A Young Woman's Heart

"Today is not only the Mid-Autumn Festival, but also our National Day. On this important day, we should start with the most important song. Next, please welcome the school band of Yukong High School to the stage to play the national anthem for us! They will also play many classic revolutionary songs for us today, and this will be the first one!"

Playing the national anthem is truly the school band's forte.

Most of the elderly people stood up, and those who couldn't stand up all had incredibly solemn expressions.

The school band members quickly went on stage, tuned their instruments as fast as they could, and then began to play.

The main reason was that I didn't expect the elderly to be so conscientious; I couldn't let them stand and wait any longer.

This is an instrumental version of the national anthem, but when it was played, many elderly people sang along. At first, it was a bit sparse, but it gradually became more orderly, and by the last few words, it was so orderly and powerful.

A brisk autumn breeze swept by, scattering a few thin white clouds, making them look as if they had been shattered by the singing.

Under the azure sky, the resounding song seemed to still be echoing.

The elderly people slowly sat down again, and the atmosphere became casual once more.

Next up was the school band's performance of revolutionary songs. Elderly people sang on stage for each song, and when it came to the Yellow River Cantata, more than twenty elderly people went up.

They experienced those things when they were young, so they have a deeper understanding of these songs. When they sing them, it's as if they've poured all the emotions of their lives into them.

If children singing such songs is melodious and clear, like a cup of fresh mint lemon tea, then when the elderly sing them, it's like a pot of mellow wine.

"Ah, I suddenly realized why we've been running until tonight." Mo Xueyao's attention wasn't really on the performance; to be precise, she started to get distracted after listening to a couple of songs.

"Why?" Hua Yinyin squeezed next to Ye Wen, who was sitting in the same chair as her, and asked in confusion.

"Because there's also the Mid-Autumn Festival!"

"Well?"

"It's Mid-Autumn Festival tonight, let's admire the moon!"

"Ugh, I'd rather go home for dinner earlier..."

"Perhaps it's because these elderly people, even though their children or they themselves are wealthy enough to afford such a nice nursing home, rarely have time for their whole family to get together, so they need us to accompany them?"

"Then we can only hope it will be cooler at night..."

……

Chapter Thirty-Three: Spending the Holiday Together at a Nursing Home (Part 2)

Of course, the school band couldn't perform on a stage under the blazing sun for the entire morning; after about five or six songs, they came off stage.

This performance at the nursing home wasn't just about students taking the stage or singing; it also included performances by the elderly residents.

There were people who performed crosstalk, clapper talk, and even stage plays.

The whole thing is a National Day cultural performance.

Of course, most of the content is related to that red era.

After all, for these elderly people who came from that era, those things have left a very deep mark on them.

The sky suddenly darkened, and the dark clouds were like sponges soaked with water, as if they would drip out a lot of water if squeezed even slightly.

"Crack-!"

About three minutes later, just as the elderly man with gray hair finished performing a ball-throwing acrobatic trick and returned to the stage, the rain suddenly poured down.

For a moment, Mo Xueyao even doubted that the parasol could block the rain pouring down like a waterfall.

The host's voice was slightly muffled by the heavy rain: "It's almost lunchtime. There are only a few programs left this morning. The ones that haven't finished will be performed after the rain stops. Lunch will be brought to your tables shortly. Please sit under your umbrellas and don't get wet. If you need anything, please ask the staff in the venue!"

This is the rain that people have been longing for.

Otherwise, autumn will really be heading towards summer temperatures.

"Whew—this feels like the feeling of an autumn rain!" Hua Yinyin stood up from her chair and squeezed over to Mo Xueyao's side. "Hehehe, it's still better here with little Yaoyao~"

"You dislike your teacher that much?" Ye Wen looked a little 'sad'.

"Wen, shouldn't you sit with your man?"

"Tsk, I sit here too much every day, I don't want to run into him."

"Which 'zuo' is it?" Hua Yinyin asked mischievously, immediately receiving a big eye roll from Ye Wen.

Lunch consisted of fast food meals, which seemed to have been pre-ordered. Staff members wearing raincoats ran over, placed styrofoam boxes on the ground, and then put the sealed lunch boxes on the table one by one.

"How long will the rain last..." Yu Shu slowly unpacked a pair of disposable chopsticks and muttered to herself.

"I heard it should be raining today?" Mo Xueyao listens to the weather forecast every night before bed, and luckily the cassette player her godfather gave her has this function.

"What if it rains during our performance? Will the instruments get wet?"

"Then let's hurry up and pack it up..." Mo Zhuyou covered her head in exasperation. "Wait, it's convenient for you guys, but what are we going to do with my drum set!"

"Why don't you practice the technique of quickly packing up the drum kit now, Youyou?" Hua Yinyin said with a mischievous smile.

"Ugh, Yinyin, don't jinx it!" Mo Zhuyou tore open the lid of the lunchbox in annoyance and stuck the chopsticks in with a 'thud'.

