Chapter 41

Chapter 41

The green train whistled mournfully and chugged as it roared in. In this era, those who could afford to take the train were either from well-off families or had urgent matters. The group of Feng Xia and her companions was not unusual.

Mr. Lin wore a Zhongshan suit, his hair gray, with a kind expression. Mr. Wu Xingzhou was somewhat younger, though his hair was also streaked with white. Both men wore smiles, but they exuded an imposing presence that inspired awe.

Feng Xia wore a sweater knitted by Old Lady Wu. The fabric of her clothes was clearly expensive to anyone with discerning eyes. Her skin was fair, her hair black and shiny, marking her as a child raised in a wealthy family. Her bright, beautiful eyes made her instantly likable.

Lin Feihu, in long pants and a tunic, looked somewhat dull, resembling a hired hand from a landlord's estate. Observers might think this young man was indeed there to serve the elderly pair and the girl. Although the landlord class had been overthrown, money could still make the world go round—it was only natural for the wealthy to hire servants.

The more ostentatious they appeared, the less anyone dared to provoke them. Lin Feihu even bought a large bag of snacks for Feng Xia to eat on the way, along with plenty of fruit and easily digestible pastries for the two old gentlemen to nibble on during the journey.

Of course, they all had money in their pockets and could afford to buy boxed meals on the train. But Lin Feihu was being cautious, preparing for any contingency.

Feng Xia chewed on peanut candy, squinting happily. Truly a capable and nurturing mother hen!

After checking their tickets and boarding, they had purchased two sleeper berths for the two old gentlemen. Feng Xia and Lin Feihu held seated tickets, as they were physically fit enough to endure two days of sitting. Wu Xingzhou wanted to give his sleeper to the girl, but she insisted he lie down. Given Feng Xia's physical condition, she could even stand the whole way without issue.

The sleeper carriages were separate from the hard-seat ones. Originally, Lin Feihu had planned to buy all sleeper tickets, but due to the urgency of the situation, they couldn't secure enough, so they had to make do.

After settling the two old gentlemen, they returned to their own carriage. Fortunately, it wasn't far away, and the train's security was decent, especially in the sleeper section, which had more frequent patrols than the regular carriages. They had little luggage—just two small suitcases, which they stowed under their seats.

But when they reached their seats, they found one was already occupied.

An elderly woman and a younger woman, with two children, had taken one of their seats. The older child sat in Feng Xia's spot.

Lin Feihu was about to step forward to confront them, but Feng Xia stopped him. She stepped forward herself and said, "Comrade, this is our seat. Is this your child?"

The younger woman didn't speak. The older woman shot a glare at Feng Xia, seeing a young girl barely out of childhood, and curled her lip. "Oh, this is my child, little comrade. Look at your thin arms and legs. Let my kid squeeze in with you. We have two kids—it's not easy for us. Show some understanding!"

Feng Xia maintained a delicate smile, her dimples sweet and endearing. But Lin Feihu inexplicably felt a chill.

"No, that won't do. We have to sit for two days, and I don't want to be crowded. Comrade, if you find it cramped, you should buy another ticket. Your child here doesn't look like he's four or five," Feng Xia said crisply, the words sharp.

The old woman's face darkened with anger. "Little girl, sit or don't sit—I don't care. My grandson sits here. They say city folk look down on country folk—now I see it for myself! You're a contemptible lowlife who looks down on others! I'll call the conductor to judge whether my grandson can sit here or not!"

In this era, the law was incomplete. Faced with such a shrew, most train attendants would just try to mediate, and the one who got hurt was usually a young girl like Feng Xia. By now, many heads were craning to watch the commotion. It was a national trait—never missing a chance to gawk.

Feng Xia's smile vanished. With a single motion, she lifted the boy, who was half her size, as if he weighed nothing. With a twist of her wrist, she spun him like a top and tossed him into the old woman's arms. The impact knocked the breath from the old woman's chest, and she clutched it, wailing.

Feng Xia pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her hands. Lin Feihu used a towel on the table to wipe down the seat, and they calmly sat down—Feng Xia on the outside, Lin Feihu on the inside.

The old woman kept howling, "She hit me! This little girl hit an old woman! No justice! Help! Murder!"

A train attendant hurried over, stunned at the sight. If Lin Feihu had hit someone, they might believe it. But Feng Xia, such a small girl? They exchanged confused glances, then asked bystanders what had happened. After hearing the account, they found it surreal, but they had to step in and mediate. "Little comrade, what you did is wrong. Even if this auntie was unreasonable, you should have called an attendant to resolve it, not resort to violence. You need to apologize to this auntie."

Feng Xia said nonchalantly, "Then I'm sorry. It's your own fault for being shameless. When someone sticks out their face to be hit, it would be a waste not to hit it, don't you think?"

Her inflammatory words not only made the old woman's face twist but also turned the younger woman's face red with anger.

"How dare you speak like that? No manners at all!" the younger woman scolded, holding her child. Feng Xia nodded with a smile, "Right, you have manners—putting your kid in someone else's seat."

The younger woman pointed at Feng Xia, her hand trembling. The train attendant had no choice but to grit his teeth and mediate. "Comrades, occupying someone else's seat is also wrong. How about we all take a step back? It's fate that brings us together—we should be united and friendly."

The old woman clutched her chest, glaring. "Friendly my foot! She hit me—my chest hurts. She has to pay compensation! She has to! I almost died at this girl's hands today. If she doesn't pay, I won't leave!"

The old woman threw a tantrum, rolling on the floor, while the train attendant scratched his head helplessly.

Feng Xia's expression was languid, a strange smirk on her lips. "Compensation? Fine, I have plenty of money. I just wonder—how much are your and your grandson's lives worth? I'll buy them, name your price."

The girl's voice was crisp. She wore a bright red sweater made of fine wool, which set off her beauty. She was as gorgeous as spring blossoms or the autumn moon, evoking the image of a dissolute noble in the history of the Flower Kingdom, treating human lives like grass and others like dirt. With a young man who acted as her steward beside her, the onlookers held their breath, intimidated by this girl.

Feng Xia's clear eyes stared at the old woman, half-smiling. The old woman felt like her skin was being flayed by a gleaming steel blade. She went cold all over, stopped her tantrum, and obediently held her grandson, sitting upright.

Perhaps others didn't feel it as keenly, but the old woman knew—this girl really meant to kill her. She shuddered and hugged her grandson tighter. The young wife beside her shrank like a timid quail, burying her head.

Feng Xia drawled. "What? Afraid I can't afford to pay for your lives?" She glanced around at the onlookers, who all backed away. *This must be some young miss from a rich family,* they thought. *Even though there's a campaign now, there are also plenty of gangsters and foreign spies around. Better not to mess with someone like this.*

"Tch." Feng Xia gave a light laugh, glancing at the pair opposite as if casually, making them flinch. Then she turned her gaze away and leaned back lazily in her seat.

The train attendant had already disappeared. They were masters at smoothing things over, never offending anyone. As long as nothing happened, it was good.

Besides, the girl had only spoken—who knew if she meant it?

That train attendant remembered the girl's careless smile and her eyes as deep as a cold pool, and couldn't help shivering.

*What she said... was probably a joke, right?*