Aunt Ma, busy with her work, didn't look up much as she said to Old Ma, "Old man, Mo Xue hasn't come back for two years. Do you think she'll be able to come back this year? Should we prepare more New Year's goods?"
"What's wrong? Something was mailed to us. Even though there's no news, it's still good news. It proves she's still alive, which is better than anything else. But we still need to prepare things. The team is distributing pork in a couple of days. We need a piece of pork tenderloin. If she comes back, you can make her sweet and sour pork. Only pork tenderloin makes the best sweet and sour pork. That girl loves it the most."
Old Ma was weaving a beautiful little basket made of Ula grass. It was so exquisite that if An Moxue were here, she would definitely love it.
"Old man, when you put these baskets away, please cover them up a bit so they don't get dusty and look bad. When Mo Xue comes back, she'll be overjoyed to see these little baskets."
"Yes, I know. She sent all the ones I made last time to the ancestral graves, saying she was afraid thieves would damage them while she was away. Also, the girl said that foreigners really like these handicrafts. She said that when things improve, she wants to go back to the village and open a handicraft company. She told me to think of some exquisite designs in my spare time, and then go to the company to provide technical guidance, export these overseas, and earn foreign exchange for the country!" Old Ma finished speaking, his face full of anticipation and pride.
"She has a job and can even come back to start a company. This isn't the era of Second Master anymore. Can she manage? I wonder how the girl is doing?"
"The girl said that day will come, so just believe her. I feel like I see the shadow of Second Master in her." Old Ma stopped what he was doing and fell into reminiscence.
"When will that be?" Aunt Ma thought it would be a long wait.
Old Ma pulled himself out of his reverie and asked somewhat mysteriously, "Look at those people from our village who were sent down to the countryside, how many have returned to the city in the past few months? And who are they?"
Aunt Ma thought for a moment and said, "It seems that all the intellectuals have gone back, and what's left are mostly capitalists and others."
Old Ma said approvingly, "That's right! It's not just in our village, it's the whole county. When I went to the county and chatted with some of my old friends, the most talked-about topic was the return of these people who had been sent down to the countryside. It means the policy is about to change, and things might really change."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Be careful what you say when you go out these days. Be careful not to be led astray and say anything inappropriate."
"I know to be careful with my words and actions," Aunt Ma said, glancing at him.
"Why don't we go back to the revolutionary rear? My dear, you have such high ideals."
"Don't flatter me. You've been fooling me like this for years. Only I know how bitter it was." As Aunt Ma spoke, she suddenly burst into tears, as if she had remembered something.
Old Ma stood up abruptly, went to Aunt Ma's side, and carefully apologized: "It's all my fault. I said the wrong thing again and made you sad. Don't cry. I'll make you a cup of brown sugar water to sweeten your mouth and help you forget all those sad things!"
Aunt Ma burst into laughter through her tears and said, "Go quickly!"
"Yes!" Old Ma replied verbally, but his feet moved even faster. He reached the counter, scooped out brown sugar, and poured hot water. His feet were incredibly nimble, clearly indicating that he did this often.
"Old man, come, take a rest for a while." Aunt Ma, who was very attentive, smiled and slowly drank the water from her teacup, adding a thoughtful note: "Be careful, it's hot, drink slowly."
"Is the world really going to change? Not for the worse, but for the better?" Aunt Ma still couldn't believe it. In the first few years, those Red Guards of the Cabinet Committee were so crazy that she didn't dare to think of anything positive.
"You see, I don't read those newspapers for nothing. They're all about national affairs, and we have to pay attention to them."
"Yes, yes, you're the best!"
"That's right, trust me, you won't go wrong."
"I just said a few nice things to you and you're already getting cocky. Take it easy," Aunt Ma said with a laugh.
"However, the number of educated youth allowed to return to the city each year has increased. I heard there are three this year! They should all leave quickly! Look at all those people who made such a mess of the village. It'll be peaceful once they're gone." Aunt Ma thought about those educated youth, and even someone as good-tempered as her found it a bit annoying.
"Our village is considered good; the village chief is strict, and nothing major has gone wrong. Other villages, on the other hand, have all sorts of problems; I'm embarrassed to even mention them to you," Old Ma said, pursing his lips dismissively.
"Tell me about it." Aunt Ma became interested. That's why they say women, no matter how old they are or whether they are outgoing or introverted, all have a gossipy heart!
"Just the two of us, don't go outside and tell anyone," Old Ma instructed.
"Yes, tell me quickly, what are the things I don't know?" Aunt Ma looked at him expectantly.
"You know Qian Gou, right? There was a female educated youth who heard that a soldier was returning to the village, so she blocked the riverbank where the soldier would inevitably pass on his way home. She seized the opportunity and jumped into the river. But it was just a coincidence that the soldier on the other side of the river was far away, and the female educated youth didn't see that a scoundrel was following her. Seeing her go into the water, he jumped in the next second as well. By the time the soldier got close, the scoundrel was already carrying the female educated youth and swimming towards the shore! The soldier saw this and wanted to help, but the scoundrel revealed the female educated youth's plan. The soldier was so scared that he watched from the shore as the scoundrel rescued her and quickly left. And that wasn't the end of it. The scoundrel even swaggered back to the village with the female educated youth in his arms, and many villagers saw it."
"That female educated youth just let him hold her?"
"It would be strange if she could break free."
"And then there's Qian Dian. As soon as the quota for educated youth to return to the city came down, some active women found a way to get the accountant of Qian Dian Village to accompany him until he returned to the city. But on the very second night, they caught them red-handed by the educated youth and the villagers. It happened just a few days ago."
"That's true. In recent years, I've also heard of women buying aphrodisiacs for abortion, then suffering severe bleeding, and the men denying responsibility when things go wrong. There were also cases of female educated youth dying in the past."
"What are women compared to men?"
"You know Tiger Village, right? Most of the people in that village are descendants of those bandits from back then, and they're still quite the bandits! The village secretary's aunt took a fancy to a young educated youth, forced herself on him, and afterwards even said that if the young educated youth didn't agree to marry her, she would sue him for indecent assault. Later, that young educated youth died of depression and illness less than three years after getting married. Even good-looking men bring misfortune; it's not a good thing."
"It's true, our Mo Xue is so beautiful. I wonder if she'll encounter any troubles outside?"
Old Ma fell silent. He didn't know either, but he felt there must be one.
The two elderly people fell silent. The people who had been talking so enthusiastically just moments before suddenly lost the desire to continue, leaving only deep longing and worry.
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