Reborn in the 60s, I hunt to support my family and even seduce the village beauty.

The young man wasn't going to be outdone, and he bounced around with his legs clamped together.

"I can't hold it in either! I haven't been to the toilet for two stops, my butt's going to explode if I keep holding it in! Comrade, you be the judge, there has to be a first-come, first-served rule!"

Chang Kun looked at this one, then at that one.

The middle-aged man's face turned pale, his lips turned blue, he clutched his stomach, and he was trembling like a leaf.

The young man's legs were twisted into a pretzel shape, and his face showed both anxiety and anger, but his complexion was not bad, at least his lips hadn't turned blue yet.

Chang Kun patted the young man on the shoulder: "Okay, let him use it first."

The young man glared at him: "Why should I?"

Chang Kun pointed at the middle-aged man: "He has diarrhea. Let him go first. If he poops in his pants, will you still be able to stay in this carriage? The whole carriage will smell like that, and you won't even have anywhere to run away."

The young man paused for a moment, opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

Someone nearby couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

The middle-aged man quickly took the opportunity to thank him, and before he could even close the door properly, he squeezed inside and slammed the door shut.

Immediately afterwards, a tremendous noise came from inside; just by listening to the sound, you could tell how dangerous the situation had been.

The young man stood at the door, his face turning red and then pale, his legs still clamped together, staring at the toilet door, then at Chang Kun, his lips trembling slightly.

"What about me? What should I do?"

Chang Kun glanced at him and said, "Hold on a little longer. It's better to wet your pants than to poop in them. If you do pee, just bear with it. It won't smell too bad, it'll dissipate soon."

Several passengers nearby couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter.

An old man laughed so hard he slapped his thigh: "Young man, just hold it in for a bit. That guy with diarrhea really needs to go. You'll just wet your pants at most, but if he misses his chance, then it'll be..."

The young man's face turned as red as an eggplant. He gritted his teeth but didn't say anything more. He leaned against the carriage wall with his legs together, closed his eyes, and muttered something under his breath, whether he was counting or chanting scriptures, it was hard to tell.

About three or four minutes later, the toilet door opened, and the middle-aged man walked out, leaning on the door frame. His legs were trembling, and although his face was still pale, his expression was obviously much more relaxed.

He gave the young man an apologetic smile: "I'm so sorry, young man, I'm really sorry."

The young man didn't bother arguing with him, rushed into the toilet, and slammed the door shut.

The middle-aged man turned around and thanked him repeatedly, "Comrade, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I really would have..."

He didn't finish speaking, then felt embarrassed and smiled, taking out a cigarette from his pocket to put in Chang Kun's hand.

Chang Kun waved his hands repeatedly: "No need, no need, go back and sit down, don't stand."

Good guy!

This person had just had diarrhea, and I don't know what he used to wipe his butt, but he didn't wash his hands and then handed himself a cigarette.

Tsk tsk, he's even afraid that the cigarette will have a smell.

The middle-aged man left, thanking him profusely.

Chang Kun turned and walked back, hearing a satisfied sigh coming from the toilet, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

After going around in circles and returning to the dining car, Xiao Shui was still asleep, in the same position, her little mouth slightly open, sleeping soundly.

He leaned back in his chair, pulled his hat down to cover his eyes, and closed them to rest.

"Tangshan Station has arrived—passengers disembarking, please take your luggage and don't forget anything—"

The train conductor's announcement came from above, first in standard Mandarin, then in Tangshan dialect.

The tune was winding, with the last note rising, sounding like a Pingju opera.

Xiao Shui sat up from her seat, rubbed her eyes, her braid was askew to one side, and there were still marks from her clothes buttons on her face.

Still half asleep, I asked, "Have we arrived?"

Chang Kun stood up, put on his coat, picked up his bag, and took her hand: "We're here, let's go."

Xiao Shui suddenly perked up, her eyes widening, and she quickly put on her schoolbag.

He touched the painting in his pocket again to make sure it was still there before following Chang Kun toward the car door with peace of mind.

As she walked, she tiptoed and peered outside, muttering, "What does Tangshan look like?"

As soon as the car door opened, a blast of fresh air rushed in, carrying the smells of coal ash and dust.

The platform was bustling with people, some carrying large bags, some carrying small bags, and some with their families, all making a lot of noise.

Tangshan is a coal-producing area, so there's always a thin layer of ash in the air. It smells different from Beijing; it has a different, indescribable odor.

Tangshan Railway Station is located in the western part of the city, and the exit faces Shengli Road.

The station building is made of gray bricks and is not tall. The three large characters "Tangshan Station" are painted in red on the front wall. After years of exposure to wind and sun, the color has darkened.

The square in front of the station is not big, paved with stone slabs, and some places are uneven and full of water, so it is sure to be flooded on rainy days.

Several utility poles stood along the edge of the square, their wires crisscrossing overhead, where rows of sparrows perched.

After leading Xiao Shui out of the station, Chang Kun stood on the steps and looked around.

A row of rickshaws was parked in the square. Some drivers stood beside their rickshaws, while others squatted down and smoked. They would stand up and greet passengers who were coming out of the station.

Those vehicles were made of wood, two-wheeled, and painted a deep red, some of the paint was already peeling off, revealing the natural color of the wood underneath.

The canopies were made of canvas, and some even had half-length curtains hanging on them to block the wind and sun.

The rickshaw has two long handlebars at the front. The driver holds the handlebars, with a cloth strap draped over his shoulder. He pulls the handlebars and goes.

"Need a ride? Need a ride? Where are you going?"

The drivers solicited passengers in authentic Tangshan dialect, their accents harsh and their voices loud, sounding like they were arguing.

Xiao Shui had never seen a rickshaw before. She stared at the bright red rickshaws for a long time, her eyes shining.

A car drove past, its wheels crunching on the stone pavement, the cloth curtain on the canopy flapping in the wind.

She couldn't help but crane her neck and look several steps ahead.

Chang Kun pulled her to a car.

The driver was a man in his forties with a dark red face, wearing an old straw hat on his head and a draped gray towel over his shoulder. He was squatting by the cart, eating a cornbread.

Seeing someone approaching, he quickly stuffed the cornbread into his pocket, stood up, grinned, and revealed a mouthful of yellow teeth.

Where are you going?

He swallowed what was in his mouth, his voice a little muffled.

"Zhaogezhuang, are we going or not?"

The driver shook his head.

"Zhaogezhuang? That's way too far. It's over there near the mine, more than ten miles outside the city."

"My car can't go that far. You'll have to take a long-distance bus, or find a place to stay here first, and we'll figure something out tomorrow."

Chang Kun thought for a moment, then asked, "What about Jianshe Road? Are we going to Jianshe Road?"

"Hey, let's go to Jianshe Road!" The driver perked up and lifted the handlebars.

"I know the Jianshe Road area well, but can you specify exactly where?"