Starting from 1950

It snowed heavily all night, and by morning, the entire city of Beijing was covered in a blanket of white.

Two military trucks covered with green tarpaulins were parked on Zhushikou West Street.

The cold wind was biting, making one's cheeks sting.

Forty or fifty teenagers stood in a line on the roadside, most of them looking bewildered.

Yesterday they were happily eating dumplings and drinking chicken soup, but unexpectedly they were told after the meal that they would be sent away today.

Many people were so anxious that they couldn't sleep well all night. Su Yang even heard several children in his room crying in their sleep in the middle of the night.

However, having all experienced the hardships of life in the brothels, and after a night of helplessness, they had resigned themselves to their fate, and no one cried or made a fuss anymore.

Wang Cui and several other staff members held up the list and called out names loudly.

The children whose names were called, each carrying a small, patched bundle, climbed onto the truck bed with the help of the staff.

Ruan Sumei stood aside, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the group of children she had been taking care of for two months.

"Su Yang! Wu Xinxue!" Wang Cui called out.

Su Yang took a deep breath and slung the small bundle containing a few tattered clothes and a few cold steamed buns over his shoulder.

His gaze swept over Nguyen Su Mai's scarred yet loving face.

He walked over and whispered, "Aunt Mei, please take care of yourself. Thank you for taking care of me all this time."

Wu Xinxue just sobbed, her nose and cheeks red from the cold, unable to utter a single coherent word.

Tears streamed down Ruan Sumei's face. She hugged Su Yang tightly, then hugged Wu Xinxue beside her, her voice hoarse, "Good child... good child... when you get there, take good care of yourself! Listen to the cadres! Eat well and stay warm..." She couldn't finish her sentence, but she pushed them forcefully, "Get in the car! Get in the car now!"

After saying that, she took advantage of Wu Xinxue's inattention and stuffed a small cloth bag wrapped in a handkerchief into her pocket.

Su Yang could see clearly that it contained the money Ruan Sumei had saved up over the past two months by living frugally. She had wanted to give it to herself and Wu Xinxue last night, but neither of them wanted to accept it.

He didn't refuse verbally, but his heart was heavy with sorrow. He took Wu Xinxue's cold hand and whispered, "Let's go, Sister Xinxue, don't make Aunt Mei feel even worse."

The two helped each other onto the truck, and a moment later they were pushed inside by the new passengers. The cold wind was blocked, but they couldn't see Ruan Sumei, which made their hearts ache even more.

The carriage was lined with thick layers of dry straw, which provided some insulation from the coldness of the carriage floor.

Su Yang and Wu Xinxue found a corner to sit down.

Soon, the truck was packed with about twenty children of similar age. As the last officer jumped onto the truck and pulled the canvas curtain tight, the truck engine let out a muffled roar and slowly started.

……

The platform of Qianmen Railway Station was shrouded in a gray, misty snow fog, and the air was filled with a unique smell of coal smoke, steam, and cold water vapor.

The two trucks came to a stop, and the canvas curtains at the rear of the truck beds were suddenly ripped open, letting in a blast of biting wind mixed with snowflakes, causing the children huddled together inside to gasp in surprise.

"Get off! Everyone get off! Line up and follow me, don't wander off!" A soldier in his mid-twenties, with a serious expression, wrapped his military cotton overcoat tighter around himself, his voice sounding somewhat distorted in the cold wind.

Two more soldiers came to the back of the two trucks and directed the children to file out.

Wu Xinxue slipped and quickly helped Su Yang, who then helped her join the queue.

"47 is just right."

The soldier who was giving the call counted the number of people twice, and then loudly addressed the children:

"My name is Li Weixin, and I'm the tour leader for this trip to Shenzhou. You all need to follow my instructions along the way, or I won't be polite to you! Now, everyone line up to board this train over there. Once you're on board, find an empty seat and don't fight over it."

After he finished speaking, the other two soldiers began to guide everyone onto the train.

Led by the staff, the children, like migrating fledglings, boarded the green train pulled by a steam locomotive that spewed billowing white smoke amidst the billowing coal smoke and steam.

"Ugh—!"

The locomotive emitted a long, deep whistle and began to exert its power.

With a clanging sound, Su Yang and Wu Xinxue put down their luggage and sat on the double wooden hard seats.

The carriage was dimly lit, with only a few hanging kerosene lamps casting a dim yellow glow.

