春运的火车

离lí过年guò nián还有hái yǒu十shí天tiān，在zài广guǎng州zhōu打工dǎ gōng的de老lǎo张zhāng终于zhōng yú抢qiǎng到dào了liǎo回家huí jiā的de火车huǒ chē票piào。那nà张zhāng票piào，他tā盯dīng了liǎo手机shǒu jī整整zhěng zhěng三sān天才tiān cái抢qiǎng到dào。

Ten days before the New Year, Old Zhang, working in Guangzhou, finally grabbed a train ticket home, after watching his phone for three days.

春chūn运yùn是shì一yī年nián里lǐ人rén最多zuì duō的de时候shí hou。火车huǒ chē站zhàn广场guǎng chǎng上shàng，扛káng着zhuó大dà包bāo小xiǎo包bāo的de人rén像xiàng潮cháo水shuǐ一样yī yàng往wǎng里lǐ涌yǒng。

Spring Festival travel is the busiest of the year. On the station square, people with big and small bags pour in like a tide.

老lǎo张zhāng的de行李xíng li很hěn特别tè bié：一yī个gè旧jìu旅行lǚ xíng箱xiāng，一yī个gè装zhuāng满mǎn年nián货huò的de纸zhǐ箱xiāng，还有hái yǒu一yī个gè给gěi女儿nǚ ér买mǎi的de洋yáng娃娃wá wa，绑bǎng在zài箱子xiāng zi上面shàng miàn。

His luggage is special: an old suitcase, a box of New Year goods, and a doll for his daughter tied on top.

检jiǎn票piào的de时候shí hou，人rén挤jǐ人rén，他tā护hù着zhuó怀里huái lǐ的de娃娃wá wa，生怕shēng pà挤jǐ坏huài了liǎo。女儿nǚ ér五wǔ岁suì了liǎo，一yī年nián只能zhǐ néng见jiàn一yī次cì面miàn。

At the ticket gate the crowds push; he shields the doll in his arms for fear of crushing it. His daughter is five; he sees her once a year.

火车huǒ chē上shàng要yào坐zuò十shí六lìu个gè小时xiǎo shí。座位zuò wèi上shàng、过道guò dào里lǐ全quán是shì人rén，连lián洗手间xǐ shǒu jiān门口mén kǒu都dōu坐zuò满mǎn了liǎo。老lǎo张zhāng把bǎ座位zuò wèi让ràng给gěi一yī位wèi抱bào孩子hái zi的de妇女fù nǚ，自己zì jǐ站zhàn了liǎo半路bàn lù。

The train ride is sixteen hours. Seats and aisles are full, even the toilet doorway. Zhang gives his seat to a woman with a baby and stands half the way.

邻lín座zuò的de小伙子xiǎo huǒ zi也yě是shì打工dǎ gōng的de，两liǎng个人gè rén聊liáo起qǐ天tiān来lái。小伙子xiǎo huǒ zi说shuō，今年jīn nián挣zhèng了liǎo钱qián，回去huí qu先xiān把bǎ家里jiā lǐ的de房子fáng zi修xīu一yī修xīu。

A young worker next to him chats: this year he earned money and will first repair the family house back home.

半夜bàn yè，车厢chē xiāng里lǐ安静ān jìng下来xià lai。老lǎo张zhāng靠kào着zhuó椅yǐ背bèi，看kān着zhuó窗chuāng外wài黑hēi漆qī漆qī的de夜yè，想xiǎng着zhuó家里jiā lǐ的de热rè炕kàng和hé饺子jiǎo zi，怎么zěn me也yě睡shuì不bù着zhuó。

At midnight the carriage quiets. Zhang leans back watching the dark night outside, thinking of the warm kang and dumplings, unable to sleep.

天tiān亮liàng了liǎo，火车huǒ chē进jìn了liǎo北方běi fāng的de地dì界jiè，窗chuāng外wài开始kāi shǐ有yǒu了liǎo雪xuě。老lǎo张zhāng拿出ná chū手机shǒu jī，给gěi妻子qī zi发fā消息xiāo xi：快kuài到dào了liǎo。

At dawn the train enters the north and snow appears. Zhang texts his wife: almost there.

出chū站zhàn的de时候shí hou，人rén更gèng多duō。他tā一眼yī yǎn就jìu看见kàn jiàn了liǎo人群rén qún里lǐ的de妻子qī zi和hé女儿nǚ ér。女儿nǚ ér愣lèng了liǎo一yī下xià，然后rán hòu大声dà shēng喊hǎn：爸bà爸bà！

The exit is even more crowded. He spots his wife and daughter at once; the girl pauses, then shouts: Papa!

站台zhàn tái上shàng，卖mài盒饭hé fàn的de小xiǎo推tuī车chē来lái来回lái huí回huí。十shí五wǔ块kuài一yī份fèn的de盒饭hé fàn，米饭mǐ fàn是shì硬yìng的de，菜cài是shì凉liáng的de，可kě还是hái shi很hěn快kuài就jìu卖mài完了wán le。

On the platform a food cart goes back and forth. Fifteen yuan for cold rice and colder dishes, still sold out fast.

车厢chē xiāng连接lián jiē处chù，几jǐ个gè没méi座zuò的de人rén铺pū上报shàng bào纸zhǐ坐zuò在zài地上dì shang，用yòng行李xíng li当dàng枕头zhěn tou，照样zhào yàng能néng睡着shuì zháo。

In the corridor between cars, the seatless spread newspaper on the floor and sleep with bags for pillows.

老lǎo张zhāng给gěi女儿nǚ ér买mǎi的de娃娃wá wa是shì商场shāng chǎng里lǐ最zuì贵guì的de那nà个gè。他tā攒zǎn了liǎo三sān个gè月yuè的de钱qián，就jìu为了wèi le让ràng女儿nǚ ér高兴gāo xìng一yī下xià。

The doll Zhang bought was the priciest in the store. Three months of savings, all for one smile from his daughter.

车chē窗chuāng外wài，南方nán fāng的de绿色lǜ sè慢慢màn màn变成biàn chéng了liǎo北方běi fāng的de黄色huáng sè。离lí家jiā越yuè近jìn，老lǎo张zhāng坐zuò得děi越yuè直zhí，不停bù tíng地dì看kān手机shǒu jī地图dì tú。

Outside, southern green gives way to northern yellow. The closer to home, the straighter Zhang sits, checking the map again and again.

老lǎo张zhāng放下fàng xià行李xíng li，把bǎ女儿nǚ ér抱bào起来qǐ lai，什么shén me累lèi都dōu忘wàng了liǎo。一年到头yī nián dào tóu的de辛苦xīn kǔ，就是jìu shì为了wèi le这zhè一yī刻kè。

He puts down the bags and lifts her up, all tiredness forgotten. A year of hard work exists for this moment.