Chapter 38 Kicking a Thug in the Middle of the Night
Just over half an hour after the train departed, the couple in the upper berths came down and discussed things with Jiang Ruzhen with smiles on their faces.
They hadn't eaten dinner yet and wanted to sit on her bunk and get something to eat.
These days, everyone agrees that the lower bunk is a place to sit and rest casually. This couple, who look like intellectuals, even politely discussed it with Jiang Ruzhen.
Jiang Ruzhen immediately moved aside in the aisle, "Okay, you can sit inside and eat."
The couple thanked them repeatedly and took out several tea eggs, a few golden-brown egg pancakes, a jar of pickled vegetables, and a military water bottle from their bag.
Although the two were quite low-key, seeing everyone around them looking at them with envy, they couldn't help but straighten their backs and feel a little proud.
In those days, most people were lucky if they could afford to eat coarse cornbread and make ends meet. Who would go out with tea eggs and fine flour pancakes?
Jiang Ruzhen also glanced at the two of them and noticed that their clothes were brand new, indicating that their families must be well-off.
The two had just started eating when the second brother in the upper bunk came down after smelling the aroma.
"Mom, I'm hungry again, I want to eat something."
The couple froze upon hearing this. Could it be? They had just boarded the train and already encountered a shameless beggar?
This is openly asking for food right in front of them!
Give it to me, I can't bear to part with it.
If they don't give it to them, the two of them are afraid that the second brother will beat them up.
Looking at the second brother's big frame and the muscles on his arms, which were no less than those of the fierce-looking man on the opposite bed, they didn't seem to dare to refuse.
"Brother, it's fate that we met. I have a tea egg and two pancakes here. You can have them if you don't mind."
The young man, wearing glasses and with a refined demeanor, was the first to raise the item in his hand and hand it over with a smile.
The young wife was a little reluctant and tugged at her husband's sleeve.
"Brother Kuan, I'm still not full!"
The young man named A-Kuan was at a loss, thinking of taking back a pancake but afraid that his second brother would be angry.
Shen Zhuoyi understood what the couple was thinking with a glance, but since they were out and about, his mother specifically reminded him to keep a low profile and not cause trouble.
He pretended not to see their gazes and started taking lunchboxes out of his bag and placing them on the small table.
The lunchbox lid was opened, and the unique aroma of meat and vegetables wafted out, a truly enticing fragrance.
The sight drew everyone in the surrounding carriages to take a look. Without a second thought, the second brother plopped down on the opposite bunk, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat heartily without any hesitation.
"No need, we brought our own food." He quickly picked up some meat with his chopsticks, refusing Ah Kuan's offer without even looking up.
When Ah-Kuan and his wife saw the five or six lunchboxes in front of them, filled with fragrant meat and soft, fluffy rice, they were so envious that their mouths watered.
However, the two were ashamed of their petty thoughts and lowered their heads to continue eating their egg pancakes.
However, compared to the aroma of meat, their egg pancakes suddenly became bland and tasteless.
Jiang Ruzhen shook her head as she watched her second son wolf down his food. He had just finished dinner, and in less than an hour, he was already hungry again.
This kid is really going to eat his father out of house and home.
Moreover, she has three young boys in her family, and if she doesn't work hard to earn money, she really can't afford to support them.
"Hey, I'm hungry, give me something to eat."
Shen Zhuoyi was enjoying his meal when he felt someone nudging him from behind. He turned around and saw a fierce-looking man staring at him with wide eyes, rudely reaching out to ask him for food.
"If you're hungry, go buy some food yourself. Are you so desperate for money that you're begging from others?"
The second brother wouldn't tolerate him. They were about the same height, and in terms of strength, the fat man might not be his match, given his years of hard work.
The fierce-looking man was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting anyone to dare to talk back to him.
His expression changed, and he reached for his waist, ready to explode in anger.
Jiang Ruzhen quickly interjected, "Second brother, give him a box of vegetables. It's not easy for anyone when they're away from home, so let's all look out for each other."
