It was not an easy journey for the elderly couple to trek some 1,000 km during the world's largest home rush ahead of Spring Festival, especially with their brittle gift: a box of eggs.
In China, eggs are traditional gifts for women who give birth to babies. Although he told them repeatedly that supermarkets there sell everything, they insisted to bring 300 eggs their own hens laid.
"I had to stifle my tears when I met them at the station," he said.
The elderly couple wrapped these eggs carefully with thick newspaper in a carton to protect them from hours of bumpy coach and train.
Although the couple preferred to stay in their home province, "they still came just because we are here," Shi said.
For most people like Cao and Shi's parents, traveling home means family reunion. But for Xu Zhengguo, it was an opportunity not only to see their relatives, but also to reflect on themselves and seek self-improvement.
"I have a weak disposition and I'm sometimes indecisive," said Xu, who started a business with his friends in Hangzhou, eastern Zhejiang Province,after graduating from university in 2011.
In order to toughen himself up, Xu decided to do something crazy: traveling 660 km to his hometown Linyi, eastern Shandong Province, by switching buses from city to city along the journey.
"It is both impulsive and rational," he said in his Twitter-like microblog, in which he made the journey a "live show" by tweeting his little adventure.
Although Xu spent a week planning his trip and studying bus routes, he found that the actual route was quite different from what he'd planned using a map, forcing him to walk several kilometers between cities that don't have bus connections.
Reading books, listening to the radio or tweeting with his smartphone,Xu took a total of 48 buses over the course of a week before finally arriving in his hometown.
His mother welcomed him with tears and mild criticism when she learned about his difficult journey.
"It was really hard sometimes, but I never thought about giving up," Xu said.
Highways go toll-free for passenger cars during holiday
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