September 18, 2024, 6 a.m., Lin Yuhui came out onto the street. The noise of voices filled the air. He glanced toward the intersection on the right and saw it was the morning market—no wonder no one had been out the night before. The market was full of middle-aged and elderly people, so he joined in to see what was going on. The selection was impressive: vegetables, fruits, pork—all there. Everyone spoke with the local accent, their sentences rising at the end. The green beans looked especially good, but he didn't have time to ask about prices. He only inquired about bananas, then bought a bunch to eat along the way.
2024年9月18日,清晨6点,林语晖来到街上,人声嘈杂,往右边路口一看,原来是早市,怪不得昨晚没人上街,原来早市上都是中老年人,他去也凑了个热闹.市场还真丰富,蔬菜水果,猪肉都有,逛市场的人都是当地口音,口语结尾会音调会往上翘那种.当地的豆角看起来很不错,可是没有时间打听价钱.他只问了香蕉,然后又买了一串,作为一路上的口粮.
He chose a bun shop for breakfast, where he had steamed buns. The shop also served tofu pudding. Two other men were eating there too, dressed like migrant workers. Overhearing their conversation, he learned they also farmed contracted land on a large scale—they were already propertied, and the capital needs for farming were no small matter. But relying on the weather, the cash flow pressure, and the intensity of the labor—Lin Yuhui couldn't imagine any of it. He knew he could never be that kind of propertied class, not no matter what.
早餐选择了一家包子铺,吃了包子,店里还有豆腐脑.同样就餐的还有两个男人,看样子农民工的穿着,听他们交谈才知道他们家里也承包了土地,并且规模还不小,人家已经是有产阶级了,并且种地的资金流需求还真的不小.只是那种靠天吃饭,还有资金流压力,再加上劳动强度,对于林语晖来说真的是不敢想象,反正自己是无论如何也做不了那样的资产阶级.
Having filled his stomach with what the morning demanded, Lin Yuhui returned to the hotel. To avoid any stomach trouble, he took probiotics, packed up, checked out, and set off again.
完成一早该做的填饱肚子,林语晖回到旅店,为了防止闹肚子,还吃了益生菌,然后打包退房再次上路.
Before reaching the national highway, he followed Gaode Navigation down a stretch of country roads. One section left a deep impression: a long, straight road, wide and elevated well above the fields on either side. Tall poplar trees grew densely along both sides, so high they blocked out the sky above the road. They looked decades old.
上国道之前,跟着高德导航,还需要走一段乡间小路.其中有一段路让林语晖印象深刻,一段很长的长直路,路面宽敞,高出两边田地很多,道路两边密集生长着高大的杨树,高到已经遮蔽了路上方的天空,看样子已经有大几十年的树龄了.
They guarded this road, just as they had for decades.
它们守护着这一条道路,如同几十年来一样.
A small four-wheel tractor came from the opposite direction—the diesel engine's paint was chipped, the driver's face wrinkled and dark. It emerged from the deep tunnel of time shaded by the trees, and when the driver gave it gas, the engine roared with that familiar rough diesel exhaust, belching black smoke from the top. It felt like being pulled back to childhood in the 1980s.
偶然对面驶来一辆小四轮拖拉机,那柴油机头斑驳的油漆,驾驶员褶皱而黝黑的脸庞,从树荫掩映的深邃时光隧道中驶来,一给油依旧是有些狂躁的突突突柴油机排气声和机头上方的排气黑烟,仿佛把林语晖又带回了童年的80年代.
Yet whether it's a road trip or a life journey, the scenery along the way never stops for you, no matter how much you linger. Lin Yuhui soon shook off the memories and kept going.
然而,不管是公路旅程还是人生旅程,那沿途的风景,从来不会因为你留恋与否,而为你停留.很快,林语晖就告别了回忆,继续前行.
He had originally planned to follow National Highway 102, but for some reason there were many construction zones in Liaoning, so he had to keep following the navigation off the main road. More than once he ended up on village lanes where corn was being dried, on county roads between fields, on single-lane paths through orchards. The scenery was varied, but after a whole morning he hadn't gone far, and there were heavy trucks everywhere, causing constant stop-and-go traffic.
本来原计划是沿着102国道行驶,但是不知为什么辽宁境内有很多维修路段,不得不跟着导航驶下国道,多次甚至都走到了村子里面晒玉米的小路上,还有田间县道,果园中间的单行线,沿途景观可谓丰富,只是这样走了一上午也没走多远,并且一路之上有很多重型卡车,经常堵车,走走停停.
