Chapter 214 Departure! Shanghai! (Two in One)
"I went to Shanghai~"
"We are going to Shanghai tomorrow~~"
“So exciting~~!”
The night before leaving, Xu Cailing was extremely busy. Her body was still in the cottage on the island, but her heart had already flown to that distant and dreamy metropolis.
Growing up on a palm-sized island, the farthest place she had ever been was the city of Xuanzhu.
When I was a child, I was curious about the cities outside and the vast continent.
Shanghai! The most prosperous metropolis in China! A place I have only heard of on TV, in books, and from other people!
My best friend Liu Zhiyi lived there, and her favorite teacher was also from there, so she really wanted to go and see it! Finally, I have the chance to see it with my own eyes tomorrow!
The childhood dream is about to come true, but Xu Cailing still feels like a dream when she thinks about it.
"…What are you doing walking around all the time?"
"Meow?"
Fang Wei and Maoer, who were reading on the windowsill, looked up at her towards the window.
"I'm packing! Have you packed all your things?"
"...Didn't you put it away last night?"
“I always feel like I forgot something!”
"..."
This was probably the mood she felt before departure. Xu Cailing was excited, happy, expectant, and a little anxious, as if she had missed something.
She opened and closed the zipper of her luggage bag repeatedly, checking the clothes, toiletries, small wallet, documents and many other things inside.
After thinking about it, she put in the little rabbit doll that Fang Wei had given her from the claw machine.
"…Why are you carrying this? Isn't it always placed by the bed?"
"Take Silly Rabbit with you to have a look! Otherwise, it will be so lonely if I leave and leave it alone in the room!"
"...?"
"Will July go? Let's take July with us! He must be curious about the world outside!"
"Meow……"
July was not curious. It jumped off the windowsill and went to patrol its territory on the island.
"Okay, okay, go to bed quickly. You have to get up early tomorrow."
Fang Wei said helplessly. Seeing the girl's excitement, he also felt that her innocence was cute. After all, that was the place she longed for most in her childhood.
Recalling the first time I went to Shanghai, I was just like her, so excited and nervous that I couldn't sleep the whole night. It wasn't because the city was so special, but for them who grew up on the island, this was the first time in their lives that they broke away from the shackles of the ocean and set foot on that vast land.
"Hehe, I suddenly feel that we are a very lucky generation!"
"How to say?"
"Think about it, my dad and his friends have never left the sea, and Master Li has stayed on the island for a hundred years. But we can go out and see the world when we are sixteen years old!"
"Yes, then remember to tell them what happened outside when you come back."
"Of course!"
"Go to bed now."
"Bye-Bye!"
The girl closed the window, turned around and threw herself on the bed. The room was pitch dark with the lights turned off.
She lay on the bed with her eyes open, hugging her pillow and thinking.
Think about the bustling Bund, the skyscraper-lined Lujiazui, the historic Yu Garden... These things that she had only seen in textbooks and on TV will soon become part of her personal experience.
Thinking of this, the girl's heart beat faster. She tossed and turned, thinking about it, but couldn't fall asleep!
……
Seeing that she closed the window and turned off the lights, Fang Wei also came down from the windowsill, put down the book in his hand, turned off the lights and prepared to go to bed.
Lying on the bed with the charged phone placed on the bedside.
He turned on the screen and logged into QQ.
After circling around for a long time with no signal, he held up the phone to find the angle, like a human antenna, and after a while he finally connected to the Internet.
A simple black-haired girl's system avatar was jumping, and he clicked on the message.
Nanfeng: “Are you there?”
Her profile picture is still lit, which means she is still online.
After all, it's not a smart phone, so there's no background activity. Once you exit QQ, it's exited, and your avatar will turn gray, unless you set it to be invisible. Asking "Are you there?" at the beginning is also the most popular and self-taught way to start a chat.
A Wei: “You haven’t slept yet?”
Nanfeng: "You didn't sleep either."
Considering the girl's clumsy typing speed, she replied almost as soon as she received the message.
