Chapter 3

Jiang Mingchuan had bought two seats. They would arrive in the provincial capital at 4:30 PM and then transfer to another train at 5:30, arriving at their destination by 6 AM the next morning. If they were lucky, they might even meet the people who supplied food and could return together.

After Jin Xiuzhu sat down, she felt somewhat disinclined to interact with the man beside her. She remembered how Lord Marquis had once praised her for her graceful gait, but to this man, it was just uncomfortable to watch.

However, Jiang Mingchuan didn't notice her resentment. After sitting down, he handed the child to Jin Xiuzhu and went to fetch hot water from his luggage. When he returned, there was an elderly man limping behind him. He let the old man sit in his seat while he stood in the aisle.

Jin Xiuzhu's seat was by the window. Seeing this, she turned her head away and looked out the window.

But inside, she couldn't muster any anger.

She suddenly recalled an incident when she accompanied Lord Marquis to enjoy the snow on Fragrant Cloud Mountain one autumn-winter season. Along the way, they encountered a grandfather and grandson begging for food. The beggars disturbed Lord Marquis's mood, so he ordered them beaten to death.

At that time, she had just gained his favor and dared not anger him in the slightest, so she didn't dare to plead for mercy. Instead, she gently coaxed him to cheer up. However, the heart-wrenching cries outside the carriage lingered in her ears for a long time.

She thought it was due to Lord Marquis's innate brutality, but later realized that those upper-class men and women simply didn't regard commoners' lives as anything more than ants or playthings—including her.

Although Jin Xiuzhu found Jiang Mingchuan's kindness somewhat laughable, it strangely made her feel at ease. At least in this unfamiliar world, she didn't have to fear being abandoned by him.

Jiang Mingchuan knew it was her first train ride and said to the back of Jin Xiuzhu's head, "If you need to use the restroom, let me know, and I'll take you."

Many people, both men and women, young and old, were standing outside the restroom. It would be best if someone waited outside.

Jin Xiuzhu didn't turn around; she only softly acknowledged him.

However, she didn't use the restroom until they got off the train. Although she was in a hurry, she couldn't bring herself to relieve herself with so many people around. To her, this was just a larger carriage filled with all sorts of people.

Once they arrived at the provincial capital's train station, Jin Xiuzhu took the child to the restroom. Initially, she had been worried about the child wetting her clothes during the journey, but the child proved to be much better behaved than she expected—quiet and undemanding, requiring no special attention.

Jiang Mingchuan went to buy food. After eating, he told Jin Xiuzhu to freshen up in the restroom. The restroom at the provincial capital's train station was larger and cleaner, with people cleaning it throughout the day. There was also a room nearby with hot water continuously available, making it more convenient than on the train.

Jin Xiuzhu took the child, along with a towel and basin, to wash up. The towel, toothbrush, tooth powder, and basin were all newly purchased by Jiang Mingchuan. There was a mirror in the restroom, and when Jin Xiuzhu caught a glimpse of herself, she was startled. She hadn't realized how unattractive she looked now.

Her dry hair was messy and draped over her shoulders. Her cheeks were sunken, her skin sallow, and she appeared very haggard. Her eyes lacked luster, and she was very thin, with her loose cotton clothing hanging loosely on her body. However, upon closer inspection, her features still resembled her original appearance to some extent, albeit too thin, giving her the appearance of someone who had never known a comfortable life.

Initially disappointed, she then reconsidered and thought perhaps it was a sign of divine compassion, granting her a chance to live a better life. Although this place was poor, there were no concubines or mistresses, and no one treated human lives as worthless. It might not be worse than her previous life.

With these thoughts, her spirits lifted, and her eyes became determined, brimming with fighting spirit, as if she had returned to the days when she had to compete with other women in the household.

However, when she saw Jiang Mingchuan talking to a young girl after coming out, the light in her eyes instantly turned into dissatisfaction. But she was always able to hold back, not immediately losing her temper. Instead, she approached him with a sour expression after the girl left and asked, "Who was that person?"

Jiang Mingchuan didn't catch the tone and simply explained, "She's a city girl sent to work in the countryside. She asked me for directions."

Then he asked, "Are you done washing up?"

Jin Xiuzhu didn't respond but frowned instead. "There are so many people here. Why did she ask you and not anyone else?"

Jiang Mingchuan finally sensed something amiss and looked at her with a frown.

Jin Xiuzhu, lacking confidence, still raised her chin and said assertively, "You're my man now, the one I've chosen. No one can come between us."

She had always been domineering. Even though she had only known Jiang Mingchuan for a day, since he promised to take responsibility for her, he could only be good to her alone—excluding other men, of course.

Jiang Mingchuan initially thought she was being unreasonable, but hearing her words, his ears flushed red.

He subconsciously glanced around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, heaved a slight sigh of relief before saying irritably, "What do you mean 'come between us'? No one is trying to."

He then took the basin from her hand and strode away to find a seat.

Jin Xiuzhu humphed and followed, holding her daughter's hand.

No one noticed that Fu Yanyan watched this scene, her dark, tranquil eyes flickering with confusion.

They boarded the train at 7:30 PM.

It was already completely dark. Most people on the train were either sleeping or having dinner. This time, Jiang Mingchuan had booked a bunk bed, with one middle berth and one lower berth opposite it. Jin Xiuzhu and the child slept in the lower berth.

After a day of travel, mother and daughter were exhausted. Jin Xiuzhu didn't care whether the bed was clean or not; she lay down and fell asleep. Jiang Mingchuan surveyed the surroundings and, finding nothing amiss, climbed onto the opposite bed.

