"Auntie, tell me, why did my Uncle Ma call Wu Sicheng into the house? I couldn't hear clearly."
"How would I know? I've been a reconnaissance soldier for decades. Even I can't figure out when someone wants to keep their thoughts a secret. What's wrong? Worried?"
"No, it's just curiosity. What was Uncle Ma's expression after he heard what I said loudly? Did he say anything?"
"His expression was quite calm, and he didn't say anything."
"oh!"
Not long after, the two came out. Old Ma went out of the house and said to Aunt Ma, "I'm going to the brigade headquarters for a while. I'll be back after dinner. Don't look for me."
Wu Sicheng leaned closer to An Moxue and whispered, "Don't worry, it's just a casual chat."
An Moxue stopped herself from rolling her eyes. "Who would believe your words? Besides, who's worried about you? I'm just a little curious."
On the surface, she nodded obediently: "Mm."
Wu Sicheng looked at her suspiciously, but An Moxue lowered her head, pretending not to see his question.
In the kitchen, three people were busy, and the air was filled with steam; the doors were all open!
Old Ma went out for a stroll and came back, with the meal ready.
At the dinner table, everyone had a glass of wine in front of them. Old Ma raised his glass, his voice slightly choked with emotion: "Mo Xue, this is the first time we've spent the New Year together. I hope that when your aunt and I are in our seventies and eighties, we can still spend the New Year together."
Seeing that Aunt Ma was also a little envious, An Moxue quickly said, "Don't worry, I want to live to be a hundred years old and see all the beautiful landscapes of our motherland."
"cheers!"
"Dry."
An Moxue drank the wine in her glass in one gulp.
Wu Sicheng ate his meal in silence, occasionally chatting with a few people. However, he noticed that An Moxue and the old Ma couple had a familiar understanding that he couldn't get close to. This went beyond normal social interaction and was more like the care of an elder for a younger generation, and they were close family members. This made him a little confused.
After finishing their meal, An Moxue took out the camera she had prepared beforehand and said to the group, "Let's take a picture!"
So, Old Ma changed into brand new clothes. Aunt Ma not only changed her clothes, but also asked An Moxue to do her simple makeup, shaping her eyebrows and applying lipstick. An Moxue did the same.
"Wow! Auntie is so beautiful, and Uncle Ma is a handsome old man too."
After her makeup was done, An Moxue looked even more beautiful. The group took several pictures inside the house and then outside Old Ma's house, until they had used up the entire roll of film before they stopped.
During this period, there were many photos of An Moxue, Old Ma, and Aunt Ma, with Wu Sicheng acting as the photographer.
After the photo was taken, Aunt Ma asked, "Will you be able to get it developed before you leave?"
"Yes, we can. Once the photo studio in the county opens, we can take it there to get it developed, and Uncle Ma can pick it up in the county town."
Wu Sicheng was a little unhappy when he saw that he had taken all the photos on a roll of film, but he hadn't even gotten a single photo with An Moxue.
Seizing a moment, Wu Sicheng asked with a hint of resentment, "Mo Xue, I brought my camera, but I still haven't managed to get a single photo of us together?"
An Moxue chuckled, and Wu Sicheng quickly covered his mouth, saying cautiously, "Keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear you."
An Moxue removed the large hand covering her. Wu Sicheng reacted, her face remaining calm, but her heart was pounding uncontrollably: "Moxue?"
“It’s okay, let’s go back to my house and take pictures. I have film at home. We can even take pictures with lightning and wind.”
"Let's go." With that, he said to Aunt Ma, and pulled An Moxue out of Old Ma's house.
Back home, An Moxue took a roll of film, attached it to the camera, and the two took a few photos together. Then, Wu Sicheng took photos of An Moxue. The two also went to the woods behind the mountain, where Wu Sicheng took several photos of An Moxue and the two wolves.
He looked at the girl smiling brightly at the camera, and his heart was filled with joy. There was one more thing to do with her—take photos.
In the evening, as firecrackers went off from house to house, the dumplings were cooked. Old Ma said, "Let's set off firecrackers and get ready to eat."
An Moxue and Wu Sicheng carried a string of firecrackers out of the house. Wu Sicheng laid the firecrackers out on the ground and then said to An Moxue, "Why don't you move away and plug your ears?"
An Moxue silently retreated to the doorway, covering her ears with her hands. Seeing that she was ready, Brother Wu lit the firecrackers.
A crackling sound rang out, and the pungent smell of gunpowder filled the air. The two people entered the house, and Aunt Ma said with a smile, "Quickly, get on the kang (heated brick bed), let's have New Year's Eve dinner together."
At the dinner table, there were eight dishes and a soup, all of which were An Moxue's favorites. An Moxue first picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork, and Aunt Ma picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks, which was fish eyes. She said with great conviction, "A bite of fish on New Year's Eve means a year of plenty. With eyes and wisdom, you can see people clearly. Eat quickly."
"Yes, Auntie, these are all my favorite dishes. Uncle Ma will definitely be jealous."
Old Ma glanced at her and said, "It's not easy for you to eat a bite of your aunt's food. I eat it every day, so I'll let you have it first."
During the meal, the two bickered. Aunt Ma smiled and ate her food without interfering, while Wu Sicheng dared not join in, occasionally exchanging a word with Aunt Ma.
Before we knew it, the meal had gone on until midnight.
An Moxue took out the red envelopes in her hand and gave one to Old Ma and one to Aunt Ma. "Uncle Ma, Aunt Ma, I wish you many happy returns of the day and that you live to be a hundred years old."
Aunt Ma took the red envelope and placed it beside her. Old Ma took the red envelope and opened it directly. Inside was a brand new black 10, with consecutive serial numbers. He laughed and asked, "Is this money to buy longevity? One yuan a year."
An Moxue replied with a smile, "You can interpret it that way if you want."
"I'll use this money to buy good food and keep myself healthy." Old Ma looked at the money, his heart filled with satisfaction. "But, your aunt's seems to have more money than mine?"
An Moxue smiled and said, "Your aunt has more tickets than you; I organized the distribution when I came back."
"Aren't you being a bit biased?" Old Ma pretended to be angry.
"How could that be? I just feel that since my aunt cooked all the meals, she put in a lot of effort, so of course the red envelope should be bigger. What, you're not convinced?"
Old Ma glared at her, thinking, "You're digging a hole for me here, but I won't suffer any loss."
"How could that be? Your aunt has worked so hard! Don't frame me."
Aunt Ma didn't attend to the two of them. Instead, she went to the cupboard, took out a bundle, and handed it to An Moxue. An Moxue opened it and found a beautiful dress. The fabric was silk, and the colors were vibrant. It suited her perfectly, making her look flamboyant and elegant.
"Auntie, where did you find this fabric? This dress is so beautiful, I can take it with me." She said, while gesturing to herself.
Hearing her say that, Wu Sicheng became even more certain that their relationship was very close.
One is adventuring to make a silk dress that can no longer be worn now, and the other does not shy away from where she is going.
However, he didn't know that this was a test he had been prepared by Old Ma and Aunt Ma.
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