“Oh dear, little girl, if I had money, I wouldn’t be asking you for a bite to eat. Please, have a heart—my grandson hasn’t had meat in days.”
As soon as the old woman heard Fang Yuan’s reluctance, she raised her voice and began to shout.
In an instant, everyone in the carriage heard her.
Many people nearby were already staring at them.
“Little girl, you look well-dressed and probably don’t lack the money. This elderly woman and child look so pitiful—why not give them some meat?”
A middle-aged woman who had also bought a portion of braised pork chimed in, looking at Fang Yuan as she urged.
“Yes, they’re so pitiful. Auntie, you bought meat too—why not give them yours?”
Fang Yuan glanced at the middle-aged woman and retorted without hesitation.
“What kind of talk is that? This meat is for my son to eat.
What’s the big deal about a young girl like you giving away some meat? You lack compassion—be careful, or you’ll never find a husband.”
Seeing the old woman eyeing the meat in her lunchbox, the middle-aged woman quickly closed the lid.
“Auntie, since you’re so kind-hearted, how can you say that? If you really can’t give the meat, at least give them some money—they must have meat to eat!”
Fang Yuan’s little mouth was sharp and quick-witted.
Trying to guilt-trip her?
Let me see if you have any morals first.
“I’m not related to her—why should I give money to buy meat? It’s not like I have money to burn?” the middle-aged woman hastily argued back.
“Auntie, how can you lack compassion? With a mother like you, your son might not find a wife in the future,” Fang Yuan shot back.
Fang Yuan’s words flustered the middle-aged woman. She put down her lunchbox, placed her hands on her hips, and began to argue with her:
“You’re so young, yet you don’t learn to behave. How can you speak so viciously? How dare you curse my son?”
“How amusing—isn’t that exactly what you just said to me? Why can’t I say it?”
Fang Yuan’s words made the woman so angry she nearly stomped her feet. Pointing at Fang Yuan, her voice rose an octave:
“You… you little girl, so young and already so malicious. How did your parents raise you?”
“My family raised me well. I don’t steal, I don’t rob, and I don’t force others to give away their meat. I live honestly—how is that malicious?”
Then she turned to the middle-aged woman: “Or did your family teach you to gossip and meddle in others’ affairs? Or to eat your own meat while expecting others to share theirs?”
“Pfft!”
Fang Yuan’s words made the other passengers nearby laugh. This little girl might be young, but she certainly knew how to talk.
Seeing others laugh at Fang Yuan’s remarks, the middle-aged woman realized she had met her match today.
She glared at Fang Yuan, pointing at her as she cursed without restraint:
“You… a little girl like you, relying on your looks, dares to talk nonsense. You’ll surely grow up to be a shameless, promiscuous tramp!”
Oh, so it’s escalated to personal attacks now?
As if she’s the only one who can do that?
Fang Yuan smiled and looked at the middle-aged woman with curiosity:
“Auntie, you say such things so easily. What shameful things did you do when you were young? Why not share them with everyone?”
“Cough, cough~”
Several people nearby stepped back without saying a word, as if clearing the “battlefield” for them to continue.
“You… you…”
The middle-aged woman was so furious with Fang Yuan she nearly fainted, pointing at her speechlessly.
“Alright, enough with the ‘you, you, you.’ I’m just baffled—what’s it to you if I buy a serving of meat? Why do you have to come over here spouting nonsense?”
Fang Yuan closed the lunchbox lid, not intending to waste any more breath arguing with her.
She was also grateful this was on a train and not in the countryside.
Otherwise, with two buns in her belly, she really wouldn’t dare to argue like this!
“What’s a little girl like you doing eating a whole serving of meat? Why not share some with others?”
The middle-aged woman voiced her thoughts, convinced she was being righteous.
“First of all, you’re discriminating against women. The Chairman himself said women hold up half the sky. What gives you the right to look down on women and say a ‘little girl’ like me shouldn’t eat meat?
Second, I paid for this meat myself. I can eat it however I want.
If you’re really so kind-hearted, you should buy a serving for this grandmother and her grandson. Why should I be the one to give mine away?
You think one word from you is enough to make me hand over my meat? On what grounds?
Because you love meddling or because your face is big?”
The woman, having caught her breath, trembled as she pointed at Fang Yuan:
“You wretched girl, what’s wrong with giving away a little meat? Didn’t your teacher teach you to respect the elderly and care for the young?”
“You just said yourself you have no relation to them. Respecting the elderly and caring for the young doesn’t mean giving meat to strangers. If you’re not giving any, why should I?”
Who isn’t short on food these days?
If you won’t give any yourself, how can you have the nerve to ask me to?
“I bought this for my son. How can a little girl like you have the face to eat meat?”
The middle-aged woman took a deep breath and retorted.
Finally, she got to the point.
She was just a girl, not worthy of eating meat?
This preference for sons over daughters was quite severe, just like that old lady’s family.
“Please move aside. I bought this for my son too. My son also wants to eat!”
Fang Yuan couldn’t be bothered to keep arguing.
Debating with these mindless people was just lowering her intelligence and wasting her breath.
“Listen to that, just listen! She really is a shameless thing. At such a young age, she’d pretend to have a son just for a bite of meat. Aren’t you ashamed?
You’re truly indecent, bringing shame to us women!”
Fang Yuan’s words gave the middle-aged woman an excuse to curse at her.
Fang Yuan pulled out her marriage certificate and waved it, then pointed at her own belly:
“Auntie, I’m already married, and I’m carrying my son in my belly. If your slander and curses harm my son, I’ll sue you for attempted murder.”
With that, she turned to the grandmother and grandson waiting nearby for meat:
“Granny, since this auntie is so enthusiastic, you can just take her serving of meat. She’s already set it aside for you.”
As she spoke, Fang Yuan pointed at the lunchbox the woman had placed to the side.
“Grandma, meat! I want meat!”
The old woman’s grandson had already spotted that lunchbox.
When Fang Yuan pointed at it, he immediately shook off his grandmother’s hand and rushed toward the box.
He opened the lid, reached in, grabbed the meat inside, and stuffed it into his mouth.
“What are you doing? That’s the meat I bought for my son, you little brat! Put it down!”
Seeing her meat being eaten by the child, the middle-aged woman forgot about arguing with Fang Yuan.
She rushed to snatch the lunchbox from the boy’s hands.
“No! I want meat! This is my meat! I’ll beat you to death, beat you to death! Waaah, waaah…”
“What are you doing? How can an adult bully a child like that? What’s wrong with letting him have a few pieces?”
The old woman saw that the meat in her grandson’s hand was about to be snatched back, so she hurried forward to grab it as well.
“This was bought for my son, why should I give it to you? Let go, or I’ll call the train attendant!”
The middle-aged woman shouted loudly, reaching out to reclaim her lunchbox.
“Didn’t you just ask someone else to give my grandson meat? If they wouldn’t give it, you could have given it yourself. I thank you in advance, old woman!”
The old woman blocked the middle-aged woman’s hand, speaking with an air of righteousness.
“I don’t want your thanks. Give the meat back to me—that’s for my son!”