Zhou Jinhui pretended not to care, but she was all ears.
Wen Shuwan had a gentle and simple nature, and Zhou Jinhui was genuinely worried she might be deceived.
Wen Shuwan smiled faintly, “We’re from Shanghai. This time, I’m taking the child to visit their grandparents. My husband couldn’t make it, so my sister-in-law is accompanying me. What did you want to ask? If I can help, I certainly will.”
Lin Qiao’er’s brow relaxed, revealing a shy smile, “Sister, do you know where I could rent a place in Shanghai?”
In the 1980s, there weren’t many places available for rent.
Wen Shuwan lived in a compound and didn’t need to rent, so she naturally hadn’t paid attention to such things. “I’ll ask around for you later,” she said.
Lin Qiao’er was grateful. “Thank you.”
Lin Qiao’er planned to find a place to stay first, then look for Zhao Moting. She just didn’t know if he would acknowledge her.
Xiao Bao needed to use the restroom after drinking water, so Wen Shuwan took him out of the compartment.
At the next stop, two young women boarded. One wore a floral-patterned blouse with a cinched waistline, clearly tailored by a seamstress, paired with flared jeans. A shiny hair clip held back her bangs, and she carried a book, looking like a college student.
The other wore a red-checkered blouse with a blue polyester-cotton blend pants and two braids tied with red ribbons.
There were four beds in the compartment, with only the upper bunk above Lin Qiao’er’s bed empty.
The girl in the floral blouse glanced at Lin Qiao’er, noticing the large patches on her clothes and the faint glimpse of pale toes through her black cloth shoes. She wrinkled her nose and fanned the air with her hand, clearly implying that Lin Qiao’er smelled.
The two girls chatted quietly, but their voices drifted faintly to Lin Qiao’er’s ears.
“Why don’t we switch seats with her? We could chat along the way.”
“Would the bed have lice after she slept on it?”
“I have some floral water. I’ll spray it for you later.”
“Alright.”
Lin Qiao’er heard them whispering about her and clenched the bedsheet tightly.
Though her clothes were worn, she was clean. Whenever possible, she bathed and washed her hair daily to avoid smelling of cooking fumes.
The girl in the floral blouse glanced at Lin Qiao’er, her tone matter-of-fact. “Hey, switch seats with me. I’ll give you one yuan. My seat is the upper bunk next door.”
One yuan was equivalent to what Lin Qiao’er used to earn in a day. Switching seats for that amount was quite a good deal.
But the ticket was something Wen Shuwen had gone to great lengths to buy for her, and she didn’t want to give it up and disappoint Wen Shuwan’s kindness.
Lin Qiao’er put down her water bottle and replied softly, “No.”
The two girls exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disdain.
This poor country girl refusing to switch was clearly just holding out for more money.
The girl in the red-checkered blouse curled her lip. “How much do you want to switch?”
Lin Qiao’er shook her head.
The girl in the floral blouse grew irritated. She pulled out a ten-yuan bill from her pocket and waved it in front of Lin Qiao’er, commanding, “Here, this is ten yuan—enough for you to buy a new set of clothes to replace those rags. Switching bunks for ten yuan is the best deal you’ll ever get.”
Zhou Jinhui was secretly hoping Lin Qiao’er wouldn’t stick around Wen Shuwan, so she stood by and watched the drama unfold.
The ten-yuan bill was practically shoved under Lin Qiao’er’s nose. For once, she mustered some courage and said weakly, “I won’t switch. Please ask someone else.”
She was pregnant and afraid that climbing around might harm the baby.
The girl in the floral blouse was furious, stamping her foot. “You country bumpkin!”
The girl in the red-checked shirt glared at Lin Qiao’er, unscrewed her water bottle, and deliberately splashed the water all over Lin Qiao’er’s bed. The once-dry bedding was now soaked in a large, wet patch.
Lin Qiao’er’s eyes reddened with anger. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. “Are you capitalist young ladies? You have to retaliate just because I won’t switch beds with you?”
In those days, being labeled a capitalist was no small matter.
Hearing the words “capitalist young ladies,” curious onlookers from other train compartments had already poked their heads out to watch the commotion.
The two girls flushed red and hurriedly denied it. “Don’t talk nonsense! We’re not capitalist young ladies. We’re both upright members of the working class.”
Zhao Chufeng was patrolling the train car when he caught a fleeting glimpse of Lin Qiao’er’s profile. His eyes lit up. He straightened his cap, puffed out his chest, strode forward, cleared his throat, and raised his voice. “What’s going on here?”
Seeing the police officer approach, the girls in the floral blouse and checkered shirt grew flustered and tried to slip away.
Zhao Chufeng stopped them sharply. “Halt!”
Both girls froze in their tracks. After a moment’s hesitation, they turned around, forcing ingratiating smiles. “Comrade Officer.”
Zhao Chufeng glanced at Lin Qiao’er. “Comrade Lin, tell me what happened. Did they bully you, relying on their status as capitalist young ladies?”
Hearing Chufeng label them as such, the two girls quickly denied it again. “We really aren’t capitalist young ladies. We just wanted to switch seats with her.”
Lin Qiao’er briefly recounted what had happened.
Zhao Chufeng frowned at the sight of the large, wet patch on the bedding. How could anyone sleep on that?
He glared sternly at the two girls, who squirmed under his gaze. “We’re sorry. We really know we were wrong.”
Zhao Chufeng ordered, “Swap your bedding with this comrade’s.”
The girl in the checkered shirt protested indignantly, “The bedding is wet! How can anyone sleep on it?”
Zhao Chufeng was almost amused by her audacity. “You’re the ones who poured the water. You’ve only yourselves to blame.”
Under Chufeng’s watchful eye, the girl in the checkered shirt reluctantly exchanged her bedding with Lin Qiao’er’s.
Lin Qiao’er smiled shyly. “Thank you, Comrade Officer.”
Having shown off in front of the girl he admired, Zhao Chufeng felt a surge of delight. “It’s nothing. The people’s police serve the people. If you encounter any difficulties on the train, remember to find me.”
Lin Qiao’er gave Chu Feng another shy smile before lowering her head again.
Zhao Chufeng thought this was Lin Qiao’er’s most beautiful look. It reminded him of a lotus flower swaying gracefully in a pond, pure and unadorned.
Seeing Zhao Chufeng gazing so intently at Lin Qiao’er, Zhou Jinhui felt a sour, uncomfortable pang in her heart. Leaning out from her upper bunk, she called out to him, “Stinky Chu Feng! Keep staring and your eyeballs are going to fall out.”