Chapter 102: Finding Family in the Capital City: Lu Qingshan

The long-distance bus was like a drunk stumbling on the uneven mountain road, swaying and shaking; with each jolt, Lu Qingshan's heart trembled as well.

The carriage was filled with strong diesel, sweat, and smoke odors, plus the dust rising from the road, making one's head feel dizzy and swollen.

He clutched the canvas bag to his chest, feeling the heavy Great Unity of the clothes inside; it was his wife's concern and the confidence for his journey.

From Shanwan Village to the county seat, then taking this bus from the county seat to Shenyang consumed more than half a day.

The hard wooden seat beneath his butt hurt sharply, and the scenery outside the window shifted from familiar green mountains and waters to unfamiliar plains and fields.

Lu Qingshan stared out the window, his heart a swirl of emotions.

It had been ten years—full ten years—since he last returned to the Capital City, and there everything had changed.

Father and mother, are they still well?

Where are his younger brother and sister now?

Thinking of them, his heart felt as if an invisible hand had clenched it tightly, both hopeful and anxious.

Finally, at dusk, the bus lumbered into the Shenyang long-distance bus station.

As soon as he stepped off, Lu Qingshan was stunned by the scene before him.

The Shenyang railway station square was larger and livelier than he had imagined.

A sea of black heads surged like a tide, the mixed‑dialect hawkers' cries, travelers' clamor, and the distinctive station announcements merged into a massive roar that nearly swallowed him.

The air was thick with a complex mix of food, sweat, and low‑grade tobacco.

Lu Qingshan took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

Following a passerby's directions, he found the ticket hall.

The sight was even more intimidating: long, winding queues stretched before several ticket windows, disappearing from view.

Calls from various dialects, children's cries, and the rumble of trains arriving intertwined, making his eardrums buzz.

He squeezed into a line where people pressed together with almost no gaps.

Time ticked by, and the line moved slower than a snail.

As night deepened, the waiting room's lights dimmed; many who lacked tickets or awaited the early‑morning train spread newspapers or luggage on the floor and curled up for a nap.

Lu Qingshan was both exhausted and hungry, yet he dared not leave the line a step, fearing he would miss his turn.

He could not tell how long had passed, but when he finally dragged his weary body to the ticket window, it was already the latter half of the night.

His throat was so dry it seemed about to smoke; in a hoarse voice he said, "Comrade, I'd like one train ticket to Beijing, the soonest departure."

The ticket clerk, a middle‑aged woman, gave him a blank stare and impatiently tapped the abacus, "To Beijing? There's one at three p. m. tomorrow, hard seat—want it?"

"Yes! Yes!"

Lu Qingshan nodded quickly, fearing she might change her mind.

Being able to buy a ticket was already a great fortune.

Clutching the hard‑won ticket, Lu Qingshan found a spot in a corner of the waiting room and sat against the wall.

The cold cement floor seeped through his thin trousers, and though he wrapped the canvas bag tighter, he could not fall asleep.

Around him rose and fell snores and sleep‑talk; he kept his eyes open, staring at the ink‑blue night sky, his longing for the Capital City and yearning for his family growing ever stronger.

The next afternoon, he finally boarded the green‑sided train bound for Beijing.

The carriage was even more cramped, the aisle packed with standing passengers, the luggage racks crammed to the brim.

The air was filled with a strange mix of instant‑noodle scent, sweat, and tobacco.

Lu Qingshan finally settled into his hard seat and let out a long sigh.

The neighbor was a spry old Beijing gentleman, his graying hair neatly combed, dressed in a clean Zhongshan suit, looking about sixty.

The old man was talkative; learning that Lu Qingshan was returning to the Capital City to find relatives after ten years, he eagerly struck up conversation.

"Kid, you're heading back to the Capital City to look for your family? Good news, good news!"

