A Young Woman's Heart

“That’s right, Xiaoyao, this habit of yours won’t do,” her father chimed in. “Your mother has told you before, you used to wipe it with your pants, now you wipe it with your skirt, why can’t you break this habit?”

"...Who told you to teach me like this when I was a child?"

"Ahem! I was just trying to save trouble, who knew you'd remember it?"

"Tch." Mo Xueyao rolled her eyes, walked to her father's side, and stuffed the apple she had bitten into his mouth. "Dad, this pink apple isn't good! I want a crisp one."

"Ah, uh, um?" the father mumbled, then took the apple away. "You little brat, you actually shoved an apple straight into your old man's mouth? And it was already bitten!"

"I only took one bite, I can't just waste it, can I?"

“I’m not going to eat your saliva,” the father said with drooping eyelids, putting the apple aside and picking up a slightly larger one. “This one is the crisp one.”

"Okay, then I'll eat this." Mo Xueyao took the apple quite naturally, and just as she was about to wipe it on her skirt, she saw Li Wanyan staring at her.

So she gave an embarrassed smile and hurriedly went to the door to rinse the apple with the tap.

Then, quite easily, I used the hem of my skirt to dry it.

By the time they realized what was happening, the whole sequence of actions was already complete.

"Oh, I'm used to it, I'm used to it," she explained somewhat embarrassedly.

"You should wear an apron... that kind would suit you better," Li Wanyan said with a hint of helplessness.

Despite saying he wouldn't eat Mo Xueyao's saliva, her father still ate the pink apple that she had taken a bite out of.

He's saying one thing but meaning another.

Well, I guess it's because they don't want to waste it.

"Won't you eat, Wanyan?"

"No need, thank you, Uncle."

"Don't be shy, it's been so many days, just relax. Everyone in our family is very easygoing."

"I know……"

Seeing that Li Wanyan was still rather distant, the father did not continue the conversation.

Time always brings about some changes.

There's no need to force these things; you'll gradually get used to them.

The fast food I ordered has finally arrived.

On rainy days, more people order takeout, but restaurants only have a limited number of staff, so a delay of more than half an hour is normal.

When I saw the delivery guy getting all wet even though he was wearing a raincoat, I swallowed all my impatience.

Life is tough for ordinary people like us.

A gentle breeze caressed Mo Xueyao's cheeks. She reached out and caught the cool raindrops falling from the eaves. Suddenly, she longed to run freely in the wind and rain, just like those elementary school students, enjoying that carefree feeling.

"Xiaoyao, after you finish eating, if it's almost time, you should go home. It'll be easier to change out of your school uniform. Look, you've only worn this set for a few days, and the hem is already covered in stains." Her father pointed to the black, yellow, and green stains on her skirt and scolded her.

"Not many..." Mo Xueyao weakly defended herself, "Just three places, and the color is very light."

"Come on, remember this next time: don't use your skirt as a rag! How can you do that? People who don't know you'll think you never take a bath!"

"Why should I care about others?" Mo Xueyao said nonchalantly, chewing her rice.

"No, you're all grown up now. You need to pay attention to your image, be a lady, keep your personal hygiene clean, and don't change your clothes when they're dirty..."

"Dad—why are you being so nagging, just like Mom?"

"What do you mean by nagging? This is to get your attention. If I don't say a few more words, will you listen? Wanyan, from now on, I'll ask you to help Xiaoyao change her personal habits. Look at her, she's nothing like other girls who are both ladylike and clean!"

“It’s never been the same…” Mo Xueyao pouted and muttered in a voice only she could hear.

……

Chapter Ninety-Three: Cross-stitch in Home Economics Class

Friday, July 29, 1999.

The rain poured down.

Since the light rain on Tuesday, Hangzhou has experienced a significant drop in temperature.

In fact, after the Frost's Descent on the 24th, the city finally ushered in the end of autumn.

The Winter Maiden was already waiting quietly in the group.

When the Beginning of Winter arrives in November, winter will truly begin.

"Boom—!!" A huge bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. Unlike the spring thunder, this lightning signified the end of autumn and the imminent arrival of winter.

In stable and peaceful times, time always flies.

Moreover, as we get older, time really seems to fly by.

In the blink of an eye, a day is gone; in the blink of an eye, a week is over.

Before we knew it, it was Friday afternoon.

This was the first class of the afternoon, and a very relaxed one at that—home economics.

The pitch-black sky enveloped the school, giving one the illusion of attending classes at night.

The contrast between time and space made Mo Xueyao feel quite strange, and she was able to calm down more than usual.

In the home economics classroom, students from different groups were already sitting around the tables.

This is also a rare opportunity for the boys to have a pleasant and natural chat with the girls during the week.

Mo Xiaoxiao yawned widely while lying on the table, resting her chin on her hand and gazing out the window at the raindrops that looked like a cascading Milky Way.

