Chapter 302: 1985, the Spring Festival Travel Rush Arrives, Passengers Surge!

Chapter 302: 1985, the Spring Festival Travel Rush Arrives, Passengers Surge!

January 1, 1985.

At 11:00 AM, the Shuifeng Hotel was hosting a grand wedding.

The bride and groom were none other than Deng Shirong's second nephew, Bu Zhongshi, and Liang Yuqing.

After visiting the family, Liang Yunfei found a time to tell Deng Shirong, the matchmaker, about his father's condition. Both families were already quite satisfied with the marriage, and now with the factor of Grandpa Liang, it was mutually desirable to get married as soon as possible.

After all, if Grandpa Liang really couldn't make it through the year as he had said, the marriage would have to be delayed for one to two, even three years, which would be a very difficult wait for both the groom and the bride.

Thus, after discussion, both sides decided to hold the wedding banquet at the Shuifeng Hotel on New Year's Day, 1985.

The reason they chose to hold the wedding in the county town instead of in Bu Zhongshi's hometown was mainly to fulfill Grandpa Liang's wish to see his only granddaughter get married and attend her wedding in person. This way, even if something happened, he could pass away in peace.

On the groom's side, besides their own relatives and friends, every household in Baoshan Village sent representatives to attend the wedding.

For most people, if someone from the village got married, the villagers would only come to the county town for the wedding if they had a very close relationship. Otherwise, they would just send a red envelope and stay home.

After all, the bus from Shuangwang to Bobai was infrequent, and it couldn't accommodate so many people. To get to Bobai, many people had to walk over ten kilometers to Tanlian Intersection to catch a bus. Who would be willing to go through so much trouble just for a wedding if they weren't very close?

But this time, it was Bu Zhongshi, who owned five large trucks, and that made all the difference. He simply used his five trucks to transport his relatives, friends, and villagers to the county town without any issues.

Therefore, a large number of villagers came to attend his wedding. For many of them, going to a grand hotel in the county town for a wedding was a novel and exciting experience, something they could proudly talk about.

The villagers of Baoshan Village had long known that Bu Zhongshi's uncle owned a large hotel in the county town, but they had no real idea of its size. It wasn't until they came to attend Bu Zhongshi's wedding and saw the over a thousand square meter, luxuriously decorated hotel that they were truly amazed.

The county town was also somewhat the bride's home turf. Although the bride's side didn't have many relatives, they had quite a few friends and colleagues.

The wedding had 22 tables, making it a grand affair.

Of course, it couldn't compare to modern weddings, which often have dozens of tables. People in this era didn't have as extensive social circles as modern people do.

Modern people, when getting married, can invite hundreds of people just from their elementary, middle, high school, and college classmates, not to mention the friends they make in society. For those who are socially awkward, it might be fewer, but for those who are socially adept, having a thousand or more friends isn't unusual.

The Shuifeng Hotel wasn't a stranger to hosting weddings. Although it had only hosted a few in the past two years, it had gained considerable experience.

Moreover, weddings in this era were much simpler than modern ones. A few words were spoken, and the banquet began. Unlike modern weddings, which often turn into dance parties with the newlyweds and their attendants performing on stage, which requires some talent from the couple.

The entire wedding went smoothly, with a sumptuous and delicious feast, making it a very face-saving event that earned praise from the guests.

After the banquet, since the groom's guests were far away, Bu Zhongshi had to send them back by car, so the guests didn't leave in a hurry. The bride's guests were the first to leave.

Before leaving, the elderly Liang, holding Bu Zhongshi's hand, looked at him with his cloudy eyes and instructed, "From now on, our little Qing is in your hands. You must treat her well and live a happy and harmonious life, do you understand?"

Bu Zhongshi nodded solemnly and replied, "Grandpa, I understand. Rest assured, I will treat Yuqing well."

The elderly Liang nodded in satisfaction and then turned to his granddaughter, saying, "Xiao Qing, you must be a good wife and mother, and take good care of your husband and children."

Liang Yuqing replied obediently, "I understand, Grandpa!"

The elderly Liang said, "Then we'll be off!"

Bu Zhongshi immediately said, "Grandpa, I'll drive you back."

"There's no need. It's not far, we can walk."

After saying this, the elderly Liang led his family in bidding farewell to the in-laws and the matchmaker, Deng Shirong.

