After the winter fishing season, several days of heavy snow fell, reaching knee-deep, blocking the roads and turning the entire Anle Village into a world of ice and snow.
Every day, besides sweeping the snow off the house, An Moxue would stay in her space reading books and researching pharmaceuticals, keeping herself very busy.
Meanwhile, the Tang family was in an uproar. Tang He, along with the helpless Tang Shan and Tang Hai, finally returned to the Tang family in Zhongchuan.
When the Tang family heard that the three people had returned, they rushed over, only to find two people who were so thin they were unrecognizable, their faces contorted with pain, and they could barely sit up.
The shock was impossible to hide, and everyone was talking at once, mostly expressing their anger at the provocation against the Tang family's authority.
After all, hearing about something and seeing it are different things, and the impact is enormous.
The head of the Tang family asked Tang He, "What exactly is going on?"
“Master, when I went there, An Moxue had just locked them in the cellar. They weren’t much better off then than they are now. They saw a doctor but their condition didn’t improve. They couldn’t speak or move.”
"What did the doctor say?"
"The doctor couldn't figure it out either. In the end, I went to a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, who said that my tendons and veins were all broken and that I would be like this for the rest of my life."
"Can't you speak? Why can't you say anything?"
"My speech acupoints were sealed, and I tried to find several doctors over there, but none of them worked. Maybe finding someone who knows acupuncture can cure me, which is why I rushed back. After all, it would be best to know exactly what happened back then."
"How is Tang Jiang doing over there?"
"We're still collecting data, so it will take less time for the next batch to go."
"Didn't you see An Moxue?"
"No, she wasn't home when I went there; she had gone out."
"Can a sixteen-year-old girl really be this capable? Could she have someone backing her up?"
"That's what I think too. She was sent to the countryside for a few months, but she was named an outstanding educated youth and is quite famous in the county. I don't believe there's nothing fishy about it. But I came and went in a hurry and didn't manage to collect much useful information. I can only rely on Tang Jiang's report."
"It's alright, I've sent a few more people to help him complete the mission."
"Master, her father and mother were both martyrs. What bad things could a teenage girl who just graduated from high school do? Are you sure you're not mistaken!"
"Don't ask questions that aren't your concern. If you're ordered to arrest her, you must have a reason. Just obey orders."
"Yes, then I'll take my leave."
......
Kyoto Customs Chief's Office
"Commander, is giving up the only option?" Zhang Jing asked dejectedly.
"This is the only way for now. If we hold on too tightly, I won't be able to protect our faction. There's no other way. As long as we don't give up, we'll always find an opportunity in the future."
"We've just started to get some leads, but the longer we investigate, the harder it will be. How are we going to explain this to that girl, Mo Xue!"
"There's no other way. We can't even protect ourselves, let alone anything else. Only by preserving ourselves can we plan for anything else."
Zhang Jing slammed his fist on the table and said, "How am I supposed to tell that girl, Mo Xue! I told her last time that things were looking promising. What kind of mess is this?!"
"What can we do? We can't fight city hall. The situation is beyond our control, so we have to back down. That girl is very generous! Just tell her the truth and what we found out. She won't blame us."
"What about the available spots?"
"This won't change. Go back and thoroughly investigate your family. Deal with anything that shouldn't be there immediately. Be careful with your words and actions, keep your family in check, and warn the people below as well. Arranging for the children to go to the countryside in advance has saved so much trouble. Go back and check if there are any other families with children who need help. If so, make arrangements immediately. Make it clear beforehand, or you'll regret it if something goes wrong."
"Yes, sir."
......
"Mo Xue! Mo Xue! Are you home?"
"Auntie, come in! The door's unlocked."
"Sigh!" Aunt Guo led her granddaughter Duoduo with her right hand and carried a basket in her left hand as she entered the house.
"Mo Xue, this room is so warm!"
"Auntie, take off your shoes and sit on the kang (heated brick bed). Oh my, our lovely Duoduo is here too? Aren't you cold?"
"Aunt An, you're not cold."
“Our Duoduo is such a good girl.” An Moxue said as she opened the cabinet, took out some melon seeds, peanuts and a few pieces of candy and put them in a plate, then took a piece of candy and stuffed it into Duoduo’s mouth.
Duoduo ate the candy, her eyes crinkling with delight, she was extremely satisfied.
An Moxue grabbed another handful of melon seeds and stuffed them into Aunt Guo's hand.
Aunt Guo handed over the basket and said, "Girl, these are sticky rice dumplings made from millet. You can eat them slowly. If you like them after you've finished eating, come back to Aunt Guo and I'll make more."
"Auntie, this basket is too much. I'll keep a few. If you like them, you can teach me how to cook them."
"Since I brought it to you, it means I can afford it. What are you dawdling about? Just take it."
"Alright then, I'll accept your kind offer, Auntie."
"Your uncle said you mailed all the fish you bought, is that true?"
"How did my uncle know that?"
“He saw you go to get the fish and head towards town. I was thinking, with your generosity, you probably gave it all away as gifts. You should at least keep a small one for yourself to eat during the New Year! Even if you don't have meat for the New Year, you still need fish!”
"Auntie really understands me. It's okay, I'll just buy another one for Chinese New Year."
"How can they be the same? Besides, the fish in the Ursu River are so delicious and tender! How can fish from other places compare?"
"Then I'll sneak off to the river tonight and get one," An Moxue said jokingly to Aunt Guo.
"Go away, stop teasing me. It's finally winter, don't stay cooped up at home all day. Go find some fellow educated youth your age or some girls from the village to play with. You're always alone at home, with no one to talk to, how am I supposed to enjoy that?" Aunt Guo said, cracking sunflower seeds.
"Auntie, I'm going out too, it's just that you haven't seen me much lately."
“In this village, a girl your age can spend most of the winter with a few people, going out and having fun. But you, wait a few years, get married, have a family and children, and you won’t have time to have fun anymore.”
Although An Moxue did not agree with Aunt Guo's statement, she said that it was out of the love and care of an elder for a younger generation, so An Moxue did not refute it. Some things are better left unsaid and understood by oneself, and there is no need to make everyone know.
"Auntie, the New Year is almost here, and with such heavy snow, what are we going to do about our New Year's goods?"
"Before the Lunar New Year, the town will organize a market, which will be very lively, and you can buy most things there."
"Didn't the government ban individual buying and selling? Why are there still markets?"
"This market is organized by the government, with various units selling goods. The lowest-end items are all sold by villages; there are no individual vendors."
When?
"The day before the Lunar New Year every year, what's up, want to go?"
"Yes, I do!"
"I'll come and get you then."
Where is the market?
"On the Ursu River!"
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