"What's wrong, Xiaoxiao? You've been yawning all day. Didn't you sleep well last night?" Wang Jiale asked, nudging Mo Xiaoxiao's arm.

"Pretty much." Mo Xiaoxiao lazily slumped onto the table, and at this moment she did resemble her younger sister somewhat.

"Doing homework? Or going out to play?"

“Neither…” Mo Xiaoxiao shook her head, glancing at Mo Xueyao intentionally or unintentionally.

Mo Xueyao tacitly kept her mouth shut, keeping this little secret.

There's nothing shameful about working; it's just that it can be embarrassing for others to know that your family isn't well-off.

Moreover, it's not good if too many people know about it, since Yukong High School does not allow students to work off-campus.

Although this rule is basically turned a blind eye to, if it becomes common knowledge, the school will definitely intervene.

Sitting opposite Mo Xueyao, Zhou Yong pretended to look out the window, but he kept glancing at Mo Xueyao out of the corner of his eye. If she looked at him, he would immediately shift his gaze completely to the window, pretending that he hadn't looked at her at all.

However, how could such a small action escape Mo Xueyao's eyes?

This made her feel both amused and helpless.

But even if she knew that Zhou Yong had romantic feelings for her, what could she do?

It's clear that she's incapable of accepting any boy.

At least for now, it's impossible to do.

So even if they saw it, they could only pretend they didn't.

Playing dumb is the best way to avoid making the problem more complicated.

"What will we be learning in home economics class today...?" Wang Jiale began to look forward to it.

"I don't think boys should be in home economics classes." Liu Xiaowei touched his hair, and a handful of dandruff fell off like snowflakes. "Isn't home economics something women do?"

"What kind of outdated thinking is that!" Wang Jiale retorted, glaring at him. "A family should be a shared responsibility between the man and the woman, right? Both men and women should know how to do housework! Why is washing clothes and cooking only a woman's job? Women also have to give birth, so why don't you men have children too!"

“Our physiological structures are completely different,” Liu Xiaowei clicked his tongue. “Don’t men have a hard time working outside?”

"Why can't it be that men stay home to take care of the children while women go out to work?"

"Damn, wouldn't that make him a gigolo?"

"Alright, you two," Li Hongran stopped their argument. "I think that both men and women should do things, instead of leaving everything to one of them. Giving birth is certainly painful for women, but men also have to bear other pressures, which are no easier than giving birth. Men and women are inherently unequal, but a certain dynamic balance can be achieved!"

Li Hongran's words made Mo Xueyao glance at him a few more times.

I never would have guessed that Li Hongran, who seems all brawn and no brains, could think so deeply.

"But you two haven't even started dating yet, isn't it a bit too early to talk about this?" Mo Xiao smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Or are you two already interested in each other?"

"Take a liking to him? Him—?" Wang Jiale scoffed, turning her face away. "He's ugly and doesn't care about personal hygiene. Who would like him!"

"Cough cough!" Li Hongran and Zhou Yong both coughed.

"Why should a man shower every day? Besides, I only shower every two days."

"It must not have been washed properly." Wang Jiale rolled her eyes at him. "Ugh, stay away from me, your dandruff is falling in front of me."

"No way!" Liu Xiaowei said, deliberately wiping his face a couple of times, and immediately, dandruff began to fly up on the table.

Mo Xueyao coughed and covered her mouth, beginning to regret bringing Zhou Yong and his group into the team.

Actually, Zhou Yong and Li Hongran aren't a big problem, the main issue is Liu Xiaowei...

"Liu Xiaowei—you're asking for it!" Wang Jiale glared angrily and slammed his hand on the table, but he didn't look fierce at all. Instead, he looked like a kitten whose fur stood on end in fright.

"Alright, everyone, quiet down, let's get ready for class." Mizuki walked into the classroom, gently tapped the desk, and said with a smile.

Everyone quieted down a bit, as they were all quite relaxed since it was a home economics class.

As long as the students don't make so much noise that she can't hear them, Mizuki Shi won't care too much.

"Today, I'm going to teach you how to do cross-stitch. Each of you will be given a piece of cross-stitch fabric. The task is very simple: use one class period to embroider your own surname. Of course, if you are capable, you can also embroider your complete name." Shui Zhishi said, distributing the needles, thread, and fabric needed for cross-stitch to each group. "There are scissors in the drawers. Cut the fabric to the size you need. You can distribute the needles and thread freely."

“Cross-stitch? I have absolutely no idea how to do it…” Wang Jiale muttered, resting her chin on her hand. “Hmm… I wanted to learn it before.”

"Does Xiaoxiao know how?" Mo Xueyao asked Mo Xiaoxiao.

"I know a little," Mo Xiaoxiao replied modestly.

"Damn it, a man doing cross-stitch? Are you kidding me?" Liu Xiaowei complained.