A Young Woman's Heart

At first, I thought it was cute, but later I realized that it was pooping everywhere and was so dirty and annoying.

Later on, it grew uglier and uglier, completely losing that fuzzy feeling.

So when she grew up and her parents slaughtered and ate the chickens, and even deliberately told her that they were chickens she had raised, she didn't have any emotional reaction at all, and even wanted to eat another chicken leg.

"Hmm, that's true." Hua Yinyin nodded, but still reached out and touched the chick.

Even if you don't buy it, it's nice to touch it.

The things sold here are a complete mess; some people even specialize in selling pre-ground fish bones.

Some people actually buy these and take them home as handicrafts.

There are also people selling dog teeth, claiming that hanging them on your body can ward off evil spirits.

But where did they get so many dog ​​teeth?

A dog meat restaurant...

If a dog is killed by a dog meat restaurant, can it really ward off evil spirits?

If that's true, then wouldn't cow teeth, sheep teeth, and even pig teeth be acceptable?

Mo Xueyao couldn't help but grumble to herself as she stepped across one small boat after another and walked across one wooden bridge after another, when she was suddenly surrounded by cats on one of the small boats.

This boat is probably about the same size as Jiang Tao's, but it's packed with cats.

Some were standing, some were sitting, some were lying down, and some were piled up together...

Yes, those three kittens stacked together look the cutest.

There were also quite a few, and when someone boarded the ship, they would all gather around, meowing as if begging for food.

"Wow, so many cats..." Hua Yinyin said in surprise as she looked at the kittens rubbing against her ankles. "They don't seem to be afraid of people at all."

"There are thirty or forty of them here..." This is definitely not one litter of cats; it must be at least several litters.

Sitting at the stern was an old woman whose face was covered in wrinkles when she laughed.

"Girls? How about hiring a cat? It can catch fish and mice, and you can just feed it some leftovers."

"Huh?" Mo Xueyao caught the word precisely. "Why is it 'hire' instead of 'buy'?"

"Hehe! It's a custom, because you have to invite it back and treat it equally. Whatever you eat, it eats too."

"Like friends?"

“No…” the old woman shook her head, “It should be said that it’s like being a hired worker.”

No wonder it's a betrothal.

Mo Xueyao nodded.

As soon as Hua Yinyin bent down, a mischievous kitten climbed onto her leg. Mr. Xue next to her was even more exaggerated. In the short time it took to chat for just a couple of sentences, cats had climbed onto his legs, chest, shoulders, and even head, as if they had grown onto him.

"Hey...you two..."

"Want to hire one? Any one will do, it's five yuan."

"It's so cheap!" Hua Yinyin was really tempted, but she was also worried that she wouldn't be able to take it back with her.

Moreover, it's inconvenient to buy things here, so whether the animals can be raised properly is still a question.

Although the old lady said that leftovers were fine.

But a cat isn't a dog after all...

So I could only touch it for quite a while before reluctantly leaving.

The sun was already slowly sinking below the horizon, and we had only explored a small part of the market, but time seemed to be running out.

The waves of the sea gently lapped against the large ship.

Several seabirds swooped down, snatching food scraps that humans had accidentally dropped onto the seawater.

From afar, Jiang Tao saw Hua Yinyin standing on the deck of the large ship, her head bowed, waving vigorously at him: "Jiang Tao—we're back!"

Judging from those six hands, all of them were carrying loads of goods; they must have returned with a full load.

……

Chapter 55 One-on-One Tutoring

(One)

2001 7 Month 23 Day.

It's Monday again.

Because some day students are sent from other islands, there are always some who are late.

Even some boarding students are throwing tantrums and don't want to come to class right now.

After all, the weather is indeed very hot.

Even if you get up at six in the morning and walk from the foot of the mountain to the top, you feel like you'll get sunburned and your skin will peel off.

The classroom was still only being ventilated by ceiling fans. Mo Xueyao arrived at the fourth-grade classroom early today to supervise the students' morning reading.

With so few students, it seems unlikely that a small number of people can inspire the majority to act on their own initiative.

"Ren Wenkai, you're holding the book upside down, what are you pretending for?" She said irritably, resting her chin on one hand, while chewing on a handmade milk candy she had bought from the seaside market yesterday.

This milk flavor is much richer and more mellow than the kind you can buy in the market.

Of course, the price isn't cheap either.

Ren Wenkai quickly turned the book upside down, only to realize that Mo Xueyao was bluffing him; in reality, he hadn't turned the book upside down at all. He quickly turned it back, avoiding her gaze.

