Chapter 173 - 0173: Finally Meeting 1_1
Once on the train, Feng Qingxue quickly understood why many people refrained from making long journeys unless necessary.
The train moved at a snail’s pace, frequently stopping for maintenance. Major repairs could delay the journey for over a dozen hours. If the destination was far off, passengers had to spend countless days and nights on the train. In such circumstances, eating, drinking, and attending to nature’s call were nothing short of torments.
This was one aspect; secondly, the train tickets were not cheap, relatively speaking, considering the current wage levels.
She wasn’t short of money, so she bought a sleeper ticket. The hardships of those who could only afford seating, or even no seat at all, were clear to see.
The sleeper compartments of the present were not like those of the 21st century, which had partitions and private cabins. They housed either four or six berths in a room, clean and sanitary. Present-day sleepers were rows of bare bunks, accommodating both men and women.
Although it was almost the busy farming season and there weren’t many people in the sleeping compartment, the heat was oppressive, making the smell of sweat and stinking feet particularly pungent.
There were passengers clad only in large shorts and bare-chested, as well as those picking at their feet.
Through her observations, Feng Qingxue noted that most people in the sleeper compartments were officials.
She was not surprised at all. Higher salaries granted officials the luxury of sleeper services on the train, with more frequent deliveries of hot water and food by the train staff, who were also noticeably more courteous in their service.