A Young Woman's Heart

The old man rowed the boat, pushing off with his bamboo pole at a leisurely pace: "Girls, are you going to see the village opera?"

"Hmm, is it pretty?"

"Haha, young people might not like watching it, but for an old man like me, it's still very entertaining." The old man seemed to have started talking non-stop, "Oh dear, this village opera is quite interesting. It's performed on a boat. There's a big boat that's moored in the river, and the people rowing the small boats watch from afar."

Hua Yinyin asked curiously, "Isn't there an entrance fee?"

"Hehe! No, we won't accept them! They were all hired by the nearby villages, and the people who came to watch are all from the nearby villages." The old man said with a smile, "They started singing this evening and won't finish until tomorrow morning. I'll try my best to find you a good spot later."

Mo Xueyao picked up a lollipop and said, "I don't really care."

Yes, she wasn't there to watch a play, but simply to enjoy the scenery. And the feeling of swaying on the boat was very comfortable, like sitting in a cradle as a child.

……

(two)

The journey was neither too far nor too near, the small boat moved neither too fast nor too slow, and Taiyin gazed out the window with neither worry nor joy, watching the scenery outside change little by little.

Hua Yinyin was feeling seasick and lay directly on Taiyin's thigh, her face full of discomfort.

Li Wanyan didn't stay seated; instead, she walked to the bow of the boat.

Actually, this boat isn't too small; it could fit a few more boats, but the draft would be very deep.

Besides her, the little boy was standing at the bow of the boat.

"Sir, how much longer until we arrive?"

"Don't rush, it will take some time, about another half hour." The old man rowing the boat remained unhurried and indifferent to praise or criticism.

"Grandpa, you've been to school, haven't you?"

"Hehe, I'm not very talented, I was just a primary school Chinese teacher."

"Hey, no wonder you speak with such refinement." Mo Xueyao nodded, then looked at the little boy who reached out to touch the river water, "Little friend, what's your name again?"

"Zhong Jiu." It wasn't him who answered, but Li Wanyan.

"Huh? How did Wanyan know?"

“That’s what his mother called him that day.” When Li Wanyan mentioned ‘mother,’ Zhong Jiu’s small eyes dimmed slightly.

"Zhong Jiu? Is that your name?" Mo Xueyao asked, confirming the question with suspicion.

"Hmm...yes..." The little boy named Zhong Jiu nodded gently. He shook off his slippers and put his muddy feet into the water.

The emerald green river water rippled gently, washing over his feet.

Aren't you afraid of falling?

“…I can swim.” Zhong Jiu gave her a strange look. “Auntie.”

"Cough, cough!" Mo Xueyao coughed, choked by the fumes. "What 'auntie'? I'm only eighteen! You're more than twenty years younger than me, you should be calling me 'auntie'!"

Zhong Jiu seemed a little frightened. He shrank his neck and put his other foot into the water: "...Sister, sister?"

"...That's a bit of a stretch. By the way, are you in kindergarten yet?"

He shook his head, but he still knew what kindergarten was, after all, he was already five or six years old: "I don't go to kindergarten, my grandpa teaches me."

"Oh—you'll be starting elementary school soon, right?"

He counted on his fingers for a moment, then nodded: "Two more years."

"Are you five or six years old?" Mo Xueyao asked again, her questions seeming childish when she was dealing with a child.

"Why do adults always ask these questions?" he pouted. "Five...years old."

"A little kid born in '97, huh? A '90s kid, no, almost a '00s kid,'" Mo Xueyao said with a hint of pride. "I'm an '80s kid, you know!"

"What's there to be proud of..." Hua Yinyin opened her mouth weakly and couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.

"The future belongs to those born in the 1980s." The old man nodded. "I hope you can build this country even better."

"Hmm—no problem!" Mo Xueyao unusually set her sights high.

……

(three)

A small boat is naturally bumpier and much slower than a car.

However, after turning a bend in a small river, we finally saw the huge riverbed behind the mountains—the tributaries of countless small rivers converge here, but the current is not very rapid.

From afar, you can see the large ship. The stage has already been set up, and many ships of various sizes are surrounding it.

There were all sorts of things, and even though she had seen more spectacular sea markets before, Mo Xueyao still found it novel.

After all, she grew up in the city and had never had much contact with boats growing up.

Near the shore, there were many reeds growing. The small boat swayed through the reeds. The fuzzy 'weeds' gently tickled Zhong Jiu's legs. He couldn't resist pulling one down and slapping it haphazardly in his hand.

The boat was too small, and getting too close would make it difficult to see clearly, so it was stopped a little further away. The angle was a bit off, but the view from here was still quite clear.

