The children quickly cleaned the house and the yard, keeping it neat and tidy. They gathered around An Moxue, listening quietly as she talked about the outside world, including school, life, and the interesting people and things she encountered.
Duoduo blinked and asked, "Aunt An, does that mean there are bad people outside, and we can't just help others when we go out?"
An Moxue replied very seriously: "Of course, if I didn't know kung fu and couldn't tell if these people were human traffickers, wouldn't I end up being abducted and sold?"
The children answered in unison, "Yes."
She spoke again, saying, "So! You are young, so you can't trust others easily, and you can't help just anyone you see, because you don't know if that person is a good person or a bad person. You can only do things to help others when you are capable of protecting yourself, and you must act within your means."
Just then, Aunt Guo walked in, smiling and urging everyone to leave: "You've all listened to the story for a while, it's time to go! Your Aunt An just got home, she must have other things to do, come back another day when you have time!"
The children scattered, greeting An Moxue as they went, "Sister An, I'll come to see you tomorrow." "Aunt An, me too."
An Moxue greeted Aunt Guo, "Auntie, what brings you here? I was just thinking of coming to see you! But these kids held me back, so I haven't left yet!"
Aunt Ma smiled and said, "I was just out enjoying the cool air when I heard you were back, so I came to see you. It's just a short walk, nothing special. I think you look even better now that you're back in school!"
An Moxue pulled Aunt Ma's arm, and the two of them sat down on the bench.
"Auntie, you're still in such good health! You're still so energetic."
"It's just your uncle and me, and a few little troublemakers come back during holidays. Life's pretty leisurely! How could it not be good?"
After exchanging a few words, Aunt Meihua led her granddaughter into the yard.
An Moxue stood up and went to greet her, "Aunt Meihua, your little granddaughter is just as beautiful as you."
Aunt Meihua's lips curled up at her words, her eyes filled with laughter. "Right! I also think my Beibei is just like me. Now that you're back, can you stay for a few days?"
“Yes. Auntie, please sit down. I’ll go get some food for our lovely little Beibei.” An Moxue said as she went into the house.
You can also hear Aunt Meihua saying, "I just came to see you. What are you going to eat?"
An Moxue was holding some food in the house, and she kept talking, saying, "Auntie, it's nothing, it's just some food, why are you being so formal with me?"
As An Moxue spoke, she took a plate of food, went out of the house, grabbed a handful of candy and put it in Beibei's hand, then took two more candies and stuffed them into Aunt Guo's and Aunt Meihua's mouths.
The two of them ate the candy, and the sweetness instantly filled their mouths.
Aunt Guo muttered under her breath, "Oh dear, at her age, how come she's still fighting with the kids for candy?" But the corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile.
Even Aunt Meihua felt the same way, saying, "Yes, it's really embarrassing."
An Moxue suppressed a laugh, "Aunties, please eat! Look, our Beibei is watching!"
The three men looked at each other and burst into laughter.
After a while, the laughter stopped, and An Moxue said, "It's better to go back to the village; life is easier there."
Aunt Guo said, "Then you'll have time. Come back and stay for a few more days."
Aunt Meihua also said, "Yes! Come back whenever you have time. There's not much good food in the village, just simple meals, but you can still get enough to eat."
Aunt Guo said, "You still have the nerve to say that! How come this is so different from other people! I'm really hoping the remaining educated youth will go back soon! They're causing trouble in the village, and I don't know when they'll leave."
Upon hearing this, An Moxue sensed something was wrong. "What is it, Auntie? Are there still educated youths in the village?"
Aunt Guo said angrily, "Yes, of course they are! They failed the college entrance exam and their family couldn't get them a spot to return to the city. They're not willing to stay in the village, so they're always trying to cause trouble. Your Uncle Guo is at his wits' end, and he still can't get rid of them. You can't help but worry."
Aunt Meihua said, "You wouldn't believe how many strange things they do. For example, they try to extort money from the Party Secretary's youngest son, threatening to sue him for indecent behavior if they don't get him a spot to return to the city. Then there's the claim that they have something on the village officials, threatening to demand proof of their right to return to the city for medical treatment. It's unbelievable! I'm speechless. When they do all this, don't they ever think about how they'll stay in the village if things don't work out?"
Aunt Guo said, "That's not all! Now that the policy has changed, a lot of people are using their connections to intimidate us. They're driving the village cadres crazy. They're always threatening to complain to the educated youth office. Now, the village cadres are worried just hearing their names, let alone seeing them. They just hope that these girls will leave the village as soon as possible, no matter what, and that they don't cause any trouble. It's so upsetting every day."
An Moxue asked, "How's the village? Is everything alright?"
Aunt Guo said, "Good, you've seen the crops this year. As long as there's no heavy rain in the fall and the corn doesn't lodging, it'll be a bumper harvest. The rice will be even better. This year is definitely going to be a bumper harvest. It's great! It's getting better year by year, and there's hope for the future."
Aunt Meihua said, "That's right. Just look at the blind dates and the pregnancies. There have been several families in the past few months. Counting from the beginning, there's Sanlengzi's family at the village entrance, Erkui's family further in, Miandou's family in the middle, and Goushengzi's family on the back street. There are quite a few more. You tell me, with the good harvest these days, there are more marriages, more births, and far fewer children dying young."
Aunt Guo said, "That's right. No matter how good or bad the food is, we can always eat our fill. It's not like those years when it was hard to even get a decent meal. With food available, it's much easier to raise children. How about you? Is school tiring? Are you able to keep up with your studies?"
An Moxue smiled and said, "Auntie, it's not tiring. As long as you study hard, you can keep up. The government also provides a living allowance, which is paid monthly. It's enough, so you don't have to worry about making a living. Just focus on your studies."
Aunt Meihua said, "Is there money for going to university? I must make sure my Beibei studies hard so she can go to university and receive government subsidies. Going to university is such an honorable thing."
Aunt Guo said, "Alright, that's enough. You just got back today, so get some rest. We can continue our chat tomorrow when you're free. We're leaving now."
Aunt Meihua also said, "Yes, get some rest early, and come visit me when you have time."
“Okay, I’ll listen to you two aunties.” An Moxue said, dividing the biscuits and fruit candies on the plate into two portions, giving one portion to Aunt Guo and the other to Aunt Meihua. They wanted to put them back on the plate, but An Moxue insisted, saying, “Aunties, take them home for Beibei and Duoduo.”
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