Departure
Strangers find a sense of connection. There's an old saying: "The closer to home, the more eager one becomes," especially today as I'm returning with two fellow provincials, my sense of urgency grows stronger. "We're home, cook a few more dishes and prepare some drinks," Old Zhao couldn't wait to call his family after leaving the toll booth and entering Puyang city.
Puyang
Finally, everyone agreed to gather at Old Zhao's place on the sixth day and then return to Beijing together. "I've also managed to bring back two repeat customers," Wang Lei said, then drove his BMW home for the New Year.
Back on the road again, Wang Lei, who loves to joke around, added a new rule in the name of the group leader: all future conversations must be conducted in the "official language" of Henan dialect, with a fine of 1 yuan for each violation. In the end, Wang Lei solemnly wrote this down in the contract, planning to include it as a regular clause in future contracts.
We're home, on the road.
The journalist turned his head to the left and noticed a medium-built, slightly plump, round-faced guy waving continuously from beside a black BMW 5.
The warmth of strangers is touching.
Profession: This newspaper's reporter
"Carpooling passengers wanted, no age or profession limit, but luggage should not be excessive. Those meeting these conditions and wanting to go back to Puyang, Henan, shout out in the group, how to enlarge breasts effectively after childbirth. Expenses are shared equally among participants, half price for women, and a contract signed upon boarding." After much consideration, the reporter chose this seemingly reliable car owner who promised to sign a contract, and arranged the time and place of the meeting through the contact information in the online post.
Old Zhao is the oldest person in the car. Already over forty, he has children and works hard for his family's livelihood in Beijing. Despite nearly ten years in Beijing, his native Henan Puyang dialect remains unchanged.
However, what surprised the reporter was that after circling the small square, the silver-white Chery Benna mentioned by the car owner was nowhere to be found.
Age: 41
Destination
Shared expenses, each person totaling 220 yuan
Hengshui
This sentence suddenly ignited something, both the reporter and Wang Lei simultaneously replied in Henan dialect: "Sure!" followed by laughter.
But this time, our reporter was able to shed various precautions and experience a warm journey home. It's not just the warmth of going home, but more importantly, the mutual assistance between people. Perhaps due to the pressure of urban competition, this warmth between people is unfamiliar to me, yet deeply moving.
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The reporter saw that the contract was actually very simple. The handwritten contract in triplicate only listed a few precautions and fee standards. Apart from the no-smoking clause that made Old Zhao, with a 20-year smoking history, look uncomfortable, there were no objections to other clauses from all three parties.
Gender: Male
After the three officially signed the contract, the car started, heading south towards their hometown.
"That would be great, let's go on the sixth, I'll contact you then." Wang Lei smiled.
In most cases, media reports involving carpooling themes inevitably remind about various dangers: lawyer tips on transaction risks, police tips on safety issues...
Profile: Has children, came to Beijing for the sake of the family, and had to carpool because of the inability to buy tickets. Very kind-hearted, especially likes to show others photos and videos of his children.
Gender: Male
Carpooling Profile
"Initially couldn't find it right? Sorry, sorry. Because we needed to carry too many things yesterday evening, I temporarily borrowed a friend's car with a bit more space. Got busy this morning and forgot to contact you." Seeing the reporter's puzzled face, Mr. Wang quickly explained, then grabbed the reporter's large bag and helped put it in the trunk.
Location: Daguang Expressway Suning Rest Area
BMW service, enthusiastic owner helps with baggage
Lei Zi
Carpooling archive
"Let's go, get in the car. To pick up another passenger, Old Zhao. He's along the way." Perhaps out of apology, after confirming the reporter's identity by checking the ID, Mr. Wang warmly invited the reporter to get in the car.
At the rest area, even though the contract clearly stated meal expenses to be shared equally, Old Zhao insisted on treating the reporter and Wang Lei to a simple lunch of instant noodles brought from home, full of the taste of hometown. Maybe it's a perception issue, this ordinary instant noodle seems to taste different after being renamed "quick food noodles." Everyone laughed and chatted during the meal, eventually starting to speak in their local dialect.
