“Grandma, what’s wrong? You’re weak all over right now—you shouldn’t move around.”
Su Wanyin frowned as she warned her.
But the old woman suddenly sat upright in panic, opened the small cloth bundle in her arms, and cried out anxiously,
“My bracelet is gone! I was bringing it to my daughter!”
“What do I do now? What am I supposed to do?!”
The old woman clutched the cloth bundle weakly, utterly helpless.
At that moment, the fat woman spoke up from behind the train attendant.
“Well, whoever touched your bag is obviously the one who took it.”
Instantly, everyone in the carriage turned to look at Su Wanyin.
“I did touch your bag, but I truly didn’t take your bracelet.”
Su Wanyin lowered her eyes as she explained, though she also knew the explanation sounded weak.
She then emptied out her canvas bag and showed it to the train attendant.
The attendant searched through it briefly. Aside from food and water, there was nothing else inside.
“Whoever steals something would keep it on themselves? Maybe she hid it somewhere along the way.”
The fat woman continued making malicious insinuations in a mocking tone.
Su Wanyin suddenly looked up thoughtfully at her.
“You sound awfully experienced. Have you done this before?”
The fat woman choked with anger and snapped,
“Anyone could guess that!”
Su Wanyin slowly swept her gaze over the woman before turning back to the train attendant’s troubled expression.
“You can search me if you want. But I wasn’t the only person who got close to Grandma.”
Su Wanyin let out a light laugh, her piercing gaze settling directly on the fat woman.
“Why should I be searched? I never touched her bag. I didn’t even brush against her!”
The fat woman immediately put on a humiliated and wronged expression.
“You may not have touched Grandma while sitting here, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t touch her while boarding the train.”
For a brief moment, Su Wanyin’s youthful face radiated a sharp intelligence and calmness completely beyond her age.
Those fox-like eyes, sharp enough to see through people, made the fat woman’s heart tremble violently. She unconsciously clenched her sweaty palms tighter.
“By your logic, everyone on this train touched her then! Should every single person be searched too?!”
The fat woman deliberately raised her voice.
As soon as she said that, many passengers immediately began protesting to the train attendant.
Quite a few of them were respected workers or officials. None of them could tolerate being searched over some old woman’s missing trinket.
“Since nobody wants to be searched, then everyone can contribute money to compensate Grandma for the loss.”
Su Wanyin said calmly.
Then she gently squeezed the old woman’s hand and raised her voice.
“Grandma, what exactly did you lose? About how valuable is it?”
The old woman looked into the girl’s dark, bright eyes. Her cracked lips trembled.
“It’s… it’s a jade bracelet. A family heirloom passed down from our ancestors.”
“A family heirloom? Then it must be worth at least several thousand, maybe even tens of thousands of yuan.”
Su Wanyin widened her eyes dramatically before sighing.
“If the police get involved, this would count as a major theft case.”
Immediately, the passengers who had been protesting moments ago started nervously whispering with their families.
If the police were called, they’d have to go to the station for questioning and searches anyway. Not only would it waste time, but it would also be humiliating if word spread. It was better to clear themselves now.
The train attendant couldn’t help feeling impressed seeing how this young girl had changed everyone’s attitude in just a few sentences.
Soon, several more attendants from other carriages were called over, and searches began one by one.
The fat woman glared at Su Wanyin through gritted teeth but had no choice except to submit to the search as well.
Half an hour later, after everyone in the carriage had been searched—
The train attendant looked sympathetically at the old grandmother.
“I’m sorry. Perhaps you lost it somewhere else, not on the train. Please think carefully again.”
“That’s impossible! I checked it specially before boarding!”
The old woman swayed weakly. Her thin face turned pale as paper as tears rolled from her aged eyes.
Su Wanyin slowly scanned the carriage before her gaze finally landed on the unusually quiet fat woman.
Then she stood up and walked through the carriage, eventually stopping near the luggage rack by the carriage connection.
“Whose luggage bag is this?”
After she spoke, nobody answered.
The train attendant walked over and looked at the black luggage bag uncertainly.
“I don’t think this bag was searched earlier either.”
As he reached to open it, a pair of thick hands suddenly snatched the bag first.
The fat woman hugged the luggage tightly to her chest and said defensively,
“These are my personal belongings. It’s all intimate clothing inside. It’s inconvenient to inspect.”
“That’s fine. I’m a woman too. I’ll inspect it.”
Su Wanyin smiled lightly and walked toward her.
The fat woman’s heart tightened. Her back was already soaked in sweat.
At that moment, the train temporarily stopped at a station.
She suddenly turned and bolted toward the carriage door, charging through several train cars in a row. Her large body shoved aside anyone trying to stop her.
A cold gleam flashed through Su Wanyin’s eyes as she quickly chased after her. Three silver needles appeared between her fingers, and she flicked them accurately toward the woman’s calf.
“Ahhh—!”
The fat woman screamed and crashed heavily to the floor, her calf throbbing with pain so intense she couldn’t move.
Su Wanyin quickly stepped forward, snatched away the luggage bag in her arms, and opened it.
Her pupils contracted.
Inside was a large pile of cash, ration coupons—and a jade bracelet.
The train attendant arrived right behind her and stared wide-eyed at the amount of money inside.
Soon afterward, many passengers in the carriage suddenly realized the money and coupons they had been carrying on them were gone.
At once, the train attendants understood that the fat woman was a habitual thief and quickly called over the railway police.
Su Wanyin pulled the silver needles from the woman’s leg and met her murderous glare with a faint smile.
“Go learn some manners in prison from now on, you fat pig.”
She deliberately pronounced the final words slowly and clearly as payback for all the “little bitch” insults from earlier.
Instantly, the fat woman’s chest tightened with fury. She looked ready to kill someone.
But her calf still throbbed with sharp pain like needles piercing through it, leaving her completely unable to move.
Su Wanyin returned with the jade bracelet and handed it back to the old grandmother.
“Little girl, thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, this old woman truly wouldn’t know what to do!”
The old woman’s eyes reddened as she carefully wrapped the recovered jade bracelet in a handkerchief and looked at Su Wanyin gratefully.
“It’s nothing. Please sit down now, and eat some porridge later.”
Su Wanyin smiled gently.
After sitting down, the old woman looked at her calm and composed demeanor. Remembering how she had healed her in just a few moments earlier, she couldn’t help asking curiously,
“Little girl, which clinic do you work at? My daughter also works at a clinic.”
“I’m not working anywhere right now.”
Su Wanyin answered honestly.
The old woman looked surprised for a moment before smiling warmly.
“With medical skills this good, why don’t you come work with my daughter later?”
Su Wanyin’s expression stiffened slightly. Looking into the old woman’s sincere eyes, she lowered her gaze and said softly,
“I don’t have educational qualifications or a medical license right now.”
All of the Su family’s resources and money had always gone to Su Baoli, while she herself had only completed middle school.
Even though in her previous life she had already mastered all high school coursework and studied traditional Chinese medicine—
Right now, she had nothing.
Su Wanyin let out a melancholy sigh.
Besides, it wouldn’t be long before she would follow the Fu family into exile in the countryside.
For now, all she could do was earn money first, then prepare for the college entrance exam and attend the university she had dreamed of in her previous life.
Seeing her troubled expression—and her thin, frail frame—the old woman could tell she had lived a difficult life. Her heart ached with pity.
Immediately, she raised her voice warmly.
“It’s alright. When the time comes, I’ll have my daughter arrange something for you.”