A Young Woman's Heart

“I can manage by myself.” He patted the big yellow dog’s body. “I can have Ah Huang watch over it, but it’s a bit silly sometimes, and I’m afraid it won’t bark in time.”

"Is this yours?"

"Yes."

"It comes to school every day to freeload."

“Leftovers are useless anyway,” Li Minxiong said matter-of-factly. “Teacher, can you keep watch for me? I can dig some potatoes for you.”

"Do you think I've never eaten sweet potatoes or potatoes before? It's so strange."

"Fresh is different."

"No, how can a teacher steal food?" Mo Xueyao poked his forehead seriously. "You're not allowed to steal from other people's houses either! Stealing is never a good thing. If someone can't finish their food, you can ask for some openly, but you're absolutely not allowed to steal! Okay! Go home, you brat!"

"Tch, you rigid teacher. You look so young, are you actually forty years old?"

Mo Xueyao forcefully swallowed back her curse words: "You brat, what nonsense are you spouting!"

"Lelalelalel—" Li Minxiong ran off in a flash. He stood on a distant hillside, made a face, and shouted, "Forty-year-old witch, lelalelalel!"

"You're finished tomorrow!"

"Then I won't come tomorrow!"

"you!"

"By the way, teacher, I just remembered that there is actually ripe corn in the summer too!"

……

Chapter Forty-Four: The Embers of the Campfire

Nine o'clock in the evening.

Mo Xueyao had just finished taking a shower.

The water was cut off for a while, I don't know why, but it was finally restored around 8 o'clock.

This time, Hua Yinyin went in to wash first, and it was half an hour later that it was her turn.

Summer nights can make you feel sleepy but also keep you awake.

On a dry night, cicadas chirped incessantly.

If you were a little sleepy before taking a shower, you would feel more awake afterward.

She didn't blow-dry her hair; she just dried it a few times with a towel. The slightly damp feeling made her feel a bit cool.

"Little Yaoyao, do you want to go out?"

"It's so hot in the room. I'll go for a walk and come back when it cools down."

"It's already nine o'clock."

"Whatever, I don't have class tomorrow morning, and I don't have to do morning exercises or anything, so I can sleep in a little longer."

"Then I'll go out too!" Hua Yinyin shouted, rushing to the door and slipping her sandals onto Mo Xueyao's body.

Just as the two were walking out of the room, the door to the next room opened as well.

Li Wanyan and Wang Jiale walked out one after the other.

"Oh, Wanyan? I'm going out for a walk." She coughed lightly and explained.

"Yes, together."

"Does Xiaoyao feel hot too?" Wang Jiale asked with a smile.

"Yes, the floor is still hot."

I don't know what day it is today, but in the room next to Li Wanyan and the others, Xuan Anyi and Chali also pushed open the door and came out.

The six people stared at each other, somewhat surprised and also finding it a little funny.

The students had already turned off the lights, but several 'teachers' planned to come out for a walk to cool off.

"Where are you going?" Cha asked.

"Just browsing around...?"

"That's perfect! My aunt and I are going to a spacious open space to look at the stars. Would you like to come along?"

“Okay!” Mo Xueyao nodded vigorously.

The six of them slowed their pace and went downstairs, then through a small door to the outside of the school's wire fence.

Outside of this, there is a low earthen wall as the last line of defense.

There is a narrow passageway between the two, but it is not narrow everywhere—for example, it is wider at the corners.

When we arrived, everyone brought low stools from the cafeteria in the teaching building, so that we wouldn't have to sit on the muddy ground after taking a shower, otherwise the shower would be a waste.

This is a corner by the sea.

The cliff is straight and steep.

Wang Jiale didn't even dare to look down from the low wall, which was about a meter high—even though Hua Yinyin was urging him to.

In fact, Hua Yinyin herself didn't dare to look. She would only glance at it each time, and before she could even see what was below clearly, she would immediately shrink back inside.

The space here isn't large, but it's enough to seat six people. There's a campfire in the middle, and plenty of empty seats around it.

Because of the heat, everyone kept their distance from the campfire. Only Xuan Anyi, who was in charge of the fire, was relatively close, but even she stretched out her arms to stuff firewood into it.

