Chapter 66: Comrade, a Glass of Water!

Unlike Li Xiangdong, Hou San was not yet married and was still dreaming of love.

For someone like him, the temptation of money was far less powerful than a flirtatious glance from his beloved girl.

His excitement hadn’t faded yet. He followed behind Li Xiangdong with a spring in his step, “Not easy? I think it’s quite easy. We don’t need to worry about anything else, just keep an eye on each thermos. This job is so worry-free.”

“Alright, whatever you say.”

Li Xiangdong couldn’t be bothered to argue with a hot-headed person. He swung his arms, feeling that it wouldn’t be long before he developed a pair of “Kirin arms,” if nothing else!

As time slowly passed, a large crowd of people walked towards their train.

The swarming passengers crowded at the boarding entrance of each carriage.

Those traveling in groups were the most formidable. As soon as one person squeezed on, they would immediately open the windows of a nearby carriage, letting their companions throw their luggage on first. Then, they would form a human pyramid and climb into the carriage through the window.

The crew members and train police shouted at them, but it had little effect. As soon as they left, things went back to how they were.

Soon, all the seats, aisles, connections between carriages, and by the doors were filled.

Even on the luggage racks, small dining tables, the backs of the benches, and under the chairs, people were crammed everywhere.

In the crew’s break room.

While the passengers were boarding, Hou San brought Li Xiangdong in.

As Li Xiangdong was calculating how to maximize his profits, Hou San leaned over and asked, “Brother Dong, have you thought of a way to make money?”

Li Xiangdong smiled and asked, “So, do you want to make money, or do you want to get married?”

“I want… Ouch!”

“What the f*ck!”

The train suddenly lurched, and Li Xiangdong and Hou San bumped heads.

Li Xiangdong rubbed his head, “Hou San, your head is really hard.”

Hou San grinned, “Right? My mom often says I have an iron head.”

Li Xiangdong was speechless, “Is that the same thing?”

Hou San’s eyes were full of confusion, “Isn’t it the same thing?”

Li Xiangdong asked back, “Have you ever been to school?”

Hearing this, Hou San immediately replied with pride, “Of course I’ve been to school. I’m a high school graduate!”

Damn it~

Li Xiangdong was only a junior high school graduate. Education was indeed a double-edged sword, both believable and unbelievable!

The train slowly accelerated and smoothly pulled out of the station.

Hou San picked up the tin kettle on the floor, stood up, and said, “Brother Dong, it’s time for us to go out for a walk.”

Li Xiangdong followed, picking up his kettle and walking out. “Didn’t we just fill the thermoses not long ago? The train just left. Do we need to go fill them again now?”

Hou San explained, “Let’s go take a look. Usually, more water is used right after the train departs. The passengers squeeze onto the train with their big bags and small packages, who isn’t sweating? When you sweat, you need to drink water. With so many passengers, one bucket of water is definitely not enough.”

Li Xiangdong understood. This job also had its own rhythm. More water was used right after departure and before and after meals, so they needed to add water frequently.

If it was a long-distance trip, they also needed to add water to the thermoses before going to bed and before dawn the next day.

As for other times, just a periodic patrol would be enough.

The two of them passed through the crowded aisle and came to the train’s boiler.

A maintenance worker was stationed here, responsible for managing the boiler and adding water to it.

The two of them first filled their tin kettles with hot water.

Hou San led the way, shouting to the passengers crowded in the aisle, “Make way! Be careful, it’s hot! Whose child is this? Pick them up quickly, the kettle I’m carrying is full of freshly boiled hot water!”

Seeing the two of them coming with kettles, the passengers in the carriage held out their cups and tea mugs.

“Hey~ Comrade, don’t go yet, give me a glass of water.”

“Pour me a glass too, thank you, comrade.”

“Here, here, me too.”

Following behind Hou San, Li Xiangdong looked at the passengers, each one waiting to be served. He exclaimed in his heart, “Good heavens!”

This direct experience reminded him of the waiters in a teahouse…

The only thing they were missing was a white towel draped over their shoulders!

At this moment, a middle-aged man stopped Li Xiangdong, tilted his head back, and drank the water in his tea mug. “Little comrade, fill it up, thank you.”

Li Xiangdong smiled and helped the passenger fill his mug with hot water. He still had a good service attitude. If someone smiled at him, it would be rude not to smile back.

It’s just that, facing the next passenger, and the next…

Slowly, Li Xiangdong’s face became stiff from smiling, and the arm holding the kettle began to tremble slightly.

Until he walked out of this carriage, he carried the empty kettle and let out a long sigh.

Hou San walked to the thermos, opened the tin lid, and looked inside, “There’s still a lot of water. We came out too early this time.”

Li Xiangdong rubbed his face and said nothing. Compared to directly adding water to the thermoses, pouring water for the passengers cup by cup was more tiring!

However, the situation would get better later. Most passengers would go to the thermoses to get water themselves, and fewer and fewer would ask them to pour water.

Li Xiangdong and Hou San carried the empty kettles back the way they came, returning to the boiler where the hot water was.

In this way, the two of them went back and forth, shuttling between the bumpy train carriages.

“It’s finally over.”

Back in the break room, Li Xiangdong put the kettle he was carrying on the floor and collapsed into a chair. He was now feeling dizzy.

Hou San walked into the break room with two empty lunch boxes filled with water. He put the lunch boxes on the small dining table and said with concern, “Brother Dong, are you okay? Drink some water and rest.”

“I’m fine, thank you, Hou San.”

Li Xiangdong wiped the sweat from his forehead, picked up a lunch box, and drank a few mouthfuls of water. He was not only physically tired but also a little uncomfortable.

He was used to the quietness of modern train carriages. If he happened to encounter an inconsiderate passenger, not only he, but everyone else in the carriage would feel annoyed.

In contrast, now?

The whole carriage was noisy, and no one cared about the crying and running children.

The passengers in the carriage were busy with their own things. Even passengers sitting together didn’t care about the crying of the children around them. They still dozed off, slept, drank tea, and read newspapers.

Not only did no one show any annoyance, but they would even smile and join in teasing the children.

Two completely different mentalities. He didn’t know when this change began.

Was this an upgrade or a downgrade of civilization?

Li Xiangdong, a junior high school graduate, couldn’t figure it out. He needed someone to answer his questions…

Anyway, he now needed to adjust himself and adapt to this crowded, noisy, and bumpy carriage as quickly as possible.

The two of them had just returned to the break room and hadn’t rested for a while when the train’s broadcast came on, “This train…”