Chapter 112: What is your status?

"I must study hard and get into Beijing. Among us, not one can be missing." Xie Yuanyuan's gaze grew increasingly determined.

An Yinan saw the young girl whose train of thought had been led astray, curled her lips into a faint smile, and then nodded.

Fortunately...

That afternoon, without anyone calling her, Xie Yuanyuan buried herself in copying books at Li Xiue's Xiao Yuan. After copying the required number of pages, she began to memorize and practice problems according to the key points summarized by An Yinan.

"What's wrong with her?" Zhao Qiu Hua nudged An Yinan beside her.

An Yinan looked at Xie Yuanyuan and shook her head. "My girl has grown up; she knows how to study now. My heart is greatly comforted."

Zhao Qiu Hua rolled her eyes with zero elegance!

If you don't want to say it, then don't, but why put on such an old-fashioned air?

An Yinan hadn't gone to the mountains these past few days. She had Zhang Qian process some of the game, took some to Li Xiu'e's place, and threw some into her space when no one was paying attention.

In the blink of an eye, it was the evening of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.

The snow kept falling incessantly. The roof had to be cleared twice a day. Ever since Chen Xun arrived, An Yinan had never had to climb high again.

There was another key point: Xie Yuanyuan's roof no longer needed anyone else's help...

"Eat here." An Yinan watched Chen Xun climb down the ladder, then turned and said to Xie Shuyang.

Previously, she hadn't known Xie Shuyang's state of mind, but she had seen it clearly over the past two days.

"I..." Xie Shuyang had just opened his mouth when Xie Yuanyuan's voice came from inside the room, "They aren't willing; how could they look down on the food at our Xiao Yuan?"

Xie Shuyang immediately swallowed the words he was about to say and smiled at An Yinan with some embarrassment.

"Could we step aside to talk?" Xie Shuyang first nodded at Chen Xun, then looked at An Yinan.

An Yinan raised an eyebrow and pointed to the large tree outside the door. The area under the tree was spacious, and there was a full meter of distance between the two of them. Even if anyone saw them, there was no way any nonsense could be spread. For a sister's man, a sense of distance was important.

"Something up?" An Yinan asked.

"I'm very grateful to you for taking care of Yuanyuan. Uncle Xie dotes on Yuanyuan very much, which has created her personality of being unable to endure hardship. Being able to stay here for nearly half a year, I really thank you." Xie Shuyang was very solemn; if the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, he would have bowed ninety degrees.

Since returning these past few days, he had cleared up many things, and from Qian Zhao's mouth, he had learned some detailed matters.

It was precisely because of the person in front of him that Yuanyuan was able to maintain her personality and not be bullied by anyone.

An Yinan smiled and narrowed her eyes. "Xie? Are you representing Lao Xie? Thanking me? That's not necessary. Every time Lao Xie mails things to Yuanyuan, our sister and brother get a share."

"Or are you thanking me on your own behalf? That's also unnecessary. After all, what is your status?"

She could see Xie Shuyang's struggle, but she could not tolerate her sister being wronged.

Thank me? On what grounds?

Do I need your thanks?

Where were you earlier?

Xie Shuyang was stunned for a moment. In their contact over the past two days, An Yinan had always been very gentle. This was the first time he knew that such a soft Educated Youth could instantly become like a hedgehog, with all her steel quills standing straight up.

"Xie Shuyang, I am peaceful toward you only because I don't want to make things difficult for my sister."

"But to be honest, I don't think much of you. After all, someone as indecisive as you is truly unworthy of my sister."

Xie Shuyang's face turned as black as ink, and his whole body trembled, yet he could not refute her.

"Come back only after you've seen your own heart clearly."

"If you love, love wholeheartedly. If you don't love, leave her sight. Don't be so entangled and dragging things out—are you acting in an idol drama?"

An Yinan did not wait for Xie Shuyang's reply and instead strode away.

Chen Xun stood at the doorway, watching the girl whose face had darkened in the distance. He frowned, feeling a bit of displeasure toward Xie Shuyang as well.

A man should stand tall and upright; what is there that cannot be overcome? Why must he make the girl he loves sad?

Even if he were in that situation, he would still be as firm as he was now. He would do everything in his power to let the girl he loved live a good life.

Relying on his own hands and his own brain, not by being unable to let go while being unable to love.

"Did you blast him?" Zhang Qian raised an eyebrow.

An Yinan gave a cold snort. "If I don't blast him, can he wake up? People who wallow in self-pity are the most annoying."

"We won't have that day," Chen Xun said firmly.

An Yinan raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "What does that have to do with you?"

Why are you so quick to project yourself into this?

Zhang Qian looked at this one, then at that one, and finally at Xie Shuyang, who was lost in thought under the large tree.

"Love is truly unfathomable! Some go mad, some sink into it, some laugh, some cry."

"Get lost!" Chen Xun extended his foot, though he hadn't kicked out yet.

Zhang Qian had already slipped away nimbly.

On the evening of the fourth day, An Yinan pulled Chen Xun into her room. This was the first time Chen Xun had entered.

The room was very clean. A light-colored sheet was spread on the kang. On one side of the kang were two cabinets, with bedding placed on top of them. Beside them stood a kang table; it was likely where the little girl studied.

On the floor was a rack, on which various ceramic pots were placed, with vegetables growing inside.

"I mailed you two bottles of Hemostatic Pill; there are two pills in one bottle," An Yinan said softly.

Afterward, she took another bottle of Hemostatic Pill from the cabinet. "There is only one pill in this one. Remember, you must only use it yourself."

Chen Xun saw the solemn An Yinan and nodded firmly. "Okay."

This single Pill was medicine refined by the System Medicine Furnace. To what extent was its efficacy? As long as it was sprinkled on, it would stop bleeding immediately.

Later, she had specifically refined some more, but she used her own medicine jar. The properties of this medicine were too heaven-defying; even the Chen Family hadn't been given any. Now, she only gave Chen Xun one.

"Can I submit a marriage application when I return to the Military?" Chen Xun was very respectful of An Yinan.

In this era, men at twenty and women at eighteen could obtain a marriage certificate.

An Yinan had thought about this question; after all, Chen Xun had mentioned it more than once these past few days.

These past few days, he had repaired the door, pasted two more layers of newspaper on the windows, repaired the tables and chairs in the room, and even added another layer of straw mats to the shed.

He was afraid that after he left, An Yinan would have to worry about these things, so he simply did a thorough inspection in advance.

An Yinan nodded, "That's fine, but I cannot join the Military for the time being."

She was already familiar with Quanshui Village, and now the data the country needed was increasing, and the level of confidentiality was becoming more and more important; she needed a safe and familiar environment.

If she went to the Military, she would need to re-adapt to the environment, and interpersonal relationships would take time to manage; these were all too much of a waste of time, and for now, she did not have that time.

"Alright, I'll listen to you," Chen Xun said.

Early the next morning, An Yinan packed a whole bowl of dumplings for Chen Xun, stuffed the bag with baked flatbreads, several jars of meat sauce, some kimchi she had made herself, and meat floss made from air-dried rabbit.