NABC Chapter 45 Taxi
Chapter 45 Taxi
Xiao Wei asked, "A taxi? How much would it cost?"
Chen Hui thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to the Railway Building. It's close by, and it's also close to their way back. It'll cost ten yuan per taxi from here to there. There are six of us, so two taxis will cost twenty yuan, which isn't much."
Xiao Wei's eyes widened, and his voice rose as he asked, "How much? Twenty yuan? That's not much?"
Chen Hui paused for a moment, then said somewhat nervously, "Yes, not much. What's wrong?" His voice trailed off.
Xiao Hong carried the teapot to refill everyone's water, saying, "Twenty yuan is enough to go out for a meal. No wonder you're always short of money. You're spending like this all you want."
Chen Hui thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Now that you mention it, that's true. Three or four dishes are enough for a meal if we don't drink alcohol."
Xia Maosheng put a toothpick in his mouth and said, "Don't think like that. It's not like we take taxis every day. It's just once in a while. Don't overthink it when you're out having fun."
Xiao Wei glanced at Xiao Hong, then at Yang Tiebin, who was tipsy and ready to take off, and at Li Guangzhao, who was flushed and red-faced, and Xia Maosheng, who was not tipsy but had little money in his pocket. Suddenly, he felt that they were all so unreliable. He licked his lips and said, "...Okay, then, let's take a taxi."
Xiao Wei spoke up, and Xiao Hong pouted and stopped talking. Everyone got up, dressed, and went out to sing the legendary karaoke.
……
It's already mid-month, and a gust of wind is blowing every night. Especially since we had just had some drinks, we all shivered as soon as we stepped out of the building.
Xiaowei shielded Xiaohong behind him and asked, "Are you cold? Why don't you go upstairs and change your clothes? Don't catch a cold."
Xiao Hong peeked her head out from behind Xiao Wei's cover to feel the cold, and said, "It's alright, not too cold. Let's go. If you get cold, just give me your clothes. You're sturdy, haha."
Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Okay, then let me know if you get cold. Chen Hui, where can I get a taxi?"
Chen Hui pointed to the main road and said, "Just stand on the side of the road and wait. When it comes, just wave. You've never taken a taxi before, have you?"
Xiao Wei looked at Chen Hui and said, "I've never hit one. What's wrong? I have a car, why would I spend that money? Besides, we don't have any where I live. I don't even know what a taxi looks like."
Li Guangzhao said, "We don't have them where I live. I've seen them but never ridden one. I usually either ride my dad's bicycle or take the bus."
Yang Tiebin, with one arm draped over Li Guangzhao's shoulder, panted heavily and said, "I've never seen one either. You don't even see tractors often in my area, let alone taxis."
Li Guangzhao asked, "Then why are you learning to be a chef? To cook for your own family?" In places where even tractors are rare, it can only be a very remote rural area with a small population. Opening a restaurant in such a place is a joke.
Yang Tiebin said, "Do you think I want to learn this? My dad does this kind of work. He forced me to learn from him since I was in junior high school. After I finished learning, I went back to work in the county or city. I don't necessarily have to open my own business. Working in a restaurant is better than farming at home."
As they talked, the group walked along a side road in the neighborhood to the side of Wenhua Road. At this time, there were not many pedestrian overpasses and underpasses under construction in Fengtian City. The group looked at the cars, ran across the road, and stood on the other side to wait for a taxi.
As soon as I stepped out of the building complex and stood by the main road, I felt the wind pick up several levels, making my clothes flutter. This area is by the water, right in the wind's eye.
Xiao Hong hunched her neck and snuggled into Xiao Wei's arms, turning him around halfway to block the wind, saying, "Oh dear, the wind is even stronger than downstairs, it hurts my face, don't go out tomorrow night."
Xiao Wei said, "I'll give you my clothes." He raised his hand to take them off, but Xiao Hong grabbed his arm and said, "You don't need to now. Just cover me up. The car will be here soon."
Chen Hui stood at the very edge, his eyes fixed on the direction of Wulihe, and said, "There should be more cars at night, but fewer people take taxis at night than during the day. Here it comes, Xiao Wei, see that car with lights on its roof? That's a taxi." He took a step forward and raised both hands, waving in that direction.
Actually, it was really easy to hail a taxi in 90. There were very few people taking taxis. Ordinary people wouldn't be willing to spend the money unless they had a reason. Unlike in later years, if you were unlucky, you would just stand there and wait, and it was normal to wait for an hour or two.
The taxi pulled up; it was a Naizi. At that time, there were no mandatory regulations for taxis in Fengtian, so the models were a mixed bag: Lada, Naizi, Fiat, Auto, Xiali—all sorts of cars were there, and the colors varied too, some red, some yellow, some green. The slightly better ones were Santana, Peugeot, and Volga.
There are also dukes, kings, crowns, Mercedes-Benzes, and BMWs, but let alone ordinary people, very few can afford to ride in them. They are generally only seen in grand hotels or places catering to foreigners.
There are also "mian de" (面的), a term that originated from Beijing. It refers to miniature vans that run as taxis, somewhat similar to the small cars that could be hailed and stopped in the late 1990s. However, these days they are registered as taxis and are usually registered as Jilin, Songhuajiang, or Tianjing Dafa.
However, in Fengtian, there were more Soviet cars like the Lada and Naiz, which were sturdy and durable, but they didn't have air conditioning, so they were gradually phased out.
The taxi pulled up to us, and the driver was easygoing, letting the six of us squeeze in. So Xiaowei, holding Xiaohong, sat in the front passenger seat, while the other four squeezed into the back, filling the spacious car to the brim, and drove towards Zhongshan Park. In those days, there were just some traffic police organizations that managed bicycles and pedestrians crossing the road, so driving was relatively easy for drivers.
A few minutes later, they arrived at their destination. Everyone got out of the car, and Xiaowei paid the fare of ten yuan, which he felt was a saving. In those days, although taxis had meters, most of the time the price was still negotiated verbally. Before getting in, you would ask how much it would cost, offer a price, bargain, and then leave once the price was agreed upon.
If you get on the bus without saying anything, just check the meter and pay, the driver will assume you're from out of town. Meters have been around for a long time, and with the city getting bigger, even locals aren't always familiar with the routes, so driving around in circles is perfectly normal.
After getting off the bus, they arrived at the entrance of Zhongshan Park. Xia Maosheng, hunching his shoulders, looked at the park gate and said to Xiaowei, "You can bring Xiaohong here to play on Sunday. It won't cost much, and it's quite fun. Aren't you bored staying at home all day?" He leaned close to Xiaowei's ear and whispered, "Take her out to play more often. Girls all like this. Aren't you afraid she'll run away from boredom?"
Xiao Wei turned to look at the gate of Zhongshan Park. Although it was dark at night, the lights inside were bright and the park was bustling with people. Although some attractions were closed at night, the park management had managed to add some attractions specifically for nighttime viewing and recreation, which were very popular.