"Read aloud properly this morning. Don't just open your mouth without making a sound. There are only a few people in the class. I can hear who isn't reading or whose voice is too soft." Mo Xueyao cleared her throat and suddenly felt that she was so much like her former elementary school teacher.

It has the feel of a child imitating an adult's speech.

Although in the students' eyes, she was actually an adult.

Many students in the class were dozing off, and Duan Haichao even lay directly on his Chinese textbook. He probably thought it was a good pillow, and he slept soundly, his drool soaking the pages.

"Duan Haichao, Duan Haichao." Mo Xueyao walked to his side and gently tapped his head with the back scratcher she had bought yesterday, making a 'thump thump' sound. "Is there nothing in your brain? Otherwise, how can it be so empty?"

"Uh..." Duan Haichao squinted at Mo Xueyao, but showed no intention of getting up. He turned his head and intended to continue sleeping.

"Get up and start your morning reading, Duan Haichao. What did you do last night?" She squatted down in front of Duan Haichao's desk and gently poked his face, which had some book marks on it, with a back scratcher.

"He went to the seaside market to play games yesterday!" Sun Haihang said impatiently. "He didn't come home all night!"

"Wow, Duan Haichao, you're pretty impressive, aren't you?" Mo Xueyao said, glancing sideways at Duan Xingyu. "You two are cousins, right? Why didn't you go with him?"

"Teacher, my mom won't let me go out. Yesterday."

"Looks like you had experience with this beforehand." Mo Xueyao raised her voice helplessly, "Duan Haichao, Duan Haichao—if you're really sleepy, go to my office and lie down for a nap, or push the chairs at the back of the classroom together and take a nap. Aren't you uncomfortable sleeping like this?"

"Hmm..." Duan Haichao opened his eyes groggily, and actually picked up a chair and moved it to the back of the classroom. Then he skillfully lay down on the chairs that were pushed together and stretched out his legs comfortably.

"You actually slept? Fine, come to my office at noon and I'll catch up on what you needed to learn in this class."

"Oh..." he made a very perfunctory sound from his nose, looking as if he were about to fall into a deep sleep.

……

(two)

Mr. Xue made lunch today.

Xuan Anyi suffered from heatstroke, so she didn't go into the kitchen.

When Mo Xueyao saw her in the restaurant, she noticed several bruises on her back.

"Auntie is wearing a backless dress today, what happened to her back?"

"I went to Teacher Su's for cupping," Xuan Anyi said weakly with a smile.

"How are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"

"Much better now."

"You went to the seaside market yesterday and got heatstroke on the way back?"

"OK."

"Maybe it's because the sun is too strong." Mo Xueyao sat down at the fourth-grade table, and Xuan Anyi simply sat down with her.

It was very hot, and not only the students but also the teachers had little appetite.

So lunch was also very simple.

It's a very well-cooked white fungus and lotus seed soup. I started cooking it in the morning, let it cool after it was cooked, and then put it in a very cold storage. This quickly made it taste icy cold. I sprinkled some white sugar on it, so it tasted sweet and slightly grainy.

Actually, you can drink it directly without chewing it. It's perfect as a summer lunch for people who have no appetite.

White fungus soup alone is definitely not enough; in addition, there is ham and butter bread as a staple food.

It contains butter and cream, as well as plenty of sliced ​​ham, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

One loaf of bread like this is definitely enough to provide an elementary school student with energy and nutrition for the next half day.

While it may not be as nutritionally balanced and healthy as two vegetable dishes and one meat dish, it's pointless to prepare a nutritious lunch if students don't eat it.

Of course, if someone still has a strong appetite and wants to eat more, they can eat something else.

Mr. Xue also used yesterday's broth and tea leaves to make a new soup, which he then chilled in the cold storage—he had no classes this morning, so he was practically free.

This can be used to make ochazuke (rice with tea).

The ingredients are all placed in a bowl, and they are all relatively light in flavor.

He has ham, pork floss, mushrooms, fish, and other meats. Students can get their meals from him and he will help them prepare them.

"Xiaoxue—" Mo Xue called out to Mr. Xue, who was preparing tea-soaked rice for the students, "Are you going to eat later?"

"Hmm, I'll eat after we're done." Mr. Xue adjusted his chef's hat. "I'm not hungry right now, haha, do you want some? Ochazuke (rice with tea), it's delicious."

Mo Xueyao shook her head weakly: "This weather is so hot, I have no appetite at all."

"Xiaoyao, you can try it, it's really delicious." Xuan Anyi also ladled out a bowl of tea-soaked rice and took a small spoonful. "It's quite refreshing."