Zhao Moting was exceptionally tall, with Lin Qiao’er only reaching up to his chest.
He stopped just a step away from her.
“Comrade, thank you for your bravery earlier.”
Lin Qiao’er glanced quickly at Zhao Moting, a faint blush spreading across her fair cheeks.
“You’re… welcome.”
A subtle scent of sandalwood lingered around Lin Qiao’er’s nose.
This scent.
It was the same fragrance that had clung to the man who had forced himself on her that day.
A bar of sandalwood soap cost thirty cents—twice the price of ordinary laundry soap.
Ordinary families wouldn’t specifically buy sandalwood soap.
That day, she had known the man’s identity must be anything but ordinary.
Lin Qiao’er’s fingertips turned pale as she slowly raised her head to look at Zhao Moting. Clutching the hem of her clothes, her voice trembled slightly, “May I ask your name?”
Zhao Moting was taken aback.
With his striking appearance, he had been approached by strangers since childhood.
Seeing the blush on Lin Qiao’er’s face, he vaguely guessed her intentions.
Suddenly, the plight of his childhood friend flashed through his mind.
His friend had been sent down to the countryside and bravely rescued a drowning villager. Unexpectedly, the female villager had blackmailed him into marrying her.
Forced by gossip and rumors, his friend had no choice but to register the marriage.
Lin Qiao’er’s large, watery eyes stared at Zhao Moting, filled with anticipation and even a hint of fragility.
Zhao Moting was grateful to Lin Qiao’er but wanted to avoid any romantic entanglements.
His thin lips moved slightly, “Zhao Moting.”
After a pause, he added, “I have a fiancée.”
In that instant, he clearly saw the anticipation in Lin Qiao’er’s eyes vanish, replaced by confusion, sorrow, and helplessness.
Lin Qiao’er’s lips trembled, her heart tangled like a mess of threads with no end in sight.
She had thought that if she found the man and married him, the child could be born without issue.
But he had a fiancée.
Could she really become the third party who intruded?
The child was innocent.
She needed to calm down and think carefully about what to do.
Leaving Zhao Moting standing there, she brushed past him like a walking corpse and slowly made her way back to the train compartment.
Lost and disoriented, she lay back on her bunk.
Thinking of her past in Stone Village, a sudden wave of sorrow washed over her.
Two streams of silent tears flowed down her cheeks.
Once certain emotions were unleashed, they surged forth uncontrollably.
Hiding under the covers, she wept quietly, even biting her lips to avoid making a sound, afraid of disturbing others.
Wen Shuwan returned with the child and saw Lin Qiao’er buried under the blanket, faintly hearing soft sobs.
Frowning, she looked at Zhou Jinhui and deliberately lowered her voice, “Huihui, did you bully Qiao’er?”
Zhou Jinhui looked bewildered, spreading her hands, “No, she went out for a while and came back crying under the blanket.”
Wen Shuwan’s frown deepened as she gently approached Lin Qiao’er’s bunk, “Qiao’er, what’s troubling you?”
After a moment, a muffled voice came from under the blanket, “Nothing, I just… I just miss my parents.”
A motherless child, always living under someone else’s roof—how much sorrow must she have endured?
Wen Shuwan felt even more compassion for Lin Qiao’er, “Qiao’er, don’t keep everything bottled up inside. Tell me, and I’ll help you share the burden.”
Lin Qiao’er replied in a muffled voice, “Sister, I’m really fine.”
A twenty-year-old young woman crying like this was truly embarrassing.
The baby in her belly seemed to sense its mother’s emotions and kicked Lin Qiao’er.
Suisui’s adorably melting voice came again, “Mommy, don’t be afraid. Suisui will protect Mommy. Daddy is right in the next compartment. If Daddy doesn’t want us, Suisui will make him have terrible luck.”
At that moment, Zhao Moting in the next compartment sneezed, and an aluminum lunchbox fell from the upper bunk, hitting him squarely on the forehead and leaving a large bump.
Lin Qiao’er was amused by the adorable Suisui, her tears turning to laughter.