Helpless but determined to make use of his time, near noon, stuck in another traffic jam, Lin Yuhui found a quiet spot and turned off the road. He sat in the car to eat and drink, then got out to relieve himself in the grass. He thought to himself how convenient it was to be a man—he could water the plants anytime.
无奈为了有效利用时间,快到中午的时候的堵车路上走走停停,林语晖找了一个僻静所在拐了进去,坐在车里吃喝,然后下车到草丛里放水,他自己也心中感慨,做男人真是方便啊,可以随时给花花草草浇浇水.
After a morning of suffering on those country roads, Lin Yuhui finally left the inland and reached the Bohai Bay coast.
经过了一上午的乡村小路上的煎熬,林语晖终于离开了辽宁省内陆,到了渤海湾沿线.
This was a tourist area with good roads, but for some reason there were many large semi-trailer trucks on the road, which made driving his small car feel oppressive. Cautious as he was, he knew the destructive power of these behemoths, so he avoided the slow lane, never let himself get sandwiched between two trucks, and minimized the time spent in such dangerous situations. When passing, he honked continuously and flashed his headlights—he had to make sure the truck drivers could see him.
这一带是旅游区,道路条件不错,但是不知为何路上有很多大型半挂车,这让驾驶小车的林语晖感到很压抑.谨慎的他当然知道这些大家伙的杀伤力,所以他尽量不行驶在慢车道,不被夹在两辆大货车之间,或者尽量减少这种危险状态的时间,超车的时候提前持续鸣笛闪大灯,必须得让大车司机看到自己的存在.
So to break free from the truck encirclement, he often pushed his 1.0-liter naturally aspirated car to 110–120 km/h. Fortunately, the car handled well—acceleration was crisp, lane changes were precise, and it never let him down.
所以为了脱离大货车的围困,他经常把这辆1.0升排量的自然吸气小车开到一百一到一百二的时速,好在车辆状态还很稳定,提速干脆,变道指向清晰,一点也没有让他失望.
Sometimes when traffic ahead forced him to stop, he'd pull to the roadside and watch the rearview mirror for approaching trucks. If one couldn't stop, he'd floor it onto the emergency lane or slip into a gap between the queued trucks. His car was narrow enough to fit through any opening.
有时候前面堵车,不得不停下来,他就把自己的车停在靠路边一侧,从后视镜盯着后面上来的大货车,它要是停不住,自己就一脚油门开上应急车道,或者前面排队的大货车之间的空隙,反正自己的小车宽度较小,有个空隙就能钻进去.
The coastal road was good, but it was either jammed or speed-limited. As dusk fell, Lin Yuhui stopped in Suizhong County and chose Yaju Hotel from the navigation.
就这样,本来沿海很好的路面,但是的不是堵车就是限速,天色渐晚,林语晖只好在绥中县停下了赶路,从导航选择了当地的雅居宾馆.
It seemed he had passed through the county's central commercial district—the streets were lined with modern commercial buildings, restaurants, and hotels. The pedestrian streets and plazas were paved with stone, suggesting a strong local economy, probably from tourism.
似乎这次他经过的路线是县城里的中心繁华地带,公路两侧的街景多是商业建筑,饭店和旅店,并且建筑造型现代,步行街道和广场都是石材覆盖,看来地方经济不错,可能是旅游城市的缘故吧.
What impressed Lin Yuhui most was that the hotel was nice and affordable. He unpacked in his room, then took out his phone to send his daughter a WeChat location—he wanted to tell her he was getting closer. Only to find he had been blocked. Was she busy at home? Or did she just want the surprise of his unannounced arrival? After all, she had sworn to him, and these past few days they had been chatting passionately, seriously confirming their relationship.
更让林语晖印象深刻的是,旅馆条件很好而且价格亲民.来到自己在房间放好行李,拿出电话给女儿发一个微信位置,想告诉她自己距离她越来越近了.结果发现自己被拉黑了,是她在家里不方便吗?或许她只是想要自己不宣而至的惊喜?毕竟她已经发了毒誓,这些天来和自己也是聊得火热,很认真地和自己确立过关系.
Lin Yuhui didn't think too much about it and focused on dinner first. On his way downstairs, he saw the hotel owner hand the front desk to his wife and head out to walk the dog. What a relaxed life.
林语晖没有多想,还是先安排自己的晚饭吧.下楼的时候看见旅店老板把前台交给了老婆,自己出去遛狗了,这样的生活节奏真是惬意啊.
After two days of hard driving with little food or rest, Lin Yuhui had stopped in this lively small town and decided to treat himself to a proper meal, a reward for his body.
