A Young Woman's Heart

It could be considered her final gift to him before she left.

Hmm... assign more homework or something.

Even though the new teacher will actually not check anything when the new semester starts, we still have to scare him a little, otherwise this kid won't be afraid at all.

Just pretend you'll come back to continue attending classes after the semester starts.

Or rather, there's no need to pretend; just avoid mentioning that they're unlikely to return this time.

……

(three)

The sky was overcast.

But it still didn't completely turn black.

It was almost seven o'clock.

Strong winds.

Several little boys gathered on the edge of the field, playing a game of slapping cards.

Even though their little hands were clapping until they were red, they still wouldn't stop.

"Gale force 8!!"

"Oh oh oh oh—!"

With a flushed face, Ren Wenkai slapped the card hard, finally managing to get it over.

Once the flip is successful, the card belongs to him.

It was a rare card that could change color; only two of the friends had it, so it's no wonder the others were so excited.

"You rascals, it's going to rain heavily soon!" An old farmer walking by waved his hoe. "What are you still doing here! Aren't you afraid of getting bitten by snakes?"

The boys scattered like startled birds.

However, even their escape was accompanied by laughter and joy.

The backpacks they carried seemed to have no weight at all.

Children this age are always like this; they seem to have inexhaustible energy.

The old farmer looked on with a hint of envy.

He was young once too.

“This generation can finally change their destiny.” A spirited young man stood nearby, his muscles not exaggerated, but clearly very strong.

The big, furry dog ​​next to me was sticking out its tongue.

"Haha, fate. Every generation has its own fate. Our generation's fate is to farm, while their generation's fate is to go to the city to work. It seems different, but isn't it all the same?" The old farmer shook his head. "I'm afraid there isn't even one person among them who can truly change their own fate."

The young man beside him paused for a moment, then reached out and patted the big dog's head: "We can't think of it that way. At the very least, our predecessors changed their own destiny and the destiny of the country."

The old farmer was silent for a while, then suddenly turned his head and glanced at him.

He didn't say anything more, but a smile appeared on his face as he carried his hoe and swayed away into the distance.

Suddenly, rain began to fall from the sky, pattering down.

The children who were already running away ran even faster now.

The big dog tilted its head and looked at its owner, then suddenly shook its body.

"We're leaving too." The man smiled, leaving a long trail of footprints in the muddy ground before disappearing into the misty rain.

The rain wasn't heavy.

Silky and soft.

Like silkworm threads being blown about.

……

(four)

Lin Luorui, a fourth-grader, had just returned home.

It started raining outside the window.

Her house is the tallest house on the island, not because it's tall, but because it's built tall.

We're not far from the summit.

The house is also unique, seemingly composed of blocks of white and black, with large areas of semi-transparent glass, which is out of place with the surrounding rustic-style buildings.

"Dad!" she exclaimed excitedly as she ran toward her father's study. Her mother, who had just come out, gestured for her to be quiet. "Shh—Dad's working."

"Oh..." She slowed her pace, but her mood remained light. She pushed open the door.

He was a man wearing pajamas, with a stubble beard and a severely overweight physique.

He was looking down, writing furiously with a pen on a thick notebook. His brows, which had been furrowed, suddenly relaxed, and his thoughts seemed to become more fluid.

Lin Luorui silently crawled over and sat on his lap, peeking her fluffy little head out from between his arms.

"Luo Luo, you're back?"

"Hmm, Dad, how much longer do we have to write?"

"Oh, almost finished writing."

What story are you writing?

"Hmm... It's the story of a poor kid from the countryside who worked hard to get to the city, and then returned to the countryside many years later."

"Why did you come back again?"

“Because he doesn’t have a home in the city.” The overweight middle-aged man smiled and gently pushed up his slightly heavy glasses.

……

Chapter Seventy: Finally, we can go play!

Tuesday, August 7, 2001, the beginning of autumn.

Mo Xueyao had a particularly good sleep. When she opened her eyes and woke up, the sun was shining through the curtains, making the whole world bright and clear.

Several electric fans were blowing hard, and Hua Yinyin had kicked the quilt to the ground again, but she didn't feel cold.

After all, it's quite hot at this time of day without air conditioning.

Mo Xueyao touched the slight sweat that had appeared on her forehead.

I didn't feel anything when I was asleep, but after I woke up, it felt like a fire had entered the room, making me feel even hotter.

Hua Yinyin's clothes were lifted up, and she unconsciously scratched her lower abdomen, turned over, and made a 'smacking' sound as if she was eating something.

If you look closely, you can even see a ring of light, short downy hair around her navel, which appears pale gold in the light.

Perhaps... this can be considered a manifestation of her limited Russian heritage.

Being so busy every day here, I probably don't have much time to take care of myself.

Even if you finish your schoolwork, you still have to do your summer homework, right?

Being both a teacher and a student is truly exhausting.

There are events today, but not in the morning; they're in the afternoon.

So Mo Xueyao could still leisurely stroll into the bathroom and brush her teeth and wash her face with the slightly warm tap water.

The day I go back is not far away.

Suddenly, I felt a pang of reluctance.

Even at noon, the sun, which I had found repulsive not long ago, seemed beautiful.

Its brilliance possesses a vibrant and energetic power.

Just like children who are still growing up.

The sky was a brilliant blue, like a jewel, with a few clouds drifting aimlessly, their textures shattered by the wind.

The quiet dormitory gradually became noisy, it seemed that many people got up at this time and had a good night's rest.

It's been a long time since I slept for twelve hours. This feeling of being well-rested is truly satisfying and blissful.

You see, beautiful things are actually all around us, not so far away.

It's just past one o'clock in the afternoon.

Everyone gathered downstairs.

"Is everyone here? Is everyone here?" Ye Wen was already dressed in her swimsuit, with a large, light windbreaker over it for sun protection. "Ready to go!"

"Where are we going?" Mo Xueyao asked curiously, because Ye Wen hadn't mentioned any specific plans yesterday, only that she was going out to play today.

"maritime!"

"Which sea? Do we go by boat? Or is it right on the shore?"

"Hmph, taking an airplane!"

Where should we sit?

"Sit here."

"what?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

They exchanged glances, both to express their curiosity and to confirm the number of people.

Actually, it's quite simple. Just check if your roommate has arrived, since there are only two people living in the room.

Unless they're both still sleeping in and haven't arrived yet.

Mo Xueyao immediately looked for Li Wanyan, only to find her standing right beside her. Hua Yinyin had already arrived, so there was no need to look there. The other girls were all there too…

“Xiaoxue didn’t come.” Duanmu Ji, who was standing at the very edge, suddenly raised his hand.