Chapter 33 The train was almost in danger

After breakfast, Qian Xiuying walked Lan Yuchu and Lin Qiyue to the door—there was already a car waiting for them.

“Big Sis Qian,” the driver, Xiao Bai, greeted as soon as he saw her and quickly got out of the car.

Qian Xiuying looked at him and asked, “Xiao Bai, didn’t I tell you to come over for breakfast? Why didn’t you?”

She felt bad for troubling him, so she had insisted on inviting him to breakfast. He had agreed the night before, but only showed up right before departure.

“Big Sis Qian, my wife was up early making breakfast for the kids, so I just ate at home,” Xiao Bai explained honestly. Although he had agreed to come, he hadn’t really planned to—giving them a ride wasn’t much trouble. But it was true that his wife made breakfast for him every morning.

“I packed you some baked flatbread and buns. Eat them later if you get hungry.” She knew he was too polite to come, but since she had already prepared his share, she insisted on giving it to him.

Xiao Bai waved his hand, shaking his head. “Big Sis Qian, you’ve already done so much for us—I can’t accept it.”

But Qian Xiuying firmly pressed the bundle into his arms. “Take it. There are some candies and snacks in there too. I bought some yesterday and set aside a few for your kids. Take it home after work so they can try them.”

“Well, thank you, Big Sis,” Xiao Bai said, finally accepting since refusing again would be impolite.

Lin Qiyue watched all this and thought, This is what human kindness and social ties really look like.

Back then, people always thought of others first when they had good things. Candy was expensive, and ordinary working families couldn’t afford to eat it casually. Lin Qiyue, even with her 40-yuan monthly salary, wouldn’t dare buy candy without a second thought—maybe just a little bit at a time.

But Qian Xiuying had packed a big bundle—it looked like she was giving away quite a bit.

“Be careful on the road.” She didn’t say much else—her reminders had already been given. She stood there watching them leave.

In the car, Lan Yuchu looked at Lin Qiyue and said, “It’ll take a while to get to the station. You should get some sleep, I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

Lin Qiyue shook her head. “It’s fine, I’m not sleepy at all right now.”

Though the sky hadn’t fully brightened yet, people were already sweeping the streets and starting their day.

Xiao Bai asked as he drove, “So how long has Yuchu been back? Yesterday, Big Sis Qian asked me to take you to the station—I thought you were heading back to the army.”

Xiao Bai was a few years older than Lan Yuchu. He was a regular driver for a government agency and also a retired soldier.

“I’ve been back for almost half a month. This time, I’m taking Qiyue to pay respects to her late parents,” Lan Yuchu replied. He knew Xiao Bai from before—his full name was Bai Changsheng. He was thirty and married to the niece of a deputy director in the Women’s Federation. Their life together was quite happy. The novel had mentioned him, but only briefly.

“So you’ll be reporting back soon, huh?” Bai Changsheng asked again.

Lan Yuchu looked down at Lin Qiyue and nodded. “Yes, I’ll return in half a month.”

This visit was different. He had only come home twice: the first time to marry Lin Qiyue, and this time to bring her back to live with him.

As their eyes met, Bai Changsheng caught a glimpse of their affection through the rearview mirror. Although they didn’t speak, their expressions said it all—so he wisely chose to stay quiet.

Soon, they arrived at the train station. After unloading their luggage, Bai Changsheng said a few words and drove off.

They boarded the train and found their compartment based on the ticket. It was a first-class sleeper cabin—just for the two of them.

They’d be on the train for a whole day, arriving at their destination around midnight. They already had an introductory letter issued by the local neighborhood committee, and would check into a guesthouse once they arrived. From the city to the village would take another hour by car.

“You rest here for a bit, I’ll go get some water,” Lan Yuchu told Lin Qiyue, handing her the compartment and taking the kettle to fetch hot water in case she got thirsty later.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you,” Lin Qiyue smiled sweetly, watching him walk away.

Once Lan Yuchu was gone, Lin Qiyue laid down to rest. It was nice to have a private cabin—quiet and peaceful.

But just as she lay down, she heard a commotion outside. Curiosity piqued, and carrying her valuables on her, she stepped out to take a look.

“Let go of me!” she heard a young woman cry.