The opera had already started, and the person, who was either an old woman or a young man, was dressed in an exceptionally gorgeous costume and was singing something in a loud, unclear way. The words seemed to be in the local dialect.

"Is this the place?" The old man put away his bamboo pole, bent down, and walked under the awning. "The girls can move their chairs outside to see and hear more clearly."

"Wow—it's spectacular! There are so many people performing opera up there!"

"Phew... I, I'll stand for a while..." Hua Yinyin really didn't want to sit anymore. She staggered up from the small chair and walked to the bow of the boat.

Li Wanyan looked up and couldn't help but widen her eyes.

Although they were far apart, the sound was still loud, and the performers' movements were very exaggerated, making them easy to see.

The sound of gongs and drums was deafening, with a loud "dong dong qiang qiang" sound. It seemed that someone was playing the erhu, plucking the pipa, and even blowing the suona in some parts.

"Suddenly, the sound of drums and horns resounded, awakening my lofty ambition to break through the Heavenly Gate. I recall the days when I rode my Peach Blossom Horse with imposing might, and enemy blood splattered on my pomegranate skirt..."

"Don't stand too far forward, or you'll capsize. Zhong Jiu, come stand at the back with Grandpa."

Zhong Jiu responded and, without even putting on slippers, stepped onto the deck and ran over with a 'clattering' sound.

The old man folded up the awning so that everyone could have a good view even when sitting in the middle of the boat.

The evening sun is slowly setting, like a half-cooked egg yolk.

It looked as if the egg yolk would flow out if you just poked it with your finger.

Mo Xueyao's attention was not on the stage at all, but on the hillsides around her that were dyed red by the setting sun.

The reflection of the setting sun in the lake was blurred, creating ripples.

Not only were people watching from boats, but also from the shore or hilltops.

There are villages on both sides of the river, and it seems there are quite a few people.

After all, there is a waterway here, which makes travel much more convenient compared to places where you can only travel by mountain path.

Areas with well-developed transportation systems naturally tend to have larger populations.

"If I don't take command, who will? If I don't lead the troops, who will? Tell the maid to quickly prepare my military uniform..." The actor on the stage waved his hand and spoke in an exceptionally loud voice.

"What are you singing?" Hua Yinyin asked, looking completely bewildered.

"Uh... I can't tell, it sounds like they're making 'waaaaa' noises, and then they say a few words."

"Mulan, I guess," Li Wanyan said, unsure.

"Hehe, this is our local adaptation of 'Mu Guiying Takes Command'."

The old man seemed to really enjoy the song he had just sung, and couldn't help but hum along a few lines.

"Have the girls had dinner yet?"

"No."

"If you don't mind, would you like to eat together?"

"What to eat?"

"Cook some edamame, corn, and sweet potatoes."

"It's on this ship."

"That's natural."

Mo Xueyao immediately became interested; to her, this was even more interesting than the opera itself.

Just like how children are more interested in the snacks, the big table of dishes, and the fireworks and firecrackers they buy before the Lunar New Year than the New Year itself.

The old man acted quickly, immediately lighting a fire in the stove, scooping water from the river into a pot, and putting it on the stove to boil.

As darkness fell, lights were lit on the large ship.

The old man picked up a pipe and leisurely puffed on it, exhaling a large cloud of ash. He said with a sigh, "In the past, boats could only hang lanterns, not such bright electric lights."

The ship's large lights illuminated the stage brightly, even more so than during the day.

The little boy squatted in front of the stove, watching expectantly as bubbles slowly rose from the pot.

Taiyin was probably the most focused one; the way she watched the opera performance on stage was just like how Mo Xueyao watched cartoons at home.

"How was your singing?" The old man took a puff of his cigarette and looked at Taiyin with a smile.

"Hmm." Taiyin nodded lightly, her expression remaining blank.

The water in the pot was bubbling and gurgling. Mo Xueyao and Hua Yinyin stood side by side, looking up at the gradually brightening starry sky.

The sun finally set completely, and the starry sky was reflected in the water.

The river and the starry sky are connected, as if following the river forward would lead to the sky.

The evening breeze gently caressed Mo Xueyao's face, causing her to squint her eyes.

"Phew...that feels so good."

"This is probably the best way to relax," Hua Yinyin said, brushing a strand of hair from Mo Xueyao's hair that had fallen onto her face. "It feels like time has suddenly slowed down."

"Ah."

Li Wanyan echoed in agreement.

"You guys are about to take the high school entrance exam, right?"

"Grandpa, we're high school students now." Mo Xueyao pouted helplessly.