Gu Xingdong touched the spot where she had kissed him after a long while, his eyes darkening as he said fiercely, "I'll wait for you to come back!"
Chen Lishu knew he was restraining himself due to their identities, but the more he did, the more she found herself unable to stop. Her clear, almond-shaped eyes curved, and a beautiful arc formed at the corner of her lips as she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "When I come back, I'll be good and let you do whatever you want."
Gu Xingdong had never seen Chen Lishu like this before. She was a deadly little enchantress, making his heart itch with desire, wishing he could hold her tight and devour her.
But the situation didn't permit it!
He looked at her deeply before saying helplessly, "Remember to call me before you return. I'll come pick you up."
Soon, the train began to move slowly. Chen Lishu and Gu Xingping waved goodbye to him.
"Daughter, is the one in the military uniform your man?" a curious woman next to Chen Lishu asked as she sat back down.
Chen Lishu smiled and nodded, "Yes."
The woman pressed on, "Did he come to give you things?"
"Yes."
"I heard him mention some coupons. Judging by the situation, there must be quite a few, right?" The woman had a naturally loud voice. Initially, no one was paying attention to Chen Lishu and her, but with her question, many gazes were suddenly drawn to them.
Chen Lishu frowned instinctively.
"My third brother is..."
"Little sister, I'm a bit thirsty," Chen Lishu interrupted her subtly, seeing that she was about to engage.
It was better to be cautious when traveling, especially since there were only two young women.
"Oh." Gu Xingping, her topic diverted, replied and then turned to rummage through the bags on the floor beside her, quickly pulling out a military water bottle and handing it over.
"Hmph, if you don't want to say, don't say it. What's the big deal?" Sensing Chen Lishu's coolness, the woman pursed her lips and turned to talk to another woman by the aisle.
"I don't know what's wrong with these young people nowadays. It's such an effort to say a word. So what if you have coupons? As if anyone cares. Let me tell you, my son is a big leader in the factory. He was worried when I went out this time, so he specifically brought me..."
As her loud pronouncements continued, some people around began to offer sycophantic praise. But Chen Lishu keenly detected a few unfriendly glances cast her way.
"Xingping, I'm going to the restroom. You watch the bags here."
Seeing Gu Xingping nod, Chen Lishu stood up, squeezed past the woman in front of her, and made her way to the aisle. She then struggled through the aisle, navigating the piles of bags and people sitting on them, before reaching the restroom.
The train was a mix of people, all sorts of individuals. Since she was carrying her passbook, she hadn't brought much cash. Right now, the most valuable things she had were the coupons Gu Xingdong had given her. She needed to put them in a safe place.
Before leaving, she had even sewn a small pocket onto her underwear. Her passbook and money were kept close to her body. Now, in the restroom, after locking the door, she took out the coupons Gu Xingdong had given her from her handbag. A quick glance revealed about a dozen of them, with industrial coupons and food coupons being the most numerous.
Chen Lishu looked at the coupons in her hand and couldn't help but smile. Gu Xingdong truly understood her.
After putting away all the coupons, Chen Lishu tugged at her clothes and then carefully examined herself in the mirror. Fortunately, her clothes were loose enough that nothing was noticeable. Only then did Chen Lishu leave the restroom and make her way back to her seat.
The woman was already chatting animatedly with a middle-aged couple in the seat behind. Seeing Chen Lishu return, she gave a disdainful curl of her lips.
Chen Lishu paid no mind. After sitting down, she saw Gu Xingping curiously gazing out the window at the passing scenery. She then took a book out of her handbag and began to read.
As the sky gradually darkened, the two sisters-in-law took out two steamed buns from their travel bag, along with the pickled shredded vegetables Chen Lishu had specially stir-fried. They ate them with some warm water from the tap.
At night, accompanied by the rhythmic clatter of the train, the previously noisy carriage gradually quieted down, and everyone slowly fell asleep.
"My things have been stolen!"
Suddenly, a sharp female voice cried out. Chen Lishu jolted awake from her sleep, a look of confusion on her face as she glanced at the source of the sound. Realizing it was the woman next to her, her mind instantly cleared.
"Who is the heartless bastard who never wiped his ass when he gave birth to his son? My money and coupons!" The woman trembled, holding up her bag with a large slash in it, and began to wail.
"Third sister-in-law!" Gu Xingping, sitting opposite, exclaimed and pointed at the person next to her, her face suddenly turning pale.
Chen Lishu looked down and saw a palm-sized slit on her own handbag, which had appeared at some point. Clearly, she had also been targeted!
"Don't worry, the things aren't in the bag," Chen Lishu leaned forward and whispered to her quickly before lowering her head to check the contents of her bag. Finding that nothing was missing, she couldn't help but feel fortunate, relieved that she had moved all the coupons to a different place in time.
Soon, the conductor was called, and the train manager arrived. After the woman tearfully recounted the incident, Chen Lishu's eyes darted, and she put on an anxious expression, showing her bag to the train manager.
Chen Lishu did this for no other reason than to make those with ill intentions give up. After all, she still had a day of travel ahead and couldn't possibly keep her eyes open all night to guard her belongings.
"We have recorded this matter. Once anything is discovered, we will inform you both immediately," the train manager said after routinely inquiring about the situation and then left, leaving only the crying woman and a dejected-looking Chen Lishu.
Encountering a thief on the train was disheartening, but people were accustomed to it. Some kind souls would offer comfort, while the indifferent had long since closed their eyes and continued to sleep.
The next day at noon, the train arrived at S City. After disembarking at the station, Chen Lishu and Gu Xingping transferred to another train to Shanghai. By the time they reached Shanghai North Station, it was already past ten o'clock at night.
With no time to look around, the two, exhausted and sleepy, quickly found a nearby guesthouse to stay.
They slept until past nine o'clock the next morning before finally feeling somewhat refreshed. After washing up, Chen Lishu and Gu Xingping first had breakfast at a state-run restaurant, and then they began to explore Shanghai.
At this time, bus fares were very cheap. Trams cost three fen, and trolleybuses cost four fen. The two sisters-in-law had never ridden a tram before and specifically went to experience one.
They stayed in Shanghai for three consecutive days. Before leaving, they specifically visited the第一百货 (Number One Department Store). Chen Lishu spotted an Australian wool blanket there. Upon inquiring, she learned it cost eighty yuan and required industrial coupons.
Fortunately, Gu Xingdong had provided plenty of coupons. A good blanket was hard to come by. It was not only practical but also had a classic style that wouldn't go out of fashion. Therefore, Chen Lishu bought it almost without hesitation.