The False Heiress In The 1980s

4. The Road to Baoding Village

Lin Yuqi stood in the aisle of the train, gripping the overhead bar tightly as the train rumbled forward.

Her body, weak and delicate in this life, ached with every passing minute.

Her back throbbed from the hard bench she had sat on earlier, and her feet felt like they were on fire from standing.

By the time the train finally came to a stop, she was exhausted, her legs trembling as she made her way off the train and onto the platform.

The bustling noise of the train station hit her all at once. People were everywhere—some shouting to family members, others haggling with vendors selling food and small goods. But all Lin Yuqi could think about was the pain shooting up her spine.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled out the scrap of paper with Father and Mother Xia's address written on it and approached a small group of people standing near the entrance of the station.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice soft but determined. "Can you tell me the way to Baoding village?"

The men looked at her with mild curiosity at first, but their expressions quickly changed as their eyes lit up, taking in the sight of Lin Yuqi's delicate beauty.

Her fair skin, full lips, and striking phoenix-shaped eyes made her stand out, even in the busy crowd.

One of the men, suddenly eager to help, stepped forward with a wide grin.

"Miss, you're heading to Baoding village?" he asked, his tone almost too enthusiastic. "We can accompany you and show you the way. It's not too far from here!"

Another man chimed in, nodding quickly. "Yes, yes, we can help you! It's better to have someone show you than to get lost out here."

Before Lin Yuqi could respond, a familiar voice cut through the crowd.

"Oh, child! You're going to Baoding village?"

Lin Yuqi turned to see the old woman from the train, the one to whom she had given her seat. The woman's face lit up with recognition, her wrinkled eyes twinkling with warmth.

"Yes, I am," Lin Yuqi replied, grateful for the timely interruption.

The old woman beamed. "Well, isn't that a coincidence! I'm heading there myself. Come along, I'll show you the way."

Relief washed over Lin Yuqi as she quickly thanked the men and followed the old woman, glad to have avoided the overly eager offers.

They left the station together, heading toward the ox cart that would take them to the village.

The ox, slow and steady, stood patiently as a man loaded it with bags of grain.

The cart was humble—wooden and worn, its wheels creaking with age—but it was still a common mode of transportation in the countryside.

"Hop on," the old woman said, patting the space beside her as she climbed aboard the cart with ease. "We'll be there in no time."

Lin Yuqi carefully placed her suitcase at the back of the cart and pulled herself up onto the wooden seat.

The cart jolted forward as the ox began to move, its slow, rhythmic pace comforting despite the creaking wheels beneath them.

As they made their way toward the village, the city behind them slowly faded into the distance.

The landscape changed, becoming more rural with every passing minute.

Fields stretched out on both sides of the road, vast expanses of farmland dotted with small groups of workers.