Chu Dongmei looked at the food on the table, tears welling up in her eyes. Even back in her home in Kyoto, the meal might not be this lavish.

Seeing her like this, An Moxue teased, "Take out your enormous appetite and eat as much as you want, don't be shy!"

Chu Dongmei chuckled and said, "An Moxue, I feel like you've gone astray! Where did my quiet An Moxue go? Your personality is becoming more and more like that of people from the North, a bit too outgoing and generous! You're really adapting to local customs! You've even adopted their personality."

An Moxue silently thought to herself, "I was originally from the North, both my past and present lives."

"Eat up, try this spicy rabbit meat, see if you like it?" An Moxue picked up a rabbit leg and gave it to Chu Dongmei.

"Mo Xue, you eat too." She said, taking a bite of the rabbit leg that An Mo Xue had put on her plate.

After finishing a rabbit leg, Chu Dongmei said, "Mo Xue, your cooking skills are getting better and better!"

"Eat this bun. Aunt Ma's buns are so delicious. You'll know once you try one."

"Yes, Mo Xue, you get along well with the villagers. They even gave you food."

"It's alright, but I don't get along well with the educated youth. However, there are still a few I can befriend. If any of them are too tactless these days, you don't have to put up with them. Just stand up to them." An Moxue thought that if someone knew she was back, they might cause trouble.

"Aren't you tired from being so busy?" She thought about how An Moxue had written to her much less often this year.

"It's alright. I've been busy the whole time, but I haven't had time to feel tired. I just got by like this. I took a shortcut to get home early this time, otherwise you would have missed me. Eat up, I'm not going to talk to you anymore, or I'll miss our delicious food."

"Every dish you cook is delicious." Chu Dongmei took a big bite of a bun, and An Moxue felt that just watching Chu Dongmei eat made her want to eat more buns.

And so, the two of them buried themselves in their food, and the rabbit was completely devoured.

After the meal, Chu Dongmei rubbed her stomach and said, "Mo Xue, I can't move anymore, I'm too full." An Mo Xue couldn't help but laugh when she saw her like this.

"Wait here, I'll make you a pot of barley tea to help with digestion." An Moxue said, taking out some barley tea from the cabinet and brewing a large pot.

Then, with a hint of regret, he said, "I haven't been in the village much this year, and I haven't prepared many things. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to make you lots of delicious food. But don't worry, I'll go to the village tomorrow and see if anyone has any. If so, I can exchange some with you, and then you'll know how much delicious food there is."

"Today is the 28th, and there are only two days left until the Chinese New Year. Time really flies."

"There's a big market here before the New Year! It's a pity you're late. You should have gone to see it, it's really interesting! There's also winter fishing, the fishing procession is quite grand and spectacular. I didn't see it this year. I'll get you a fish to eat tomorrow, it'll be delicious."

"Mo Xue, your place is much more interesting than ours. We don't have these things there! But I brought you the rice cake you bought last time."

And so the two chatted idly, about this and that, until night fell. When they were sure no one would come to the house, An Moxue said to Chu Dongmei, "I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back. If you're home alone, you can boil a pot of water for me."

An Moxue left the house and quietly went to Old Ma's house. The gate was unlocked. An Moxue carried a deer and several pheasants and rabbits into the house. Old Ma heard the noise, got down, and was startled when he saw the things. He asked, "Why did you give me so much?"

An Moxue laughed freely and said, "I said I'd get you a deer. I'm going back now."

Do you have any at home?

"Yes, I left it. I'm leaving now; I still need to pack when I get back!"

After saying that, he left the house.

Chu Dongmei's eyes widened when she saw An Moxue carrying a roe deer, several pheasants, and a few rabbits.

"Mo Xue, where did you come from?"

"We hunted them on the way back. We're afraid of being seen during the day, so it's easier at night. You take care of the chickens, and I'll take care of the roe deer and rabbits."

"Okay." There's no reason not to be happy if there's meat to eat.

"Mo Xue, I still have to stick with you. You're getting the best food and drinks. No wonder Ai Dang loves to stick to you! I don't get this kind of treatment at home!" Chu Dongmei's mouth was practically stretched to her ears. This trip was totally worth it.

"Hurry up and get to work. I'm afraid some people will know I'm back tomorrow and come over for a visit. I have to get everything done tonight."

The next morning, An Moxue carried several kilograms of roe deer meat to Village Chief Guo's house.

"Auntie, open the door," An Moxue called softly from outside the door.

"You're here!" Aunt Guo said as she reached the front gate, asking, "So early? Haven't you had breakfast yet? You can eat here in a bit!"

"Auntie, we have guests at my house. We'll go back to eat later. This is for you and my uncle. I'm going back now."

As An Moxue spoke, she handed the roe deer meat to Aunt Guo and was about to leave when Aunt Guo grabbed her and said, "I made red bean buns, and I specially saved them for you! Take them back, and let your guests try our local specialty."

Aunt Guo pulled An Moxue into the house and said, "Wait a minute, I'll get ready right away."

A moment later, she handed a basket of red bean buns to An Moxue and said, "Go back quickly! Don't leave the guest alone at home for too long, it's not good! Come visit your auntie's house for a while whenever you have time."

An Moxue happily carried a basket of red bean buns home and added some other things to it.

And so, An Moxue went to the homes of several of her aunts that morning. They were all people she got along well with. She took one or two pounds of meat from each of them and brought some other things back with her.

Chu Dongmei asked, "You went out and exchanged so many things this morning?"

An Moxue said somewhat dejectedly, "No."

"Didn't you take these things back?" Chu Dongmei asked An Moxue.

Looking at the pile of things she had brought back, An Moxue said, "I was just thinking that since it's almost Chinese New Year, I would give some meat to the aunts I get along with well. I didn't expect them to all give me things. I couldn't refuse them. If I didn't accept them, they would rush me. I didn't dare not accept them."

"Mo Xue, why are the people here so nice? Why didn't I come here before!"

"Alright, let's eat. After we finish eating, we need to prepare things for the New Year."

Not long after dinner, Tiger's mother saw smoke coming from An Moxue's chimney and knew she was back. Knowing that An Moxue liked mushrooms, she brought over a bunch of mushrooms and said, "Moxue, I knew you were back when I saw smoke coming from your chimney."

An Moxue cut a piece of roe deer meat for him and gave him some candy. When she left, Tiger's mother said, "Tiger didn't know you were coming back, otherwise he would definitely have come."

An Moxue saw her to the door and said, "Sister-in-law, don't forget to tell Hu Zi I'm back when you get back."

After Tiger's mother left, a few more people arrived one after another. Around noon, a group of teenagers, both boys and girls, also arrived.

"Sister Moxue!" A group of people chattered excitedly about the interesting things happening in the village.

"Sister Moxue, those new educated youth made quite a fool of themselves during this year's autumn harvest."

"That's right, when the grain was distributed, the basic centimeter was less than that."

"And also, and also, the 'Stinky Group'..."

An Moxue also brought out peanuts, hazelnuts, nuts, and candies to treat them.

The children were very considerate; seeing that An Moxue's family had guests, they left after only a short while.

On this day, Chu Dongmei witnessed firsthand how popular An Moxue was in the village. From morning till night, many people came and went, some even bringing food.

That evening, looking at the few remaining roe deer meat and the extra food, Chu Dongmei could only sigh that An Moxue's popularity was something most people couldn't match!

"Mo Xue, will there still be this many people tomorrow?"

An Moxue thought for a moment and said, "There should be fewer, but people will still bring food."