The old man took a sip of hot tea from an enamel mug and said with a smile, "The policies have improved now; many past grievances have been redressed. If your family's still around, you'll surely find them. Don't rush, relax."

Lu Qingshan felt a little steadier in his heart listening to the old man's Beijing‑accented reassurance.

He asked the old man about the current state of the Capital City, and the old man recounted details like grain coupons, cloth tickets, supplementary food supplies, neighborhood ties in the hutongs, and national affairs, giving Lu Qingshan a vague picture of the long‑absent city.

"Do you know Fuqiang Hutong? The one in the Eastern City," Lu Qingshan asked tentatively.

"Fuqiang Hutong? Yeah, I know that area well. Why, did your family live there before?"

"Yes, Fuqiang Hutong No. 23." Lu Qingshan's heart quickened a few beats.

The old man nodded, "Yo‑ho, your family must be high‑ranking! When you get to Beijing, just take a bus straight there. But in these ten years the changes have been huge; many old hutongs have been torn down and replaced with new buildings, so you should be mentally prepared."

The train clanged—clanged— southward.

After a day and night of jolting, Lu Qingshan barely closed his eyes.

When the train announcement blared, "Comrade passengers, the next stop is Beijing Station," his heart leapt to his throat.

Stepping out of Beijing Station, Lu Qingshan was completely stunned by the sight before him.

Broad avenues, an endless torrent of bicycles, occasional passing "Red Flag" cars, and the skyscrapers that rose from the ground…

Is this still the Capital City of his memory?

Beijing ten years ago was far less prosperous and noisy.

A feeling both familiar and alien rose in his chest, leaving him a little dazed.

Following his memory and the old man's directions, Lu Qingshan wound his way until he finally found Fuqiang Hutong in the Western City District.

The old locust tree at the hutong entrance was still there, only more gnarled and robust than in his recollection.

He inhaled deeply and, guided by memory, walked toward the depths of the hutong.

The farther he went inside, the faster his heart raced.

At last, he stopped in front of the courtyard No. 23 gate.

Yet the scene before him felt like plunging into an ice cavern.

The rust‑spotted iron lock on the courtyard gate was like a cold blade, stabbing his eyes.

The door panel was covered with cobwebs and dust, clearly untouched for a long time.

The courtyard wall was also partly broken, a few bricks scattered at the corner, exuding a desolate bleakness.

His heart sank a little more.

He stubbornly pushed the courtyard gate, but it wouldn't budge.

He knocked on the neighbor's door, and a half‑asleep aunt emerged.

"Aunt, may I ask you something? The Lu Family used to live in Courtyard No. 23; do you know where they moved?"

Lu Qingshan tried to make his voice sound calm.

The aunt sized him up, shook her head: "The Lu Family? Never heard of them. This courtyard has been empty for many years; I don't recall exactly when it became vacant, but it was already empty when I moved in."

Lu Qingshan kept asking a few old neighbors; some vaguely remembered a family like that, but could not give details, let alone where they had gone.

All he received were shaking heads and bewildered looks.

Someone said that in the past ten years of turmoil, personnel changes have been so great that no one remembers that much.

Hope was gradually doused, and a massive stone pressed on Lu Qingshan's heart.

He took out the Introduction Letter from Chen Zhiguo, and found a shabby inn near Fuqiang Hutong to stay in.

The basement room was tiny, with only a plank bed and a worn table, and the air was thick with a damp musty smell.

For the next three days, Lu Qingshan roamed around Fuqiang Hutong like a wandering ghost, asking anyone who might know a clue.

He scoured the street office and the police station, but because of the passage of time and the chaotic household registration back then, his parents might even have been forced to change names, making any useful information impossible to find.

He wandered aimlessly for a day around his home area, East City, West City, Chongwen, Xuanwu, all in blind wandering.

Late at night, lying on the cold plank bed, Lu Qingshan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

His parents' voices and smiles lingered in his mind. Could they…

He dared not continue.

