Chapter 55: Solving the Thieves

As soon as they boarded the train, Su Yue’s sadness about parting instantly disappeared, replaced by an indescribable tension as if she were facing a formidable enemy.

What she had dreamt of was about to happen. On this very train.

Han Aiguo thought she was just unused to leaving home. Gently stroking her cheek, he comforted her, “Don’t be sad. We can write letters home, and if we get holidays, we’ll come back.”

Su Yue nodded reluctantly. “Mm.” She followed him to their carriage. When they reached their berth, her eyes instantly landed on the middle-aged couple from her dream.

They were already here.

The middle-aged man was lying on the upper bunk, seemingly asleep, but his face looked pale and uncomfortable, his brows furrowed. Su Yue knew his health wasn’t good and he was seriously ill.

The middle-aged woman sat stiffly on the lower bunk. Unlike others who lounged casually, she sat upright, clutching a worn bag tightly in her arms. Her face was full of tension. When she saw Su Yue and Han Aiguo enter, she shrank into the corner of the bunk and hugged her bundle even tighter.

Outwardly, Su Yue pretended not to notice, but inside she felt helpless. This eldest sister’s appearance practically screamed, “I have money. I’m nervous. Please come rob me!” Wouldn’t that just draw thieves like flies?

Was this why the group of thieves targeted her? Judging by their patched clothes, this couple looked like ordinary rural workers. Normally, no thief would bother with such people but her expression alone made her a target, bringing disaster upon herself.

It was already noon. Han Aiguo placed their larger bags under the bunk and kept the valuables on top. Then he pulled Su Yue to sit and took out the buns they had brought. Handing one to her, he said, “The buns are still warm. Eat some. I’ll fetch hot water.”

With that, he carried the enamel jug to the water station.

Su Yue picked up two buns and, seizing the chance to connect, offered them across. “Sister, these are homemade buns and are still warm, so have some too.”

The woman blinked in surprise, not expecting Su Yue to give her food so quickly. After a pause, she quickly waved her hand. “No, no. You eat them yourselves, sister. We’ve already had lunch.”

Su Yue knew she was just being defensive. Leaning forward, she pushed the buns into her hands. “Don’t be polite. It’s not easy traveling. Since fate brought us together, let’s share. You’ve been on the train for a while, right? Food here is expensive, and with this cold weather, what you brought must be too hard to eat. I prepared plenty, so take these.”

The fragrance immediately wafted up. The eldest sister’s mouth watered, and her long-hungry stomach growled loudly in betrayal. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Su Yue smiled. “Sister, don’t hold back. Take it.”

Hunger won out. The couple had already finished their meager food, planning to endure until they arrived, never dreaming a stranger would hand them such precious white buns.

In the end, she accepted, her voice full of gratitude. “Thank you, sister, you’re so kind.”

Su Yue waved it off. “No need for thanks. Eat while it’s hot.”

The woman quickly nudged her husband awake and handed him a bun. He gave Su Yue a grateful smile before devouring it in big bites.

Because of this, the woman let down her guard and began chatting. She said her surname was Su, and that she was taking her sick husband to a large hospital for treatment.

Su Yue shared a little about herself too.

Gradually, Sister Su relaxed. Her grip on the bundle loosened, and her nervous expression eased.

But time passed quickly. Darkness fell, and Su Yue knew the thieves would make their move soon.

They were in this carriage. She didn’t know exactly where, but they wouldn’t be far as thieves always stayed close to their targets. She might not have seen the thieves faces clearly in her dream, but she remembered their clothes. As long as she saw them, she would know.

And then, in the last row of bunks, she spotted them.

Two thieves from her dream sat together on a lower bunk, playing poker with two other men opposite them. The four laughed and cursed over the cards, oblivious to Su Yue’s sharp gaze.

She recognized them instantly; the two on the right were tonight’s pickpockets. The two on the left were the ones who, in her dream, had later stabbed Han Aiguo. She knew their clothes. It was them.