Lin Qiao’er emerged from under the blanket, wiping her face with her wide sleeves, her eyes still red and swollen.
Seeing that Lin Qiao’er was fine, Wen Shuwan also relaxed slightly and placed a few White Rabbit milk candies in Lin Qiao’er’s palm.
“Have something sweet; it’ll make you feel better.”
Lin Qiao’er only took one, trying to return the rest to Wen Shuwan, but Wen Shuwan refused. “They’re just a few candies. Keep them and eat them slowly.”
Lin Qiao’er caught a faint whiff of milky fragrance. She slowly unwrapped a candy and placed it in her mouth, filling her mouth with the creamy sweetness.
This was her first time eating milk candy.
Feng Xingmei sometimes bought milk candies when she went to the county town, hiding them and secretly sharing them with Lin Dazhu and Lin Xiuyu.
Lin Qiao’er could only drool with envy.
“Is it good?”
“It’s delicious. It’s my first time having it.” Lin Qiao’er nodded emphatically.
Zhou Jinhui opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing.
Xiao Bao ran around the compartment, his forehead sweating. Wen Shuwan wiped his sweat for him.
Lin Qiao’er withdrew her gaze and touched her belly again.
Once the baby was born, she would have family.
While they were talking, Zhao Chufeng returned, this time holding a bottle of soda.
Wen Shuwan also recognized Zhao Chufeng and nodded to him in acknowledgment.
“Are you here to see Huihui?”
Zhao Chufeng rubbed his nose, smiling sheepishly. “I’m here to see Qiao’er.”
Wen Shuwan, having been through it all, glanced between the two and smiled knowingly, saying to Zhou Huijin, “Huijin, let’s go to the dining car to eat.”
Zhou Huijin’s gaze was fixed on Zhao Chufeng as she muttered, “I’m not hungry. Sister-in-law, you take Xiao Bao to eat.”
Her sister-in-law was stubborn, and Wen Shuwan couldn’t persuade her, so she took Xiao Bao and left.
Zhou Jinhui sneered, “Zhao Chufeng, do you have nothing better to do all day? Instead of working during office hours, you keep coming to our compartment to curry favor.”
Zhao Chufeng was displeased by this. “I just solved a big case. Even someone hanging needs to catch their breath. If you don’t like seeing me, then get lost.”
Zhou Jinhui was left fuming in silence.
Lin Qiao’er could tell the two didn’t get along and changed the subject. “Officer, are you looking for me?”
She thought it might be about her aunt-in-law’s situation.
Zhao Chufeng handed the soda to Lin Qiao’er. “It’s hot. Soda helps quench thirst.”
Lin Qiao’er didn’t like taking advantage of others. How could she accept Zhao Chufeng’s gifts again and again? “No need, I have water.”
She pointed to her water bottle.
Seeing her refusal, Zhao Chufeng placed the soda on Lin Qiao’er’s bunk.
Zhao Chufeng keenly noticed that Lin Qiao’er’s voice was slightly hoarse, as if she had been crying, and quickly asked with concern, “Qiao’er, who bullied you? Was it those two capitalist young ladies from this morning? I’ll go reason with them.”
Lin Qiao’er quickly grabbed Zhao Chufeng’s sleeve. “It really wasn’t them. No one bullied me.”
“I just… miss my parents.” Lin Qiao’er made up an excuse to brush it off.
Zhao Chufeng didn’t want Lin Qiao’er to dwell in sadness, so he said, “Let me tell you a joke.”
Lin Qiao’er nodded.
Zhao Chufeng cleared his throat, “A family planning official went to the countryside and asked an old farmer, ‘Old man, do you know why close relatives can’t get married?’ The old farmer rubbed his hands and said with simple honesty, ‘Relatives are too familiar, hard to make a move.'”
Lin Qiao’er burst out laughing, “You’re really funny.”
Zhao Chufeng grinned smugly, swallowing nervously as he stared at Lin Qiao’er’s radiant smiling face, and asked with some apprehension, “Qiao’er, do you have a boyfriend?”