Liu Cui heard the whispers around her, but she paid them no heed. Only one thought occupied her mind: she had to get some food from Lin Qian. She muttered to herself, "I don't care what others say. As long as I can eat something good, nothing else matters. I refuse to believe Lin Qian can be so heartless forever. I'll find a way to get her to give me some food!"
Next, Liu Cui tried to strike up a conversation with Lin Qian, racking her brains for flattering words in hopes of getting closer to Lin Qian and achieving her goal. But Lin Qian remained indifferent, ignoring Liu Cui's words as if she didn't exist.
Seeing this, Liu Cui's resentment erupted like a volcano. She felt utterly humiliated, yet Lin Qian still refused to help her, filling her with immense anger and resentment. Her face turned extremely pale, and she began muttering complaints incessantly: "This woman is too much! I've begged her like this, and she's still unmoved and looks down on me. Doesn't she have any compassion? I'm so unlucky to have met such a cold-blooded person! But I won't give up easily; I'm determined to get what I want from her!"
Liu Cui was annoyed, feeling that Lin Qian was too heartless, but she didn't want to give up this opportunity to take advantage. She muttered to herself, "How can this person be like this? She has no compassion at all. I just want to eat something nice, I'm not trying to steal from her." Liu Cui knew very well that her behavior wasn't honorable, but having not eaten meat for so long, she couldn't care less. She gritted her teeth and decided to try one more time.
But Lin Qian remained indifferent, ignoring Liu Cui's words. She knew Liu Cui's tricks and naturally wouldn't fall for them.
Seeing this, Liu Cui's dissatisfaction grew stronger. She felt she was already pitiful enough, yet Lin Qian refused to help her; it was simply too much. Her expression grew increasingly grim, and she began muttering complaints.
Just then, a girl named Su Yao stepped forward. She looked at Liu Cui, then at Lin Qian, and said to Lin Qian with a smile, "Comrade, I think this little girl is really quite pitiful. Why don't you give her some food? Consider it doing a good deed."
Lin Qian frowned and retorted, "You can give her your things too, why do I have to give them to her?"
Su Yao paused for a moment, secretly thinking: Although Liu Cui likes to take advantage, she is strong. If I can use this opportunity to get her to do the heavy work for me in the future and be my assistant, that would be good. Thinking of this, Su Yao still smiled and said, "I just saw that you have more food. It is only right for us to help each other when we are traveling."
Liu Cui listened from the side, her mind clear. She knew Su Yao wanted to use her as a pawn, but thinking that she could get food and possibly someone to rely on, she decided to go along with it. She pretended to be even more pitiful and said, "Yes, Sister Lin Qian, please help me. I will definitely repay you in the future."
Lin Qian snorted coldly: "So, according to you, whoever has more things should share them with others? What kind of logic is that?"
Su Yao smiled awkwardly: "That's not what I meant. I just felt that this young girl has had a tough time, and we should help her in any way we can."
Lin Qian said impatiently, "That's her own family's problem. Why should I take responsibility for it? I also worked hard to prepare my own food. Why should I share it with someone who just wants to take advantage?"
Liu Cui cursed inwardly: "Lin Qian, you stingy thing! Just wait until I'm on good terms with Su Yao, then you'll be sorry!" But on the surface, she still pitifully said, "Sister Lin Qian, please share some of your food with me."
At this moment, Su Yao said again, "Lin Qian, look how pitiful Liu Cui is, let's help her. Besides, we should all look out for each other in this place, who knows, we might need help from others someday."
Lin Qian glanced at Su Yao and Liu Cui, feeling somewhat hesitant. She knew that survival in this place was not easy, and having more friends might make things better. However, she didn't want to compromise easily and let Liu Cui and Su Yao succeed.
“Okay, I can give her some food, but this is the last time.” Lin Qian finally relented and took some food out of her bag and handed it to Liu Cui.
Liu Cui took the food, a smug smile on her face. She said to Lin Qian, "Thank you, Sister Lin Qian, you're such a kind person." But in her heart, she was thinking: This amount of food isn't enough; I'll have to get more from Su Yao next time.
Su Yao breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Lin Qian had agreed. She said to Liu Cui, "Liu Cui, you'll be with me from now on. I'll take care of you."
Liu Cui nodded quickly: "Okay, Sister Su Yao, I'll follow you from now on."
As Liu Cui wolfed down the food she had received from Lin Qian, her eyes darted around as she plotted her next move. Her mouth was stuffed full, her cheeks bulging like a hamster's, and crumbs of food fell from the corners of her mouth, but she didn't care, simply wiping them away haphazardly with her sleeve.
"Hmph, Lin Qian may be difficult to deal with, but I, Liu Cui, am not to be trifled with either," Liu Cui thought to herself. "However, Su Yao is no good either. She wants to use me as a pawn, so I have to be careful. But for now, I need to fill my stomach first. Only with strength can I find ways to get more benefits."
Liu Cui swallowed the food in a few bites. The food wasn't particularly delicious; in this resource-scarce place, having anything to eat was already a blessing. But Liu Cui ate with relish, as if it were the most delicious food in the world. With food in her stomach, she felt a little more confident. She began to carefully consider her situation and her future plans.
“This place is tough, but it’s not without opportunities. Su Yao wants me to be her assistant and do the hard work for her, so I’ll go along with her for now. Once I figure out the situation here, I’ll make some plans. Maybe I can find a better backer, or even make a name for myself.” Liu Cui thought about it more and more and felt that her idea was feasible, and a hint of cunning appeared in her eyes.
“However, I can’t let Su Yao control me completely. I need to find a way out for myself and not let her treat me like a fool.” Liu Cui made up her mind. She decided to keep an eye out for other opportunities while working for Su Yao. She knew that in this world, only she herself was truly reliable; no one else could be trusted.
The train slowly came to a stop, emitting a heavy groan. Lin Qian, carrying two small bags of luggage, stepped off the train with ease. In stark contrast, most of the other educated youth going to the countryside were dragging large and small bags of luggage, which looked incredibly heavy, making their shoulders sag slightly. A cacophony of sounds erupted from the platform—footsteps, voices, and the screech of luggage—transforming the once quiet station into a bustling hubbub.
The faces of the educated youth were weary; the long journey had left them extremely exhausted. Yet, their eyes revealed a mixture of uncertainty and anticipation for the future. This complex emotion swirled within each of them, instantly enlivening the once quiet station.
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