A Young Woman's Heart

"Just in case, to prevent soil erosion," was Yang Yankai's reply.

"Oh, I see. That sounds very professional?"

"Yes, that's what we thought when Yang Yankai came that day."

"Are we planting now?"

"Yes, the preparation before sowing is to first prepare the field. This is the most traditional and classic farming model. The seeds are planted in these raised parts, and the lower part is used to facilitate drainage and make it easier to walk."

"Speaking of which, it's been raining for several days, and the sun just came out today. There should be quite a few mushrooms, right?" Mo Xueyao tilted her head and glanced at the forest behind her, trying hard to find the mushrooms.

"Of course there are quite a few, but you need to be careful when choosing mushrooms, otherwise you might eat a poisonous one." Yang Yankai lowered his head and patiently explained, "If you don't know how to distinguish them, just find the most common type of mushroom, its color..."

……

(four)

While others were busy farming, Mo Xueyao, who had received guidance from Yang Yankai, went to the mountains to pick mushrooms with a small basket.

Su Tang didn't want to get down and just stayed in the basket, making Mo Xueyao's hands go numb from carrying it.

"Stinky Candy, if you don't get down and walk by yourself, I'll throw you into the river to bathe!" Mo Xueyao, unable to bear it any longer, slapped its head hard and dumped the fat cat, which was as big as a garbage dump, onto the ground.

"Meow—" Su Tang complained, as if blaming Mo Xueyao for bringing it out, otherwise it should still be sleeping in at home right now.

"Tch, the weather's so nice, how can you not come out for a walk? Really... I should have left you in the fields with Youyou and the others to watch over you."

"Meow—" Su Tang complained again, dragging out her voice, and shook her body vigorously, but finally started walking on her own.

Unlike ordinary cats, it still swaggered around even in such an unfamiliar environment. If it weren't for its small size, it would look just like a big tiger.

"Hmm—this should be it, right?" Mo Xueyao squatted down next to a cedar tree and carefully examined the mushroom growing at the base of the tree. It looked exactly like Yang Yankai had described, similar to the kind of mushrooms you could buy at the market, only smaller. But you could still feel the plumpness of its thick cap—so much so that Mo Xueyao couldn't help but pinch it a couple more times.

"Sutang, why don't you try the poison? If you can eat it, then it's probably safe to eat." Mo Xueyao jokingly pointed to the mushrooms. Sutang stretched her neck, sniffed them, and then opened her mouth without hesitation and took a bite.

The once beautiful mushroom was now only half its original size, with a ring of jagged teeth marks around it.

"How is it?" Mo Xueyao stared at it nervously.

"Meow—" Su Tang drawled out, nodding as if she understood what she meant.

"Sure enough, no problem. You can keep the one you bit into, and take the rest—wow, there are some red mushrooms over there, so pretty, but they look poisonous. Most people wouldn't be affected." Mo Xueyao poked the bright red mushroom with a twig, wondering what kind of animal it would lure.

"Hmph~ Little girl picking mushrooms, little girl picking mushrooms~" Mo Xueyao hummed a song softly, taking light steps as she searched for edible mushrooms in the mountains.

The squirrels in the trees quietly retreated back to their burrows, the hares drinking water by the puddle darted into the bushes, and she left footprint after footprint on the still somewhat damp soil.

……

(Fives)

Sowing didn't take as long. By one o'clock in the afternoon, the clouds in the sky had been dispersed by the sunlight, and the bright spring sun generously showered its warmth upon the world.

Everyone had finished work and gathered around the wooden stake table in the yard.

Yang Yankai poured all the small fish and shrimp from the net into a basin and carefully processed and washed them.

Outside, wisps of smoke rose from the earthen stove, and water in the pot bubbled and steamed.

The thistle was poured into boiling water, and after a short while it was taken out again. Soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, vinegar, and a little bit of heated salad oil were added.

A faint fragrance filled the yard, and even Su Tang, who was lying in front of the dark chocolate cage, couldn't help but raise her chubby cat head.

Mo Xueyao and Mo Zhuyou were peeling the fresh bamboo shoots they had just dug up yesterday. After removing the thick outer 'coat', only a small, tender white bamboo shoot remained.

Mo Xiaoxiao started stir-frying the chopped mushrooms and then sprinkled some minced meat into them.

"Sis, is this much bamboo shoot enough?"

"Hmm, that's about it. Here, give it to me."

"Here!"

The bamboo shoots were first boiled in water, then scooped out and diced. They were then added to freshly boiled water along with the previously stir-fried mushrooms and minced meat, and simmered over a wood fire to make soup.

"Youyou—could you get me some milk?"

"Okay! Would you like milk and mushroom soup today?"

"Ah."

"Great!"

"Milk?" Mo Xueyao had a feeling that the taste wouldn't be very good.

"Hmm! It's more of a Western-style way of eating, and it's really delicious. It tastes even better after being thickened with cornstarch, giving it a slightly sticky and viscous texture. It would be great if there was tofu, but unfortunately, we didn't buy any." Mo Zhuyou replied excitedly, then ran into the house like a shot.

