He Jiaqing's Treasure

He Jiaqing's Treasure

No phone, no internet, the train had broken down, and Li Banfeng simply stayed quietly in his carriage.

Li Banfeng merely found it a little boring. The other passengers were not doing nearly so well.

The next morning, they could still endure it.

By noon, they could barely hold on.

By nightfall, they could endure no longer.

There was a special kind of person who could die if they went a single day without food.

These people were called Food Cultivators.

"Let me off! I fuck your ancestors, I'm starving to death!" A Food Cultivator was grappling with a train attendant.

"Don't fucking talk to me about regulations! I want food! I can't starve to death in here!" Another Food Cultivator charged forward as well.

Though the fighting was fierce, Li Banfeng could tell that the attendant remained remarkably restrained.

"Sir, please return to your carriage!"

Thud! After a dull blow, that passenger's words became less intense.

"Sir, the train has not reached a station. You may not disembark midway."

Thud! Another dull blow, and the second passenger's emotions settled somewhat as well.

"Sir, the entire crew extends our deepest apologies to you."

Thud! At the third dull blow, the third passenger fell completely silent.

Clang!

The attendant sent all the passengers back to their carriages.

Clang!

The attendant shut the Carriage Doors one by one.

On the first day, Li Banfeng alone heard six such incidents in total.

The number was still manageable.

Other than Food Cultivators, most people could endure going hungry for a day.

By dusk on the second day, things began to get out of control.

"Big brother, look how handsome you are, and how kind-hearted too. Just let me get off for a bit, okay? I'll be right back."

"Ma'am, the train has not reached a station. You may not disembark midway."

"Big brother, I'll only be gone a little while. Five minutes—I won't even need five minutes!"

"Ma'am, these are our regulations. I handle matters according to the regulations."

"Rules are dead, people are alive. Big brother, I like men just like you. Give your little sister five minutes!"

"Thank you for the compliment, ma'am. Please return to your carriage immediately."

"I fucking want off! I can't starve to death in here! I'll fucking fight you!"

Clang! Clang!

"Someone come quick! He's beating a woman! Are there any real men in Pro State? Fight him!"

Pro State!

So this was Pro State!

Li Banfeng slurped up a mouthful of instant noodles, really wanting to see what Pro State looked like.

That night, the attendant suffered thirteen group beatings, yet in the end still managed to persuade all the passengers back into their carriages.

By the third day, things actually grew calmer.

It was not that they no longer wanted to make trouble. They no longer had the strength to.

They had gone three days without food. There were not many who still had the energy to raise a fuss.

Even if they had the strength, they could not waste it carelessly. They knew they were no match for the attendant.

Li Banfeng had remained in his carriage the whole time and did not move around much. Two cups of instant noodles a day were enough for him.

But this could not go on forever. By night, only five cups of instant noodles remained, and Li Banfeng was beginning to feel nervous.

Just how long was this train going to stay stopped?

Knock, knock, knock!

A series of knocks came from the door. Li Banfeng raised his brows and went on guard.

He had gone hungry before.

He knew that hungry people were capable of anything.

The knocking was very soft, and the knocker's voice was refined as well.

"Friend inside, I'd like to beg for a bite to eat. I don't want much, just one bite. I can endure without eating, but I want to give a little to my wife and child."

Li Banfeng stood one step from the door, holding spicy strips in one hand and a thermos in the other, waiting for the other man's next move.

The other man made no move at all. His tone remained refined. "Friend, I know food is precious. I won't take yours for nothing. I'll buy it."

Buy?

In times like this, how much money could buy food?

The other man seemed to realize that was inappropriate and hastily changed his words. "I'll trade food for it. I'm begging you."

Li Banfeng spoke. "If you have food, why do you need to trade with me?"

"Because my child doesn't dare eat this."

"What is it?"

"I can give you the food first. You only need to open a crack in the door."

Li Banfeng's heart pounded rapidly. After a long silence, he turned the lock and gently opened a narrow crack.

This was not recklessness, but caution.

He would not allow the other man into the carriage, but he had to give him a chance to negotiate.

Though he had not seen the man's face, the man's voice alone carried a peculiar presence.

