Chapter 29: A Subtle Hint

Blending into the crowd, Wen Nuan silently observed the scene unfolding before her, thoroughly entertained. As expected, happiness is indeed built upon the suffering of others.

Noticing that it was nearing noon, Wen Nuan rubbed her empty stomach. With no other choice, she made her way to the train’s restroom—the only relatively private space available.

Once inside, Wen Nuan swiftly slipped into her dimensional space. The soothing atmosphere immediately relaxed her entire body.

After freshening up by the small river, Wen Nuan headed to the cozy bamboo hut. She picked up a meal she’d previously stored from a state-owned restaurant and began enjoying it with gusto.

Braised pork with steamed rice—it was absolutely delicious!

“Ahh…”

 After letting out a satisfied burp, Wen Nuan took another stroll around her dimensional space. She had eaten a bit too much and needed to walk it off.

“Knock, knock…”

“Is anyone in there?”

Perhaps Wen Nuan had been inside for too long—there was already a line forming outside the restroom.

“I’ll be out in a moment!”

Hearing her response, the person knocking stepped back and waited. Wen Nuan, now composed, exited her space.

Covering her nose, she lingered at the sink for another two minutes to let the lingering smell of the braised pork dissipate. Only then did she open the door and step out.

 Seeing three people standing at the door, Wen Nuan felt slightly embarrassed. She gave them an awkward nod before quickly heading back to her seat.

However, when Wen Nuan finally returned, she found her seat had already been taken by the old lady. The bratty child was seated on the inside, while the old lady herself occupied the aisle seat.

Upon noticing Wen Nuan’s return, the old lady frowned but made no move to give up the seat. Wen Nuan rolled her eyes. This woman had absolutely no sense of decency.

“Ma’am, could you please pick up your child? This is my seat,” Wen Nuan said politely.

The old lady shot Wen Nuan a disdainful glance.

“You’re a grown adult; standing for a while won’t kill you! Can’t you see the child is sitting there? Don’t you have any respect for the elderly or care for the young?”

As soon as the old lady said this, Zhang Zhenzhen and Zhu Jianjun, seated across from them, both turned their attention to Wen Nuan, waiting to see how she would respond.

 There was a mix of tension, anticipation, and even a hint of schadenfreude in the air as Zhang Zhenzhen and Zhu Jianjun watched the unfolding drama.

Yet Wen Nuan paid no mind to their stares. Instead, she cast a contemptuous glance at the old lady and spoke slowly, her voice dripping with calculated sharpness:

“Ma’am, this is someone else’s seat. You’ve already offended two people today. If you keep causing trouble, what do you think the train conductor will think of you?

Why is it that you’re always the one in conflict with others? Once or twice could be someone else’s fault, but it can’t always be someone else in the wrong, can it?

And if things escalate, you might not even get to keep the five mao you just received. Worse, what if you and your precious grandson get kicked off the train altogether?

Now, wouldn’t that be exciting? Just imagine—it gets back to the village. I bet the whole place would laugh at you for a year straight.”

Wen Nuan’s words were calm yet carried a sharp edge, leaving the old lady visibly stunned.

 Wen Nuan’s words, though soft and gentle, landed heavily on the old lady’s pride. The old woman instinctively touched the five mao coin she had just acquired and shot a glance at Zhu Jianjun, who was still watching intently from across the aisle.

“Hmph, I’m not scared of you,” she retorted, “I’m just holding my grandson!”

With that, the old lady begrudgingly picked up the child, vacating Wen Nuan’s seat. Zhu Jianjun and Zhang Zhenzhen were taken aback by how effortlessly Wen Nuan had reclaimed her spot.

Under their astonished gazes, Wen Nuan calmly pulled out a piece of fruit candy and handed it to the little boy.

“Here, kid. This candy is for you. Keep quiet, okay? I’m going to take a nap. If you wake me up, I’ll make you give the candy back. But if you stay quiet, I’ll give you another piece when I wake up.”

