As they passed the training ground, they encountered more and more people, mostly in twos and threes. An Moxue looked at him and asked somewhat speechlessly, "Is your unit so free now? This is too deliberate! I didn't expect you to be so charming. I've become a monkey in the zoo. Let's go back, I'm not looking anymore."
"The main thing is that he's a bachelor in his thirties, and suddenly a girlfriend comes to visit. Isn't that strange? All the platoon leaders in our regiment are married. Just imagine how embarrassing it is for me, the regimental commander, to still be single. You understand, right? Mo Xue, when are you planning to promote me to a full-fledged officer?"
Do you own a house?
Wu Sicheng thought for a moment, "Does a two-courtyard siheyuan in Kyoto count?"
Do you have a car?
"Is a bicycle okay?"
Do you have any savings?
"Mo Xue, I'll give you the bankbook when we get back."
"You don't have as many houses as I do, your car isn't as good as mine, and you don't have as much money in your savings account as I do. What are we going to do?"
"It's okay, I'm a kept man, and I love being a kept man."
"Ahem!" The two were so engrossed in their conversation that they ignored their surroundings. Just then, two more people came around the corner. Wu Sicheng looked at them, but without changing his expression, he stood up straight and gave a military salute. "Greetings, Brigade Commander."
An Moxue was stunned. Upon closer inspection, she recognized the person in front of her as someone she had seen many years ago. It was Huang Zhong, a member of the team that rescued Wu Sicheng, and the leader she had met at the hospital in Anping County.
An Moxue quickly greeted her, "Hello, leader."
"Comrade An, it's been many years! You're even more impressive than before!"
An Moxue was a little embarrassed. "You flatter me, leader. You seem to be as energetic as ever."
"Commander Wu, Comrade An has come to our unit. You must treat him well. He is our savior and we must not let him down."
"Yes, brigade commander."
"Alright, you guys keep looking around, I won't bother you any longer." The two groups passed each other, and the brigade commander gave a meaningful smile.
After everyone had walked away, An Moxue glared at Wu Sicheng fiercely, "You definitely did that on purpose."
Wu Sicheng surrendered with his hands clasped in front of him. "Mo Xue, I'm truly innocent! I didn't see the brigade commander come over either!"
"Nobody believes you. Is your brigade commander that free? He's definitely trying to set us up on purpose, otherwise how could it be such a coincidence? I don't believe it."
An Moxue returned to Wu Sicheng's dormitory in frustration. To appease her, Wu Sicheng said, "Moxue, you haven't received the gifts I've prepared for you over the years! I'll show them to you now!"
An Moxue sat in the chair, drinking water with a blank expression.
Seeing that she didn't object, Wu Sicheng diligently took out a wooden box from the bottom of the cabinet.
He placed the box on the table, took out the key, opened it, and took out the top set of red agate jewelry. He said, "Mo Xue, look, these are the remaining pieces from the bracelet I gave you this year. Aren't they all the same red? They're made from the same piece of material." As he spoke, he put the bracelet on her wrist, then took out the pair of mother-and-child safety buckles and said, "When we have children in the future, these safety buckles can be used. The larger one is yours, and the smaller one is hers. I think you're especially suited to this vibrant red—passionate, flamboyant, and confident."
An Moxue looked at the beaded string in her hand, then picked up other jewelry and examined them one by one. "I can tell that the craftsmanship is getting better and better. They are very beautiful."
An Moxue played with the string of beads in her hand. Wu Sicheng then took out a string of black pearls and handed it to An Moxue, saying, "I heard that there were black pearls there when I was on a mission in the South Island, so I specially asked a local to exchange for this. There are 108 pearls, and the pearls are long enough to wear in several ways!" As he spoke, he demonstrated on her neck, first looping it twice, then opening it, tying a knot, and then twisting the two strands together.
An Moxue took it and started playing with it, coming up with seven or eight different ways to wear it.
The pearls are black and shiny, each one plump, round, and uniform in size.
An Moxue smiled and said, "This string of pearls could be a family heirloom. A true treasure. It must have cost a lot of money, right?"
“It’s not much money, I’m glad you like it. This is my New Year’s gift from last year, and also my birthday gift!” Wu Sicheng said, taking out a chicken blood vine bracelet from the box. “This is a chicken blood vine bracelet. It has the effect of replenishing qi and blood and promoting blood circulation. Many women in the area wear it. It is said to be very good for the body. I thought I should give you one too.”
"Thank you." Thank you for your thoughtfulness and for keeping me in mind.
As he spoke, he took off the agate bracelet from her wrist and put on the chicken blood vine bracelet instead. "This should be wearable every day without attracting attention."
"Did you make this too?" An Moxue looked at the exquisite chicken blood vine bracelet on her wrist, which also had auspicious bird patterns on it.
"I personally selected the wood, cut and pressed it myself. I made many, but this one is the most satisfying, so I'm keeping it for you. It's said that it will become shinier the more you wear it, and eventually it will become translucent."
"What about the others?"
"I ground it into powder and mailed it back to my mom. I also kept one for her, but it's not as exquisite as yours, and that one doesn't have a pattern." As An Moxue listened, the corners of her mouth couldn't be suppressed from curving upwards.
As he spoke, he took out a string of emerald green court beads. An Moxue took one look and was immediately captivated. She carefully took the beads and said, “These court beads are extraordinary! You can keep them in your bedroom without worrying that someone might come into your room and find them, causing trouble. These belong to officials of at least the third rank.”
"It's alright. I have impeccable political background. Who wouldn't notice? Besides, I've become increasingly lax in recent years, especially now. Even if they find out, it's no big deal. This was prepared the year before last."
Upon hearing this, An Moxue asked, "You've just left it here?"
"Hmm, it's nothing. Usually, no one comes in. Besides, I always lock this box. Who would be so bored as to open it?"
An Moxue still disagreed, saying, "Don't do that next time. It's too dangerous and not worth it."
Wu Sicheng replied good-naturedly, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
And so, Wu Sicheng showed off one by one the gifts he had prepared for An Moxue over the years. An Moxue loved each and every one of them.
Finally, after showing off the gifts, he took out a savings book from the cabinet and handed it to An Moxue, saying, "Moxue, this is the money I've saved over the years. There's another one at home in Kyoto, which is pocket money given to me by my elders. I'll give it to you when we get back to Kyoto. There are also several property deeds, some jewelry and antiques, all at home in Kyoto. I'll give them all to you when we get back."
An Moxue took the passbook, glanced at it, and was truly astonished by the number on it. "How can there be so much?"
"I've spent some money too. Let me tell you, I now set aside thirty yuan every month to help the children of my fallen comrades. But don't worry, I'm keeping it anonymous and haven't left any information about myself until the children turn eighteen. Moreover, I've had my comrades track the money's whereabouts to make sure it's all spent on the children."
"It's only right. It's within our power to do our part. There's nothing wrong with that."
After An Moxue finished reading it, she handed the passbook back to him. His heart sank, but his expression remained unchanged. "Moxue, didn't we agree that you would keep the passbook?"
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