Chapter 263: A Chance Encounter and Disdain

At the train station, they checked in their luggage and finally boarded the train to find their seats.

Zhao Jianing looked out the window at the platform, with tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. However, Luo Siyan and Luo Siyuan, sitting across from her, didn’t glance at her once, which only added to Zhao Jianing’s frustration.

When the brothers reached school age, their mother could no longer take care of them and they went to live with their grandparents. Later, as they were about to enter middle school, their father was transferred to the mechanical factory, so they returned home to live with their parents.

But their so-called sister, sitting across from them, repeatedly made them take the blame. Their mother often had to deal with the trouble she caused, and a few times they even got punished by their father because of her.

Over time, their feelings were hurt, and it was no wonder they couldn’t grow close. It turned out she was not even their real sister.

The train clattered along as it moved forward, and Zhao Jianing, exhausted from crying, eventually fell asleep. The Luo brothers, however, became increasingly nervous as time went on, unsure of what to expect when they met their biological sister.

When they arrived in Ji City, it was just past midnight. They picked up their luggage and found a hotel to check in, though none of them slept well.

Zhao Jianing had no desire to return to the countryside, but there was no other option. Her household registration and school records had been transferred out by the Luo family, and without a place to stay in the city, she had no means to support herself.

She was anxious about the unknown life awaiting her in the countryside, and spent the night tossing and turning, feeling disdain for her biological parents.

The Luo brothers were also uncertain about how their biological sister would react to them, and their excitement at meeting her kept them restless until nearly dawn.

It was Sunday, and Luo Qiao got up early to prepare for a trip back to the village. With the deadline for delivering to He Yujie approaching this month, she needed to enter the deep mountains to meditate and enhance her abilities, as improving her ability was becoming more urgent.

Because after October, the plants and trees in the mountains would be preparing for winter, and if she over-harvested their essence to enhance her powers, they would undoubtedly perish.

She needed to upgrade her abilities to level three before she could do things she wanted, such as extracting essence from plants or attempting to treat Lu Yichen. Currently, her powers were only useful for inducing growth.

After breakfast, Luo Qiao slung a crossbody bag over her shoulder, locked the door, and headed to the station. She bought a ticket at the ticket counter and then walked to the parking area.

As usual, she sat in the front passenger seat, took out a pack of dried fruit as a snack, and waited for the bus to depart.

As soon as the bus started, someone shouted, “Please wait a moment!”

When Luo Qiao turned her head, she saw three people running towards the bus. Upon seeing them, her face unexpectedly broke into a smile.

It seemed that things had changed from their original course. The once pampered eldest daughter of the Luo family, now awkwardly carrying a large bag, was running towards them. The other two people, whom Luo Qiao didn’t recognize, seemed to be her brothers, judging from their faces.

It appeared that the eldest daughter of the Luo family was indeed very spoiled—bringing her entire household belongings back with her. Luo Qiao couldn’t help but look at them with disdain before turning away and ignoring them.

The group placed their belongings on the bus’s engine cover, all breathing heavily. Luo Siyan said, “Comrade, we need three tickets to Chaoyang Commune.”

By the time they boarded, there were no seats left. The ticket seller provided them with a few small stools to sit in the aisle. Zhao Jianing, who was reluctant, stood instead.

The aisle was packed with items, leaving only the front area somewhat clear. She noticed that two people were sitting on the edge of the engine cover, but those seats were sideways and had very narrow wooden benches.

She’s not keen on sitting there. Looking further ahead, only the front passenger seat seemed suitable for her.

The ticket seller said, “Hurry up and sit down, or you’ll be standing without even a place to hold onto. This route is not easy, and we don’t want you to fall again.”

Zhao Jianing said, “Comrade, could you help me switch seats? I get carsick and am afraid I might vomit on the bus.”

The ticket seller, somewhat impatient, replied, “The aisle is already packed. Who do you want to switch seats with?”

Zhao Jianing pointed to the front passenger seat and said, “Can she switch seats with me?”