The next morning, An Moxue cleaned up the house, put the two little ones into a cage and stored them in her space, put on a green military uniform and carried a military green schoolbag to the brigade headquarters.

At the brigade headquarters, the village chief, accountant, militia company commander, and squad leader were all present.

As soon as An Moxue entered the house, everyone turned to look at her, making her feel a little embarrassed. The village chief quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "You look great in that outfit, very smart!"

An Moxue asked, "Uncle Guo, when will the leader arrive?"

"They said it would be a little after eight. It should be soon."

An Moxue glanced at her watch; it was already 7:30.

Village Chief Guo looked at everyone and said, "Don't be nervous, everyone. Just be the same as usual. Just answer the leaders' questions truthfully."

An Moxue noticed that everyone was wearing their best clothes, and they were all dressed neatly, showing how much they valued the leader's arrival. Even their hair looked freshly washed.

Collective honor is paramount to them. Although they are poor, they are full of hope for life, something An Moxue lacks and something she yearns for.

At 8:30, the militiamen on duty at the village entrance reported that they had spotted a car approaching from a distance.

When An Moxue and the village chief arrived at the village entrance in a hurry, they saw several horse-drawn carriages and mule carts approaching the village in the distance.

The first car was carrying county leaders. An Moxue was called to the front of the first car by Village Chief Guo and greeted the leaders.

The vehicles were all driven to the drying ground, and a group of forty or fifty leaders and some village representatives entered the village in a great commotion.

As everyone walked on the ground of Anle Village, listening to the village chief's introduction, An Moxue realized for the first time that the village chief was so eloquent, and so articulate.

He could even portray the village's study groups as something noble, glorious, and righteous, brimming with positive energy. The key was that his leaders seemed to agree with him, while those from other villages appeared to be humbly learning from him.

I spent the morning looking at the village's appearance and visiting a few households. These were all random checks by the leaders, and the villagers really didn't know about them. Fortunately, although the villagers were a bit nervous and stammered when answering the leaders' questions, overall they were quite nice.

Finally, the leader suggested visiting An Moxue's residence. An Moxue occasionally answered the leader's questions throughout the morning, but the other village representatives kept asking her questions, as they also wanted such an outstanding educated youth comrade.

Not only do they have face in front of the leaders, but more importantly, they are worry-free. Village Chief Guo didn't hear what they were thinking, otherwise he would have definitely slapped them. He didn't see the trouble. Back then, his hair turned white with worry, fearing that this seedling would cause trouble in his village!

He's truly adept at making meritorious contributions, but he's also a master at getting into trouble!

An Moxue looked at the village chief, who nodded. As she walked, she said, "Leaders, please follow me. Because of my martial arts training, I eat a lot and get up early. After living in the educated youth compound for a while, I realized that living and eating with them would cause trouble for the other educated youth. So, Uncle Village Chief agreed to let me live alone, and that's how I moved here. The villagers helped me build the house, which allowed me to move in smoothly. Since I came here, many people in the village have given me a lot of help. Although I have lost my father and mother, the people in the village have given me the warmth of family. This is my second hometown, and I must build it up and protect it."

Her words were praised by the leaders present, and everyone applauded enthusiastically, praising An Moxue for being a descendant of soldiers and the villagers for their kindness and enthusiasm. The village chief and other village cadres were all smiles.

The group toured An Moxue's house and had one impression: it was incredibly clean and tidy, and it was so comfortable to look at.

It was already noon when they left An Moxue's house. The village arranged for them to have lunch at the brigade headquarters. It was only then that An Moxue realized that when leaders came to the countryside, they were served four dishes and a soup, and even meals required paying for food with grain coupons per person.

After the meal, the leaders visited two elderly people living alone. They learned from the elderly that the village took good care of them and that An Zhiqing would also give them some food, but he told them not to say anything, as no one in the village knew about it.

This made the group even more fond of An Moxue. She did good deeds without seeking fame, truly befitting the daughter of a martyr.

An Moxue felt a little ashamed. She had only shared some of the coarse grains that she didn't eat with these old people. They were not bad or mean, and they had no relatives left, yet they always kept her in their hearts.

She always felt that once a person has a certain level of ability and strength, it is perfectly acceptable to help those in need within their own capabilities. When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should help others. Just do what you feel is right.

She wouldn't care if she were lonely and mean-spirited. There was an old lady in the village, but she didn't give her any. If she saw a young girl dressed well or looking good, she would say that she was improper and a vixen. She was envious of anyone who had something good. She was a complete envy person. She especially disliked people like An Moxue. She wouldn't even feed the small animals on the mountain!

An Moxue was so flattered that she doubted if it was really her. She was so embarrassed that she could have built a villa out of her own hands. She could only laugh and let them talk. Finally, the group moved to another place and their last stop was the educated youth settlement.

The educated youth at the settlement eagerly awaited the arrival of the leaders, hoping to find an opportunity to make a good impression on them.

When the leaders arrived at the educated youth settlement, they singled out An Moxue and asked her to give an introduction. An Moxue quickly pushed out Xu Guoqing, the head of the educated youth settlement, and hid to the side, only then did she feel that the fiery gazes from the crowd had lessened a bit.

After seeing the leaders off at the village entrance, her face was stiff with smiles.

Looking at the other village officials, they all seemed to be working up a lot of energy. She really wanted to ask, "Aren't you tired?", but she didn't dare. She had a bad feeling that if she asked, it would bring bad luck.

Thinking about the commendation meeting I have to attend in the county in a few days, I hope it won't be even more tiring than today!

She rubbed her face, which was stiff from smiling, and walked home listlessly. This day was more tiring than running through deep mountains and forests.

When she got near her house, she saw Wang Zhaodi walking alone towards the back of her house. She looked a little hurried, but she didn't pay attention and went home.

She spent most of the day smiling and had to answer all sorts of tricky questions from village representatives, afraid of being taken advantage of and losing face. It was exhausting, both mentally and physically. Are people these days so shrewd?

Whoever says they're honest and kind, come out here, I promise I won't kill him. Listen to that—

'An Zhiqing, how did you encounter so many enemies during your time in the countryside?' Is this what I wanted to encounter?! Is this something I can decide all by myself?

"An, you are so lucky to have such a great opportunity and become a role model among educated youth." You should know that you only see the good in others and not their efforts and contributions.