
The staff member guided her to her seat, which was even more spacious than she had imagined; as she sank into it, she felt as though she were being enveloped by a cloud. The staff member brought her a towel and earplugs, and patiently explained the various functions of the seat.
Su Ying blurted out, “Can we have the meal box now?”
The stewardess smiled and asked, “Today we have black pepper beef strips and chicken with mushrooms. Which would you prefer?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Su Ying replied, “Black pepper beef strips!” After speaking, she gave a shy, reserved smile, feeling a little embarrassed.
The stewardess soon brought her the meal box, along with a fruit platter, a drink and some snacks.
The meal tasted exactly as she had imagined—standard fare—though the fruit was surprisingly fresh.
Whilst eating, Su Ying happened to glance out of the window and saw a train on the adjacent track slowly pulling away; the compartments were packed, with passengers shoulder to shoulder. In contrast, her business-class section had only one passenger—herself—and the staff provided her with personalised service.
The train sped along, the scenery outside the window constantly changing. From half-finished skyscrapers to open fields, and then to rolling hills, every scene struck her as a novelty.
So this is the world beyond her hometown, she thought, a wave of indescribable emotion welling up within her.
The two-hour journey passed far more quickly than she had imagined; as the train approached the station, the staff even came to remind her to disembark.
As she stepped off the train, carrying her Business Class ‘souvenir’, she watched the hurried travellers on the platform and felt a sense of superiority well up within her that she could not quite put into words.
It was as though, in that moment, she was no longer just an ordinary girl jostling in the crowd, but someone who had experienced a different way of life.