An Moxue finally got to eat the braised loach and stewed frog that she had been craving for two days, and all her resentment from the past two days vanished without a trace.

"Mo Xue, what time do you start work in the morning?"

Five o'clock.

"Are you on lunch break? Why aren't you coming back for lunch?"

"There's only an hour at noon. Villagers usually have their families bring them food, but we educated youth can only bring our own lunch because there's not enough time to come back."

"That's why you came back carrying both a water bottle and a lunchbox. Didn't your lunch get cold?"

"There's nothing I can do. For lunch, I just eat steamed buns, eggs, and some vegetables that can be eaten cold. It's not a big problem."

"Do you always get off work that late at night?"

"We have to finish at 7 p.m. If we haven't met our targets, we have to keep working until we do. I usually finish on time, so I can leave on time. Several of the new educated youths are working overtime."

"What time did you get up this morning?"

Four o'clock.

"What did you eat this morning? Was it the same as what was left for me in the pot? I'll get up and make it for you tomorrow morning, so you can sleep in a little longer."

"No need, you're a patient, you need to rest more. Breakfast won't be a problem."

The next morning, An Moxue got up, and Wu Sicheng got up too. An Moxue was cooking red date, goji berry, and millet porridge in a pot, with a few eggs in it and steamed buns on top. When she was making shredded potatoes, Wu Sicheng took over. When he was about to scoop out the lard from the oil jar, An Moxue stopped him and turned around to take an oil bottle from the cupboard. "Use this oil, put in a lot." Well, Wu Sicheng certainly learned something new.

While he was cooking, An Moxue kneaded a large bowl of dough. After kneading, she covered it with another bowl and said, "I'll go to the garden to pick some cabbage in a bit. Before I finish work, you chop it into filling. There's some cured meat in that basket, so chop it up a bit more. Just chop it up, and I'll prepare the filling when I get back. We'll make steamed buns for dinner tonight."

Before she left, I watched as she packed three eggs, four steamed buns, a box of shredded potatoes, a half-filled bottle of meat sauce, and a pot of milk powder, and she reminded him to make some for him as well.

I've figured it out these past few days. He doesn't dress extravagantly (that's just how you see it), but he eats really well. The dough he makes looks dark, but it's actually just a little bit of sorghum flour, and the rest is all white flour. His closet is full of stacks of clothes, and he even has special clothes to wear to bed at night. There are also two big fish in the kitchen bucket, which must weigh more than ten pounds in total.

Wu Sicheng received timely treatment for his injury, and he has been eating well these past few days, so his recovery has been particularly fast. He can now walk normally, but he still can't run or jump.

An Moxue's work is getting better and better; she's no longer as flustered as she was at the beginning, worried about cutting herself with the sickle.

During lunch break, just as An Moxue sat down to eat, that forgetful guy came to get his attention again. "An Moxue, could you trade me some of your meat sauce? I really can't eat this plain cabbage." Li Weiguo said with a sincere face, but you have to ignore his eyes.

"Sure." Upon hearing An Moxue's words, Li Weiguo immediately handed over the lunchbox.

"What are you going to offer in exchange?" His face contorted for a moment, seemingly surprised by An Moxue's response. An Moxue looked at him with a smile, as if to say, "Where's the item?"

Li Weiguo's hand holding the lunchbox stiffened for a moment, and he could only say, "I'll give it to you when I get back after work."

An Moxue still smiled and said, "Then tell me what you'll trade it for. I have meat sauce."

"I'll give you the money, okay?"

An Moxue said casually, "I'm not short of money. Right now, even if you have money, you can't buy meat. Besides, I have plenty of soy sauce in my meat. Right now, even if you have money, you can't buy oil. Aren't you just blatantly trying to take advantage of me?"

"An Moxue, you can exchange it or not, then forget it." "You just keep saying you'll exchange it, but you don't even say what you'll offer in return. You've already taken my things with you, isn't that blatantly taking advantage? And now you're not even letting people talk about it? What kind of person are you!"

Li Weiguo angrily turned around and went to the side.

Zhang Xiu turned her head and whispered, "You don't know since you moved out, but this Li Weiguo is like a woman, always trying to take advantage of others, and then he says it all in a high-sounding way. He wants to take advantage of everyone." Liu Jie nodded in agreement.