Hatred surged in her chest. If she could, she would summon the police immediately. But she knew better. Without evidence, the police couldn’t arrest anyone. Worse, alerting them could invite retaliation.

No, if she wanted to eliminate the threat, she had to catch them in the act.

Su Yue forced herself to stay calm. Without lingering, she walked naturally to the toilet, enduring the unbearable stench for a few seconds before heading back.

When she returned, she leaned close to Han Aiguo and whispered, “Aiguo, I just overheard four men talking. They said, ‘That woman’s man looks sick. They must be carrying money for treatment. Let’s act tonight.’ Do you think they’re after Sister Su?”

She had fabricated the overheard words but it was the only way to convince Han Aiguo to be vigilant and prepared.

Sure enough, his eyes sharpened. His body tensed like a soldier in battle. He cast a discreet glance at Sister Su and her husband, then lowered his voice. “Those four are probably professional thieves. We mustn’t alert them.”

Su Yue whispered back, “Then what should we do now?”

Han Aiguo thought for a moment before saying, “We don’t have evidence yet. We can’t touch them now. We’ll have to wait and catch them in the act.”

Su Yue agreed. Their thoughts matched perfectly. She whispered, “If they’re real thieves, they’ll act tonight. We can pretend to fall asleep and catch them when they do it.”

Now that they knew there were four men on the other side, there was no escape. Even if two were caught, the other two wouldn’t get far. With Han Aiguo’s skills, handling them was no problem.

The two discussed quietly, but kept a calm, normal appearance. When night fell, they drank hot water, ate a couple of buns, then sat chatting and reading the newspaper. As the carriage grew quiet, Han Aiguo told Su Yue to take the upper bunk, while he stayed below to guard the luggage.

Su Yue knew she would only get in the way if things turned violent. It was better to stay out of the way, so she climbed up and lay down, feigning sleep.

Sister Su, exhausted after sitting all day, also lay down, clutching her bundle. Gradually, she too drifted into sleep.

Han Aiguo closed his eyes, his breathing steady, pretending to be asleep.

An hour passed in silence. Su Yue’s heart pounded harder and harder. Then; faint, almost inaudible ripping sound of cloth came. If she hadn’t been straining her ears, she would have missed it.

They’re here.

One thief carefully sliced open Sister Su’s bundle and pulled out the money hidden inside. He was about to leave when his gaze landed on Han Aiguo’s bag by the pillow. He froze, eyes narrowing. From their clothing and bearing, Han Aiguo and Su Yue looked like wealthy city people, perhaps cadres or cadre’s children. Surely there would be more valuables there.

Temptation surged. The man crept closer, raised his dagger, and reached toward Han Aiguo’s bag.

But the moment his blade touched the fabric, a strong hand clamped onto his wrist. Shocked, he tried to jerk away; only to hear a sharp crack! Han Aiguo had twisted his wrist and broken it cleanly.

“Ahhh!” The thief screamed in agony, jolting the carriage awake.

The lookout thief panicked and bolted, but Han Aiguo was faster. With one powerful kick, he sent the man flying into the wall with a sickening thud. The man collapsed, crying in pain, unable to move.

At that moment, Su Yue sat up and shouted at the top of her lungs: “Catch the thief! Catch the thief!”

Now everyone in the carriage understood. Passengers rushed to see. Sister Su woke too, only to find her bundle slashed open, money missing. Her face turned pale. “My money! My money’s gone!” she wailed.

Han Aiguo motioned to a young passenger. “Go call the train attendant.” He then reached into the thief’s pocket, pulled out the stolen money, and handed it back. “Sister, here, it’s safe.”

Sister Su clutched the money to her chest, tears spilling over. Relief and terror mixed on her face.

Soon, the attendant arrived, along with two plainclothes police officers who happened to be riding the train.

