The old woman’s words instantly stirred dissatisfaction among many passengers, including several soldiers.
These days, countless young men served in the army, and even more were traveling home to visit their families. So one of them spoke.
“Auntie, you’ve gone too far. Soldiers defend the country and carry broad hearts. How could they behave as you say your son does?”
“That’s right! I don’t believe all soldiers are like him.”
“Auntie, this is a problem with your own conduct. Don’t drag others into it.”
“Yes, by speaking this way, you are tarnishing the reputation of all soldiers.”
The old woman was left speechless by the chorus of rebukes. Her chest heaved with anger, her heart aching.
“How am I tarnishing others? My son is a soldier, defending our nation! What’s so wrong with asking this girl to be a little more considerate of my grandson? It’s not as if I refused to pay her. She’s so miserly at such a young age, truly black-hearted!”
A middle-aged man spoke up:
“The young lady is right, Auntie. Since your son is a soldier, it means he is patriotic, ambitious, and courageous. But a soldier’s duty is to protect the people and the country. We do not use our status to oppress the common folk.”
He hadn’t intended to interfere — it was just a petty squabble among passengers. But the girl’s tongue was so sharp that, if unchecked, she might speak words even more outrageous.
Looking at the little girl before him, Zhang Jiujiang’s face darkened. She was far too competitive.
The old woman suddenly froze. Remembering her son’s words in the past, combined with what this man had just said, she asked suspiciously:
“Nephew… are you also a soldier?”
The middle-aged man nodded.
Her heart gave a jolt. Could it be he came from the same unit as her son?
“I’m on my way to Shanghai to visit my son. Are you headed there too, nephew?”
Again, the man nodded.
Her heart sank instantly. What if today’s quarrel truly harmed her son’s standing? What should she do?
Her son had just been promoted to squad leader, with the opportunity to run for platoon leader. He couldn’t possibly lose it because of her rash tongue.
But the brat still clung to her skirts, crying endlessly.
The old woman snapped, kicking her grandson on the backside.
“Shut your mouth this instant! Look at children your age — do they cry like this? Cry, cry, cry! Do you want to make us cry from shame?” She darted a glance at Zhang Jiujiang.
“Big boss… children don’t understand. Please don’t take offense,” she pleaded, her tone suddenly submissive.
Zhang Jiujiang was startled by her abrupt change in demeanor. Seeing her pitiful, trembling face, he quickly waved it off.
“Auntie, I’m not holding it against you. Sit and rest. From now on, think clearly. Your son is out there defending our country. Don’t let him down.”
As he said this, he cast a glance at Xu Ying.
“It’s nothing serious, old woman. Don’t make a fuss.”
Xu Ying was speechless. It was clearly the old woman who had made the scene, yet now she was being painted as the troublemaker.
Uncle Xu stood, ready to argue, but Xu Ying tugged him back.
“If a dog bites you, will you bite it back?”
Zhang Jiujiang’s complexion turned ashen, his expression twisting with disgust as he glared at Xu Ying.
Xu Ying’s tone remained calm:
“I don’t like to make enemies, but I’m not someone to be trampled on either. Best not to bully me. If you take me for easy prey, you’ll soon learn otherwise. Uncle, let’s eat.”
With that, she closed her eyes once more to rest. Perhaps it was her overly sensitive nose, but she kept feeling the air in the carriage carried an unpleasant stench.
Uncle Xu caught the look of frustration on Zhang Jiujiang’s face, sneered inwardly, and felt much relieved.
Qiao Yuzhu, on the other hand, felt a chill run through her. Luckily, she hadn’t pushed Xu Ying too far. This girl was terrifying — her tongue was too sharp, and no one ever seemed able to gain the upper hand against her.
The spoiled child, realizing his grandmother’s temper had flared, finally understood that crying and fussing would no longer work. He sat obediently for the remainder of the journey to the City.
When Xu Ying and the others disembarked, the old woman shot Xu Ying a venomous glare.
“You sharp-tongued girl, you’ll never find a husband!”
“Don’t trouble yourself over me, Auntie,” Xu Ying replied with a sweet, mocking smile. “Better to discipline your grandson properly, or else he won’t be able to find a wife in the future.”
The old woman was so furious she nearly choked, gasping for breath. Heaven help her — what rotten luck today! That wretched girl deserved a beating.
“Director Xu, where are we heading now? Where will the food tasting be held?” Qiao Yuzhu asked. Older and more adaptable, she had already set aside the earlier unpleasantness.
She still hadn’t quite supported the idea of a food tasting. In her view, it was pointless. Even if people sampled the goods, they would still need to rely on department stores for sales. Xu Ying was young, and in her opinion, acting far too impulsively.
“Let’s first find a place to stay,” Xu Ying answered. “The train station is near all of Shanghai’s major factories, so we should hold the food tasting right here.”
“Here?” Everyone was taken aback.
“Director Xu, aren’t we supposed to cooperate with the department store this time?”
Xu Ying shook her head with deliberate calm.
Her true goal was not merely to work with the department store. Her sights were set on the Chamber of Commerce , the most prestigious establishment in Shanghai.
If she could secure a place for her products there, what department store would dare refuse her in the future?
The Chamber of Commerce stood just beside the train station — an ideal place to launch her food tasting.
“We do need to cooperate with the department store,” Xu Ying conceded, “but the Chamber of Commerce is even better.”
Her words stunned everyone.
Uncle Xu nearly choked on his own spit. Staring at his niece, he muttered,
“Yingying, Uncle knows you’re capable… but the Chamber of Commerce isn’t somewhere you can just stroll into. They cater only to foreign guests and don’t allow us Chinese inside.”
Xu Ying smiled.
“Which is why we’ll start the food tasting nearby.”
Qian Yuanyuan sneered inwardly. She had thought Xu Ying was clever, only to discover she was nothing more than a country bumpkin.
Even though she herself had never been to Shanghai, she knew something of the Friendship Building.
Security there was famously strict. Ordinary Chinese weren’t allowed past the entrance, ensuring the safety and comfort of foreign guests. Xu Ying’s dream of holding a tasting there was nothing but wishful thinking. She was just waiting to see Xu Ying embarrass herself.
The factory director had pinned high hopes on Xu Ying for this event. If she failed, not only would he punish her, but Zhou Yi’s opinion of her would surely sour.
How pitiful — she was only a worldly-wise young girl, grasping at shadows.
Qiao Yuzhu’s expression darkened as well.
“Director Xu, food tastings aren’t permitted near the Chamber of Commerce . The entrance is guarded.”
Xu Ying nodded calmly.
“I never said we had to set it up there. But any nearby factory would certainly refuse us as well.”
Seeing his niece so determined, Uncle Xu resigned himself. He no longer interfered, leading everyone instead to look for lodging.
Each person was assigned to share a room with one other. But when it came to Xu Ying, neither Qian Yuanyuan nor Qiao Yuzhu wanted to room with her.
Xu Ying felt perfectly at ease. Having a room all to herself would be the most comfortable arrangement.
Thus, Qian Yuanyuan and Qiao Yuzhu shared a room, leaving Xu Ying with one entirely to herself.