The mid-afternoon was the hottest time of the day, and the sun pouring in through the taxi window turned the driver's seat into a virtual barbecue grill.
Passengers in the car could hide from the sun and fan themselves with whatever they had, but the driver, with his hands on the steering wheel, had nowhere to hide.
Sweat dripped down from the driver's head like a waterfall. When he stopped at a red light at the intersection, he reached for his water bottle. His hand, perhaps too sweaty, trembled and failed to grasp it.
The honking of horns from the cars behind urged the driver in front to move.
"Driver, you can just pull over," Xie Wanying immediately said.
"Yes, yes, just pull over," Teacher Lu echoed.
They decided to walk the extra distance, letting the driver have some time to rest or fix his car.
The driver glanced at them gratefully, drove through the intersection, and pulled over to the side of the road.
The three of them hurriedly got out of the taxi.
