“Thank you.”
Looking at the thin, frail old woman dressed in ordinary clothes, Su Wanyin felt that she was probably just trying to comfort her, but warmth still flowed through her heart.
At that moment, several train attendants suddenly strode through the carriage carrying a large gift box. Under everyone’s shocked gazes, they stopped in front of Su Wanyin and loudly announced:
“Comrade, thank you for helping us catch the thief and recover the stolen belongings for everyone in this carriage. We also thank you for bravely using your medical skills to save the elderly lady!”
After speaking, the attendants raised their hands and began applauding in unison.
A few seconds later, the passengers in the carriage finally reacted and joined in with loud applause.
The thunderous clapping left Su Wanyin momentarily dazed. Only after the old woman beside her reminded her did she slowly accept the gift box the attendant had been holding out for quite some time.
“There’s no need to thank me. Helping others courageously is what one should do.”
The train conductor happened to walk into the carriage just in time to hear the young girl’s calm and modest response. He looked at her with admiration before turning to lecture his subordinates.
“Excellent! Even such a young girl has this level of ideological awareness. You should all learn from her!”
“Yes, sir!”
After loudly praising Su Wanyin a few more times, the conductor finally left with the attendants.
Once they were gone, the passengers in the carriage looked at Su Wanyin with varying degrees of guilt.
Especially the few who had been too afraid to get involved earlier and hadn’t even dared lend a hand.
In the end, after discussing among themselves, several people each took out a food coupon or some snacks and walked over to Su Wanyin.
“Little girl, we’re really sorry about earlier. This is just a small token of appreciation for helping us recover our stolen belongings.”
Su Wanyin glanced at them and the ration coupons in their hands, then calmly shook her head.
“There’s no need.”
Seeing that they still hadn’t left, she parted her lips slightly and continued,
“There’s nothing wrong with protecting your own safety and interests. But if everyone thinks the same way in the future, then when something happens to you someday and everyone else stands by watching coldly, how would you feel?”
Instantly, several older adults were left blushing in embarrassment and shame after being lectured by such a young girl.
In the end, they forcefully stuffed the ration coupons into Su Wanyin’s hands before hurriedly returning to their seats.
“They’re thanking you, so just accept them,” the old woman said with a smile as she glanced at the group. “If you hadn’t helped recover their things, they might’ve gone hungry for quite a while.”
In truth, “going hungry” was putting it lightly. Their families could even have been ruined.
Su Wanyin understood that as well. Looking at the small stack of ration coupons in her hands, she finally accepted them.
After all, she truly lacked money right now. She was no longer the wealthy philanthropist from her previous life.
…
Huo Wei watched the entire turn of events in shock and looked at his superior in amazement.
“Commander, she’s incredible.”
She knew medicine, was intelligent, and kind-hearted.
Seeing the admiration in his subordinate’s eyes, Fu Shimo’s gaze landed on the girl in the front row chatting with the old woman, her lips curved into crescent moons as she smiled. A dark glint flickered in his black eyes.
“Do you think an ordinary village girl could accomplish all this?” His voice was low and indifferent.
Huo Wei’s expression instantly stiffened. The endless stream of praise he had been about to blurt out got swallowed back down, and suspicion crept into his heart as well.
“Then what should we do?”
“We’ll keep watching.”
A dangerous and gloomy sharpness flashed through Fu Shimo’s dark eyes.
…
The train journey would take two days and one night.
As evening approached, “Fu Shimo” came to find Su Wanyin carrying a thermos of hot water and a clean washbasin.
Su Wanyin hadn’t expected such a seemingly straight-laced man to be so considerate. She followed him to the washroom between the carriages. After accepting the towel he handed her, she soaked it in hot water and comfortably wiped her face.
Then, taking advantage of the empty washroom, she pulled out pastries and two brown sugar steamed buns from the space—items she had bought at the black market—and walked toward “Fu Shimo’s” seat.
“I bought these before setting out. You two can share them.”
Huo Wei had just taken out some hard dry biscuits with his superior and was about to eat when a delicate box of pastries and two fragrant brown sugar buns suddenly appeared before him.
His eyes stayed fixed on them for a long moment before, under the cold snort from beside him, he straightened his expression and refused.
“No need, Comrade Su. You should eat them yourself.”
“It’s fine, I still have more.”
Without waiting for him to refuse again, Su Wanyin smiled, set the food down, and turned to leave.
Huo Wei stared blankly at her slender yet still beautiful figure as she walked away. Looking down at the pastries—something even he rarely splurged on himself—his heart filled with emotion.
Too bad they weren’t meant for him.
Swallowing his saliva, Huo Wei pushed the food toward his commander.
“Commander, here.”
“So this little bit of food is enough to bewitch you?”
Fu Shimo’s eyes darkened. He hadn’t missed the look his subordinate gave the girl’s retreating figure. Seeing his utterly spineless appearance, he coldly warned,
“A woman like her—calculating and morally questionable—you simple-minded types should stay far away from her in the future.”
“But I feel like she’s not…” Huo Wei instinctively wanted to argue, but after meeting the commander’s cold and intimidating gaze, he swallowed his words and changed them. “Yes, sir.”
…
At the connection between two train cars, the girl paused with two freshly prepared cups of malted milk in her hands. The smile on her lips froze as an absurd little laugh escaped her throat.
Then she gritted her teeth and downed one of the cups in a single gulp before walking over as if nothing had happened.
Arriving before Huo Wei, Su Wanyin handed him the enamel cup and softly said,
“Comrade Fu, steamed buns can be chokingly dry. Drink some of this to soothe your throat.”
The woman’s voice was soft and melodious, like endless silk brushing lightly across sand, making one’s ears tingle pleasantly.
Not only the two men before her, but even the men seated in the rows ahead and behind instinctively turned to look.
Fu Shimo swept a cold and imposing gaze across them. The men instantly turned their heads away, not daring to continue staring, though an itch still lingered in their hearts.
Once the prying gazes were gone, Fu Shimo frowned at the delicate-looking girl standing before Huo Wei and said in a deep voice,
“It’s dark already. Go back to your seat and rest early. Don’t wander around disturbing others.”
“My footsteps are very light, and I’m not speaking loudly either.”
Su Wanyin ignored him completely. Her beautiful fox-like eyes only looked pitifully at Huo Wei as she bit her lip and muttered softly,
“I don’t think I’m louder than your colleague.”
The final sentence sounded both like a complaint and coquettish teasing, making people’s hearts itch even more.
It unconsciously stirred up a protective instinct.
Huo Wei’s bronze-colored face reddened as he subconsciously replied,
“That’s true. Comrade Su really does speak very softly.”
Like a little nightingale.
“So you’re saying my voice is loud?” Fu Shimo shot him a chilling glance.
Under the girl’s helpless and vulnerable gaze, Huo Wei had just been about to nod when he suddenly remembered something. His body stiffened, and he quickly shook his head instead.
Knowing that “Fu Shimo” still had to preserve his authority as the leader, Su Wanyin lowered her head and tactfully interrupted,
“It’s all my fault. Comrade Fu, hurry and drink it so I can take the cup back. I won’t disturb your rest any longer.”
Looking at her lowered little head, carrying that mix of grievance and forced submission, Huo Wei suddenly felt suffocated with indignation on her behalf.