This time, Li Fengmei didn’t dare stop her. As long as she could keep her man from losing his job, what did her reputation matter? If she cared about her reputation, she never would have gotten involved with Wang Fugui in the first place.
“Sis, which carriage are you in? I’ll come find you when we get off, and we can go home together.”
“No need. I know the way.”
With that, Xiao Mandong pushed her way through the crowd.
The old woman exchanged a glance with the old man, and the two of them followed her out.
From far away, Xiao Manxue could be seen clinging to the train door and looking around. She was frantic with worry, but she hadn’t dared go searching for her sister, afraid they might miss each other.
“Sis, you’re finally back! I was so worried. Where did you go?”
Only after the two agents drew near did Xiao Mandong answer Xiao Manxue.
“Just my luck. I only wanted to walk around the train, but I ran into Li Fengmei and Xiao Zhenyu. She wouldn’t stop pestering me and insisted that I go back and clear Wang Fugui’s name so he could keep his job. How could I possibly do that? I was the one who reported him. I’d have to be crazy to go back and retract it, wouldn’t I?”
As soon as she finished speaking, a steamed bun suddenly came flying toward them.
Xiao Mandong dodged to the side.
“Zhu Liping, are you trying to starve me to death? I told you I want a boxed meal. Can’t you understand? I don’t want those lousy steamed buns you brought. I want a boxed meal! A boxed meal!”
“Jiang Yue, how can you speak to me like that? What did you just call me? You really have no manners at all. When your father gets back, I’ll make sure she disciplines you properly.”
“Zhu Liping, besides tattling, what else can you do? You’ve been married to my dad for more than two years, and you still haven’t given him a child. Grandma advised Dad long ago to divorce you. You’re nothing but a barren hen. Next time, I won’t call you by your name—I’ll just call you ‘Hen’!”
“Smack!”
A slap landed across Jiang Yue’s face.
“You’re only a teenager. How can you say such filthy things? Is this the way you were raised?”
“Zhu Liping, how dare you hit me? Boo-hoo… I’m definitely going to make Dad divorce you. Just wait and see.”
“How can you hit a child when you’re her stepmother? Of course you don’t know how to cherish her—she isn’t your own daughter.”
The old woman hurried over to add her support. She had been looking for an opportunity to win Jiang Yue’s trust, and now one had practically fallen into her lap.
Zhu Liping was clearly furious as well, and her tone was unpleasant.
“How I discipline my child is none of your business. You old woman, why do you enjoy meddling in other people’s affairs so much?”
“I’m not meddling. I simply can’t stand the way you behave. Look how pitiful this child is. If she were with her real mother, she wouldn’t even be denied a boxed meal. Little girl, don’t cry. Grandma will buy you one in a moment.”
Zhu Liping was so angry that her hands began to tremble.
“Jiang Yue, stay away from that old woman. Why would anyone in this world be nice to you for no reason? There are so many child traffickers these days. Didn’t your father tell you not to talk to strangers? Have you forgotten?”
“None of your business, you barren hen.”
“You…”
Zhu Liping’s eyes reddened with anger. “Jiang Yue, if you really get kidnapped one day, it’ll be too late for you to regret it.”
The old woman was livid. “We only felt sorry for the child. Look at us—we can barely walk. How could we possibly kidnap anyone? You’re truly vicious. We want to treat her a little better because you don’t, and you still have a problem with that?”
Without another word to Zhu Liping, she turned around, took Jiang Yue by the hand, and led her toward the dining car.
Once they were gone, Xiao Mandong leaned close to Xiao Manxue’s ear and whispered a few instructions, telling her not to come out no matter what happened. Then she turned and went to find Shen Linzhou, pulling him into a secluded corner.
“I suspect the old man and woman in our compartment are enemy agents. The man’s voice sounds a lot like Old Kai.”
Shen Linzhou stared at Xiao Mandong in disbelief. “You think he sounds like Old Kai?”
He had also noticed that the two people were suspicious and had already asked Xiao Ding to keep an eye on them secretly. Hearing Xiao Mandong say this only strengthened his suspicions.
“Yes, very much so. They’ve already figured out your identity. I’ll follow them quietly. Keep your distance and watch my back.”
“No problem. Be careful.”
Knowing that Shen Linzhou was backing her up, Xiao Mandong felt much more at ease.
She didn’t dare get too close. Using the luggage and other passengers as cover, she kept the three of them firmly in her sights. Then she noticed a young man not far away who was also watching the old couple. She couldn’t tell whether he was one of their accomplices.
The two agents took Jiang Yue to the dining car, bought her a boxed meal, and even got her a bottle of soda. Jiang Yue immediately threw herself into the old woman’s arms and began to cry.
“Grandma, you’re so good to me. Let me tell you—my grandmother despises me because I’m a girl. She’s always wanted my mother to have a son. My mother was injured when she gave birth to me, and afterward Grandma forced her to divorce Dad. This woman is the one Grandma found for him.”
“I really want my mom and dad to get back together, but no matter what I do, I can’t drive this woman away.”
The old woman stroked Jiang Yue’s hair sympathetically.
“Silly girl, don’t worry. Once we get to the capital, Grandma will find a way to drive her away. My stepmother was in charge of my family when I was little, so I understand how you feel.”
Jiang Yue quickly gave her the address of her home.
“Grandma, you have to come find me, all right?”
At that moment, the old man suddenly stood up. “I’m going to the restroom.”
The old woman followed him. “Girl, finish eating here and wait for me.”
The two agents suddenly started walking back. Xiao Mandong’s heart tightened. Had they discovered her?
She instinctively stepped backward, but passengers were getting off the train just then, completely blocking the passage between the carriages. As luck would have it, a passenger came out of the restroom at that moment. Xiao Mandong had no time to think, so she slipped inside.
She waited in the restroom for quite a while before suddenly hearing the sounds of a fight breaking out on the train.
Curious, Xiao Mandong moved closer to the window to look outside. To her surprise, a figure suddenly leaped through the train window.
The man landed right in Xiao Mandong’s arms, and his lips collided with hers before either of them could react.
The two of them sprang apart as if shocked by electricity. Xiao Mandong took a closer look and realized that the person who had climbed in was Shen Linzhou.
His white shirt was already stained with blood, probably from a reopened wound.
Without wasting a moment, Shen Linzhou rushed out of the restroom. The two agents had just climbed in through another window.
The old man held Shen Linzhou and Xiao Ding at bay while the old woman made straight for the dining car. She pulled a bag out from beneath the dining car’s sink and quickly stuffed the contents into Jiang Yue’s hands.
“Girl, take this off the train with you. Don’t give it to anyone. Wait for Grandma to come to your house and retrieve it. Don’t worry—I’ll definitely help you get rid of your stepmother.”
Jiang Yue hurriedly took the items and nodded.
“Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll keep them safe.”
After giving Jiang Yue her instructions, the old woman prepared to jump off the train and escape. But the young man from earlier blocked her path. Forced backward step by step, she had no choice but to retreat toward the old man. The two of them stood back-to-back, facing their opponents.
Clutching the things the old woman had given her, Jiang Yue could barely suppress the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She clenched her fists and silently encouraged herself.
