Unfortunately, life is unpredictable. She never imagined that despite being cautious around Hu Fangfang for two years, avoiding any major issues, it would still fall apart at the very end.
She knew Hu Fangfang was somewhat mentally disturbed, but she hadn’t anticipated her bad habit of making unilateral decisions.
Not only did Hu Fangfang broadcast her plan to leave, which wasn’t a big deal since it was bound to come out eventually, but Lin Xiaoguai hadn’t expected her to bring a group of people to take possession of her "unwanted items."
Being someone deeply attached to her belongings, she seldom threw anything away as long as it wasn’t broken, no matter how old. Especially since she treasured the things she owned, everything she had bought in the last two years was at least 80% new.
Besides, she had storage space, so why couldn’t she keep everything? She certainly didn’t need to give anything to those unrelated people just because it might get moldy.
Recalling the scene where Hu Fangfang dominated the proceedings, letting people move this and that, made Lin Xiaoguai feel stifled. She just wasn’t thick-skinned enough to intervene, although she’d rehearsed her objections internally multiple times without ever voicing them.
When that huge group of people barged in, she was stunned—meanwhile, little Yaya, who had been crying and didn’t want her to go, still remembered to extend her little hands, frantically trying to stop them from taking things indiscriminately.
If Shen Chi hadn’t returned in time, not to mention the electronics and furniture, she feared even a cup coaster couldn’t be saved. Thinking of the orchids that had been roughly handled, losing several leaves, Lin Xiaoguai felt a pang of heartache.
Looking back, she thought the situation with Hu Fangfang was absurd.
Although she had generously shared information about gardening with Hu Fangfang and Bian Yumei because of a past promise, she considered her relationship with them unremarkable at best, not close enough to call it a friendship. So, why did Hu Fangfang act as though she was a good friend?
After this incident, Lin Xiaoguai felt it might be better to focus on her own affairs in the future. Some people, sensing the slightest opportunity, would pounce, which was truly nauseating.
When she left, Lin Xiaoguai left behind quite a lot of space and system-produced items, although she claimed to have made them herself, most were actually products from a processing facility.
With so many gifts to give, if she had to make them all by herself, she wouldn’t have time to sleep. Anyway, the products from the processing facility that she did work on were uniform in quality.
This trip to the Capital was not like the previous ones; just taking the train would be four days and three nights, and that was the quickest option available. Given the long journey, they naturally bought sleeper tickets. Luckily, Mr. Jiang and Mrs. Jiang were also going, and the four adult tickets they purchased were enough to reserve a whole compartment, making resting more convenient.
Since it was a night train, Shen Chi firmly refused to have his relatives come to see them off. The family of three met with Mr. and Mrs. Jiang at the train station, and boarded the train after it arrived.
"3012... here it is!" Mr. Jiang led the way to their compartment and called out as he turned his head.
Once in the compartment, they settled Little Niangao on the bed and stored their luggage before sitting down.
"I want to get down, I want to get down!" It was Little Niangao’s first time in a sleeper compartment, and he wasn’t willing to stay put on the bed.
Lin Xiaoguai put shoes on him, and he quickly slid down to the floor, wobbling a bit but not caring, and headed straight for the compartment door.
"Oh, wait, you can’t go," said Mrs. Jiang as she quickly grasped him, turning to Lin Xiaoguai and saying, "Xiao Guai, you can’t let him go out. The train hasn’t started yet, and who knows, there might be kidnappers around."
Little Niangao seemed to understand her words, frowning unhappily.
"It’s okay, I’ll go with him and also check where the toilet and hot water are," said Shen Chi, not his first time in a sleeper compartment, but as every place varies, he intended to explore a bit.
Father and son went out, and Lin Xiaoguai spread out the neatly folded blankets and took a can of peach preserves from her suitcase, saying, "Uncle Jiang, Aunt Jiang, try these. I made them myself."
Sitting on the train for so long was bound to be boring; bringing some snacks could help pass the time. She could read a book, but that wouldn’t entertain Mr. and Mrs. Jiang.
Before Mr. and Mrs. Jiang could respond, suddenly, a commotion erupted from outside their compartment. Faintly, Little Niangao’s cries could be heard, sending Lin Xiaoguai into a panic. She quickly opened the door and rushed out.
At the end of the train corridor to the right, Shen Chi stood holding the sobbing Little Niangao, his face ashen, while a man opposite him held a girl about seven or eight years old and was saying something.
Lin Xiaoguai, concerned for her son, hurried forward and anxiously asked, "What happened to Little Niangao?" She knew her son well—he was not one to cry easily.
"Why did you come out?" Shen Chi was just about to answer when Little Niangao burst into Lin Xiaoguai’s arms, crying out and pointing to his face, "Mama, it hurts! Little Niangao hurts!"
Seeing the wound that stretched from his brow to his chin, which looked ghastly on his soft, cute little face, her heart clenched as she held her son and urgently asked, "Where did this injury come from?"
The wound clearly was severe, not just in appearance. Although it wouldn’t leave a scar, it definitely wouldn’t fade in less than a few months.
"The little sister wanted to take my Xiao Hua hat. I wouldn’t give it to her, so she scratched me," Little Niangao said, tears brimming in his eyes; he felt incredibly wronged.
The Xiao Hua hat he referred to was a sunhat that Lin Xiaoguai had made for him, decorated with two beautifully embroidered sunflowers, which he had affectionately named after.
Hearing this, Lin Xiaoguai’s anger surged. She turned to look at the girl being held by her parent, needing no further explanation to identify the culprit behind her son’s injury.
"I’m truly sorry, madam. My daughter accidentally hurt your son. I’m willing to accept any reasonable compensation you suggest," the middle-aged man with a scholarly look spoke up.
"Just let your daughter scratch my son as well!" Lin Xiaoguai snapped back, her vexation at hearing his words amplified by her distress over her son’s pain.