"The changes are incredible."
After getting off the train, before they had even left the station, Song Yunhui could not stop himself from marveling.
Cheng Kaiyan held their still-groggy child. "The railway station moved, didn't it? It shouldn't have been here before."
"It did. It looked different when we pulled in just now. It must have been moved to the outskirts."
"The station's bigger, and there are more people too. On the train, I heard lots of people saying they'd come here to travel. They all said they wanted to see what socialism was really like. There were quite a few foreigners too."
"Jinling has indeed done well. In only four years, it's changed so much it's barely recognizable. Come on, let's take a good look around the city these next few days."
The railway station was built on a grand scale. It took the two of them a while to follow the crowd out. Outside the exit was a small open area. From a distance, they could see several sheds nearby, each with a large sign beside it reading "Tourist Reception Registration," complete with an English translation. Others read "Visiting Relatives and Friends," "Group Business," and "Job Interviews."
Behind those sheds stood a large number of coaches and blue-and-white taxis.
"Visitors from out of town, please have your ID cards ready and register according to your needs. You cannot leave the station without registering, and even if you slip out, you won't get far. Please comply with Jinling's regulations on the management of non-local residents and cooperate with our work."
A railway police officer at Jinling Railway Station wandered around the exit with a loudspeaker. The recording had already been made and played on repeat, over and over again.
"Don't we have that family-visit card? I remember bringing it.