Wu Sicheng quickly brought back a cup of malted milk powder, placed it in front of An Moxue, took the porridge in front of her, and drank it.

An Moxue glanced at him but didn't say anything. However, the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her good mood.

"I don't like either sweet or savory porridge. It always tastes weird. Plain porridge is much better," An Moxue said while eating a steamed bun.

Wu Sicheng finished the last mouthful of porridge and said, "Hmm, I won't buy any next time. These steamed buns are very salty and fragrant, with a local flavor; I haven't had them anywhere else. Where should we go after we finish eating?"

"Let's check the pharmacy first, then go into the mountains. Have you taken the Guiyuan Pill?"

"I took it. I took it right after breakfast. Shortly after taking this medicine, I felt a warm current running through my body, and then I slowly regained my strength. I'm fine now, so is it a bit wasteful to take this medicine? Can I save it for when I need it?" Wu Sicheng asked cautiously.

“If you don’t eat, give it back to me. You don’t feel anything now, but you’re actually overdrawing your health in middle and old age, even affecting your lifespan. I plan to live to be over a hundred, and I can do it. Can you?” An Moxue looked at him with disdain, then said, “The future old man, stay away from me. Even when I’m old, I’ll still be a beautiful and elegant old lady that everyone loves. You, I’m afraid, will have a hard time! You don’t know how to take care of yourself. While you’re young, you’re squandering your youth. You don’t even need to wait until you’re old for all the illnesses to come knocking. Don’t drag me down with you. Stay as far away as possible.”

Wu Sicheng was both amused and exasperated by her words. How could it be so serious? "I'll eat it! I'll eat it. Do you have to scare me like this?"

"I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just stating the facts. Take it or leave it. Anyway, you're the one suffering, and I'm saving on medicine! Those are all made with precious medicinal herbs, they're priceless!" An Moxue rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky. If it weren't for the fact that he was so physically depleted because of her, would she have bothered to give him the Rejuvenation Pill?

It's very precious!

She was a little reluctant to part with it!

I thought it was a Chinese cabbage!

"I'll eat it all, okay? You tell me how you want to eat it, and I'll eat it all. Don't be angry, I'll help you gather herbs when we go up the mountain later," Wu Sicheng coaxed gently.

"Hmph!" An Moxue was too lazy to pay attention to him. Her real purpose was to conduct a preliminary investigation of the terrain on the treasure map. Finding medicinal herbs was just a pretext.

“You like these buns, I’ll go buy a few more and roast them on the mountain.” Wu Sicheng said, about to leave, but An Moxue stopped him, “Wait a minute, I’m about to finish eating, let’s go together!”

"Okay, whatever you say." He sat down again and said, "I have a few days to go with you to dig for medicinal herbs. Is there anything you particularly want to dig?"

An Mo shook his head and said, "I don't know what's in the mountains around here. We'll only know when we see it. Besides, precious medicinal herbs are very rare. You can't just get them if you want them. It depends on luck. I've heard that the Dendrobium officinale here is very famous. I don't know if we'll be able to find it."

Because of An Moxue, Wu Sicheng had some knowledge of the medicinal properties of herbs and said, "Go and look around the rocky cliffs on the mountain peaks where there is some shade and some sun. The chances of finding them will be much higher."

"Yes, we need to get ropes, a hoe, a basket, and some food. We might not be back tonight."

When Wu Sicheng heard that she wouldn't be back that night, he thought he should bring some rice, seasonings, and preferably a small cooking pot. He would go to the Lion Troupe to ask if they had any.

Thinking this, he saw that An Moxue hadn't finished eating yet, so he said, "Moxue, I'm going out for a bit, I'll be back in a little while, wait for me."

With that, he left the house.

Wu Sicheng asked the head chef of the Lion Troupe and found out that they did. He took a pack of cigarettes as a gift, borrowed a pot, a basket, a rope, and a military shovel, and asked for some seasonings, then wrapped it up.

When she returned, An Moxue had already finished eating the steamed buns and was all ready.

Upon seeing the basket on his back, she smiled and said, "Is everything ready?"

Wu Sicheng said, "I was worried that it would be difficult to buy a medicine hoe, so I borrowed two military shovels."

"Okay, it works. You're very thoughtful. Let's go!"

The two of them went out without attracting much attention; in the past, they would have been the center of attention among the locals.

Now, the town is guarded by soldiers, and the people who haven't been arrested live in fear, afraid that if they do anything wrong, they will be arrested. Who cares about what happens to others!

As the two walked along the road, looking at the somewhat desolate street, An Moxue asked, "Are many people involved?" When she returned, she had only given Xu Qingfeng a detailed report of the ordeal; she hadn't learned anything else and didn't know the specifics.

"There are many. I estimate that most of these people will be moved to another location and then imprisoned for a long time. The Northwest is a strong possibility."

"Everyone has to be responsible for their own actions, and you can't blame others. It's just a pity about this beautiful place."

"Things will get better here over time."

"How do we deal with those people?"

"They'll most likely be executed secretly. Making it public would have too much of an impact, and there are still some other contacts they haven't caught!"

"Do you think similar situations exist in other places?" An Moxue asked, but she believed that they definitely did.

While it's still relatively easy to handle, the Chinese people have zero tolerance for spies these days.

Once the reform and opening up take place, things will be very different. A simple statement like "everything should be focused on the economy" can help them avoid the crux of the matter and get away with it. But why should they?

Speaking of this, Wu Sicheng became serious and said, "There definitely will be. So, things will be tense in China for a while."

An Moxue, seemingly lost in thought, teased, "Well, be careful, especially with the honey trap. The trick doesn't have to be old-fashioned; it just has to work. The enemy has no bottom line."

Wu Sicheng's tone sounded gloating; was this a warning?

They're looking forward to a good show!

Wu Sicheng said seriously, "I need to think about it carefully. There can't be any women within three meters, not even handsome young men. And you can't be alone with any woman, no matter the reason. So, do you have anything to add?"

Whether it's his family background or his personality, over the years, people have encountered all sorts of bizarre women who try to scam them. He's very experienced, and even various leaders want to act as matchmakers for him. He's truly a hot commodity.

Unfortunately, Miss An didn't play by the rules. She looked at him with shining eyes and asked, "Have you ever met any special women? For example, the kind who are really good at pretending, weak and helpless, and who always say 'Brother Sicheng' when they talk?"

An Moxue pinched her nose and said "Brother Sicheng," feeling disgusted with herself. After saying it, she looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when she found that no one was around. Then, she burst into laughter to herself.

At the same time, it made Wu Sicheng unable to hold back his laughter, but he dared not say that there really were such people. It sounded disgusting and nauseating. If Mo Xue called him that in private, he would find it quite amusing.

Unfortunately, I only dared to think it in my heart, but I didn't have the courage to say it.