Chapter 72

Xiao Yuanhang, of course, had no idea what Zhang Yaping was thinking. After the team members gathered and were called to order, Zhang Yaping and he conveyed the relevant telegrams and instructions to everyone. The team members then lined up in the courtyard, preparing to enter the depot to clean. At this moment, the team leader Lin Yan came over and called Zhang Yaping aside, said something, and then left.

Zhang Yaping walked out of the dispatch room feeling extremely depressed. Just now, Lin Yan had asked her to arrange the sleeper berths. Some acquaintances from the division and sister stations had found Lin Yan to secure a few sleeper berths, and Lin Yan, of course, had readily agreed. This matter had to be arranged by the regular train conductor, Zhang Yaping, as it was a custom. There were three groups of people, a total of six tickets. Zhang Yaping, being a direct subordinate, dared not skimp on this task and had to handle it properly. Originally, she had over 20 tickets, but after giving 8 to Xiao Yuanhang, only about 10 were left. Lin Yan took 6 tickets at once, leaving her with fewer tickets than Xiao Yuanhang. The "profit" of this shift was thus significantly reduced!

Xiao Yuanhang was the deputy train conductor. If the section leaders needed tickets, they wouldn't find him. Those who could ask him for tickets were mostly relatives and friends. Since he had just become a train conductor, his relatives and friends didn't know yet, so almost no one asked him for tickets. The 8 tickets he had were solid.

The safety officer of the team organized everyone into a line. Zhang Yaping waved to signal, and the safety officer shouted a slogan. The team turned right and marched towards the gate leading to the platform. Zhang Yaping walked in the middle of the line, while Xiao Yuanhang was at the back, closing the line. At this moment, a woman in her thirties ran out from the section office. Seeing Xiao Yuanhang, who was wearing the train conductor's armband, walking at the back of the line, she hurried over and said, "Conductor Xiao, hello!"

Although Xiao Yuanhang didn't recognize her, she looked familiar, and he knew she was from the train section. He looked at her and said, "Hello, who are you?"

"I'm Li Chunfang from the Personnel and Labor Office. I have a favor to ask of Conductor Xiao." Li Chunfang had no choice but to seek Xiao Yuanhang's help. Her husband was a salesperson at the railway hospital's multiple business company. He had to attend a drug ordering conference in Jinmen with the deputy director, and the sleeper tickets at the station were already sold out. The only option was to get tickets from the train.

Li Chunfang was a train attendant and had been on duty in the Personnel and Labor Office for over two years but had not been promoted to a regular position. She mainly handled the calculation of the train conductor's working hours. Being on duty was essentially a helper role, not even a temporary employee. She had previously asked Zhang Yaping for sleeper tickets, but Zhang Yaping, being the type who wouldn't give tickets to someone of no use, had refused. This time, seeing that it was Zhang Yaping's shift, she felt disheartened. She wanted to ask the director for two tickets, but the director was on a business trip. Her husband was traveling with the deputy director, and if she couldn't secure the sleeper tickets, it would be impossible for him to continue working. Out of desperation, she had to find Xiao Yuanhang.

Hearing Li Chunfang's name, Xiao Yuanhang immediately recognized her. In his previous life, when he worked in the train section office, Li Chunfang had already transferred to the travel service company. After working as a helper in the Personnel and Labor Office for over five years without a chance to become a regular employee, the director, seeing her hard work, had taken pity on her and found the section chief to plead for her, transferring her to the travel service company as a businessperson. Although she was on a cadre roster, it was an internal company position without a formal division order, and she worked until retirement.

After recognizing her, Xiao Yuanhang smiled and said, "Sister Li, what's the matter?"

Li Chunfang said, "My husband and their director are going to Jinmen for a conference today. They received the notice only yesterday, and the station's sleeper tickets are already sold out. My husband doesn't mind, but the director can't sit in a hard seat all night. So, I'm asking you to help me get two sleeper tickets. Don't worry, I understand the rules, and I'll have my husband find you on the train."

Xiao Yuanhang, of course, understood Li Chunfang's hint. Even if he didn't want any favors, he couldn't say it outright. Actions speak louder than words, and everyone has a sense of fairness. He smiled and said, "Sure, Sister Li, I understand. Have your husband find me when the time comes!"

"Thank you, Conductor Xiao!" Li Chunfang, seeing Xiao Yuanhang agree, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had come to Xiao Yuanhang with a do-or-die determination, willing to spend a month's salary to secure a sleeper for the director. If her husband, whose wife worked in the train section, couldn't get a sleeper, it would be a huge embarrassment, and her husband's future would be jeopardized. So, before Xiao Yuanhang could refuse, she had hinted that she would follow the rules.

"You're welcome!" Xiao Yuanhang, seeing the team almost at the gate, waved to Li Chunfang and ran a few steps to catch up.

Inside the depot, the cleaning and vehicle inspection proceeded as usual. Seeing that the business officer of Team B, Xu Yanchun, was filling out forms at the office, Xiao Yuanhang walked over and said, "Sister Xu, note this down. The 8 berths on the 18th, 19th, and 20th will be managed by Team B. Li Chunfang's husband and their director are going to Jinmen for a conference, and I've promised to help. Assign the upper and lower berths on the 18th to them, and keep the other 6 berths. Don't sell them all at once; keep two in reserve. If there's nothing special, you can sell them before we finish our shift."

Railway employees on business trips use railway public exemption tickets, officially called "People's Republic of China Railway Hard (Soft) Seat Temporary Travel Certificate." Each unit has a certain number of tickets. After the unit leader signs off, the office issues the public exemption ticket and a business trip certificate. To board the train, one must have the public exemption ticket, business trip certificate, and work ID. Of course, sleeper berths for business trips are also free.

"Ah!" Xu Yanchun was increasingly shocked. Why would Zhang Yaping, who was always after money, give Xiao Yuanhang two extra tickets? Was it because Xiao Yuanhang was handling Lin Zhigang's matter? What shocked her even more was that Xiao Yuanhang was letting her manage the tickets, essentially giving her the ticket quota. If Xiao Yuanhang had no special requirements, she could sell them to anyone! The benefits would be hers! Was Xiao Yuanhang really naive, or was he just putting on a show? She was confused.

The train left the depot on time and arrived at the platform. There were still 10 minutes before the station started checking tickets. The attendants prepared inside the train, and when the station began checking tickets, they took their positions, opened the doors, and welcomed the passengers.

Although there were many passengers boarding today, Xiao Yuanhang didn't go to the hard seat car. He stood at the door of the soft sleeper car, looking towards the soft seat waiting room. Today, the Guhe station had sold only one soft sleeper compartment, to a group led by Minister Xu from the Guhe Municipal Organization Department. He wanted to meet Minister Xu and get a feel for the situation.

Soon, the door of the soft seat waiting room opened, and four people came out. A man in his thirties walked in front, with a steady and confident gait. Behind him was a very beautiful woman, holding the hand of a six- or seven-year-old boy, who was calling out, "Dad, Dad, slow down, wait for me!"

Xiao Yuanhang saw that they were a family. Behind them was a man in his late twenties, wearing glasses, carrying a bag on his shoulder and holding two large bags, struggling to keep up. Xiao Yuanhang was sure this man was Minister Xu's secretary!

The four people approached the door of the soft sleeper car, and the secretary quickly showed the tickets to the attendant. Xiao Yuanhang glanced and confirmed it was Compartment 3, the one Minister Xu's group had bought. After confirming Minister Xu's identity, Xiao Yuanhang didn't go to greet him but walked towards the hard seat car, thinking that Minister Xu was quite young!

{Piaotian Literature}