The reply seemed plain, but in fact, the moment she saw his profile picture light up, Liu Zhiyi, lying in bed, was already excited, with a sweet smile on her lips.
She lay on her side with the phone in both hands, and the sheets rolled up in her arms. After sending a message, she stared at the screen, waiting for his next reply.
Awei: "I'm just getting ready for bed."
Nanfeng: "Why can you draw expressions!"
A Wei: “Type out symbols (T＿T)”
Liu Zhiyi really liked this cute little expression! But she didn't know how to type it, so she stole his expression and used it.
Nanfeng: "I can't sleep (T＿T)"
A Wei: “What’s up?”
Nanfeng: "I want to talk to you."
When this sentence was uttered, Liu Zhiyi suddenly felt blushing and her heart beating fast.
QQ is a great thing indeed! It is perfect for people like her! She can type out words that she cannot express on weekdays!
A Wei: "Oh, so you couldn't sleep because you wanted to talk to me?"
Nan Feng: “No!”
Ah Wei: “But that’s what you meant.”
Nanfeng: “Ignore you.”
Ah Wei: "Please take care of me."
Seeing that he admitted his mistake, Liu Zhiyi forgave him. She hugged the quilt tightly, turned over happily, and then pressed the buttons with a smile, sending him a message:
Nanfeng: "What are you doing?"
Awei: "Lying on the bed playing with my phone just like you."
Nan Feng: "How do you know I'm lying in bed?"
Awei: "The light from the phone is shining on your face. I can see it through the screen."
Liu Zhiyi was startled and quickly pulled the quilt in her arms to cover her red face, leaving only a pair of big eyes staring at the screen nervously.
It took her a while to realize that the stinky Fang Wei must be teasing her!
Nan Feng: "You are lying!"
A Wei: "Really? Did you cover your face just now?"
south wind:"!"
Nan Feng: "How did you see it? What happened? Why can't I see you?"
Liu Zhiyi was also confused. The phone didn't have a camera. Could it be that Fang Wei could really see her through the screen? !
After being disturbed by her like this, Fang Wei couldn't sleep anymore and laughed out loud. What a naive and gullible girl.
A Wei: “Only honest and kind people can see it.”
After hearing what he said, Liu Zhiyi understood that he had tricked her again.
Angry and embarrassed, I could only type angrily: "I'm ignoring you!"
A Wei: "Then I'll go to sleep."
Nanfeng: "You are not allowed to sleep."
Ah Wei: “You ignored me again.”
Nan Feng: "I'm paying attention to you, you're not allowed to sleep."
Awei: "I'm so sleepy +_+"
South Wind: “+_+”
A Wei: "You will steal my expressions, and you will have to pay me."
Nanfeng: "I don't have any money +_+"
A Wei: "Have you packed your luggage?"
Nanfeng: “Yeah.”
Nanfeng: "It's so hot tonight, I turned on the air conditioner."
Ah Wei: "Then you should cover yourself with the quilt."
Nanfeng: "Okay."
Liu Zhiyi moved rustlingly and covered herself with the quilt, but she was still reluctant to put down her phone and continued to chat with him.
Even if they met and chatted every day on weekdays, she felt that it was not as fun as it is now. After having a mobile phone and QQ, she can now chat at night and chat until she falls asleep. Just thinking about it makes her feel so happy.
Even though the content of such chats was meaningless, she still enjoyed it. Sometimes when he was slow to reply to her messages, she would read the chat records several times.
Nanfeng: "Are we going to run tomorrow?"
A Wei: “Do you want to run?”
Nanfeng: "I'll listen to you."
Ah Wei: "Then don't run. Otherwise, you have to get up early to catch the boat."
Nan Feng: "Yeah, I won't run."
A Wei: “I’m going to bed.”
Nanfeng: "Okay (T＿T)"
Ah Wei: "Why don't you go to sleep? Otherwise, you will be very sleepy tomorrow. The road ahead is so long."
