A Young Woman's Heart

"It's an experimental subject."

"Will there be formal ones in the future?"

"Perhaps there will be."

Mo Xueyao tried playing with it on the table, and the controls were quite responsive, but she was afraid of running out of power in one go, so she reluctantly put it away again.

"Huff... huff..." The half-closed classroom door was suddenly pushed open, and Duanmu Ji, panting heavily, bypassed Yu Shu who was standing at the door and ran to Mo Xueyao.

He stood out conspicuously among a group of girls.

—If we don't count Mr. Xue.

"Here you go." He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but fine beads of sweat continued to appear on his forehead.

"Thank you." Mo Xueyao said in a businesslike tone, "What is it?"

"Uh..." Duanmu Ji scratched his cheek, looked around at the large group of girls, and seemed a little embarrassed. "You'll know once you open it..."

"A surprise for you, huh?" Mo Xueyao teased him. "Is it food, a toy, or something practical?"

"Uh—both are available." Duanmu Ji's answer was somewhat ambiguous.

“What does it mean that there are both?” she muttered, using a utility knife to open the beautifully wrapped gift box.

Inside was yet another box, one of which looked similar to a hamburger box.

"Food?" She opened the box, and sure enough, there was a hamburger inside, but it was completely cold. She poked it gently; the texture seemed a little different from regular bread, although it was still quite soft. "Did you bring this from the store?"

She glanced at Duanmu Ji with amusement. The gift was somewhat perfunctory, but the outer packaging box still carried a hint of thoughtfulness.

After all, if they were really going to be so perfunctory, they should have just brought over a hamburger box.

"Mmm—" she said, taking a big bite, then suddenly looked up, "Huh—?? What's this?"

Duanmu Ji, who had been hesitant, finally spoke: "Uh... this... is probably... the exhibit toys..."

"Huh?"

"It's just a fake exhibit..."

"Huh?? You brought the display items from the store?" Mo Xueyao instantly realized what was going on. "Hey, hey, hey—"

"No, this is much more exquisite than the display items in the store. It... it can be disassembled..."

Mo Xueyao looked at him with a puzzled expression, then lowered her head and tried to pick up the hamburger bun. Sure enough, it could be removed, including the lettuce and fried chicken underneath.

The most amazing thing is the fried chicken nuggets; even the texture is exactly the same as the real thing.

It just didn't feel greasy at all.

"Wow, that's amazing... Did you make this yourself?"

Duanmu Ji, who had been scratching his face earlier, was now scratching his head. He shook his head somewhat embarrassedly: "My sister made it..."

"Wow, what an amazing model! Thank you! But I feel like if I keep it at home, it'll just make people crave food, won't it?"

"If you want to eat it, I can bring it to you every day."

"Oh oh oh-"

"Little Ji!"

"Pfft, are you trying to win over Haruka's heart through her stomach first?"

"Before that, shouldn't we fatten up Haruka first?"

The girls burst into laughter.

"No, no, Xiao Yaoyao is mine!" Hua Yinyin's voice sounded quite 'dissonant' in the crowd.

"Ahem..." Duanmu Ji coughed awkwardly, took a few steps back, and hid behind the girls.

Just then, the bell rang to signal the end of PE class, and the sound of noisy footsteps echoed in the stairwell.

It seems that other classmates have come to join in the fun and celebrate Mo Xueyao's birthday.

Although we didn't spend it at home, the atmosphere was just as great.

……

(three)

A few stars dotted the clear night sky, and a bright moon hung high, casting a clear and gentle white light.

Another day of school life has come to an end, which also means that winter vacation is one step closer.

Mo Xueyao touched the hem of her skirt that was clinging to her thighs and lifted it slightly: "Phew, let's go back and take a shower. My socks are soaked with sweat."

"Did you have a happy birthday today?"

"Yeah, so many classmates came to celebrate with me, even from other classes, it was so lively..." Mo Xueyao scratched her head in annoyance, "Towards the end, it didn't even feel like my birthday anymore, but more like a social party. Oh right! I don't think Wanyan came back then?"

