Ruan Qingzhi could no longer sleep.  

She slowly opened her eyes, the lingering gloom in her gaze not yet dissipated, when suddenly the braid resting on her shoulder was yanked hard, pulling at her scalp painfully.  

Ruan Qingzhi gasped and immediately lowered her eyes to look—a grubby little hand was still tugging fiercely at her braid.  

She had had enough. Raising her hand, she slapped the back of the child’s hand with force.  

“Waaah—”  

The child cried out in pain, his lips trembling as he burst into tears.  

Ruan Qingzhi’s action instantly drew the woman’s full fury.  

The woman’s eyebrows shot up in anger: “You country bumpkin! What do you think you’re doing? How dare you hit my son? If you hurt him, could you even afford to pay for it?”  

As she spoke, she looked down at the child in her arms, her face twisted with rage, and commanded: “Xiao Bao! Listen to Mama—hit her back! However this bad woman hit you, you hit her the same way! Go on! Do it!”  

She grabbed her son’s hand and swung it at Ruan Qingzhi.  

Ruan Qingzhi wasn’t about to indulge her. She raised her hand and caught the woman’s wrist, her bright eyes narrowing. “What am I doing? You ask what I’m doing? Your son’s filthy hand was reaching into my clothes! The ancients said that boys and girls shouldn’t share the same seat past the age of seven. Judging by your son’s height, he must be at least eight—old enough to know better, yet he’s groping into a woman’s collar! If that’s not a little pervert, then what is? If he doesn’t deserve a beating, who does? I say he ought to be arrested and sent to labor reform for eight or ten years, lest this little pervert grow into a full-fledged old pervert!”  

“The four hundred million compatriots who fought for the peace and prosperity we have today didn’t sacrifice so that little degenerates like this could ruin our society!”  

Ruan Qingzhi’s voice was firm and resonant.  

Such a well-reasoned speech immediately drew the attention of everyone in the train car.  

People turned to look curiously.  

“You—you’re spouting nonsense!” The woman’s lips trembled with rage, her chest heaving.  

Pointing at Ruan Qingzhi, she gnashed her teeth and said, “My son is no pervert! He just tugged your braid! If you dare slander him again, may your own children be born without anuses!”  

Ruan Qingzhi raised an eyebrow and countered, “So pulling a girl’s braid doesn’t deserve a beating?”  

The woman fell back on the four great excuses of folk wisdom: “My son is young and doesn’t know any better! You’re an adult—shouldn’t you be ashamed to pick on a child?”  

Ruan Qingzhi leaned back against her seat. “Oh, I am ashamed.”  

Then, with deliberate slowness, she added, “Ashamed that my granddaughter didn’t raise her child properly.”  

The crowd burst into laughter.  

The woman froze for a second before realizing the insult as others laughed. “You dare call me your granddaughter?!”  

Ruan Qingzhi crossed her arms, her expression disdainful. “Just now, that young comrade called you ‘big sister,’ and you scolded her for making you sound old. But ‘granddaughter’ makes you sound young, doesn’t it? And yet you’re still unhappy. You’re just impossible to please.”  

The woman suddenly understood. “So you two are in cahoots!”  

Ruan Qingzhi replied firmly, “Of course I stand united with the millions of Liberation Army soldiers!”  

Then, her expression turned serious. She scrutinized the woman for a few seconds before coldly demanding, “Or do you not stand with them? What does that make you, then? A spy? A traitor? Seems I’ll have to report you to the train’s security team and have them investigate.”  

The woman realized she had misspoken.  

She pinched her child’s arm discreetly.  

“Waaah—!” The little boy wailed, squirming in her arms, resisting her hold.  

She pretended to be busy comforting him.  

With the spectacle over, the crowd dispersed, and the woman finally let out a relieved breath.  

But with her anger still simmering and nowhere to vent it, she could only shoot Ruan Qingzhi a venomous glare.  

Ruan Qingzhi couldn’t be bothered with her.  

It was already noon, and she was starving—her stomach had been growling for a while. She took out a steamed bun and began eating, gazing out the window at the lush green wheat fields.  

Somewhere in the periphery of her awareness, she felt someone’s eyes on her.

Ruan Qingzhi glanced up and caught the young recruit swallowing hard before hurriedly looking away.  

She smiled and asked, “How old are you?”  

The recruit’s ears turned red as he slowly turned back. “Sixteen.”  

“Why did you join the army?”  

He answered softly, “The village committee said that joining the army means I can eat my fill, and my family can too. So I enlisted. But I’m not afraid of hardship—if the country is in danger, I’ll charge to the front lines. If the people are in danger, I’ll protect them with my life. I won’t dishonor this uniform.”  

Listening to the boy’s words, the icy walls in her heart began to thaw.  

They were around the same age. While Ruan Qingshan at home was chasing dogs and chickens, these boys had already traveled far from home to defend their country.  

“I joined to become the King of Soldiers,” his comrade suddenly declared. “My brother-in-law said the three-time national combat champion is named Shen Zhanwu—he’s the role model for all soldiers! Just wait—one day, I’ll defeat him!”  

The young man’s face was full of pride.  

Ruan Qingzhi raised an eyebrow.  

Shen Zhanwu?

Her disabled, infertile husband?  

So he had been quite impressive before his injury. She wondered what kind of man he was.  

Just then, the food cart vendor passed by.  

She waved him over. “How much for the boxed meals?”  

The vendor answered, “Two vegetable dishes for thirty cents, two vegetables and one meat for fifty. Which would you like?”  

Ruan Qingzhi pulled out five yuan. “Ten boxes of two vegetables and one meat—for these soldiers.”  

She held out the money.  

The recruits looked stunned and immediately refused. “Comrade, our unit has rules—we don’t take even a needle or thread from civilians!”  

Seeing their firm stance, she said gently, “To be honest, my husband is also a soldier. Like you, he defends our country and fights on the front lines. So this meal isn’t my treat—it’s what you’ve earned with your bravery, your willingness to risk your lives.”  

“Besides, the army loves the people, and the people support the army—our bond is as close as fish and water. I’m a military wife, which makes us family twice over. It’s only right for your sister-in-law to treat you to a meal.”  

The recruits’ eyes reddened slightly.  

Ruan Qingzhi stood up and personally handed out the meals.  

In 1980, disposable containers weren’t a thing yet—meals came in sturdy aluminum boxes, with generous portions. Even though these young soldiers were growing boys with big appetites, one box was more than enough to fill them up!  

At first, they ate politely, a little embarrassed.  

But the food was too delicious—the braised pork was tender, rich, and fragrant.  

Soon, they were eating faster.  

“Mom! I want a boxed meal!”  

“I want meat!”  

The woman’s son started whining.  

The woman scowled and scolded him. “Eat, eat, eat! Is your brain made of pig fat? Your mother has no money! Others have money—go be someone else’s son! I don’t want you anymore!”  

“Waaah! I want Mom…!”  

Satisfied with his reaction, she shot Ruan Qingzhi a venomous side-eye and sneered, “Showing off when you’re broke! Sacrificing comfort for pride! Damn country bumpkin! Treating soldiers to meals—why not treat the whole damn train? Anyone who makes my son cry deserves to be struck by lightning!”