An Moxue gave each of them a small spoonful of meat sauce. The two of them were a little embarrassed, but they still accepted it. They said they would bring something for An Moxue next time, but An Moxue didn't seem to care much.

When An Moxue finished work in the afternoon, she still carried a string of loaches and a string of frogs home.

When she got home, the filling was already prepared. An Moxue asked Wu Sicheng to clean the loach, frog, and a fish. Tonight, they would stew the fish in the pot and steam buns on top, making it all in one pot. This would make it easier to cook the loach and frog tomorrow morning, so they could pack lunch for themselves.

Dinner was steamed buns and stewed carp. Wu Sicheng silently wished it could always be like this, with someone she liked and delicious food.

The meal was eaten quietly. An Moxue was exhausted from a day's work and just wanted to eat, while Wu Sicheng was thinking about leaving and how to tell An Moxue.

After dinner, An Moxue was getting ready to sleep. Wu Sicheng saw that if he didn't say anything soon, An Moxue would go to sleep, so he had no choice but to speak up.

"Um, Mo Xue, thank you for saving me this time. I can walk freely now, so I have to leave. I'll leave when it's light tomorrow morning."

"Are you sure you can leave now? You're not fully recovered yet."

"It's not a big problem, the mission is more important. Don't worry, I'll cover your food, lodging and medicine for the next few days. I'll definitely send it to you when I get back, but I can't give you a specific time. I hope you can understand."

"Okay, I'm not in a hurry. Shall I prepare some food for you? And bring some wound medicine; it works quite well."

"I don't need the food, but I need the medicine, so please don't be shy. Thank you, Mo Xue."

"Are you going to eat before you leave tomorrow morning, or just get up and leave?"

"Get up and leave. The autumn harvest starts early, so we need to leave early."

"Okay, I'll pack the medicine for you. Don't forget to pick it up tomorrow morning. I'll also get you some gauze."

"OK."

"Mo Xue" (漠雪).

"Um?"

Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

"No."

"So, do you have any plans? If so, could you consider me?"

"?"

Wu Sicheng suddenly stood up and walked to stand in front of An Moxue. An Moxue looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong?"

"Mo Xue, I like you. I've liked you since the first time we met, but every time we meet, it's always in a rush. I've never had a chance to tell you. I don't know when we'll meet again after this departure. So, I want you to know, will you be my girlfriend?"

An Moxue was surprised by his sudden confession. Although she had noticed his ulterior motives last time, she hadn't paid much attention to it.

She thought for a moment, then looked at Wu Sicheng seriously and replied, "I admit I don't dislike you or have feelings for you, but do you know my age?"

"I know, Seventeen."

"Okay, to be precise, I should say I'm sixteen. Besides, both my father and mother have passed away. In my mother's will, she stated that I cannot date or get married before I turn twenty. And I agree with that. Can you accept that?"

Wu Sicheng was genuinely surprised that An Moxue's mother would leave such a last message. He was so shocked that he didn't say anything after An Moxue finished speaking. He really didn't expect this to be possible. It was too rare. Nowadays, it's so common for girls to get married at sixteen or seventeen.

An Moxue felt that he was a decent person, and since she couldn't refuse him directly, it would be better to be tactful. So she said to him, "So I'm very sorry. If I'm still single when I'm twenty, and we're still in contact and have feelings for each other, and you still want me to be your girlfriend then, I'll consider it. Not now, I'm too young. Thank you for your feelings."

Wu Sicheng looked at An Moxue with utmost seriousness in his eyes: "Then, I will wait for you to grow up."

An Moxue's eyes gleamed with undisguised joy: "I'll be watching."

"Can I write you a letter?"

"If we're just friends, that's fine."

"If I write you a letter, will you reply?"

"meeting."

"Mo Xue, if you have any difficulties, just come to me and I'll help you solve them."

"OK."

"I'll give you my address and a phone number. Call me in case of emergency."

"OK."

Wu Sicheng's first confession of love ended in failure, but he still didn't want to give up. He wasn't sure if An Moxue would like him in the future, nor was he sure if An Moxue would want to be liked by him.

But it was precisely in this autumn that Wu Sicheng met An Moxue. All his preconceived fantasies about lovers, marriage, family, and the future were all centered around An Moxue.

There are no shortcuts to happiness, nor is there anything perfect; happiness comes only from effort and sincerity.

Wu Sicheng looks forward to the day when he can win An Moxue's heart.