September 19, 2024. Being blocked on WeChat the night before did not stop Lin Yuhui from going to meet his new daughter.
2024年9月19日, 昨晚的微信被拉黑并没有阻挡林语晖想要会见新女儿的脚步.
Along the way there were still many large trucks. He finally understood why the roads had been under construction and why there were traffic jams: a huge volume of logistics traffic was headed for the Tianjin port and the Hebei industrial zone ahead.
一路上依然有很多大货车,他终于理解了之前的修路和堵车,大量的物流因为前方就是天津港和河北工业区.
The road was wide, but the surface was broken concrete. For some reason, a long line had formed up ahead again, but the truck queues were only two columns wide; the left side of the road was empty. Lin Yuhui was a little puzzled.
道路很宽阔,只是路面都是破碎的水泥铺装.不知为何前方又排起了长队,但是卡车队列只有两列,左边路面空旷,林语晖有些不理解.
He got out and saw that they were waiting for a train to pass. There was a railroad crossing ahead, the barrier already down, but it was too far away to hear the classic ding-ding warning sound of a railway crossing.
下车一看原来是在等火车通过,前方是一个铁道路口,已经落杆了,只是距离太远,听不见经典的铁路路口的叮当警示音.
It was rare to have a moment of respite in a traffic jam. Lin Yuhui looked back. The place was remote and open, no vehicles behind him. The weeds by the roadside were waist‑high. The morning chill had filled his bladder, and the rough road's bumps had made it almost unbearable. This was the perfect moment to take care of business.
难得堵车的时候可以忙里偷闲,林语晖回头一看,地点偏僻宽阔,后面没有来车,路边杂草半人多高,一早上的低温也使得膀胱充胀,加上这破路面的颠簸,简直酸爽,正好趁现在解决问题.
So he pulled over to the shoulder, turned the steering wheel sharply so that the rear of the car blocked the view from behind, opened the front door to block the view from ahead, stood in the small space, and prepared to relieve himself against the roadside weeds. But try as he might, he couldn't seem to "open the valve."
于是他把车靠到路边,又向作打了一把舵,车尾挡住了后方的视线,打开前门,挡住了前方的视线,自己站在空间里对着路边的野草准备放水,但是试了半天打不开阀门啊.
He looked down. The strong wind was bending the grass. No wonder the valve wouldn't open — if he let go into the wind, everything would blow right back on him. He had to smile. Lin Yuhui was curious: how had his body instinctively known to avoid something he hadn't even thought of? He simply turned a little to the side, out of the wind, and the problem was solved.
低头一看,疾风之劲草,怪不得阀门不开,这迎着风一开闸不都吹回来了,呵呵.林语晖也很好奇,自己之前根本没想到的事情,怎么体感的下意识就做到了?他只好侧了侧身,避开风头,果然问题解决了.
With his mindset broadened and his load lightened, he got back in the car and drove straight past the mile‑long line of vehicles, pulling up alongside the railroad crossing. There were no yellow or white lines on the road anyway, and the nose of his little car practically slid under the lowered barrier.
格局打开,轻装上阵,回到车上林语晖直接超越这一里长的车队,并排排在了铁道路口,反正路上没有黄线白线,甚至自己的小车机头都要插到横杆下了.
The train passed, the barrier lifted. The heavy trucks hadn't started moving yet. He stepped on the gas and crossed over — efficient for himself and no trouble for anyone else.
火车开过,横杆抬起,其它的重载卡车还没动起来,他一脚油门就直接过去了,自己高效也不影响其他人.
A smooth morning's drive soon took him out of the coastal tourist area and into the Caofeidian district of Hebei Province. The most immediate impressions: the sky had no color, and he paid his first toll.
一上午的顺利驾驶很快就离开了滨海旅游区,进入了河北省曹妃甸地区.最直观的感受就是天空没有颜色,和第一次缴纳过路费.
The road conditions here were acceptable — wide and with good traffic flow. The only problem was that some stretches had been damaged by heavy trucks, leaving loose gravel and potholes that made for a bumpy ride.
这里的路况还可以,路面宽广,交通顺畅,唯一的问题就是有些路面被大货车压得损坏了,会有些碎石和坑洼颠簸.