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhuoyi reluctantly shoved the plate of sweet and sour fish, which he didn't particularly like, into the gruff man's hands.
The man took the dish and forcefully pushed Shen Zhuoyi aside to take the best spot.
She carefully opened the handbag a crack, took out a pancake, and started eating it with the sweet and sour fish.
Just as Shen Zhuoyi was about to retaliate, he turned to look at Jiang Ruzhen, who shook her head at him.
Suffocating, Shen Zhuoyi rummaged through all the leftover food from the lunchboxes into one lunchbox, then moved to a spot near the aisle and slurped down all the food as quickly as possible.
After finishing his meal, Shen Zhuoyi drank another pot of sweet soup that his mother had personally brewed, and then contentedly climbed back to his bunk to continue resting.
He patted his belly, humming a tune softly. He looked completely content.
These past few days have been the kind of life a person should be living.
You have to be rich, otherwise, given his mother's past personality, she would never have been so extravagant.
It was all about big meals and a sleeper train ticket.
The fierce-looking man had also finished eating. He took a toothpick, leaned against the car window, and while picking his teeth, he brazenly looked the young woman across from him up and down.
The young wife was a little scared and hid in her husband's arms.
The two exchanged a few quiet words, then packed their things and climbed up to the upper bunk to rest.
The fierce-looking man clicked his tongue twice, finding it quite boring, and then turned his eyes to Jiang Ruzhen.
This time when she went out, Jiang Ruzhen was still wearing a faded old dress, but she didn't wear a headscarf, and her hair was casually tied into a bun on top of her head.
Strands of hair fell across her forehead, swaying and fluttering with the rhythm of the train's movement.
Against her increasingly fair and delicate face, one could almost feel an ethereal aura that seemed untouchable.
For a moment, the fierce-looking man was stunned.
Jiang Ruzhen was leaning back on the bed with her eyes closed, resting, but her senses keenly detected the man's gaze.
She suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze fierce as she looked at the man opposite her, her eyes filled with ruthlessness and warning.
The man snapped out of his daze, looked away with a hint of annoyance, wondering if he was crazy.
Instead of looking at young wives and young women, he was staring blankly at a middle-aged woman.
It must be because he's been too stressed lately that he's hallucinating.
However, he was no gentleman who would show mercy to women. If the woman opposite him dared to glare at him, he would teach her a lesson.
Just as he was about to get up, he caught a glimpse of two young men strolling over from the aisle and sitting on the seats in their carriage.
Although the two of them did nothing, the fierce-looking man suddenly became nervous.
He immediately hugged his handbag to his chest, turned around, faced the car wall, closed his eyes, and pretended to be asleep.
The two young men sat for a while and then got up and left. More than half an hour later, several more people came and stayed in front of their carriage for a period of time.
Jiang Ruzhen silently memorized the appearances of these people.
She didn't want to cause trouble on the train; she would arrive in Yangcheng after just one night.
She needs to let go of her desire to help others and respect their fate.
Moreover, in her eyes, none of these three groups were any good people, let alone anyone else.
As darkness fell and it got closer to midnight, the man opposite him became increasingly nervous.
He went to the toilet several times, carrying his briefcase, probably realizing something was about to happen.
After returning to the carriage, he stood in front of his berth for a moment, then reached out and touched the buttocks of the young woman in the upper berth.
He could clearly feel his wife being awakened by his touch, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably. His hand then moved even more brazenly towards her chest.
The young woman was clearly terrified, and kept leaning against the side of the carriage, covering herself with the thick quilt.
No matter how much the man took advantage of her, she dared not make a sound.
The fierce-looking man impatiently increased the pressure, kneading it hard twice.
The young wife finally couldn't help but mumble a couple of "hmm"s, her face covered in tears as she almost hung herself on the car wall.
The fierce-looking man, seeing that his young wife wasn't cooperating, withdrew his hand and moved on to another target.
He approached Jiang Ruzhen's bed and was about to reach out to touch her thigh when Jiang Ruzhen suddenly opened her eyes in the darkness, her eyes filled with anger. She raised her leg and kicked him hard in the groin.
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