Seeing her grandfather, parents, and relatives leave, the bride, Liang Yuqing, naturally felt a bit down. However, since she would continue to live in the county town and could see her grandfather and parents anytime, she wasn't as emotional as other brides who might cry.

...

One month later, on a certain night, the elderly Liang passed away peacefully in his sleep, never to wake again.

This event left the Liang family in great shock, especially Liang Yuqing, a teacher who didn't believe in ghosts or spirits, who found it particularly hard to believe.

Though Liang Yuqing had cooperated with the marriage, the reason she got married so quickly was largely because she was satisfied with the match. She hadn't truly believed that her healthy grandfather wouldn't make it through the year. However, with the reality before her eyes, she had no choice but to believe it.

When the news reached Deng Shirong, he was not overly surprised. After all, something as implausible as reincarnation had already happened to him, so why should it be strange that the old man with the Liang surname could predict his own death?

Because the old man repeatedly emphasized this, when he finally passed away quietly, his family, while shocked, were not overly saddened.

After all, they had been mentally prepared, and at 79 years old, he had earned the right to be considered a "joyful death" in that era.

Of course, the most important thing was that the old man had passed away peacefully and without illness. If he had died suddenly from a disease, the family's feelings would have been very different.

...

Beijing.

A canteen on the Peking University campus.

The Guangxi alumni association, as usual, organized a gathering here before the holiday to count the number of people going home for the Spring Festival. This way, when the school holidays started, everyone could travel together.

Those who chose not to go home for the Spring Festival could also gather to celebrate the New Year at school.

Being abroad, traveling in groups had many benefits. If you traveled alone and encountered any issues, you would have no one to help you, which could be very lonely.

At this alumni gathering, the old president Zhao Changzheng, Song Yu from Bobai, Liu Shangwen from Yulin who had a family, and familiar faces like Pang Feilong, Lin Jianjun, and Sun Baoguo were all absent. They had already graduated and started working.

Even Deng Yunheng, who was now in his senior year, would graduate and start working next year!

After everyone had eaten, Deng Yunheng asked, "Fellow alumni, who plans to go home for the Spring Festival? Please raise your hands."

He was the first to raise his hand. Since he started studying in Beijing, he had chosen to go home during the summer break and hadn't returned for the Spring Festival for two years.

Originally, if he had gone home during the summer, he would have stayed at school for the Spring Festival. However, this summer, he had to prepare for the 35th anniversary National Day military parade, so he had no time to go home. Therefore, he couldn't miss the Spring Festival this year.

After all, he would graduate and start working next year, and he needed to have a good talk with his father and listen to his advice.

Soon, Liu Xiaoman and many other alumni raised their hands. More than half chose to go home for the Spring Festival, while a smaller number decided to stay at school.

Seeing this, Deng Yunheng said, "Alright, I have a good idea of the situation. Those who are going home, gather around me. We'll discuss buying tickets together. Those staying at school, you can also talk to each other and have someone to rely on."

Hearing this, the alumni quickly split into two groups and began their discussions.

...

As the Spring Festival travel rush of 1985 approached, the number of passengers returning home from Guangdong increased day by day.

When the travel rush officially began, Tenglong Passenger Transport Company took decisive action, bringing back 15 idle large buses from their hometown to be deployed in cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Huizhou.

Among these, the two major cities, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, each received 4 additional large buses, bringing the total to 6 buses on each route. Normally, they could run 3 trips per day, and if they implemented the non-stop driving strategy used last year, they could increase the number of trips even further.

This way, they could handle the massive passenger volume in these two cities.

Dongguan received 2 additional large buses, bringing the total to 3 buses.

The other five cities each received 1 additional large bus, bringing their total to 2 buses.

With this distribution, if they implemented the non-stop driving strategy, they should be able to handle the surge in passengers this year.

Seeing Tenglong's major move, the Jin Yuanbao brothers, who were now focused on the Maoming route, were drenched in sweat. Even Huang Qiang and Huang Qi, who initially had no intention of competing with Tenglong Passenger Transport Company, were terrified.

The company's strength was simply overwhelming, with 25 large buses operating in Guangdong. In normal competition, who could survive under such pressure?

As for unfair competition methods, they were not even worth mentioning. The Jin Yuanbao brothers had already received two yellow card warnings from different forces.

