Chapter 1 On the Public Bus

Chapter One

In the sweltering noon of July, cicadas droned listlessly from the plane trees lining the roadside, during the hottest days of the year.

Niu Y County Southern Bus Station.

A dilapidated minibus bound for Lotus Township in Niu Y County was about to depart. The stuffy cabin was packed with people. Niu Y County was one of the poorest in West Chuan, and Lotus Township was the poorest among its towns. There was only this one bus a day, and moreover, it was an outmoded relic discarded by other towns. The cabin lacked air conditioning, making it as suffocating as a steamer, fogging up glasses at a moment's notice.

Despite the unbearable heat, the minibus still hadn't started. The driver, who also served as the conductor, yelled at the door, "Lotus Township, anyone else heading to Lotus Township?"

"It's scorching to death, why haven't we left yet!"

"My kid's about to get heatstroke, let's get moving."

"It's fully seated already, why are we still here, you've got eyes only for money."

A cacophony erupted inside the cabin.

Seeing that no one else was boarding, the driver muttered a few words of dismay before walking towards the bus, shouting impatiently, "Alright then, we're leaving, what's all that shouting about."

Just as the driver started the bus, a refined voice rang out, "Wait, driver, I'm going to Lotus Township."

"Okay!" The driver immediately opened the door and soon, he was left with his mouth hanging open, slightly dazed as he watched a svelte figure climb aboard.

She was a woman at least 1.7 meters tall, with delicate eyebrows and gold-rimmed glasses. Beneath the glasses were profound, captivating eyes, her jetblack hair simply coiled at the back of her head. Her skin was smooth and refined, and the white silk blouse stretched tight across her chest, exuding a blend of elegance and chilliness, sensuality tinged with a hint of sternness, awakening in any normal man a desire to conquer her.

This woman entering the rickety cabin was like a swan falling into a chicken coop, utterly out of place.

Which made all the more pairs of eyes inside the bus stare at her, and the previously noisy cabin fell silent for a few seconds.

Shen Yuerong slightly furrowed her brow.

In truth, she had some regret the moment she boarded. She had not expected the bus to Lotus Township to be so decrepit, and the cabin was not only stiflingly hot but also crammed with a mélange of odors from chickens, ducks, foot odor, and sweat.

However, Shen Yuerong quickly dismissed the thought of disembarking. Ever since she decided to break away from her family's arrangements and start from the grassroots in this remote and impoverished area, she was determined to forget she was a woman, unafraid to endure hardship. This was also why she didn't take official protection to Lotus Township, instead opting to sneak there on her own.

Shen Yuerong made her way towards the back of the cabin, with a journey of several dozen kilometers to Lotus Township ahead, and she heard that the roads weren't fully repaired yet; she certainly didn't want to stand the whole way.

Soon, she realized that the seats were already fully taken.

If one were to say there was a squeezed spot available, it was the last row where three people sat on a single long bench. A skinny, bald young man sat by the window, dressed in cheap T-shirt and shorts, his scalp shone with a blue sheen, and a scar across his face lent a ruthless streak to otherwise somewhat handsome features.

The bald youth held a book and seemed to sense Shen Yuerong's gaze. He looked up slightly, his eyes conveying a flicker of astonishment, which he quickly controlled as he turned to look at the crowded cabin. He smiled faintly at Shen Yuerong and scooted over, making room by the window.

If possible, Shen Yuerong would prefer not to sit next to this bald youth.

As someone seasoned in the world of politics, her keen gaze told her that this bald young man must have just been released from prison, exhibiting many traits of someone freshly out of incarceration.

Moreover, even though the bald youth had made room, the space was still quite cramped.

As Shen Yuerong hesitated, the bus began to move, causing her to stagger; not a single handrail was to be found in the cabin. She had no choice but to move to the last row, thanking the bald young man before squeezing past him and sitting down.

Although Shen Yuerong was careful, the limited space inevitably created some physical contact with the bald young man.

The bus started moving.

With the swaying of the car, Shen Yuerong's body brushed against the bald young man's thigh from time to time.

It filled Shen Yuerong with an indescribable sense of shame.

As a woman of the Shen Family, she had never sat so close to a man before.

The only consolation was that she had worn long pants today; otherwise, she really wouldn't know how to endure this long journey.

To her slight surprise, the bald young man, who obviously had just been released from prison, didn't take advantage of the situation and kept his thighs as close together as possible while picking up a book to read.

Initially, she had thought that if the young man dared make any inappropriate moves, she would stand up, scold him fiercely, and then have him thrown off the bus.

The carriage was unbearably hot.

Soon, a fine layer of sweat broke out on Shen Yuerong's forehead, and her body felt sticky all over; she took out a pack of tissues to wipe the sweat off her face from time to time.

However, a cool sensation from her thigh brought her a bit of relief in this extreme heat.

Looking down, she realized the coolness was emanating from the bald young man's thigh. In such oppressive heat, his face was astonishingly free of sweat, and there was even a chill coming from his body.

Shen Yuerong was amazed inside, thinking it was impossible. In such hot weather, not sweating could only mean one was extremely weak or sick, yet this young man looked very robust, with bright eyes.

Her curiosity piqued, she took a closer look at the bald young man and soon discovered something even more astonishing. The book he was holding was a book written entirely in English.

If she wasn't mistaken, it was Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations."

A man whose clothes added up to no more than fifty yuan, and who had just been released from prison, was now reading an English edition of "The Wealth of Nations." If her eyes weren't deceiving her, the young man was definitely putting on airs.

Shen Yuerong shook her head inwardly, thinking young people these days are not steady. Rather than holding "The Wealth of Nations," you might as well read an English novel to make it more believable. Besides, on this bus, aside from her, it was unlikely anyone else could recognize "The Wealth of Nations."

Just as Shen Yuerong was silently sneering at the young man.

A piercing cry interrupted her thoughts.

The woman sitting on the other side of the bald young man was a young mother holding an infant.

The cry came from the baby, and after the mother cooed a few words, the crying only grew louder. Muttering under her breath, the mother unbuttoned her cheap synthetic blouse and started to breastfeed the infant.

Shen Yuerong's cheeks burned upon witnessing this.

How could these rural women not be ashamed, breastfeeding their children in front of everyone like this?

Her gaze shifted, showing a look of disdain.

The bald young man sitting beside her had, at some point, put down "The Wealth of Nations" and was staring intently at the young mother's chest.

What a shameless wretch!

Shen Yuerong felt utterly contemptuous. This bald young man was indeed no good, feigning intellectuality with "The Wealth of Nations" just a moment ago, and now revealing his true colors.

He even had the audacity to steal glances at someone breastfeeding, truly faceless to the extreme.

With force, she slapped the bald young man's shoulder and glared at him fiercely.

Coming from a noble background and accustomed to the official circles, her glare was full of momentum; most people would cower under her gaze, but the young man looked back at her questioningly. Seeing that Shen Yuerong remained silent, he turned his head and continued to stare at the young mother.