Chapter 18: There’s No Woman Money Can’t Solve

Lu Jiaor became famous on the train.

It all began when she witnessed a mysterious man having two of his fingers cut off right before her eyes. She immediately recognized another human trafficker disguised as a kidnapper and rescued two innocent women on the spot.

What made it even more remarkable was that she was a soldier’s wife.

Because of this, many passengers believed she must be quite capable—her presence in the same carriage brought a rare sense of security that even the conductor and the train police couldn’t provide.

The middle-aged official sharing the lower berth with her found these past days incredibly thrilling, as if his whole life’s experiences had been rewritten. He knew that from now on, he could boast about these events for the rest of his life.

More importantly, he no longer worried about Lu Jiaor encountering trouble on the train; if anything were to happen, it certainly wouldn’t be to her.

Even the man whose fingers had been severed, after the capture of Qing Jie, hastily wiped away his menacing expression. His instinct warned him not to provoke this woman, and for the remainder of the journey, he never dared show himself in her presence again.

Lu Jiaor was completely unaware of what others thought of her. The rest of the train ride passed without incident, and they arrived smoothly at Jing City.

Jing City was the train’s final stop. Calmly, Lu Jiaor dragged two large bags from beneath her lower berth. Once most passengers had disembarked, she leisurely made her way toward the train’s exit.

“Comrade Lu, thank you for your support and assistance to our railway. We will report your deeds to our superiors and relevant departments. We hope you continue to stand up for justice and never fear the wicked. Finally, you are always welcome to travel on our trains again.”

“Comrade Lu, is someone coming to pick you up? If not, there are plenty of buses outside the station that can take you to most places in Jing City.”

Both the conductor and the train police waited at the door, eager to personally thank Lu Jiaor and check on her well-being.

“Thank you, conductor and comrade officer. Don’t worry, before I came, my husband said he already called the family. Someone should be coming to meet me,” Lu Jiaor replied calmly, though in truth, she wasn’t entirely certain if Gu Fengji’s family would come.

Even if no one came, she was fine with that. Gu Fengji had already given her their address and phone number, so she could return on her own.

The conductor and officer didn’t think much of it either. Even if no one met her, they felt Lu Jiaor was safer than anyone else.

So, bidding farewell to the two comrades, Lu Jiaor carried her two heavy bags toward the station exit alone.

Though she stood only about five foot four, her strength was impressive—she had taken a power-enhancing pill earlier on the train, tripling her usual stamina.

At the exit, many people held up wooden or cardboard placards with names written on them. Lu Jiaor carefully scanned the crowd but found no sign bearing her name.

Whether someone would meet her or not was a fifty-fifty chance, and she had long anticipated this, so she neither felt disappointed nor upset.

Still, she didn’t leave immediately. She decided to wait at the exit for half an hour. If no one came, she would take the bus to the Gu family home.

Settling in a corner, she sat on her luggage and began to eat.

Half an hour passed. No one holding a sign with her name appeared. Without hesitation, Lu Jiaor stood up, hoisted her two large bags, and headed toward the buses outside.

Jing City. Military compound. Gu family.

“Mom, won’t Third Brother be upset that we’re not sending anyone to pick her up?” Gu Mingzhi lounged leisurely on the leather sofa at her mother’s home, munching on a bright red apple as she asked her mother, who sat across with a stern expression.

Last night, Third Brother had called again, insisting that someone must meet the young wife he had just married from Guisheng countryside at this exact time today.

Gu Fengji had suddenly, without warning or explanation, married a rural girl from a poor village. When the Gu family learned of this explosive news, shock and anger swept through every level of the household.

They all disapproved of such a woman and marriage, vehemently opposing it on the spot. However, Gu Fengji had registered the marriage before informing his family, so it was already too late.

Though he never explained why he married a rural woman so abruptly and without consulting the family, the Gu family suspected something fishy. They assumed he must have been trapped or coerced into agreeing to this marriage.

As a result, even while Lu Jiaor was still in her hometown, the Gu family had grown to despise her. At this point, they didn’t even want to see her, let alone send someone to pick her up.

“Upset? I’m even angrier! Is the Gu family a place where just any woman can come and go? If she doesn’t come, fine. But if she does, I’ll make sure she regrets it.”

Since learning that her youngest son had recklessly squandered such a precious marriage, Gu Fengji’s mother hadn’t slept well for nights. She was so furious she could barely eat. Without even meeting this countryside daughter-in-law, she already hated her with a passion.

“Mom, rural women can be cunning. Third Brother probably didn’t see it coming and got fooled. That woman is not worthy of my brother at all. My sister-in-law should be a Jing City woman—well-educated, from a good family, with a good job, and beautiful.”

“If she really dares to show up, we’ll make her divorce my brother immediately. We’ll give her some money and send her away.”

Gu Mingzhi had long devised a plan to get rid of Lu Jiaor. She believed that no woman from the countryside could resist money. As long as the sum was enough, she was sure Lu Jiaor would agree to the divorce.