Chapter 107: Long Days Ahead?

"Then work hard for that sacred place." An Yinan didn't say much more; Xie Yuanyuan's personality was already formed, and if it were changed, she wouldn't be Xie Yuanyuan anymore.

She had been protected too well by the Xie Family.

Chen Xun's mind was filled with his girl, tossing and turning, which forced Beibei to speak up, "Brother Chen Xun, when can we sleep? Tell me."

Chen Xun immediately stopped moving, "You go to sleep."

Zhang Qian's thoughts also drifted far away; he was thinking about the meaning of his joining the army, thinking about the great love for his home and country.

Early the next morning, before the sky was even bright, everyone had gotten up. Today was the liveliest day; the children in the village would all come around to pay New Year's calls. Every year, no one went to the Educated Youth Courtyard, as the Educated Youth had little interaction with the villagers, but this year was different.

Not to mention the other children in the village, Yun Shen, Huzi, and Xiaoshitou were definitely coming.

Moreover, An Yinan also had to go to the village to pay New Year's calls; this was etiquette.

"Fairy Sister, Happy New Year," Huzi shouted loudly.

An Yinan said with a smile, "Happy New Year, let me fill your pockets with candy."

An Yinan had put a lot of fruit candy on the tea tray. This kind of candy was relatively cheap, but families in the village basically wouldn't put it out, only serving some roasted melon seeds and beans prepared at home.

But An Yinan had put out a whole plate of candy, and she had also placed some milk candy inside the cabinet. Seeing Huzi, she opened the cabinet, grabbed a handful of milk candy, and stuffed it into his coat pocket.

"Fairy Sister, that's too much." Huzi was a bit embarrassed. Every time he came, Fairy Sister would give him candy to eat. When he grew up, he would definitely buy more candy for Fairy Sister to eat.

An Yinan filled both of his coat pockets before she was forced to stop the candy-stuffing action. It was just that there was too much candy in her space, and there were no excuses to give it away on normal days. When her own candy coupons were about to expire, she would also go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy milk candy. Comparatively speaking, she preferred the taste of the milk candy from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative; it was full of milky flavor, and a single piece of candy was enough to brew a cup of milk.

As for the milk candy bought in modern times, those who hadn't specifically compared them wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Before long, after Beibei went to the Cowshed to pay a New Year's call, he brought Mo Yunshen over together.

"Sister Nan Nan, Happy New Year." Mo Yunshen was wearing a new outfit, which had come from An Yinan's hands.

She had specifically asked the Brigade Commander and, after receiving his permission, made a military-green imitation military uniform for Mo Yunshen, identical in style to Beibei's, which made the child jump for joy; it was clear he really liked it.

Shedding their maturity, these two were still just children in their early teens.

"Happy New Year, Yun Shen." An Yinan performed the same operation, stuffing milk candy into Mo Yunshen's pockets as well.

The little guy's face was flushed red; he didn't know how to refuse and was also a bit embarrassed.

Beibei peeled a piece of milk candy and stood to the side watching.

"Let's go, let's go find Xiaoshitou," Huzi suggested loudly.

The three little ones put their heads together and went off to pay New Year's calls in the village. An Yinan specifically instructed Beibei to go to the Brigade Commander's house and Ershu's house to pay New Year's calls.

When the little ones heard that An Yinan had candy here, every child came over to pay a New Year's call as if trying their luck. Although the children were greedy, they also had rules; no one took too much, and each person took two pieces of candy and left.

"Are you tired?" Chen Xun was in Beibei's room helping him with his schoolwork, and he hadn't left the room all morning, just fearing that something might be spread around the village.

Now the tide of people had receded, and wisps of cooking smoke were already rising from the houses that were eating early.

"What's there to be tired about? Receiving so many blessings, the days ahead will surely get better and better." An Yinan smiled, her eyes like curved crescent moons.

Chen Xun pinched her cheek, which had only a little bit of flesh, "As long as you're happy."

An Yinan was silent for a moment, "When are you leaving?"

His profession was destined to have no peace, nor would there be very long vacations; being able to come here this one time was already an unexpected joy.

"I only have a five-day vacation; I have to leave on the fifth day of the New Year." Chen Xun looked deeply at the person before him. His girl had just come of age, yet her eyes carried too many things—there was home, and there was country.

"There are still a few days left," An Yinan replied.

"Nan Nan, I want to form a revolutionary relationship with you. My life is not yours, and my person might not entirely be yours either. Being like this, are you willing?" Chen Xun was somewhat apprehensive. His girl was different from others; she understood too much, was too wise, and that also made him feel apprehensive and uneasy in his heart.

Sometimes he even wanted to break her wings and keep her by his side, to be his own canary. Call him pathological, call him terrifying—he would admit to it all.

But his only reluctance was her unwillingness.

He could not bear for her to be sad, could not bear for her to lose, could not bear for her eyes to lose their luster.

In order to protect the light in her eyes, he was willing to give up himself, willing to move forward together with her.

An Yinan hadn't expected this matter to come so suddenly.

But thinking about it, it wasn't really; hadn't she already prepared herself when Chen Xun arrived on New Year's Eve?

An Yinan smiled. Her smile no longer had its usual playfulness, but carried a hint of mischief. One hand grabbed Chen Xun's collar, pulling the man's face directly in front of her own.

"Chen Xun, remember not to lie to me. I don't know if I can keep living, but you will definitely die." Pathological? She was just good at pretending.

Having lived two lifetimes, she didn't want to miss out on, nor let go of, the one person she wanted to walk through life with.

When Chen Xun heard this, his whole person softened. He didn't take An Yinan's threat to heart, simply because he would not lie to her.

"Okay."

An Yinan looked at the handsome face right before her, pulled the collar she was gripping even closer, and pressed her lips onto his without mercy.

It was her own man; what was wrong with kissing him?

Chen Xun was stunned for a full five seconds before he reached out to pull the girl into his arms.

Just at the moment he reached out, a shout came from the neighboring courtyard, "Nan Nan, time to eat."

An Yinan's lips and hand pulled away at the same time. Looking at Chen Xun's hand that hadn't yet fallen, the corners of her mouth curled into a mischievous smile.

"Battalion Commander Chen, you have to hold back."

"The days ahead are long~"

That voice was like a little hook; how did she dare?

Chen Xun gritted his teeth. Watching the girl who ran away after doing her mischief, he finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, "I'll let you escape today."

Beibei didn't return at noon; it was unknown whose house he had been kept at for a meal. Before the New Year, An Yinan had specifically hunted a few wild boars, cut all the wild boar meat into chunks, and sent them to the Cowshed and Auntie Liu's house.

She had also calculated with Zhang Qian, and the two of them went up the mountain together to hunt two wild boars, then hauled them directly to the Daduibu.

At the time, it gave the Brigade Commander a fright; these two Educated Youth were truly fierce.

"We've been here for so long, and it's thanks to the care of the villagers. Now that it's the New Year, the few of us Educated Youth who moved out of the Educated Youth Courtyard put our heads together, and since we didn't have anything presentable to offer, we hunted two wild boars to distribute some meat to every family." An Yinan spoke very beautifully, and it wasn't just her and Zhang Qian's credit.