Nanfeng: "I will sleep if you sleep (T＿T)"
Awei: "Good night, stupid Zhiyi^_^"
Nanfeng: "Good night, it's bad luck^_^"
After chatting for a while, Liu Zhiyi was finally satisfied. She quit QQ, put her phone next to her pillow, and tightened her quilt, thinking about the conversation just now. She fell asleep quickly as if he was by her side.
The soft hair was scattered on the pillow, the girl still had a smile on her lips, her long eyelashes trembled, and I don’t know what she was dreaming about...
When Fang Wei was about to log out of QQ and go to sleep, another plain orange-haired girl's system avatar started to jump -
Xiaoling: "Ahhh, I can't sleep! Chat with me!!"
Ah Wei: “…”
Xiaoling: "Typing is too troublesome, how about I secretly go to your room and look for it!"
A Wei: “???”
……
Fortunately, the incident of the girl climbing through the window to attack at night did not happen.
Fang Wei didn't know what time he chatted with Cai Ling last night. He remembered that he was so sleepy that he couldn't hold the phone steadily, and it fell on his head, knocking him unconscious. Then he slept until dawn.
When the rooster crowed, the alarm clock beside my pillow also rang.
Fang Wei sat up reflexively, and his hazy and scattered consciousness slowly gathered back into his head.
He rubbed his face vigorously. He went to bed too late and woke up too early, so he still felt a little dizzy.
I must not play with my phone at night anymore! It seriously delays my sleep time!
I just finished coaxing Liu Zhiyi to sleep, and now I have to coax Xu Cailing to sleep. How can I continue with this job!
After thinking about it, Fang Wei picked up his mobile phone and changed his QQ status to invisible.
I plugged my phone into the charging cable to charge it, then quickly got up and changed my clothes.
It was not even five o'clock in the morning, and the sky outside was already bright, but the sun had not yet risen.
When I walked out of the room, my parents were having breakfast.
"Would you like me to take you to the boat later?"
"Can you sit down?"
"Why not just remove the trunk?"
"That's okay too!"
"What time is your boat?"
"I bought the six ten. I left in a moment."
"Would you like to take some buns with you for the journey? Your dad bought some buns for breakfast today."
"Well, okay!"
Fang Wei didn't waste any time and went out to the well to brush his teeth and wash his face.
The stupid girl next door got up early. Fang Wei was almost shocked to see her doing radio gymnastics in the yard with such energy.
"Xu Cailing, do you have a nuclear battery in your body?"
"what is that?"
"...You went to bed so late last night and woke up so early today. Aren't you sleepy?"
"I'm not sleepy at all! I feel so energetic now!"
"Have you had breakfast?"
"Not yet. Wait until I do some aerobics before eating. 2234, 5678..."
"..."
On weekdays and holidays, Cai Ling would stay in bed until seven o'clock, but today, because she had to go to Shanghai, she only slept for five or six hours and got up early.
Seeing her energetically performing the energetic radio gymnastics, Fang Wei couldn't help but think that if Cai Ling could put this energy into studying, he and Zhiyi might not be able to score higher than her in the exam...
……
After washing up and having breakfast, Fang Wei was ready to set off at 5:30.
Because Wen Susu was there to pick them up in Shanghai, the three of them didn't bring too much luggage, mainly some clothes and so on, which could be handled in a travel bag. This kind of luggage bag is very popular these days, and it is a must-have for going out to work, go to school or travel. It has a long cylindrical structure and can be used for hand-carrying or with a retractable strap for carrying. It looks small, but it can hold a lot of things.
The travel bags for Fang Wei and the other two were also bought a while ago. Fang Wei's is black, Cai Ling's is red, and Zhiyi's is blue.
The ferry to Shanghai did not allow cars on board, so Fang Wei could not go there by bike. He had originally planned to go to Pineapple Wharf and take the ferry to Baitan Wharf. Since his dad was free, he would let him come along and they would all squeeze on the motorcycle.
Fang Xianfeng has removed the trunk so that there is more space in the back seat.
"Cai Ling! Are you done? Let's go!"
"Here it comes! Wait for me!"