The boy’s eyes lit up as he clutched the candy tightly and nodded. “I promise I won’t disturb you!”

Wen Nuan gave a faint smile, leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes, leaving the rest of the passengers in awe of her calm yet strategic handling of the situation.

The mischievous child, now subdued, declared his promise with conviction.

With just one piece of fruit candy, Wen Nuan had successfully pacified the little troublemaker. She curled her lips into a faint smile, leaned against the window, and drifted off to sleep.

Driven by the anticipation of earning a second candy, the boy remained remarkably quiet for a full three hours.

“Ten minutes until the station. Everyone, please start gathering your belongings!”

The conductor’s voice broke the stillness of the carriage, instantly stirring the passengers into a flurry of activity. Wen Nuan opened her eyes, blinking away the sleep.

Turning her head, she met the eager and expectant gaze of the little boy, who was staring at her with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Here, as promised, your candy. Remember, don’t go grabbing other people’s food in the future, okay? Good kids are always more likable!”

“I understand. Thank you, big sister!”

“Good boy.”

As expected, children are inherently good-natured; they’re simply shaped by the people around them. The old lady glanced at Wen Nuan, then at her grandson, her expression contemplative, as if lost in thought.

Wen Nuan, however, didn’t care about what the old woman might be pondering. She had only offered some advice because she had enjoyed the drama earlier. Whether the old woman took it to heart or not was entirely up to her.

Meanwhile, many passengers began retrieving their luggage from the overhead racks, making the carriage increasingly cramped and chaotic. Zhang Zhenzhen and Zhu Jianjun also started preparing to disembark.

Initially, Zhang Zhenzhen had considered asking Zhu Jianjun for help with her bags. However, after everything that had transpired, Zhu Jianjun had completely given up any romantic notions about her. Naturally, he wasn’t about to volunteer himself as a fool for her sake.

After failing to get Zhu Jianjun’s help, Zhang Zhenzhen had no choice but to grit her teeth and struggle to get her luggage down on her own. She narrowly avoided dropping it on the old lady and had to profusely apologize before the matter was settled.

“Beep! Beep!”

The train had already pulled into the station and was gradually slowing down. Wen Nuan wasn’t in any rush to grab her belongings. Whether she got off the train first or last didn’t matter to her—either way, she’d still end up waiting on the platform for everyone to gather before moving on.

Even if someone disembarked earlier, they’d still have to wait. So why bother squeezing through the crowd?

“Shhhh… screech…”

The train came to a complete stop, and the conductor’s voice echoed through the carriage again.

“Everyone, please line up to get off the train in an orderly manner. Be mindful of the elderly and children, no pushing or shoving. There’s plenty of time, so line up patiently and watch your step…”

Seeing that most people had already left, Wen Nuan slowly took her belongings down from the luggage rack.

With two large bundles and one small one, she was all set.

As the last person to disembark, Wen Nuan stepped off the train, arriving at the platform where Xu Gan was already calling names and checking the list.

“Zhao Xinyue…”

“Here!”

“Wen Nuan…”

“Wen Nuan…”

“Here!”

As Wen Nuan walked over and heard her name called, she immediately responded. Xu Gan glanced up and, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, organized the group to move toward the station exit.

Several tractors were parked outside, all specially arranged to pick up the educated youths.

Following the designated area divisions, Xu Gan handed over the educated youths one by one, and thus completed his task.

Zhang Zhenzhen and Zhu Jianjun had already known they were assigned to the same commune, so they weren’t surprised. However, when they saw Wen Nuan board the same tractor as them, their expressions darkened.

Wen Nuan had no intention of acknowledging them. She found a corner to sit in. The tractor ride would take at least two to three hours, and it was going to be quite uncomfortable.

Placing her bundles securely, Wen Nuan leaned back against them, hoping it would help reduce some of the bumpy ride.