C16 Who Was the One Who Was the Troublemaker?

"Didn't you say your brother-in-law's family is wealthy? Why didn't they send a car to pick us up?" Lin Hong suddenly remarked.

Soong Yu paused, turning to look at her sister-in-law. With long hair, straight bangs, arched eyebrows, a petite nose, and narrow eyes, her face could be described as shrewd at best, or sharp-tongued at worst.

"The car at home is reserved for the head of the family; the rest of us can't use it freely," Soong Yu replied calmly.

Lin Hong pursed her lips and fell silent.

While waiting for the bus, Lin Hong scrutinized Soong Yu several times. This sister-in-law, whom she had never met before, was rumored to be quite impressive, sending thousands of dollars to the Soong family every year. She had transformed from a country girl into a city dweller and married into the well-known Huo family.

The Huo family was a prominent name in their area, especially since Huo Zhen was a high-ranking official. It was hard not to know them. It was quite something that her sister-in-law became the granddaughter-in-law of such a family.

If it weren't for Soong Yu, Lin Hong wouldn't have married Soong Gaang. Having traveled and seen more of the world, she considered herself more worldly than the villagers and knew how to dress well. When she reached marrying age, many suitors came forward. She chose Soong Gaang because the matchmaker mentioned his sister worked for a prominent family in the capital.

Soong Yu keenly sensed Lin Hong's scrutiny but pretended not to notice. When the bus arrived, she helped Soong Gaang load their belongings onto it. At this time, many kids were getting out of school. Seeing the burlap sacks, they all moved away with looks of disdain.

Soong Gaang felt a bit embarrassed by their reactions, wanting to laugh but unable to. He could only look at Soong Yu anxiously.

After giving Soong Gaang a reassuring glance, Soong Yu went to buy tickets. The ticket seller was a stylish young woman, probably in her early twenties. She glanced at Soong Yu and asked, "Where to?"

"End of the line..."

"Fifty cents each."

After buying tickets for three, Soong Yu carried her things and moved further back, where there were still seats available. However, the ticket collector glanced at their belongings and said, "You have too much stuff. You'll need to buy another ticket."

Soong Yu glanced at the ticket collector, unsure if this was a real rule, but she bought another ticket anyway. "Then tear me a ticket."

The ticket collector rolled her eyes and handed over a ticket. Soong Yu told Soong Gaang and Lin Hong to sit in the back. Soong Gaang pulled Lin Hong along, and just as they were about to sit down, the ticket collector said, "You can't sit there."

Startled, Soong Gaang immediately stood up. He had never been on this kind of bus before. "Sorry, sorry."

Soong Yu didn't have much affection for Soong Gaang, but seeing this made her uncomfortable. She walked over and asked, "Aren't seats meant for sitting? Why can't they sit?"

The ticket collector assumed Soong Yu was easy to bully since she had obediently bought an extra ticket. "I'm the ticket collector. If I say you can't sit, you can't sit," she said, rolling her eyes again. "Dressed up or not, you're still a bunch of hicks."

Soong Gaang and Lin Hong's faces turned red with embarrassment. Even with her good temperament and patience, Soong Yu couldn't hold back anymore. She looked at the ticket collector coldly. "Oh, really? So you're saying country folks can't sit on your bus seats?"

The ticket collector snorted, essentially confirming it.

Soong Yu continued, "If that's the rule, why don't you write it down and post it on the bus so us country folks know? How else would we find out?"

"I just told you, didn't I?" the ticket collector replied with another eye roll.

"You said I had too much stuff and needed another ticket, and I bought it. Now you're saying country folks can't sit... Can you show me your rules? The official ones with a stamp."

The ticket collector looked at Soong Yu impatiently. "Are you just trying to cause trouble?"

"Who's trying to stir up trouble here?" Soong Yu, leveraging her height advantage over the ticket collector, stepped forward with a cold, unyielding expression. "Since you put it that way, I'm making it my business today. I want to ask the bus company if there's a rule that says you have to buy extra tickets for carrying more stuff, or that folks from the countryside can't sit down."

The ticket collector, caught off guard by her assertiveness, felt a bit guilty.

"Alright, alright, you can have your seats."

"We're not sitting down now," Soong Yu insisted firmly. "We're not letting this go until it's resolved."

Soong Gaang, standing nearby, tugged at Soong Yu's arm, signaling to let it go.

Lin Hong shot Soong Gaang a glare, and he fell silent.