18 Our Last Hope
"Tissues! Tissues!" called the small boy on the subway, as he carried a box of tissues in the hopes that a passenger would buy from him.
Lina always felt bad when she saw someone in need of money, so she pulled out some money from her handbag and paid double the price for the packet of tissues.
"Thank you miss," the boy bowed kindly, before continuing on his rounds.
Lina watched from the window as the city whooshed by. She loved this view, not because she liked the commute to work but because the fast speed of the train excited her.
To sit on this train with the other employees at the same time every morning was a reminder that she was moving.
That's what I want, she sighed to herself. To feel like I am going somewhere, moving towards something.
The train took her to her destination, the affluent Chaoyang district.
Stepping out onto this platform was like stepping up in society.
The people in the Chaoyang district were like a different breed, a different class.