Chapter 190
Chapter 190
Qin Ying felt as if she had stumbled into some bizarre world as she watched the steam train pull into the platform.
As the conductor rang his bell, a handful of shadowy figures emerged from the fog and boarded the train.
Hidden behind a stone pillar, Qin Ying stared at Zhang Yuqin’s back.
Zhang Yuqin swayed, then shuffled step by step onto the Ghost Train like a walking corpse.
Qin Ying wrestled with whether to follow her for all of three seconds.
In the end, she restrained herself and decided not to court death.
“I don’t have a ticket anyway.” She gave a dry laugh, trying to reassure herself.
But the next second, the fog beside her churned.
Two hurried “people” suddenly appeared and bumped into Qin Ying as they brushed past her.
A ticket fell from one of them, who was clutching his stomach and muttering about needing the privy.
The two “people” hurried on, disappearing without a trace as they vanished back into the fog.
All that remained was a handwritten ticket two fingers wide, lying three or four paces away from Qin Ying.
By the time she came to her senses, she had already picked it up.
She turned toward the train in the fog.
She might regret getting on, but she would definitely regret it if she didn’t.
She would spend the rest of her life wondering what would have happened if she had boarded.
After a moment’s hesitation, she walked toward the train.
From a distance, she saw the conductor ringing his bell and urging passengers to board.
The middle-aged conductor wore a sky-blue serge jacket with a stand collar and buttons down the front. Perhaps it was the lighting, but his face had an unnaturally oily sheen.
He rang the bell with his right hand while lazily calling for everyone to hurry.
When he spotted Qin Ying in the distance, surprise flashed through his eyes.
A moment later, it was replaced by a hint of respect.
Before Qin Ying could force her trembling hand under control and offer him the ticket, he gave her an ingratiating smile and gestured for her to board.
Qin Ying stepped forward and climbed onto the steam train.
The carriage reeked of coal smoke and human sweat.
That crackling noise sounded in her ears again, sharper than before.
Pain stabbed through Qin Ying’s eardrums, and her vision suddenly brightened.
A kerosene lamp hung overhead, spilling dim yellow light around her.
Summoning her courage, Qin Ying poked her head into the carriage and took a look.
A noxious mixture of pungent odors surged toward her from the cramped, narrow carriage.
Then she stared dumbfounded at the many “people” inside.
There were men, women, the elderly, and children, dressed in long gowns and traditional jackets and skirts.
The third-class carriage was packed with disorderly rows of hard wooden seats, with people in clothes of every color squeezed together.
Some ate peanuts from brown paper packets while drinking strong liquor. Some dozed, while others quarreled.
A man carrying an enamel mug passed Qin Ying.
When he saw her hiking clothes and tall boots, he gave her a wide berth.
Qin Ying stopped at the entrance to the carriage. Suddenly, she heard the door close behind her.
At the same time, the whistle blew.
The train was leaving.
With Thunderbird perched on her shoulder, Qin Ying stood in the passage between the carriages.
The train lurched and began to move.
She surveyed everything inside. The whole world seemed veiled in a dingy, grayish yellow.
A voice suddenly came from behind her. “Hello. May I ask why you aren’t taking a seat?”
Qin Ying’s nerves were already stretched taut, and she jumped backward at the sound.
It was the conductor from before. He was now holding a wicker-wrapped thermos, and when he realized he had startled Qin Ying, he hurriedly apologized.
His attitude was unbelievably courteous.
Still clutching her ticket, Qin Ying casually shook her head.
When she said nothing, the conductor walked away awkwardly.
But he did not go far. Even after entering the next carriage, he continued watching Qin Ying.
That possibly friendly gaze made sweat bead on Qin Ying’s forehead.
She took a deep breath, only for the complex blend of odors in the air to make her want to vomit.
The discomfort, however, cleared her head.
She carefully put away her ticket and looked around, searching for Zhang Yuqin.
After scanning the carriage, she quickly found her target.
Amid the sea of dingy black and yellow, Zhang Yuqin’s red jacket stood out starkly.
She looked like a proper young lady who had stepped out of some bygone era, sitting alone with both hands resting on her knees.
Everywhere else, people were packed shoulder to shoulder, yet no one sat beside her.
It was as though every last “person” had silently agreed to ignore her.
Qin Ying watched Zhang Yuqin from a distance. Seeing that her pupils were still dilated, she did not approach.
“Edamame! Edamame for sale!”
At the sound of the cry, a little girl emerged from the murky light.
Like the newspaper boy, the girl selling edamame was frighteningly thin.
A bamboo basket hung from her left arm. As she walked, she hopped nimbly over the feet sticking out from beneath the seats, like a nimble little titmouse. Their owners were fast asleep under there.
It was already nighttime, and only one or two passengers bought small portions of edamame spread out on scraps of newspaper.
As the girl passed Qin Ying with her basket, her dark, glossy eyes fixed on her.
Like everyone else, she gave Qin Ying a wide berth.
But just as she went by, Thunderbird, perched on Qin Ying’s shoulder, suddenly began chirping. Flapping its wings, Thunderbird flew a circle around the little girl’s basket.
“What a beautiful bird!” the girl exclaimed, then hurriedly covered her mouth.
She looked at Qin Ying fearfully, worried that she had caused offense.
Thunderbird landed on the rim of her basket and lowered its head to peer inside.
Qin Ying could have sat on the stupid bird and crushed it. She was already scared half to death, yet all it could think about was eating edamame.
She reached out to grab Thunderbird, but one of Thunderbird’s tail feathers snagged in a gap in the wicker basket and was pulled loose, falling among the edamame.
The girl carefully wiped her hands on her pants several times before picking up the blue feather and holding it out on her palm.
“Miss, this is yours.”
Her voice trembled, and so did her hand.
Qin Ying looked into her eyes and forced a smile, speaking for the first time since boarding the train. “You can keep it.”
Surprise and delight flashed through the girl’s eyes in quick succession.
Her eyes sparkled, almost glowing. “Really? I can have it?”
Qin Ying did not want to speak any more than necessary. She merely nodded and turned away.
Just when she thought the girl had left, she heard her say, “Miss, this is for your pretty bird.”
A small handful of edamame sat on a square of newspaper, which the girl carefully offered to Qin Ying with both hands.
There was a hint of anxious ingratiation in her smile.
Qin Ying’s expression turned distant for a moment. “I don’t have any money.”
The girl shook her head hastily, making her two little braids swing. “You don’t have to pay.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Ying reached out and accepted it.
The salted edamame, kept warm beneath a thick towel, was still hot. Even through the newspaper, which smelled faintly of printing ink, she could feel its warmth against her palm.
The girl tucked the feather into her pocket. “Miss, did you… just come back from studying abroad?”
Her gaze swept over Qin Ying’s mountaineering clothes, her eyes overflowing with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.
Qin Ying did not know how to answer, so she only smiled and said nothing.
The girl was about to say something else when she spotted the people coming from the far end of the carriage, and her expression froze.
Following her gaze, Qin Ying saw several men who looked like thugs heading their way.
Their target was obvious. They were coming straight for the two of them.
Skinny raised a hand and pointed. “There’s the brat who crossed the line into our carriage to sell edamame!”
Fatty, who led the group, gave a cold snort. “Bring her over here. Let’s have a look.”
The gang closed in on them.
The girl yelped and turned to run, but before she did, she glanced at Qin Ying and warned her anxiously, “They’re dangerous. You should be careful too, miss.”