They say "ten years of hard study," and it's truly no ordinary hardship. After three months of relaxation following the Gaokao (national college entrance examination), I finally shouldered my luggage and trotted off to university, eager to experience that legendary "awesome" campus life.
Finally, I could break free from home constraints.
In fact, when applying to schools, I deliberately chose those far from home. "Where the mountain is high and the emperor is far away"—without parental restrictions, life would surely be wonderful. But later I realized my mistake, and regret was all I had.
The train departed at 9 PM, and I was incredibly excited. I'd never ridden a train before, always imagining it as the one from the childhood TV show Little Flying Tigers.
When ticket checking finally came, the crowd was overwhelming. At the train station, you'll truly appreciate the necessity of the Party's family planning policy.
A girl ahead wore jeans, a white top, and authentic "instant noodle" curly hair, constantly shouting:
"Hey, don't push me!"
"Are you blind? My bag!"
"Don't touch my clothes! Can't you see it's white?"
Amid the noisy crowd, her voice stood out "loudly." If not for her slim figure and shoulder-length hair, I might have snapped at her.
This reminded me of my high school deskmate, who acted all urban, buying heaps of snacks daily and drinking "Shuangwaiwai" (a kids' milk drink)—unbearable for a senior high student.
Oops... I digress. Finally squeezing through the crowd and checking in, I boarded the train for the first time, following the flow. On the platform, a green train huffed and puffed to a stop (maybe "roared" isn't the right word...).
After a fierce struggle, I squeezed onto the train, found my seat, and sat down.
I庆幸(was grateful) for my wisdom in not bringing too much luggage, and especially for my figure that many girls envied...
The train felt novel, like a bus with rows of seats and small tables—presumably for card games, since train rides are boring.
I sat quietly, watching burly men toss luggage onto the racks like they were moving homes.
"Move inside first to let others on! Find seats after the train starts... Don't block the door! Can't you hear?"
The train attendants' attitude was terrible. If customers are gods, they must think they're reincarnations of Jesus.
Soon, the train huffed into motion, slowly leaving the station. A tinge of sadness welled up—I was leaving home for college, departing from my hometown. Goodbye, hometown's blue sky, white clouds, green mountains, and clear waters...
"Excuse me, this seat is mine..."
A familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. Looking up, it was the "shrew" from before. A middle-aged woman across from her glanced at her ticket and reluctantly stood up.
I thought, "Thanks a lot, fate—couldn't you arrange someone better?"
I kept my head down, chatting with high school classmates on QQ.
The girl fussed with her belongings for ages before settling down to play the mobile game "LianLianKan" (Matching Puzzle).
Soon, I dozed off with my head on the table.
Not sure how much time passed, I felt someone jostling me. Opening my eyes, holy crap—so many people! The aisle was crammed: standing, squatting, sitting... More crowded than a trade fair.
Wiggling my feet, I felt something soft. Bending down, I saw a person sleeping soundly under the seat. Mind blown!
Checking my珍藏版(collector's edition) Nokia 1680c, three hours had passed. Sleep is great—time flies when you close your eyes and open them!
Looking at the girl across from me, she was wearing earphones, listening to music and staring my way. I checked left and right—nothing special. Was she eyeing me? Daydreaming is shameful!
She gave a sly smile: "What are you looking for? You seem familiar." (Her tone was明显(obviously) gentler now.)
I thought, "That's such a cliché pickup line... No creativity."
"Pleased to meet you. I keep a low profile and don't know many people. Plus, I have a generic face, so you must have mistaken me... Where do you think you've seen me, miss?" My words made her burst into laughter. "This is low profile? May I ask your name, young hero..."
I hate when people ask my name, but courtesy forced me to reply, stammering:
"My surname is Cao, and my given name is... Shuai (handsome)." I've always wondered why my parents gave me this name with such a bad homophone ("Cao Shuai" sounds like "草率," meaning hasty). Am I really their child? My brother's name, Cao Dan, sounds much better...
"Cao Shuai? You're joking."
Suddenly, everyone around stared at us. I wished I could turn invisible, feeling郁闷(depressed), helpless, and抓狂(frustrated), but I had to pretend nothing was wrong.
"It's my real name: Cao as in 'cao' (grass), Shuai as in 'shuai' (handsome)."
