Setting off for Deep City

Chen Yuan got up before dawn had fully broken.

He traveled light, with just a small backpack holding a few changes of clothes.

Of the 3,200 yuan his grandfather had given him, he kept only 500 on him. Yesterday, he had gone into town to open a bank account and deposited the rest.

"Grandpa, I'm off!"

Chen Dehou nodded without saying anything.

Chen Yuan took a step forward, then looked back.

The old man stood there with his back ramrod straight.

"Call when you get there."

"Okay."

"Listen to Xiu'e."

"Okay."

"If anything happens, call home and tell me."

"I will."

Chen Yuan stood there, reluctant to leave.

Chen Dehou waved him off. "Go on, go on. Stop dawdling."

Chen Yuan took a deep breath, turned, and headed next door.

Zhang Xiu'e was already waiting at the courtyard gate.

She was dressed differently today.

She wore a thin, fitted white T-shirt with a neckline that wasn't particularly low.

Below it were blue flared trousers made of soft-looking fabric that hugged all the right places.

Chen Yuan took one look, then hardly dared look again.

On Zhang Xiu'e, the T-shirt was stretched taut over the curves of her breasts.

It wasn't a loose, baggy kind of fullness. The fabric clung tightly, and the sunlight shining from behind her outlined those curves with perfect clarity, as though they were about to burst free.

"What are you standing there for? Come on." Zhang Xiu'e beckoned to him.

Chen Yuan walked over and picked up the two large bags at her feet.

One was a bulging fertilizer sack stuffed with bedding. The other was a woven sack. He didn't know what was inside, but it was pretty heavy too.

Zhang Xiu'e carried only a small handbag and a plastic bag holding food for the journey.

"Let's go. Er Gouzi's waiting at the village entrance."

Er Gouzi was a nickname. He was from their village and drove an unlicensed taxi in the county town. He was heading back there and giving them a ride along the way.

When they reached the village entrance, a battered minivan was parked there. A tall, skinny man leaned against its door, smoking. He stubbed out his cigarette when he saw them.

"Well, Xiu'e, aren't you looking pretty today!" Er Gouzi looked her over with a grin. "Dressed like that, are you off to Deep City to hook yourself a rich boss?"

Zhang Xiu'e rolled her eyes at him. "Piss off!"

Er Gouzi chuckled, then turned to Chen Yuan. "Yuan, you're going with her? Careful she doesn't sell you off!"

Zhang Xiu'e raised her hand and smacked him with a sharp crack. "That's fucking bullshit!"

Er Gouzi laughed even louder.

Standing beside them, Chen Yuan didn't know what to say, so he just smiled.

Sell me off?

A thought popped into his head: She'd better consider the consequences!

Chen Yuan didn't say it aloud. He simply loaded the luggage into the back of the van.

Er Gouzi drove, Zhang Xiu'e sat in the front passenger seat, and Chen Yuan sat alone in the back.

As soon as they set off, the two up front launched into a lively conversation.

Er Gouzi asked, "Xiu'e, what exactly do you do in Deep City? You must make a fair bit every year, right?"

"Just work," Zhang Xiu'e said. "What else would I do?"

"You live that well just working? Who are you kidding?"

"Whatever I do is none of your business. I'm not stealing or robbing anyone."

Er Gouzi chuckled. "Is your factory still hiring? Maybe I should go too?"

Zhang Xiu'e gave him a sidelong glance. "You? What can you do?"

"I can drive."

"Deep City's full of drivers. What makes you so special?"

That left Er Gouzi momentarily speechless, but he didn't take it to heart.

Chen Yuan sat in the back, unable to get a word in, but he couldn't help looking toward the front.

Zhang Xiu'e sat in the passenger seat, her side turned toward him.

The fitted T-shirt clung to her body, making the curves of her breasts even more obvious in profile. Full and rounded, they rose and fell with the jolting of the van.

Whenever she moved as she spoke, those curves moved with her, trembling lightly.

Chen Yuan turned his gaze out the window.

After a while, he couldn't help looking back.

Er Gouzi spotted him in the rearview mirror and laughed. "Yuan, what are you looking at?"

