Aunt Ma called from the kitchen, "Wash your hands, pick up the dishes, dinner's ready!"
"Auntie, it's done so quickly? What did you do? It smells so good!" An Moxue asked as she washed her hands.
Aunt Ma smiled, said nothing, and just carried the bowls and plates outside.
An Moxue wondered, what was he doing? And so mysteriously.
"Come on, sit down." An Moxue came out after washing her hands, and Aunt Ma had already set the food on the table.
A stew made in one pot, crispy yellow croaker, cucumber salad, stir-fried fatty and lean meat, golden pancakes, crispy and crunchy, full of the sweet aroma of corn.
An Moxue looked at the food on the table and her appetite was whetted. "Auntie, I didn't feel hungry at first, but seeing all this food suddenly makes me hungry."
"Eat quickly if you're hungry, eat more, and don't talk." Aunt Ma put a piece of stir-fried pork and lean meat on her plate.
"Try it, back in the day..." She suddenly paused, then continued, "I won over your Uncle Ma with this dish. You old geezer, don't you think?"
"Yes, who told me to be so greedy! But your dish is really delicious." Old Ma politely picked up a bite and put it in his mouth.
An Moxue felt that Aunt Ma hadn't meant to say that, but she didn't think much of it and started eating in silence.
An Moxue ate a few bites and said, "Auntie, the food at home is still the best."
She was so engrossed in eating that she didn't notice Aunt Ma watching her eat. She didn't touch her chopsticks, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Old Ma picked up a small yellow croaker and gave it to Aunt Ma, saying, "Old woman, eat quickly, you've worked hard tonight!" Then he just kept looking at her.
Aunt Ma glared at him fiercely, then, taking advantage of An Moxue's inattention, wiped her eyes, picked up a small yellow croaker, and began to eat it.
An Moxue ate her meal with great satisfaction, Uncle Ma ate with trepidation, and Aunt Ma felt extremely distressed.
"Mo Xue! Is the food bad where you are? You look thinner! Do you want some dumplings? We'll make some tomorrow morning, and you can come over to eat them. I've saved a small piece of meat. What kind of filling do you want? Do you want some sauerkraut? Your Aunt Huaihua has a few locust trees stored in the cellar; they're really good. Shall I go ask her for one?"
An Moxue felt a warm glow in her heart. Well, here comes another person who thinks she's lost weight.
"Auntie, I haven't lost weight, I've actually gained two pounds! Maybe this outfit makes me look slimmer. Forget about the pickled cabbage, we'd have to ask someone for it anyway. How about we eat celery instead?" An Moxue knew that if she said she wasn't coming, the old couple would just cook it and bring it to her, so she figured she might as well come herself.
“Okay.” Aunt Ma’s eyes crinkled with joy.
"Uncle, Aunt, come here, let me take your pulses and see how much your health has improved after taking this medicine for the past six months?"
Aunt Ma came first, and An Moxue put her hand on her wrist and said, "Auntie, you're much better. Keep taking your medicine. Do you have any more?"
"Yes, we can eat it for a while longer."
"Uncle Ma!" Old Ma stretched out his hand, and An Moxue took his wrist. After a while, she asked, "Uncle Ma, is there anything else that's bothering you?"
"It's gone, and my legs and feet are much more agile now."
“You’ve finished your current medication, so you can stop taking it for now. I’ll go up the mountain to collect some herbs and get you two some more medicine. You can take that then.”
"Still want to eat? I'm much better now, I don't need to eat anymore." Uncle Ma said somewhat reluctantly.
"Nutritional supplements will ensure you live to be a hundred," An Moxue coaxed.
"Alright! You've seen enough, go back now. I cleaned the house this morning, it's not dirty, get some rest."
After the meal and a pulse check, Uncle Ma started to usher people out.
"Auntie, look, I just throw it away after Uncle Ma uses it!" After saying that, she made a face at Old Ma and ran out of the yard.
"Hey! We haven't taken the things yet!" Old Ma shouted.
"No rush, let's do it tomorrow! I'm going home now." An Moxue had already left the courtyard and run a distance.
After An Moxue walked away, Aunt Ma stared blankly at Old Ma, making him feel very uneasy.
"Old woman, what's wrong? What's the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?" Old Ma's words were steady, but his heart was in a panic.
Aunt Ma just stared at him without saying a word.
After a while, Old Ma tentatively asked, "Old woman, can I go out and find someone to chat with for a bit?"
"What do you think?" Aunt Ma asked, her face unusually serious.
"I'd better not go. There's nothing to say anyway. I'll go weave two little baskets for Mo Xue to carry fruits. She loves the little baskets I make. This time they have to be even more exquisite and pretty. That girl likes everything that looks nice."
"She looks exactly like her mother did when she was a child, doesn't she?"
"Of course!" Old Ma suddenly realized something was wrong and said, "Of course it is, I don't even know her mother."
"Old man, do you know you have a problem?"
"Huh?" Old Ma thought to himself, what's wrong with me? How come I don't know? Besides, isn't this question a bit too far off?
"You always talk a lot in front of me, and it's mostly just making conversation. That's rare. We've been together for most of our lives, and you've only said that a few times. Are you still hiding it from me or not?"
Old Ma was completely dumbfounded. How come he didn't know he had this problem?
This old woman is quite something!
"Old woman, what have I been hiding from you? How come I don't know anything about it?"
Aunt Ma was so angry that she stood up and paced back and forth in the yard.
Suddenly, he strode quickly into the house. Uncle Ma panicked and followed him inside.
Aunt Ma sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), holding a large palm-leaf fan and gently fanning herself, saying, "Didn't you just blurt it out? What, are you trying to deny it? When did you find out?"
"Old woman, you know I just blurt things out without thinking. How can words spoken without thinking be considered true? You tell me, that's how it is. When you get old, your mind just doesn't work as well," Old Ma said ingratiatingly, not hesitating to make fun of himself.
"What? Am I really that untrustworthy to you?" Aunt Ma said, a little sadly.
No one spoke in the room. After a long while, Uncle Ma sighed and said, "It's not that. I just feel that the more people who know, the more danger there is, and the more worries they have. Your health has been getting worse over the years, and I don't want you to worry, especially about Miss Ma. I'm afraid you can't handle it. You don't know her identity, but that hasn't stopped you from liking her and treating her well, has it?" Old Ma said earnestly, his words revealing his concern for Aunt Ma.
“How can that be the same? I’ve guarded this place for most of my life, and this is my only wish. I…” Aunt Ma said, breaking down in tears.
Old Ma took a handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears, comforting her, "Look, the young lady hasn't come back, but the little young lady has. We can only think positively. Now she only has the two of us old bones left, don't you think?"
"Yes, don't worry, I know what's important. This is something only the two of us know. I won't tell our children. But, just thinking about Miss still makes my heart ache."
Old Ma put his arm around Aunt Ma and said, "I know, I understand. You don't know, but the moment she called me today, I felt like I saw Miss Ma come back."
"Me too! I wish it were Miss!"
"Shall we do for the young lady what we didn't have time to do for her?"
"good."
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