novelhk Chapter 178 Arrival in Beijing
Chapter 178 Arrival in Beijing
Jingyan then asked, "How much does this cost? Where can I get hot water?"
The train attendant quickly replied, "It's one yuan a bowl. I have hot water here. If you don't want to soak now, just tell the train attendant when you want to, and they will bring you hot water. Don't use the hot water at the entrance of the carriage; that hot water isn't boiling and won't boil properly."
Jing Yan smiled and thanked her, "What flavor is it? Is there only one flavor?"
"The braised beef noodles are the best-selling, and we also have a three-delicacy flavor, but it doesn't sell as well as the braised one," the train conductor answered readily.
Jingyan thought for a moment and said, "Then let's start with ten bowls of braised beef noodles."
The train attendant was particularly pleased to find a large box of instant noodles, took out two bowls and placed them on the dining car shelf, then handed the box and its contents to Jingyan: "Here are ten bowls, it'll be easier to carry the box."
Jingyan took out ten yuan and handed it over. She took the suitcase and turned to walk back to the sleeper car. When she returned to the car, the children were very curious about what she was holding. Jingyan smiled and told them about it. Everyone wanted to try it, but since they had just eaten lunch, they could only look on longingly and wait for dinner.
As evening approached, a train attendant delivered hot water to each sleeper car. When they saw the instant noodles in the car, they specifically asked, "Do you need to soak these noodles? I have freshly boiled water in this pot, so they'll be ready."
Jing Yan glanced at the children looking on expectantly, then at the time on He Zhijun's watch, and nodded: "It's about time, so let's all soak. Thank you."
The flight attendant taught the children how to open the package, then threw in the seasoning packet, poured in boiling water, put the lid on, and instructed, "Open it again in about four minutes, by which time the pancakes will be soft."
The children learned quickly and opened the remaining packages in no time. The flight attendants only needed to pour water. After that, they filled their military water bottles with water before leaving with the little water left, ready to get another bottle and continue their journey.
He Zhijun and He Ci'en each ate two boxes, while the others finished about one box each. The instant noodles were really delicious, or at least the aroma was quite strong. Even though only one person was eating them, the smell permeated the entire carriage, making the compartments with children much more lively.
Jing Yan estimated that the GPI for instant noodle sales on the train should increase significantly thanks to their help, because she later also smelled a faint aroma of instant noodles.
The next morning, Jingyan asked He Zhijun to buy eight tea eggs from the dining car. She then went to ask the flight attendant where she could buy instant noodles. The flight attendant told her to go back and wait. Not long after, she brought her colleague with a cart. There were ten boxes of instant noodles, all of which were prepared. Jingyan put the peeled tea eggs into eight of the boxes of noodles. They were cooked and tasted good, and they were still warm.
As soon as the aroma wafted out, people next door started calling out to buy some, and the flight attendants got busy. This didn't really concern Jingyan and her group, but perhaps because they hadn't eaten many snacks on the train besides regular meals, the watermelon was gone on the first day.
The canned yellow peaches that we brought haven't been requested by any of the children. Jingyan mentioned it twice, but everyone shook their heads. So, when the train arrived in Beijing, the big bag that was originally bulging with food was only half full. Inside, there were only four cans of fruit, a bag of White Rabbit milk candy, and not much else. Oh, and half a roll of pink toilet paper.
The train finally came to a stop, and the family started moving. Grandma simply slung her small shoulder bag over her shoulder and held one child's hand in each hand. He Chaoli was being pulled along by Sister Wang, who was carrying a rather large bag. He Ci'en carried a large backpack and a large suitcase in her hand.
He Zhijun carried a backpack filled with bedding on his back, a large suitcase in one hand, and a small suitcase in the other. Jing Yan's situation was much simpler: she carried one suitcase on her back, another in her hand, and also held the family's train tickets.
She was the last to leave. Before leaving, she checked one last time to make sure she hadn't missed anything. After finally getting off the train, she followed the flow of people out of the platform and out of the ticket gate, finally arriving at the Beijing train station square. Looking at the unfamiliar place, not to mention He Ci'en, even Jing Yan, who had been through a second life, felt a little timid.
He Zhijun looked around, put all his luggage at Jing Yan's feet, and carried only a small suitcase in his hand: "You guys wait here for a while, I'll go see if I can find a car, we need to find a place to stay first."
