Don’t you just want summer now?
Lin Qian’s sound of opening the door no doubt alerted him. His head slowly lifted up a small angle, but still remained buried in the collar. That way, he seemed to be too lazy to look up at her, waiting to speak to her.
Lin Qian stepped out, and standing a few steps away, said to him “I’m not tired, you sleep there.”
He was silent for a few seconds.
Lin Qin thought he was going to speak, and quietly waited. But seeing him slowly tilt his head back down, and go back to his previous posture, any hope for sound is gone.
Lin Qian: “…”
“Then… Good night.” She returned to her compartment.
By the time it was day, the train had finally arrived at Lhasa.
Lin Qian washed her face and packed up. Outside it was bright, and soldiers were standing at the end of the narrow aisles. Where was that Major fellow?
She thought for a moment, fished out pen and paper from her bag, and left behind her mobile phone number, and a message: “I think we may meet again in the future. If you have the opportunity to be in Lin City, please give me a call. I would be a very good guide and friend—Lin Qian.”
Lin Qian bought a first class ticket. In the evening, when she arrived at Lin City, she took a taxi straight to her destination.
At the end of the road was a vast industrial park. A few near white buildings stood, beautiful and stylish. At the door of Ai Da, four gilded characters stood out.
Lin Qian’s driver stopped some hundred metres away and parked in front of a residential building. She had rented this house a month ago. After entering her room she threw her suitcase on the ground, and directly lay down on the bed.
For a moment, everything felt calm, and she looked at her phone. Sure enough, as expected, no new text messages or phone calls came.
Seriously, this was the first time she had offered a man her phone number. What a good failure.
She smiled and stood up, drawing back the curtain. Golden sunset rays poured in and gleamed over the Ai Da group of buildings, factories and powerhouse, and the verdant fields behind them were bathed in sunlight as well.
Lin Qian took a deep breath, coming to have an extraordinarily good mood.
She thought, this was really a good place to start. The many thousands of passing warm encounters, a prosperous beautiful home, and she was about to begin her new career.
**********
Highway to Lin City entrance
Docks with columns of military trucks, transporting veterans home.
Few officers talked in low voices, and were just about to embark on a jeep when a soldier came, panting. He ran to where the officer stood, neatly at attention, and said: “Major[1] Li[2], thank god I found you. I went to your train compartment at noon, I found this.” He handed the Major a piece of paper with a phone number and a few lines of message.
The man he had called Major Li looked at him blankly.
“I don’t need this.” He said in a cool, calm voice.
The two officers around him stood straighter, trying to peek at the uncovered bits of the chit.
After hearing him say something like that, they couldn’t stop themselves from saying “Lin Qian… was that the girl who encountered danger and hitchhiked with us? I saw her this morning, she was very beautiful. Isn’t Lin City your hometown? Why don’t you save her number?”
All eyes stared gleamingly at the Major.
He tugged his brim back down again, pulled his collar up, and stepped onto the jeep.
“Unnecessary.” He said dismissively, “She and I will soon meet again.”
[1] This is a rank in the military with the title少校 (shaoxiao). It is used for both Lieutenant Commander and Major, but I’m sticking with Major since Lt.Cm. is usually only in navies.
[2] This is his surname, but the character used for Li can mean severe/strict.
Don’t you just want summer now?
Lin Qian’s sound of opening the door no doubt alerted him. His head slowly lifted up a small angle, but still remained buried in the collar. That way, he seemed to be too lazy to look up at her, waiting to speak to her.
Lin Qian stepped out, and standing a few steps away, said to him “I’m not tired, you sleep there.”
He was silent for a few seconds.
Lin Qin thought he was going to speak, and quietly waited. But seeing him slowly tilt his head back down, and go back to his previous posture, any hope for sound is gone.
Lin Qian: “…”
“Then… Good night.” She returned to her compartment.
By the time it was day, the train had finally arrived at Lhasa.
Lin Qian washed her face and packed up. Outside it was bright, and soldiers were standing at the end of the narrow aisles. Where was that Major fellow?
She thought for a moment, fished out pen and paper from her bag, and left behind her mobile phone number, and a message: “I think we may meet again in the future. If you have the opportunity to be in Lin City, please give me a call. I would be a very good guide and friend—Lin Qian.”
Lin Qian bought a first class ticket. In the evening, when she arrived at Lin City, she took a taxi straight to her destination.
At the end of the road was a vast industrial park. A few near white buildings stood, beautiful and stylish. At the door of Ai Da, four gilded characters stood out.
Lin Qian’s driver stopped some hundred metres away and parked in front of a residential building. She had rented this house a month ago. After entering her room she threw her suitcase on the ground, and directly lay down on the bed.
For a moment, everything felt calm, and she looked at her phone. Sure enough, as expected, no new text messages or phone calls came.
Seriously, this was the first time she had offered a man her phone number. What a good failure.
She smiled and stood up, drawing back the curtain. Golden sunset rays poured in and gleamed over the Ai Da group of buildings, factories and powerhouse, and the verdant fields behind them were bathed in sunlight as well.
Lin Qian took a deep breath, coming to have an extraordinarily good mood.
She thought, this was really a good place to start. The many thousands of passing warm encounters, a prosperous beautiful home, and she was about to begin her new career.
**********
Highway to Lin City entrance
Docks with columns of military trucks, transporting veterans home.
Few officers talked in low voices, and were just about to embark on a jeep when a soldier came, panting. He ran to where the officer stood, neatly at attention, and said: “Major[1] Li[2], thank god I found you. I went to your train compartment at noon, I found this.” He handed the Major a piece of paper with a phone number and a few lines of message.
The man he had called Major Li looked at him blankly.
“I don’t need this.” He said in a cool, calm voice.
The two officers around him stood straighter, trying to peek at the uncovered bits of the chit.
After hearing him say something like that, they couldn’t stop themselves from saying “Lin Qian… was that the girl who encountered danger and hitchhiked with us? I saw her this morning, she was very beautiful. Isn’t Lin City your hometown? Why don’t you save her number?”
All eyes stared gleamingly at the Major.
He tugged his brim back down again, pulled his collar up, and stepped onto the jeep.
“Unnecessary.” He said dismissively, “She and I will soon meet again.”
[1] This is a rank in the military with the title少校 (shaoxiao). It is used for both Lieutenant Commander and Major, but I’m sticking with Major since Lt.Cm. is usually only in navies.
[2] This is his surname, but the character used for Li can mean severe/strict.
