"You can't accuse me of bumping into you just because we have a grudge. Those two men were waving knives, and I couldn't even run fast enough—how could I have bumped into you?"
"Huh, who do you think you are? You keep slandering my mother, saying she bumped into you. I didn't expect that you are not only evil-looking but also have an evil heart! You just sat on your seat for a while, and I didn't give it back to you. Is it such a small thing that makes you hold a grudge?"
Niu Lanhua glanced at Lin Ruo with disdain, her tone full of sarcasm. "You look so skinny that you're obviously not liked by your in-laws. Who knows how you managed to marry a soldier."
"Mother, let's stay away from this kind of person, so as not to be blackmailed again." Niu Lanhua pulled the old lady back a few steps, as if avoiding some kind of monster.
Lin Ruo took a deep breath, trying to suppress the urge to hit someone.
"You know it was you who hit me, old lady. I advise you to be kind. Elderly people with bad morals will affect the blessings of their children and grandchildren.
Your son is a soldier, right? If he doesn't control his words and actions, I'm afraid your son's future will be affected by you."
The old lady was furious, her anger rushing to her head.
Her greatest boast was her son, a deputy battalion commander in the army. Everyone in the village and surrounding area looked up to her.
Anyone else she would have scolded loudly, but after the lesson she had suffered earlier, she dared not attack Lin Ruo again.
"You… you are wrongly accusing me. You have no evidence. How can you say I hit you?" the old lady argued to save face, refusing to admit it even if she were beaten to death.
Lin Ruo had no evidence, but she had clearly felt the shove on her back.
This old woman was the only one on the train who had a grudge against her.
At this moment, a calm voice rang out.
"I saw it," Han Yao said, speaking fairly. "Old lady, she didn't wrongly accuse you. It was you who hit her."
At that time, Han Yao's focus had been on the two hostage-takers. As a soldier, he had to keep his eyes and ears sharp, and he had caught the old lady's movement out of the corner of his eye.
"Old lady, you're not weak. Your strength just now wasn't ordinary. It's hard not to suspect you meant to push her into danger. If this comrade had been injured or worse, then your shove counts as intentional harm. And if that's proven—do you understand the consequences?"
Lin Ruo was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected Han Yao to step forward and testify for her. She gave him a grateful glance, her voice soft but sincere: "Thank you, comrade."
Lin Ruo had just saved everyone on the train; she was the lifesaver of the carriage. Naturally, the passengers' sympathy turned against the mother and daughter. Their accusing eyes and mocking whispers pressed heavily on them.
The old lady hadn't expected anyone to speak out. After a moment of panic, she stammered, "I… I was confused and frightened at that time. How could I have known who I bumped into? With so many people in the carriage, anyone could've been pushed. Girl, fine—I'll admit I might have bumped into you. I didn't mean to. I apologize."
But Lin Ruo's tone remained calm and unyielding. "Old comrade, everyone must take responsibility for their actions. If it was intentional, the police will handle it later."
The old lady's expression soured, her confidence shaken.
Meanwhile, Niu Lanhua's eyes were glued to Han Yao's tall, fair figure, admiration written plainly across her face. The man was handsome, broad-shouldered, and strong even beneath his uniform. One glance at him made her heart pound.
Zhou Shi sighed. "Brother Han, do you think that comrade's husband is in the same unit as us? Do we know each other?"
"It's such a coincidence."
Han Yao envied his comrade, who had married such a remarkable woman.
Thinking of his own wife and that scene three years ago, a shadow crossed Han Yao's face.
At the police station, Lin Ruo assisted the officers in giving her statement. She also learned that the two men were serial killers.
They had been on the run for several days, with the police closely tracking them.
But when the train conductor came to check their tickets and asked a few more questions, the two men, feeling guilty, mistakenly thought the conductor was an undercover officer and bolted.
They tore through three carriages before being caught by Lin Ruo. The bomb strapped to them was also a crude homemade explosive.
Lin Ruo had helped the police capture the fugitives, single-handedly saving the country and the people from heavy losses. Her courage earned her lavish praise from her comrades at the Public Security Bureau.
When it became known that Lin Ruo was traveling to visit her husband in the army, the newspapers praised her as a role model and the pride of military wives.
As for the old woman and her daughter, the old lady insisted she had only panicked and accidentally bumped into someone during the chaos. With no concrete evidence, the police only gave them ideological education.
Two hours later, once the matter was settled, they all returned to the train.
Lin Ruo was warmly greeted by the conductor and staff. After some polite words, she asked if she could be transferred to a sleeper berth.
With more than thirty hours left in the journey, she didn't want to continue enduring hardship in the hard seat carriage—let alone share a row with that unreasonable mother and daughter.
The conductor made the decision on the spot, arranging for Lin Ruo to move to a sleeper berth, even a lower bunk, free of charge. He also gave her several staff meal coupons, allowing her to eat in the dining car at no cost.
Compared with the potential disaster she had prevented, such a small courtesy was nothing.
Lin Ruo accepted gladly. "Thank you, conductor! You go ahead with your work. I'll be fine on my own."
The train, delayed two hours, finally resumed its journey. Lin Ruo carried her bag to the dining car for lunch.
After dinner, she headed to the sleeper car. In front of her walked a pretty girl in an off-white cashmere coat and small leather shoes, her long hair draped over her shoulders.
The girl was also heading to the sleeper car, so the two of them walked one behind the other.
Just before entering the car, the girl was suddenly stopped by two strangers—one tall and burly, the other thin and small.
---
Meanwhile, as the train arrived at the station earlier, the conductor had opened the doors and released the passengers, creating another wave of chaos.
Lin Ruo, Han Yao, Zhou Shi, and the two criminals followed the conductor and plainclothes police off the train to record their statements. The old lady and her daughter were also escorted off.
Han Yao and Zhou Shi trailed behind. Zhou Shi nudged his comrade with a grin.
"Brother Han, this is the first time I've seen you so interested in a female comrade. Are you interested in her?"
"What nonsense!" Han Yao shot back, giving Zhou Shi a swift kick on the backside. "Let me remind you, I'm married. Don't go around ruining her reputation. Didn't you hear her say she was going to the army to find her husband?"
"Brother Han," Zhou Shi chuckled, "why don't you bring your sister-in-law here for everyone to meet? Otherwise, no one will believe you're married."