The starry sky on the island is indeed much more dazzling than that in the city.

Even after watching it for so many nights, it still doesn't get boring.

Moreover, it's quite a unique experience to have so many people gathered together to watch the stars.

"Crack—" Xuan Anyi dumped a bag of corn on the ground, the corn leaves collided together, making a crisp sound.

The campfire crackled and popped, occasionally scattering sparks. The soft, muddy ground felt wonderful underfoot; if she hadn't already taken a shower, Mo Xueyao would have loved to walk barefoot on it.

In fact, that's exactly what Chari did.

Because she hasn't taken a shower yet.

"So there's corn in summer too?" Wang Jiale asked, chin in surprise. "I thought it was only in autumn."

“We have them in both summer and autumn,” Xuan Anyi explained with a smile as she put corn cobs into the fire. “However, those harvested in summer are planted in spring, and those harvested in autumn are planted in summer—that’s generally the case.”

"Only six ears of corn? Isn't that too few?"

"That's all." Cha Li leaned against the low wall, seemingly unconcerned that it might suddenly collapse. "Besides, it's evening, there's no need to eat so much, is there?"

"Yes, I also brought some chilled boiled water." Xuan Anyi gently patted the large iron teapot next to her. That thing could fill at least three thermos flasks. There were also several disposable cups on the spout for everyone to share.

"Simple and rustic life!" Wang Jiale looked very excited. "You can only enjoy this in the countryside."

"I feel like this is just trying to find joy in suffering," Hua Yinyin muttered, resting her chin on her hand.

Her slightly chubby face looked even plumper at this moment.

"It's definitely a different kind of enjoyment, but if you're going to live there permanently, it's definitely better to stay in the city. The countryside is just too inconvenient."

"It's precisely because it's inconvenient, and because resources are scarce, that everything seems precious, and every enjoyment seems wonderful!"

"Wow, Lele even used parallel sentences."

"It's not a parallel structure, it's just something I felt compelled to say."

“Yes, once you get used to living in the countryside, you start to miss the city; and once you live in the city for a long time, you start to miss the countryside.” Having been a teacher for a while now, Li Wanyan seems to have become more talkative. “People always hope to change their environment occasionally.”

"A change of scenery can change your mood—" Mo Xueyao could already smell the delicious aroma of roasted corn leaves. "By the way, are they ready yet?"

Xuan Anyi couldn't help but laugh out loud, spitting out the mouthful of ice water she had just drunk onto the muddy ground: "Xiao Yao, don't be too impatient, it won't be that fast."

“It has to be cooked through inside, otherwise it won’t taste good.” Li Wanyan nodded, seemingly quite experienced in this matter.

"Did Wanyan often roast corn when she was in the countryside?" Mo Xueyao asked curiously.

Although she had known Li Wanyan for a long time, she rarely asked about her past.

Because I always feel that the other person doesn't want to bring it up, I don't deliberately ask.

She wasn't particularly curious; considering other people's feelings was more important to her.

"No." Li Wanyan shook her head gently, a slight smile playing on her lips, as if waiting for Mo Xueyao to ask further.

"Why?" As expected, Yi did not disappoint her.

"Corn can be sold for money, but we can only eat some during the harvest season."

"Won't they steal corn?"

"Others can do it, but I can't."

"The class monitor is an upright person~" Cha Li said with a squinted smile. Although you could tell she meant it, it still felt a little strange.

If someone didn't know her temperament, they would probably think she was being sarcastic.

"What about roasted sweet potatoes?"

"We eat a lot of potatoes and sweet potatoes."

"But neither of these tastes as good as corn, right?"

Li Wanyan seemed to be comparing the two flavors in her mind, and after a long while, she nodded: "Mm."

"Little Yaoyao, let's count the stars!"

"Yinyin, can you stop being so childish? How can you possibly count them all?"

“By the way, I can only recognize Polaris, what about you?” Wang Jiale suddenly asked.

"Uh...that's one of the stars in the Big Dipper, right?" Mo Xueyao barely recognized it, but she wasn't entirely sure.

The Big Dipper, with its seven stars, forms a dipper shape.

But in reality, those lines were all made up in people's imaginations.

When you see the countless stars in the sky, you simply don't know which ones to connect with which ones.