A deep sense of helplessness and despair seized him.

Could this trip to the Capital City be doomed to return empty‑handed?

On the fourth morning, Lu Qingshan sat on the inn's bedside, staring at the gray sky outside, his mind a blank.

Just as he was about to give up, a name flashed through his mind like lightning—Zhang Yuanchao!

Yes, Zhang Yuanchao!

The educated youth he had rescued!

He has returned to the city; his home is in Beijing!

When Zhang Yuanchao left Shanwan Village, he solemnly left his home address, promising to repay the life‑saving debt someday.

Lu Qingshan leapt from the bed, fumbling through his canvas bag.

Finally, in the pocket of an old shirt, he pulled out a paper slip stained yellowish by sweat.

It bore, in pen, an address: Beijing City, East City District, Hepingli Community, Chemical Dormitory Building 17, Unit 1, Room 201.

The spark of hope reignited in his heart!

He snatched the slip, skipped breakfast, and hurried out of the inn toward Hepingli.

Hepingli Community is a relatively new workers' residential area, its buildings arranged neatly.

Following the address, Lu Qingshan found Chemical Dormitory Building 17.

He stood at the foot of the building, looking up at the tightly shut second‑floor window, his mood both nervous and excited.

He inhaled deeply, climbed the squeaking cement stairs to Unit 1, Room 201, and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a slightly hoarse young male voice called from inside.

"I'm Lu Qingshan."

Silence lingered inside for a few seconds, then hurried footsteps sounded.

"Squeak," the door opened.

Behind the door stood a young man wearing black‑framed glasses and a clean white shirt, looking scholarly.

He saw Lu Qingshan, froze for a moment, then his face erupted with incredulous joy: "Lu… Lu brother?! It's really you! My god! How did you… come? Quick—quick, come in!"

It was Zhang Yuanchao!

Compared with his ragged state in Shanwan Village, Zhang Yuanchao now looked much healthier, with a scholarly air in his brows.

Lu Qingshan watched the excited, slightly incoherent Zhang Yuanchao, feeling a surge of emotion himself.

Zhang Yuanchao warmly ushered Lu Qingshan inside; it was a two‑bedroom unit, modest but tidy.

"Lu brother, you truly are my great benefactor! I dream of meeting you again!"

Zhang Yuanchao poured water and handed out fruit, bustling happily, "I'm now a teaching assistant at Beijing University of Chemical Engineering; life's going okay. Your trip to Beijing is…"

Lu Qingshan didn't conceal anything, stating plainly the purpose of his visit, emphasizing his parents' names: Lu Hua, Wang Guilan.

After listening, Zhang Yuanchao's expression turned serious; he pounded his chest heavily: "Lu brother, searching for family is a monumental matter! Rest assured, I'll handle it. I have some connections in Beijing and will definitely inquire. My father once worked in East City, maybe we can find clues!"

Seeing Zhang Yuanchao's sincere and steadfast gaze, Lu Qingshan's fatigue and frustration of recent days were swept away.

"Then… that's a big trouble for you, Brother Yuanchao."

"Lu brother, if you keep saying that you're being distant! Without you, I'd have been dead long ago!"

Zhang Yuanchao waved his hand, then added, "Stay at my place first; we'll plan carefully."

Lu Qingshan thought, then shook his head: "No, staying at the inn is more convenient for me. But, Brother Yuanchao, I want… I want to go back to Fuqiang Hutong one more time, just once. If there's still no news, I'll… I'll return to Shanwan Village first."

He couldn't linger in the Capital City too long; Yue E and Xiao Xue were still waiting at home.

Zhang Yuanchao understood his feelings, nodded solemnly: "Alright, Lu brother, I'll go with you! More people, more strength!".

Lu Qingshan looked out the window; sunlight streamed through the glass, dispersing some of the lingering gloom.

He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and a hint of resolve flashed in his eyes.

No matter what, for the final time, he must go and look again.