Chapter 368 - 380: Good and Bad
With the help of the station official, An Ning boarded the train.
Xiao Lang, serving as an excellent "guide dog," followed her aboard.
Lin Cuihua, being a kind-hearted middle-aged woman, stuck right by An Ning’s side, ready to look after the poor, unfamiliar young girl.
After An Ning was on the train, the station official stood on the platform, thought for a moment, and said, "That’s a pretty good dog. It’d be great if there were more like it."
The staff members behind him who knew the situation said nothing. They all knew that the official had a son who was born with an eye condition.
The station official returned to his office with this thought in mind. He called an old army buddy and told him about the dog that could guide people.
His buddy on the other end of the line mentioned guide dogs from overseas. It was the first time the station official had heard of such a thing; it turned out other places already had them.
"I hope we can get them here soon, too."
"Someone will make it happen."
The two men hung up, both keeping the matter in mind.
An Ning, the very catalyst for this whole affair, was on the train, playing the part of a cheerful, optimistic, and endearingly hardworking blind girl.
Lin Cuihua sat beside her. Across from them, another kind-hearted woman took an egg out of her bag and offered it to An Ning.
The woman grabbed An Ning’s hand, pressing the warm egg into her palm. The heat made An Ning want to refuse.
Eggs were too precious in this day and age.
She wanted to achieve her goal, but she didn’t want to take advantage of others.
"Just take it. Let me tell you, my older sister’s eldest son... he was blinded in an explosion at the quarry a few years back."
The woman squeezed An Ning’s hand a little tighter, her voice strained. "Take it. Eat something good. Be good to yourself."
For a moment, An Ning didn’t know how to refuse.
A bright smile appeared on her face, and her voice was comforting as she said, "Ma’am, everything will be alright."
"Yes, yes, you’re right. It’ll all be alright."
An Ning, the blind girl, received a great deal of kindness from people on the train.
Whether she was going to the restroom or getting some water to drink, someone was always there to sincerely help and look after her.
The train journey filled An Ning with emotion.
’Maybe there are bad people in this world,’ she thought, ’but there’s never a shortage of good people willing to light a lamp for you.’
Lin Cuihua was also deeply moved. She chatted with the people around her the whole way, their different regional dialects mingling as they talked about everything under the sun.
It seemed her mood improved a little with every story she shared.
Everyone had their own story. The woman whose nephew was blinded was going to Beijing to see her son. It turned out he was sick. This would be her first and last time visiting him.
A man sitting nearby had heard there were opportunities to make money in the south. His elderly mother was bedridden, his father had broken his leg, and his kids needed money for school. He was heading south alone to take a gamble on a better life for his family.
A young woman seated diagonally in front had married far from home and hadn’t been back to her family in years. This time, she was returning for her mother’s funeral.
Listening to their stories, Lin Cuihua felt that her own problems were so petty, so melodramatic.
She had a happy family, filial children, and no financial worries, yet she spent night after night unable to sleep.
Thankfully, it seemed to be getting better now.
Lin Cuihua really disliked that side of herself.
The train clattered along, CLACK-CLACK-CLACK. Eventually, everyone grew tired of talking and gradually fell silent. Some closed their eyes to nap, while others stared out the window at the passing scenery, their eyes unfocused.
An Ning stood up as well, preparing to go to the restroom.
"I can go by myself."
Leading Xiao Lang and using a small wooden stick to feel her way, An Ning headed for the restroom.
When she reached the vestibule between cars, Xiao Lang let out a "WOOF," indicating someone was there.
An Ning suppressed a smile and continued forward.
’A wolf has learned to bark,’ she thought. ’I wonder if the Wolf King will want to fight me to the death the next time he sees me.’
In a good mood, An Ning had just passed the restroom and was still in the vestibule when the acrid smell of smoke hit her nose.
Smoking was permitted on these green-painted trains.
She tried to walk around the smoker, but unfortunately, he bumped right into her.
"Hey! Watch where you’re going! You made me spill my water."
The man who was smoking had noticed An Ning when she first boarded the train.
The young girl had rosy lips and pearly teeth, with a sweet, obedient look about her. Best of all, she was blind.
’But once you get her into bed, it doesn’t matter if she’s blind or not.’
The man’s gaze was lecherous and disgusting as it roamed over An Ning’s chest.
"GRRR... GRRRRR..."
Xiao Lang growled warily at the man, baring his fangs. His normally raised tail lowered instinctively, and his pointed ears perked up.
The man didn’t know much about wild animals and couldn’t tell the difference between a dog’s tail and a wolf’s.
Even if he had known, he wouldn’t have cared about such a small creature.
"Get out of the way."
"Get out of the way? You knocked over my water and got my clothes wet. You think you can just tell me to get out of the way?"
At the same time, the door to the restroom behind them opened. The person who came out didn’t notice the commotion and went straight back to their car.
With a CLANG, the door connecting the two train cars swung shut, leaving the man and An Ning alone in a relatively enclosed space.
Emboldened by malice, the man lunged at An Ning, reaching out with both hands to cover her mouth and drag her into the restroom.
An Ning precisely lifted the wooden stick in her hand and, with two sharp cracks, struck the man’s wrists.
"Let me give you a piece of advice: don’t mess with women who travel alone."
"Otherwise, you won’t even know what hit you."
The stick in An Ning’s hand seemed to have a tracking device. No matter how the man tried to dodge, it was useless.
WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!
The stick wasn’t thick, but each blow landed as if it weighed a thousand pounds, robbing the man of the strength to stand.
"AGH—stop! You damn bitch!"
"Running your mouth is an easy sickness to cure. The problem is, you’re not in enough pain yet."
The stick struck with precision once more, and the man’s lips swelled up like two sausages.
"Help! Heeeelp!"
The man, lying bruised on the floor, felt a few banknotes land on the ground as the demonic woman across from him began to wail for help.
The door to the vestibule was pushed open, and a patrolling train police officer appeared.
The "blind" An Ning was waving her stick around frantically, while Xiao Lang, on the ground, cooperatively barked wildly at the man.
Somehow, the man now found himself clutching several banknotes. The moment his swollen eyes met the officer’s, he yelled, "It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!"
"Who? Who’s there? Help, help, someone’s robbing me! That’s my life savings! It’s the money for my eye treatment! It has my name written on it..."
An Ning’s words were filled with genuine emotion, and her performance was utterly convincing.
The officer instinctively sided with An Ning. After checking the money on the ground and confirming that it was indeed signed, his conviction solidified.
"You animal!"
"Get up! You’re coming with me!"