As they boarded the bus, the seats were almost full.

The children had never ridden a train before, and once on board, they looked around curiously, touching the tables, chairs, windows, and other facilities. They even started chatting quietly in small groups, which helped to lighten the previously somber atmosphere.

Many passengers stood up curiously to look at these teenagers.

"Comrades, which school are these students from? Which school did you bring?" someone asked Li Weixin and his two companions out of curiosity.

"no."

Li Weixin shook his head, sparing with words, neither chatting with others nor stopping the children's laughter, and simply leaned back in his seat to rest with his eyes closed.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, the other passengers suppressed their curiosity and didn't ask any more questions.

"Su Yang, how far is Shenzhou?" Wu Xinxue's emotions had stabilized, although her big eyes were still red, as if she felt insecure in the new environment and wanted to talk to Su Yang.

"More than three thousand li."

He Dazhuang, sitting opposite, eagerly answered.

Su Yang glanced at him. This kid had chased away the two girls who were sitting opposite him as soon as he got on the bus, and kept staring at Wu Xinxue.

As before, Wu Xinxue didn't respond to He Dazhuang's words, or even glance at him. Instead, she subconsciously moved closer to Su Yang.

Su Yang pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Less than two thousand miles, I suppose."

Wu Xinxue nodded and then asked, "How long will our train ride take?"

"Three days and three nights." It was He Dazhuang again.

Su Yang silently calculated in his mind and vaguely replied, "Maybe around 30 hours."

"Su Yang, you don't know anything!" He Dazhuang sneered.

Wu Xinxue finally looked at him, but her almond-shaped eyes widened. "He Dazhuang, you're the one who doesn't understand anything. Out of all of us, you're always either last or second to last in every exam."

"Tsk tsk, Xinxue, why are you protecting him so much? He's not your man!" He Dazhuang's words drew laughter from the surrounding boys.

Wu Xinxue was so angry that her face turned red, but she didn't know how to refute such vulgar words. She could only bite her lip and glare at He Dazhuang.

Su Yang's eyes turned cold.

He turned his head and looked calmly at He Dazhuang, his eyes showing no anger, only an almost indifferent scrutiny.

He Dazhuang felt inexplicably intimidated by his gaze; it didn't seem like the look of an eleven-year-old.

"Shall we find a place to practice?" Su Yang said coldly.

"You still want to spar with me? I'll..." He Dazhuang was about to explode when a voice from an accompanying officer rang out: "What's all the noise about! Quiet down! Sit still! Anyone who causes trouble, go stand in the connecting area between the carriages!"

He Dazhuang shut his mouth sullenly, glared at Su Yang fiercely, as if to say, "You just wait."

For the time being, peace returned to their side, with only the monotonous clanging of wheels on the rails and the various noises from passengers chatting in the distance.

Time passed slowly amidst the cold, the swaying, and the stifling atmosphere.

As darkness fell, the few kerosene lamps in the carriage appeared even dimmer, barely illuminating a small area while most of the space remained shrouded in deep shadow.

The snow outside had stopped, but the wind seemed to be getting stronger, and the temperature had plummeted. The gaps between the carriages were like sieves, letting in the cold wind.

Even when wearing thick cotton clothes, the chill is like a tiny insect, seeping into every crevice of your bones.

Many people started stomping their feet and rubbing their hands to warm themselves.

Wu Xinxue was sitting by the window, her face was a little pale, and she was hugging her knees and trying to curl up into a ball.

Su Yang accidentally touched her hand, which felt as cold as ice crystals. He hesitated for a moment, then leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Put your hands and feet in my arms to warm them up."

Wu Xinxue was shivering from the cold when Su Yang's hot breath hit her ears, instantly turning them red, followed by a flush on her face.

"This isn't a good idea," she said, her head bowed, her voice barely audible.

"It's okay, no one saw it."

Su Yang didn't think too much about it and directly pulled her small hand into his arms. The coldness through her inner clothes made him shiver.

"You still have feet, take off your shoes."

"No... this is enough." In the dim light, Wu Xinxue raised her head, her eyes glistening with tears.

Su Yang didn't force her any further and just warmed her hand for a while until He Dazhuang across from her woke up from the cold and mumbled a few words. Wu Xinxue then felt as if she had been electrocuted and quickly withdrew her hand.