Jingyan nodded, "Okay, go find a car. We still have three or four days to register at Ci'en School. We can stay here first and then transfer to Ci'en School later. There's enough time."
After agreeing, He Zhijun left the square. The family could only pile their bags together. The children sat on the luggage, and the grandmother sat on a suitcase. Jingyan, Sister Wang, and He Ci'en stood by, guarding their family and luggage.
Fortunately, He Zhijun returned relatively quickly. He found a cargo tricycle, and the old man driving it helped to throw all the luggage into the back of the truck. Everyone climbed on at once, some sitting on the luggage, and others sitting directly on the floor of the truck bed. Anyway, it was hot, so it wasn't cold at all, just a bit dirty. But at this point, everyone was exhausted, and no one cared about that.
The old man, a local from Beijing, looked on with envy after hearing that they were going to an aviation academy: "There are many good universities in Beijing, but this one has very high entry requirements. It's not just about the scores; the political background check is also very strict. It's not easy for your child to get into this school. However, it's in Haidian District, which is quite far from here. It's not time to register for the school yet. Why don't you stay at a guesthouse near the city center?"
Jingyan thought for a moment, then asked again, "How are the conditions at the guesthouse? Look at our whole family, the old and the young. If the conditions aren't good, it might be inconvenient. There has to be a place to shower. It's so hot, and we've been on the train for several days. We really need to take a good shower."
The old man shook his head: "The conditions in guesthouses are all so-so. If you're looking for something nice, then I'd really have to send you to Haidian. A hotel opened at the beginning of this year. I don't know the exact price, but I've passed by a few times, and it looks high-end. I didn't dare to stay nearby. If you're really willing to spend the money, staying there should be very comfortable, but I think it would be very expensive."
He Zhijun tugged at Jing Yan and shook his head: "The hotel must be expensive. We're going to stay for quite a while, so it won't be good if it costs too much."
Jingyan patted his hand: "It's rare for us to come out, let's go ask first. If the price is too outrageous, I believe there are guesthouses nearby. What if the price is acceptable? Grandma has never suffered any hardship in her life. We can't let her have to make do with this when she comes out with us in her old age."
He Zhijun looked at his grandmother, who was sitting listlessly on her suitcase, and ultimately said nothing more.
Jingyan said to the old man, "Grandpa, why don't you take us to that hotel first? We want to broaden our horizons."
The old man replied loudly, "Alright!"
An hour later, as everyone watched the sky turn orange, they finally arrived at the hotel the old man had mentioned. It did indeed look very high-end, appearing even more prestigious against the backdrop of the surrounding gray buildings. He Ci'en looked up at the openwork plaque above the entrance, "Wanshou Hotel," and then turned to look at Jing Yan.
Jingyan pulled He Zhijun out of the car and said to the old man, "Grandpa, let's go inside and ask about the price first. If we decide to stay here, we'll come back to move our things and settle the bill. If it's too expensive, we'll have to trouble you to take us to a guesthouse. Can you wait for us a little longer?"
The old man was a straightforward person. He nodded and said, "Okay, you two go ahead. There are people on the bus, and I'll help watch your luggage."
He Zhijun handed the small leather suitcase he had been keeping to He Ci'en: "Keep an eye on this suitcase."
He Ci'en sat in the car, nodded, and then picked up the suitcase and placed it on her lap.
The couple entered the hotel and found the spacious lobby brightly lit. They walked to the front desk, where the young woman immediately stood up upon seeing them enter, offering a perfectly timed smile: "Sir, are you checking in?"
He Zhijun coughed lightly: "Excuse me, how much does it cost to stay here for one night?"
The young woman was used to this kind of question and answered skillfully: "Standard room, which is a room with two single beds and a separate bathroom, is fifteen yuan a day. Double room, which has a double bed and a separate bathroom, is twenty yuan a day. Suite, which has a bedroom inside and a living room outside, with a separate bathroom, a TV and a sofa in the living room, is fifty yuan a day. I don't know which type you want?"
He Zhijun… He turned to look at Jing Yan: “How about we go to the guesthouse? The best rooms are only five or six yuan a day, this is more than three times more expensive.” Forget about suites, they’re too luxurious, and the other two types aren’t cheap either.
