An Moxue watched as Wu Sicheng finished the last bun and the roe deer meat, raised an eyebrow, gave him a playful look, then looked at the empty plate and the empty bowl, opened her mouth, and said "Oh," a sound that took seventeen or eighteen turns in its tone.

Wu Sicheng was helpless. After getting to know An Moxue, he found that his skin seemed to have thickened. Like now, if it were half a year ago, he would have been blushing.

What about now?

"Mo Xue, your cooking is so delicious, I finished it all without even realizing it. You sit down, I'll pick up the dishes."

"Alright! You pick up the bowls, I'll tidy up the things."

Wu Sicheng quickly got down to pick up and wash the bowls, while An Moxue tidied up the things Wu Sicheng had brought her inside the house.

"Wu Sicheng, why did you bring so many cans of food? Six boxes. Did you trade with someone else for yours?"

While washing dishes in the kitchen, Wu Sicheng replied, "I had four boxes, but I had to exchange two more for others."

An Moxue said helplessly, "Can I say I don't like it?"

"It's okay, I won't change it next time. You really like eating fish, don't you?" Wu Sicheng said from the kitchen.

"Yes, I love eating fish, but I don't like canned fish. I almost never touch it. Take all of these with you when you leave and keep them for yourself."

"Alright! Is there anything else you don't want to eat? I'll keep an eye out for it when I buy more things."

"I don't eat things that smell bad but taste good. Like stinky tofu, fermented bean curd, shrimp paste, and the like."

After washing the dishes, Wu Sicheng took a basin of water, picked up a chair, placed the basin on it, and began to wash his feet.

"You've gone into the mountains again? You must have been there quite a while! Look at this stack of hides." An Moxue asked as she tidied up her things.

“The border has been rather unstable in the past year, so there have been more people traveling in the mountains. Please be careful.”

After An Moxue finished sorting the things, she said, "Next time you come, don't bring so much stuff. I have everything. You can keep it for yourself."

"Okay. Mo Xue, after what happened with the Nakagawa Tang family, were you alright? Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you in some way."

"Oh! I don't think it's a big deal, a minor matter. It's within my capabilities, I can handle it, and I don't think it's necessary! A bunch of lackeys, nothing to fear. Besides, it's more satisfying to take revenge yourself. If others do everything for you, what are you supposed to do?"

"Then the poisoning of the Tang family wasn't your doing, was it?" Although Wu Sicheng asked in a question, An Moxue could hear the certainty in his words.

"How could that be? I'm not going to grow wings and fly there. You're overthinking it."

Wu Sicheng smiled and said, "I have already instructed my comrades in the local area to handle the matter fairly and impartially with the personnel sent down from the Tang family. They will not be given any opportunity to take advantage of the situation. You can rest assured that this time, with the pressure from the three regions to investigate the Tang family in Zhongchuan, the Tang family will be severely punished, even if they don't fall apart."

"Yes, I know, Uncle Zhang told me. Thank you too."

"No need, aren't we friends? It's only right to help a friend out!"

An Moxue finished packing her things, and Wu Sicheng finished washing his feet.

When Wu Sicheng returned with the water, An Moxue had already nailed the curtain shut.

"Is it alright if you sleep on the kang (heated brick bed)?" An Moxue asked.

"The kang (heated brick bed) is warm, you should go to sleep!"

"No need, I can't sleep on a hot kang (heated brick bed), it feels like it's going to dry me out. You go and sleep there!"

"OK."

The two lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), the lights were off, and a curtain separated them in the room.

Seeing that An Moxue was alright, Wu Sicheng felt relieved and quickly fell asleep.

An Moxue is used to staying up late, and it's still an hour before her normal bedtime.

She wasn't reading or studying, and suddenly found herself with nothing to do, yet she couldn't fall asleep. She kept thinking about the past, about her past and present lives, scene after scene, event after event, the past flowing like a tide. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

The next morning, Wu Sicheng got up early, cooked porridge, heated up some steamed buns, and boiled water.

Even the two little ones were let out and fed. When An Moxue got up, she saw the two little ones circling around Wu Sicheng.

"Mo Xue, you're awake. I've finished feeding them. I'll take them with me in a bit, okay?"

"Okay, as long as you three are happy. I hope it won't interfere with your work."

"No, shall we eat now or wait a while?"

"Wait a minute, I'm going outside to practice a set of boxing moves."

"Together?"

An Moxue looked at Wu Sicheng and asked, "Didn't you get up early? What were you doing?"

Wu Sicheng looked at the stove, then at the two little ones, and said, "Hey, make breakfast and feed them."

An Moxue didn't say anything more, put on her hat, and left the house.

"Mo Xue, were these coat and hat made from the leather I gave you?"

"Hmm, how is it?"

"You're really amazing! This looks so beautiful! I'll get you more leather in the future and make you several pieces so you can wear them in rotation."

"I also made you a vest, knee pads, and a pair of gloves. I'll give them to you after dinner."

"You have some of mine? Thank you, I really need the knee pads, and the gloves too." Wu Sicheng didn't expect to find anything of his own; this surprise was too unexpected.

"No need, it's just a small favor."

The two people in the courtyard practiced kung fu without disturbing each other; one was masculine, and the other was resilient.

An Moxue was surprised that Wu Sicheng had been learning ancient martial arts for a shorter time than she had, but his progress was incredibly rapid. Every punch he threw was imbued with qi and had tremendous power.

The two of them pulled back their fists, and An Moxue said, "You've improved really fast."

Wu Sicheng said, "Mo Xue, do you know what? I have a feeling that if I encounter ancient martial arts practitioners like those who were chasing me again, I will not get hurt again, nor will I let my soldiers get hurt along with me. I will be able to protect them better."

"Hmm, I believe you. Your qi perception is quite strong. How long have you been cultivating internal strength?"

"About twenty days after I left that time!"

"Come inside and have a meal. How about we spar sometime?"

"Sure! I'd be happy to oblige."

The two entered the house. An Moxue washed her face, while Wu Sicheng put down the table and picked up the bowls.

After An Moxue finished wiping her face, she saw that breakfast had already been laid out on the dining table.

"Mo Xue, I'll leave after I finish eating." Wu Sicheng ladled a bowl of porridge for An Mo Xue and placed it in front of her.

"Um."

"I'll be back after dark tonight. Anything you don't want to do can wait until I get back tonight."

What about you? Is there anything you'd like to eat for the Lunar New Year?

"There really is one."

"What?"

"Dumplings! Our Kyoto-style dumplings, any filling will do."

"No problem! Let's do it tomorrow!"

What about you? Is there anything you'd like to eat?

“Me?” An Moxue thought for a moment and said, “Carp, braised carp. My mother always says that eating braised carp during the New Year brings wealth and good fortune! But I just can’t cook it the way my mother does.”

Do you have any carp at home?

"Yes, I have."

"Wait, I'll make it on New Year's Eve, then we'll see if you like it."

"Can you do it?"

Wu Sicheng smiled mysteriously and said, "You'll know when it's done."

......