Chapter 75.2

Seeing someone bullying Lu Nong, Xiao Zhou immediately broke free from the old woman and returned to his seat. “Comrade, is there a problem?”

The man was shocked. He thought that Aunt Wu and Lu Nong were the only women there. He dared to come and take advantage of the young wife because they were carrying children. He didn’t expect this young wife to have a man with her, especially one in military uniform. He stammered, “I… I came to borrow some formula and biscuits.”

Xiao Zhou replied, “Sorry, comrade, but we’ve run out of biscuits. The formula is only enough for two meals, so I can’t lend you any.”

The onlookers noticed that Xiao Zhou and the young wife had the same story, realizing Lu Nong wasn’t lying. Their disdain for the man grew. Who had enough formula at home to spare? With so little left, how could anyone expect a young mother to give it away? If she did, her own child would go hungry. It would be foolish to do that.

The man ran back to his seat in shame. The train was about to depart, and the couple hugged their child, shrinking back in their seats, no longer daring to cause trouble.

Lu Nong watched them thoughtfully. She leaned over to whisper a few words to Xiao Zhou, who nodded and then got up to head toward the front of the train.

Ten minutes later, the conductor came to check the tickets. When he reached the couple, they suddenly started arguing with him. The conductor asked to see their tickets, but they claimed theirs were lost.

The conductor told them to buy new tickets, but they refused, insisting they shouldn’t have to spend another penny since they had already purchased tickets. Just then, a new pair of passengers boarded, and their tickets showed the couple’s exact seats.

It turned out that the couple thought the train was about to leave and assumed their seats were empty since no one had come to sit there yet.

Ultimately, the family of four was escorted off the train by the conductor, bringing a newfound peace to the entire carriage.

Aunt Wu beamed and said, “Amitabha, God has opened his eyes.”

Lu Nong thought to herself, I’ve kept my eyes open.

Xiao Zhou returned leisurely, concealing his accomplishments, and gave Lu Nong a thumbs-up. He whispered, “Comrade Lu, how did you know they evaded the ticket?”

“It was their guilty conscience that gave them away. They had the audacity to come over and ask for milk powder, showing they were used to taking advantage of others. How could they possibly be afraid of a few words? The moment they saw you return, they went quiet. Your military uniform likely intimidated them. Plus, with the train about to leave, they were worried about making a scene and attracting the conductor’s attention.”

Aunt Wu gasped in surprise, “They… they are your…”

“Shh.” Lu Nong playfully winked and put a finger to her lips, signaling Aunt Wu to keep quiet.

Aunt Wu swallowed her words.

As the train slowly started moving, the young people heading to the countryside began singing. A bespectacled young man picked up an accordion, and as the music filled the air, not only did the youths sing, but everyone in the carriage joined in, collectively singing revolutionary songs that celebrated their country and great leaders.

This was a simple and passionate era; people had unlimited enthusiasm and high faith.

After the singing, the atmosphere in the carriage became even more cheerful. The young people mingled with the locals on the train. Someone asked, “Where are you all from, and where are you headed?”

“We are all from Beijing, and we are going to Qingcheng to provide support to the countryside!” replied the girl who had defended Huaihuai with a cheerful grin.

“What a good young man!” the questioner praised, giving a thumbs up. “With a red flower pinned to your chest, your whole family must be proud.”

The large-scale movement of youth going to the countryside was still two years away. These young people had likely volunteered to go down to the countryside to pursue their ideals. They would spend half their lives rooting themselves in rural areas, dedicating themselves to the land.

Lu Nong’s heart stirred. Were these young people also headed to Qingcheng?

“Xu Yao, eat something. How can you endure without food?”

The voices of a few girls from the group reached Lu Nong’s ears. It wasn’t that she was eavesdropping. They were simply speaking loudly enough for many to hear.

The beautiful girl named Xu Yao shook her head. “Thank you, Zhaodi, but I can’t eat.”

A girl with a red hair ribbon scoffed. “Zhang Zhaodi, are you addicted to being a follower of a young lady? Oh, I was wrong. Xu Yao is no longer the eldest daughter of the principal’s family. She is the daughter of an old farmer.”

“What are you talking about?” Zhang Zhaodi was furious. “Yaoyao is already so pitiful, and you are still making sarcastic remarks!”

A handsome young man sitting next to the girl felt sorry for Xu Yao and coldly reprimanded the girl with the red ribbon. “Hu Meng, your behavior is truly unsightly.”

“Me? Unsightly?” Hu Meng didn’t care about Zhaodi’s retort, but the handsome young man’s words made her face flush with embarrassment. She exclaimed, “What I said was true! Yes, your precious Xu Yao is suffering—she’s lived a life of luxury for sixteen years, while the principal’s real daughter is out there doing hard labor in the countryside, dirty and likely never even went to school.”

“And what about your Xu Yao? Just look at her—she has delicate skin and soft hands, not a single callus. She’s only going back to her real home, and yet you all act like she’s the one suffering. Compared to that girl in the countryside, what’s so pitiful about her?”

Zhaodi and the handsome man were left speechless by her words. Xu Yao lowered her gaze and quietly said, “Hu Meng is right. I’ve taken up the life of the real Xu Yao for sixteen years. Now, we’re just returning to our rightful places. There’s nothing to pity, nor is there anything tragic about it.”

Lu Nong, who was watching the show secretly, was horrified. Oh my god, I bumped into a character from the original novel while riding a train. What kind of shitty fate is this! ?

Xu Yao! No wonder the name sounded familiar. She was the top female villain in the story. She and Huaihuai were likened to the legendary pairing of talents, one focused on bringing down the female lead and the other on sabotaging the male lead. Ironically, the more they tried to undermine the leads, the more they inadvertently pushed them together. Without Xu Yao in the early stages, the leads wouldn’t have come together and without Huaihuai later on, their relationship wouldn’t have flourished as it did.

Wait a minute! Xu Yao was going to Qingcheng? Could it be? The original plot takes place in Qingcheng?