Moreover, the traffic lights at each section were hard to time. Sometimes he had to brake sharply from around 100 km/h to a stop at the line. It was then that Lin Yuhui noticed that his car's braking force was unbalanced: the left front brake was a bit soft. Just before coming to a full stop, he had to turn the wheel to the left. He wasn't sure if it was brake fade, an imbalance in braking force, or possibly the curvature of the road.
还有每一个路段的红绿灯都不太好赶,有时候不得不从时速一百左右急刹到停止线.这时候林语晖发现了他的小车制动力跑偏,左前刹车有点软,需要在快刹停的时候左打方向,不知道是热衰退,还是制动力不平衡,或者也可能是路面曲率的影响.
This car he had chosen — after driving it just over ten thousand kilometers, he had quit driving and left it sitting. When he reactivated it, all it needed was a new battery; otherwise there were no problems at all. Lin Yuhui was pleased with his original choice. The old Chang'an Suzuki Alto had been quite reliable.
这辆他挑选的车,自从购买,只跑了一万多公里就辞职不开了,放在那里,当再次启用,除了换个电瓶,其他方面没有任何问题,林语晖很满意自己当初的选择,当年长安铃木新奥拓的质量还是不错的.
After speeding through that industrial zone, Lin Yuhui gradually entered Tianjin territory, part of the Binhai New Area. Most of the route was on Central Avenue — city roads, elevated roads, and, of course, plenty of construction zones that forced him to slow down and merge.
快速通过这一段工业区之后,林语晖驾车就逐步进入了天津地界,属于滨海新区范围,大部分路段行驶在中央大道上,有市区道路,有高架道路,当然也少不了修路减速并线.
By the time he left Tianjin and re‑entered Hebei Province, it was already afternoon. The roads here were narrower and more winding. Unfamiliar with the route, he drove cautiously for safety, not very fast. Then, along with the gloomy sky came light rain, and his mood grew impatient. On this desolate road there was no inn to stop at; if this continued, he would be stranded on the road after dark.
当驶出天津地界再次进入河北省,已经是下午了,这里的道路比较窄而且多弯,因为路况不熟悉,为了安全,林语晖的行进速度不高.然而随着阴郁的天空而来的小雨,他的心情也有点急躁了,荒凉的路上没有可以落脚的旅店,这样下去可就要在夜里把自己扔在路上了.
The sky was growing darker, time more pressing. Under normal circumstances, Lin Yuhui would never drive behind a truck — he was afraid of being rear‑ended by a truck behind him and crushed between two vehicles. So whenever a truck came up from behind, he would let it pass.
天色还在变暗,时间越来越紧迫.按照平时林语晖的驾驶习惯,不会跟在卡车后面,因为怕自己身后的卡车追尾,自己就会被两辆卡车夹扁,所以后面有卡车他都是会让过去.
But now, pressed for time, he changed his strategy. He stayed behind a truck, because the truck had a better field of vision, its driver might know the route, and most importantly, by watching the truck's turn signals he could anticipate the direction of the road ahead and avoid misjudging a curve and running off the road.
但是现在时间紧迫,他只好改变策略,跟在卡车后面,因为他们视野好,而且还有可能熟悉路线,最重要的是可以观察他们的转向方向,就能提前知道道路走向了,不至于判断失误而冲出弯道.
Once he had made up his mind, he began following a truck that had overtaken him and was heading his way. This time the truck that passed him had a blue‑and‑white cab, rounded in shape, like something he remembered seeing in films a long time ago — an old model. But surprisingly, Lin Yuhui found it hard to keep up with that old truck.
拿定主意之后,他开始跟随超过自己的顺路的卡车.这次超过自己的是一辆蓝白色机头的卡车,车头圆润,好像很久以前在影视剧里见过,这车型有年头了.但是没想到就是这样一辆老车,林语晖会觉得跟不上它的速度.
Not that he couldn't catch it — he already felt that driving at that speed was too dangerous, especially on such unfamiliar roads in such dim light.
不是追不上,是他已经感到以那样的车速行驶太危险了,尤其是这样陌生的环境,暗淡的天色里.
Soon he let another truck go by. This one had a closed cargo box. It was also traveling very fast, but Lin Yuhui could follow it fairly comfortably. Sometimes it pulled away, but hampered by traffic conditions, he was still able to catch up.
