freenovelworld Chapter 591 Welcome to the City That Never Sleeps
Chapter 591 Welcome to the City That Never Sleeps
On the train from Zhengzhou to Mulan,
The air was filled with the stench of sweat, cheap tobacco, and rotten food, which, coupled with the sweltering weather, made it almost hard to breathe.
The carriage was extremely crowded, and the aisles were packed with people. People's luggage was piled up randomly, and boxes, bundles, and sacks were scattered all over the limited space, making it extremely difficult to walk.
The passengers were packed tightly together on the seats, with almost no space between them. Ragged people sat side by side with well-dressed people, and everyone had different demeanors.
Some were leaning back in their chairs exhausted, with empty eyes; others were fanning themselves constantly, irritated by the crowds and the heat. Children were crying as they wept among the crowd, while adults were talking loudly in a variety of dialects, creating a deafening din.
In this chaotic environment, you can occasionally see vendors carrying baskets and struggling to squeeze through the aisles, shouting out various snacks and daily necessities. The entire train carriage seems to be a small world filled with the trivialities and helplessness of life, filled with endless noise and chaos.
There is no other way. This train only runs once every two days. This is a passenger train temporarily added by the Railway Bureau after Mulan County provided assistance to Zhengzhou!
Dagang sat on the ground. He didn't get a seat ticket at all. It was said that the station staff had reserved those tickets for people with connections.
But he didn't care. Dagang's right hand kept touching his chest, where there was a cloth bag, which was sewn for him overnight by Guifen. It contained 600 yuan, which was all their family's belongings!
There was always a fire burning in Dagang's heart. He was unwilling to be a laborer all his life, so he followed Xiaoan to learn how to drive a forklift. He earned 500 in half a month, which was three times his previous income. But he was still unwilling to give up. After finding out that there was a huge difference in prices between Mulan Special District and Zhengzhou, he decided to come to Mulan Special District to see if there was any opportunity to make money!
Dagang took out the multi-grain flour pancake, which his wife had put on the kang last night. While eating the pancake, he looked forward to a better future. Ever since the Mulan Special Zone began to assist in the construction of Zhengzhou, everything seemed to be getting better!
In a daze, sleepy Dagang finally fell asleep.
I don't know how much time has passed.
Da Gang shuddered, he was woken up by the urge to pee!
He hurriedly reached out and touched his chest. Fortunately, the money was still there. His wife was very careful and had sewed it up with needle and thread!
I looked around.
He stood up quickly.
He struggled to squeeze towards the toilet between the two carriages. After nearly ten minutes, he finally reached the toilet. To his despair, the toilet was also packed with people!
Dagang closed his eyes and just held it in!
Two hours later, the train pulled into Beijing Station.
The passengers on the bus gradually began to get off.
It's getting less crowded.
Dagang finally had the chance to go to the toilet!
Late in the evening of the next day,
After 42 hours of running, the train finally arrived at its final destination, Mulan Railway Station!
Just got off the train,
Dagang's eyes widened in shock at the scene before him.
Above the head is a platform canopy made of aluminum alloy.
Under the greenhouse, there is a bright chandelier hanging every twenty meters!
The entire platform is lit up as if it were daytime!
Two overpasses were built on the platform!
There are eight railway tracks in total!
On the two lanes closest to the side, there are two freight trains parked and loading!
And they used overhead cranes and forklifts, with more than a dozen forklifts alone.
There are signboards and wall clocks on each of the pillars of the platform shed!
The train schedule and stop platforms are clearly marked on the signboard!
Dagang looked and saw that he was at Platform 3. It was now a.m.
It was already late, but the platform was crowded with people in various clothes, walking in a hurry. The sound of leather shoes and high heels hitting the ground, the sliding sound of suitcase wheels, and the various dialects when people talked together formed a noisy and vibrant city symphony.
After getting off the bus, Dagang first asked the station staff and found out that there would be a bus to Zhengzhou at 14: p.m. the next day, but he didn't dare to buy a ticket because he didn't know how long it would take!
After leaving the train station, there is a huge billboard in front of the station square with two lines of words written on it:
Mulan City, the 24-hour city that never sleeps, welcomes you!
Let us work together and wish the new China prosperity and strength!
There are all kinds of shops in the square, selling fashionable clothes, delicious snacks, newspapers, magazines and travel supplies.
The colorful and novel goods displayed in the window dazzled him, a man who had only seen simple goods in the country market on weekdays. Those exquisite cakes, beautiful prints, fashionable clothes, each one seemed to come from another world.
Dagang swallowed his saliva. Although he was not sleepy, he was indeed a little hungry. After wandering around the square for a long time, he finally found his favorite noodle restaurant. A bowl of beef noodles cost 5 yuan, which made him feel a little distressed. After hesitating for a moment, he took out the pancakes that his wife had made for him from his backpack!
After eating the cake, he asked for directions.
Arriving at the bus station on the south side of the square, there is a 24-hour bus from the station to the destination, Mulan New Town! He asked about the fare, and it was only 3 cents, which he could accept!
This bus is actually a ten-wheeled truck. Roads are being built everywhere in Mulan Special District, but public transportation is really lacking.
A wooden step was specially built on the platform for the elderly and children to get on the train!
Following the address Xiao An wrote to him, Dagang finally arrived at his destination, Mulan New City Small Commodity Trading Market!
This market is a square market, consisting of four five-story buildings. Dagang took the note and asked the staff inside, and then he found a store selling rubber shoes on the third floor of the east district.
The entire third floor of the East District sells shoes, with more than 3 stores alone.
Dagang was dazzled by the first store he visited. It was filled with all kinds of shoes, including cloth shoes, leather shoes, rubber shoes and more. The price of each style was marked on paper!
The store manager was a middle-aged man. He was also startled when he saw Dagang dressed like this, but he still smiled and greeted him warmly.
"Qi'er, is there anything you need? We can get a discount if you buy more!"
"Boss, are you open 24 hours a day?" Dagang was choosing shoes while chatting!
The store manager patiently explained,
"All state-owned factories in Mulan Special District are in production 24 hours a day. This is a requirement of our mayor. In addition, he is a workaholic and rarely sleeps. Now many private factories, businesses, and shops have followed suit and hired two shifts of people to open 24 hours a day. However, this is not absolute. Some shops do not hire people and leave work at a set time!"
The two chatted for a while, and Dagang learned that the store manager's surname was Huang, and he was also an employee and the boss's nephew. Perhaps there were not many customers at night, so Manager Huang boasted to Dagang about how great Mulan Special Zone was and how great the food and accommodation conditions were.
After hearing this, Dagang was extremely envious and felt that he had lived his life in vain!