Chapter 715: Taking a Freight Train
He walked over to the whiteboard covered with route maps and poked at the freight routes with the tip of a pencil:
“Only the tool car can barely fit a few people.”
The edges of the circuit diagram were curled up and frayed, with traces of countless modifications all over the place.
"It was filled with crowbars, hemp ropes and oil drums. There wasn't even a decent seat. We could only curl up on the cold iron floor."
Thinking of the last time he escorted a freight truck, he rubbed his sore lower back unconsciously - after six hours of bumpy ride, his legs and feet were numb after he got off the truck, and he staggered when he walked.
Suddenly, a train whistle sounded outside the window. The long whistle pierced the summer air and made the glass windows of the guard room buzz.
Wang Jianguo's body trembled noticeably, and his eyes were fixed on the freight car slowly passing by on the tracks outside the window. The iron sheet shone brightly under the scorching sun.
Zhang Lei turned around and pulled out a worn notebook from under the table, flipping through it:
"The day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow there will be a passenger train at eleven o'clock noon."
He pointed out the train information to Wang Jianguo, the ink was a little blurry due to water stains.
"At least there are seats and fans in the carriage..."
The scorching sun burned the iron roof of the guard room, and the rising heat waves distorted the air.
The sweat beads on Wang Jianguo's forehead slid down his brow bone into his eyes, stinging him painfully, but he was completely unaware.
He clutched the corner of his clothes tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. He listened to Zhang Lei's advice to wait for the bus the day after tomorrow, and felt like his heart was being gnawing at by countless ants.
“No, I’m really anxious!”
Wang Jianguo interrupted with a hoarse voice, his voice filled with determination to fight to the bitter end.
"Zhang Lei, you must do me this favor. I have to leave today!"
He could see before his eyes the images of the young and old in the village struggling in pain due to the lack of medical care and medicine, as well as the blueprint of the clinic that Yang Huaixi and the Dou'er brothers had drawn on the drawings. Those images burned his heart like a branding iron.
Zhang Lei looked at the bloodshot eyes of his friend, and his clothes soaked with sweat and stained with grass debris from the journey, and his heart softened.
Just as he was about to speak, Wang Jianguo added anxiously:
"When I come back, I will bring you the best snacks in town!"
"It can't be done! It can't be done!"
Zhang Lei waved his hands hurriedly, with a simple and honest look on his face.
He remembered that every time Wang Jianguo went to the city, he would bring back local eggs and dried mountain mushrooms from the village.
While eating those local specialties, my old mother always said, "Jianguo is more caring than my own son."
Seeing that Wang Jianguo was about to make another promise, he quickly pressed his shoulder and said in feigned anger:
"Comrade Jianguo, you are being too polite! We are no match for each other. You always bring gifts when you come here, and my wife says that if you accept them again, you will be too embarrassed to face anyone!"
Before Wang Jianguo could argue, Zhang Lei had already grabbed the work permit on the table and hung it around his neck. The metal plate hit the enamel pot, making a crisp sound.
"Walk!"
He grabbed Wang Jianguo and dragged him out the door.
"Don't waste time. If you're any later, there won't be any room left in the freight car! I'll take you to find the conductor. I know Old Li very well. He'll definitely give us a place!"
The two walked quickly through the waiting hall. The ceiling fan above their heads creaked, but it couldn't dispel the stuffiness.
As Zhang Lei walked, he turned back and reminded:
"The carriage is stuffy and bumpy, you have to be prepared. If you can't stand it..."
"I can bear it!"
Wang Jianguo interrupted decisively, his steps becoming more and more hurried. Through the glass door, he could already see the train full of timber on the rails in the distance, spewing out black smoke, like a dormant giant beast.
The shouts of the loaders and unloaders on the platform, mixed with the roar of the locomotive, sounded like the most beautiful music to him - as long as he boarded this train, he would be able to bring the hope of building a clinic back to the village as soon as possible.
Zhang Lei looked at his friend's impatient back, smiled helplessly, and quickened his pace to catch up.
The sunlight shone on the two figures standing side by side, stretching their shadows very long, as if extending to the city, to the clinic that was about to be built.
The railroad tracks glowed a blinding white light under the scorching sun. The steaming heat waves in the distance distorted the air, making all the scenery blurry.
Wang Jianguo narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction of Zhang Lei's finger, and finally saw the busy figure next to a few rusty carriages.
The conductor, who was in his early twenties, wore a washed-out railway uniform with a few sawdusts on his epaulettes and brown engine oil on his trouser legs.
He was half-crouching beside a freight car, with a worn notebook on his knees and a pencil in his right hand rapidly writing something down.
Sweat dripped down his angular jaw, leaving dark dots on the paper, but he was completely unaware of it, and a serious look was revealed between his furrowed brows.
Zhang Lei nudged Wang Jianguo with his elbow and said in a low voice:
"Comrade Jianguo, do you see that? That's Xiao Li, the conductor of this freight train. Although he's young, he's very experienced and has been running this route for almost three years."
He paused, looking at the other person's focused expression, with a hint of approval in his tone.
"Last month, a section of the railway track was washed away by heavy rain. He led his team to repair it overnight, and did not delay any freight trains."
Wang Jianguo stared at Xiao Li's sunburned neck, then looked at the pair of rubber shoes covered in mud on his feet, and couldn't help but feel a sense of respect in his heart.
From the distance came the sound of a locomotive whistle, long and low, shaking the rails slightly.
Xiao Li seemed to notice someone approaching. He raised his head and glanced at them. After his gaze rested on the two people for a short while, he quickly returned to the work at hand.
"Wait here for a moment."
Zhang Lei patted Wang Jianguo on the shoulder, took out his work ID from his pocket and shook it.
"I'm familiar with him and he's easy to talk to. But this train is really crowded. I'll try to get you a slightly more spacious seat."
As he spoke, he straightened his collar and walked towards Xiao Li on the wooden sleepers.
Wang Jianguo stood there, watching the two figures talking on the rails.
Xiao Li first frowned and shook his head, tapping the notebook with the pencil in his hand unconsciously, obviously refusing something.
Zhang Lei had a big smile on his face. He explained while gesturing, and occasionally turned his head to point in Wang Jianguo's direction.
The heat wave, carrying with it the smell of burnt rails, hit Wang Jianguo in the face. His heart began to hang in the air, and his nails dug into his palms unconsciously.
The signal light in the distance suddenly turned from yellow to green, and the shrill train whistle sounded again, making people's eardrums hurt.
Xiao Li stood up straight suddenly, waved at Zhang Lei, then lowered his head and hurriedly wrote a few words on the notebook.
Wang Jianguo held his breath and watched Zhang Lei turn around and run towards him. The sweat on his forehead sparkled in the sun, and he didn't know whether it was because of the heat or the urgency.