Chapter 13: He Jiaqing's Treasure

With his phone dead, no data, and the train broken down, Li Banfeng simply sat in the carriage in silence.

Li Banfeng just felt a little bored, but the other passengers had it much worse.

In the morning, the other passengers could still hold on. At noon, they were barely hanging in there. By nightfall, they couldn't endure any longer.

There was a certain kind of person for whom a single day without food could be fatal. They were called Gourmandism Cultivators.

"To hell with your ancestors! Let me off the train! I'm starving to death!" a Gourmandism Cultivator shouted as he wrestled with an attendant.

Another Gourmandism Cultivator charged forward as he yelled, "Don't give me that crap about rules! I need food, and I'm not dying here!"

Though the scuffle sounded fierce, Li Banfeng could tell the attendants were holding back and keeping a reserved attitude.

"Sir, please return to your compartment."

Thud!

A dull smack echoed, and the passenger no longer sounded as agitated as before.

"Sir, the train hasn't reached the next station. You can't get off halfway."

Thud!

Another dull smack, and the other passenger seemed to calm down as well.

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

Thud!

A third muffled sound, and the last passenger fell completely silent.

The train attendants escorted the passengers back to their compartments and shut the doors one by one.

Clang! Clang!

On the first day alone, Li Banfeng heard at least six such incidents, which still wasn't all that many. Aside from the Gourmandism Cultivators, the other passengers could go a day without eating.

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

"Big bro, you are so handsome and kind. Just let me off for a moment, I will be right back!"

"Ma'am, the train hasn't reached the next station. You can't get off halfway."

"Come on, big bro, just five minutes. No, less than five!"

"Ma'am, these are the rules, and I follow the rules."

"Rules are dead, but people are alive. I really like men like you. Can't you just give me five minutes?"

"Thank you for the compliment, ma'am, but please return to your compartment at once."

"Motherfucker! I want to get off this train now! I can't starve to death here! I will fight you!"

Clang! Clang!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SOMEBODY HELP! HE'S HITTING A WOMAN! ANY PULUO PERSON WITH BALLS BETWEEN THEIR LEGS? FIGHT HIM!!!!"

Puluo Province! This is Puluo Province!

Li Banfeng thought as he slurped his instant noodles. He really wanted to see what it actually looked like.

That night, after thirteen separate brawls, the attendants still managed to persuade all the passengers to go back to their compartments.

By the third day, things had actually calmed down, not because they didn't want to stir up trouble but because they no longer had the strength to do so. After three days without food, few had the energy to make a scene, and even if they did, they could not afford to waste it. They knew they were no match for the attendants.

Li Banfeng had stayed in his compartment the whole time. He barely moved, and two packs of instant noodles a day were enough to get by. However, this could not go on forever.

By nighttime, he had only five packs of noodles left, and he was starting to get nervous.

Just how long is this train going to stay stopped?

Knock knock knock!

A knock came at the door, making Li Banfeng raise an eyebrow and go on guard. He had gone hungry before, and he knew that hunger could drive people to do anything.

The knocking was soft, and the voice at the door sounded very gentle. "Hey, friend in there. Could you spare a bite of food? Just one bite. I will not eat it myself. I can still endure. I just want to give my wife and kid something."

Li Banfeng stood a step away from the door, holding his strip of

latiao

and a vacuum flask, waiting to see what the person at the other side of the door would do next.

The man outside did not make a move, and his tone stayed polite. "Friend, I know how precious food is. I will not ask for it for free. I will buy it."

Buy? In times like this, how much money would it take to get food?

Li Banfeng thought.

The man paused, as if realizing how foolish he sounded, then hurried to correct himself. "I'll trade for it. Please... I'm begging you."

Li Banfeng finally spoke up. "If you already have food, why trade?"

"Because my kid's too scared to eat it."

"What is it?"

"I'll give it to you first. Just crack the door open a little."

Li Banfeng's heart pounded. After a brief silence, he turned the lock and eased the door open a crack.

