Chapter 27: Regret and Remorse

At the labor camp, Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian were working on the hardest and most exhausting tasks.

Wen Changming, who once proudly wore glasses at the machine factory, now couldn’t even remember where he had thrown them.

In one night, his world had turned upside down. A single moment of poor judgment had led him to such a fate, and Wen Changming was filled with regret and remorse.

The situation worsened when he learned from Tan Xiulian that their home had been robbed. His heart sank even further with frustration.

Fortunately, there was still the treasure buried in the Qi family’s yard. This was Wen Changming’s last hope, but little did he know, his last hope had already been intercepted by Wen Nuan.

At this moment, Tan Xiulian, holding a hoe, no longer exuded the delicate charm she once had. Her once soft, pale hands were now covered with bloody, swollen blisters.

But she didn’t dare rest!

If there was even the slightest delay, it would surely result in three days of starvation.

“Ugh! When will this end?”

Facing Tan Xiulian’s furrowed brow, Wen Changming’s heart remained unmoved.

Their sentence was set, and no matter how much Tan Xiulian lamented, Wen Changming never once considered telling her about the treasure buried under the Qi family’s yard.

After all, human nature is most tested in times of hardship, and this was Wen Changming’s last hope. He would never reveal it to anyone so easily.

Before long, the train had been traveling for over ten hours, and the sky gradually darkened. At three in the morning, the train arrived at Fengtian Station.

Li Yueyue picked up her luggage and said goodbye to Wen Nuan. The two exchanged contact information and promised to keep in touch.

The seats that had once been occupied by two were now taken up by Wen Nuan alone. Just as she was thinking of stretching her limbs, a new wave of passengers boarded the train.

This time, the passengers were mostly ordinary people from all walks of life.

Next to Wen Nuan, a woman in her fifties settled in, accompanied by a five- or six-year-old boy.

The already cramped space became even more crowded, and Wen Nuan furrowed her brow, bearing with it as she caught Zhang Zhenzhen’s gleeful gaze.

There was no choice. The train was public property, and it wasn’t like she could stop others from boarding. She just had to endure it; in about ten more hours, she would finally be able to get off.

However, those ten hours turned out to be pure torture!

At first, the little boy was quiet when he boarded, his small eyes darting around curiously.

But within an hour of the train departing, the boy couldn’t hold it in anymore. He started running around, crying, and causing a ruckus, making the entire train feel like it was about to explode.

At this moment, Zhang Zhenzhen couldn’t help but take pleasure in the situation. She stared at the troublesome child, her face tightly contorted, as if she might lash out at any moment.

Unfortunately, the brat didn’t seem intimidated by Zhang Zhenzhen’s glare. He turned his head and made a face at her before continuing his antics.

Finally, around seven or eight in the morning, everyone started preparing for breakfast. After a full day and night on the train, most of the food they had brought along had already been eaten.

Since it was summer, food kept in a bag for too long could easily spoil. Wen Nuan was aware of this, so she took a piece of peach pastry out of her bag and planned to have a little snack with some hot water.

However, as soon as the pastry was out, the brat immediately eyed it and, without saying a word, reached out to grab it. Wen Nuan, of course, couldn’t let this slide.

“Grandma, please keep an eye on your grandson! He’s so young, how can he just snatch things from others like that?”

The old woman, thinking it was no big deal, instead felt that Wen Nuan was being petty. With a sarcastic tone, she replied,

“Why are you arguing with a child over something so trivial? Besides, my precious grandson wants to eat your food, what’s wrong with that? You’re so stingy, and you’re from a big city, yet you’re so miserly!”

Wen Nuan couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the old woman’s words.

“I don’t even know you, so why should I give my good food to your grandson? What you’re saying is just ridiculous!”

In a few bites, Wen Nuan finished the entire peach pastry. She then grabbed her bag and was about to leave the train carriage to stretch her legs, not wanting to waste any more time arguing with this old woman.

But before she could even step out, the brat started crying and throwing a tantrum as soon as he saw Wen Nuan finish the pastry.

The child hadn’t managed to snatch anything earlier and had hoped his grandmother would get it for him. But now, watching Wen Nuan finish the pastry in front of him, he couldn’t take it any longer!