"Pour milk into the soup?"

“No.” Mo Xiaoxiao shook her head. “Pour out the soup first, then pour in the milk, and then add the seasonings—just salt is enough, no need to add anything else, otherwise the color won’t look good and the taste will become ‘unclean’.”

"How much milk would that take...?"

"It's okay. My sister and I often go to the supermarket to buy products that are close to their expiration date. Many of them are 20% or 30% off. Last time, we bought two boxes of milk that were about to expire. Hmm—they'll all expire in two days. It would be a waste if we didn't use them. We can use them to cook."

Soon, the enticing aroma of milk and mushroom soup filled the air, mixed with a hint of wheat fragrance.

It was bread that had been toasted in the oven while cooking. It was a little browned, but the taste was just right. The soup wasn't ready yet, but Mo Xueyao couldn't wait to pick up a piece and take a bite.

After finishing the work, a delicious and satisfying meal is enough to make one enjoy it.

Mo Xueyao's dream is to travel around the world, but she suddenly feels that living in the countryside is not bad either.

Of course, this is only because it felt good during the experience. If she were to live in the countryside every day, she probably wouldn't be able to stand it.

The annoying mosquitoes alone make you want to escape back to the city.

……

Chapter 175 The Last Day Before School Starts

(One)

The gentle spring breeze opened Li Wanyan's eyes.

The curtains were slightly lifted by the breeze.

The sunlight, though not glaring, shines through the clouds.

She felt exceptionally clear-headed and energetic today, as if she had been sleeping in an iceberg for a long winter and had been awakened by spring as the ice and snow melted.

This is a rare feeling of complete clarity, as if all impurities have been expelled from the body.

Mo Xueyao sat in front of the electronic keyboard and gently pressed the keys. One note after another slowly emerged, composing a song of spring.

"Oh, Wanyan, you're awake?"

"Um……"

I felt like I'd experienced this conversation before.

"Wanyan, you haven't been sleeping since yesterday, have you?"

"Hmm?" Li Wanyan's ears twitched slightly like a cat's. She looked out at the still somewhat gray sky, and the tender green grass filled her vision.

The birds in early spring chirp crisply, like a melodious song.

"Today is February 20th, 2002. School starts tomorrow."

The start of the senior year of high school is earlier than in previous years. Instead of the Lantern Festival, classes will begin five days earlier, on the tenth day of the first lunar month.

This truly made the students feel the increasing pressure step by step.

"February 20th." Li Wanyan sat up, stretched her warm hands out from under the covers, and touched the slightly cool but not cold air.

"Yes, it's February 20th. I was thinking that you would call me to ask where I went after I went out yesterday, but I didn't expect it to be Mom who called. You were still sleeping when I got back last night, but I was the one who got up first today."

"Hmm." Li Wanyan finally sorted out her somewhat chaotic thoughts. She remembered that the night she went to sleep was February 18th, meaning she had slept through an entire day in between.

"How did you sleep? I certainly couldn't sleep for that long; I must have woken up halfway through. Was Wanyan too tired before?"

"No, I just want to sleep."

"A good night's sleep before school starts is good too." Mo Xueyao stopped playing the piano, leaned back, raised her hands high, and stretched. "Ah—this holiday feels so short, it's already over."

"It's shorter for me."

“That’s true, after all, it’s a whole day less for Wanyan.” She leaned to the side and opened the window a little wider. “The fruit shop opened yesterday, and Mom and Dad weren’t home. Should I get up and make breakfast? Cough cough, I’ve already started cooking the porridge…”

"it is good."

Although Li Wanyan didn't ask, Mo Xueyao still explained, "Mom got up late today and went straight to open the door without making breakfast."

"Mmm." Li Wanyan didn't hesitate at all, lifting the covers and getting out of bed.

She slept for a full day and two nights, and this was probably the easiest time she had ever gotten up.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that winter has passed.

The world outside the blankets is no longer so cold and unreachable.

……

(two)

After washing up, Li Wanyan was busy in the kitchen, while Mo Xueyao was curled up on the sofa watching TV.

She was wearing a pair of short socks, one of which had been rubbed off halfway and was barely hanging on the instep, but she was too lazy to pull it up, so she simply tucked that foot under the cushion, which seemed to be warmer than wearing socks.

A food program was playing on TV, where several well-known local hosts from Hangzhou were cooking together, accompanied by narration.

The food I'm making now has a very spring-like feel to it.

In other words, the vegetables are mostly fresh, and the cooking methods are mainly steaming or boiling to preserve the original flavor of the ingredients as much as possible.

"Whoosh—" The sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen, and the smell of oil fumes immediately filled the air. Although the range hood was working hard to suck up the oil, the effect was not very good.

Mo Xueyao could faintly smell a spicy aroma, which made her cough.

And accompanying her cough was the kitchen door being closed, neither too loudly nor too softly.

She could already imagine what breakfast would taste like today.

While strongly flavored foods are indeed very appetizing and perfect with porridge, eating too much oily food so early in the morning can still make your stomach feel a bit uncomfortable...