This wasn't an act of recklessness but of caution. He had no intention of letting the man inside, yet he wanted to give him a chance to speak. Even without seeing his face, Banfeng could sense something unusual in his aura. Every word the man spoke sounded humble, yet a calm steadiness lay beneath that humility.

As an orphan who had faced bullies all his life, Li Banfeng had dealt with all kinds of people. He had a strong hunch this man could get into his compartment without any of the attendants noticing. This door would not stop him. Rather than hunker down behind it, it was better to show a little sincerity.

Through the gap, the man handed him the food first.

The moment Li Banfeng saw it, he quietly praised himself,

Li Banfeng, you are a brave man. You didn't even scream!

It was a bluish-black thing, part flesh and part bare bone. Judging by the arrangement and number of bones, it was a human hand.

Li Banfeng asked, "Whose hand is this?"

The man replied calmly, "My own."

Li Banfeng stared at the hand, which was nearly gnawed in half, then turned and picked up two cups of instant noodles. He passed them through the door.

This was clearly more than the man had expected. He had not dared hope for even one pack, and he had truly only asked for a single bite.

"I don't need this much... You really don't have to give me this much..."

"Just take it. And take your hand too," Li Banfeng said, passing back the severed hand. "Find a hospital. Maybe they can reattach it. They probably can."

Li Banfeng locked the door. From outside came a stream of grateful words. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you..."

The voice was still deep and polite, but the composure was gone. It trembled, as if the man were on the verge of tears.

As the voice faded into the distance, Li Banfeng returned to his bunk, opened his backpack, and took stock of his remaining food. He had three packs of instant noodles, one bag of chips, and one and a half packs of spicy sticks. It was enough for two days, maybe three if he cut back on each meal.

At dawn, a train whistle blared, rousing the sluggish passengers from sleep. The train was moving again.

Toooot! Tooooooooot!

As Li Banfeng listened to the steady rhythm of the steam engine, he felt that he was listening to the most beautiful music in the world.

Rumble!

The train suddenly jolted so hard that Li Banfeng was thrown from his bunk.

His instant noodles, chips,

latiao

, and backpack scattered across the floor.

Rumble! Rumble!

The train kept shaking. Thinking that the train was about to derail again, Li Banfeng curled up in a corner, protecting his vital areas with all his strength.

After a bout of turbulence, the train gradually steadied, and Li Banfeng heard the announcer's voice.

「The train has cleared all faults and is now traveling safely. Please refrain from moving about during this bumpy section.」

Li Banfeng let out a long sigh of relief, then hurried to gather his food.

The instant noodles, chips, and spicy sticks were all still intact. But his backpack was gone! And He Jiaqing's package was still inside!

Li Banfeng panicked and began searching frantically.

The power had not returned, leaving the compartment pitch-black. After feeling around for a while, he finally located the backpack under the bunk.

The space beneath the bed was narrow. Li Banfeng reached in and tugged hard, pulling the backpack out, only to find the package inside had gotten wedged beneath the frame.

He had pulled too hard and forgotten that the backpack's zipper was open. He reached back in for the package, but it was tightly stuck.

Shoving his entire arm underneath, he gave it a hard yank.

The package came free. However, the outer cardboard box was torn, and the bubble wrap inside had burst open.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Is the item inside still intact?

Li Banfeng muttered inwardly as he held the package and walked over to the window.

Since the package was already torn, he figured he might as well open it. If the item inside was damaged, he would need to let Jiaqing know.

Using the flickering light seeping in around the edges of the curtain, Li Banfeng unwrapped the package. He took out the cardboard box, then the bubble wrap, and found another layer of aluminum foil inside.

Li Banfeng peeled off the foil to reveal yellow paper, then oiled parchment, and finally a wrapping of silk. When he removed the silk, he finally laid eyes on the item within.

What is this... thing?

Li Banfeng wondered.

In the dim light, he could not tell at first glance. All he could tell was that it looked like a flower. It seemed to be a lotus flower cast in bronze.