Lin Qian sat in her train seat, leisurely eating her food. In front of her was a box of fragrant braised pork, its color and aroma enticing, along with several boiled eggs and a steaming cup of malted milk powder. The tempting aroma filled the carriage.
Opposite Lin Qian sat a rather shabby-looking girl, Liu Cui. Liu Cui clutched a dark, unappetizing steamed bun tightly in her hand. The bun was dull in color, coarse in texture, and looked utterly unappetizing. She swallowed it with difficulty, each bite a struggle. Liu Cui's eyes frequently drifted towards Lin Qian's food, her gaze filled with intense longing and envy, as if it weren't food, but the wealth she desperately craved.
Liu Cui's family favored sons over daughters. This trip to the countryside was originally her brother's responsibility, but her family forced her to go in his place. Before leaving, they only gave her some dark steamed buns, and she only had 50 yuan from the educated youth office as a rural allowance. Therefore, she was extremely frugal on the train, not daring to spend a single penny more than necessary. Seeing Lin Qian's lavish food, Liu Cui had a thought of taking advantage of her.
Liu Cui secretly thought to herself, "That woman is eating so well; my dark steamed bun is really hard to swallow. If only I could get some food from her. Anyway, she seems quite wealthy, so she probably wouldn't care about such a small thing."
So, Liu Cui shamelessly said to Lin Qian, "Hey, your braised pork smells so good, can I have some?" Lin Qian didn't even look up, not wanting to pay any attention to her, and continued eating her own food.
Looking at the braised pork in front of her, after some deliberation, Liu Cui decided to stop hesitating. She brazenly put on a fawning smile and said to Lin Qian, "Oh, comrade, this braised pork smells absolutely delicious! Could you please have pity on me and let me try just a tiny bit?" Her voice was laced with flattery and urgency, her eyes fixed on the box of braised pork, as if it were her only hope.
Lin Qian didn't even lift her eyelids, completely ignoring Liu Cui, and continued eating her food as if no one else was there, her expression extremely indifferent.
Seeing that Lin Qian didn't react, Liu Cui's anger flared up instantly. She couldn't help but mutter, "Hey! Comrade, we're all educated youth, and we're even going to and from the countryside on the same vehicle. I just asked you for some food, and you're ignoring me completely. What does that mean?"
After saying that, she cursed inwardly, "This woman must think I'm poor and looks down on me! I, Liu Cui, am not someone to be bullied. Humph, I'll definitely get some food from her!"
So Liu Cui gritted her teeth and spoke again: "Comrade, look at my black steamed bun. It's been sitting for two days and it's so dry and hard, like a rock. I can't even bite into it."
"Please, have pity on me, give me something to eat, even just a tiny bite!" Her voice trembled, filled with a deep pleading, her pitiful appearance enough to break anyone's heart. Yet, her eyes revealed a resolute stubbornness, as if to say, she would not give up until she received at least a bite to eat.
Lin Qian still ignored Liu Cui. Her eyes were cold, her face expressionless, and she stood there like an iceberg. Liu Cui kept pestering her, her words buzzing incessantly in Lin Qian's ears like flies, but Lin Qian seemed not to hear them at all, completely unconcerned about what Liu Cui was saying or doing.
At this moment, Lin Qian felt utterly disgusted by the girl who kept pestering her. She looked at Liu Cui as if watching a pointless farce. In this year when food was more precious than life, Liu Cui actually had the nerve to beg for food; Lin Qian was particularly resentful of her behavior.
"003, look at Liu Cui, she's really stupid," Lin Qian said to 003 in her heart, with a hint of mockery in her voice.
“Yeah, Master. She’s just too funny.” 003 answered in Lin Qian’s mind, also looking down on Liu Cui.
Lin Qian and 003 looked at Liu Cui as if she were a clown, their eyes full of mockery. Every move Liu Cui made and every word she said seemed particularly ridiculous to Lin Qian and 003. It was as if Liu Cui wasn't the main character in this matter, but just an unimportant supporting role, performing her best on stage, but no one applauded her.
Liu Cui seemed oblivious to Lin Qian's attitude and kept talking, trying to get some food from Lin Qian. There was a hint of longing in her eyes, but Lin Qian thought it was just greed.
"Lin Qian, please, have some mercy and give me something to eat, even just a little bit!" Liu Cui pleaded.
Those around her also began to find Liu Cui's behavior annoying, and they all looked at her with displeasure. In these difficult times, everyone was fighting desperately to survive, and no one wanted to give their precious food to such an inconsiderate person.
Liu Cui felt everyone's gaze, but she didn't give up. She kept pleading.
The commotion attracted the attention of those around them, and some soft murmurs began to emanate from the crowd.
An older woman looked at Liu Cui, filled with sympathy but also somewhat displeased with her behavior. She thought to herself, "This little girl is indeed pitiful, and her family is so heartless. But in this time of such food scarcity, how can she just ask others for food? It's so inconsiderate!"
One young man expressed strong disgust at Liu Cui's behavior, muttering to himself, "Hmph! At this time, everyone is short of food, and she still wants to get a share from others. She's just delusional! This girl is so selfish, only thinking about herself and completely disregarding the feelings of others."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
