A Young Woman's Heart

The buses at around 6 o'clock were no longer so crowded.

After all, in this day and age, most office workers get off work before 5:30.

It's almost 6:30 and not many people are still at get off work.

"Is Yu Shu going home for dinner?"

"I said yesterday that I might not be going home for dinner."

"Oh—so now—" Mo Xueyao patted her pockets. Although she had left her backpack at the store when she came out, she had made a point of bringing her wallet with her. "How about we buy some food?"

The two had just gotten out of the car and were walking towards the park near their home.

The park entrance was already quite lively.

This is the time when many people come out for a walk after dinner.

Many people took this opportunity to set up stalls.

The late-night food stalls are already bustling with activity.

A few middle-aged men were sitting at a small folding table nearby, drinking beer.

The old man on the fifth floor was busy frying skewers, and a crowd of people were gathered in front of his cart. Mo Xueyao and Yu Shu were not seen.

He's so busy, it wouldn't be good to bother him, and besides, there's a high chance he won't even have to pay them.

"Hmm... I also want to eat out." Yu Shu nodded gently, revealing a slightly shy smile. "Hmm... It's so rare to be able to buy food outside."

Is it that strange?

"Hmm... it feels like... like I'm secretly doing something bad."

"What's wrong with buying food outside? Does that mean you're doing something wrong?"

"Because... my parents don't let me buy food outside, um, I feel like it should be okay for me now..."

"Haha, weren't you the same when you were little? You never gave me money when we went out, and I was the one who treated you to popsicles."

"Oh, right, let's buy some shaved ice, I haven't had any in ages!"

What used to cost one cent a stick when I was a kid now costs forty cents a stick.

I often buy this because it can be folded into two, which is perfect for sharing with friends when I'm short on cash.

"Orange flavor?"

"Ah."

“Summer goes well with orange-flavored drinks.” Mo Xueyao bought one and broke it in two, while Yu Shu asked for the smaller one.

She stuck out her cat-like little tongue and gently licked it, her little face scrunching up: "It's so sour."

"Really? Hmm... it's alright." Mo Xueyao took a bite out, shoved it into her mouth with a 'glug', and then crunched it in her mouth.

"How about we buy something and eat it in the bamboo forest?"

"Ok!"

The late-night snacks at the park entrance are actually quite simple.

It's nothing more than fried noodles, fried rice, fried rice noodles, and the like.

Yu Shu tiptoed and pulled Mo Xueyao to look around for a long time, but in the end she still chose to buy a serving of liangpi (cold skin noodles) – probably because it's something she doesn't usually eat.

Mo Xueyao paid the money as usual, while Yu Shu had just taken out her cute little wallet.

"Uh... I... I brought money..."

"Ah? Oh, I forgot. After all, I always paid when we were kids. It's okay, it's become a habit of me to pay for you."

Hearing this, her face flushed slightly: "When we were short of money, we even went to collect Coke bottles..."

"Haha, that's because I wanted ice cream that day, right?"

"It seems so..."

……

Chapter Ninety-Six Snacks and the Bamboo Grove

The brown oil sizzled and bubbled in the pan. The owner scooped out a freshly fried chive pancake, drained off the excess oil, and quickly put it into a bag, adding a warning, "Be careful, it's hot."

Having already paid, Mo Xueyao eagerly took the bag, her mouth practically watering as she carried the slightly greasy bag.

When I was a kid, I saved up some money and wanted to buy this.

It seems that many children have no resistance to these fried foods.

Even if they are not healthy.

Even as adults, they might find it a bit too greasy.

But when I was a child, I always thought it tasted delicious.

At the many stalls by the park, Mo Xueyao did a big shopping spree, buying things and fulfilling a small childhood dream.

It cost about ten yuan in total.

The sky was still bright, and there was no sign of turning on the park lights. Adults were taking walks with their children, and occasionally you could see some couples in love.

Of course, the most common sight is elderly people dancing or practicing Tai Chi in the park.