The humiliation of being publicly disgraced was something they would never forget, unless they lost their minds, they wouldn't dare to have any more sinister thoughts about Tenglong Passenger Transport Company.

Evening

Guangzhou

A Factory Dormitory

The factory had already closed for the holidays, and the workers in the dormitory were beginning to pack their bags, preparing to leave early the next morning to head home.

However, with the Spring Festival travel rush, the number of passengers was increasing year by year. The workers in the dormitory all looked worried when they thought about the journey, except for Li Zonghe from Bobai, who was in high spirits.

Before last year, the situation in the dormitory was completely different. Li Zonghe from Bobai would always feel a headache when he thought about going home, as there were no direct buses to Bobai. Every time he went home, he had to first take a bus to Wuzhou and then transfer to another bus to Bobai. The journey was exhausting, especially if he missed the bus to Bobai after arriving in Wuzhou, he would have to wait a whole day before he could continue his journey.

Thinking about this process made him shudder.

But now, things were different. Since last year, there were direct buses from Bobai to Guangzhou. He just needed to go to Xiuyue Station to catch the bus, and he could reach Bobai directly without any hassle.

"Damn, it's getting harder and harder to go home. Last year, I almost couldn't get on the bus with a fellow townsman. We had to climb through the window to get in."

"Yeah, I had a similar experience last year. I almost squeezed out my bowels while queuing for tickets. There were just too many people!"

"Thinking about going home gives me a headache. I can't imagine how there can be so many people."

"More and more people from our hometown are coming out to work. In our town, there were very few people working outside a few years ago, but now the number increases every year. It will only get harder to buy tickets and travel in the future."

"There's no choice. We only go home once a year, and we have to go home for the Spring Festival. We just have to endure it!"

"..."

The workers chatted with each other, all lamenting how difficult it was to buy tickets and travel each year.

At this moment, one of the workers noticed Li Zonghe's relaxed demeanor and asked, "Brother Li, you used to worry a lot about going home. Why are you not worried at all this year?"

Li Zonghe smiled and said, "I used to worry because I had to first take a bus to Wuzhou and then transfer to another bus to Bobai. Even if everything went smoothly, it would take two days, and if not, it could take three. But since last year, there are direct buses from our county to Guangzhou. I can go directly to the bus station and reach Bobai without any hassle, so I don't have to worry anymore."

"Damn, having a direct bus to the county is too cool!"

"Right, it's too cool. Who the hell would want to take a train if there's a bus available!"

"Taking a bus is indeed much more comfortable than taking a train. Unfortunately, there are no direct buses from our county to Guangzhou, otherwise, I wouldn't have to fight for tickets at the train station."

"..."

The workers all envied Li Zonghe, making him feel very pleased.

Previously, he envied the other workers whose hometowns had direct trains. Now, the tables had turned, and the other workers were envying him.

The Same Scene in Other Factories

Similar scenes played out in various factories in Guangzhou. Anyone who had traveled during the Spring Festival travel rush knew how difficult it was to buy tickets and travel. Just thinking about it made their scalp tingle.

Compared to workers from other provinces, those from Bobai, Guangxi, were much calmer. They knew there were direct buses from Bobai to Guangzhou, and last year, they were told that there would be more bus services this year to ensure they could buy tickets smoothly.

With this assurance, the workers from Bobai no longer had to worry about going home.

The Next Morning

Li Zonghe had a quick breakfast and then took a bus to Xiuyue Station with his luggage.

Last year, when he came to catch the bus, someone was holding a sign with "Bobai" on it, reminding the workers from Bobai. At that time, most workers from Bobai in Guangzhou didn't know about the direct buses, so such reminders were necessary.

However, after last year's travel rush, almost all workers from Bobai in Guangzhou knew about the buses at Xiuyue Station, so there was no need for someone to hold a sign anymore.

Li Zonghe arrived at the station and skillfully joined the queue to buy a ticket. Compared to the long, terrifying lines at the train station, the bus station had a much smaller crowd. He only had to wait for twenty minutes before it was his turn to buy a ticket.

Naturally, he bought the ticket for the bus to Bobai without any issues.

At that moment, Chen Guohui and Chen Guomei, the sisters who had traveled with Li Zonghe last year, arrived with a few other girls from their village to buy tickets.

These girls were brought out to work by the sisters and were employed in the same factory.