Jing Yan pressed his hand down, looked at the young girl with a smile, and asked, "Would it be convenient for us to take a look at your standard rooms and double rooms first?"
The young girl nodded and waved inside. A middle-aged woman came over. "Sister Lin, could you please show these two guests our king-size bed room and standard room?"
The woman nodded, took two keys from her, and turned to the couple: "Come with me."
After quickly looking at both types of rooms, He Zhijun looked at Jing Yan and said, "The conditions are indeed quite good. They are clean, and you can use the toilet and take a shower in the room. The hotel breakfast is also free, but the price is relatively expensive."
The two returned to the front desk. "What time does the room rate start and end for this day?" Jingyan asked.
"Noon is the starting point for calculation. You checked in at 6:00 today, so tomorrow at noon counts as one day. If you want to stay longer, the day after tomorrow at noon will be the second day. The most cost-effective option is to check in after noon on the first day, as it allows for the longest stay," the receptionist explained carefully.
Jing Yan understood. It turned out that the hotel room rate had already been set at this point. She and He Zhijun did the math together: "Grandma and Zhizhi can sleep in a double room. Grandma is getting old, so a bigger bed will be more comfortable for her. Sister Wang can sleep in a room with An'an. He Chaoli and He Ci'en can sleep in a standard room. It would be better if the two big boys had their own beds. We'll share a double room, which means three double rooms and one standard room. How does that sound?"
"Seventy-five yuan a day for accommodation? That's too expensive! We're staying for at least three days, which will cost over two hundred yuan." He Zhijun was distressed about the cost.
The receptionist overheard the couple calculating and, seeing they had four rooms and needed to stay for three more days, immediately called her supervisor. Before the couple could finish their discussion, the manager arrived and greeted He Zhijun. Sensing He Zhijun's hesitation, the manager gritted his teeth...
“You have a lot of people, and we don’t have many guests right now. How about this, I only have the authority to offer a 20% discount. What do you think? This is the biggest discount I can give. Our hotel’s breakfast is free, it’s a buffet, and as long as you don’t take it out, you can eat as much as you want, it’s unlimited, and there’s a wide variety of options. After all, we’re originally focused on business meetings, so the food is definitely good.”
He Zhijun turned to look at Jing Yan, who nodded. He Zhijun then turned to the manager and agreed, "Then let's get a room for us first. However, the children don't have identification, but the five of us adults do. One of them is a college student this year, and we're here to see him off."
The manager nodded quickly: "As long as the adults have identification, that's fine. Which university does your child attend?"
"Aviation Academy"
"Oh, this school isn't far from our hotel. It's convenient to go anywhere in Beijing from here. There are many bus routes. There's a direct bus to the Aviation Academy, and there are also routes to Tiananmen Square. If you're planning to visit any places in the next few days, you can ask the front desk. She'll give you route suggestions," the manager said, pointing to the young woman at the front desk.
Check-in was completed quickly. The three double rooms were connected, and the standard rooms weren't far from them. Judging from the setup, Jingyan knew that the price was too high and there were usually few guests. After all, there were only a few business events a year, but it should be enough to support a hotel.
She hurried out and gave the old man twenty yuan for the fare. The old man seemed a little embarrassed that she didn't try to bargain: "Well, it's a bit far from here, that's why I charged a bit more. After all, I still have to drive back, and the round-trip gas cost is quite high..."
Jing Yan smiled and said, "Uncle, I understand. You earn your money through hard work, and it's been quite a trouble for you to come all this way. By the way, a standard room here is fifteen yuan, a double room is twenty yuan, and a suite is fifty yuan. I've looked at the other two types of rooms, except for the suite. They are very clean, have private bathrooms, and can be showered. The conditions are very good. If any guests ask about the prices in the future, you'll know the prices."
The old man thanked them profusely and helped them unload their luggage at the hotel entrance before driving away in his tricycle. Three hotel staff members came over to help them with their luggage and then took the keys to the family's room.
Once inside the room, Grandma looked around with satisfaction: "These twenty yuan were well spent. The bed is quite soft. I'm going to take a shower first, and then I'll rest. Don't call me for dinner. I'll eat breakfast tomorrow after I wake up. I still feel a bit shaky. I'm getting old, I need to rest properly."