"Oh, sorry. I just felt like I'd seen you. Which high school did you graduate from?" She was practically investigating my background.
"I graduated from County A No.1 High School this year." I guessed her next words: sure enough, "I graduated from there too, a year ahead of you—class of 2008."
Ah! That's how we started talking, got to know each other, grew closer, and... well, you get the idea.
Since she was from No.1 High, it made sense she thought I looked familiar. I had a small reputation there for singing Xu Song's songs. Though Xu Song wasn't as famous then, many at school liked him because of me. Hearing she was from there, I thought, "Don't let outsiders hear this—with her attitude, she'd embarrass the school, even though my own manners aren't great..."
"Oh, so you're my senior! Pleased to meet you!" Though thinking this, I maintained a respectful demeanor, thanks to the summer days I spent "wandering," which taught me social skills (comment if you want to hear about those days; I'll elaborate later).
"You must be going to college. Where did you get in?"
"I scored poorly, just got into a junior college—** Medical College."
"Studying medicine is good—promising!"
"What about you? Still in school?"
"I'm at %& University's Business School, a third-tier college."
"I hear it's great, but unaffordable!" I said this to subtly needle her and because it was true. My score met the third-tier threshold, but the tuition was too steep—a big regret.
She asked where I was from. When I said a village, she had no clue. She claimed to be from the city and rambled on. The more we talked, the more common ground we found. I'm just like that—give me a stranger, and I can hit it off within five minutes. It's a talent!
We shared our train snacks: hers were mostly packaged, mine fresh produce—complementary. She liked mine, I liked hers. Finally, I took out two beers and asked if she wanted one. "But we have no snacks to go with it," she said. I pointed to two packs of W乌江榨菜(Wujiang Pickled Mustard).
"These work..."
"Really? I call myself a heavy drinker, but I've never had beer with pickled mustard."
She was like me—always boasting...
"Sure, we can drink it straight. We're both worldly—no need to be fussy. Open it?"
She frowned, muttered "算了" (forget it), confusing me, but then added, "Okay, open it!"
And so, my first time drinking beer with pickled mustard began. I told her, "I had a terrible first impression of you—you were so annoying. But now you're not so bad."
"College messed me up. Otherwise, I'm a淑女(lady)..." Her words made me dizzy...
※※※
Time flies like a white horse passing a gap (a cliché our primary school teachers made us use in essays). The more beautiful the memories, the harder the farewell. What's that saying? Hmm... I forgot. My memory is awful—take my Gaokao liberal arts综合(comprehensive) score: 94 out of 300. That's my most depressing result, directly leading to this "miserable" life.
On the train at 4:50 AM, two 20-year-olds—one guy, one girl—shared earphones, listening to indistinct Japanese-Korean songs, both asleep. I disliked the music, but two people were better than one. It's like skipping class: doing it alone is boring, but with someone, it's bearable. If no one joins, you'd rather endure the teacher's piercing voice.
"Passengers, the train will arrive at ** Station soon. Please prepare your luggage."
A commotion followed. I woke up to see people lining the aisle with luggage, some blocking the exit with bags taking up three people's space.
"Buddy, can you lift this so we can pass?"
"Why do you care? Can't you get off from the other side? Can't you see there's no room?"
The young man looked back helplessly—more people there.
"Sorry, we'll lift it," said someone next to the rude guy, tugging at him. The guy reluctantly hoisted the luggage onto his shoulder.
The train huffed to a stop—we'd arrived!
I remembered the girl was from %& Business School, which should be here. I yanked out her earphone, and she jolted awake. "Aren't you getting off? We're at ** Station."
"Ah? Really? Hurry, help me get my luggage! I need to go!"
I turned, confident in my height, but couldn't reach the rack. Embarrassed, I stood on the seat to取下(take down) her luggage. She grabbed it, packed quickly, and rushed to the exit.
Wait, something's missing—I didn't ask her name!
"Hey, what's your name?" I called after her.
"Written on your arm—check it!" she yelled, running out. I smiled and saw "Cheng Jie" scrawled on my wrist, along with a phone number and QQ.
A girl met on the journey left like this. What a pity! This episode is now a keepsake. Who knew this person I thought little of would greatly impact my college life?
