A Young Woman's Heart

"I refuse."

"Little Yaoyao, how heartless!" Hua Yinyin rubbed her little face against her back. "Fine, fine, it's better to go home. It's been so long since I slept in my own big bed! I'm going to sleep in tonight! And I'll turn on the air conditioner!"

It seems that Hua Yinyin is quite resentful about the lack of air conditioning in the dormitory.

Everyone said goodbye at the crossroads. If it weren't for the large bags and small bags of luggage they were carrying, it would have been no different from a normal day after school.

"We should be able to stay at home now. We can go home to sleep tonight." Mo Xueyao carried her heavy suitcase, the wheels making a 'clattering' sound as they dragged it across the concrete.

They echoed each other's words, with Li Wanyan dragging her along beside them.

On the way, I encountered some owners of breakfast stalls that I often buy from. Although we didn't know each other's names, we would still smile and nod when our eyes met, which was enough to say hello.

It also gave her the feeling that she knew people everywhere.

"Ah."

"Ah—our bed! I wonder what it looks like now? I really want to go back and see!" Mo Xueyao was even a little impatient. If someone were around to help her, she would definitely drop her luggage and run away.

"Drip-"

The sound of a car horn came from behind.

The two of them consciously moved to the side.

But the car kept beeping.

"What's going on? The horn is even louder than Dad's van..." Mo Xueyao turned her head and saw a familiar van slowly pull up to the side of the road. The passenger window was rolled down quickly and slowly, and she saw her father, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, with one hand on the passenger seat, laughing and shouting at the two of them, "Hey! You're back today? Why didn't you say anything!"

"Hey? Dad!" Mo Xueyao exclaimed excitedly, as if she had seen a savior. "Quick, help us with our luggage!"

"Alright!" The father laughed and pulled the handbrake up again, then jumped out of the car with a 'thud', his steps light and quick.

"Dad, what brings you from this side?"

“I went to get my car repaired. Your godfather recommended a cheap repair shop.”

"Oh--"

“There was a slight oil leak before, but it’s fine now.” The father said, pulling open the back door with a 'whoosh,' revealing a spacious and empty back.

Although it is not as prestigious as a sedan, it is very practical.

In comparison, she definitely preferred the minivan.

"Dad, look! The local specialties I brought back! Dried salted fish, roasted corn, seashells, and..." Mo Xueyao couldn't wait to open the bag and share her joy as soon as she put her luggage in the car.

"Alright, alright, you can look through it when we get to the store." The father patted his collar pocket, took out half of the crumpled cigarette pack, hesitated for a moment, and then stuffed it back in. "Come on, we're having barbecue in front of the store tonight. Your godfather's coming too!"

"Ugh, I'm so tired of barbecue."

"Wow, you really enjoyed yourself!"

"The food there is pretty good..."

Although it only takes a minute or two for a van to drive from here to the fruit shop.

But Mo Xueyao still kept talking nonstop.

……

Chapter Seventy-Six: The Newly Renovated Home (Part 1)

The streetlights cast a dim yellow light.

Colorful neon lights.

A black sedan.

The huge sign for Zhong'an Bathhouse.

The area in front of Tesco supermarket was bustling with people.

Turning the corner, we drove into the community's perpetually open gate.

The roadside is lined with night market stalls selling a wide variety of goods.

Further in, the road finally turns into the residential area.

The road wasn't wide, but because there wasn't any messy clutter, it wasn't too difficult to drive, just a bit slow.

The car was parked downstairs, and a little gray smoke was coming out of its exhaust.

"Thump, thump, thump." The car stalled.

Mo Xueyao and Li Wanyan, carrying schoolbags and bags, climbed out of the car.

"Ah—I'm finally home."

"Haha, I must be tired today, I should get some rest."

"Yes, Dad, you really need to change your habit of drinking and driving. It's not safe."

"What's the big deal? It's just two bottles of beer." The godfather, who had recently lost a little weight, squeezed out of the driver's seat with difficulty, slammed the car door shut, and then took the key and turned the lock on the trunk to open it.

"Alright, I'll take your suitcases. Come on, let's go upstairs!"

"Godfather, are you sure you're okay?"

"Don't worry, haha, I'm not just chubby, I'm actually quite strong, okay?"

"Isn't this just water retention?" Mo Xueyao's gaze fell on his large, bouncy belly, which looked like a trampoline. "You must be at least five or six months pregnant, right?"

