Open Library Collection 2: In the City

Author: Ye Shengtao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1994-01-01
Features: Outside the window, one or two sparrows chirped softly, their voices a bit lonely. It was bright outside, but only a dull light shone on the window, lacking a refreshing aura—perhaps the sun wouldn’t come out today. Although it was early autumn, there was already a cool breeze; the two of them were covered under a quilt, instinctively curling up like two drunken shrimp. The woman sighed deeply, her body slightly moved, her head shrinking closer as if she were being teased by a hedgehog.
Content of the book: The train moved slower, taking a temporary rest. Some passengers stood up, or took off the suitcases placed on top of their heads, or arranged the packages beside their seats, or put on their long robes and black silk jackets. Some women opened their small leather cases, which they never left unattended, and checked their reflections in the mirrors inside. They took out powder paper and wiped it on their foreheads and faces, then continued to turn and look without stopping.
Passengers looked out the left-side window of the train. Among the dense trees, a stretch of city wall appeared low. Inside the wall, a tall tower rose, its painted railings and eaves bells faintly recognizable. Although this might not have been the first time the passengers had seen such a sight, some regarded it as a sign of arrival, others as a measure of the journey, and still others rekindled their childhood curiosity, pointing and exclaiming, "Tower! Tower!"