我是在一个周二的下午发现地铁消失的。确切地说，是3号线。

我像往常一样，刷卡，下楼梯，站在熟悉的站台。显示屏上的时间凝固在16:42，像是被谁按下了暂停键。没有风，没有声音，没有列车进站时惯有的轰鸣。只有我和几个零星的乘客，面面相觑，表情茫然。

Old Li took a sip of tea, smacked his lips, and his eyes drifted out the window. The sky was gloomy today, like a rag, hanging grayly, making people feel stuffy.

Zhao Xunjin, a name that dissipates in the wind like a musical note.

The sun slanted westward, casting a diagonal light into the narrow alley, dyeing the nameless yellow flowers in the corner a golden hue. Li Sijiu, a native Beijinger, was pushing his electric scooter, ready to start his day's "battle."

"Hey, Sijiu, what's new today?" Aunt Wang from the grocery store poked her head out, still clutching a handful of sunflower seeds.

天桥底下，昏黄的路灯把李四的影子拉得老长。他骑着那辆电瓶车，车后座的保温箱里还剩最后一份炒肝儿。这单送完，今儿个就算齐活了。

Taishan and the Cat

I began accompanying people climbing Mount Tai on a foggy morning. To be precise, it wasn't "accompanying," it was "being accompanied." I stood at the exit of the Nantianmen cable car station, like a forgotten piece of luggage, waiting for the next lonely soul.

On the day the CPPCC meeting closed, the sky in Beijing was as gray as a crumpled old newspaper. I walked slowly along Chang'an Avenue, my tail dragging listlessly on the ground. Actually, I'm not human, I'm a cat, a gray and white stray that's been wandering this city for who knows how long.

Someone said that this year's agenda included the issue of basic pensions for peasants, saying it would be raised to 600 yuan. Six hundred yuan, I tilted my head, what kind of concept is that? How many cans of cat food could it buy? Or, how many decent nights could it provide, without having to rummage through garbage cans for rotten fish bones?

The spring of 2024 arrived with more clamor than usual.

The sky was as gloomy as a rag soaked in ink, pressing down on the city of Beiping like a gray haze. Pedestrians on the street huddled in their clothes, hurrying along, afraid of being chilled by the cold weather. The teahouse on the roadside, however, was bustling with activity, filled with the sound of voices, the aroma of tea, and a mix of idle chatter.

Old Man Li is sitting by the sea again.