Every word he spoke was humble, yet beneath that humility lay steadiness and calm.

As an orphan, Li Banfeng had dealt with all kinds of people in order to resist bullying.

He could sense that this person could enter his carriage—and do so without the attendant noticing.

This door could not stop him at all. Rather than stubbornly guarding it from behind, Li Banfeng might as well show a little sincerity in negotiation.

Through the crack, the other man first handed over his food.

The moment he saw that "food," Li Banfeng praised himself a few times in his heart.

Li Banfeng, you are a brave man.

You actually didn't scream!

It was something bluish-black. Part of it still had flesh, while another part was nothing but bone.

Judging by the distribution and number of bones, it was a hand.

"Whose hand is this?" Li Banfeng asked.

"My own," the man answered calmly.

Li Banfeng looked at the hand that had been gnawed away by nearly half, then turned and fetched two cups of instant noodles, passing them through the crack.

This clearly exceeded the man's expectations. He had not even dared hope for one cup of noodles. He truly only wanted a bite to eat.

"You don't need to give me so much, you really don't..."

"Take it. Take your hand back too." Li Banfeng handed the hand back to the man. "Find a hospital. Maybe it can still be reattached. It should be able to."

Li Banfeng locked the Carriage Door. A stream of thanks came from outside.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

The voice was low and refined, but it was no longer so steady.

The man's voice trembled, as though he might burst into tears at any moment.

As the voice faded farther and farther away, Li Banfeng returned to his berth, opened his backpack, and counted the food he had left.

Three cups of instant noodles, one bag of chips, and a bag and a half of spicy strips.

It could last him two days. If he ate sparingly, perhaps three.

What would he do after three days?

At daybreak, a train whistle sounded, waking the listless passengers throughout the train.

The train started moving.

Chuff~ chuff~

Listening to the rhythmic breathing of the steam engine, Li Banfeng felt it was the most beautiful music in the world.

Rumble!

The train suddenly jolted, and the violent shaking sent Li Banfeng rolling straight off his berth.

The instant noodles, chips, spicy strips, and backpack all fell to the floor.

Rumble! Rumble!

The train was still shaking. Li Banfeng clutched his head and curled up in a corner of the compartment, doing everything he could to protect his vital parts.

He thought the train was about to derail again.

After jolting for a while, the train gradually steadied. Li Banfeng heard the announcer's voice. "The train malfunction has been eliminated. We are now traveling safely. This section of track is bumpy; all passengers, please do not move about freely."

Li Banfeng let out a long breath and hurriedly gathered up his food.

The instant noodles, chips, and spicy strips were all unharmed.

The backpack was gone!

He Jiaqing's package was still inside!

Startled, Li Banfeng hurriedly searched everywhere.

The carriage was still pitch-black. The power had not been restored.

After searching for a long while, Li Banfeng finally felt the backpack beneath the berth.

The space beneath the berth was narrow. Li Banfeng reached in, gave a hard pull, and pulled out the backpack, but the package inside was caught beneath the berth.

He had pulled too hard and forgotten that the backpack's zipper was open.

He reached down again and felt for the package, discovering that it was stuck tightly.

Li Banfeng shoved his entire arm beneath the berth and pulled hard.

Riiip!

The package came out.

The outer cardboard box had broken.

There was a layer of bubble wrap inside the box. It had broken too.

Was the item inside all right?

Holding the package, Li Banfeng went to the window.

He should open it and take a look. It was broken anyway. If the item inside had been damaged, he at least had to let Jiaqing know.

By the intermittent light outside the curtains, Li Banfeng opened the package.

He removed the cardboard box, then the bubble wrap. Inside was another layer of tinfoil.

He removed the tinfoil. Inside was yellow paper.

He removed the yellow paper. Inside was oil paper.

He removed the oil paper. Inside was a layer of silk.

When he finally lifted away the silk, Li Banfeng saw the thing's true form at last.

What was this thing?

In the dim light, Li Banfeng could not make it out for a moment.

It looked like a flower.

It looked like a lotus made of bronze.

PS: There's more at noon.

(End of chapter)