Xu Cailing trotted out of the house carrying her travel bag, then looked back to see if she had forgotten to bring anything. After making sure that she had everything, she closed the yard door and stood next to the motorcycle.
"Uncle Fang, please send us off!"
"Yes, it's more convenient than taking a boat. Leave it to me and get in the car."
"Uh-huh!"
Xu Cailing handed the travel bag in her hand to Fang Xianfeng. Fang Xianfeng flicked away the cigarette in his hand, took the bag, and put it on the front of the car together with Fang Wei's travel bag.
Fang Wei was already sitting in the back seat of the car. He squeezed forward to get closer to his father, and Cai Ling held his shoulders and sat behind him.
With the elders around, the girl didn't feel comfortable hugging Fang Wei's waist. She put her hands behind her back and grabbed the handlebar of the motorcycle in a reserved manner.
"hey-hey……"
"Is there enough room to sit?"
"Enough!"
"Hold on steady, then, let's go."
Fang Xianfeng rode his motorcycle, carrying the two of them through the village road, and came to Liu Zhiyi's home in Shayang Village.
Liu Zhiyi got up very early today. When Fang Wei sent her a message saying he was going out, she was already waiting at the gate of the yard with her travel bag.
Also present was Uncle Liu. After all, this was his granddaughter's first long journey, and as a grandfather he always had to give her more instructions.
Fortunately, she didn't go alone, and she could rest assured with Fang Wei around.
"Uncle Liu!"
"Uncle!"
"Haha, Afeng, are you going to give them a ride?"
"Yes, send them to the boat."
"I was worried at first, but when I saw your Ah Wei taking him there, I felt much more relieved."
"Hey, it's nothing. Go out and see more while you're still young, and get some exercise! Zhiyi has been to Shanghai before, and she's much more familiar with it than Awei! People our age don't have many opportunities to go out!"
"Yeah, it's good to go out and have a look, to broaden your horizons. Zhiyi, go ahead, and remember to call and let me know you're safe when you get there."
"Yeah! Grandpa, I'm leaving now~"
"Okay, Afeng, thank you for your hard work."
"Uncle Liu is just being polite! Zhiyi, get in the car! Give your bag to uncle."
Fang Xianfeng placed the three bags on the front of the motorcycle, supported himself on the motorcycle with his legs, and moved forward a little. Fang Wei and Cai Ling behind him also moved forward to leave the last empty space.
Liu Zhiyi held Cai Ling's shoulders and sat at the back. Like Cai Ling, he held the motorcycle handrails with both hands in a reserved manner.
There were four people sitting on a motorcycle. They were all grown-up young men and women now, and they filled the small motorcycle to the brim.
Such overloading is not uncommon these days. It is extremely common. In some families, five people are squeezed onto a motorcycle, with a little kid sitting on the hood, holding onto the rearview mirror handle with both hands.
"Let's go~!"
"Okay, drive slowly. Remember to call me when you get there."
"understood!"
The boys and girls waved to Uncle Liu at the gate of the yard. The motorcycle carrying the four of them left Shayang Village, passed the Pineapple Wharf, crossed the rural road along the coast, and drove onto the Baitan Bridge...
The cool breeze in the early morning made the girls' hair flutter.
Standing on the Baitan Bridge, you can see the rising sun between the sea and the sky in the east.
Seagulls were circling among the waves, the water was sparkling, and the shadow of a motorcycle carrying four people was reflected obliquely on the road.
No scenery can compare to the relaxed and happy mood when you set out.
“It’s a nice day today!”
"Will it rain in Shanghai?"
"I asked my sister, and the weather should be good these few days."
"How's Mr. Wen's studio going?"
"She's counting on us to work for her!"
“But we can’t draw!”
"Then Cailing, you sweep the floor, Zhiyi, you wipe the table."
"how about you?"
"I'll be the overseer!"
"You're just being lazy!"
The boys and girls in the car were talking, and Fang Xianfeng was listening with a smile, but he didn't expect the topic to jump to him.
"Second Uncle!"
"Ok?"
"Haven't you been to Shanghai?"
"How could I, your second uncle, have ever been to Shanghai?"
