Qi Jiahui complained that Yao Yulan didn’t understand him at all. Just over a single seat, she wanted him to do something so humiliating. If it weren’t for the recent rush, he wouldn’t have needed to cram into the hard seats because there were no sleeper tickets available.
The two of them said nothing, but Ye Cai’e chatted happily with the girl sitting across from her.
“You’re Ye Cai’e? I’m Tong Xin. Nice to meet you!” The little girl still had traces of baby fat, her round, chubby face incredibly cute. Ye Cai’e had always been softhearted toward this type of person.
Tong Xin’s voice was soft and gentle, and she was very talkative. Before they realized it, the two had been chatting for over an hour.
“Can you two stop making so much noise! If you want to talk, sit together!” Yao Yulan crossed her arms and glared angrily at Ye Cai’e and Tong Xin.
The two were sitting in the best seats, yet still chatting so happily. Couldn’t she see how angry Yao Yulan was standing nearby? It had only been three hours since the train departed, and it was still afternoon. The carriage was naturally noisy, but Ye Cai’e and Tong Xin weren’t speaking loudly. Yao Yulan simply couldn’t tolerate it.
Next to her was a slightly grubby middle-aged man, and she was being careful not to touch him.
“You’re going to build the nation, and you can’t handle a little hardship? You might as well go home and be your little lady self!” Ye Cai’e refused to indulge her. At a time like this, Yao Yulan was still being melodramatic—almost on par with Ye Yingyao.
Yao Yulan’s face turned pale, and she glared at Ye Cai’e, speechless. At such a sensitive time, could she just throw out the word “lady”? This girl was wicked.
Yao Yulan straightened her neck and snapped, “You’re the little lady! Your whole family is!”
By dinner time, everyone began taking out the food their families had prepared. The carriage filled with the smells of various dishes. Most people had durable items like pancakes.
Only Yao Yulan was smug. She huffed and then proudly took a small bag of meat buns from her personal bag. The carriage was crowded, and her family, worried the buns wouldn’t be eaten in time, had only packed a day’s worth—six buns. They were homemade, with thin dough and generous filling.
Once opened, the strong aroma of meat and oil immediately spread, covering all other scents. Passengers at least three rows away could smell it and turned their heads, curious about who was so extravagant. The meat alone seemed to weigh almost half a pound.
Yao Yulan, unconcerned, tilted her head back and devoured the buns, juices running in her mouth. The onlookers swallowed their pancakes while drooling. The meat chunks were large and dark, extremely tempting.
Ye Cai’e noticed Qi Jiahui’s stomach growling. He gulped and tilted his head, sneaking glances at Yao Yulan as she ate. Watching her finish all six buns without even giving him a glance, Qi Jiahui grew increasingly sullen.
Ye Cai’e found it amusing. “Hey, aren’t you a couple? How come she won’t even share a bite with you?”
Tong Xin clicked her tongue twice, took a crispy pancake from her bag, and tore off a piece. “Cai’e, try the pancakes my mom made. They’re really good!”
Their teasing made Qi Jiahui even more glum.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Yao Yulan’s face. She glared at both girls. “Brother Jiahui, don’t listen to them. I just wanted to make sure these buns weren’t spoiled. Some people just can’t have what they want and act spitefully.” She reluctantly split one bun with Qi Jiahui.
After all, she had only brought six meat buns. Who would have thought Qi Jiahui would come with her to the countryside? She only intended for him to help buy her train ticket, assuming he would pay extra for a sleeper. She never expected him to sign up at the educated youth office himself, go to the countryside without telling his family, and come with her without bringing anything.
Qi Jiahui had no idea of the girl’s thoughts. Holding the meat bun felt like holding a crown of victory. He knew Xiao Lan wouldn’t leave him behind. His decision to go without informing his family was correct—if the delicate girl were mistreated in the countryside, he would have felt helpless being far away. That would have been worse than death.
A single meat bun was generous, but he was small and hungry. In just a few bites, it was gone. Yet he watched Yao Yulan eagerly.
Yao Yulan packed away the buns. “Brother Jiahui, let’s save some. You came in a hurry, and I didn’t bring enough food for both of us. Let’s save it. When we get there, I’ll treat you to something good.”
Qi Jiahui had no way to argue. Even though his stomach was now somewhat full, he had to agree. After all, he truly hadn’t brought anything but money.
Watching this scene, Ye Cai’e took out the milky mini buns she had bought on Pinduoduo. She had carefully chosen the best ones—ten buns for twenty Pinduoduo coins. She had even left them outside for a while before storing them in her space.
In the spirit of reciprocity, she gave Tong Xin a modest-looking mini bun. Soft to the touch, made entirely of white dough, Tong Xin took a bite without hesitation. Instantly, the creamy aroma mixed with sweetness filled her mouth.
In those days, buns with milk and sugar—or even pure white dough buns—were rare. Tong Xin’s family wasn’t wealthy, and with many siblings, she had never tasted such delicious buns. She immediately wanted to share more of her pancakes with Ye Cai’e, so she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.
“I steamed it myself. Delicious, right?” Ye Cai’e didn’t eat much, just a little, because if she wanted, she could always go to a bathroom and pull out more from her space. Besides, it was stuffy in the carriage, and she couldn’t eat much. Also, it was only a small bun, nothing valuable.
Even though she deliberately let the buns cool, the creamy aroma still drifted out, at least reaching Qi Jiahui and Yao Yulan nearby. Especially Qi Jiahui, who was already hungry and wanted food the most.
The meat buns were out of reach, and even a few small buns seemed impossible. He looked down at Ye Cai’e with a sense of entitlement.
“Hey, give me a few of your buns. I’ll pay you!” He spoke loudly, drawing attention from many passengers, acting as if he were bestowing a favor.
Ye Cai’e was exasperated. What an ignorant young master, completely clueless.
“You actually want to profit off this?! Comrade, we don’t know each other. I don’t do that.”
Qi Jiahui broke into a cold sweat and quickly tried to stop the misunderstanding. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t talk nonsense. I just want to buy a few buns. You’re the one profiteering!”
Yao Yulan hugged her meat buns, looking very high and mighty. “Brother Jiahui, we don’t argue with unreasonable people. How many buns do you have left? I’ll trade you one of my meat buns for ten of yours.”