Chapter 142: Female Educated Youth – 12

While Ren Xin was busy playing the tyrant and running wild in her new home, things were a complete mess on Ren Lili’s end.

From the moment the family boarded the train, Ren Lili had not stopped crying.

Sitting in the hard-seat carriage… she cried.

The food was poor… she cried.

The future felt hopeless… she wailed.

Father Ren and Mother Ren had tried to coax her at first, but as time dragged on, they grew irritable. They couldn’t help but think of Ren Xin, who was on her way to Qiong Province.

That child had always been truly well-behaved and easy to worry about. If they hadn’t swapped the names back then, would things have turned out differently?

But there were no “ifs” in life.

Ren Lili continued to throw her tantrums. She felt she was the most aggrieved person in the world: she had been deceived by her best friend, her sister refused to help her, and now her parents wouldn’t even comfort her. It felt as if the whole world had abandoned her.

Mother Ren tried to reason with her. “Lili, you’re not a child anymore. You need to grow up. We are going to the Northwest together, but we won’t be living together. You have to go down to the countryside. Your father and I can’t spoil you forever. You have to learn to be independent and take care of yourself, otherwise, you won’t fit in with the others.”

Ren Lili complained, “I told you we should have made Ren Xin come to the Northwest with you. Qiong Province is definitely better than the Northwest. Ren Xin is going there to enjoy herself, while we…”

Father Ren furrowed his brows, but in the end, he said nothing.

With a heavy sigh, he stood up, intending to have a smoke. But when he reached into his trouser pocket, he found it empty.

Father Ren asked Mother Ren anxiously, “Did you touch the money and cigarettes in my pocket?”

Mother Ren looked at him blankly and instinctively shook her head. “No, I haven’t touched them!”

Father Ren’s face turned pale, his voice trembling as he said, “My money was stolen.”

Mother Ren shrieked, “What did you say? Stolen?”

Her cry startled everyone on the train. People instinctively reached for the places where they hid their own money; fortunately, their belongings were still there.

Mother Ren asked with a sob in her voice, “What are we going to do! That was most of our family’s cash and coupons!”

Father Ren scratched his head in frustration. He thought back. “The money was still there when I bought food earlier. The thief must still be on the train. I’m going to find the staff right now.”

However, the conductor was helpless. “Comrade, we can’t just force everyone to pull out their money and coupons so you can check if they’re yours…”

Father Ren was furious at the conductor’s perceived inaction. “You’re eating the state’s grain¹, yet you won’t help the common people with their problems! This is wrong of you…”

The conductor’s expression soured. He had no choice but to find the train master and explain the situation. “This man is being unreasonable and is throwing around accusations and political labels.”

After hearing the story, the train master nodded. He approached with a polite, professional smile. “Comrade, did you put any identifying marks on your money or coupons?”

“No!”

“Then how much did you lose?”

“Three hundred and fifty yuan, plus a lot of national coupons.”

That was no small sum.

“Do you have a suspect in mind?”

Father Ren thought about it, but he really didn’t. To him, everyone looked suspicious.

The train master spoke with gravity. “There is really nothing we can do here. The train will be arriving at the next station soon. We have already alerted the public security bureau, and they will take over the case. Take your tickets, get off at the next stop, and go to the police station to handle the matter.”

Father Ren flared up again. “You’re just shrugging off your responsibility!”

The train master maintained a polite demeanor throughout, leaving Father Ren with no choice but to return to his seat dejectedly.

Mother Ren asked urgently, “Well? Any news?”

Father Ren shook his head in defeat. By the time they got off the train, the thief would likely be long gone. How could they possibly find them?

Father Ren said crossly, “That money is as good as gone. Keep a tight grip on what we have left. We’ll have to live frugally for the next few days.”

Mother Ren could only obey. She had no other options and could only blame her husband for being so careless.

Ren Lili was even more miserable. Why was the food even worse than it had been the past few days?

Mother Ren whispered a warning. “Our money was stolen and your father is in a foul mood. Don’t make a scene. Be sensible for once!”

But Ren Lili’s heart and mind were entirely consumed by how pitiful she was.

Translator’s Notes