A Young Woman's Heart

Those things don't appear randomly or illogically.

So on this beautiful night, Mr. Snow, in his childlike spirit, simply spent the night watching the stars with them.

At midnight, the three of them lay on the sofa in the second-floor lobby and fell asleep while looking at the starry sky above them, which seemed to be able to suck in human souls.

……

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Daily Lives of Sisters and Brothers

Few people can guarantee they'll be energetic every day, and even fewer don't need rest—not just physically, but also mentally.

At the foot of the tea-growing mountain in the suburbs, the apple trees are growing lushly. In the container house next to it, although there are floor-to-ceiling windows everywhere, the curtains are drawn so that you can't see inside. Of course, if you stand directly above, you can still see two girls sleeping soundly through the skylight.

The bedding was rolled up in a mess, with Mo Zhuyou's two feet sticking out and Mo Xiaoxiao's leg dangling over the edge of the bed.

The two embraced tightly, like newborn kittens huddling together for warmth.

It was already 8:30.

However, the sky was bluish-gray, making it difficult to discern the time.

A few rooster crows and dogs barked in the distance, but the hustle and bustle of the city could not be heard.

This place is like a secluded paradise, where one can sleep soundly on days when one doesn't need to go out.

"Mmm..." The younger sister wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth onto her older sister's face and pressed half of her body against her.

A gentle breeze rustled through the grass outside the window, bending its branches low.

The chubby black rabbit was chewing on the tender tips of grass through the gaps in its cage.

"What time is it...?" The older sister's long hair was casually disheveled, with one or two strands of white hair occasionally visible among it.

"Mmm...mmm..." The younger sister seemed to want to answer something, but she couldn't even muster the strength to open her mouth and speak.

Sometimes when you sleep too comfortably, it's hard to wake up, and your muscles feel like they've stopped working.

This is not actually a problem of malnutrition, but a very normal natural phenomenon of the human body.

The reason is that after entering deep sleep, bodily functions decline and blood circulation slows down. The temporary insufficient blood supply when you first wake up leads to nerve conduction blockage, which in turn causes sluggish limb control and a lack of strength...

Mo Xiaoxiao tried to open one eye wide, looking at the sky outside the skylight, then hugged her younger sister and rolled over forcefully.

Now it was her turn to be half-on top of the other person.

Two limp, cat-like girls were intertwined without reservation, their hair even tangled together.

"What time is it……?"

"Hmm...hmm..." Mo Zhuyou fumbled for her phone under the pillow, squinted at it for a moment, then let it fall helplessly onto the sheets. "Eight..."

She swallowed the remaining words back down, or perhaps she said them in her dream.

The older sister's willpower was ultimately stronger; she tried to open her eyes wide and glanced at the time.

8:30 is already quite late for a normal wake-up time.

Every time she woke up late, she felt guilty because she had wasted a lot of precious time.

But occasionally, she would want to slack off.

It's so comfortable to stay in bed and do nothing.

Even as time goes by, the guilt I feel when I think about what I have to do today will only grow stronger...

"Time to get up..." Mo Xiaoxiao draped one arm over the blanket for a while, seemingly a little more awake. She whispered with a smile in her sister's ear, "Otherwise, we'll have to eat lunch soon."

"Hmm... Let's eat together... breakfast... lunch... to save money..."

Mo Zhuyou hugged her older sister, who was about to get up, and the two girls cuddled together in bed for a while longer.

She kept smacking her lips, as if she were eating something soft, sweet, and delicious.

However, I still had to get up eventually.

The struggle is most intense the moment you crawl out of bed.

But afterwards, you feel refreshed.

Washing up, cleaning, letting the brown sugar air out...

One thing at a time, they were doing things in an orderly manner.

My sister made breakfast today—actually, it's already 10 o'clock, so it can't really be called breakfast; it's just the first meal of the day.

"Sis, how about noodles?" she shouted to Mo Xiaoxiao, who was outside hammering small wooden stakes into the ground. "Or should we have rice porridge?"

That's all she can do, maybe add a fried egg—and even then she sometimes burns it.

"Were there any leftovers from yesterday?"

"Hmm, so should I make rice porridge? Or should you make fried rice with eggs later?"

"Hmm... then let's have noodles then."

"OK, leave it to me!" Mo Zhuyou was quite familiar with making noodles, after all, it was really too simple. You just put the noodles in water and boil them for a minute or two—some noodles only need half a minute—then take them out, divide them into two portions, put them into a large bowl with the seasonings already poured in, and mix them well.

At most, I'll add a fried egg.