The train stopped several times, and the originally spacious carriage gradually filled up with passengers.

In the middle of the night, Jiang Mingchuan suddenly sensed something in the darkness. He opened his eyes and saw a sneaky figure standing at the foot of Jin Xiuzhu's bed, bending over to search for something.

His face instantly turned cold, and he shouted loudly, "What are you doing?"

The shadow was startled and, as Jiang Mingchuan got up, turned and ran away, disappearing quickly in the dimly lit aisle.

Jiang Mingchuan chased after him for a few steps but then stopped, staring at the end of the carriage. He then walked over to check on Jin Xiuzhu.

The commotion woke up the sleeping passengers in the carriage. A young man poked his head out and asked irritably, "What's all the noise? Can't people sleep at night?"

The person in the bunk above him, presumably his friend, was more polite and asked, "Is something wrong?"

He noticed Jiang Mingchuan's unusual demeanor and didn't think he was the type to act rashly.

Jiang Mingchuan gave a brief explanation, "There was a thief just now. Everyone should keep an eye on their belongings."

This caused a moment of tension among the passengers, who quickly sat up to check their luggage. Jin Xiuzhu also woke up and hurriedly felt her trouser pockets, only relaxing when she confirmed her money was still there.

Jiang Mingchuan told her, "You sleep in the top bunk. I'll take the bottom."

Jin Xiuzhu guessed that the thief had been preparing to steal from the bottom bunk when Jiang Mingchuan caught him, so she didn't refuse and quickly got up from the bed.

Jiang Mingchuan placed the sleeping child in the middle bunk. Jin Xiuzhu wasn't adept at climbing the ladder and got stuck halfway, unsure of how to proceed. Without hesitation, Jiang Mingchuan reached out like he would for a child, grabbed her waist, and lifted her onto the bed.

He was tall and muscular, and lifting Jin Xiuzhu was effortless for him. Seeing that she was still wearing her shoes, he removed them and placed them under the bed.

Jin Xiuzhu knelt on the bed, looking back in a daze, unable to process what had just happened. Especially when she saw him taking off her shoes, she was so shocked that she couldn't speak.

Even if everyone in the Marquis Mansion said that Lord Marquis doted on her to no end, during their private moments together, she was always the one who had to be submissive and humble. Even when she was angry and needed the Marquis to placate her, she still maintained a sense of restraint.

In the values she had been taught since childhood, men were the sky, and after entering the Marquis Mansion, this notion became even more deeply ingrained in her mind.

So she never imagined that one day, a man would treat her like this.

She felt lost and unsure of what to do.

Jiang Mingchuan didn't think there was anything wrong with his actions; he simply instructed her, "Sleep a little longer. I'll wake you up tomorrow morning."

Jin Xiuzhu didn't say a word, merely nodding before quickly lying down and covering her face with the blanket to hide her emotions.

---

The next morning, Jin Xiuzhu woke up before Jiang Mingchuan came to call for her.

They didn't have much luggage, so once the train stopped, they quickly made their way out of the crowd. This place was completely different from the endless plains of Jin Xiuzhu's hometown. As far as the eye could see, there were snow-covered mountains.

Jiang Mingchuan took Jin Xiuzhu to have breakfast first. He seemed very familiar with the area, leading her to a nearby bus stop, then taking a bus into the city to eat noodles. The city was more prosperous, with several multi-story buildings, which piqued Jin Xiuzhu's interest.

After eating, Jiang Mingchuan led her to the vegetable station. Unfortunately, the delivery truck had already left, but fortunately, there was another vehicle going to the countryside to collect vegetables and could drop them off at the pier along the way.

Jiang Mingchuan and Jin Xiuzhu waited for a bit, and soon two staff members arrived on tricycles. Jin Xiuzhu sat on the back of one tricycle with the child in her arms, while Jiang Mingchuan rode the other tricycle, allowing the staff members to rest.

On the way, the staff members chatted with them enthusiastically. Jiang Mingchuan didn't say much, usually responding with just a word or two, which made the atmosphere a bit awkward. Jin Xiuzhu couldn't help but laughingly explain, "It's my fault for not being able to have more children. We only had one after being married for several years, and we've come here to join the military this year."

Then, pretending to be curious, she added, "There sure are a lot of mountains here. It's quite different from our hometown. There must be plenty of mountain delicacies, right?"

Hearing that it was Jin Xiuzhu's first time here, the two staff members began chatting animatedly about the local specialties. Jin Xiuzhu wasn't just a passive listener; she also offered suggestions, such as when one of the staff members mentioned that an elderly family member had a poor appetite and refused to go to the hospital. Jin Xiuzhu suggested using processed Atractylodes, pitted dried jujubes, dried ginger, fried apricot kernels, licorice, and salt, ground into a powder and taken with hot water.

The staff member didn't think too much about it, repeating the advice a few times to himself, saying he would remember it.

Jiang Mingchuan, who was riding ahead, heard this and glanced back at Jin Xiuzhu.

When they arrived at the pier, the two staff members waved goodbye to Jin Xiuzhu, feeling genuinely pleased by the conversation. Every word she said seemed to touch their hearts.

Jin Xiuzhu had been quite happy, but when she met Jiang Mingchuan's scrutinizing gaze, she felt uneasy and didn't know how to explain herself, so she simply lowered her head.

To her surprise, when she looked down, she met the calm eyes of the child beside her, causing her heart to tighten again.

She couldn't understand why both the adult and the child seemed so intimidating.