Chen Yuan's face went bright red!

Zhang Xiu'e glanced back at him with a smile tugging at her lips, but said nothing.

Er Gouzi went on, "Yuan, you'd better keep your wits about you in Deep City. If Xiu'e really sold you off, you'd probably help her count the money!"

Zhang Xiu'e raised her hand to smack him again. "Are you ever going to fucking stop?"

Er Gouzi laughed and ducked, making the van swerve slightly.

After more than an hour on the road, they finally reached the county town's railway station.

The station wasn't large, but it was crowded. Everywhere, people hauled bags of all sizes or traveled with their whole families in tow.

Er Gouzi helped unload their luggage, then waved to Zhang Xiu'e. "Xiu'e, buy me a drink when you're back."

Zhang Xiu'e waved him off. "Get lost!"

Er Gouzi winked at Chen Yuan too. "Take care, Yuan. Don't let anyone sell you off."

Chen Yuan smiled without saying anything.

Er Gouzi drove away.

Zhang Xiu'e stood there, looked around, and said, "Come on. Let's get the tickets."

There was a long line at the ticket window. Zhang Xiu'e stood in front, with Chen Yuan behind her.

He wore his own backpack and carried Zhang Xiu'e's two large bags. The bedding in the fertilizer sack wasn't heavy, but the woven sack was. He had no idea what was in it.

Zhang Xiu'e glanced back. "Getting tired?"

Chen Yuan shook his head. "No."

Zhang Xiu'e smiled. "All right, you can keep holding them, then."

She turned around and continued waiting in line.

Chen Yuan stood very close behind Zhang Xiu'e.

His gaze fell on her back, where the T-shirt stretched faintly over the contours of her body. Her shoulder blades were neatly defined, her waist narrowed slightly, and below it, the blue flared trousers hugged her waist and hips.

The soft fabric fit snugly, tracing the curves of her backside with particular clarity. Its full, rounded shape tilted slightly upward, and the seam ran right down the middle, accentuating that pert curve even more.

Chen Yuan swallowed and lifted his gaze.

But as he looked up, his eyes landed on her thin T-shirt again.

The fabric clung to her, faintly revealing two slender straps across her back that pressed shallow marks into her soft skin.

He quickly looked away, turning his gaze elsewhere.

After a while, he couldn't help looking back again.

After more than twenty minutes in line, they finally reached the window.

Zhang Xiu'e bought two hard-seat tickets to Deep City.

"Come on. We'll wait in the waiting room."

The waiting room was even more crowded. Every seat was taken, and clusters of people squatted on the floor.

Zhang Xiu'e found a corner, put down the luggage, and leaned against the wall.

Chen Yuan stood beside her, watching over their bags.

Zhang Xiu'e took two tea eggs out of the plastic bag and handed him one.

"Here, eat this. We've still got a while to wait."

Chen Yuan took it, peeled off the shell, and popped it into his mouth.

Zhang Xiu'e ate hers too, though more delicately, chewing slowly in small bites.

As she leaned against the wall, her T-shirt stretched even tighter. The full curves of her breasts faced Chen Yuan, moving slightly as she chewed.

Chen Yuan lowered his head and stared at the floor.

But his peripheral vision refused to behave!

At last, an announcement sounded: "Ticket checks are now beginning for Train K132 bound for Deep City."

Zhang Xiu'e tossed her eggshell into a bin. "Let's go."

A long line formed at the ticket gate. Zhang Xiu'e walked ahead, and Chen Yuan followed with the luggage.

Once their tickets had been checked, they went onto the platform. The train hadn't arrived yet, and the platform was packed.

Zhang Xiu'e stood there, looking around.

Chen Yuan stood behind her, set down the luggage, and caught his breath.

He looked at Xiu'e from behind.

Her flared trousers hugged the full, rounded, uplifted curves of her backside.

A breeze pressed the soft fabric against her body, tracing that smooth, lovely curve with perfect clarity.

Chen Yuan's throat felt a little dry.

Just then, a train whistle sounded in the distance.

Zhang Xiu'e looked back at him. "The train's here. Get ready to board."