Fang Xianfeng, Xu Zhiyuan and Liu Xuelun are of the same age and are childhood friends. Liu Xuelun is older and Xu Zhiyuan is younger. Cailing usually calls him Uncle Fang and Liu Zhiyi calls him Uncle Feng.
In their era, it was even more difficult to go out. First, they had no experience and second, no money. If they went alone to a big city to work hard, they would have to spend all their family assets, and not everyone had the courage to go.
It was unthinkable and luxurious back then for Fang Wei and his two companions to go there specially to have fun.
Now that the family has money, going out for a trip is no longer such a luxury. Fang Wei has invited his parents to go together, but they still refused to go.
People are so strange. When they were young, they desired something madly but never got it. When they got older and finally had the chance, they found that they no longer desired it as much as they did when they were young.
The city is still there, and the scenery is still there, but the feeling of seeing it when I was twenty and seeing it when I was fifty are completely different.
Sometimes when Fang Xianfeng thought about this, he couldn't help but sigh, wondering when did he become like the old man at home, content with a stable life...
"Then you two can also take some time to go there! It would be such a pity if you never go out to have a look in your life!"
"Haha, Second Uncle is old and can't stand so much trouble. You young people should just go and have fun."
"Dad, you're talking nonsense again. You are in the prime of your life! You have a bright future ahead of you! How can you underestimate yourself?" Fang Wei reminded him.
"I'm already over 40, still in my prime?"
"Too strong!"
"..."
After his son gave him a shot of encouragement, Fang Xianfeng also felt his blood boiling.
You know what, since the family started the mussel farming business, the old man really feels like he has regained his life. Every night when he has nothing to do, he studies some financial books. Can you believe it? !
"That's fine! I'll find a time later and call Ayuan and Uncle Liu together. We'll form a senior group and go together!"
"…What time is it?"
“Just find a time.”
"..."
Well, usually when you try to find time, you end up not having time. When it comes to traveling, you have to go when you think of it, otherwise there is a high chance that your plan will fail.
"Anyway, just have fun and go out and see the world. I didn't have the chance when I was young. Otherwise, when I was your three age, I would have had to carry cement in the city!"
"Hahaha……"
"Cai Ling, Zhi Yi, when you two come back, remember to tell me about the outside world."
"Yeah, that's for sure!"
……
Baitan Wharf is very lively in the early morning.
On the sparkling sea, one transport ship after another comes and goes, of different sizes and with different paint jobs.
The fishermen returned early in the morning and carried their caught seafood ashore. When the fishing boats docked, the sounds of engines and shouts were intertwined.
In the markets around the pier, vendors set up their stalls early, selling fresh seafood, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and steaming breakfast...
The motorcycle carrying four people passed through the crowd steadily and slowly and stopped outside the boarding bridge.
"Here we are. What time is your ferry ticket?"
"six thirty!"
"That should be about right. Just wait a little longer. Let's get off the bus and see if there's anything you didn't bring. You can buy it right away."
"Bring it all!"
Zhiyi, Cailing and Fang Wei got off the motorcycle one by one, and Fang Xianfeng handed the three travel bags on the front of the motorcycle to them one by one.
The ship to Shanghai is a long-distance transport ship. In order to accurately control the travel time, Fang Wei and his two companions bought the tickets yesterday.
Holding the boat ticket in each hand, the three stood by the fence and looked up at the large transport ship that had docked at the shore.
The ship going to Shanghai is much larger than the transport boats sailing between nearby islands. It is equipped with air conditioning, tea, toilets, etc. There are two floors in the cabin, which can accommodate more than 200 people in total. The main body color is white, with some blue paint. There is also a five-star red flag hanging on the mast, fluttering gently with the sea breeze.
Fang Wei and the other two were very familiar with this boat. Every time they came to the dock to pick up Sister Caiwei and Wen Susu, they took this boat.
Liu Zhiyi has taken this ship many times. The most recent time was when she came back three years ago. She never expected to board this ship again three years later.
Time can heal pain, but it cannot erase regrets.
