Midday in July was the hottest time of year. Cicadas were calling listlessly on the elm trees lining the road.

Nüyi County Automobile South Station.

A dilapidated Zhongzheng bus heading to Lianhua Township in Niuyi County was crammed with passengers. Niuyi County is a impoverished county in western Sichuan, and Lianhua Township is the poorest township under Niuyi County. There was only one such trip per day, and the bus was an old relic retired from other townships. With no air conditioning, the stuffy cabin felt like a steamer under the scorching sun. Even wearing glasses could instantly cause them to fog up.

Even though the heat was unbearable, Zhongche still hadn't left. The driver and ticket collector shouted hoarsely at the door: "Lotus Township, are there any more going to Lotus Township?"

"It's so hot, I can't stand it anymore! Let's go!"

“My child is about to get heatstroke, let’s go, let’s go.”

“It was packed, they wouldn’t leave, their eyes were glued to the money.”

The carriage was filled with a cacophony of croaking sounds.

The driver, seeing no one getting on board, muttered a few words of discontent before walking towards the bus. As he walked, he impatiently shouted: "Alright, that's it, I'm leaving. What are you all shouting for?"

As soon as the driver started the car, a gentle voice sounded: “Wait a moment, driver, I’m going to Lianhuaxiang.”

"Alright!" The driver immediately opened the car door, and soon, his mouth hung wide open as he stared blankly at a graceful figure walking towards him.

This is a tall man, nearly one meter and seven centimeters. He has elegant eyebrows that frame a pair of gold glasses. Deep-set eyes are hidden beneath the lenses, his dark hair simply tied back behind him. A fine, snow-white shirt is bulging slightly at the chest, giving an impression of both courage and coldness, with a hint of majesty. Any normal man would feel an irresistible urge to conquer him.

The moment this person stepped into the dilapidated carriage, it was like a swan landing in a barn - utterly out of place.

This also caught the attention of dozens of pairs of eyes in the entire carriage. The originally noisy carriage surprisingly fell silent for a few seconds.

Shen Yue rong frowned slightly.

Actually, I regretted getting on the bus right away. I didn't expect the bus to Lotus Flower Village to be so old and decrepit. Not only was the cabin unbearably stuffy, but there were all kinds of smells mixed together - duck stench, foot odor, and sweat.

But Shen Yueying quickly dismissed the thought of getting off. Ever since she decided to reject her family's arrangements and run to this remote, impoverished countryside to start from the bottom, she had resolved to forget about her privilege, being fearless of hardship and exhaustion. This was also the reason why she traveled to Lianhuaxiang without escort from the Organization Department.

Shen Yue Rong walked towards the back of the train carriage. It was several dozen kilometers to Lianhua Township, and it was said that the road hadn't even been fully repaired yet. She certainly didn't want to walk all the way there.

Soon, it was discovered that the carriage was already full.

If one were to squeeze someone in, the last row would have three people sitting on it. A thin young man sat by the window, wearing cheap t-shirts and shorts, his scalp was pale, and there was a scar on his face that added some ferocity to his otherwise somewhat handsome features.

The young man in front held a book. Seemingly aware of Shen Yue Rong's gaze, he slightly raised his head, a flash of surprise in his eyes, but it quickly subsided. He glanced at the crowded carriage, then gave Shen Yue Rong a slight smile and shifted his position aside, making way for an empty seat by the window.

If possible, Shen Yue Rong would not want to sit next to this young man.

A seasoned criminal, with a keen eye, could immediately tell that the young man was recently released from prison. There were still many telltale signs of someone who had just been incarcerated.

And even though the young man gave up a spot, it was still very cramped.

Just as Shen Yu Rong was hesitating, the car started. She staggered a bit. There wasn't even a handrail in this carriage! Helplessly, she moved to the last row and said thanks to the young man in the front, then got into his small space and sat down.

Although Shen Yue Rong was very careful, given the limited space, she inevitably had some contact with the young man. After sitting down, her large frame even more so pressed against the young man's.

The car started.

With the car swaying, Shen Yue rong's head kept bobbing.

Let Shen Yue rong feel a nameless shame.

It's not that the Shen family has never had a woman sit with a man before.

The only consolation I have today is that I wore long

clothes. Otherwise, I really don't know how to get through this long road.

To everyone's surprise, this young man who had just been released from prison didn't take advantage of the situation. Instead, he tried to gather his belongings and picked up a book in his hand, seeming to read it.

I was even thinking, if this young man dared to be a bit out of line, I would stand up and scold him harshly, then throw him off the car.

The carriage was unbearably stuffy.

Soon, Shen Yue Rong's forehead was covered with a layer of fine sweat, and her upper body had many sticky feelings. She took out a pack of tissues and wiped the sweat from her face from time to time.

But then a cool breeze blew, bringing relief from the extreme heat.

Looking down, that chill came from the young man's upper body. In this extremely hot environment, the young man didn't even sweat, and his upper body still emitted a chill.

Shen Yue Rong was surprised, how could that be possible? On such a hot day, someone wouldn't sweat unless they were extremely weak. But this young man looked very strong and his eyes were bright.

Feeling a strange curiosity, I paid more attention to the young man. Soon, I discovered something even more surprising: he was holding a book entirely in English.

If I'm not mistaken, this is Adam Smith's *The Wealth of Nations*.

He's reading the original English version of "The Wealth of Nations," which costs no more than fifty yuan in total, from top to bottom. If he isn't just seeing things, then this young man who has just been released from prison is definitely putting on a show.

Shen Yue rong shook her head secretly. Young people are still not down-to-earth. With a book of "Wealth of Nations", you might as well take an English novel, others would believe it more. Besides, on this kind of vehicle, besides herself, there couldn't be anyone else who could recognize "Wealth of Nations".

When Shen Yue rong secretly despised this young man in her heart.

A sharp cry came from somewhere.

Sitting next to the young man was a woman holding an infant.

The crying came from the infant. The woman soothed it with a few words, but the baby's cries only grew louder. Muttering to herself, she unbuttoned the cheap polyester shirt and pulled out a swollen water bladder. She stuffed the brown, date-like **** into the infant's...

Shen Yue rong's face flushed at the sight.

How could these country women be so brazen, flaunting their bodies like this?

A glance, a glimpse of shamelessness.

The young man sitting beside him had at some point put down "Wealth of Nations" and was staring intently at the woman's ample bosom.

Shameless people!

Shen Yue rong looked down on him with disdain. This young man was clearly no good. He had just been pretending to be learned, holding a copy of "The Wealth of Nations," and now he had bared his true colors.

Even looking at other people's children, truly shameless to the extreme.

He slapped the young man's shoulder hard and glared at him fiercely.

Shen Yue Rong came from a noble family and had spent a long time in the world of pleasure. Her stare was incredibly intimidating, and most people would feel ashamed and lower their heads if she looked at them. However, the young man glanced back at her with a questioning look, but seeing that Shen Yue Rong didn't speak, he turned back to stare at the woman's room.

(Editor in charge：mystery novels)