“Hey, this is full of energy,” the godfather joked.

The three of them had just returned from the fruit shop, and it was already quite dark, almost nine o'clock.

My father and mother needed to stay at the shop a little longer, so my godfather specially drove them back. The reason my father didn't drive was because he and Uncle Xiong had drunk too much, and they probably couldn't even walk, let alone drive.

My godfather wants to continue drinking and chatting when he gets back later.

Mo Xueyao wondered if her father would not be coming back today, because if her godfather had also drunk too much, then there would be no one to drive.

"Godfather, don't drink too much later, or you won't be able to drive."

"Don't worry, I'll only have one more bottle of beer later." The godfather walked in front, his fat body almost filling the entire stairwell, leaving him little room to turn around.

So he could only walk sideways, carrying his suitcase with both hands, inching his way up step by step, just like a big crab.

The sixth floor seemed very high at this point.

We walked and stopped along the way, and finally reached the top.

"Godfather, thank you so much! Drive carefully, and drink less later!"

"I know, I know, haha, why are you so talkative now?"

"Tsk."

"A girl is a girl."

"Tsk!" Mo Xueyao smacked her lips heavily, and a drop of saliva even flew out.

"Goodbye, Uncle." Li Wanyan bowed slightly, and the two watched Yu Liang leave.

"Vroom vroom vroom." The sound of the car starting up rang out. Looking down through the open window of the stairwell, all that could be seen was a black outline and lights shining into the distance.

After reversing slightly, the headlights, trailing a dark shadow behind them, slowly receded into the distance until they disappeared completely.

"Phew, they even changed the door." Mo Xueyao put the things she was carrying on her suitcase, then took out a bunch of keys from her pocket.

The old one has been thrown away; the new door key is attached to it.

In an era where most doors are a combination of iron and wood, security doors seem particularly high-end.

She couldn't help but bite her lip, and her hands moved even faster.

Before the hallway lights automatically turned off, I inserted the key, turned it twice, and pulled the door open.

This long, narrow space leading into the house is still used as a shoe-changing area, except that the wall has been recessed a bit, and the shoe cabinets are all built inside, making the space feel much more spacious.

There's a red carpet at the entrance, and a shoe-changing bench next to it, so you can sit down and change your shoes comfortably, unlike before when even squatting felt cramped.

This should be considered the entryway. Stepping inside, the floor of the room is noticeably higher because it's covered with large tiles.

Even the lower half of the walls is covered with marble, which makes it look cleaner and easier to clean, although the color tone has become somewhat cooler.

Of course, in such a summer, it makes people feel inexplicably cooler.

The kitchen is much more spacious now, and the bathroom is a bit bigger than before.

My father implemented a very advanced wet and dry separation system, just like Grandma Jin's.

But because it was brand new and they hadn't used it much, it looked very bright and clean.

There was a small washing machine in the corner. Although the washing effect wasn't very good, the spin-drying function alone could save my mother a lot of time.

The water heater was installed in the kitchen, so it doesn't take up any space there.

"Ah—finally, I don't have to go to the public bathhouse in winter!" Mo Xueyao put her luggage in the entryway to avoid making the house dirty, since her mother would clean it up when she got back anyway. She patted Wanyan's shoulder hard, her blue eyes almost popping out of their sockets, "Wanyan, look!! The toilet!!"

"Ah."

"I'm no longer afraid of soap falling in. I can just close the lid when I shower. Oh right, there's a shower now, with glass in the way, so it won't fall in no matter what."

Li Wanyan pursed her lips and raised the corners of her mouth, her eyes curving upwards, looking somewhat like Mo Xiaoxiao at this moment.

"Ah."

"Right! Living in a house like this, you wouldn't want to go out at all! Dad said he did several layers of waterproofing, so we shouldn't have to worry about leaks when it rains heavily."

Mo Xueyao was not sleepy at all at this moment. She pushed open the door to the large room, where her parents slept.

The ground was covered with wooden planks, which felt slightly supple underfoot.

It's not as hard as a concrete floor.

The room still has the same large bed as before, but it has been thoroughly cleaned.

The old TV is still there, but the bedside table is new.

—The new TV that my father bought is in the living room, and I can enjoy watching it while sitting on the sofa.

There's no air conditioning in the living room, but there is in my mother's room, and it looks like it's been in use recently.