A Young Woman's Heart

"Oh, I should be able to stay here during summer vacation, right?"

"Hey, if we're fast enough, I can get some of it done by next month."

"real or fake?"

"When have I, your father, ever lied to you?"

"So, a bicycle is..."

"To make it easier for you to travel back and forth!"

"Just as I expected!"

……

Chapter 289 Sand Ice

(One)

Monday was busy as usual.

Senior high school students were notified that they did not need to attend the Monday morning assembly, and for the next two weeks, they did not even need to participate in morning exercises. The academic workload seemed to have increased even more.

Principal Mo seems to have been absent from the school for some time now; the vice principal's voice still came over the loudspeaker on Monday.

The words were nothing more than words of encouragement and urging, which were not as pleasant to the students as the chirping of cicadas outside the window.

Construction was underway somewhere, and the thumping sounds echoed through the streets like a heavy heartbeat from the depths of the earth.

"Gulp." Jiang Yuruo gently pressed her right hand against her chest, as if listening to her own inner voice.

"Ruoruo, what's wrong with you? Class is about to start, aren't you going up?" Wu Shanshan gently patted her shoulder, turned her head to look at the drinks in the vending machine next to her, and couldn't help but swallow.

Jiang Yu stared at her with a gaze that seemed to try to see right through her, making her feel a little uneasy.

"W-What happened..."

"The first class today is physical education."

"Oh...right, I changed it at the last minute." Wu Shanshan slapped her forehead. "Lately, I've been thinking about how senior year is coming up soon, so I've been a bit absent-minded."

"Oh!" Jiang Yu patted her back expressionlessly. "Don't feel pressured!"

"Uh... that's alright. My former junior high school teacher also gave me some advice when I was under pressure, so I'm not particularly stressed. It's just that I'm thinking about the upcoming senior year of high school, and graduation isn't far away. Three years after three years, sigh, time flies."

Jiang Yuru blinked: "The real separation is when memories gradually fade."

"Hmm, this doesn't sound like something Ruoruo would say. It sounds so literary."

"Hehe." Jiang Yuru blinked. "One of my former boarding teachers told me this!"

"I see, was that your junior high school teacher as well?"

"Hmm? No, it's from another school. I just live at his house."

"When are we going to see him?" Wu Shanshan said jokingly. "Phew... I want to go back to my junior high school when summer vacation starts."

Are you still there?

"Of course! But... we've had to change teachers quite a few times." Wu Shanshan sighed. "Back then, we almost had to tear it down."

Jiang Yu didn't speak, but just blinked her eyes gently.

"That's why I had to take a year off from school, sigh."

"Ah."

"So, is your teacher still around? He's the mentor who guided you on your life's path, you should go back and visit him."

Jiang Yu shook her head vigorously: "They've left."

"Ah, just like all my teachers, sigh."

"Um... what are you talking about?" Yu Shu's voice came from behind the two of them. Her face was flushed, and she looked unusually gossipy.

"It's nothing, we were just talking about our junior high school teachers."

"Um... I went to junior high school in the countryside."

"Does Shu'er have any special memories of junior high school?"

"Huh? No way..." Yu Shu tilted her head and thought for a moment, "If you really want to talk about something, it would be the time of the great flood in my third year of junior high school."

"How is it? Is it serious?"

"Yeah! But the school is in town, so it's okay."

"Hey~ I thought there would be some thrilling experience like being swept into the water and then rescued! Cough cough, what's wrong with you two, staring at me like that?" Wu Shanshan coughed twice and reached out to take their arms. "Okay, okay, let's go to the playground?"

"hold head high!"

"Ah."

……

(two)

Outside the window, cicadas chirped in the summer heat, but inside the classroom, it was as cool as autumn.

The air conditioner that Gao Yuan bought is now working in the band room, blowing out cool air.

Logically, he could come over and enjoy the cool air conditioning, but in fact, he hasn't come even once this summer.

Mo Xueyao only remembered seeing him once, it seemed like he was coming out of the swimming pool.

