Chapter 265 He had a wicked thought
The ticket was still new, printed in black and white on white paper: "Ningcheng—Yangshi," with the departure time clearly displayed in the upper right corner.
The departure time, "08:45," was clearly printed in bold; in less than half an hour, it would be time to check tickets.
Hu Lifang took the ticket, squinted, and stared at it for a long time.
"Oh dear, girl, you probably bought the wrong ticket."
Xu Xiaoyue's heart clenched instantly.
"W-What's wrong? Did we get off at the wrong station? My brother clearly told me to get off at Yangshi Station, and I even confirmed with the ticket seller several times... This shouldn't be happening..."
"You bought the right ticket, but look at the time."
Hu Lifang held the ticket up to Xu Xiaoyue's face.
"Your ticket is for a train that doesn't leave until 8 a.m. tomorrow! But it's already past 4 p.m., and the sun is already setting! If you're just going to wait here like an idiot, won't you be stuck on a cold bench at the station all night? Besides, I just passed by the ticket gate and overheard the railway workers saying that the train tomorrow has been temporarily suspended and will need three days of repairs to get back on track. They've even moved the train cars!"
Not a single word of this is true.
She sat next to Xu Xiaoyue and, seeing that the girl's face was young and delicate, clearly indicating that it was her first time traveling far from home, she began to have wicked thoughts.
Scam her out of some money, then steal her valid train ticket and exchange it for cash. Make money from both ends, wouldn't that be wonderful?
Sure enough, Xu Xiaoyue's face turned pale the moment she heard "shutdown" and "three days".
"Then... what am I going to do? My brother is still waiting for me at Yangshi Station! He said he would pick me up himself, but... I only have twenty yuan on me, all of it... If I really have to stay here for three days, I won't have money for food or lodging, and I won't even be able to get a sip of hot water... I... I think I should go home first... at least... at least my brother won't have waited in vain..."
Seeing that she was flustered, Hu Lifang was secretly overjoyed.
But she didn't show it on her face at all; her brows were furrowed, and she reached out and gently patted the back of Xu Xiaoyue's hand.
"Don't worry, don't worry, little sister, I'm here to help you decide. I do have a ticket for 7 PM tonight, also heading towards Yang City, but there are no seats, you'll have to stand the whole way. I was originally keeping this ticket to resell for some pocket money, but seeing how anxious you are to see your brother, I feel bad about it, so I thought I'd give it to you?"
Xu Xiaoyue suddenly raised her head.
"Really? Sis, you're so kind! I'll give you the money! How much is this ticket? Name your price!"
Hu Lifang didn't rush to reply and waved her hand.
"Oh dear, talking about money makes things awkward. Do you think we sisters would be so calculating? But I spent fifteen yuan on this ticket, and I wouldn't want to give it away for free. If you really feel bad about it, just give me eight yuan, and the rest is my treat, a favor to you, how about that?"
She spoke magnanimously, but she had already calculated everything perfectly in her heart.
Xu Xiaoyue had a total of twenty yuan in her pocket.
Take eight yuan in cash from her, then take her train ticket; that ticket can sell for at least twelve yuan on the black market!
With the ten yuan I just earned from selling earrings, I not only made back all the fare, but also made a net profit of several yuan.
Upon hearing "eight yuan," Xu Xiaoyue hesitated and lowered her head.
She only had twenty yuan on her.
Give away eight dollars, and you'll have twelve left.
What if I get hungry on the way? What if the bus is delayed and I have to wait for several more hours...?
This amount of money is simply not enough to sustain us.
How worried would her brother be if he knew she couldn't get to Yang City on time because she didn't have enough money?
Hu Lifang, with her sharp eyes, immediately noticed that she was wavering.
“Girl, if you think eight yuan is too much, six yuan is fine too! It’s really not a big deal! But if I keep this ticket, it’s useless to me. I might as well help you get on the train to see your brother. Think about it, your brother is standing on the Yangshi train station right now, exposed to the wind and sun, not eating or drinking, anxiously waiting for you to come… He’s been waiting and waiting, and it’s already dark and there’s still no sign of you. How worried he must be!”
Xu Xiaoyue bit her lip, her face turning slightly pale.
"...Then...I'll give you eight yuan. Thank you, sis."
She reached out and touched the cloth bag slung across her shoulder, then took out a small floral cloth wallet from it.
That was left by my mother.
A few crumpled coins lay quietly in the wallet, along with a small black and white photograph.
It must be her brother.
I joined the army three years ago and went to Yang City.
From then on, the family relied on the occasional letters and this photograph to keep them connected.
Xu Xiaoyue took out eight one-yuan bills from her pocket and put them into Hu Lifang's outstretched hand.
Then, she took a "ticket" from the other person.
"Sis, will this ticket really get me through the station?"
“I’ve never taken a long-distance bus before, and I don’t know the rules… If I can’t get in, I… I won’t be able to see my brother…”
"Yes! It definitely can!"
Hu Lifang said, and casually stuffed the eight yuan into the depth of her trouser pocket.
She then raised her hand and patted Xu Xiaoyue on the back a few times.
"Don't worry, I'm a regular here. I know the ticket inspector, and he keeps his word! Hurry up and go to the ticket gate. You'll definitely be able to get in before seven o'clock. If you're any later, it'll be too late."
She paused after she finished speaking, then deliberately glanced at her watch in the distance.
"Oh no! I have to catch another bus to run errands, so I really can't spare the time to accompany you."
"Go quickly, don't delay. Have a safe journey, and when you get to Yang City, find your brother and have him give us his regards!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately turned around and tiptoed toward the entrance of the waiting hall.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned his head and grinned at Xu Xiaoyue.
The smile on Hu Lifang's face vanished abruptly only after Xu Xiaoyue's figure had completely disappeared.
They quickly merged into the flow of people on the other side.
She needs to get away from here as soon as possible.
At 7:00 sharp, when the train whistles and departs, she can board the train with her real ticket without any problem.
Hu Lifang deliberately chose to sneak into the most crowded places.
A few men in work clothes were sitting on chairs chatting, and their eyes swept over her several times.
With her head down and shoulders hunched, she finally plunged into the innermost stall of the women's restroom.
She finally breathed a sigh of relief after locking the door.
Only at this moment did she dare to take out the eight yuan from her pocket.
Then he found ten yuan hidden in the lining of his underwear.
Now they're all put together.
Eighteen pieces.
"Eighteen yuan is enough."
While things are chaotic at the ticket gates, I'll take Xu Xiaoyue's real ticket and slip through the green channel.
As for that silly girl?
By the time she realized that the so-called "ticket" in her hand couldn't get her into the station, the departure time had already passed.
Even if she wanted to complain to someone, how far could she possibly go?
In this vast sea of people, who remembers a woman named Hu Lifang?
The toilets at the train station stank so badly they could make you faint.
Hu Lifang squatted there for almost an hour, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. She wiped her face and pushed the door open to come out.
I took a breath of fresh air and finally felt alive again.
She saw Xu Xiaoyue still standing at the ticket gate, clutching the tattered piece of paper tightly in her hand, her eyes fixed on the inside.
What an idiot! Once the car starts moving, where will you find your brother?
Hu Lifang stared at her retreating figure, a slight smile playing on her lips.
They've been gone for so long, and you're still foolishly waiting here? It's just asking for humiliation.
It was still early before departure, but her stomach was growling with hunger.
I glanced down at my watch and realized I hadn't eaten anything since morning.
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