Chapter 299 What a coincidence
Now, to go to Henan by train, you still go to Qianmen Railway Station, and take the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Line - from Beijing to Zhangjiakou.

As the train left the capital, we were greeted by endless waves of golden wheat, stretching from the front to the distance. It was evening now, and the wheat was reflecting golden light under the setting sun, which was soothing to the eye.

Opening the train window, the scent of the earth and the sweet smell of the wheat fields filled the carriage, intoxicating everyone.

“What a great harvest scene!”

As the summer harvest approaches, the farmers in the fields not only make straw men, but also make various kinds of net bags to constantly kill the sparrows that steal food in the fields.

In 58, the government called for the elimination of the four pests: flies, mosquitoes, rats, and sparrows.
This was the case all the way through, and everyone on the train was discussing the great struggle enthusiastically, without exception.

Looking at the camera hanging around Wang Deming's neck, many people thought he was a reporter.

Journalism is a high-end profession these days, promoting national policies, recording changes of the times, and reporting on mass activities. Who knows, maybe one day you'll be on the news?

A middle-aged comrade next to him, wearing a white towel on his head and dressed like a farmer, looked at the camera on his chest and said enviously, "Comrade, are you a reporter?"

Wang Deming didn’t get a sleeper berth, neither a soft berth nor a hard berth. In fact, he couldn’t get one at all because he wasn’t even an associate chief physician. His rank was not high enough.
Alas, these Soviet systems seem to still exist in later generations.

However, since the introduction letter system was introduced, there are not many passengers on the train, and it is more interesting to chat with people from all over the world with different accents in the hard seat carriage. It is also a pleasure to occasionally interject a few words.

Wang Deming was such an open-minded person that he took off the Leica M2 SLR camera from his neck and handed it to me. He didn't even ask if he was a reporter. He smiled and said, "This is a new camera from abroad. It has a wider angle and longer focal length, so it's called a SLR. Take a look at it. I'll help you take off the lens cover."

"No, no, no, comrade, this is too precious! What if it breaks?"

"Haha, comrade, cameras are for people to use. It's okay as long as they don't drop them on the ground." Seeing that other people around him were also envious, Wang Deming said loudly: "Comrades can take turns to come here and try it later, but please pay attention to order."

Before he finished speaking, he wished that everyone in the carriage, including the conductor and the police, would come over.

While squeezing, they also maintained order: "Comrades, please line up consciously! Don't drop your camera! Don't let the journalists get criticized when they go back!"

There were not many entertainment activities in those days, but any little movement could attract a large number of people, not to mention that photography was a fashionable thing in those days. However, except for the reporters and the masters in the photo studio, no one else had ever played with a camera, so of course they would rush to take such an opportunity.

Don’t say that this is because we Chinese like to watch. Do you think this situation was less common in the past? Because we can see it from the video, haha!

After a brief period of chaos, an order that was not an order was finally formed. Heads were crowded up and down on Wang Deming's side. They watched Wang Deming first hang the camera around the farmer's neck, then unscrew the lens, put the camera in front of the farmer's eyes, and direct him to look outside.

"Yes, this thing can only be seen with one eye. Do you see the blurry scene? Don't worry. Gently and slowly twist this protruding thing that looks like a big nose. OK, do you see it clearly now?"

"Oh my god! It's so nice! It's so bright!" The middle-aged farmer was beaming with joy.

"Okay, there's a small wrench on the upper left corner of the camera. Just turn it slightly and the picture will be taken. Comrade, please don't clench your fingers so tightly. I can't pry them apart."

"Haha." The onlookers laughed.

The farmer's face turned red from laughing. With the help of Wang Deming, his stiff fingers finally touched the camera button and he pushed it gently. "Click!" "Hey, comrade, I didn't mean to do that! Isn't this a waste of film? I'll give you money! I'll make up for it!"

When the farmer heard the voice, he immediately panicked and hurriedly apologized to Wang Deming, bowing and kneeling continuously.

"Hey, hey, don't panic, there's no film in here! It's okay! It's okay!" Wang Deming quickly helped the peasant comrade up and comforted him: "It's okay even if there is film. We have a certain loss quota. One or two frames won't be a problem."

Even so, the farmer comrade did not continue to fiddle with the camera and returned it to Wang Deming.

All eyes were fixed on Wang Deming. He laughed and asked, "Who's next?"

"me!"

The crowd responded enthusiastically and raised their hands.

"Okay, let's let the younger ones come first. They are the flowers of the motherland. Come and tell uncle, how old are you this year? Have you learned any poems? Can you recite one for uncle? Don't be shy! Look, the camera is waiting for you."

"Good boy, keep going!" The onlookers encouraged loudly.

The little boy, who was about 10 years old, finally defeated himself and recited aloud with a red face: "For forty years, my country and my country, three thousand miles of mountains and rivers. Phoenix pavilions and dragon towers connect to the sky, jade trees and branches are covered with mist and vines, how often have I seen war?

Once I became a captive, my waist became heavy and my hair turned gray. The most hurried day was the day I left the temple. The music hall was still playing the farewell song, and I shed tears to the palace maids.

"Uh" After the little boy finished reciting, Wang Deming really wanted to ask: Child, is your name Allen? I am not Chiang Kai-shek!
Still hanging the camera around the boy's neck, and then patiently teaching him how to use it step by step
As each passenger played with their cameras, the journey was filled with singing and laughter. Passengers in the two adjacent carriages were also attracted and gathered around eagerly, watching and chatting enthusiastically.

A man wearing glasses who looked like an intellectual suddenly sighed, "I wonder when we can produce it?"

All of a sudden everyone glared at him, and he was so scared that he immediately became a turtle.

Wang Deming smiled and explained, "Our Shanghai Camera Factory and Optical Instrument Factory have already produced Seagull brand cameras, which are sufficient for our daily photography needs. However, we still lag behind foreign countries in the field of optics, as they have been developing for so many years! But we are on the right path, studying hard, and working hard, and we will catch up one day!"

"Well said! We must work harder, day and night, respond to the call, and surpass the British devils in 15 years!"

"Good!" Immediately, warm applause broke out.

When it was time to eat, white flour buns, big red dates, flatbreads, pork head and all kinds of food were piled on the train table in front of Wang Deming. He could only keep shouting: "Don't send it over, I brought my own food, I can't eat so much by myself!"

"Then let's have dinner together!"

"it is good"

Accompanied by singing and laughter along the way, and with the gratitude of the passengers in the carriage, Wang Deming and the farmer comrade got off the train in Henan. Isn't it a coincidence that the farmer comrade is from Suiping County?

(End of this chapter)