Chapter 13: He Jiaqing

No phone, no internet, the train broke down, and Li Banfeng simply sat quietly in the carriage.

Li Banfeng only felt bored; the other passengers were far worse off.

The next morning, they could still endure it.

By noon, they could barely hold on.

By nightfall, they could no longer bear it.

There was a special kind of person who, if they went a single day without food, might die.

Such people were called Food Cultivators.

“Let me off! I’ll curse your ancestors—I’m starving to death!” A Food Cultivator was wrestling with a crew member.

“Don’t talk to me about rules—I need food, I can’t starve to death here!” Another Food Cultivator rushed forward.

Though the fighting was fierce, Li Banfeng could tell the crew member’s demeanor was extremely restrained.

“Sir, please return to your carriage!”

Thud! A muffled sound, and the passenger’s words grew less intense.

“Sir, the train has not reached its station; you cannot disembark mid-journey.”

Thud! Another muffled sound, and the other passenger’s emotions calmed somewhat.

“Sir, the entire crew extends our deepest apologies.”

Thud! A third muffled sound—the third passenger fell completely silent.

Clang!

The crew member escorted the passengers back to their carriages.

Clang!

The crew member closed each carriage door one by one.

On the first day, Li Banfeng heard of six similar incidents.

The number was manageable.

Aside from Food Cultivators, others could survive a day without food.

By the second evening, the situation spiraled out of control.

“Bro, you’re so handsome and kind-hearted—just let me off for a moment, I’ll be right back.”

“Madam, the train has not reached its station; you cannot disembark mid-journey.”

“Bro, I’ll only be gone a moment—five minutes, not even five minutes!”

“Madam, this is our rule—I’m just following procedure.”

“Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Bro, I’m drawn to men like you—just give your little sister five minutes!”

“Thank you for your compliment, madam. Please return to your carriage immediately.”

“I’m getting off—I won’t starve to death here—I’ll fight you to the death!”

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

“Someone help! He’s hitting a woman! Are there any men from Pulu Province? Fight him!”

Pulu Province!

This was Pulu Province!

Li Banfeng took a bite of instant noodles, genuinely curious what Pulu Province looked like.

That night, the crew member endured thirteen mob attacks but still managed to persuade all passengers back to their carriages.

On the third day, things quieted down somewhat.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to cause trouble—they simply lacked the strength.

Three days without food left few with the energy to riot.

Even those with strength dared not waste it—they knew they were no match for the crew.

Li Banfeng stayed in his carriage, moved little, and two packs of instant noodles a day were enough.

But this couldn’t go on forever. By night, only five packs of noodles remained, and Li Banfeng grew anxious.

How long would this train remain stopped?

Tap-tap-tap!

A knock came at the door. Li Banfeng raised his eyebrows, alert.

He had been hungry before.

He knew what hungry people were capable of.

The knock was light, the voice outside polite.

“Friend inside, I beg for a bite to eat—I won’t ask for much, just one bite. I can go without—I want to give it to my wife and child.”

Li Banfeng stood one step from the door, holding a strip of spicy jerky and a thermos, waiting for the man’s next move.

The man made no move; his tone remained gentle: “Friend, I know food is precious. I won’t take it for free—I’ll pay.”

Pay?

In this situation, how much money could buy you food?

The man seemed to realize his mistake and quickly corrected himself: “I’ll trade food for yours—I beg you.”

Li Banfeng spoke: “If you have food, why trade with me?”

“Because I can’t let my child eat this.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll hand you the food first—just open the door a crack.”

Li Banfeng’s heart pounded. After a long silence, he unlocked the door and opened it just a sliver.

This wasn’t recklessness—it was caution.

He wouldn’t let the man enter the carriage, but he owed him a chance to negotiate.

Though he hadn’t seen the man’s face, his voice carried a peculiar aura.

Every word the man spoke was humble, yet steady and calm beneath it.

As an orphan who had fought bullying, Li Banfeng had dealt with all kinds of people.

He sensed this man could enter his carriage—and do so without the crew noticing.

This door couldn’t stop him. Better to show some sincerity than to barricade himself behind it.

Through the crack, the man handed over his food first.

At the sight of that “food,” Li Banfeng silently praised himself.

Li Banfeng, you’re a brave man.

You didn’t scream out loud!

It was a dark blue-black object—part flesh, part bone.

From the arrangement and number of bones, it was a hand.

“Whose hand is this?” Li Banfeng asked.

“Mine,” the man answered calmly.

Li Banfeng stared at the hand, half-eaten, turned, fetched two packs of instant noodles, and passed them out through the crack.

This far exceeded the man’s expectations—he hadn’t dared hope for even one pack; he’d only asked for a bite.

“Too much… you don’t need to…”

“Take it. Take your hand back,” Li Banfeng handed the hand to the man. “Find a hospital—maybe it can still be reattached. It should be possible.”

Li Banfeng locked the door. Outside, a string of thanks poured forth:

“Thank you, thank you, thank you…”

The voice was low and polite, but no longer steady.

It trembled, as if on the verge of tears.

As the voice faded into distance, Li Banfeng returned to his bunk, opened his backpack, and counted his remaining food.

Three packs of instant noodles, one bag of chips, half a pack of spicy jerky.

Enough to last two days. If rationed, perhaps three.

What then after three days?

At dawn, a whistle pierced the air, jolting the weary passengers awake.

The train started moving.

Huff~ huff~

Listening to the rhythmic breath of the steam engine, Li Banfeng thought it the most beautiful music in the world.

Boom!

The train lurched violently, hurling Li Banfeng off his bunk.

Instant noodles, chips, jerky, backpack—all tumbled to the floor.

Boom! Boom!

The train continued shaking. Li Banfeng curled into a corner, arms over his head, protecting his vital organs.

He thought the train was derailing again.

After a few moments of jolting, the train steadied. The announcer’s voice came through: “The train has resolved its malfunction and is now traveling safely. The track is uneven—please remain seated.”

Li Banfeng exhaled deeply and quickly gathered his food.

Instant noodles, chips, spicy jerky—all intact.

The backpack is gone!

He Jiaqing’s package is still inside!

Li Banfeng was startled and immediately searched around.

The carriage remained pitch black; the power had not been restored.

After searching for a while, Li Banfeng finally felt the backpack beneath the bunk.

The space beneath the bunk was narrow; Li Banfeng reached in, pulled hard, and the backpack came out—but the package inside was stuck beneath the bunk.

He pulled too hard and forgot the backpack’s zipper was open.

He reached down, groped for the package, and found it tightly wedged.

Li Banfeng shoved his entire arm beneath the bunk and yanked hard.

Riiip!

The package came free.

The outer cardboard box was torn.

Inside the box, the bubble wrap was also torn.

Is the contents inside still intact?

Li Banfeng took the package to the window.

He should open it—since it was already damaged, if the contents were ruined, he’d at least need to inform He Jiaqing.

With the intermittent light filtering through the curtains, Li Banfeng opened the package.

He unwrapped the cardboard box, removed the bubble wrap, and found another layer of aluminum foil inside.

He peeled off the aluminum foil, revealing a layer of yellow paper.

He removed the yellow paper, revealing a layer of oil paper.

He peeled off the oil paper, revealing a layer of silk.

When he finally lifted the silk, Li Banfeng saw the object’s true form.

What is this thing?

In the dim light, Li Banfeng could not immediately identify it.

It looked like a flower.

It looked like a copper lotus flower.

PS: At noon, twelve o’clock, there’s still

(End of Chapter)