没过多久,他又让过了一辆卡车,这次是一辆封闭货箱卡车,它跑得也很快,但是林语晖可以比较舒服地跟上它,虽然有时候它会跑远,但是碍于路上的交通状况,林语晖还是能够赶上来.
And so, in the fading twilight, Lin Yuhui kept following it. Even he was privately curious: why was it going exactly his way?
就这样,在逐渐黯淡的天色中,林语晖一直在跟着它跑.就连他自己都暗自好奇,为什么它跟自己那么顺路.
As night was about to fall, against the faintly visible remaining glow of the sky, the truck's large square cargo box and its dim taillights were a constant, reliable guide ahead. They guided Lin Yuhui's pursuit — where the curves were, which way to turn. The sharpness of a curve could be read from the angle of the truck's body. At a right‑angle intersection, the truck would slow down gradually, make a hard turn, and expose its entire side to Lin Yuhui's view.
当夜色已经要降临,还隐约可见的天空光亮背景中,它那方大的货箱,黯淡的尾灯,一直是前路中确定的指引.指引着林语晖的跟随,哪里是弯道,朝哪一边转向,弯道的曲率都能从它车身的角度辨别出来.如果是直角路口,它就会逐步减速,然后转一个直角弯,把整个侧面暴露给林语晖的视野.
He followed it like that until it was completely dark. The truck drove straight into an even darker, tree‑shaded road. Lin Yuhui, however, needed to turn left, and he could already see the lights of a small town not far ahead.
就这样跟着它行驶,直到天色已黑,它直行驶进了一条更加暗淡的树荫浓密的公路,而林语晖也应该左转了,并且已经看到了前方不远处小城镇的灯火.
Grateful to that truck driver, Lin Yuhui also wondered: had the driver noticed that he was following his lead? Maybe that was why, although speeding up or slowing down now and then, he had never completely shaken him off.
怀着心中对那一位卡车司机的感激,林语晖也在想,他是不是已经注意到了我在跟随他的引导,所以这一路上,尽管有时候快点慢点,但是他一直没有完全甩下自己.
This seemed to be a small town whose development had stalled in time. There were no modern buildings on either side of the road — only low, flat‑roofed houses. But there were supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants — a fully functional community.
这好像是一个在时光中停滞了发展的小城镇,道路两边没有这个时代的建筑,只有低矮的,平顶的房屋.但是有超市,药店,餐饮,一个功能齐全的社区.
The inn he reached via navigation was also a privately built structure. His room was on the second floor. Lin Yuhui took special note of the people and the environment — after all, he didn't want to check into a den of thieves.
跟着导航到达的旅店也是私人搭建的建筑,房间在二楼,林语晖特意留意了一下人员和环境情况,毕竟他也不想住进黑店.
With lodging secured, the next thing was to fill his stomach. Walking down the street in the darkness really felt like going back in time. The walls of the buildings on both sides were raw concrete. On the ground floor, there were small businesses like motorcycle repair shops and fruit stalls. The second floor was residential; the cool light shining from the windows revealed iron security bars and clothes hanging to dry inside.
有了住处之后,接着就是填饱肚子.夜色里沿着街道走下去,真的有点时光倒流的感觉,道路两侧水泥本色的建筑墙壁,一楼有些摩托车修理,水果摊位之类的小生意,二楼是住宅,窗户透出的冷色灯光,映出了窗外的防盗铁栏杆还有里面悬挂晾晒的衣服.
There were no streetlights. The street was lit only by the lights from the shopfronts. A small food stall used a single bare bulb for illumination. It gave off a strangely familiar warmth, like the nostalgic street markets of the early reform‑and‑opening period.
路上没有路灯,只靠街边经营场所的灯光照亮街道,街边点着一只电灯泡照亮的小吃摊位,一种莫名的改革开放初期街市怀旧时光的亲切.
Weighing his options as he walked and looked, Lin Yuhui chose a savory pancake with egg and vegetables — no meat, and it would keep longer, so he could save it for tomorrow's breakfast. Then he picked a roujiamo (meat burger) for his dinner tonight. The meat appeared to have been stewing in the pot for a while, so it should be safe. To avoid catching a cold or COVID‑19, he kept his distance from everyone, especially anyone who sneezed; he had heard that COVID‑19 had been quite severe in the Hebei area lately.
