After paying respects to the ancestors of the Nalan family, An Moxue began preparations for returning to the capital.
Before they knew it, it was time to say goodbye. Village Chief Guo stood at the village entrance and bid farewell to An Moxue.
"Mo Xue, is what you're saying really possible?" He felt full of energy when he thought of the future An Mo Xue described to him. He felt that he could work for at least another twenty years.
An Moxue smiled at him, "It's just a matter of time. You can wait for my news. If you're getting anxious, you can go to town to find out what's going on. Keep an eye on the latest policy changes."
Hearing An Moxue say this, Village Chief Guo felt more confident and turned to the old Ma couple in the back seat of the car, saying, "Brother Ma, sister-in-law, you are really lucky. You are enjoying Moxue's blessings and are going to Kyoto to broaden your horizons."
The elderly couple were already in a good mood today; Aunt Ma was so excited last night that she didn't fall asleep until midnight.
Hearing him say that now, he couldn't suppress his joy, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile.
Old Ma couldn't resist teasing, "Why don't you come along too? Mo Xue doesn't need your money. You only need to contribute one person."
An Moxue joked from the side, "Uncle Guo, why don't we leave later and take you with us? Don't worry, I'll cover all the expenses."
Village Chief Guo waved his hand, his helplessness evident on his face. "Fine, you young and old are all ganging up on me. If I leave, what will happen to this mess? Hurry up and leave!"
An Moxue got into the car, waved to Village Chief Guo, and said with a smile, "Uncle Guo, we're leaving."
As the jeep drove further and further away until it became just a small dot and disappeared from sight, Village Chief Guo stood there, his gaze distant.
An Moxue drove, and the three of them chatted and laughed all the way. Because they were carrying two elderly people, they drove very slowly.
With plenty of time, the four of them ate at Wu Sicheng's unit and continued on their way. This time, he took over driving, and they would stop to admire the beautiful scenery along the way.
We drove during the day, stayed in hotels at night, and traveled at our own pace until we reached Kyoto.
Seeing that the elderly couple looked tired but still had good spirits, An Moxue said to them, "Uncle Ma, Auntie, we're almost in Kyoto. In another hour or two, we'll be at our place. The house is very close to Kyoto University. Once we get there, let's rest for a bit, and then I'll take you around to see the sights."
Old Ma laughed and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Uncle Ma had fought in wars and traveled all over the country when he was young, and he was very happy to be entering the capital.
Aunt Ma, on the other hand, found everything she saw along the way new and beautiful.
As the car entered the city, Aunt Ma looked at the streets and houses, which were completely different from those in the north, and exclaimed, "Our ancestors were right: 'Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.' This trip has really broadened my horizons. Hearing and seeing are two different things."
Looking ahead, An Moxue said to Aunt Ma, "Take good care of yourselves. I'll take you to many more places and let you eat different kinds of food in the future!"
The elderly couple were even happier to hear her say that.
The car turned a corner and entered a hutong (alleyway). Wu Sicheng said, "Mo Xue, Uncle Ma, Aunt Ma, we're almost there. The house is in this hutong. Many of the residents here are teachers from Kyoto University."
As Wu Sicheng spoke, the car hadn't gone far before stopping in front of a house.
Wu Sicheng got out of the car, took out his keys, opened the gate, removed the threshold, and drove the car inside.
As he got out of the car, he said, "This is a two-courtyard house. I've already had someone clean it beforehand. Uncle Ma, Auntie, you can rest for a bit. You can stay in the first courtyard, okay? Mo Xue's is in the second courtyard."
After Wu Sicheng finished speaking, he went into a small room used for storing firewood and took out a set of keys from a hidden spot. Then he found the corresponding main house and opened the door.
"Uncle Ma, Auntie, these are your rooms. Please make do for now. Once you've rested, we'll get you anything you need."
Wu Sicheng removed the lock, opened the door, and made room for the elderly couple to enter the house.
Old Ma and Aunt Ma spotted the kang (heated brick bed) immediately. Aunt Ma exclaimed with delight, "There's a kang!"
"It seems I made the right decision to have this room with the kang (heated brick bed) cleaned up; the two elders like it very much," Wu Sicheng said softly, moving closer to An Moxue.
"Well, after working hard all my life, I hope I can enjoy this stay and have some peace and quiet." An Moxue looked at the fully furnished room, with all the new bedding, and said to Wu Sicheng, "Thank you for your trouble!"
"If you're satisfied, then let's go see your house." Then he said to the two elderly people inside the house, "Uncle Ma, Aunt Ma, there's a well in the yard. You can draw some water, wash up, and rest for a bit. We'll go out for dinner later, and we'll call you then."
Old Ma's voice came from inside the house, "Alright, you guys go ahead and get busy!"
Wu Sicheng held An Moxue's hand in one hand and the key in the other, and the two went to the second courtyard.
As the two walked, Wu Sicheng explained, "Considering that you will be studying at Kyoto University for four years, I had someone plan out the entire main house. See if there's anything that needs to be modified. While I'm still here before the semester starts, let's get everything sorted out so you can live comfortably in the future."
He led her into the living room, where the first thing she saw was a clean, off-white fabric sofa. The whole room was decorated in simple, light colors, which looked very comfortable.
"I remember you sometimes like to curl up on a soft sofa, drinking tea and reading a book. Why don't you sit down and see what you think of this sofa?"
As Wu Sicheng spoke, he pressed An Moxue down to sit on top of him. "How is it?"
An Moxue sat down, touched and pressed the surfaces, then carefully looked around. "It's alright, quite comfortable to sit in. The person who arranged this is quite good!"
"We've only looked at one room. Come on, let's go see the bedroom. I've arranged a kang (heated brick bed) and a tatami mat for you. You can sleep on the tatami mat in the summer. Come on, let's take a look."
Wu Sicheng pulled her up and pushed open the door to the east bedroom.
An Moxue took a look and saw a large wardrobe, a dressing table, a five-drawer chest, a kang (heated brick bed) to the north, and a couch to the south, all in light colors.
Wu Sicheng could tell from her expression that she was very satisfied, and with a smile, he led her to the house on the west side.
The two went inside, and Wu Sicheng said, "This is a study. Considering practical use, I chose this extra-large desk. I think you should like it."
The furniture here is all made of mahogany, only coated with a clear varnish, all in their original color, and even the wood grain is so clear and beautiful. To the west is a huge bookcase, which looks high-end and sophisticated.
"It's obvious you put thought into it. Treat your friend to a meal sometime to express your gratitude."
Wu Sicheng readily agreed verbally, but inwardly he thought, 'I requested all of this, why should I thank him and not me? He's just a gofer, does he deserve it?'
"We don't have to worry about poor heating in winter. The entire main house, except for the kang (heated brick bed), is covered with underfloor heating. The boiler is in the east wing. When the time comes, a furnace of coal will burn and the house will be warm."
After the two finished looking at the house, Wu Sicheng said, "You wash up and rest first, I'll go out and buy some rice, noodles and vegetables."
With that, he let go of An Moxue's hand and started to walk outside.
An Moxue grabbed him, "I'm not tired, I'll go with you!"
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