A Young Woman's Heart

Cha Li even imitated a sea lion, headbutting the ball back.

The water in the swimming pool surged and splashed, creating waves.

I came here to relax at the swimming pool, but ended up doing some high-intensity exercise instead.

To be honest, it's really difficult to jump out of the water.

Sweat mingled with the pool water, while pale golden light shone through the deep blue window.

Even though everyone was having a lot of fun in the swimming pool with only eight people, there was still a sense of spacious tranquility.

"Rest..." Yu Shu's body was half lying on the shore, and her chubby, fair little foot struggled to get onto the bank.

"Yu Shu won't be able to climb back up, will she?" Mo Xueyao asked jokingly, suddenly pushing herself up with both hands, trying to make a graceful exit from the water. But her arms went sore, she lost her balance, and with a 'splash,' fell back into the water.

"Pfft, Xiaoyao, you were just making fun of Yu Shu."

"I was just having an accident!" she shouted in her defense.

"Are we going back?" Mr. Xue asked from the deep water area.

"Let's take a break. What time is it?"

"Let me see—" Cha Li picked up her phone from the lounge chair. "Hmm, 4:30."

"It's still early." Leng Feng clearly hadn't had enough fun yet.

"Let's rest for a while first..." Mo Xueyao lay swaying on the recliner, feeling completely exhausted.

She was soaking wet, but she felt like she could fall asleep any second...

……

Chapter Ninety-Five: Mo Xueyao and Yu Shu's Summer

Light shone through the blue glass, casting an icy blue hue.

The water surface rippled gently, and the cold wind, not yet having had enough fun, was dragging Chali away, wanting to have a swimming race.

The waves are already rolling, and the scent of summer is spreading.

This was an unfamiliar scene for children in rural areas.

Because they are more accustomed to seeing clear, winding streams, the overgrown weeds and moss beside them, and the slippery little fish.

Mo Xueyao grew up in the city and only went back to the countryside a few times during summer vacation.

Most of the time, it's in this city built of reinforced concrete.

Many summer vacations are spent in the city.

Back then, the people I envied most were those who could go swimming in the pool.

Getting a quarterly pass can cost quite a bit.

But I have been there a few times, no matter what.

But every time there are so many people, unlike now when I have the whole place to myself and feel relaxed.

Even without going into the water, just lying on a chair on the shore is quite pleasant.

"Yu Shu must be tired too?" She tilted her head to look at Yu Shu lying on the chair next to her. She was so petite that even when she lay down, she only took up half the space.

It's like putting a tiny egg pancake in a huge frying pan.

"Hmm—" Yu Shu squinted, bent her knees, raised her hands slightly, and stretched very awkwardly.

“But it’s much cooler here than at home. I feel like I could lie here and sleep until tomorrow.” Mo Xueyao turned over to face Yu Shu’s little face. “When I was little, if I wanted to cool off, I could only do so in the bamboo grove in the park unless I went very far.”

"Hmm, is that bamboo grove still there? I haven't been to see it."

"It's still there—I think?" She was a little unsure. When she was a child, that little park was like a sacred place.

In the evening, vendors selling cheap toys and snacks adorned the childhoods of countless ordinary people.

"How about we go take a look later?"

"At night...?"

"Hmm, ah, but after that I have to go back to the fruit shop to sleep, what a hassle. Oh well, maybe next time."

Upon hearing Mo Xueyao's words, Yu Shu blurted out, "Then sleep at my...my...my house?"

"Hmm—do you have air conditioning at home?"

"Yes, I have air conditioning in my room!" She nodded vigorously.

This made Mo Xueyao hesitate: "Well, it's not impossible... Wanyan! How about we stay overnight at Yu Shu's house? It's too hot in the small room at the fruit shop right now."

That place only had one window, and above it was the roof, the kind without tiles.

It might be a little better in winter, but in summer it's like a sauna.

It's not even that hot yet, and I can't fall asleep until 10 or 11 pm, let alone when it's hottest.

"I need your help."

"what……"

"Anyway, Yaoyao is fine staying, so you can go."

"Well, I'll ask my mom then. Anyway, it's probably going to be fine."

