A Young Woman's Heart

...It's just like a prop from a movie scene.

As she walked in, Mo Xueyao noticed that there was more than one restaurant; there were several others with the same layout.

The children who were in class just now were led to the table next door.

Those sitting here all seem to be adults—except for Mo Xueyao and the others.

The man dressed as a priest stood at the front of the table, while Ashley stood quietly with her hands folded over her lower abdomen.

Perhaps it's because she's watched too many movies, but Mo Xueyao always has this misconception that priests are all bad people.

However, this priest actually had a very kind and benevolent appearance. He was slightly overweight, with a neatly trimmed beard and a very peaceful gaze, which made him completely unapproachable.

"It's not what I expected," Hua Yinyin whispered in Mo Xueyao's ear.

It was rare for Mo Xueyao to share her opinion.

However, she did not speak, because everyone around her put their hands to their chests and prayed with the priest.

"Lord! I thank and praise you! Today we have come to attend your banquet..."

Mo Xueyao followed along, but she was wondering if the Holy Communion Day in different Christian communities was actually different.

Some seem to simply be the first Sunday of each year or month.

But it happens every Sunday here.

Is it because they have more funds and want to recruit more believers?

The prayer for communion was quite long, probably taking three to five minutes to read.

Then it was time to distribute them.

The distributors were the priest and Ashley.

They first set out the plates, then Ashley carried a metal bucket while the priest distributed the portions one by one with a spoon.

As each person receives their share, they say, "This is today's communion: steak and potato pancakes."

This was no exception when it came to Mo Xueyao and Hua Yinyin.

Thick, juicy steaks were gently placed on their plates, and the priest poured extra sauce over them. Ashley, standing nearby, promptly handed them a potato pancake wrapped in parchment paper.

The delicate flavor of potatoes and the rich flavor of steak complement each other perfectly, making it incredibly appetizing.

Moreover, although this steak is mass-produced, it still looks very exquisite, and the cut marks on it make the sauce more flavorful.

"Praise be to my Lord!" Mo Xueyao immediately followed the example of the others, putting her hands together and reciting the phrase.

"Praise be to my Lord." Hua Yinyin didn't say it that loudly, after all, steak wasn't a rare treat for her.

If you want, eating it once or twice a week is absolutely fine.

"May the Lord bless you, please have Holy Communion."

Once Mo Xueyao received permission, she immediately picked up her knife and fork and began to clumsily slicing.

Although it was cut very roughly, she couldn't wait to put it in her mouth.

This is no worse than the steak at any Western restaurant.

Not only is it tender and juicy, but it also doesn't get stuck in your teeth; the rich beef flavor quickly spreads across your tongue.

—Since it's free, it's not a bad idea to believe one occasionally?

She suddenly had this idea.

……

Chapter 101 On the Bell Tower

After communion, there is dessert.

It's a bowl of sweet glutinous rice ball soup.

Light and delicious, perfect for enjoying after such a large steak.

After the meal, the believers left.

On Sundays, everyone helps with cleaning or repairing things. It's all voluntary, and they clearly feel honored and satisfied doing these things.

The children returned to the classroom to play with their toys, while the sounds of the choir practicing drifted from downstairs.

Despite being located in the bustling city center, it possesses a tranquility that feels far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world.

—Actually, you can still hear the horns and car engines outside, which means that this tranquility comes from an inner feeling.

There are no activities scheduled for the afternoon. The place has many rooms available, and you can even lie down and take a nap.

However, not all rooms have air conditioning. If you feel hot, you can sleep in the living room.

There is central air conditioning here.

Mo Xueyao smacked her lips, still savoring the taste of the steak.

Although my family can afford beef, I always feel that steak is much more expensive than regular beef, and is a symbol of 'aristocrat'.

Of course, it's also possible that they've simply been 'brainwashed' by Western culture.

Ai Xiu'er, who used to be Mo Xueyao's deskmate, knew her better. She gently poked Mo Xueyao's back and asked, "Want me to take you around for a stroll?"

"Wander around?" Mo Xueyao scratched her head, glanced at the sunlight outside that made the leaves look droopy, and the incessant chirping of cicadas that sounded like screams, making her want to stay in the cool church. "I think I'll pass..."

As long as you don't go into the rooms, you can enjoy air conditioning throughout the church.

"How about going up to the clock tower?"

"Can we go up to the clock tower?"

"Of course you can."

"Is there air conditioning there?" Hua Yinyin asked abruptly.

"some."

"The church is really extravagant..." Mo Xueyao sighed, smoothing her long hair at her temples. "How much electricity does it use every day?"

Aisha shook her head, and said with some anticipation, "Let's go to the top of the clock tower. We can see outside from there."

What does the top of the clock tower look like?

"It's no different from a regular tower."

So the three of them walked up the spiral staircase.

The stairs were a bit steep and had a lot of turns, which made me feel a little dizzy.

The space on several floors here is not wasted; although it is not large, it is all arranged into rooms or storage rooms.

Even when you get close to the top, you can hardly see any dust, and even the walls don't look that old.

It seems that this place is frequently maintained and serviced.

At the very top, it's less of a room and more of a large hall, with many gears combined to form a huge mechanical structure.

This is where the clock is controlled.

"Is this wind-up?" Mo Xueyao asked curiously. "Does it have to come up and turn around every day or something?"

“It’s electric,” Ashleigh replied.

Hua Yinyin mocked mercilessly, "Little Yaoyao, what era are we living in? How could anyone still use a wind-up clock? That's too much trouble."

This is a clock driven by an electric motor, so it is more accurate.

Aisha didn't linger there. Instead, she moved a ladder that was in the corner over, placed it on the attic floor, and climbed up first.

That's actually the top of the clock tower.

This is an attic, only about 1.7 meters high. Although the three of them could walk inside without bending over, it still felt a bit oppressive.

The air conditioner wasn't very effective here. The bright sunlight streamed in through the small window of the attic, and tiny dust particles danced merrily in the sunlight.

If I remember correctly, there should be a huge cross outside this window, and a large clock on the other side.

Mo Xueyao was slightly sweating. She sat down with a thud and leaned against the window.

Her hand, exposed to the sunlight, suddenly felt hot, prompting her to quickly pull it back.

"When I have nothing to do, I like to come here and sit for a while."

"Can anyone come up?"

“…No, as long as I don’t get discovered.” Ashleigh suddenly winked mischievously. “If I do get discovered, I’ll just say I came here to pray.”

"This works?"

"Yes, I was just saying, it feels like this is the closest place to God."

Mo Xueyao couldn't help but tease, "Then wouldn't the Pearl Tower in S City be even closer to God? It's much taller than this!"

"The Oriental Pearl Tower?"

"Yes, it's that landmark building there, super tall, you can see it even from a lot of distance." Mo Xueyao had a deep impression of it, even though she hadn't actually seen it many times.

"It's probably like a very long needle stuck in the earth—that's how it looks from a distance," Hua Yinyin described it using another metaphor.

When I first sat down, I felt a little hot, but once I stopped moving and calmed down, I felt that the temperature was just right.

Aishuer took out some beautiful stones from her pocket. They were probably the common kind, but because they had been handled for a long time, they were exceptionally smooth and shiny, and had developed a patina.

At first glance, it even rivals those jade or gemstones.

"Stone divination?" Mo Xueyao often saw her playing with this in class, so she asked casually.

"Want to give it a try?"

Mo Xueyao shook her head, showing no interest.

Hua Yinyin seemed quite interested: "Is it accurate?"

"Yes, the fortune telling here is always pretty accurate."

"What can be divined?"