When Old Ma saw An Moxue return, he looked her over carefully, a smile slowly spreading across his face. He breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Are you alright?"
"No?" An Moxue wanted to ask Old Ma several times, but she didn't know how to start or where to begin. Besides, Old Ma was just a servant back then, so the possibility of him knowing anything was extremely small.
In the cave, she could have easily drugged those people, rendered them unconscious, and then interrogated them.
However, she couldn't make a hasty judgment that it was related to her just because of that surname. Even if it was related, after the interrogation, whether to kill or hand it over to the army was a problem.
Killing is a matter of basic human decency.
Handing him over to the military would expose many things he couldn't let others know, especially about the medicine; not even the slightest clue could be revealed.
An Moxue didn't consider herself a smart person. There were too many people in this world who could see the whole picture from just a few clues. An Moxue didn't want to take that risk, nor did she dare to.
Moreover, once someone becomes suspicious, many cases related to them will also be suspected.
If one's secrets cannot be kept, one may be monitored or even placed under house arrest by certain forces, forced to produce drugs, and subjected to various forms of torture to extract information.
Even if she escapes, the country won't give her an important position and will restrict her freedom, only allowing her to make pharmaceuticals. She might end up in an endless cycle of being hunted down and blocked, leaving her with no time or energy to quietly develop and strengthen herself, and she'll always be running around in a frenzy.
Now, upon reflection, An Moxue realized that she had revealed too many drugs: itching powder, pain pills, bone-corroding and tendon-severing powder, and truth pills. If someone had carefully collected these details, they would inevitably deduce and make other connections.
She told herself that she should be more careful with medication in the future. There are some medications that only she should know about, and even if she used them, she should think carefully about how to avoid future problems.
Most importantly, given my current weakness, it's best if as few people as possible know my true identity.
Old Ma noticed An Moxue looking at him hesitantly, lost in thought, and asked with some concern, "Moxue, did you encounter any difficulties on this trip?"
An Moxue snapped out of her reverie, smiled at Old Ma, and said, "Uncle Ma, this trip went very smoothly, but I've been thinking about some things that I haven't quite figured out yet. I'd like to ask you, but I don't know where to begin."
"It's okay. If you can't figure it out, just think about it. If you still can't figure it out, put it aside for now. Don't keep thinking about it, because sometimes you'll get stuck in a dead end and trap yourself. Try doing something else. Once your mind opens up, some things will naturally become clear, and you won't be so attached to them anymore. What do you think? Isn't that the truth? As for asking me, it's not a big deal. Ask me whenever you feel like it."
"Okay, Uncle Ma, I'm going back now. A friend of mine is visiting and will be staying with me for a few days to celebrate the New Year together."
"That's great! It's more fun to spend the New Year with someone than alone. Go back now! Take some of the steamed buns your aunt made." With that, Old Ma went to get a basket to pack steamed buns for An Moxue.
An Moxue looked at the basket and asked, "Uncle Ma, did you make this yourself?"
"Hmm, do you like it?"
"I love it! It's so exquisite and beautiful! Can you make a few more?" An Moxue held the basket and examined it carefully.
“This wasn’t all made for you. Your aunt and I don’t need anything so elaborate and beautiful; practicality is enough.”
"Oh! Uncle Ma, how kind of you are! Don't sleep tonight, wait for me to bring the things over! I'm leaving now." After saying that, An Moxue picked up the basket in one hand, waved to Old Ma with the other, and left the house.
Seeing An Moxue's mood shift from low to high, Old Ma figured it wasn't anything serious and didn't press her for details. Watching her leave his house, he felt a weight lifted from his heart.
Chu Dongmei arrived at An Moxue's house after a long and tiring journey. Seeing that An Moxue had such a separate house, she was extremely envious. As soon as An Moxue went out, she scooped up water to wash her face, hair, and feet.
When An Moxue returned, she had just finished washing up and had just made a cup of malted milk powder, but hadn't drunk it yet.
An Moxue came in carrying a basket, and she immediately took a liking to it.
"Mo Xue, this basket is so pretty! Where did you get it?"
An Moxue covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "Only you would see the basket but not the buns inside. If you were a true patriot, you would have focused on the buns first."
"How could I compare to that foodie? By the way, she's getting married, did you know?"
"Hmm, what wedding gift did she ask you for?"
"You just got back, how would you know about her marriage? Did she write to you first?"
"No, I went back to pay respects to my parents a few days ago, so I know."
"You've been extorted for food by her quite a bit, haven't you? Your wallet must be quite empty now." Chu Dongmei looked at An Moxue, who just smiled and pursed her lips. Seeing this, Chu Dongmei knew that it was indeed the case.
"Hey, you still haven't told me where this basket came from?"
"It was made by an uncle from the village."
"Although your place is more remote than ours, it seems like you have more good things here! Just look at the mountains all around you and you'll know."
"Yes, the land here is indeed rich in resources. As long as you work hard, you'll never go hungry. Are you hungry? I'll go cook."
"I'll go with you." The two said, and went into the kitchen together.
"You still haven't told me what gift Ai Dang asked you for?" An Moxue asked curiously, since she hadn't told Ai Dang when she asked.
You would never guess.
"Isn't it food?"
"no."
An Moxue cooked rice porridge in the pot, and placed a steamer basket on top, along with hot steamed buns.
"What does she want? She said she wants to write letters and ask everyone for something as a wedding gift."
Chu Dongmei took a sip of the malted milk powder in her hand and asked, "This scoundrel, who says you have to specify what you want as a wedding gift? You just accept whatever the other person gives you!"
"We have a good relationship, they don't treat us like outsiders."
"Yes, I have a piece of red fabric that she specifically asked for. I mailed it to her before I came, and even sent it by express. I don't know if it will arrive before her wedding. What did you buy for her?"
"A quilt cover, made of silk, looked so festive, but her mother thought it was too expensive and didn't buy it for her. It just so happened that I was there, and she set her sights on me."
"This shameless person, doesn't he even know what he's asking everyone else for?"
"It shouldn't be bad, everyone has to pay a price. Maybe I should write to ask next time."
Chu Dongmei said, "I'll have to ask. I'll start the fire!"
An Moxue took a small stool, handed it to her, and said, "Sit on this."
An Moxue glanced at the things in the kitchen, turned around and left the house, went to the vegetable cellar behind the house and took out a cabbage and a rabbit.
When Chu Dongmei saw what An Moxue had brought back, she asked, "Moxue, didn't you just get back today? Where did all this come from?"
“There’s a cellar behind my house. Uncle Ma and Auntie helped me grow these vegetables. They’re stored in the cellar after harvesting, so I’ll never lack vegetables. We brought the rabbit back today. We have some good stuff tonight. I guarantee you’ll have a great New Year and won’t want to leave.” An Moxue smiled mysteriously.
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