Chapter 24: A Trip to Beijing

The weather grew hotter with each passing day, and before I knew it, the height of summer had arrived. I lay on the sofa, half-asleep in front of the television, nothing worth watching, and I wondered when my college entrance exam results would finally be released.

“Lingyin, shall we go to Beijing this summer? The graduating class your father taught this year did brilliantly in the high school entrance exams—first in the whole city! So we can go traveling again!” My mother spoke to me cheerfully as she watched TV.

“Really? That’s wonderful!” My interest was piqued at once.

Here’s how it works: at the middle school where my father teaches, if a teacher’s graduating class ranks first in the city in the entrance exams, every teacher gets a trip to Beijing, and can bring a family member too. The school reimburses the train fare and provides a subsidy for accommodation.

If the class comes in second, the reward is a trip to the seaside city of D instead.

Every time my father had the chance to go traveling, apart from group trips with other teachers, he always gave the opportunity to my mother and me.

Although my mother and I had already visited Beijing many times, the long wait for the exam results made a trip seem like the perfect way to relax and take my mind off things.

So, without further ado, my mother and I quickly bought train tickets, packed our bags, and boarded the train bound for the capital.

The journey from Y City to Beijing takes more than ten hours. It was a tiring trip, but my spirits were high.

Once we arrived, our first priority was to find a place to stay. July in the capital is blisteringly hot, nearly forty degrees Celsius, and the sun seemed to be melting the asphalt roads.

We’d been to Beijing several times before, but the city is so vast, and it changes so quickly. I have a terrible sense of direction, and my mother isn’t much better.

Under the scorching sun, after much searching, my mother and I finally found the cheapest guesthouse we could afford. Our funds were limited.

It was an underground hostel, the first time I’d ever stayed in such a place—stuffy, damp, and in constant need of a fan just to breathe. The corridor outside was noisy with people coming and going at all hours.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. At night, the mosquitoes descended in droves, as if intent on devouring us alive. I was bitten so badly that not a patch of skin was spared.

The air in the basement was so stifling that the bites wouldn’t heal. They swelled into huge, angry welts—red and alarming.

The pain and itching were unbearable. I felt as if I’d been defeated before I even set out on my adventure.

The next day, I said hopelessly, “Mom, let’s spend a little more and find a room above ground. We can skip a few sights if we have to.”

“Alright, we’ll check out in a while and look for somewhere better,” my mother replied.

So the two of us set off once more through the bustling streets and narrow alleys in search of a new place to stay.

This time, we were lucky. The new place wasn’t nearly as stifling.

With accommodation sorted, we were both exhausted and starving. What to do? Well, of course, it was time to eat!

There was a noodle shop nearby that served Beijing-style noodles with soybean paste, so we went in for a meal.

When our two bowls of noodles arrived, I was stunned—they looked delicious, and came with over a dozen small plates of side dishes and condiments.

There was an incredible variety: soybeans, bean sprouts, pork belly, shiitake mushrooms, celery, watermelon radish, cucumber, white radish, Chinese toon, and several other vegetables I couldn’t name.

What a feast!

The portions were generous, and the noodles tasted amazing.

After we’d eaten our fill, my mother and I started planning where to go sightseeing.

Since we’d already been to most of Beijing’s famous spots, we decided to visit places we hadn’t seen before.

We finally settled on the Temple of Heaven.

Located in the southern part of Beijing, the Temple of Heaven is a national 5A-level tourist attraction.

Fortunately, it wasn’t far from our guesthouse, and the bus ride didn’t take long. I arrived just before my motion sickness got the better of me.

It was truly magnificent, grand and imposing.

Of all the sights in the Temple of Heaven, I was most fascinated by the Echo Wall.

My mother and I stood at opposite ends of the wall, speaking in low voices, but I suppose we didn’t stand in quite the right spots. We tried several times, but couldn’t hear each other.

Still, I had my mother take a photo of me with my hand cupped to my ear, pressed against the wall, as if I were listening for something.

Afterward, we visited the zoo, Beihai Park, and more.

Once again, I missed my chance to climb the Great Wall at Badaling. It was just too far, and my motion sickness always made me hesitate.

They say, “He who has never climbed the Great Wall is not a true hero.” It seems I’m destined never to be a hero…

My mother and I spent ten days exploring Beijing, and on our final day, we went to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag-lowering ceremony.

Why not the flag-raising ceremony? Well, you have to get up very early for that, and I just couldn’t manage it, so the flag-lowering it was.

There were many people watching the flag-lowering as well. I thought, “Maybe they’re like me—can’t wake up early, so they come for the evening ceremony.”

Soon, I was swept up in the solemn and awe-inspiring atmosphere.

The national flag honor guard marched forward in perfect unison, every movement precise and impressive.

Many people stood at attention, eyes fixed on the flag. I did the same.

I thought, as a Chinese person, I truly felt proud.

And now, my mother and I are already on the train back to Y City, watching the station recede into the distance.

I waved goodbye. Farewell, Beijing. I’ll be back to see you again…