Han Aiguo explained the situation clearly. As a soldier, his words carried weight. The evidence was obvious: the slashed bundle, the knives, the stolen money. The officers immediately bound the two thieves with rope, planning to hand them over at the next station.

Su Yue seized the chance. “Comrade police, these men have accomplices; their two poker partners. I overheard them plotting earlier, saying they would act tonight. We can’t let them escape.”

The two captured thieves widened their eyes in shock, staring at Su Yue. “What nonsense! When did we ever say that?”

Su Yue shrank behind Han Aiguo, voice trembling just enough to sound convincing. “I heard everything. Stop denying it. If you don’t believe me, arrest them and interrogate them.”

The officers nodded. With the attendant’s help, they went to the other bunk, searched the two so-called “innocent” men, and found daggers on them as well. The pair were immediately tied up and placed under guard.

With all four thieves subdued, Su Yue finally relaxed.

The nightmare from her dream was avoided. Han Aiguo would not be harmed. Relief flooded her, leaving her weak. She slumped onto the bunk, trembling.

Han Aiguo leaned toward her with concern. “What’s wrong? Were you scared?”

Su Yue looked at him for a long moment; he was safe, and unhurt so she finally smiled. “Mm. I was scared.”

Ignoring the crowd, Han Aiguo drew her into his arms, patting her back gently. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. Nothing will ever happen to you.”

Sister Su, still shaken, was overflowing with gratitude. She didn’t even notice the couple’s intimacy. “Thank you, thank you! I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”

Su Yue waved lightly. “Sister, no need to thank us. My husband is a soldier. Protecting the people is his duty.”

Through tears, Sister Su kept praising, “Soldiers are good people. Sister, you married well.”

Her gratitude lasted the entire night. Only when she and her husband disembarked at dawn did she finally part from them, thanking them once more.

Su Yue had not slept a wink. Seeing her pale face, Han Aiguo bought her a hot breakfast on the train, then let her rest on the lower bunk while he sat beside her, keeping watch.

With him guarding her, she felt utterly safe. She soon drifted into deep sleep.

When she woke, several hours had passed. The train had reached their station.

Together, they disembarked with their luggage, caught a bus toward Wenxiang; the closest stop to Han Aiguo’s army unit and from there they would head to the barracks.

The bus was crowded and noisy, filled with the stench of poultry droppings, but Su Yue hardly minded. The thieves were gone, Han Aiguo was safe, and her mood was bright. She admired the passing scenery and listened to the chatter of fellow passengers. Before she knew it, two hours had gone by.

As soon as they got off the bus, a loud, surprised voice rang out, “Company Commander! You’re finally back!”

A young man, seventeen or eighteen, rushed forward and hugged Han Aiguo tightly.

Han Aiguo put down his luggage and returned the hug, his usually calm expression betraying his own excitement. “Zhuzhu, I’m back.”

The youth looked him up and down, then stared at his legs with misty eyes. His voice cracked. “Company Commander … your leg… is really healed? I’m not dreaming, am I?”

The doctors had once said the battalion commander’s leg was ruined, that he’d have to leave the army. Everyone in the unit had grieved.

Han Aiguo patted his shoulder. “No tears. It’s true—my legs are fine.”

Zhuzhu sniffled, trying hard to compose himself. Then he noticed Su Yue standing behind. “Company Commander, this is…?”

Han Aiguo’s lips curved. “This is your sister-in-law.”

Zhuzhu blinked. Not only had his commander’s leg healed, he’d also returned with a wife and such a beautiful one, too.

After a stunned pause, he stood stiffly to attention and saluted her. “Hello, sister-in-law!”

Su Yue smiled warmly. “Hello, Zhuzhu.”

That smile dazzled him. Flustered, he quickly picked up their luggage and loaded it into the military vehicle waiting nearby. “Company Commander, sister-in-law, let’s go. The brothers are all waiting to see you!”