Alone again, with new faces across from me, I ignored them and continued my unfinished dream, waiting for my ideal campus life. When I woke naturally, sunlight poured in—I'd slept through the night. Oh crap, did I miss my stop? I asked the guy next to me.
"Dude, are we near **?"
"**? We just left there!"
I was devastated—regretful,郁闷(depressed), helpless,抓狂(frustrated). I could only wait for the next stop and find a way back. My first train ride, and this "huge" mistake—so frustrating! I wanted to cry.
At the next station, I grabbed my luggage and rushed out. Lost in an unfamiliar place, I used my mouth to ask directions to the bus station.
"One ticket to ** City, please."
"Sorry, morning tickets are sold out. Come back this afternoon."
My mood was like Yue Buqun's wife finding out he wasn't a man—utter frustration. This was adding insult to injury. I finally understood what bad luck felt like.
Sigh. I'll wander around and wait for the afternoon.
As soon as I went out, someone yelled, "** City—leaves when full!" I followed the crowd onto a shabby van that held about 20 people—probably an unlicensed taxi. I had to report to school, so I had no choice. Soon, the driver started the engine, heading for my ideal destination... (Please comment after reading—your feedback is appreciated!)
※※※
After crossing mountains and rivers, we reached this "peach blossom land."
After two hours of bumpy riding, the van stopped.
"Here we are. Take bus No.13 to the city center—it goes everywhere. Our van can't enter the city, so we'll refund you 2 yuan for the bus fare."
See? I knew it was an unlicensed ride.
Getting off, I waited ages for bus No.13. The crowd was insane—only free buses get this packed, I thought. I squeezed on, standing by the window like a stork.
This left a bad first impression of the city—it was just like our hometown's omnibus No.34. Sigh...
In the city center, I studied the bus map and found ** Medical College in the far northwest—suburb of the suburbs. I regretted my choice even more. What had I done wrong to be sent here?
Taking a taxi was faster. I hailed one and headed for that so-called "peach blossom land."
We arrived in less than an hour. Comparing the campus to the photo in my admission letter, the gap was huge.
Campus was swarming with students and parents, which depressed me. Despite being away from home for the first time, missing my stop, and disliking the city... Enough whining—I needed to register.
※※※
Finding my class, I reported to the homeroom teacher, got my dorm assignment, and paid fees. After a busy morning, I was about to find my dorm when nature called. Where was the restroom? I asked a student wearing a "New Student Helper" badge. He pointed to a building.
"Over there."
"Thanks! Watch my stuff—I'll be right back." I dashed off, squeezed through the crowd, and reached the restroom. Locking the cubicle, I relieved myself with immense satisfaction.
"Why was the counselor so angry today? Did he lose at mahjong last night?" a girl's voice said. I nearly bolted but held back. Thank god for cubicle doors!
"Who knows? He's nuts." Another girl chimed in, entering another cubicle...
I stayed silent, listening as they entered the next cubicle. Should I run out now or wait? If I left, they'd think I was a perv. I was just trying to pee—what did I do wrong?
After debating, I decided to wait. But my legs were killing me...
Ugh, my first day of college was this messed up. Did I sin too much in high school, and now college was punishing me? I regretted everything!
After their chat (filled with gossip), I heard water running. The girls left, and I bolted out, checking no one saw me. Phew, good call.
My legs still shaking, I returned to the helper. He was still there—what a good guy!
"Thanks for watching my stuff—sorry to keep you waiting."
"Took you long enough. I thought you got detained for sneaking into the women's restroom," he joked. He was right, but I couldn't admit it.
"Hehe, no—stomachache. Thanks again! I'll treat you to dinner sometime." I played it off. "What's your name, senior? I need to repay you."
"No need—we're here to help!" he said casually.
"Then help me find my dorm. I'm in Building 5, Room 210." I dared not go alone—what if I found the girls' dorm? Anything's possible...
"Um... okay, let's go." He led the way. At Building 5, he stopped: "Go to the second floor and find your room."
"Wait, what's your name? I need to thank you properly."
"We learn from Lei Feng—no need to leave names. If fate wills, we'll meet again." He walked off to help others. Such people still exist—amazing.
I thought: "In this day and age, still learning from Lei Feng? Does he write about it in a diary too..."