Chapter 105: New Year, Chen Xun Returns

"I will take the documents. The translation fees for these three volumes will be settled according to the rate for confidential translators, and the Compilation Bureau will calculate your wages," the old man said in a low voice.

"Comrade An, are you interested in working for the Compilation Bureau?" the old man asked.

The Compilation Bureau was currently in urgent need of translators, especially those with such one-hundred-percent accuracy; he had already made up his mind regarding An Yinan's vigilance and political ideology just now.

It was truly a waste of talent to have her sent down to this mountain village.

An Yinan smiled and did not say anything to refuse, "Haven't I already been working for the Compilation Bureau?"

With that one sentence, the old man already understood her meaning.

Conversations between smart people often do not require explicit direction.

"This is my phone number. Whenever you change your mind, contact me at any time," the old man sighed, but he still left his number.

He truly hoped that An Yinan could come to work at the Compilation Bureau.

"Alright," An Yinan nodded and agreed.

The roar of the car engine drew a crowd of onlookers; this was the second time a car had come to Quanshui Village, and both times it was because of the Educated Youth An.

"Gone?" the Brigade Commander looked at the white exhaust and the swirling snowflakes behind the car.

An Yinan nodded, "Gone."

The Brigade Commander sighed, "Take care."

After handing over those confidential documents, An Yinan felt much more relaxed; she finally didn't have to be on edge every day.

She returned to her ordinary life, translating documents on weekdays and going for walks in the mountains during her leisure time. Because the weather was getting colder and animals were moving toward the periphery, her harvest increased with each passing day.

The traps would also be full of bounty; there was never a time she returned empty-handed.

In the peaceful days, time passed quickly, and in a blink, it was New Year's Eve.

An Yinan specifically set aside a day to go to the Textile Factory in the County, where she selected various fabrics and then made a piece of clothing for everyone.

She bought those fabrics with printing errors or stitching issues, and through her design, she avoided the flawed areas.

She made a red coat for Xie Yuanyuan, a military-green casual outfit for Zhang Qian, and a faux-military uniform for Beibei.

She made a sky-blue coat for Li Xiue and a dark-green pair of trousers for Zhao Qiu Hua.

As for herself, she made a set of coarse cloth clothes, which made her look the least refined among the crowd.

"Nan Nan, come take a look, is this meat minced well enough?"

"Nan Nan, come knead the dough, I can't knead it anymore."

"Nan Nan, are the melon seeds ready?"

One voice after another, it was as lively as a vegetable market, but it also made the festive atmosphere of the New Year even thicker.

Zhang Qian didn't know where he had gotten some firecrackers, and Beibei, along with his friends Mo Yunshen, Huzi, and Xiaoshitou, were busy taking them apart.

An Yinan gave each of them an incense stick to light the small fuses of the firecrackers, and as they quickly threw them away, the "pop, pop" sounds could be heard continuously.

Just as the group was in the middle of the excitement, a knock on the door suddenly rang out.

Everyone looked at each other, and in the end, it was the idlest one, Zhang Qian, who went to open the door.

The person outside stood straight as a ramrod in a military-green figure, with a large backpack on his back; the long journey had caused his hair tips to become damp.

"Battalion Commander?" Zhang Qian's eyes widened as he looked at the environment behind him. Oh my god, why did this ancestor come here?

Chen Xun patted Zhang Qian on the shoulder, "You've gained weight; you need extra training."

Zhang Qian had just felt a bit of surprise at the reunion, but he couldn't help but clench his fists; was this guy a devil?

"You appeared like this? Isn't that bad?" Revenge, naked revenge.

Chen Xun chuckled and looked at Zhang Qian as if he were looking at a fool, "Haven't you heard that undercover missions can lower one's IQ?"

"Zhang Qian, who is it?" An Yinan shouted loudly. It was already the middle of the night and freezing cold; people from the village shouldn't be coming over, right?

Hearing the voice he had been longing for, Chen Xun didn't care about the person behind him and strode into the house.

"Nan Nan." His voice was low, carrying an imperceptible grievance. Chen Xun stood at the doorway, where the howling cold wind could be heard.

"Chen Xun?" An Yinan widened her eyes in surprise.

Wasn't he at the Military District? Didn't he say he couldn't come home for the New Year?

Why did he appear here?

"It's me." Chen Xun resisted the urge to pull her into his arms and ruffled An Yinan's hair.

"Nan Nan, who is this?" Xie Yuanyuan, Li Xiue, and Zhao Qiu Hua exchanged glances for a while. Looking at the interaction between the two, they hadn't heard of An Yinan having any childhood sweethearts or anything like that, right?

"My brother, Chen Xun," An Yinan turned around with a smile and introduced him to everyone.

"Oh, it's a brother!" Xie Yuanyuan's gossiping face immediately dropped in resignation; this gossip had died before it even began.

"That's right, brother." An Yinan looked at Chen Xun with amusement. Chen Xun sighed helplessly and ruffled her hair again as a form of punishment.

"I need to change my clothes first. I sat on the train for five days and five nights, and then walked for over forty minutes," Chen Xun looked pitifully at An Yinan. This little heartless one only wrote back once every ten days or so, and sometimes she just used a few sentences to brush him off.

She was truly someone born to torture him.

"Go to Zhang Qian's room; you can boil water there to take a bath." Her own courtyard wasn't very suitable. Although he wouldn't go to Beibei's room, a group of female comrades were busy in the kitchen, and it didn't seem quite right for him to take a bath in her room.

"Alright, I'll put my things in Beibei's room first. I'll sleep with Beibei tonight." Chen Xun wouldn't let this little girl dodge him; if he took his bag to Zhang Qian's room, he probably wouldn't be able to come back tonight.

"That room," An Yinan's face turned slightly red, and she pointed her finger.

"Alright," Chen Xun replied, then went into the room to put his things away, grabbed a set of clothes, and only then went to find Zhang Qian.

Zhang Qian watched Chen Xun wiping off the water while tending to the fire, "You traveled ten days back and forth just to stay here for five days; what for?"

He really didn't understand; it was too much trouble.

Chen Xun glanced at him, "You blockhead, you wouldn't understand."

Zhang Qian was very unconvinced, "Aren't you a blockhead? That literary soldier chased after you for half the Military District; did you ever care if she lived or died?"

"By the way, and that Company Commander's sister, right?"

"And..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Xun chuckled, "I think you need some special training; lately, you haven't been keeping a guard on your mouth, have you?"

Zhang Qian hurriedly waved his hands, "I won't tell An Yinan."

Making dumplings together was quite fast; watching the watch as every minute and second ticked by, when there were ten minutes left until twelve o'clock, An Yinan clapped her hands.

"Boil the dumplings."

"Ah, great, finally boiling the dumplings; my stomach is almost flattened from hunger," Xie Yuanyuan said, then immediately raised her hand, "I'll tend the fire."

And she could only do this.