Just before National Day, everyone around becomes busy. Those booking tickets set alarms to snatch them at the right time, for a delay means having to wait for half a day. Those who manage to get tickets cheer on the spot, while those who fail silently change their tickets. Travelers plan their itineraries and prepare their travel guides, while those returning home plan what gifts to bring, all busy to the point of not being able to stand still. Everyone is preparing for the holiday. On the railway, something is also being prepared. It doesn't browse the phone or read travel guides, and its itinerary hasn't changed a word for decades. It is the sleeper, which has long been prepared to ensure the stability of the railway.
The preparation of sleepers is not done before long holidays, but before they are put into use. A log is transported from the mountains and first goes through the material selection process. The craftsman examines it to see if the grain is smooth and the material is sufficient. If it is not up to standard, it is left on the spot. Then it is slowly dried on the stack, without haste or heat, to let the moisture out little by little. Once it is fully dried, it is carved with shallow grooves and put into a tank to soak up oil. After the oil is fully absorbed, it has to wait for some time before being taken out of the tank. By the time it is actually laid on the track, it is often the next year. This slowness and apparent procrastination actually means that all the effort has been put into the preparation. Every trip made during the holidays is at the expense of the old capital accumulated that year.
People find even a few days of vacation long, yet it prepares for a post for years without a sound, not even hearing a word of urgency. When the long vacation arrives, dozens of buses pass by every day, and it continues. When the temperature drops at night, it bears it. Even after an autumn rain, it remains the same. Others cram for exams at the last minute, but it has already crammed for the exam, just waiting for the flow of people to increase. Those few days of vacation you cherish are just another day of work for it.
What does a well-prepared sleeper look like? Once laid on the track, it won't move. During the day, passenger trains pass one after another, and at night, there are also night trains quietly passing by. During peak travel seasons, several trains may run at the same time. They are placed one atop another, and none of them falter. The wheels roll over them repeatedly, and they support and bounce as needed. No matter how heavy the train is, they can bear it, perfectly controlling the balance. A piece of wood has been exposed to the sun in the wilderness for several years. Why is it so stable? It's because it has been soaked in oil in the tank, which has fed it from the outside to the inside. The inside is densely packed, so rain can't penetrate and insects can't get close. The wind and sun only affect the surface, not the inside.
People who travel during long holidays also prioritize preparation, but in the opposite direction. People prepare for the unexpected, always leaving their suitcases unpacked until the night before departure. Sleepers prepare for the long term, completing the work for the next few years before they even start. So, while you have time to enjoy the scenery in the train, changing mountains and rivers as you go, your feet always remain on the ground. Children lean against the window counting tunnels, while adults bow their heads to reply messages, neither of them bothering with that black wooden object below. It doesn't need anyone's attention either; by supporting the rails, it arranges its own holiday schedule.
Popular destinations for National Day, whether in the mountains, by the sea, or across the river, all routes involve crossing mountains and rivers. Vehicles heading to the mountains have to climb slopes, with sleepers gripping the ballast and lifting it section by section. With many bends and steep slopes, they never slacken their efforts. Vehicles heading to the seaside travel long distances, with sleepers arranged in rows along the way, not a single one missing, like a roll-call, with each one responding to its name. The water in the car windows shimmers, and the black wooden blocks beneath are arranged in rows, giving people a sense of security. On bridges crossing the river, the wind is strong. During the section where vehicles cross the bridge, the wooden blocks below take turns supporting, steadily carrying people across the river. You just look out the window, while they just support underneath, each doing their own job along the way, without delaying each other.
As soon as the holiday begins and the wheels start spinning, millions of people embark on their long vacation. The preparations behind this journey were completed years ago, in the silos and on the storage racks. Every journey now is like a small withdrawal of interest from that old capital, which can never be fully drawn and yet never results in a loss. This National Day, may all the tickets you snatch be on time, all the scenery you see be beautiful, and all the reunion dinners be lively. I wish our motherland a happy birthday, may the mountains and rivers remain peaceful, and may your holiday be smooth sailing. Qingdao Tiehan wishes you a happy National Day.