“Grandma, I want the peach pastry! Tell her to give it to me! Make her give it to me!”

The old woman, though somewhat confused by her grandson’s behavior, immediately turned her sharp gaze towards Wen Nuan.

“You’re to blame! It’s because of you, showing off and tempting my grandson with that peach pastry. If my grandson acts this way, it’s your fault! You’d better take out another piece right now, or else I’ll have no choice but to get serious with you!”

Wen Nuan had originally planned to avoid trouble, but this person was being unreasonable and illogical, which was making her so angry that she almost wanted to laugh.

“Get serious with me? I’d love to see how you plan to do that. It’s my own food, so why should I listen to you?”

She then gave the old woman a sharp look.

“By the way, your accent sounds like you’re from Heilongjiang, right? What, do you think just because the train is about to arrive, you’re the local boss here and can act all high and mighty, like you own the place?”

The old woman, furious, snapped back, “You little girl, what nonsense are you talking? I’ve been used to seeing you flaunting your food in front of my grandson. You made him cry, and you don’t even feel guilty?”

She continued, her tone growing even more hostile.

“It’s just a piece of peach pastry. Why make such a fuss? You look pretty enough, but why are you so petty?”

“You’re the one being petty, running your mouth about other people’s food. If you have the guts, buy your own! Don’t try to manipulate me with your moral high ground.”

She paused, her voice growing colder.

“Your grandson’s behavior shows your family’s poor upbringing. Maybe you should reflect on how to educate your child instead of blaming others for your mistakes!”

Wen Nuan finished speaking, then pushed past the old woman and grabbed her handbag, walking away.

As for the large bundle on the luggage rack, Wen Nuan didn’t pay it any attention. Since they were still hours away from the station, she wasn’t worried about anyone blatantly stealing it in broad daylight.

The little boy, seeing Wen Nuan leave, quickly turned his attention to Zhang Zhenzhen, who was quietly eating cookies nearby.

As soon as Zhang Zhenzhen looked up, she was immediately startled by the boy’s hungry, almost predatory stare.

Zhang Zhenzhen had hoped to finish her snack quietly, thinking the attention on Wen Nuan would give her a chance to eat without being noticed. But Wen Nuan left so quickly that she didn’t have time to finish.

In a few quick motions, Zhang Zhenzhen shoved the remaining half of the cookie into her mouth, her face expressionless as she turned her head toward the window.

Just then, she heard the little boy start crying again.

“Grandma, I want cookies! I want the peach crisps! Why do they get to eat all the good food? They’re nothing but trouble, what right do they have to eat the good stuff?”

The child’s endless complaints made Zhang Zhenzhen’s face turn dark. Unable to hold it in any longer, she finally snapped:

“Auntie, you really need to manage your grandson better. What is he even saying? What does our eating have to do with him? This constant noise is so annoying, it’s driving me crazy!”

But this old lady was not one to back down easily. Known in the village for being a loudmouth and fiercely protective of her family, she wouldn’t tolerate anyone criticizing her grandson.

She hadn’t done her best earlier, letting that young girl escape, but now that it was Zhang Zhenzhen in front of her, the old lady was ready to take her on, her stance brimming with hostility.

“You little brat, who do you think you’re talking about? My grandson is someone you can criticize? You’re the ones causing trouble, eating peach crisps and cookies, wasting everything—no wonder you got sent to the countryside.

When you get there, let’s see how you fare. See if you even get to eat any more cookies. You know full well how kids are, all greedy for snacks. And yet, you deliberately eat in front of him. You’re not doing it out of kindness, you’re just being nasty!”

“You… how can you talk like that? We voluntarily went to the countryside to help build the nation, not to be sent away. You’re so old—can’t you watch your words?”

“Watch my words? You’re all good at pretending, saying you’re going to build the countryside. What’s the countryside going to do with you? You’ve got shoulders to carry and hands to work, but instead, all you do is engage in romance and nonsense, turning the countryside into a mess! Hmph! None of you are good for anything!”

“How dare you insult us like that! You owe me an apology, and if you don’t, I’ll go find the train conductor and report you!”

“Apologize? Pfft! For you? Don’t make me laugh! Dream on!”