Three days passed in the blink of an eye. An Moxue held the newly acquired thousand yuan in her hands and thought about the verdict she had just seen. Those Red Guards who had committed the act were sentenced to several months to several years of land reclamation on border farms. She was overjoyed.
But she knew that Wu Sicheng had played a significant role in this, as had his military region. Without their support, things would not have gone so smoothly.
Although he didn't say it, she couldn't pretend that nothing had happened and that she knew nothing; that wasn't her.
The reason she dared to stand so firmly against these cabinet committees was because of the military region where her parents worked, which gave her enough confidence.
So she doesn't plan to take the 1,000 yuan. Instead, she plans to donate 500 yuan each from the two military regions to the orphans of martyrs. She loves money, but she won't take or use this ill-gotten wealth. She has always done this before and plans to continue doing so in the future. She will not change.
Seeing An Moxue's happy expression as she held the thousand yuan, Wu Sicheng asked, "Moxue, a thousand yuan is not a small amount. You should save it! What do you think?"
An Moxue teased him, "I think, well—not very good. I think my idea is better. Come on, let's go to the post office." With that, she led Wu Sicheng out of the county government building.
Wu Sicheng was confused about his thoughts, but he didn't ask any questions and followed An Moxue to the post office.
Upon arriving at the post office, the postman saw An Moxue and greeted her familiarly, "An, you're here. What brings you here?"
An Moxue smiled and replied, "Sister Yu, I'm sending two sums of money this time, five hundred yuan each, along with two telegrams and a registered letter."
"Okay, come over and fill out the form! Just give me the money."
An Moxue took out a thousand yuan from her schoolbag, which immediately deflated. At that time, the largest denomination banknote was only ten yuan, so it was quite a shock to see a thousand yuan on the counter.
The postman was counting money behind the counter when Wu Sicheng leaned closer to An Moxue and whispered, "Moxue, did you donate all of this thousand yuan?"
"Hmm! What else?" An Moxue was in a good mood, and her answers were all accompanied by an upward inflection at the end, making everyone who heard her feel her relaxed and happy mood.
"You won't feel bad about not keeping any for yourself? Won't you regret it? Have you thought this through?"
"Of course, I was prepared to do this when I asked for the money. Don't worry! It's just a small amount!"
He whispered the last few words into Wu Sicheng's ear.
Wu Sicheng felt a tingling sensation in his ears, as if an electric current was flowing through him, eventually passing through his entire body and returning to his ears.
He felt a heat rising in his body and quickly distanced himself from An Moxue, asking to cover it up, "Is it really over after the donation? Are you really sure?"
"Of course." The voice was firm.
"Then just donate to your parents' military region, why did you donate to our military region as well?"
"Of course, it's to express my gratitude."
Hearing her say that, Wu Sicheng felt as if fireworks were exploding in his heart. He hadn't planned to tell her he was helping her, but as clever as she was, she could guess what he was doing without him having to say it, and she would take action to express her gratitude. Moreover, her sincerity was so great that how could he, the one who had helped, not be happy!
Suddenly, Wu Sicheng was the one who was happy.
Seeing that his mood had visibly improved, An Moxue asked, "I didn't even give you the money, what are you so happy about!"
"I'm just happy."
An Moxue ignored him and focused on writing a letter to Zhang Jing, in which she explained the donation of money and the origin of the matter.
After An Moxue paid the money and left the post office with the receipt, she looked dejected again!
Wu Sicheng asked curiously, "Mo Xue, what's wrong?"
An Moxue looked dejected and said listlessly, "Sigh! A thousand yuan once passed in front of me, but I couldn't hold onto it and let it slip away. My heart aches, my head aches, and my whole body aches!"
Wu Sicheng was defeated by her quirky and clever words, and asked, "Then, what can I do to cheer you up and make you feel better, An Zhiqing, who is in a bad mood, so that nothing hurts anymore?"
She suddenly became interested: "Only good food and beauty should not be missed."
"Come on, you're beautiful all by yourself. Just go home and look in the mirror all you want. Now let's go eat some delicious food!"
"Okay!" When people are in a good mood, their tone is unconsciously light and cheerful.
Wu Sicheng drove An Moxue, turning left and right on the streets of the county town, and finally stopped in front of a secluded and inconspicuous courtyard.
"Knock knock knock..." An Moxue immediately recognized the rhythmic sound as the secret signal to open the door.
Before long, someone came to open the door. The person who opened the door was somewhat unexpected for An Moxue. The woman was in her forties and looked like a lady from a prominent family who had come out of the Republic of China era. Every gesture and step she took was elegant and graceful.
"It's Sicheng! Come in quickly, it's rare for you to have time to come. You even brought a friend. Please come in, just call me Aunt Qing like Sicheng does."
The woman's words were completely at odds with her demeanor; she was incredibly enthusiastic, and as she spoke, she took An Moxue's hand and led her straight inside.
Wu Sicheng said helplessly, "Aunt Qing!"
The woman waved her hand, and Wu Sicheng had no choice but to follow.
Once inside, the house was simply furnished with a kang (heated brick bed) and a table, no different from any ordinary family home.
Aunt Qing said to An Moxue, "Don't be shy, have a seat."
An Moxue sat on one side of the table, and Wu Sicheng sat on the other side.
Aunt Qing picked up the teapot from the table, poured two cups of tea, and placed them next to the two women, saying, "What is your name, young lady? Do you have any dietary restrictions?"
"Aunt Qing, just call me Mo Xue. There are no dietary restrictions."
"Wild clouds stretch for ten thousand miles without a city wall, rain and snow fall incessantly on the vast desert. Is this the correct interpretation?"
An Moxue smiled radiantly and said, "Yes."
"A good name! It sounds grand and impressive!"
"Yes, that's what I think too."
"Kid, you're just my type. Come visit me anytime you're free. I guarantee you'll be satisfied with your meal."
"Okay, I'll definitely come."
Wu Sicheng, unwilling to remain a wooden figure on the sidelines, spoke up: "Aunt Qing, we're here to eat."
Aunt Qing glared at him, then turned back to An Moxue with fiery enthusiasm, "Moxue, wait here, Aunt Qing will go and make you something delicious."
After saying that, he left the house.
Only An Moxue and Wu Sicheng remained in the room. He said to An Moxue, "Moxue, don't mind. Aunt Qing is incredibly warm to people who are like her, especially those who are pleasing to her eye."
"No, Aunt Qing is quite lovely. I like her very much."
Wu Sicheng silently scoffed to himself, 'Sure enough, I've known you for so long, but I'm never as close as you two. Women are truly strange creatures.'
While thinking this in her heart, she didn't dare say it aloud. "Aunt Qing is a very nice person. You can come here to satisfy your cravings when you have free time. Her family has a history of producing imperial chefs, and they are best at Manchu cuisine. You can give it a try."
Upon hearing that it was authentic Manchu cuisine, An Moxue became interested. "Are you good at anything?"
"Manchu Eight Bowls, hot pot, Sachima, donkey roll, pork stew, and my favorite is home-style stewed carp."
Aren't we going to order food?
"You don't order food here. The chef decides what to cook, and you eat whatever she makes."
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