1000-Yuan Milk Tea: A 1200-KM Delivery
Welcome back to Learn English with Podcasts! Sarah, how much would you pay someone to bring you two cups of milk tea?欢迎回到 Learn English with Podcasts！Sarah，如果请人给你带两杯奶茶，你愿意付多少钱？
Maybe 40 yuan? 50 yuan with delivery fee? Why do you ask?大概40元？加跑腿费50元？你为什么这么问？
Because someone in Wuhan paid 1000 yuan. And the delivery guy traveled 1200 km by high-speed train to do it.因为武汉有人付了1000元。跑腿小哥坐高铁往返1200公里去送这单。
1000 yuan for two cups of tea? Mike, that is crazy. That is the most expensive milk tea I have ever heard of.两杯奶茶1000元？Mike，这太疯狂了。这是我听说过最贵的奶茶。
I thought the same. But the story is real. The delivery rider is Du Feifan. He is 30 and works in Shangluo, a city in Shaanxi.我也这么想。但故事是真的。跑腿员叫杜非凡。他30岁，在陕西商洛工作。
Shangluo to Wuhan? That is far. It is even across provinces, right?从商洛到武汉？那很远。都跨省了，对吧？
Yes, from Shaanxi to Hubei. Du has done local delivery for 5 years. But everything changed on June 30, 2026.对，从陕西到湖北。杜非凡在本地送了5年外卖。但2026年6月30日，一切都变了。
What happened that day?那天发生了什么？
A new high-speed railway opened. It runs from Xian to Shiyan. Suddenly, Wuhan was only about 3 hours away.一条新的高铁开通了。从西安到十堰。突然之间，到武汉只要3小时左右。
Only 3 hours? Before that, how long did it take?只要3小时？以前要多久？
More than 5 hours. People had to go around through Zhengzhou. Now the fastest train takes just 2 hours and 50 minutes.以前要5个多小时。得从郑州绕。现在最快的车只要2小时50分钟。
Wow, that is almost twice as fast. No wonder people are excited.哇，快了将近一倍。难怪大家这么兴奋。
Exactly. Du said nobody around him talked about visiting Wuhan before. Now everyone goes there on weekends. He went 3 times just for fun.没错。杜非凡说以前身边没人说去武汉玩。现在大家周末都往武汉跑。他自己就去玩了3次。
So he became the Wuhan expert among his friends?所以他成了朋友眼中的武汉通？
Yes. On his first trip, he had morning noodles at Liangdao Street. He saw the old Ba Gong house. He walked through Xiananfang. He even took the 1.5-yuan ferry.对。第一次去，他在粮道街过早，看了巴公房子，逛了咸安坊，还体验了1.5元的轮渡。
That sounds like a perfect day trip. But how did fun trips become a 1000-yuan business?听起来是完美的一日游。但玩着玩着怎么变成1000元的生意了？
On September 13, someone gave him an order: bring Shangluo noodles to Wuhan for 1000 yuan. Run an errand means to do a small job for someone, like buying or delivering something.9月13日，有人下单：把商洛擀面皮送到武汉，1000元。Run an errand 就是帮人跑腿，比如代买或代送东西。
What noodles? Are they famous?什么擀面皮？很有名吗？
Jingquanshan noodles, a famous local food in Shangluo. Du bought them, rode his e-bike to Shangluo West Station, took the train to Wuhan, then took a taxi to the customer. Then he ate hot dry noodles and went straight home.静泉山擀面皮，商洛当地很有名的美食。杜非凡买好面皮，骑电瓶车到商洛西站，坐高铁到武汉，再打车送到客户手里。然后他吃了一碗热干面就直接返程了。
Okay, that is already wild. But what about the milk tea?好吧，这已经够野了。那奶茶又是怎么回事？
A few days ago, another 1000-yuan order came. Buy Chayan Yuese milk tea in Wuhan. This brand is not in Shaanxi yet, so people in Shangluo cannot buy it.前几天，又来一单1000元的：去武汉代购茶颜悦色。这个品牌还没进陕西，商洛买不到。
I know this brand. People always wait in long lines for it. So what was his plan?我知道这个牌子。大家总要排长队买。那他是怎么计划的？
Very carefully. He took train G3914. It left Shangluo West at 14:18 and arrived in Hankou after 2 hours and 49 minutes. He ordered the tea online in advance.计划得很仔细。他坐的是G3914次。14时18分从商洛西站出发，2小时49分钟后到汉口。他提前在网上下好了单。
Smart. So no waiting in line. Then what?很聪明。这样就不用排队。然后呢？
After leaving the station, he walked about 100 meters to the shop, picked up the tea, and took train G869 at 17:37 back. He arrived in Shangluo at 20:59 and finished the delivery that night.出站后，他步行约100米到店取货，然后坐上17时37分的G869次返程。20时59分到达商洛，当晚就完成了配送。
Wait. He left in the afternoon and was home at night? That is a round trip of 1200 km in one day. Round trip means going there and coming back.等等。下午出发晚上就到家？一天往返1200公里。Round trip 就是往返、走个来回。
Yes. Afternoon out, home for dinner. Du said the train tickets cost 710 yuan. The tea cost 40 yuan. So his profit was about 250 yuan. Profit means the money you actually keep.对。下午出发，晚上回家。杜非凡说高铁票花了710元，奶茶40元。所以利润大约250元。Profit 就是你真正赚到手的钱。
250 yuan for one afternoon? That is not bad. But is it worth traveling so far?一下午赚250元？还不错。但跑这么远值得吗？
Du says yes. A trip of 1200 km sounds far, but most of the time he just sits on the train. He does not feel tired. To make the same money at home, he might have to work a whole day.杜非凡说值得。往返1200公里听起来很远，但大部分时间都在坐车，并不觉得累。在本地赚同样的钱，可能要跑上一天。
That makes sense. Sitting on a fast train is easier than riding an e-bike all day in the sun.有道理。坐在高铁上，比顶着太阳骑一天电瓶车轻松多了。
And here is my favorite detail. He bought two cups for the customer, and he bought one more cup for himself.还有我最喜欢的细节。他帮客户买了两杯，还给自己也买了一杯。
Ha! So he tasted it too. Was it his first time?哈！所以他自己也尝了。是第一次喝吗？
Probably. 40 yuan for his own cup, plus a free train adventure across two provinces. Not bad for a working day.应该是。40元给自己买一杯，再加一次免费的跨省高铁旅行。这一天工作不亏。
I love this story. A new railway opens, a small city connects to a big city, and suddenly milk tea can travel 1200 km.我喜欢这个故事。一条新高铁开通，一座小城连上大城市，奶茶居然能旅行1200公里。
And it teaches us something. Big changes in life often come from small things, like a train that saves 2 hours.这也告诉我们一个道理。生活里的大变化常常来自小事，比如一趟省下2小时的火车。
So next time you drink milk tea, think about it. Would you spend 1000 yuan for a cup from 600 km away? Thanks for listening to Learn English with Podcasts. See you next time.所以下次喝奶茶时想一想。你愿意花1000元买一杯600公里外的奶茶吗？感谢收听 Learn English with Podcasts。下期见。