"Yes, Ms. Ye Wen wants to see me."

"I knew it, it felt like something was missing."

Li Wanyan smiled and slung her backpack over her shoulder, unzipped it, and handed her a small red jewelry box.

"What is this?"

"The bell I fixed for you will ring now."

"Oh, where was it repaired?"

"Yinshan Commercial Street".

"Oh, you changed the red string? This is my birthday present! That's great!"

“No.” Li Wanyan said, and then took out a long, cylindrical object covered by a yarn bag. It looked a bit like a flute.

"This is...?" Mo Xueyao's eyes sparkled, like blue stars on the ground.

"This is the real birthday present, an Irish whistle."

"Ireland... whistle?"

"I bought it because I saw someone else playing it and the sound was very unique."

"How is it special?"

"It has a very medieval tavern atmosphere."

"Pfft." Mo Xueyao took the whistle and poked her chest with it. "What? You bought this because I can drink?"

Li Wanyan suppressed a laugh and raised her eyebrows: "No wonder I thought it would suit you well."

"Hey! Did you knit this one outside?"

"Ah."

"It fits perfectly, it's really nice..." Mo Xueyao scratched her head, "But, when did you knit this? I don't think I've ever seen you knit it before..."

"The last part was completed during the fourth period in the afternoon."

"Huh? You just said you were going to help out at Wen's place..."

"I was just kidding." Li Wanyan's lips curled up into a smile. She lowered her head and finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, her laughter as sweet as honey. "Only with a matching protective bag can it be considered a complete birthday present."

Mo Xueyao nodded vigorously, eagerly took out the whistle, looked it over, and then started blowing it.

But this thing isn't as simple as an electronic keyboard, where you can easily produce standard sounds.

"It's like the sound of wind blowing through a cave," Li Wanyan commented.

"Ahem, I'm just a beginner...!"

……

Chapter 148 Hair

(One)

Taking a hot shower at home in winter was something unimaginable before.

At least ten years ago, Mo Xueyao always thought that it was impossible to take a hot shower at home. If you wanted to take a shower, you could only pour boiling water from the kettle into a basin and then add some cold water.

It was less of a bath and more of a damp wipe.

If you feel too dirty, go to a public bathhouse and take a good shower.

Although it's convenient to wash, it's quite troublesome to go back and forth. You have to bring a basin, towel, and bath products. Men can keep it simple and just need soap, while women need shampoo, and those who are particular about it can also bring a bottle of conditioner.

If the bathhouse is far from home, you'll feel sweaty again on the way back, so much so that you always have the illusion that you haven't completely washed yourself when you get home.

Now, household water heaters have solved this big problem.

Besides, a shower head is much more comfortable than a hose.

Mo Xueyao was taking a hot shower in the steamy bathroom, letting the water massage her skin.

However, the water beneath her feet was rising higher and higher, and when she looked down, the drain seemed to be completely blocked.

"Ugh, there's so much hair in the house." She could only bend down, wipe the sticky clump of hair with her hands, grab it out, and throw it all into the toilet.

There are three women in the house, and their hair is practically flying everywhere.

Upon closer inspection, the bathroom was an even bigger disaster area, with one or two hairs in almost every nook and cranny.

Besides that, there were some skin flakes—those must have been left by my father, whose soles have been peeling a bit lately.

Look, under the sink cabinet over there, there's a stone he picked up from the roadside, supposedly rough enough to rub his feet.

The mother would clean the house, and Li Wanyan would also pick up a mop and broom whenever she had free time.

But there are still some areas that can't be cleaned.

Bathrooms are the easiest places to get dirty, and they are cleaned far less frequently than outside areas.

Mo Xueyao, who was halfway through her shower, felt that there was a lot of hair stuck in the drain, so she simply squatted down and started washing the shower.

My hair is clean, but these floor tiles are a bit dirty. I sometimes walk barefoot on them, and I didn't expect there to be so much grime.

The floor tiles are clean, but what about the wall tiles? From a distance, they look quite clean, but up close, there's a lot of hair on them, and some inexplicable skin flakes stuck to them.