Xingzhou City was draped in a hazy autumn rain.

The train station here was small. After climbing up from the underground level, you stepped straight outside with no shelter.

Autumn Ease ducked slightly under the eaves of Xingzhou Station. He watched the mist-like rain and listened to the distant, clear clinking and clanging of metal.

Xingzhou’s station was tiny—nowhere near as grand as Taizhou’s high-speed rail station. Though even Taizhou’s wasn’t particularly magnificent.

To the left lay the bus terminal. Straight ahead was the taxi pickup zone.

Few taxis waited in the rain and mist. Most were Didi cars summoned by phones.

By autumn 2014, Didi ride-hailing had spread widely. It was no longer just a short-term pilot in cities like Beijing or Hangzhou.

Autumn Ease wasn’t in a hurry. He was waiting for his maternal uncle to save on cab fare.

“Uncle, are you here yet?”

“Just boarded the train. Almost there.”

His WeChat message got a quick reply.

So he waited under the station eaves.

He stayed dry, but the cold wind slipped right into his sleeves.

His hands grew chilly. He rubbed them together now and then to keep warm.

Today’s temperature in Xingzhou was only seven degrees.

“This autumn is unusually cold…” Autumn Ease muttered to himself.

Unlicensed drivers wandered inside, asking each passenger, “Need a cab, kid? Fast ride.”

“Uh, not right now,” Autumn Ease waved them off. He edged deeper into the corner to avoid attention.

Uncle’s “almost there” seemed watered down. Logically, the trip should take ten to twenty minutes. But Autumn Ease waited nearly forty. When Uncle said he’d boarded, he was probably still packing at home…

The rain showed no sign of stopping.

The gray, hazy sky hid the time’s passage…

Just like when Autumn Ease first arrived in this city.

“Damn, bro, you finally made it!” Autumn Ease joked to the much shorter middle-aged man. Relief colored his voice.

He was close to his maternal uncle. Formalities didn’t matter between them.

Uncle’s hair was shaved nearly bald. He used a razor blade himself, calling barbers “too much hassle.” Truth was, middle age brought baldness. Better to shave it off than wait.

“Waited long?” Uncle asked with an easy smile. “Let’s go. Know the address?”

“Uh, I’ll ask Aunt.” Aunt was his mother’s older sister.

Autumn Ease messaged her. She sent a pin: Xingzhou Funeral Home.

“Alright, let’s grab a cab.” Uncle, shorter than Autumn Ease, slung an arm over his shoulder like old buddies. They stepped out of the station.

Autumn Ease hurriedly opened his umbrella. He scanned the traffic, worry creeping in.

No taxis in sight. Only rain-canopied tricycles lined the curb.

“Where to, brothers!” a tricycle driver shouted through the rain, leaning from his window.

“Xingzhou Funeral Home!”

“Oh, I know it. Thirty-five yuan!”

“Too steep.” Uncle, who’d never been there, acted like a regular. “That’s barely a trip. Thirty-five?”

“Cabs avoid funeral homes. Only we go. Thirty’s my lowest.” The driver held up three fingers.

Autumn Ease eyed the sealed tricycle cabin. Flimsy, but it should block wind and rain.

He almost agreed—Uncle cut him off.

“Twenty.”

“No way. Can’t do twenty.” The man shook his head, deal clearly off.

Other tricycle drivers stayed silent.

No one called them back as they turned to leave. Uncle had bargained too hard…

“Ahem!” Autumn Ease coughed awkwardly. “Uncle, what now?”

“Take a taxi. Costs the same. Why ride that rickety thing?” Uncle rubbed his near-bald head. “Right, Brother Yi?”

His uncle’s “brother” was playful teasing.

“Okay, let’s check for cabs.”

Autumn Ease opened the Didi app. He scanned the street.

Five minutes passed. No cars appeared.

“Forget Didi. Wait at the station entrance. At least taxis gather there.” Uncle sneezed, rubbing his nose. “Damn place—no cabs.”

“Should’ve taken the tricycle…” Autumn Ease grumbled. They trudged back to the main entrance.

This time, they flagged a cab.

But the front seat was taken by a young woman cradling a baby.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

“Xingzhou Funeral Home!” Autumn Ease replied fast.

“On my route. Hop in.”

In small cities like Xingzhou, taxis ignored meters. The device stayed dark; drivers set prices freely. Carpooling was normal.

“How much?”

“Thirty-five.”

Autumn Ease rolled his eyes at Uncle.

Should’ve taken the tricycle for thirty-five…

“Fine. Get in.” This time, Uncle agreed.

“The funeral home’s actually far. Usually fifty…” The driver, spotting outsiders, tried to jack up the price.

“Fifty?!” Autumn Ease’s eyes widened.

“Fifty? We walk.” Uncle’s voice turned icy.

“Ahem, no problem. Thirty-five for you.” The driver started the car, acting like they’d scored a deal.

Autumn Ease rolled his eyes—inside and out.

He’d just checked Didi. The fare was twenty-two yuan.

Small towns were like this. No meters. Inflated prices. Even his hometown didn’t have this greed…

Different places, different customs.

Small cities stayed small. But most drivers weren’t this grasping…

Autumn Ease wiped the fogged window. A Xingzhou duck head shop flashed past. The hazy rain and speeding taxi blurred the city into gray…

(Scene: A sky dark as dusk, rain streaking the window.)