Page 144 - updated on July

Yu Jihui: “A Stinking Old Ninth – A Tale of the Coal Capital” (updated on July 2020)

“That’s the food specially prepared for me on the

road. As a Chinese proverb goes, practice thrift at

home but be amply provided for while traveling.”

Then she sighed and said, “Actually, we peasants

often suffer from diarrhea. Life is really hard in our

village.”

I took out my two rolls and gave her one. She

was overjoyed, and with a twinkle in her eye, she

wolfed it down. Then she took a bottle and drank

some water. She ate too fast. I ate slowly. After I

finished my roll, I closed my eyes to sleep. The train

was traveling at 80 kilometers an hour, roaring. We

were bumping. By evening, I became hungry. The

woman was eating her pancake and green Chinese

onion with great relish. My mouth watered. I closed

my eyes, pretending not to see what she was doing.

She generously offered me some of her food, saying,

“Let’s share bliss and misfortune together!”

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