Lin Defei and Feng Xingmei turned their heads in unison, looking in the direction Lin Dazhu was pointing. Sure enough, they saw Lin Qiao’er wearing patched, tattered clothes.
Lin Qiao’er’s heart pounded wildly, feeling as though it might leap out of her throat.
She couldn’t confront them head-on just yet. The key issue was that her uncle and aunt’s plan to sell her to human traffickers hadn’t caused any actual harm, so the police wouldn’t be able to intervene.
If they caught her and dragged her back, there was no telling when they might sell her off.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the green-painted train slowly pulling into the station, its chimney billowing thick white smoke.
Just then, the announcement sounded: “The train bound for Shanghai has arrived. Passengers, please board quickly.”
Lin Qiao’er turned her head and called out to Wen Shuwan and Zhou Jinhui, “See you on the train.”
Wen Shuwan and Zhou Jinhui found it strange—why was Comrade Lin in such a hurry?
In the blink of an eye, Lin Qiao’er had vanished.
Zhou Jinhui frowned and turned to her sister-in-law. “Sis, that country girl is odd. She might even be a human trafficker.”
Wen Shuwan disagreed. “If she hadn’t stepped in to help in time, Xiaobao would have lost his life.”
Zhou Jinhui shrugged it off. “Human traffickers these days are cunning, always coming up with new tricks.”
Wen Shuwan asked curiously, “How do you know that?”
Zhou Jinhui’s smile deepened. “Of course, it’s from Chu Feng. I wonder if he’s on this train. It’s been so long since I last saw him.”
The waiting passengers surged toward the train doors like sardines, packed tightly together. Lin Qiao’er, with her petite frame, slipped through the crowd as nimbly as a fish. Looking down, she saw a sea of shoes of all kinds, while a mix of odors—body odor, garlic, and more—assaulted her nose. It was truly unpleasant.
Once on the train, Lin Qiao’er hid in the restroom. The small, enclosed space gave her a slight sense of security.
In such a short time, her uncle likely hadn’t had the chance to obtain a letter of introduction.
In this era, without a letter of introduction, one couldn’t go anywhere.
Thump, thump, thump—the door was knocked.
Lin Qiao’er jumped in fright, clutching her bundle tightly as the pounding of her heart echoed in her ears.
A rough, duck-like voice called out, “What, hatching eggs in there? I’m about to burst!”
The door rattled loudly under the pounding.
Lin Qiao’er bit her lip, trembling as she unlocked the latch, and stepped out with her head bowed.
The man caught a glimpse of Lin Qiao’er’s fair neck, his eyes gleaming with interest. He deliberately bumped into her shoulder before slamming the door shut with a bang.
Lin Qiao’er’s fragile heart trembled again.
Looking out the window, she saw the lush green scenery whizzing past—the train had started moving.
Lin Qiao’er let out a sigh of relief, her heart settling back into place.
Suddenly, a thought struck her: How had Feng Xingmei gotten involved with human traffickers?
Could it be that she had engaged in such activities before?
Lin Qiao’er furrowed her brow, her mind filled with worries as she sought out the train police.
A young man in an army-green uniform and matching cap stood before her. With his wheat-colored skin, thick eyebrows, and bright eyes, he looked particularly spirited.
The young man stared, captivated by Lin Qiao’er’s fair, delicate appearance. Though her clothes were dusty and worn, they couldn’t hide her beauty. He had never seen such a pretty girl before.
He scratched his head and grinned at Lin Qiao’er.
Lin Qiao’er rarely interacted with others. As soon as she met the young man’s gaze, she lowered her head and said, “Comrade Officer, I have information about human traffickers.”
Only then did the young man snap back to reality. He straightened his clothes and puffed out his chest.
He and his mentor had been investigating human traffickers. Recently, several cases of children and women being abducted on trains had occurred, and there were no leads at all. He was so anxious that blisters had formed on his lips.
“Please, have a seat.”
The young man picked up the thermos, poured a cup of water for Lin Qiao’er, and handed it to her.
Lin Qiao’er sat across from the young man, nervously fidgeting with her fingers. “Feng Xingmei from Shitou Village in Harbin is connected to human traffickers. They meet at a noodle stall in the county called Old Liu’s.”
The young man nodded. “Comrade, thank you for your willingness to help. Could you please leave your contact information?”
Lin Qiao’er nodded.
Looking at the elegant handwriting on the paper, the young man smiled warmly. “Are you also from Shitou Village? What is your relationship with this Feng Xingmei?”
Lin Qiao’er touched the side of the cup, gritted her teeth, and finally said, “She is my aunt. I overheard her planning to sell me to human traffickers.”
