Chapter 1383: Jasmine’s Choice
Jasmine sat opposite Ning and Tim, glaring at the both of them while waiting to make her decision. It was a weird question that she had been proposed suddenly and she did not know how to answer it.
“What will you do if I refuse it, by the way?” she asked. “Will you toss me to the authorities?”
Tim looked toward Ning, wondering the same.
Ning thought for a bit and asked, “Have you killed anyone before?”
Jasmine frowned suddenly. “What are you talking about? Are you going to kill me?” she asked.
“Huh? No, that was just my question,” Ning said. “Have you killed someone before?”
“No,” Jasmine answered.
“And you steal from the rich only?” Ning asked.
“Why would I steal from the poor? They have nothing to steal at all,” she answered.
“And how much would you say you have stolen by now?” Ning asked. “I’m curious if you are addicted to stealing even though you have enough money by now.”
“I don’t have enough,” she said angrily. “What I steal, I have to pay back to the—”
She stopped speaking and looked away.
“Do you work for gangsters?” Ning asked. “Some sort of mafia?”
“It is of no concern to you,” she said. “If you’re gonna throw me in jail, just say so. No need to keep me talking all this time.”
Ning shrugged. “I suppose you are correct,” he said. “So I assume you do not wish to change your life even though you have the opportunity for it.”
The woman made incoherent noises, saying words that somewhat sounded like curses but also not.
Ning just clicked his tongue. “And here I was hoping you would say yes. The more people on the journey, the merrier. Isn’t it, Tim?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes? Maybe,” Tim said softly. He failed to understand the situation here. Why did Ning ask everyone he met to go along with him? Was there a reason why he couldn’t just go around on his own?
“I won’t throw you to the police. As long as you promise to not hurt people, I have no need for concern as to who you rob from. You can leave at your stop,” Ning said. “I believe you still have 3 hours or so before the train arrives there. You should get what little sleep you can get.”
Ning laid on the side of the train, closing his eyes.
Tim looked at Ning and turned toward Jasmine. “I… can’t really say much here. You tried to steal my horn, and even though I got it back, I still don’t trust you as much.”
“But what I can say is that if you have anything truly troubling, you can ask him for help. He will help you. My Horn was something he got and handed to me because he didn’t need it.”
“He can most definitely help you. Just… something to think about.”
Tim too leaned to the side and slowly drifted back to sleep.
Jasmine alone remained awake in the compartment, thinking about everything that had happened that day.
There were a few things that she still wasn’t sure how it had happened. Not only was she confused about how she was found, but she was also confused about how Ning had seen her underneath the seats.
He seemed so nonchalant and yet was somehow unworried about everything. She wished she could be like that.
She could only think over his question and make a decision.
When Ning awoke once again, sunlight had already filled the train and it was long past even 6 in the morning. It was closer to 7 perhaps. He looked in front of him and saw Jasmine, sleeping in her seat comfortably.
Tim was already awake and had brought out some sort of book from his bag and was reading it in the morning light.
He stayed as he was for a while and watched Jasmine stir awake. She slowly got up, rubbing her eyes as she came to herself.
“You didn’t leave?” Ning asked her.
“No,” she said slowly. “You said you can help me, correct?”
“Yes,” Ning said.
“Well, I don’t need your help, but others do. Will you help others too?” Jasmine asked.
“Well, that depends on the type of help they need,” Ning said. “What exactly are you looking for?”
“I have a small group of orphans I take care of,” she said. “Can you help me with helping them?”
Ning’s eyes narrowed. “Orphans? How old are they?” he asked.
“From 8 to 14 years old. 8 of them,” she said.
“And you take care of them exclusively?” Ning asked.
“Financially, yes. The oldest is old enough to start helping me with household work, but money-wise, I bring it home,” she said.
“That’s… very kind of you, if true,” Ning said.
“It’s true,” she said. “Can you help me with them or not?”
“I can, but why not just send them to the orphanages? They should be accepted there, aren’t they?” Ning asked.
“They are, but I don’t want to send them there. I was raised there from birth after my parents dropped me off in front of the orphanage’s door,” Jasmine said. “So I know exactly how horrible it is.”
“They are not a place where they help an orphan find a new life. They are there to indoctrinate the young and helpless into becoming religious zealots for the Zurinus faith.”
“I don’t want these kids to go through that. At their age, they would be physically and mentally punished day and night until they are properly brainwashed into becoming such people.”
“That is why I keep them to myself. Can you help me with them?” Jasmine asked.
Ning thought for a moment. “What you are asking is somehow both easy and difficult for me to do,” he said. “I don’t know how much I can help them, but what I can promise is that I can help you help them.”
“Would you be able to accept that?” Ning asked.
Jasmine gestured to Tim next to him. “He said that you are very helpful, so I’m taking his word for it. Get off the train at the Tearmill city. I will see how you can help me.”
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