Maybe this guy goes to the swimming pool to look at pretty girls every noon.

That actually fits his personality quite well...

Mo Xueyao poured cooled boiled water into her teacup. The water had been blowing under the air conditioner, so although it wasn't as cold as if it had been taken out of the refrigerator, it still felt quite refreshing to drink.

"Phew—although the band room is very comfortable, I can't concentrate on studying now that I'm in..." Mo Xueyao muttered, tilting her head back and yawning.

"Hmm..." Mo Zhuyou had already slumped onto the table. "I felt sleepy as soon as I came in."

"...If you feel too comfortable, you can go back to the classroom to review." Wang Jiale said helplessly as she flipped through her math test. There was less than a month left, and most people were starting to focus on their weaker subjects. After all, their strong subjects couldn't pull up their scores by much anymore, but their weaker subjects could still potentially raise their scores by a little.

She hates math the most, and has almost filled this notebook with her mistakes, although she still can't get many questions right.

"Lele, you're working so hard!"

"Yinyin—don't you want to go to Xingda University anymore?"

"Hmph, I'm definitely fine, but what about Youyou?"

Mo Zhuyou immediately sat up straight and coughed twice: "I'll start reviewing now!"

"Good luck to you guys..." Mo Xueyao still looked lazy, resting her chin on her hand, "I can get into Xingda University if I score a little lower."

The three girls all looked at her with their eyelids drooping, and for a moment they were all speechless.

"Ugh, math is so frustrating. I understand all the theoretical formulas, but I still can't get the problems right. It's so annoying."

"If it were that simple, everyone would be a mathematician."

"Damn it, when will humanities subjects be able to eliminate math?"

"Then unless the science classes cancel Chinese language classes."

"Which question don't you understand? I'll teach you." Mr. Xue smiled faintly and took a sip of hot tea.

"Sigh... No, let me figure it out myself first. Xiaoxue always teaches me, but when I try to do it myself, I can't remember how..."

As we were talking, the door to the band room was suddenly pushed open gently.

Yu Shu walked in carrying a bag, while Wu Shanshan and Jiang Yuruo peeked in furtively from behind.

"Wow, the senior students' classroom is so cool..."

"air conditioner!"

"Yeah, since there's air conditioning, why don't you come in and cool off? We're not studying anyway," Mo Xueyao called out to them. "Oh, and remember to close the door."

"Xiaoyao, this is the shaved ice we just bought. Let's all eat it together."

"Smoothie? Where did you buy it?"

"Ruoruo called the boss to buy it."

"Mmm!" Jiang Yuruo straightened her back proudly. "Mango-flavored shaved ice, it's delicious!"

This is a slushie served in three large cups, similar to tall disposable cups used for Coca-Cola.

The owner also gave me a free plastic spoon.

As for how to divide it, that's simple: just pour it into your own drinking cup.

"Summer is definitely the perfect time for shaved ice." Wang Jiale gently scooped up a spoonful of shaved ice and put it in his mouth, his eyes squinting with enjoyment. "It has mango and pineapple chunks!"

"Mmm, is it delicious?"

"Thank you, Ruoruo."

"Xiaoxue, how is it? Is it delicious?" Mo Xueyao nudged his arm.

"It's delicious." Mr. Xue squinted his eyes. "But it might taste even better if we eat it outside."

"...But you can eat it slowly in an air-conditioned room because it melts quickly."

"That makes sense." It was rare to hear Mr. Xue say that.

“When I used to stay at my teacher’s house, I would make my own shaved ice in the summer.”

"Huh, is it made with one of those hand-cranked shaved ice machines?" Mo Xueyao had seen these at roadside stalls before. "They don't seem to be blended enough."

"I think it tastes better when it has a bit of texture."

"I still prefer this kind of shaved ice," Mo Xueyao said, popping another bite into her mouth.

"I agree with Yin Yin~"

Jiang Yuru tilted her head and blinked: "No, that's not it."

"Huh? They were already using electric machines back then? That's so advanced, the machines must have been imported, right?"