"Hmm, the ladder, Xiaoyao used to love climbing on it and playing there." Yu Shu tugged at Mo Xueyao's arm and pointed to a piece of exercise equipment by the path.

"Haha... Well, when I was little, I didn't have enough arm strength to grab the pole and get over it, so I could only climb up to play."

This ladder is the tallest fitness equipment in the entire park. Back then, many of my friends couldn't climb it, but Mo Xueyao could come up here and enjoy a panoramic view.

As for what to do...

There's really nothing fun about it; it's mostly just sitting around. At most, when children playing hide-and-seek pass by, they might ask her if she's seen any of the children hiding.

Today, some children also climbed to the top of the ladder.

He doesn't look like he's even in elementary school yet, and he came alone—because if his parents were there, they would definitely be watching over him closely.

There are still quite a few children playing hide-and-seek, and as it gets dark, even more people will come to play.

Because under the cover of night, this game, in addition to being fun, also gains a touch of mystery and a sense of exploration.

When she was little, she would hide in a particularly dark corner, and after enough time, she would jump out and scare the person looking for her.

Hiding in that kind of place was actually a little scary, but that's what made it so exciting.

At night, the bamboo grove becomes absolutely forbidden territory for children.

Because the bamboo there grows so densely that almost no light can penetrate.

There are also frequent rumors that dead people are buried here.

Thinking back to my childhood, it's really cute how naive I was.

The secluded path leading to the bamboo forest remains unchanged, except that the paving stones have gained more moss and cracks.

Mo Xueyao walked briskly ahead as the streetlights in the park finally came on.

Once it starts to get dark, it gets dark very quickly.

Just over ten minutes ago, the sky, which was still bright, had turned a deep blue.

However, the streetlights in the bamboo grove area are not in good condition.

It's either very dark, or flickering, or simply not lit at all.

Only the lamp at the entrance to the bamboo grove remained brightly lit, just like the others.

The bamboo forest seemed even more lush. Walking inside, following the path surrounded by bamboo, turning left and right, we finally arrived at the middle of the bamboo forest.

There was a stone table and four stone stools here, with some sunflower seed shells scattered on the ground. The table and stools were not dusty, indicating that people often came to sit here.

The bamboo grove is right next to the wall, and there is a street lamp just outside the wall.

The lamp provided a dim light inside, ensuring that one could see clearly even at night.

"It seems a little cold..."

"Didn't you just say it was hot?" Mo Xueyao touched the stone bench with her hand to make sure it wasn't dirty, then sat down comfortably and spread out the things she had just bought on the table.

There's not only food, but also fun activities.

When she was little, she could only buy one or two glow sticks at a time, but today she spent two yuan to buy ten.

They also asked for a few extra rings to connect them.

Yu Shu also likes to play this; when they were little, she would always take it from Yu Shu.

The little boys and girls also rolled it into the shape of a bracelet and used it as a 'token of love'.

"Today is such a feast! Ah, this fried food needs to be eaten quickly, it won't taste good when it gets cold." Mo Xueyao picked up a chive box and took a big bite.

This is different from what you get at breakfast shops; it's filled with chives and pork, and only has a tiny bit of glass noodles.

The outer skin is crispy, and the meat inside is tender and soft, but it can taste a bit salty if you eat too much.

When she was little, she could eat a whole bottle of soda without drinking any water, but now she's only had two bites and she couldn't help but drink several mouthfuls of the glass bottle of soda—she can take it to the door or another convenience store that sells this kind of drink later and get her deposit back.

Is the liangpi (cold skin noodles) delicious?

"Hmm, Xiaoyao, would you like to give it a try?"

"Shall I give it a try?"

Liangpi (cold skin noodles) feels like noodles that can be eaten cold.

Mo Xueyao slurped down a few pieces, smacked her lips for a while, but couldn't taste anything.

"Did it not mix well?"

"Huh? Hmm... I knew it, the sauce is all at the bottom."

"It tastes better when it's mixed well." Mo Xueyao crunched on the last bit of the chive pancake—to be honest, the last part was as unpalatable as the crispy cone of an ice cream.

No, it should still be several times worse.