Hearing this, the young man felt even more sympathy for her. As he caught a glimpse of the delicate skin behind her ear, his heart fluttered.
“Comrade Qiao’er, don’t worry. We will definitely bring the criminals to justice.”
Lin Qiao’er nodded slightly and smiled awkwardly.
Seeing that Lin Qiao’er was about to leave, the young man rubbed his nose and said, “My name is Zhao Chufeng. I’m from Shanghai. Are you also heading to Shanghai? Since you’re unfamiliar with the place, I could show you around when I’m on leave.”
Lin Qiao’er felt that Zhao Chufeng was being overly enthusiastic and was momentarily uncomfortable with it. She also didn’t want to owe anyone a favor. “Thank you for your kindness, but there’s no need to trouble yourself.”
Chu Feng stared blankly at Lin Qiao’er’s petite and slender figure as she walked away, only to be abruptly snapped out of it by a sharp knock on the head.
“What are you staring at? You look like you’ve lost your soul. Thinking about getting married?”
Zhao Chufeng turned to see his mentor, and standing right beside him was a tall, handsome man with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a straight nose, a plaid shirt, and impeccably pressed black polyester pants—none other than his older brother, Zhao Moting.
Delighted, Zhao Chufeng grinned at his brother. “Brother, what are you doing here?”
His mentor quietly stepped away to give the brothers some space to talk.
A faint smile appeared on Zhao Moting’s usually indifferent face. “I’m here for a training session. Mom has introduced you to so many potential partners, and you haven’t liked any of them. Now, after just one trip, you’re already thinking about marriage?”
Zhao Chufeng felt a bit embarrassed by his brother’s teasing, though his dark complexion hid any blush. “Brother, you don’t understand. That girl is incredibly beautiful and speaks so gently.”
Zhao Moting didn’t hesitate to pour cold water on his brother’s enthusiasm. “Is that all you care about? What if she already has someone?”
“Probably not. She looks only seventeen or eighteen. I’m not as lucky as you, having a childhood sweetheart as your fiancée, with a good family and parents who are satisfied.”
Zhao Moting: “Stop talking nonsense.”
Zhao Chufeng pouted.
Lin Qiao’er walked all the way to the sleeper carriage and noticed many people staring at her, which made her feel very uneasy.
She took a piece of cloth from her bundle and wrapped it around her face, as if it could provide her with some sense of security.
When traveling alone, it would be troublesome if she caught the attention of human traffickers.
Wen Shuwan was giving water to her child.
Meanwhile, Zhou Jinhui lay on the upper bunk reading a book. Seeing Lin Qiao’er come in, she turned her head and continued reading as if Lin Qiao’er were invisible.
Wen Shuwan asked Lin Qiao’er where she had just been.
Lin Qiao’er hesitated for a moment. Being away from home, she needed to be cautious, so she glossed over the details. “I was in a hurry to use the restroom.”
Zhou Jinhui nodded.
Suddenly, Lin Qiao’er felt a kick in her stomach and heard Suisui’s soft, childish voice, “Mom, I’m hungry.”
Immediately after, a low growl came from her stomach.
Lin Qiao’er felt a bit embarrassed. She took a steamed bun from her bag. It had gone cold and was now hard and stiff.
When you’re hungry, anything tastes good.
A piece of beef jerky was handed to her from the side, its savory aroma wafting into her nose. Lin Qiao’er looked up and met Wen Shuwan’s friendly smile.
“Qiao’er, just eating steamed buns won’t give you enough nutrition. Try this beef jerky—it’s really tasty.”
Little Bao nibbled on the beef jerky, his voice soft and childish yet clear, “I could eat a whole pound by myself.”
In these times, meat was expensive. It took three pounds of fresh beef to make just one pound of beef jerky.
Lin Qiao’er swallowed hard. She didn’t like taking advantage of others, so she shook her head. “No need, I’m fine with the steamed bun.”
She took a few bites of the bun, washing it down with water.
Although she had money with her, she still needed to rent a place and cover other expenses once she arrived in Shanghai. Every bit saved counted.
Wen Shuwan directly placed the beef jerky into Lin Qiao’er’s hand, holding her somewhat rough hands. “You saved Little Bao, so you’re my lifesaver. From now on, you’re my sworn sister. If you need anything, just say the word.”
“If you don’t mind, call me ‘sister.'”
Lin Qiao’er suddenly felt a warm current envelop her entire body. Since her parents passed away, no one had treated her with such genuine kindness. Her eyes grew teary, the tip of her fair nose turning red. She choked back a sob, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum. “Sister.”
“Mm,” Wen Shuwan replied with a sincere smile.
Lin Qiao’er hesitated for a moment, biting her lip before asking, “Sister, are you from Shanghai? I… I wanted to ask about something.”