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Rising Above the Ordinary
墨書 Inktalez
The wind danced with delicate snowflakes, swirling and drifting through the air, while the yellow lights cast a dark hue over the surroundings. Wang Lijuan instinctively tightened her red down jacket around her, her soft, shiny black hair whipping wildly in the breeze. The icy snowflakes stung her face slightly. She set down her large red handbag and removed her black fur-trimmed leather gloves, revealing a pair of fair and smooth hands. Covering her slightly reddened lips, which still held a hint of lipstick's fragrance, she blew warm air onto them, then cupped her delicate, slightly chilled face in her hands, rubbing it vigorously back and forth. She kept stamping her feet in her black knee-high boots. The crowd around her bustled by in a hurry; the station felt chaotic despite the police officers busily directing traffic.
After a short wait, Gao Ming emerged from the exit carrying a large bag. Behind him, Yuan tugged tightly at his shirt, following closely with a red backpack slung over her shoulders. Gao Ming was shouldering the larger bag for her.
Lan Lan and Reiko hurriedly squeezed out behind them, lifting a large blue checkered bag between them. Their faces still bore the excitement of arriving in a big city for the first time.
Gao Ming counted the group and smiled foolishly at everyone. "Listen up! Now that we're in Beijing, you all have to listen to me! No wandering off; everyone stay close!"
Wang Lijuan smirked slightly. "Haha! Look at you! Acting all important! This isn't like you! We'll listen to you as long as you take care of our meals! Haha!"
Gao Ming glanced back at her but said nothing. He felt embarrassed after being rejected when he had tried to take her home for the New Year.
Beijing's West Station was not as brilliantly lit as they had imagined; it seemed somewhat dim despite many lights being on. Wang Lijuan and several girls followed Gao Ming through the thronging crowd toward the bus station.
After graduating from middle school, Wang Lijuan had been helping out at a hair salon in town. She didn't cut hair but washed customers' hair and swept floors, earning only a meager sum each month. When she heard Gao Ming was going to Beijing to work with his cousin, she begged him to take her along. She also wanted to see Wen Sheng again; it had been a long time since they last met or contacted each other.
Wang Lijuan brought Lan Lan along, who wanted Reiko for company. Reiko also included Qian Yuan, a girl from their neighboring village who had never attended school. With so many girls going on a trip together, it was certainly better to have company for support.
Gao Ming was like an older brother in every sense—standing at 1.8 meters tall with a sturdy build, he had a square face framed by thick eyebrows and large eyes, with some stubble on his chin. His hair was styled in a side parting. He wore a black suit over a white shirt and a light gray sweater with an open collar, complemented by shiny black leather shoes and a tie. Though not exceptionally handsome, he carried himself with considerable charm.
Wang Lijuan stood at 1.6 meters tall; her face was slightly plump and adorned with light makeup. In town, she had gotten long eyelashes grafted on and wore light pink eyeshadow that accentuated her double eyelids, making her quite attractive.
Lan Lan was just slightly shorter than Wang Lijuan but equally fair-skinned. With her round face, she had an adorable look about her but didn't bother much with makeup—dressed simply in an ordinary cotton down jacket topped with a white long coat that made her appear somewhat plain.
Reiko shared similar features with Wang Lijuan but appeared less fair-skinned; her face was slightly rounder than Wang Lijuan's. She wore a blue floral jacket made of pure cotton that was sewn by her family—such clothing was rare for girls of her age due to financial constraints. On her feet were clunky cotton shoes made by her mother, and she topped off her look with a red hat.
Yuan also wore a red floral jacket accented with black flowers and homemade cotton shoes while donning another red hat. She was quite plump due to her family's poor living conditions yet managed to eat well enough to gain weight. Her round face made her eyes appear smaller; she had two prominent front teeth that stood out when she smiled widely—she loved to laugh, and anyone who teased her would see that big grin spread across her face. Perhaps because she was still young, beauty felt somewhat distant for her.
Reiko was different; she rarely smiled at all. When she did smile, it was subtle—others could hardly discern her expression.
They carried blankets packed in bags made from household fertilizer. They also had food from home that they hadn’t finished eating on the train. Of course, Yuan had the most because she was still very young, not yet sixteen; she wouldn’t turn sixteen until September. Her family was worried she might go hungry on the road, so they cooked a lot of eggs for her to take along. On the way, she exclaimed, “This time Mom loves me the most!”
There were many people exiting the station, and it was quite chaotic. Everyone was shouldering bags and carrying parcels as they crowded outside. Li closely followed Gao Ming, tightly clutching her backpack. Once they found the bus station, several of them set down their bags and waited for the bus alongside many other travelers arriving in Beijing.
Wang Lijuan placed her bag behind her and stood by the sign, reading the bus stops as if to show others that she could read too. At that moment, a man who looked to be in his thirties approached with a smile and said, “Sister! Where are you headed? There are no buses right now; why not take my car?”
Wang Lijuan turned to look at him; he seemed quite honest. She smiled back and replied, “We’re going to Qinghe. I’m not sure if there’s a bus to that area?”
“There isn’t! It’s quite remote here; there are no buses going there at all. It’s freezing cold in winter; just take my car and don’t wait around here—the next bus isn’t until 8:30,” the man said enthusiastically.
Gao Ming noticed Wang Lijuan talking to a stranger and walked over. The man immediately recognized they were together and smiled at Gao Ming, saying, “Just looking at your brother’s demeanor shows he’s well-off. The bus doesn’t come until 8:30, and I heard you’re heading to Qinghe—there are no buses going there. Let me give you a ride!”
Gao Ming knew that taking a taxi would be expensive. Her cousin had told her that Qinghe was far from Beijing West Station and explained how to take the bus there. But it was very cold in winter, and after spending an entire night on the train, they were all quite tired. Gao Ming wanted to rest soon.
So she smiled and asked, “How much will it cost to get there?”
“It won’t be much! It’s metered; it should only be around ten yuan!” the man replied with a grin.
Ten yuan wasn’t much to worry about. In this cold winter weather, it made sense not to wait around any longer. So Gao Ming called over a few kids and walked with the man a few steps to the roadside, where they got into a red Fukang taxi.
The driver chatted with them about various things regarding Beijing during the ride. His warmth made Gao Ming and her companions feel very comfortable. After about an hour or so, they arrived at the bus station in Qinghe Town.
“This is it; this is Qinghe,” the driver said as he pulled over.
“How much do I owe you?” Gao Ming politely asked.
“Ten yuan!” The driver glanced at the meter and smiled at Gao Ming.
“What? You’re only offering a few bucks?” Gao Ming said, a bit irritated.
“A few bucks? Are you joking? I’m not calculating by the meter? It’s 1.6 yuan per kilometer, just look at the meter!” The driver pointed to the fare meter in the car for Gao Ming to see.
The fare meter indeed showed 10 yuan. However, Gao Ming insisted, “You’re only getting a few bucks from me. At most, I’ll give you 40, and that’s it.”
“No way! Absolutely not! Since you’re from out of town working in Beijing, I’ll let it go for 110 yuan, but no receipt!” The driver looked at Gao Ming.
“Forty at most! We don’t have that much money!” Gao Ming stood his ground.
The driver wouldn’t budge, and soon Gao Ming was arguing with him.
“Call my cousin-in-law!” Gao Ming instructed Wang Lijuan.
Wang Lijuan got out of the car to make the call.
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