“Wife, I’m going to the dining car to see what’s available to eat. You and Xiao Chuan stay right here—don’t go wandering off. I’ll be back shortly.”
Lu Qiqi nodded.
“All right, go ahead. We’ll wait for you here.”
Just as Gu Mufeng was about to leave, the elderly woman, who had ignored them for quite some time, called out to him in a hurry.
“Young man—are you going to buy food?”
Gu Mufeng glanced at her coolly.
“Yes.”
The woman spoke quickly.
“Then buy a meal for me too. Two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, a large portion of rice, and ten meat dumplings. Here—this is ten cents.”
Hah! Gu Mufeng looked at her as if she were an idiot.
“I will not.”
Without waiting for her reaction, he turned and walked away.
To be sure, it was no easy thing for an elderly woman to travel by train with a small child. Had she been reasonable and asked politely, Gu Mufeng would not have minded fetching her food or water. But it was plain to see this woman was the sort who always wanted to take advantage of others. The meal she had just ordered would have cost several yuan on the train—and yet she had offered him a mere ten cents. Gu Mufeng was no fool; he was neither related nor beholden to her, and he had no intention of running errands and paying out of his own pocket for the privilege.
Once Gu Mufeng was gone, the old woman began muttering curses and foul language under her breath. Lu Qiqi had originally decided it was better to avoid trouble and pay her no mind—yet the woman grew increasingly abusive, until finally she began spitting terrible curses, including wishing that one day Lu Qiqi’s children would be born without anuses.
Good heavens!
Gu Mufeng was Lu Qiqi’s husband in the eyes of the law. To curse his children was to curse her children. Having grown up an orphan, Lu Qiqi had always longed more than anything for family and kin. She had none before—but now she did, and she would protect them. To curse the children she might one day bear? That was going too far. Even if others might have borne it, Lu Qiqi would not.
Quick as a flash, Lu Qiqi hopped down from her bunk. Before the old woman could react, Lu Qiqi seized the finger she was pointing and wagging at them, twisting it sharply backward. At the same time, with her other hand, she snatched up a dirty, smelly sock from the woman’s bunk and stuffed it firmly into her mouth—just before the woman could scream.
Lu Qiqi had once been a doctor of medicine. She had studied abroad and returned to serve as a specialist physician at a leading university hospital, capable of standing and operating for twenty hours at a time without faltering. She was quick, capable, and physically stronger than she appeared. To put it plainly, Lu Qiqi had been a genuine genius in her time—everything she learned she mastered quickly, and with remarkable insight. Without such gifts, an orphan could never have risen to earn a doctorate. From her schooldays onward, she had held full scholarships every single term. She possessed a remarkable talent for languages too; once, she had even dreamed of becoming a diplomat. Circumstances had led her instead to medicine—but where others struggled, she found it all effortless. While studying abroad, she had also pursued pharmaceutical research and made notable contributions. And because the practice of medicine demanded stamina, she had filled her spare time training in boxing and combat—proving quite skilled, even competing in amateur tournaments.
This body might appear frail, but dealing with one quarrelsome old woman was well within her means.
Lu Qiqi twisted the finger harder. Cold sweat broke out across the woman’s face, and she tried to shriek—only to find her cries muffled by the sock. Lu Qiqi pretended not to hear a thing.
Her grandson, seeing his grandmother being roughly handled, opened his mouth and began to wail. Lu Qiqi shot him a freezing glare.
“Quiet. Or you’ll get the same.”
The boy froze in terror—and promptly wet himself. Lu Qiqi caught the sharp scent of urine and felt her temper fray further. She looked the old woman in the eye.
“I had no wish to quarrel with you. But you had no business cursing my husband or my children. I am warning you—behave yourself for the rest of this journey. If you provoke me again, I will strike you again. Do not think I will spare you simply because you are old.”
Terrified, the woman shook her head frantically, promising silence.
Just then, Gu Mufeng returned carrying three meals. Lu Qiqi froze for a moment—would he be displeased to see her fighting? Then again, she found she did not greatly care. She gave the woman one last sharp warning look, then released her hand and composed herself as though nothing had happened.
The woman, seeing Gu Mufeng return, decided to play the frail victim and began making as if to complain—only to watch Gu Mufeng set down the food containers, take Lu Qiqi’s hands in his own, and ask with evident concern:
“Wife—what happened? Did you strike someone? Are you tired? Did you hurt your hand? Next time, do not sully your own hands with such things. If anyone needs punishing, tell your husband—and I shall do it for you.”
Lu Qiqi stood utterly still. She had never expected him to speak so. In his eyes, she mattered so deeply he begrudged her even the effort of defending herself. A warm tide rose in her heart. She looked him straight in the eyes and spoke earnestly.
“Thank you, Mufeng. I shall remember. Next time, I shall most certainly leave it to you.”
Gu Mufeng stroked her hair fondly. Then he turned to the trembling woman and boy, his voice turning cold and stern.
“As for you two—you had best behave yourselves and cease provoking my wife. Otherwise, do not imagine I shall show you mercy. I can show you what true severity looks like, should you force me.”
The woman and boy trembled visibly. They dared not trouble Lu Qiqi again.
Lu Qiqi and Gu Mufeng sat down to eat. Beside them, Lu Chuan watched the two of them and felt a quiet, wistful envy. He had never seen his sister look so happy, or so gently cared for—nor had he ever seen anyone stand up for her the way Gu Mufeng did. He found himself thinking that having a brother like Gu Mufeng would be a wonderful thing. And if he could not have a brother… then a brother-in-law would do perfectly well.
“Brother-in-law…”
For the remainder of the journey, the woman and her grandson kept to themselves and caused no further trouble. Lu Qiqi and Gu Mufeng, meanwhile, talked and laughed easily, drawing ever closer. In the quiet hours, Lu Qiqi sewed clothing for Lu Chuan or taught him poetry. To her delight, he proved exceptionally quick-witted—in just two days, he had committed many classical poems to memory.
Three days later, the train finally pulled into their destination. Lu Qiqi and Gu Mufeng stepped down onto the platform with Lu Chuan. Lu Qiqi looked out at the unfamiliar city and felt a flutter of nervousness. Yet she knew that so long as Gu Mufeng stood beside her, she had the courage to face whatever lay ahead.
Gu Mufeng noticed her hesitation and gently squeezed her hand.
“Wife, do not fear. I am here. We shall face everything together, side by side.”
Lu Qiqi lifted her gaze and met his steady, resolute eyes—and her heart steadied. She knew that whatever trials and challenges lay ahead, she must face them bravely. And whether Gu Mufeng was truly a man she could rely on… that, for now, she would wait and see.