Reliable online posts start the reporter's journey home
"Hey, buddy, where are you? Is the one answering the phone you? Look left, look left." Although already aware that the car owner is an outgoing person, the reporter was still somewhat unaccustomed to the owner's abrupt barrage of questions after the call connected.
On the way to pick up Old Zhao, the reporter learned that the car owner's name is Wang Lei, an experienced carpooler who has been carpooling home for five consecutive years. He also specially designed a simple contract for carpooling.
Familiar dialects on the road
By the time we reached the Suning rest area, perhaps because of hunger from not eating breakfast in the morning, Old Zhao suddenly broke the silence with a typical Henan accent: "Are you guys hungry? Let's stop ahead and eat something. I have quick food noodles."
Although there's a no-smoking order, in the end, everyone agreed to make Old Zhao more stops at rest areas to smoke.
"We're almost home." Looking at the big sign in front that read "Welcome to Puyang," the three people in the car became excited.
Time: January 18, 2012 Location: Beijing Reporter's residence Distance from home: 500 kilometers
No matter how far away from home, no matter how long and difficult the journey, going home for the New Year seems to have become an instinct engraved in the genes of the Chinese people. And facing this largest annual human migration, facing the Spring Festival travel rush when tickets are harder to get than gold, more and more people are accepting carpooling as a way to go home.
Finally, allow me to dedicate this poem by Hai Zi to all those who carpool home: "Stranger, I also wish you well. May you have a brilliant future, may you find your true love, may you gain happiness in this world..."
In the car, the reporter and Wang Lei, being young and close in age, chatted quite a lot. But perhaps out of habit, they used Mandarin, while Old Zhao occasionally interjected with words like "Yeah," "Ah," "Alright," etc.
Time: 9:30 AM, January 20 Location: North of Madian Bridge, Beijing Distance from home: 500 kilometers
Distance from home: 325 kilometers
Because perhaps apart from a few calls, everyone was meeting for the first time, after asking a few basic questions about work and age, the conversation ran dry. Two men in one car, the silence made the atmosphere somewhat awkward. Finally, Wang Lei had to lament, "Alas, the next Old Zhao is also a man. It seems we're missing a woman, a trio without a lady. Otherwise, it would definitely be lively."
After picking up Old Zhao and checking his ID as usual, the carpool members were officially all present. The owner Wang Lei, temporarily appointed as the group leader, took out the carpooling contract.
After paying, Wang Lei gave us each a receipt, "Truly professional, every step is meticulous. Brother, when will you return to Beijing, let's go together," Old Zhao said while patting the car window before getting out.
Profile: Among the three members, the reporter is the youngest. At first, everyone was polite to each other, but later, the reporter became the main target for the two older brothers' errands—carrying bags, handling luggage, serving water to the driver, even helping send text messages.
Time: 7:20 PM Location: Puyang Toll Station, Daguang Expressway Distance from home: 0 kilometers
Passenger:
Wang Lei
Editor's note
In 2012, the reporter personally experienced the fun of carpooling home. A successful bank white-collar worker with a house and a car, a middle-aged logistics company employee with children, plus a reporter investigating undercover and experiencing life, three strangers from the same hometown were brought together by a carpooling post, starting an ordinary yet story-filled journey home.
In 2012, the reporter, who had always wanted to experience carpooling, began paying attention to various carpooling posts a week in advance. As carpooling has been accepted by more and more people, there were hundreds of posts seeking rides or passengers on the Beijing section of the Tianya forum.
Since Old Zhao's home was the closest, we decided to drop him off first and settle accounts at his doorstep.
From the Suning rest area onwards, because everyone spoke the local dialect, the three strangers suddenly became familiar with each other, and the several hours' journey passed like the wind. Especially Old Zhao, after everyone spoke the dialect, seemed to find a sense of belonging, not only opening up but also taking out his phone to show the reporter pictures of his son and daughter, explaining: this picture was taken when his son was traveling, this video shows his daughter learning to cook, etc.
After settling the accounts, Wang Lei also organized the fuel invoices and toll receipts for the reporter and Old Zhao to review. "There's an old saying: clear accounts between close brothers," Wang Lei said, everyone looked out for each other on the journey, and the accounts must be settled clearly to preserve good feelings.
With Old Zhao's home being the nearest, we decided to drop him off first and then settle the accounts at his doorstep.