Chapter 31: The Disgraceful Woman Abandoned Her Daughter at the Train Station

Xie Zhi watched the crazed woman with a protective stance in front of Jiao Jiao, shielding the girl. His dark, brooding eyes flashed with barely contained rage. “What nonsense are you spouting?” he snapped.

The tall, thin woman shuddered under the weight of Xie Zhi’s oppressive aura but clung to the idea that a man wouldn’t dare hit a woman. She began crying and wailing as she lunged at him. “I don’t care! I don’t care!”

Xu Jiao Jiao couldn’t take it anymore. She slapped the woman hard across the face, her tone sharp with anger. “If you keep this up, I’ll take you to the police station! Let me remind you, once you’re in, you won’t get out easily. And don’t expect the train station to refund your ticket!”

Hearing this, the thin woman froze, her sallow face stiffening. Her eyes darted between Jiao Jiao and Xie Zhi, assessing their expensive-looking clothes. Clearly, these two didn’t care about the price of a ticket, but she did.

Struck at her weak spot, the woman immediately quieted down. Her demeanor shifted in an instant—from a raving lunatic to a calm, serene figure. She scooped the child from her daughter’s arms and returned to her seat, acting the part of a gentle, loving mother.

The change was so sudden that Xu Jiao Jiao thought she must be imagining things. The crowd, initially fascinated by the commotion, quickly lost interest and returned to their own affairs.

Xie Zhi half-embraced Jiao Jiao and guided her back to their seat. The chaos had delayed them until almost noon.

Jiao Jiao touched her stomach and cast a meaningful glance at Xie Zhi. “Honey, I’m hungry.”

Xie Zhi smiled, pinching her soft, fair cheek. He pulled out the food his mother had prepared. It included a box of dried fruits, a small box of pastries, and a tin of cookies from his third brother’s workplace.

Xu Bai had cherished these cookies, saving them carefully in his bag to bring home to Jiao Jiao during the holidays.

“Have some cookies,” Xie Zhi offered.

The elegantly packaged box opened to reveal a modest portion—only about ten cookies. In an era when even steamed buns were scarce, cookies like these were considered a luxury.

Jiao Jiao smiled, accepting one. She took a small bite, and the rich, milky flavor filled her mouth. The taste lingered, making her think that everything in this simpler era seemed better. People were more genuine and less scheming than in modern times.

Meanwhile, the tall woman kicked her young daughter harshly, almost grinding her teeth in frustration. “If you want to eat, go ask that sister for some!”

The little girl’s knee hit the ground hard, turning purple from the impact. She looked up at Jiao Jiao, tears welling in her eyes. “Pretty sister…”

Jiao Jiao felt her heart soften, but the girl’s mother was truly hateful. Torn by indecision, she finally resolved not to involve the child in adult grievances. She rose to help.

But Xie Zhi firmly pressed her back down by the waist. His expression was calm, but his voice carried a warning. “If you help them now, they’ll only push their luck.”

Jiao Jiao glanced at the little girl on the ground. Sometimes her soft-heartedness only caused trouble. She looked around and saw that everyone else was indifferent.

Seeing her tactics fail, the tall woman threw a piece of trash at her daughter. “You useless money-waster! Go ask for it; I haven’t even tasted those cookies yet.”

The little girl climbed to her feet, tears brimming in her eyes. She hesitated to grab Jiao Jiao’s clothes but stopped when she saw her dirty hands. Lowering her voice to almost a whisper, she pleaded, “Sister, can I have a cookie?”

Jiao Jiao took a cookie from the box and handed it to the girl. The child’s gaze followed the cookie intently, her face full of longing.

“Eat it now. Show me,” Jiao Jiao instructed.

Suddenly, the cookie seemed like a hot potato. The girl turned to her mother, her face full of fear, then looked back at the kind sister. Then, in an unexpected move, she grabbed the entire box of cookies from Xie Zhi’s lap with a venomous glare. “Mom, look!” she shouted.

But the girl was small and didn’t get far before Xie Zhi grabbed her by the collar and hauled her back. His dark eyes brewed a storm as he pried the box from her hands. “Who taught you to act like this?”

Jiao Jiao saw the white cookie box now smudged with dirty fingerprints. Looking at the crying child, she felt an overwhelming sense of frustration.

The tall woman, seeing her attempt fail, began cursing wildly. “Shameless! Stealing from a child! No upbringing at all!”

Jiao Jiao nearly exploded with anger. She had tried to avoid unnecessary conflict, but this woman was like a leech, never knowing when to stop.

She threw the cookie box’s packaging at the woman, hitting her squarely. The woman’s face turned pale from the impact.

Jiao Jiao’s voice rose sharply. “Try saying one more word, and I’ll show you what I’m capable of. I’ve had enough of you!”

“That’s right!” a nearby older woman chimed in, unable to stay silent. “This young girl saved your son’s life. How dare you take advantage of her?”

“Shameless, aren’t you?”

Xie Zhi wiped the fingerprints off the box with tissues and fed Jiao Jiao a cookie. “Don’t waste your energy on people like her. Just wait a little longer, and we’ll be on the train.”

Jiao Jiao didn’t respond. Instead, she stared at the little girl with disappointment. The child was still clutching a cookie, but her gaze carried a trace of malice.

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“Dear passengers, the train to Qingcheng is now boarding. Please proceed to the entrance.”

Jiao Jiao’s spirits lifted at the announcement. The hard wooden bench had been unbearably uncomfortable. She grabbed a bag filled with food while Xie Zhi carried a large woven sack, common for the era. It held meat and other oily items that would’ve been too heavy for a suitcase.

Xie Zhi handed their tickets to the conductor, who checked them thoroughly before letting them pass.

“Mom! Mom, don’t leave me! Mom, don’t abandon me!”

Jiao Jiao’s heart clenched painfully at the sound of the little girl’s cries. She couldn’t understand how a mother could be so heartless, all for a few pounds of meat.

She soon saw the tall woman pass by, carrying a sleeping infant on her back. “You little wretch, I don’t have money for your ticket. If they won’t let you in, stay at the station!”

The little girl cried hysterically, her voice heart-wrenching. Even Jiao Jiao shed a few tears. She had always wanted to be tough and unfeeling, but her empathy was too strong.

A conductor grabbed the little girl and urgently asked, “Whose child is this? Is no one taking her?”

An older woman nearby pointed at the tall woman. “That’s her mother.”

“Comrade, is this your child? Your child!”

The tall woman feigned concern as she approached. Her gaunt face revealed her stinginess, and her eyes showed no care for the situation.

“I don’t have money for her ticket. I don’t want her. Whoever wants her can take her—she’s better off dead anyway.”