After resolving his hunger, Liu Fang gained a moment of peace. It was seven o'clock in the evening when the train departed from Xinyang. It was already dark now. The train continued to drive in the night. Holding the steamed bun in his hand and leaning on the back of the chair, Liu Fang felt a little sleepy and dozed off against the back of the chair. Since we were driving at night, the number of passengers getting on and off the bus gradually decreased. When we passed the Shaanxi Weinan Station, there were already empty seats. Liu Fang grabbed one nearby and sat on it. Even though it was a hard seat covered in green leather, after all, It has a back and a seat, which is very comfortable.
At midnight, the bus arrived at Xi'an Station, more people got off, and more empty seats. There were actually three vacancies. Liu Fangguo grabbed one at the right time, half-lying on it, and happily took the rest. He ate the steamed bun and moistened his throat with saliva. There were fewer passengers in the carriage, and it was midnight again. Apart from the rumble of wheels hitting the rails, there was no noise in the carriage, and the air became better. Liu Fang lay on the carriage seat and fell into a deep sleep. In the dream, he saw his mother's tearful eyes, saw his junior sister Liu Xia's helplessness, and saw Brother Afu's confidence and shrewdness...
Yang Liufang woke up and it was already bright. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and walked through the empty carriage to find the bathroom. This place is not as crowded as last time. I don’t know who put a corner of newspaper inside. Liu Fang completely solved his internal problem and washed his face in the small bathroom. He even put his feet under the faucet and used a thin The water washed away. When he came out again, although his vest and shorts were still worn out, his mental outlook was completely new.
The car was more spacious, and you could find a seat wherever you wanted. Liu Fang found a place with a window. Even though it was a hot summer day, there was a slight coolness in the northwest morning. Liu Fang closed the window and saw another scene through the glass.
Different from the sloping roofs with green tiles and white walls in Jiangnan, the adjacent houses are compact and orderly together. The houses here look shabby. Most of them are low bungalows with loess walls, scattered and scattered. There was a road, but only small animal-drawn vehicles were seen on the road. The sky is very blue, white clouds are floating slowly, not far away are the bare barren hills, and then the stretching mountains with a little green on the top. No matter how far you go, you will be connected to the clouds, and it feels like the mountains are high, the clouds are low, and even the morning mist appears.
Like the tops of the mountains in the distance, the nearby barren hills are also dotted with sparse herbaceous plants; unlike the Loess Plateau described in the book, these barren hills are a bit reddish like Huangshan, with only the occasional flash of yellow trails. After passing by, Liu Fang thought that the ditches were the same as the ditches in the hills of his hometown, used to prevent collapse and mudslides. Later, when he went to sell small commodities in the mountains, he found out that they were the roads trodden by villagers while herding sheep and collecting herbs.
As the flow of people increases, the bungalows become relatively tidy, and occasionally two or three-story buildings appear. When the road was visible again, in addition to animal-drawn vehicles, motor vehicles could also be seen on the road, but most of them were military green trucks. Liu Fang was looking at the unfamiliar urban environment in wonder, and a voice came from the radio: "The station ahead is the terminal station of the train, Xizhou. Xizhou is the capital of Northwest Province and the political, cultural, and educational center of the province... Xizhou was an important town on the ancient Silk Road..."
At nearly nine o'clock in the morning, with a harsh brake sound, the train stopped steadily. Liu Fang got up and followed the sparse people towards the door. After getting off the bus, follow the brick paved road and follow the direction of the flow of people towards the stairwell where a white board with "Exit" written in red paint is written on it. The station is built against a mountain, and there is a mountain not far away. Unlike many people who carry large and small luggage, Liu Fang is bare-handed and alone.
After exiting the station, there is a two-story auditorium-like building. On the building are the three words "Xizhou Station" in red. Some people say that west is wrong, but Liu Fang has not found out what is wrong until now. The ground is a large open space paved with large square bricks. Willows and cypress trees are planted around it. Tall lampposts stand majestically. This is the square in front of the station. You can see the round red, blue and white colors outside. Spliced buses.
The morning sun is not as hot as in Hangzhou, and the air is not as humid as in my hometown. People holding boxes selling cigarettes and toys, setting up stalls, carrying large and small bags on the train, and wearing white hats, People of all kinds are bustling around, a bit like a big city, and occasionally there are police patrols on white motorcycles, giving people a sense of security.
Liu Fang avoided the sun and crowds and walked out of the square along the wall of the station building, crossing the wide road. Opposite was a row of shops. There were large iron pots at the door of the shop, and the wooden boards at the door were decorated with black The words "beef noodles" are written crookedly or in red fonts. They are found in almost every restaurant. There are women wearing Muslim headscarves and men wearing little white hats in front of some stores, busy. Greet guests warmly.
Liu Fang ignored the greeting and walked forward along the sidewalk in front of the store. Not far away, he saw a few people squatting at the door and eating noodles from large blue bowls with Muslim characteristics. Liu Fang thought there were too many people here, so he walked in. The four wooden tables were already full of people. , there were several people waiting in front, Liu Fang followed and heard the guests in front say:
"Boss, let me have a bowl with more soup, more radishes, more garlic sprouts, and more spicy food." The clerks were busy minding their own business without even raising their heads.
Liu Fang didn't understand the northwest dialect that the other party spoke like a machine gun. When it was his turn, he stepped forward and said in Mandarin deliberately: "Boss, I have a bowl of noodles."
"Ga Da?" The clerk still didn't look up and just replied with a strong northwest accent.
Liu Fang thought the other party didn't understand, so he said again: "Boss, I have a bowl of noodles."
"Big, wide and thin?" Liu Fang still didn't understand. Behind him, a man who looked like a cadre on a business trip patted Liu Fang and said, "He asked you if you want a big bowl or a small bowl, a wide one or a thin one?"
Only then did Liu Fang understand. Considering his money, Liu Fang said, "Small bowl, thin."
At this time, someone behind him happened to finish eating the noodles and stood up. Liu Fang sat on it, and an old woman wearing a headscarf put away the bowl. Liu Fang waited quietly, and saw that the cadre-looking man behind him was carrying noodles out. His own noodles had not yet arrived. When he looked back, he saw a bowl of noodles on the window sill, with a few white radish slices, white and Green garlic sprouts took up half of the bowl, and red chili oil was spread beside it.
Liu Fang asked timidly: "Is it mine?"
"Yeah." The other person was still busy cooking noodles for the people behind him without raising his head. It turns out there are no waiters here to serve you noodles.
Liu Fang handed over the noodles and looked back for a seat. It was already occupied by someone else, so he could only eat outside the door like everyone else.
