A green-skinned train belching smoke thundered along, guided by endless railway tracks.
Inside, passengers sat, stood, squatted, or lay down. Laughter, curses, and chatter filled the carriage. The colors and styles of their clothes were mostly the same—equally drab.
Though nine out of ten looked malnourished at a glance, they radiated vigor and high spirits. They spoke loudly and confidently, every one of them a citizen who was master of the country.
This was an era when the country and its people were wild in spirit—when a great upheaval had only just ended, and the road ahead remained uncertain.
"Come on, we're about to reach the station up ahead. Those getting off, pack up your things. Move aside, move aside. Tsk, big brother, are you moving house?"
Train attendant Cai Xiaonian strolled along at an unhurried pace, checking tickets one by one while cracking jokes. If someone refused to cooperate, he would snap at them twice.
Wang Xin, a railway police officer who had only recently taken up his post, was also constantly moving through the carriages.
Just then, a large rooster flew up, startling the passengers into a brief panic. Quick-eyed and quick-handed, Wang Xin grabbed it by the wing. "Whose big flying chicken is this? Keep an eye on it."
As he was about to move on, a pair of dangling legs swung before his eyes. Looking up, he saw a man hunched over on the luggage rack beside the carriage. He said irritably, "What, did you buy a sleeper berth? Why don't you just fly up into the sky? Get down here!"
After scolding the man, Wang Xin returned the rooster to its owner. "Tie it up with a rope. Look at it—it was flying right over people's heads."
"Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, Comrade Officer." The