A Young Woman's Heart

"Okay, okay... you can shout all you want, but don't stick your face right up to me again..."

……

(two)

The night seems to be getting dark later and later.

It was nearly five o'clock, and the sky still carried the red glow of the setting sun. If it were winter, it would have been completely dark by now.

Mo Xueyao carried Hua Yinyin on her back, with Li Wanyan riding beside her.

The shadows were stretched long by the setting sun.

Several streetlights were already on, and wisps of smoke were rising from the restaurant's kitchen.

Mo Xueyao lightly pressed the pedals again and again, and Hua Yinyin behind her swayed back and forth, her two long ponytails swinging against her face.

The construction site, which was previously a mess, has recently taken on the shape of a building and looks like it will be completed soon.

The road that was dug up and repaired last year has recently been dug up again, this time it seems to be for laying new water pipes and electrical circuits.

A small excavator was parked to the side. A leg wearing gray jeans was sticking out of the cab, which had no door. The disheveled-looking man was eating heartily from a foam bowl, occasionally greeting the passing workers and grinning with a simple yet shy smile.

"La la la, la la~" Hua Yinyin hummed a song softly, adding a bright and gentle touch to this peaceful life.

Mo Xueyao quite enjoyed listening to her humming. Before, she felt that only at these moments was she not Hua Yinyin, but now…

On the contrary, she felt that only at this moment was she truly Hua Yinyin.

Everything she outwardly displays is just a facade; her true self is gentle yet as fragile as glass.

"Hmph hmph hmph~ Hmm hmph hmph hmph—" Mo Xueyao sang softly along.

It's a simple melody, a tune that just repeats back and forth, with no beginning and no end. You can sing it as long as you want.

Li Wanyan held the dragon head handle with one hand, turned her head to look at them, and gently brushed her fallen hair aside with her other hand.

"Ding ding dong, ding ding dong~" Humming along, Mo Xueyao couldn't help but make sounds with her mouth to simulate an electronic keyboard.

Hua Yinyin blinked her eyes and imitated her pipa, making a series of trilled sounds.

Mo Xueyao had the illusion that the woman's saliva was about to splash onto her back.

The distance from the school to the fruit shop is not far.

As soon as I arrived at the commercial street, I felt the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival.

Beautiful lanterns are hung in front of noodle shops, convenience stores, and fruit shops. The fruit shop owned by Lu Chengyuan on the upper road even has a lantern shaped like Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) to welcome customers.

The lanterns were already lit, and the last rays of the setting sun gilded them with a fiery gold.

"Squeak—" The rainbow-colored bicycle stopped first at the door. Mo Xueyao waited for Hua Yinyin to get off the bicycle before jumping off herself and quickly propping up the bicycle kickstand.

"Dad, Mom!"

"Oh, you're back, girls. Your mother's gone to make dinner." The father took the flower branch he was carrying in his mouth and stuck it in the green floral soil.

"Aren't we eating tangyuan (sweet rice balls)?"

"But we still have to wrap it."

"Huh? Why not just use frozen glutinous rice balls?"

"That's not heartfelt."

"Tch... How troublesome, making glutinous rice balls too."

As soon as they entered the fruit shop, Su Tang stood up and stretched, its tail standing upright like an antenna. It circled around Hua Yinyin and rubbed against her affectionately.

"Good boy, good boy~" She squatted down and gently patted Su Tang's head. The latter squinted its eyes in enjoyment, and then simply lay down on the ground, exposing its belly.

"Lazy cat." Mo Xueyao tugged at its whiskers, and the cat protested.

"Meow—"

"Hey, a classmate's here?"

"Yes, I've been here before, Hua Yinyin."

“I recognize it.” The father nodded. “Sorry, I’m busy. Please help yourself to any fruit you like. Don’t be shy, make yourself at home!”

"Thank you, but no need." Hua Yinyin, on the contrary, put her hands behind her back and swayed her body gently.

"Xiaoyao, cut her a dragon fruit!"