这两天以来的赶路,林语晖没吃好也没休息好,恰好今天停顿在这个比较繁华的小城镇,他计划给自己买点好吃的,正餐,犒劳犒劳自己的身体.
He walked down the street. There weren't many restaurants open—it was getting late, and students were heading home from school with backpacks. People still rode bikes in the bike lane, and buses ran frequently. In the dim evening light, the bus interiors glowed warm yellow, like the comfort of heading home. The whole town had a rich, lived-in feel.
沿街走下去,饭店并不多,时候不早了,还有学生放学,背着书包在街上走过,自行车道上上还有人在骑自行车作为交通工具,往来的公交车频次还比较密集,在黯淡的夜色里,车厢内的灯光呈现淡淡的黄色,宛如归家的温暖,一切都让这个现代小城镇有着浓郁的生活气息.
But Lin Yuhui was still on his journey, uncertain of what lay ahead, following his heart toward her. For now, that meant finding something good to eat.
可是林语晖还在他的路上,不知道前途如何,这时跟随着自己的心意,追寻她的方向.当然了,现在的方向是找点好的食物.
He walked along the street, passing several restaurants and glancing at their specialties, but nothing appealed to him. After two days on the road, he wanted something refreshing.
沿着街边的道路走下去,走过了几个餐馆,看了招牌菜,但是不太喜欢它们提供的食物.两天的奔波,林语晖现在感觉他想吃点什么爽口的.
It was fully dark now. He picked a place and ordered a plate of three-delicacy dumplings and a large cold dish platter. Instead of eating inside, he paid and waited outside on the plaza—he was afraid of catching a cold or COVID in the crowd.
天色已经全黑,他选中了一家,点了一盘三鲜馅儿的水饺和一个大拼盘凉菜.林语晖没有在店里等待用餐,而是交了钱到门店外的广场上等待,他怕人多传染自己感冒或者新冠病毒.
But the food came as slowly as the town's pace. Lin Yuhui stood outside the bright glass doors, pacing and watching pedestrians and the night scene. It took over half an hour to get his food. What could he do? If you want something, you just have to wait.
然而上菜的速度就如同这个小镇的生活节奏一样缓慢,林语晖站在餐馆明亮的玻璃门外,踱步看着往来行人和夜色街景.等了半个多钟头才得到自己想要的食物.有什么办法呢?想要就只能等待.
He carried the food back to the hotel and set the dish he'd been craving on the table. He opened it—a plate of Northeast Big Laipi. Neatly arranged inside were shredded cucumber, shredded carrot, shredded red cabbage, bean sprouts, dried tofu strips, and sheet jelly, topped with sesame paste, minced garlic, sesame seeds, cilantro, and a few pieces of wood ear mushroom.
拎着食物回到旅馆,首先把他心心念念爽口食物放在桌儿上,打开,一盘东北大拉皮.里面整齐地摆放着黄瓜丝,胡萝卜丝,紫甘蓝丝,豆芽,干豆腐条和粉皮,上面浇着芝麻酱,蒜末,芝麻,香菜,还有几片木耳.
Lin Yuhui's mouth watered as he stirred the cold dish with disposable chopsticks. The sesame paste was thick, and as he mixed it, the aroma rose. Before it was fully mixed, he couldn't resist and started eating the cucumber and bean sprouts—crisp, watery, and full of vitamins, just what his body needed after two days of travel.
林语晖嘴里含着口水,用一次性筷子搅拌着凉菜,芝麻酱有点粘稠,搅拌着就闻到了香味儿,只是部分拌好了他就迫不及待地从黄瓜丝和豆芽开吃了.清脆并且含水量高,还富含维生素,正好补充这两天身体的消耗.
But the Liaoning-style Northeast Big Laipi had thick sheet jelly and dried tofu, unlike the Jilin version where the dried tofu was cut thin and mixed with cucumber for a better texture. The sesame paste was also a bit heavy, with not enough sweet and sour—plenty of aroma but lacking that refreshing balance.
只是辽宁款的东北大拉皮里的粉皮和干豆腐都有点厚,不像吉林的是干豆腐切丝,可以和黄瓜丝一起,吃起来口感更好.另外就是芝麻酱有点多,糖醋不足,香气有余清爽差点口味.
Still, when you're on the road, perfection isn't the point. Nutrition is what matters. He still had to drive tomorrow.
可是出门在外要什么完美呢,补充营养是重点,明天还要赶路.
(Translated by ERNIE Bot)