181, Family of a Honored Serviceman, Grudging Resentment

Jing Qingxin wore a righteous expression. Pausing for a moment, she raised her voice and spoke clearly once again, "As a proud military dependent, I am immensely proud of them! He sits in his seat because he rightfully earned it—why on earth should he give it up? Now, I am giving up my seat to the two of you, but not because you are military dependents. Rather, it is because your fiancé is a soldier. This is my out-of-respect for servicemen!"

With that, Jing Qingxin ignored the two women whose faces were currently a shifting palette of complex colors. She picked up her military duffel bag from the bunk, sat down right beside Gao Shen, and gazed into his brilliant, gleaming eyes with a playful flutter of her eyelashes.

Deep within Gao Shen’s heart, a wave of immense pride and profound emotion surged.

He was proud to have such a sensible and virtuous wife, and deeply moved by her words. No one had ever expressed such sentiments before. While servicemen enjoyed great prestige and respect among the general public, people more often than not took their sacrifices for granted, using their status as soldiers to bind and demand things from them—a subtle form of moral kidnapping.

No one had ever stood up to protect them like his little wife did, defending their rights with an entirely different perspective. She understood soldiers, supported them, and, above all, held them in profound respect.

At that very moment, little did she know that he was the one truly proud of her!

Suddenly, applause broke out from somewhere down the aisle. In an instant, the partitions on both the left and right sides of Jing Qingxin erupted into warm, enthusiastic clapping, as if everyone was voicing their wholehearted agreement with what she had just said!

Jing Qingxin did not care about how others might feel regarding her words; those statements came straight from the bottom of her heart. Born into a military family, she could deeply empathize with the hardships soldiers faced, especially in this era where they shouldered monumental responsibilities while enduring the harsh and demanding expectations of the public.

Even if they were soldiers, no one was obligated to make sacrifices as a matter of course!

As for the applause, Jing Qingxin remained indifferent. At most, she felt a tiny flicker of gratification, realizing there were still many kind and sensible people in the world. Aside from putting those two women in their place, her remarks were primarily born out of a deep sympathy for soldiers and a desire to safeguard their rights.

Seeing that Jing Qingxin had surrendered her seat, the woman with braided hair joyfully pulled the woman in blue down to sit with her. She cared nothing for Jing Qingxin's lengthy speech, nor did she grasp the profound meaning behind the words. She only knew that the other woman had conceded defeat and given up the seats!

To save money, they had been standing the entire morning, and their feet were completely swollen! With another six or seven hours left before reaching their destination, she simply could not bear it any longer. Having free seats was truly wonderful!

Meanwhile, the woman in blue wore a complexion as dark as pork liver, her expression utterly mortified. She felt as though that speech had been a direct mockery of her, laced with deep contempt and disdain. Especially with everyone clapping for that other woman, it felt as though she had been slapped hard across the face.

For the very first time, Wang Lingling felt thoroughly humiliated! Did that woman's words imply that she was unworthy of marrying a soldier? Did she think her fiancé deserved better? Abominable! By what right could she say such a thing?

Wang Lingling glared at Jing Qingxin with eyes burning with resentment; she would make sure to remember the woman who had humiliated her!

However, right now was not the right time for a rebuttal. The fact that everyone had just applauded that woman clearly showed they were standing on her side, and Wang Lingling had no wish to provoke public outrage.

Suddenly, a wave of icy coldness swept toward her, causing the deep-in-thought Wang Lingling to shudder involuntarily. She lifted her gaze to meet a pair of eyes as sharp as blades—it was that soldier!

Faced with his frigid expression and a gaze that felt like literal ice shards, Wang Lingling could not help but shrink her neck back and quickly shift her line of sight out the train window.

Jing Qingxin naturally noticed Wang Lingling's glare, but she only responded with a cold, inner smile. Toward someone with such bizarre logic, she truly had no intention of wasting her thoughts and energy!

Their lunch had been rather greasy, consisting mostly of meat, so right now, Jing Qingxin simply wanted something fresh and crisp to cleanse her palate.

The fruits and vegetables growing inside the "Flowing Light Brocade" space had long since fully matured and been harvested. Since only she and Gao Shen were eating them, their consumption was slow, and the inventory remained amply stocked. Therefore, Jing Qingxin hadn't bothered to plant any new crops. Once they reached the troop quarters, she would assess the situation and make plans then.

Feigning the action of retrieving an item from her military bag, Jing Qingxin leaned close against Gao Shen's side, drew out a strawberry from a hidden plastic bag, and playfully fed it to him.

Gao Shen paused slightly, then opened his mouth and ate the strawberry. The fresh, sweet flavor instantly spread across his teeth and tongue, sending ripples of sweetness straight into his heart.

Gao Shen thoroughly enjoyed Qingxin’s affectionate gesture. Although they were out in public and he needed to maintain a soldier's image, they were legally husband and wife now, so a little intimacy was completely normal. Besides, the only other people present were those two obnoxious women, whom he didn't care about in the least. He certainly had no intention of letting them ruin the sweet, intimate moments between him and his little wife.

As for the couple resting on the upper bunks, please forgive Gao Shen for consistently and thoroughly ignoring their existence!

Engrossed in her own world, Jing Qingxin continued her feeding routine. Gao Shen resumed reading his book while accepting the strawberries offered to his lips, his expression entirely focused, as if this simple act were a matter of the utmost solemnity and importance.