"Dad, you always bring dragon fruit when your classmates come over."

"Haha, because it's expensive!"

"Hey, a lot of people can't get used to it, it's too bland. Yinyin, do you want some?"

"No need," Hua Yinyin nodded.

Mo Xueyao almost burst out laughing, then coughed twice seriously, pretended not to have seen anything, turned around, and went to get her the dragon fruit.

……

(three)

It is said that Yuanxiao and Tangyuan are not the same thing.

However, the criteria for classification vary from region to region.

If we really want to say something, the more common understanding is that the larger ones are Yuanxiao, and the smaller ones are Tangyuan.

"Here it comes, the Tangyuan lucky bag."

"Lucky bags?" Mo Xueyao glanced curiously at the pot her mother brought out, which contained five or six 'lucky bags' floating in the water.

The shape really is similar to a small bag, but if you look closely, you will find that the outside is made of bean curd skin, and the bag opening is tied with tough bamboo shoots.

"The fillings of the glutinous rice balls inside are all different. Come on, have a taste. Every bite is a surprise."

"Mom, where did you learn those advertising slogans from..."

"It was my own idea." The mother smiled and looked at Hua Yinyin. "A classmate is here? Hello."

"Hello Auntie."

"Hello, our dinner is pretty casual, please don't mind—Yan Yan, go and call your mom to come and eat with us, and make some for her too."

"it is good."

"No, no... I don't mind at all." Hua Yinyin hurriedly waved her hand.

What kinds of fillings are they?

"You'll know once you eat it. Hurry up and eat it while it's hot, be careful not to burn yourself."

"Mom, what you're saying is so contradictory..."

……

(four)

The bean curd skin pouches on the outside are also delicious.

Especially after dipping it in sweet bean sauce.

It's chewy but not too hard, and even has a refreshing texture.

It feels quite different from eating vegetarian chicken.

Inside are large glutinous rice balls. There aren't many glutinous rice balls in one lucky bag, only eight in total—they're so big, they should probably be called Yuanxiao (glutinous rice balls for the Lantern Festival).

"Hmm...mine doesn't seem to be any different, it's just sesame filling?"

"It's okay, keep eating, each one is different."

"real or fake?"

"Of course! Your mother has been busy all afternoon, haha," the father laughed.

"Huh? Mine is...minced meat?"

"Oh, Yinyin's is meat-filled. Let me see. I also want to try the meat-filled glutinous rice balls. What is Wanyan's?"

Li Wanyan hesitated for a moment, staring at the glutinous rice ball that had already been bitten off for several seconds before softly replying, "It should be an apple."

“That’s right, it’s an apple!” The mother gave him a ‘congratulations on getting it right’ look.

"They also have fruit fillings?"

Mo Xueyao couldn't wait to eat the first one, and then immediately picked up the second one and took a bite.

"Crunch." The distinctly crisp texture startled her. "Huh—? Bamboo shoot and tofu!?"

"Oh dear, I thought Yaoyao wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"Pfft, it feels like eating a steamed bun, only wet..." Mo Xueyao chewed, covering her cheek.

"what about the taste?"

"Well, it's a bit complicated. It's not exactly delicious, but it's not exactly bad either..."

"We can try the fried glutinous rice balls later."

"They also have deep-fried versions?"

"of course."

"Tonight's dinner is quite lavish..."

The mother smiled, looked at Pan Jiexiang and nodded: "Jiexiang, you eat too."

"Okay, haha, I'm not in a hurry, I'll take my time."

"The Lantern Festival is a time for families to get together, to be reunited, and to have a lively celebration."

"Yes, a healthy family is the most beautiful blessing in the world." Pan Jiexiang sighed softly, her smile seeming somewhat forced. "That's wonderful."

"Oh, oh, oh—what is this? It's delicious! Cream?"

"It's that stuff inside custard buns, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is."

"Oh—this is delicious! As expected, glutinous rice balls are supposed to be sweet!"

"I actually think the salty flavor is quite delicious, it feels very fresh!"