Besides them, other workers from Bobai also arrived one after another.

Soon, the bus for this trip was full, and it immediately departed for home.

...

In cities like Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Zhuhai, it was the same.

As soon as the buses were full, they would depart immediately. Unlike other large buses, which would cram as many passengers as possible, these buses did not overload. Many large buses made huge profits by overloading, sometimes even by a dozen or twenty more passengers.

These overloaded buses usually had small stools on hand for the extra passengers to sit on.

This practice indeed brought in a lot of money. After all, the cost remained the same, and each extra passenger was essentially free profit. Overloading by a dozen or twenty passengers could fill the coffers in a single trip, and during the Spring Festival travel rush, the profits were astronomical.

So, it was no exaggeration to say that nine out of ten buses in this era overloaded, the only difference being the extent of the overloading. Some would overload recklessly, while others would only add a few extra passengers. Buses that strictly followed the regulations were few and far between.

However, Tenglong Passenger Transport Company had always adhered to the rules since its inception and never overloaded.

This was a rule set by Deng Shirong from the beginning.

Overloading indeed brought significant economic benefits, which was undeniable. However, it also came with high risks. Since they could already make substantial profits by following the rules, why take the high-risk money?

...

That night.

Chengdong Village.

The Jin Yuanbao brothers were dividing their money.

The Spring Festival travel rush had been going on for several days, and their bus business had started to flourish. The buses were almost always full, and they were making hundreds of yuan each day, which made the Jin Yuanbao brothers very happy.

At this moment, the three brothers had already divided the money. Qin Bao, holding several hundred yuan, said with a pained expression, "Running a passenger service is indeed very profitable. If we could follow our original plan and gradually take over all the routes in Guangdong, how much money would we make?

Unfortunately, we encountered Tenglong Company, a dragon we can't afford to provoke. It's really... sigh..."

Qin Yuan also looked regretful and nodded, saying, "Yes, we run one bus to Maoming and make hundreds of yuan a day. Tenglong Company has twenty-five large buses, running longer routes with higher fares. They must be making at least twenty thousand yuan a day, earning money faster than robbery."

Qin Jin sighed, "And that's without overloading. If they were willing to overload, they could easily make over thirty thousand yuan a day. Their earning power is truly terrifying."

Thinking about Tenglong Company's earnings and comparing it to their own, the Jin Yuanbao brothers suddenly found their hundreds of yuan less satisfying.

As the saying goes, contentment brings happiness, and it's a profound truth.

Why do some people, despite having better living conditions than most, still live unhappily?

The main reason is usually a poor mindset, always envying others and never realizing that their life is also enviable to others.

Such people, even if they became billionaires, would probably still not be happy. At that level, they would encounter even more successful people and start envying them again.

The Jin Yuanbao brothers were in a similar state of mind. Originally, with their earning speed, they were already among the best in the county for this era. But by comparing themselves to Tenglong Company, they naturally felt a significant psychological gap.

In stark contrast, in Chengxi Village, Huang Qiang and Huang Qi were also dividing their money. They had chosen the Zhanjiang route, which was even better than the Maoming route, though it couldn't compare to the routes Tenglong Passenger Transport Company had chosen. However, it was still a very good route.

Now, with the Spring Festival travel rush, they were also making hundreds of yuan each day. Unlike the Jin Yuanbao brothers, Huang Qiang and Huang Qi were very satisfied with this income. They happily divided the money, had a small meal, and enjoyed a few drinks, feeling very content.

...

At 5:00 PM.

The bus from Nanning to Bobai stopped at the Bobai station.

Deng Yunheng, holding a suitcase, stepped off the bus and couldn't help but take a long breath.

This journey back from Beijing was truly indescribable. If he hadn't traveled with a group of over a dozen fellow villagers, the process of buying tickets and boarding the bus would have been overwhelming.

Not to mention, the days and nights on the bus were incredibly difficult. The bus was packed with people, and going to the toilet was a major challenge, often requiring a queue of one to two hours. Many people were so desperate that their faces turned green.

In short, choosing to travel during the Spring Festival rush was truly a nightmare!

Fortunately, he had finally made it through!

Deng Yunheng had already decided that this was his first and last time traveling by train during the Spring Festival. Unless there was an emergency, he would never choose to travel by train during this period again.

One time was enough to scare him!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end