Chapter 516: The Educated Youth Started Fighting

As the train slowly pulled away from the station, the sad atmosphere was quickly dispelled by a sudden burst of singing.

"A big river—waves wide—"

One person started, and gradually others joined until it spread throughout the entire Carriage.

Some pulled out harmonicas to accompany, some swayed their bodies while clapping, and others tapped their heels, until they merged with the train's clank-clank rhythm.

The train ran across the Dongbei Pingyuan.

The fields rushed backward, the black earth rushed backward, the bare birch road rushed backward.

The setting sun slanted in through the western window, dyeing the faces of half the Carriage golden.

They sang, off‑key, their throats hoarse, forgetting what they had been crying about, forgetting who was still on the Platform.

They only knew how to sing, only knew how to laugh.

They only knew that this was heading south, heading home, heading to the place called "Hui Cheng".

The atmosphere in the Carriage became extremely harmonious, but only for two hours.

These hot‑blooded youths, with seemingly inexhaustible energy, began to pick fights.

Only a tiny incident occurred—he stepped on his foot, demanded an apology, got it, but the other refused and tried to kick back, so he felt his apology was in vain and resolutely refused to let him kick back.

The two started fighting; someone who tried to break it up pulled the wrong way and joined the brawl, and eventually everyone in the Carriage was fighting.

A responsible girl, wanting to intervene, went to look for the Train Police.

"Hey, where are the Train Police on this train? Someone's fighting over here; why aren't you coming out to handle it?"

After a long search at the water station, she saw someone in a blue uniform; that person was Da Kui.

The girl, angry, said: "We were asking you a question, why do you still have the mood to drink water here!"

Niu Da Kui's expression was blank, not understanding the girl: "I'm thirsty; why can't I be thirsty? If you're thirsty, won't you drink water?"

"You…" the girl, too lazy to argue, said: "Fine, fine, go over there quickly, they're fighting."

Niu Da Kui gulped several mouthfuls of water, then let out a big belch.

"Our sergeant said, if people are fighting, we don't intervene; when they get tired they'll stop."

"Hey, what are you saying, that's so irresponsible! Where's your sergeant? I'm going to file a complaint."

Niu Da Kui led the girl to the Bunk Car, and saw that the sergeant was fast asleep, instantly making the girl fume.

"How can you still have the mood to sleep here!"

Hearing a sound like a bomb exploding, Lu Cheng removed the Newspaper from his face, rubbed his cheeks and looked at the girl.

"I'm sleepy, why can't I sleep? If you're sleepy, won't you sleep?"

The girl froze a moment, pointing at Lu Cheng, then at Niu Da Kui.

"Hey, you both really speak the same! As the saying goes, if the beam is crooked, the joist will be crooked—what kind of leaders you have, that's the kind of troops you get!"

Lu Cheng, finding it noisy, said: "Anything wrong? If not, don't disturb my sleep."

The girl, furious, flung her arm out: "Of course there's something—someone's fighting over there, you go handle it!"

Lu Cheng suggested creating a Youth Special Train, to prevent Educated Youth from fighting and affecting ordinary passengers.

It seemed the right move; only a short while ago they were singing and laughing like brothers, and now they're fighting.

"Dead people?"

The girl blinked: "What?"

Niu Da Kui added: "Our sergeant says, 'Did anyone die? If no one died, there's no need to go over and intervene.'"

The girl stared in disbelief at the two until Lu Cheng nodded.

The girl was speechless; is this still a Train Police serving the public? He acts like a thug.

"Do you actually intervene or not? If you don't, I'll file a complaint against you."

Lu Cheng ignored her threat, simply lay down on the Iron Bunk Bed and kept sleeping.

Seeing the complaint had no effect, the girl grew angry and forcibly pulled Lu Cheng up.

"Hey hey, men and women shouldn't touch, don't touch my hand..."

"Who touched you? Get up quickly and go handle it..."

Lu Cheng, being dragged out of the Carriage, said: "Hey hey, I'm not wearing shoes, Da Kui, bring me my shoes… Comrade, sister, calm down… Where are you from, Educated Youth? Where are you heading back to? Have you been assigned a job? Would you consider marrying our Train Police? The Railway system has good benefits; I could arrange a job for you..."

Hearing about a job arrangement, the girl paused and carefully sized up Lu Cheng from head to toe.

He was indeed tall and broad, good‑looking, though his speech was a bit off, but he was a sergeant, and the Railway system position was so good, making him a suitable husband.

With that thought, her earlier anger at Lu Cheng vanished instantly, and she found his previous words amusing.

Recalling his previous encounter with Mei Ju, Lu Cheng realized she had misunderstood.

"You have no use looking at me; it's not me, I'm talking about the Comrade next to me."

Hearing that it wasn't Lu Cheng but the somewhat goofy Niu Da Kui beside him, the girl felt a bit disappointed.

"Who liked you? Narcissist!"

Lu Cheng helplessly thought his own good looks created the contrast, making others overlook Da Kui and the others.

Lu Cheng even entertained a bold idea: he would stand in for Da Kui in the matchmaking, then swap places with Da Kui at the bridal chamber.

"Train Police are coming, Train Police are coming, stop fighting..."

The girl shouted ahead, and as Lu Cheng walked over, he still had one shoe he hadn't managed to put on.

Taking the shoe handed over by Da Kui, Lu Cheng leaned against the seat back, putting on the shoe while saying,

"I'm fine, don't worry about me; you fight your own…"

Lu Cheng kicked the shoe forcefully: "This Youth Special Train is equipped with medical staff so that you Educated Youth can get home safely, so feel free to fight—even if you bleed, it's no problem."

Hearing Lu Cheng's words, everyone stopped, looking at each other in surprise.

Hearing Lu Cheng's words, everyone stopped, each looking at one another.

Is that human speech?

Immediately everyone lost the desire to fight and began to blame Lu Cheng.

"What kind of language are you speaking? Why are you still hoping we fight!"

"Exactly, are you a Train Police? There's no way a Train Police would incite passengers to fight."

"What kind of Train Police are you! Believe it or not, we'll write a complaint letter about you."

Lu Cheng put on his shoes, clapped his hands: "First, when you started fighting, did I tell you to? Why, when the conflict first arose, didn't you go to the Train Police for mediation? Now you're bruised and battered, and you finally think of the Train Police!"

His few questions left the Educated Youth staring blankly, wondering why he wasn't solving the problem but scolding them instead.

"Now the problem has arisen, why don't you solve it!" someone shouted.

The Carriage was full of people, and Lu Cheng didn't know who had shouted.

"How do you want to resolve this? Right now it's a brawl, both sides are at fault; shall I just arrest all of you?"

Ignoring the shocked gazes, Lu Cheng immediately ordered: "Da Kui, contact the Railway Bureau; at the next station, lock up all these people."

"I'm the Police Chief." Niu Da Kui was about to go, but others quickly held him back.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's not that bad, not that bad…"

Just as Lu Cheng resolved to intimidate these Educated Youth and insisted on contacting the Railway Bureau, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.

"You are… Minister Lu's son, aren't you?"