Lin Qiyue saw a girl being grabbed by a large man. People nearby were just watching, not helping.

“Wife, I know it’s because I’m away from home all the time that you’ve lost hope and want to leave, but you can’t take all the family’s money with you! If you take it, what will my parents and our child eat?” the man shouted, staring at the bag in the woman’s arms—clearly, he was after the money.

The woman tried to struggle free but couldn’t. Her eyes were red, clearly upset.

“Let go of me! I don’t even know you—I’m not married!” the girl cried out, hugging her bag tightly.

Everyone around looked confused—who was telling the truth?

Lin Qiyue stepped closer. The girl was stylishly dressed and had a camera hanging around her neck—looked like a reporter. She wore glasses and seemed quiet and scholarly.

She clearly didn’t look like someone who was married.

At that time, trains weren’t safe—there were tons of thieves and pickpockets. What was happening here was obvious: the man had his eye on her money. He made up a lie to get her off the train and take both her money and possibly worse.

People like that rarely act alone.
Frequent train travelers could see what was happening but didn’t dare speak up. Some who didn’t understand just treated it like a show, or casually picked sides depending on who sounded more convincing.

“Wife,” the man continued loudly, “even if you want to leave, you can’t pretend not to know me. I know you’re educated and you look down on us villagers, think we’re uneducated. But you can’t just abandon me and our child like this.”

The implication was clear: the woman was from the city, and she didn’t want to stay with him anymore and was trying to return to her parents’ home.

“Girl, you’re the one in the wrong here. You should talk things out properly. Abandoning your husband and child isn’t right,” one onlooker said.

“Yeah, that’s irresponsible. If you’re married, you have a duty to your family and child,” another chimed in.

People started murmuring and taking the man’s side.

Seeing his scheme working, the man reached out to grab the woman’s bag.

“I really don’t know him! I’m just traveling from Qingcheng to Pingcheng for some business. I’m not even married—I have a fiancé!” The girl was on the verge of tears. She had never seen this brute in her life.

The woman continued struggling. The man, realizing she wouldn’t give in, signaled subtly to another man nearby.
That middle-aged man immediately stepped forward and said, “Sister-in-law, come home with your husband. Your child needs you!”

“Exactly, go back with your husband. You two can talk it out when you get home,” some others began urging again, clearly unaware of the truth.

The woman looked desperate, on the verge of breaking down.

Lin Qiyue couldn’t stand it anymore. What is wrong with these people?

If no one stepped in, this girl would be in serious danger—likely to be trafficked, robbed of everything. For a woman traveling alone, it really was dangerous.

“You say she’s your wife—do you have any proof?” Lin Qiyue’s voice rang out loud and clear.

Everyone quieted down and turned to look at her.

The man saw that Lin Qiyue was alone and wasn’t intimidated. But still, he tried to appear sincere and said, “We’re legally married. I was in such a hurry chasing after her that I didn’t bring our marriage certificate.”

“Who even carries a marriage certificate around? It’s understandable if it was sudden,” someone muttered in agreement.

But Lin Qiyue remained calm and pressed on: “You say you didn’t bring the marriage certificate. Then can you tell us her name?”

“She’s my wife—Juanzi!” the man blurted out, clearly having planned for this question.

“Look at this girl—she’s obviously from the city. No one from the city would have a name like that. And you say she’s your wife—she clearly hasn’t been married before. You said you two have a child—I’m a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. I can tell at a glance whether a woman has given birth. This comrade here has clearly never had a child, probably hasn’t even been married. You’re not fooling me.

“And besides, we can wait for the train police to come and investigate. We’ll all get off at the next station, and they can verify your identities. That’s the most accurate way to find out if you’re really legally married.”

The girl’s eyes lit up with hope—finally, someone was standing up for her.

“You’re lying!” the man shouted, furious. “You must be the one who tricked my wife into leaving! There was someone writing her letters, encouraging her to run away—it must’ve been you!” He pointed angrily at Lin Qiyue.

The men with him nodded in support. “Yeah, I can back that up. I saw it.”

“You say I wrote her letters—but didn’t you claim to be a villager? How could you even read the content of the letters? And you say I know her—do you have any proof?” Lin Qiyue shot back sharply.
“I’m telling you now, the train police will be here any second. Let go of this girl.”