The noodles were ready quickly. Although it was just a very simple breakfast, the tempting aroma made the two girls, who hadn't eaten anything since they got up, lick their lips.

"Sister, look! The poached eggs are half-cooked today! I finally succeeded!" Mo Zhuyou walked out of the house and into the yard carrying two large bowls of mixed noodles, shouting boastfully.

"Not bad."

"Eat up!" She placed a bowl with a little more noodles on the large wooden stake. This was firewood from someone else's house. She had seen it when she passed by the village entrance, asked the old man for it, and moved it here. It had taken a lot of effort, and now it could be used as a table.

In a sense, a solid wood table isn't that much different from the solid wood furniture in wealthy households.

Besides the noodles, the only other ingredients in the mixed noodles were chopped green onions sprinkled on top and a poached egg that had been mashed up.

Even though they eat it often, the two sisters still find it delicious.

Being able to eat their fill every day and having a warm and comfortable place to live already makes them feel very happy.

"Should we set up the scaffolding today?"

"Hmm, this corner is just right. It would be best to build a small pond here sometime..."

Mo Zhuyou slurped up a mouthful of noodles coated with semi-solidified egg, muttering, "Isn't it a bit much that the pond is so close to home? There are so many mosquitoes in the summer..."

"How about we build a smaller artificial hill?"

"It's too much trouble, sis. If you really want to do it, why don't you ask Xiaoxue to help you? She'll definitely have a solution. Oh, by the way, shouldn't we ask Xiaoji to help with setting up the scaffolding today?"

"It's not good to always ask others for help."

"What's the big deal? Besides, we don't always ask him for help, do we?"

Today, Mo Xiaoxiao is going to build a trellis for climbing vines in the corner of the yard. When the vines are fully grown in the summer, this place can be used for shade.

This is what many rural farmers do.

Moreover, enjoying the shade is a bonus. For example, if you plant some grapes, you'll have fruit to eat later. In addition, loofah and cucumbers can also be planted together.

The materials were prepared beforehand; all we need to do today is assemble them.

However, it's not an easy thing to do.

Mo Zhuyou finished a large bowl of noodles in no time, patted her flat stomach with satisfaction, and rolled up her sleeves: "Sister, I'm here to help!"

"Okay!" Mo Xiaoxiao quickly finished the rest of her noodles and started working with her sister. "Let's assemble those first and then put them up and secure them. The wooden stakes here need to be hammered down firmly, otherwise they'll easily collapse... It's always good to secure them a few more times."

"No problem, no problem, let's get started!"

……

The hamburger shop was extremely busy.

Because the prices are much cheaper than KFC and McDonald's, parents often bring their children here for a meal as a reward.

This way, the child will be happy, and it won't waste too much money.

This commercial street is already very lively, with all kinds of shops opening up. Relying on the RT-Mart supermarket, people often browse other shops while shopping at the supermarket, which in turn boosts business.

Duanmu Bi was in charge of taking orders at the front desk, while Duanmu Ji was extremely busy in the back.

To save money, they didn't even hire any extra waiters.

Several empty tables outside were piled high with bone scraps and other remnants, making some new customers reluctant to sit down.

"Xiao Ji, extra spicy chicken burger and beef stew! Two large cups and a large fries!"

"Oh!" Duanmu Ji responded from inside, wishing he could split himself in two to work.

While no one was ordering, Duanmu Bi had to quickly tidy up the tables, so they were never empty.

It wasn't until noon that I finally felt relaxed.

The tables in the lobby were a complete mess, making one reluctant to clean them up.

"Sister, we really need to hire a few new employees." Duanmu Ji leaned wearily against the kitchen doorway, looking completely unwilling to move.

"Hmm... we don't have any good candidates yet. We'll have to hire two, otherwise we'll be too busy."

"It would be great if the two sisters could come and help today."

"We can't always rely on others for help."

"Don't you always treat them to a meal?"

"Tch, do you think treating them to some fast food from our shop would cost much? It's not even enough to pay their regular wages!" Duanmu Bi flicked her brother's forehead. "Alright, alright, stop complaining, clean up the tables first!"

Although Duanmu Ji was very unwilling, he still tried his best to cheer up.

On the pedestrian street outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, people come and go, and just watching them makes one feel incredibly fulfilled.

Perhaps it's because everyone around us is the same kind?

Humans, after all, are social animals.

The large trees that were transplanted last year have fully survived this year and are growing very well. They are planted in rows along the commercial street and are now swaying gently in the breeze.

The bluish-gray clouds didn't feel oppressive, just not as relaxing as on a clear day.