Qin Zhonghui and Su Yun weren’t talkative people. Li Xiaomei, on the other hand, felt like she was about to become a rich man’s wife and could finally hold her head high. So she plopped right down on the lower bunk and said to Qin Zhonghui and his wife, "Climbing up and down is so tiring. How about I pay you double to give this lower bunk to me?"

What nerve. It was a journey of over twenty hours. It wasn’t like she was elderly or disabled, yet she was demanding a lower bunk right off the bat?

Su Yun immediately said, "Sorry, we’re not switching. If you need one, go ask someone else."

"How about I give you twenty dollars? You know, you’d have to sell a lot of buns to earn twenty dollars," Li Xiaomei said, her chin held high. "And I’ll let bygones be bygones regarding what happened before. In fact, I should thank you. If it weren’t for you, Du Liya wouldn’t have divorced Zhengfeng so easily. How about I add another ten?"

The moment Qin Zhonghui and his wife heard this, their expressions soured.

Qin Jiao had just reached their compartment when she heard that remark. She walked right in, holding an aluminum lunch box, and stepped on Li Xiaomei’s foot. As the woman shrieked, Qin Jiao offered a half-hearted apology. "Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there. But don’t touch me—I’m holding boiling water. It would be a real shame if it splashed all over you."

Li Xiaomei’s face twisted in pain. She wanted to shove the girl—who had practically crushed her foot—but after hearing the threat, she didn’t dare make a move.

She gritted her teeth. "You little brat! How can you be so malicious at your age? Careful, or you’ll never get married!"

Qin Jiao smiled. "No need for you to worry about me. My grades are excellent—light-years ahead of your son, Chen Feng. Even if I don’t get married, I’ll have a bright future, and I’ll be sure to take good care of my mom and dad."

Li Xiaomei was about to retort when she suddenly remembered that this girl was the provincial top scholar. She gritted her teeth and decided not to press the issue.

She knew the women in this family were not to be messed with, so her gaze fell on Qin Zhonghui. She knew he was a simple, honest man, so she softened her tone. "Brother Qin, look, your daughter injured my foot. It’s going to be difficult for me to climb up and down. Please, just switch bunks with me. Tell me how much you want for it, just name your price."

"No. Xiao Jiao gave this lower bunk to me, so I can’t give it to you. Also, ma’am... I believe you’re older than I am." Qin Zhonghui’s expression was utterly sincere as he said this; he truly meant nothing else by it.

The comment, however, made Li Xiaomei’s face turn white with anger.

She shot the four members of the Qin family a hateful glare, then spun around and stormed out.

She had likely gone to ask someone else to switch bunks.

Su Yun scoffed. "She gets a little bit of money and suddenly thinks she’s hot stuff."

Qin Jiao, however, couldn’t help but chuckle. ’Dad might be indecisive sometimes,’ she thought, ’but when this hopelessly blunt man accidentally insults someone, it’s absolutely lethal.’

Li Xiaomei took good care of herself and was on the verge of becoming a rich man’s wife, so she’d gotten a bit of an ego. She probably thought every man would be gentle and courteous with her. Who would have guessed she’d hit such a brick wall with an honest man like Qin Zhonghui?

Meanwhile, Su Yun had brought specially-made scallion pancakes. Paired with instant noodles, some side dishes from their aluminum lunch box, and the Spiritual Spring Water that Qin Jiao had bottled, the family of four ate their meal with great satisfaction.

Qin Jiao had half-expected Li Xiaomei, with all her bluster, to actually succeed in getting a lower bunk. But before long, the woman returned with her tail between her legs, trailed by Chen Feng, who was holding a boxed meal.

Chen Feng, in contrast, was quite polite. He approached Qin Zhonghui, who was sitting at the table by the window, and asked, "Uncle, would it be alright if we used the table to eat?"