边走边看的权衡之间,林语晖选择了煎饼摊鸡蛋加蔬菜,这个不含肉,能存放时间长一点,留作明天的早餐.又选了一个肉夹馍作为今天的晚餐,看起来他的肉一直炖在锅里,应该不会坏.为了不被传染感冒或者新冠,他和每个人保持距离,尤其是打喷嚏的,他听说河北一带之前新冠流行比较严重.
Back at the inn, with his hunger satisfied, he tried again to send a message to the daughter he had newly acknowledged. Only three hundred kilometers remained — he could reach her by tomorrow morning and meet her.
回到旅店,填饱了肚子,他又试着给自己新认的女儿发信息,因为只差三百公里的距离了,明天上午就能到达,与她见面了.
But the WeChat message still failed to send. He was still blocked. Why would that be? They were about to meet tomorrow — why cut off communication at this most critical moment?
但是微信消息依然发送失败,自己还是被拉黑状态.为什么会这样呢?可是明天就要见面了,为什么在这最重要的时候阻断了联系通道了呢?
He had her phone number, but he didn't want to bother her too much, so he simply sent a text message asking what was going on. At the same time, he speculated about Chi Yanxia's situation. Could she have been called in for questioning because of the videos and pictures she had sent him a few days earlier?
林语晖有她的手机号,但是他不想打扰她过多,所以只是发送了短信,询问情况.一边还在推测着迟艳霞遇到了什么情况,难道是因为她前几天给自己发的视频和图片而被约谈了吗?
With these questions in his mind, Lin Yuhui took a quick shower in the bathroom, all the while thinking about his plan for the next day. But the water temperature in this small inn was not good — it was so cold that he began to shiver. Soon, however, he realized he wasn't shivering because of the cold water. He could feel the muscles in his lower back twitching, strand by strand, in waves — localized twitching, not the whole‑body shivering of skeletal muscle caused by low temperature.
带着这些疑惑,林语晖到浴室简单冲了个澡,一边思考着明天的规划.只是这个小旅店的淋浴水温不太好,冷得有点发抖.可是很快他发现自己不是因为水温低在发抖,因为他感到腰背的肌肉在一丝丝,一股股地在跳动,局部的跳动,不是骨骼肌整体的因为低温而颤抖.
He finished his shower hastily, put on the clothes he had brought to keep warm, and wrapped himself up. He knew that during the COVID‑19 pandemic there had been a virus going around that caused exactly this kind of muscle twitching. He just didn't know whether he had caught it the day before or the day before that.
简单完成淋浴,林语晖拿出了携带的衣裤穿上给自己保温,他知道新冠流行期间有一种流行病毒就是这种肌肉跳动反应,只是不知道自己是前天被传染的还是昨天被传染的.
Could it be that something had been added to the food he ate? Lin Yuhui couldn't help but consider all kinds of possibilities. The uncertainty seemed to intensify his sense of anxiety. The chime of his phone indicated that new work tasks had arrived. Could he work in this condition? The thought was dismissed in an instant, along with the planned meeting with his so‑called daughter tomorrow. He couldn't go through with renting and moving house while infected with a virus — who knew how this virus might develop? He couldn't court death.
是不是自己吃的食物里面添加了什么呢?林语晖不得不猜测各种可能性,似乎这种不确定性的猜疑加重了心慌的感觉.旁边手机的提示音表示着新的工作任务到了,要在这种状况下工作吗?只是一瞬间的念头就被立刻否决了,连同明天与所谓的女儿的相会被一同否决了.自己不能在感染病毒的情况下再去跑租房搬家的事情,这种病毒会怎么发展还不知道,不能作死.
Obviously, staying alive was the top priority. The conclusion: take extra medication to prevent and treat COVID‑19, put on more clothes to stay warm, tough out the night, and first thing tomorrow, drive straight back home to rest.
显然活着是首要目标,结论就是增加服用防治新冠的药物,多穿衣物保暖熬过这一宿,明天立刻返程回家休息.
(Translated by GLM)