Wu Sicheng first took out a bottle of soybean oil, then a small piece of butter and a piece of beef, announcing the names of the dishes as he took them out: "Braised beef, Mo Xue, would you like the Kyoto style or the northern style?"
"Either is fine, do what you're good at!"
“Okay, then I’ll make the Kyoto style.” He picked up the steak, looked up at An Moxue, and asked, “How about pan-fried steak with butter?”
"sure!"
"Let's make sweet and sour pork tenderloin! I remember you love it. You ate a lot of that sweet and sour pork when we first ate together. I remember you not only ate heartily yourself, but you also kept urging Uncle Ma to eat more, and you kept putting food on his plate. I thought to myself, this girl not only eats well, but she's also genuine. Anyone who didn't know better would think you treated her to that meal! She really doesn't act like an outsider. She's definitely a girl from Beijing, not pretentious, and very generous!" Wu Sicheng's tone contained a hint of pride. See, this is the girl I've set my sights on at first sight.
An Moxue smiled but didn't say anything, thinking to herself, "We were starving back then, weren't we? Wouldn't it be stupid not to eat quickly!"
Wu Sicheng then took out a bag of pine nuts and shrimp. An Moxue asked, "Such large dried shrimp is rare! Where did you get them?"
"A comrade-in-arms of mine lives by the sea, so I asked him to get these for you. If you like them, I can have him get some more and mail them to you when I get back. Pine nut and shrimp, okay?"
An Moxue said nonchalantly, "You cook, so you decide. Forget about the shrimp; this bag is enough to last a long time."
Wu Sicheng then took out a packet of white sugar, a packet of brown sugar, and a packet of red dates from his bag.
Seeing that he wasn't taking anything else out, An Moxue asked, "You came all this way just for a meal, aren't you tired of all that? Next time you take a vacation, get some proper rest. Health is the foundation of everything. If you need anything, just write to me. I saw the letter you wrote to me; you've taken on quite a few assignments these past six months. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, I'm not hurt." Wu Sicheng thought to himself, by the time you write to tell me you're back, it'll be too late.
"There are some green vegetables in the garden. I'll go pick some. We need to have a balanced diet of meat and vegetables. You can keep busy with your own things for now."
When An Moxue returned with a basket of vegetables, Wu Sicheng had already put the beef in the pot and was making sweet and sour pork. An Moxue leaned against the door and watched Wu Sicheng cooking seriously. She thought of a saying: "A man who cooks seriously is warmer than a man who works seriously."
She thought she also craved his warmth. After walking alone in the dark for so long, not knowing the way forward and having no way back, she also longed to draw some strength from others!
When Wu Sicheng looked up, he saw An Moxue looking at him, but then looking away through the void. This wasn't the first time this had happened. Every time this happened, he felt like he couldn't touch her, and even felt panicked.
He suppressed his discomfort and called out, "Mo Xue, did you pull up any onions?"
An Moxue was startled back to her senses by Wu Sicheng's shout. Her pupils refocused as she looked at Wu Sicheng and said, "I pulled it out. Shall we use it now?"
"Okay, pick a few." Then he lowered his head and continued cooking.
And so, Wu Sicheng cooked, while An Moxue sat on a small stool watching the fire in the stove, peeling scallions and garlic, and the two chatted occasionally.
A meal was prepared quickly.
Looking at the table full of dishes, An Moxue couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Wu Sicheng was so thoughtful; most of them were dishes she liked to eat. How come she hadn't noticed them before?
"Mo Xue, are you going to work this afternoon?"
"Let's go. So many delicious dishes, would you like to have a drink?" An Moxue looked at Wu Sicheng with a charming smile.
Wu Sicheng didn't know if it was the heat from cooking or An Moxue's beautiful smile, but looking at An Moxue like this, he suddenly felt his mouth go dry.
After asking her question, An Moxue looked at Wu Sicheng suspiciously before he could answer. She noticed his slightly flushed cheeks and asked, "Is it too hot from cooking? Do you want to wash your face to cool down before coming back to eat?"
Wu Sicheng replied slowly, "Okay." After saying that, he went out of the house, took a basin to fetch water, and went to the yard to wash his face.
When he went back into the room, Wu Sicheng showed no signs of distress and had returned to his usual refined demeanor, with none of the embarrassment he had shown earlier.
An Moxue sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), poured two cups of hawthorn wine, and waited for Wu Sicheng to return.
Seeing him come in, she said, "Come on, dinner's ready."
He could tell she was in a good mood.
He sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed) with a smile, picked up his wine glass, and said, "Mo Xue, cheers to all of us for our safety!"
An Moxue also raised her glass and said, "Cheers to our safe reunion next time!"
The two smiled at each other and took a sip of wine. Wu Sicheng picked up a piece of beef for An Moxue and said, "It's been too short, I don't know if the beef has absorbed the flavor. You should try it."
An Moxue said, "You eat, don't put food on my plate. Oh! By the way, I noticed from the letter you gave me that you've been on missions so frequently lately, is something happening at the border?"
Wu Sicheng swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "Yeah, weak countries have no human rights. Everyone wants to get involved and make some benefits, so there are more border provocations and more people secretly causing trouble. I wonder when the country will become strong and not be bullied?"
"That day will come. Our country has only been established for so many years, and we have been surrounded by foreign enemies for so many years. We have survived all of that. I believe that the difficulties are temporary, and our country will definitely have a prosperous day."
An Moxue's words were full of confidence, which also encouraged Wu Sicheng. He felt for no reason that what she said would come true someday in the future.
"Mo Xue, I came here for two reasons. First, to see you. Second, I have a mission to take place after I get back. This mission might take a while, so I won't be able to contact you or write to you. If you have any problems you can't solve, go to my leader in the army. He'll help you. He's the one you met when you escorted Huang Zhong down the mountain. He really admires you. Never try to handle things alone. Many hands make light work. Believe in the power of the collective."
Wu Sicheng was afraid that An Moxue might encounter danger while he was away, and he wouldn't even know it, let alone be involved in a rescue mission. The main problem was that this was an overseas mission, and a long-term one at that, and he didn't know how long it would take to complete and return.
"Is the risk high?" An Moxue asked.
"It won't be very high, don't worry, it just takes a little longer." An Moxue didn't have much experience in this area, so she could only judge the danger by his words and expressions. Seeing how relaxed he was, she didn't pay much attention. After all, he treated missions like everyday life!
"I recently developed a new medicine that can save your life in a critical moment. You're lucky. I'll give you two pills later. Take them with you on missions for self-defense. This medicine is made from ginseng that's over a hundred years old, so keep it safe!"
"Mo Xue, forget it! This is too valuable. Keep it for yourself."
“I still have some left, I made five pills in total! It’s just that this is an ancient method of processing, which is very time-consuming and requires high-quality medicinal materials, so there aren’t many finished products. Besides, you mailed me so many things, and I accepted them all. Why are you so reluctant to give me something in return?” An Moxue complained.
Wu Sicheng smiled gently and said, "Alright! I'll accept it. Thank you for your kindness, Mo Xue."
"That's right, hurry up and eat. What time are you leaving after you finish eating?"
"We'll leave at noon."
Wu Sicheng looked at her, then at the table full of dishes, and said to himself, "This is my everyday life!"
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