Chapter 48.2

Liao Chunxing came to the train station daily to look for potential victims. Peng City was developing rapidly, attracting many people seeking fortune. He had previously targeted Qin Ao, who, although a fellow townsman, was still fair game in this line of work.

Qin Ao was the kind of naive young man venturing out for the first time, making him a prime target.

Today, Liao Chunxing spotted another one—Jiang Ruan. She carried a bag, and though she was strong and skillful, she didn’t bother to conceal her money while buying food and drinks at the station. That bag of ten-yuan bills amounted to at least four or five thousand. Her martial prowess would be useless against a sophisticated scam, and she would inevitably return empty-handed.

Qin Ao watched nervously as Jiang Ruan put on her act, and sure enough, she attracted the scammers—the same ones who had conned him previously. Jiang Ruan suggested waiting until they found their hideout and caught them red-handed before alerting the police. Qin Ao, hands sweating, cooperated and called the authorities.

The police would take about ten minutes to arrive, but Jiang Ruan had already subdued the entire gang of scammers by then.

The leader of the group turned out to be Liao Chunxing, the second brother-in-law of Han Qingqing, a close family friend. He had claimed to have come to Peng City to make a fortune and had sent several thousand yuan back home in just a few months. No one would have guessed he was engaged in fraudulent activities.

Since Liao Chunxing was caught committing crimes in Peng City, he would be tried there as well. Qin Ao reported the amount he was swindled out of, and the police said they would distribute any recovered stolen funds proportionately to the victims.

Regardless of how much money could be recovered, Qin Ao was delighted.

After a day spent apprehending the fraudsters and giving statements, the following day, the two went shopping for merchandise, buying only women’s clothing. They spent over four thousand yuan, leaving just enough for the return trip.

On the way back, Qin Ao suggested buying a hard sleeper ticket, allowing them to take turns resting in a sleeper berth. Jiang Ruan could have managed without it, but seeing Qin Ao’s exhaustion—after enduring the bumpy truck ride and the stressful experience of catching the fraudsters—she found it reasonable to buy hard sleeper tickets.

Jiang Ruan generously purchased two hard sleeper tickets, using the three hundred yuan earned from guarding the cargo to cover the cost.

Qin Ao felt a bit reluctant, “One ticket would have been enough. We could have saved quite a bit.”

Jiang Ruan replied, “We’re carrying a lot of goods. I’m worried that if we’re separated, you might get scammed again, or worse, someone could steal our goods while we’re asleep. That loss would be much bigger.”

Qin Ao took her advice and got two tickets: one for the middle berth and one for the lower berth, offering the lower one to Jiang Ruan.

Jiang Ruan declined, “You take the bottom one.”

She effortlessly climbed onto the middle berth, and Qin Ao felt a bit like he was the one being taken care of. He thought about how vigorously Jiang Ruan had dealt with Liao Chunxing, as if to help him vent his anger, and he silently hoped that she and Qin Yan could get married so they could all be family.

…

At a stop along the way, a man in his fifties with graying hair boarded, accompanied by a young man in his twenties wearing glasses. The younger man carried a bag and helped the older one into the sleeper compartment.

The young man apologetically asked the people in the lower berths if they could switch beds, and a man across from Qin Ao agreed to switch for a price.

Jiang Ruan noticed that the older man suffered from severe rheumatism and had difficulty moving. She knocked on the bed frame, signaling Qin Ao to get up, and said, “No need for money, we’ll switch with you.”

She then climbed into the upper berth across from them, allowing Qin Ao to take the middle one, and they gave the lower berth to the older man.

The older man smiled warmly, “Thank you, young lady.”

“You’re welcome.”

The young man then placed a hot water bottle on the older man’s knee, saying, “There’s a person in Jing City who’s famous for treating rheumatism. I heard she’s a young woman who was left a bit dazed after a fever in her childhood. She has a peculiar temperament and only treats people she feels a connection with. When we get to Jing City, I’ll help you find her.”

The older gentleman waved his hand, “Let fate decide.”

Qin Ao thought the rumor was exaggerated but knew it referred to Jiang Ruan. He glanced at her on the upper berth across from him.

Jiang Ruan turned over to face the wall, clearly uninterested in discussing her ability to treat rheumatism with a random stranger. Qin Ao had no choice but to keep quiet.

The green train journey took more than a day, and by the time they reached Jing City, there was only a day left until the contract-signing deadline.

Upon returning to Jing City that afternoon, instead of heading home, they took the woolen sweaters, pants, and autumn jackets they had bought and set up a stall in front of the law university.

Qin Ao hesitated, “Jiang Ruan, why did you choose to sell here?”

Jiang Ruan replied, “To meet Qin Yan when he finishes class. That way, he can find us right away.”

“But Qin Yan might not want us selling here,” Qin Ao warned, concerned.

Jiang Ruan didn’t understand, “Why not?”

Qin Ao explained that since Qin Yan was now a university student, it would be embarrassing for him to be seen with someone selling at a street stall. His classmates might mock him.

Jiang Ruan didn’t see why there was shame in making a living through honest work, but judging by Qin Ao’s certainty, it was true that some people would ridicule them.

She immediately began packing up the clothes, “Let’s find another spot.”

Halfway through, Qin Yan came out of the school gate, and suddenly Jiang Ruan didn’t want him to see her there. She left the clothes behind and said, “Don’t miss the after-class rush. You sell, and I’ll go.”

“Alright, hurry up then.”

…

Qin Yan had arranged to meet Jiang Ruan at the school gate after his class. Seeing her run off halfway through setting up the clothes, he figured Qin Ao must have said something that made her think selling here would embarrass him.