As the weather gets warmer, fruit shops experience increased losses. To avoid stockpiling, fruits are sold at relatively low prices; otherwise, they might rot and the shop won't even be able to recoup its costs.

As a result, business became better than ever. With the hot weather and low prices, customers flocked to the store.

Not to mention that my father is away most of the time, even when he is, the two of them are extremely busy.

Tonight, my father said he wants to paint the walls, otherwise the rainy season is coming and the dates will have to be postponed again, which wouldn't be good.

Therefore, someone must be there to help.

Even if business isn't so booming in the evening, I can at least help prepare dinner or something.

Logically speaking, Mo Xueyao should have stayed home to help out.

But every time she helps out, she gets criticized, so she's particularly resistant to doing that.

Gradually, unless she was really busy, her mother stopped letting her do chores.

—They always invited Li Wanyan along.

This also allowed her to experience the joy of having siblings.

Well... the older folks can do all the troublesome things, so I, the 'younger sister,' can slack off.

……

At six o'clock in the afternoon, the sun still showed no sign of setting.

It's as if it can hang there for another three or four hours.

"Wow, it's already past six o'clock?" Leng Feng opened his mouth wide in an exaggerated way, as if imitating an anime character. "I can't tell at all."

"It got dark too late."

Ye Banxia nodded gently: "I remember it was still bright outside at seven o'clock yesterday."

Everyone played until the latest departure time, and went back to the locker room to shower and change clothes before six o'clock.

When I came out, it was a little past six o'clock.

Mo Xueyao shook her still slightly damp long hair. Perhaps because she had just taken a shower, the wind blowing in her face didn't feel hot at all, but rather exceptionally refreshing.

The group walked out of the school and said goodbye to each other at the pedestrian crossing at the intersection.

"Squad leader, thank you so much for today!" Leng Feng laughed heartily, waving his hand, which was much larger than everyone else's. "Next time there's an opportunity like this, remember to call me!"

The last sentence was shouted at Mo Xueyao.

"Definitely, definitely." Mo Xueyao waved her hand, the violin bag on her back turning the brief coolness of her arrival back into sweltering heat.

Carrying such a big and heavy thing on your back, you'll be drenched in sweat after just a few steps.

It's not that I'm really tired, it's just that the weather is hot and I sweat a lot.

When using this electronic keyboard, it is indeed very comfortable, but... when taking it with me, it is extremely painful, and I begin to miss my own simple and lightweight ordinary electronic keyboard.

"Bye-bye~" Ye Banxia and Cha Li were going the same way, so they didn't need to cross the road; they could just take the bus from the platform here.

Mo Xueyao and the others said goodbye to each other, and Huang Yuxi, who was standing at the school gate, also waited for her brother who came to pick her up.

—Because she had already seen the little truck.

A passing car kicked up a few wisps of dry dust.

It hasn't rained for the past few days, and the water in the small pond at the construction site I passed on my way home has become much shallower.

The fruit shop wasn't particularly busy, which made Mo Xueyao's 'conscience' feel much more at ease.

After speaking with my mother, I was allowed to leave, just as she had expected.

When I was in kindergarten, before my mother came home, she would run to Yu Shu's house and call her workplace, saying that we should have dinner at her house today or something like that.

The scorching sun continued to bake the earth, but Old Chen and Chen Cheng were squatting harmoniously at the shop entrance, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes—although Chen Cheng still didn't speak to his father in a very nice tone, it was probably just a habit he hadn't changed.

"Old Chen, haven't you started working yet?"

"No new business right now, just taking a break from work." Old Chen chuckled, flicked his cigarette ash, and took a big gulp of beer. "Where to?"

"Time to go home."

"Is the renovation finished?"

"No, I'm staying at Yu Shu's place," Mo Xueyao replied. Then, as Old Chen turned around, she gave Chen Cheng the middle finger. Before she could make the funny face she was about to make, she couldn't help but laugh.

This guy always had a sour face in front of his father, which made her want to tease him all the time.

Chen Cheng looked at her with the eyes of someone looking at a child, without saying a word.

I don't know if she was angry or if she was deliberately responding in this way.

Mo Xueyao raised her eyebrows triumphantly, feeling as if she had won. Taking advantage of the fact that no cars were passing by, she grabbed Yu Shu's wrist and crossed the road.