The girl has gotten used to the days when her parents are not around, but she still often thinks of them at night. Right now, she feels a little complicated.
She wouldn't cry. If her parents could see it, Liu Zhiyi felt that they would be relieved and happy. After all, three years had passed and their daughter had grown up. She could travel to such a far place on her own without their company.
Unlike Cailing's excitement about realizing her childhood dream, her main reason for returning to Shanghai this time was to go back and visit.
Looking at the city where you lived in your childhood and the home where you lived in your childhood is a kind of remembrance, but also a farewell to the past, which serves as a new starting point for your youth.
At 6:15, the transport boat stopped and lowered the board to connect with the corridor bridge.
The ship's staff opened the gate and started shouting through a loud speaker:
[The ship from Baitan Island to Shanghai is ready to depart at 6:30. Passengers who need to board the ship please bring their luggage and check in. Passengers who have not purchased tickets yet, please hurry up and buy your tickets.]
Hearing the prompt from the loudspeaker, Fang Wei and the other two also started moving, and they were all quite excited.
"Dad, shall we go?"
"Second Uncle (Uncle Feng), let's go!"
"go Go!"
Fang Xianfeng lit a cigarette, took a deep breath, and the white mist that came out of his mouth and nostrils was blown away by the sea breeze, swirling into the sky.
"Don't forget to call home when you get there! Cai Ling knows that you too!"
"I know~!"
"Listen carefully to your teacher Wen's instructions. You are unfamiliar with the place and there are many vehicles. Don't run around everywhere. Be careful!"
"I know~!"
Fang Wei and the other two stood together and lined up to start ticket checking.
The ticket inspector took the ticket skillfully, tore off the remaining part, and handed the ticket back to them, reminding them:
"Four seats in the fifth row on the second floor, five seats in the fifth row on the second floor, and six seats in the fifth row on the second floor."
"Thank you."
Fang Wei put the ticket back into his travel bag.
Xu Cailing and Liu Zhiyi also put the tickets away.
This is their first trip to Shanghai for three people, it is very meaningful! They must keep the boat ticket well!
After walking across the deck, the three of them came into the cabin together.
Like a train carriage, there are rows of seats, with adjacent rows of seats facing each other. There is a long, thin square table in the middle, and the chairs are hard-seat sofas. The table and chairs are fixed and cannot be moved. Most of the facilities on the ship are fixed in this way.
"Where can I get to the second floor..."
"This way."
Fang Wei took the two girls to the middle of the cabin, where there was a small staircase.
Go up the stairs and you will reach the second floor.
Because it was not a direct ship, there were not many passengers boarding from Baitan Wharf, and most of the seats on the second floor were still empty. Just like taking a train, people got off and on at different wharves, and the three of them had to sit all the way to the terminal, which was Shanghai's Chaogang Wharf, in Dongpu New District.
Normally when they were on a boat, Fang Wei and the other two didn't want to stay in the cabin, but this time it was different.
"The ship to Shanghai is so beautiful! It even has air conditioning and a tea room!"
"The price is here. Where do you want to sit?"
"Zhiyi, sit inside!"
The three seats were connected together, Liu Zhiyi sat at the innermost window seat, Xu Cailing sat in the middle, and Fang sat on the outside.
"Give me the travel bag."
"Here!"
Fang Wei took the travel bags of the two girls and stuffed them together with his bag on the luggage rack above his head. He also took out the water bottle and the bag of buns that his mother had stuffed in from the bag.
Don’t ask why he only took one bottle of water, because the two girls didn’t bring any water at all, they just pointed at his water and drank it.
Liu Zhiyi opened the curtains to a position where he could see the covered bridge.
"Uncle Feng is still smoking! Did he see us?"
"Open the window and call him!"
"The window does not open……"
So the two girls and Fang Wei pressed their heads against the window and waved to Fang Xianfeng through the glass.
Fang Xianfeng saw it, and waved to them with a smile, cigarette in hand.
[Bu——]
The whistle sounded and the oars stirred the waves.
The ship sailed.
(End of this chapter)