The rice was very generous, and the staff member next to us even mentioned, "You can have more if you want."

Mo Xueyao felt that she couldn't possibly finish just this one serving...

Rain was falling, and a few drops landed on the back of her hand.

The cool rain and the bleak wind, along with the leaves beaten down by the raindrops, make the taste of autumn all the more intense at this moment.

Mo Xueyao really liked the feeling of rain after many sunny days.

Because you can clearly smell the fragrance of the soil.

"Wow, there are so many young girls at this table!" Just as Mo Xueyao was about to bury her head...

While we were eating, two elderly men with umbrellas walked over with smiles on their faces.

One person was tall and thin, while the other was short and stout.

The tall, thin man looked energetic and didn't seem like an elderly person who needed to be cared for in a nursing home.

The short, stout one had a kind smile, and his white hair was mixed with a few strands of black.

"Hello, sir." Wang Jiale was the first to greet him politely.

The two elderly men made no attempt to be polite, setting their umbrellas aside and standing under the sunshade used by the Snow Music Band to eat sunflower seeds.

"Grandpa, are you from a nursing home?" Hua Yinyin looked them up and down curiously. "You look quite energetic."

"What's wrong? Can't someone in good spirits go to a nursing home?" The tall, thin old man laughed loudly, looking up at the ground.

Mr. Xue smiled, revealing his white teeth: "But you seem to be in such good spirits, you must usually be helping to take care of the children at home."

"Hey, his wife died when he was young. As for me, I've never had a wife!" the tall, thin old man laughed heartily, not caring at all about bringing up these slightly sad memories.

“There are many people my age here in the nursing home, so I won’t be too bored, haha.” The short, chubby old man said with a smile, “I’ll probably stay for a few years. If I’m still healthy and get tired of it, I’ll move out again.”

"The girls are all very beautiful."

"Grandpa, you came here for the 'pretty girl'?" Mo Xueyao looked at them helplessly, then quickly shoveled down a mouthful of rice.

Since it's fast food, the rice used for cooking is very coarse; you can tell it's the kind of old rice that's been aged for three or four years without even chewing it.

"Of course, young girls are much more interesting to look at; just a glance can lift your spirits." The tall, thin old man didn't shy away from the topic at all, but his smile was so hearty that no one felt offended.

"Look at Xiaoxue, he's quite a sight to behold too!" Wang Jiale teased Mr. Xue, and even reached out to gently pat his head.

She clearly looks younger, but she tries to project an older sister image.

The two old men moved two chairs from the side and sat down.

"Gentlemen, were you satisfied with our Rain Sky School Band's performance?" Ye Wen seemed to recognize them, and stood up with a smile to ask, "Have you had lunch yet?"

"Very satisfied! I had excellent rhythm control when I sang!" The tall, thin old man gave a thumbs up.

The short, stout old man nodded in agreement: "We ate, we ate, we came here just to eat, chat with the kids, haha, it's rare to have so many kids here, we definitely have to play!"

"Yeah, haha."

Bringing children to the nursing home has revitalized this once dreary place with youthful energy.

Perhaps that was the plan from the beginning, which is why the children were arranged to come.

In fact, many elderly people enjoy chatting with young people, and it's even better if they can have a pleasant conversation, which makes them feel as if they haven't grown old yet.

It felt like I was young again.

"Young lady, are you the band leader?" the tall, thin old man suddenly asked, looking at Ye Wen. "Hmm, you look mature."

"I'm the homeroom teacher..." Ye Wen awkwardly turned her head away. "Uh, do I look that young?"

"Really? The homeroom teacher? Teachers are so young these days."

"That's because you're too old," the short, chubby guy next to him, clearly his mischievous friend, teased with a laugh.

These two gentlemen are clearly elderly people with a youthful mindset.

"Grandpa, how old are you all this year?"

"I'm seventy-one." The tall, thin old man proudly stroked his white hair. "Not bad, right? Getting more handsome with age! This old fellow is a year younger than me, seventy!"

"..." Mo Xueyao didn't know what expression to make at this moment.

"He looks like he's only in his fifties," Ye Wen said with a smile, though it was unclear whether she meant it sincerely or was just flattery.

"Look, they're complimenting you on how young you look!"

"Of course, I've always been young!"

The two old rascals started teasing each other, giving Mo Xueyao the illusion that she was seeing Gao Yuan and Zhou Yong.

Maybe these two will be like this when they get old...

The passage of time may make people grow old, but it doesn't necessarily make their mindset become lifeless.

At first, everyone felt a little awkward, but after a few words, they quickly became familiar with each other.

Moreover, the two of them seemed to have no taboos and would never get angry no matter what question was asked.

The audacious Hua Yinyin even asked the tall, thin old man if he was still a virgin, and he gave her an answer.

Uh... of course not.