He called Jiang Ruan back and flicked her smooth forehead, “Why are you running away?”

Jiang Ruan replied, “I didn’t want you to feel ashamed.”

Qin Yan laughed, “Maybe I used to have that kind of vanity, but not anymore. There’s no shame in making a living. If anyone looks down on me because of this, they aren’t real friends, and their opinions don’t matter.”

Jiang Ruan happily said, “Then help us sell the clothes, and tomorrow we need to go to Dawang Village to sign the contract.”

“Sure,” Qin Yan replied.

Qin Ao was surprised. Qin Yan, who was always so proud and had even gotten into college, didn’t seem to feel embarrassed at all about selling clothes at a street stall. With his help, they quickly set up the display.

Qin Yan and Qin Ao were both tall and good-looking, which quickly attracted the attention of young women and married ladies who came over to browse, often glancing at them and playfully asking if they had girlfriends.

“These clothes look even better than the ones in the department store. My niece loves pretty things. Will you still be here tomorrow?” one lady asked.

Jiang Ruan noticed things were getting out of hand, but Qin Yan explained that he was there with his girlfriend, and only then did the curious onlookers back off.

It seemed that a handsome man selling women’s clothing actually boosted sales. Jiang Ruan, in charge of collecting money, barely had a moment’s rest.

“Qin Yan, what are you doing selling clothes here?”

A girl approached the stall, her eyebrows furrowed with a hint of disapproval in her eyes.

The girl speaking was one of Qin Yan’s classmates from law school. She had a superior attitude, and in his previous life, he had never encountered her, nor did he know much about her family situation. But that didn’t stop her from annoying him.

He thought about his own character, who had always been written as fierce and unpredictable. Whether it was men or women around him, there weren’t many decent people. They were all harsh and ruthless—some concealed it better than others. This girl fell into the category of those who didn’t bother to hide it.

Qin Yan was equally blunt toward harsh people. “Don’t you have the brains to figure it out? You can see I’m selling clothes, and you still ask?”

Zhong Wenwen was slightly irritated. Qin Yan was too arrogant; he had never accepted her friendly gestures at school.

A university student selling clothes at a stall—maybe he was too short on money or was being pushed into it by his girlfriend. She had heard that Qin Yan was engaged before he enrolled. Was the girl beside him, with her calm expression that concealed her emotions, his fiancée?

Zhong Wenwen’s behavior was impolite as she casually picked up a sweater and handed it to Jiang Ruan. “Are you really Qin Yan’s girlfriend? How could you make him help you sell clothes? Tell me, does this look good on me?”

Jiang Ruan noticed that the girl’s nails had snagged the neckline, pulling out a loose thread. “The sweater is nice, but it doesn’t look good on you. And since you’ve snagged the thread, you’ll have to buy it. It’s sixty-eight yuan. Surely you can afford it?”

Zhong Wenwen pulled out a delicate little wallet. Though she came from a well-off family, nearly seventy yuan for a sweater was a stretch for her.

She was relieved that she had brought her entire month’s allowance with her. Otherwise, she would have been embarrassed.

After paying, she turned to Qin Yan and said, “Your girlfriend is so rude, Qin Yan. How could you end up with someone who doesn’t match you?”

Qin Yan was at a loss for words. In his previous life, he had encountered people who were as annoying as he was. It seemed that even in this life, no matter how he tried to change, he still attracted the same kind of people.

He curled his lips into a cold smile and said, “Now that you’ve seen my girlfriend is much better-looking than you, can you move away from here?”

Zhong Wenwen, who had always been praised, didn’t know what to do with Qin Yan’s unyielding attitude. Her face turned red with shame and anger, and she threw the pale beige sweater she had just bought to a friend. “It’s not even nice, you can have it.”

…

Qin Ao noticed that Jiang Ruan wasn’t angry at all. Instead, she was happily counting the money they made from selling clothes. He leaned over to Qin Yan and said, “Why do the girls who like you always have such a proud attitude? What’s your secret?”

“Maybe I attract bad people,” Qin Yan replied self-deprecatingly. “I’m not a good person myself, so isn’t it natural to attract bad people? You just focus on being a decent person.”

Qin Ao advised, “I just mean you should be a bit more restrained. Don’t offend everyone, it might come back to bite you.”

Qin Yan wasn’t concerned; he had already planned out his future even after graduation. “I know what I’m doing.”

Jiang Ruan had finished counting the money. They had bought over four thousand yuan worth of goods and sold them for twice the price. With Qin Yan and Qin Ao as top-notch salesmen, the clothes sold quickly. They hadn’t even sold out yet, and she already had over six thousand yuan in her hands, enough to sign the contract.

Jiang Ruan waved the stack of money in her hand and the large bag on her knee. “Let’s pack up and sell the rest tomorrow. Qin Yan, you should hurry back to your evening classes.”

Qin Yan smiled, slightly jealous. “Now that you’ve gotten what you wanted, you’re kicking me out?”

“Don’t you have to go to evening classes?”

“I already asked for leave.”

Jiang Ruan checked the time. He could still make it back if he hurried. “Be careful. One of your classmates might report you for skipping class. If you end up getting excluded and can’t find a good job after graduation, don’t worry too much. You see, I can make money.”

Qin Ao was speechless. No man in the Qin family would ever live off a woman.

But seeing Qin Yan enjoying the banter and obediently heading back for evening classes, he couldn’t help but feel a little envious of the two.

He packed up the remaining goods and told Jiang Ruan to keep the money. “It’s safer if you hold onto the money.”The next morning, on the last scheduled day, Jiang Ruan and Qin Ao set off with a large bag of money, ready to head to New Dawang Village to sign the contract.