A Young Woman's Heart

Chapter 294 Let's Talk About the Past

(One)

Mo Xueyao had only met her grandmother a few times, but she felt that she also looked like an intellectual, and had a more elegant and gentle temperament than her grandfather.

It was already night, and since my grandparents rarely came over, my mother prepared a huge table of dishes, so much so that there was no place to put the bowls and chopsticks, and she had to hold them in her hands.

The beer bottles were all on the ground, and if you weren't careful, you could easily kick one over.

If you're even less lucky, you'll knock them all over like bowling balls.

"Dad, have a drink?"

"I've recently given up drinking."

"It's Father's Day today, so look, it's perfect that you're here. Have a drink, you don't have to drive. I'll call you a taxi to your brother's place later."

"It's a special day, so let's have a little drink." Grandma noticed Grandpa looking at her, so she smiled and nodded gently. He then gave a soft hum and picked up a paper cup for Father to pour the wine in.

"Xiao Yao is getting more and more beautiful." Grandma sitting next to Mo Xueyao said with a kind face, "Your blue eyes are getting brighter and brighter. Your grandfather also had blue eyes when he was young, and he was very handsome."

Mo Xueyao turned around at lightning speed to look at her father, who glared at her with his brown eyes and a stern face.

"Luckily, I didn't end up like my dad."

"He's useless; he didn't inherit any of my good qualities." Grandpa looked disappointed, while Father could only awkwardly force a smile.

"Hehe... He's been mischievous since he was little, after all, he's the youngest son." Grandma squinted her eyes. "Your grandfather beat you quite hard, and your father was also rebellious back then, which caused a lot of conflicts, but these things are better talked about."

"Dad, you always brag about getting 100 on your exams!" Mo Xueyao certainly wouldn't miss the chance to expose her father's secret. "Wow, I never expected that."

"Back then, I often got 100 points on tests, but I just didn't want to study."

"That's the most infuriating part," Grandma sighed. "To be honest, back then, when your grandpa beat him up, I actually felt pretty good about it."

"Sigh, let's drink, let's drink!" The father picked up the beer bottle, took a big gulp straight from the bottle, and abruptly changed the subject.

……

(two)

"You didn't say where you went, you didn't say anything when you got married, you just secretly started a family, you're something else!" Although he had only drunk two cups, Grandpa's face was already flushed and he was a little drunk.

Now Mo Xueyao feels that her father and grandfather are quite similar, at least they both inherited the trait of not being able to drink much alcohol.

"Wasn't it because you made those threats back then, saying I wasn't allowed to go back..."

You'd believe me if I told you?

"what……"

"You live in the same city as your brother, yet you didn't ask him for help. You've got guts, you brat." Grandpa raised his empty glass, poured some into his mouth, and only two drops of wine spilled out. "It's a good thing you have some backbone, otherwise, I wouldn't even recognize you now!"

"Hey, cough cough..."

“You and your brother both live so far away, it’s too much trouble for you to come over.”

"It's alright! We'll just get you a place here, you can stay here!"

"Forget it, I'm not used to living in the South. It's hot and there are so many mosquitoes. I really don't know how you guys can stand it."

"You'll get used to it. It's the South, after all, and it's quite nice."

The father and son, who had been drinking, seemed to have a good relationship. They sat together, arms around each other, chatting about embarrassing things that happened when they were young.

Grandma kept chatting with Mo Xueyao, asking about her life and, of course, gossiping about things like whether she had a crush on anyone.

Mo Xueyao naturally denied it outright. Later, her grandmother asked so many questions that she couldn't keep up. Fortunately, Li Wanyan came to her rescue, saying that she had to do her homework, which allowed her to escape.

As we grow older, we seem to gradually come into contact with this vast network of relatives, but as a 'child,' I still feel somewhat resistant to getting involved in the complex relationships of the adult world.

……

(three)

My father is drunk again. He doesn't plan to go home today and will just spend the night in that small room at the fruit shop.

Although the weather has gotten quite warmer, it's still possible to fall asleep at night, and with the electric fan blowing, you might even feel cold.

It's just a little inconvenient when you need to go to the toilet.

Mo Xueyao was even a little worried that he might slip and fall into the pit when he went to the public restroom at night...

Grandpa and Grandma had already left by taxi, leaving only Mother to tidy up the shop. Li Wanyan was washing dishes, and Mo Xueyao was squatting on the steps, gently patting Sutang, who was sleeping like a log.

It sneaked over while everyone was eating and drank a few sips of the beer that had accidentally spilled on the ground. Now it looks like this, snoring loudly, its legs twitching every now and then. I wonder what kind of dream it was having.

Across the street, Chen Cheng sat on an electric scooter, smoking a cigarette in one hand, while Zhuang Lianlian sat on a small chair, smiling, chatting with him.

Everyone around her had their own life. Suddenly, a feeling that she couldn't quite grasp arose in Mo Xueyao's heart. She sighed, but then laughed twice.

"What are you grinning about?"

"Oh, Wanyan, have you finished washing the dishes?"

"Okay, let's go back. We have class tomorrow."

"Okay—" Mo Xueyao stretched and twisted her body from side to side. "Let's ride our bikes back. It's so late, the buses probably won't be running anymore."

"Ah."

Now their bicycles are much faster than before, and they can even easily catch up with some old-fashioned electric bikes.

"Mom—are we going back?"

"Go back, take a shower early, and go to bed early." The mother was stacking cardboard boxes together. She bent over and looked up. "Rest is more important during this time."

"Okay, let's go!"

Mo Xueyao waved her hand, straddled her bicycle first, turned the gears a few times, switched to a gear that required hard pedaling, and then rode downhill like the wind towards home.

……

(four)

"Phew—" It was already eleven o'clock when I lay down in bed.

But having just taken a shower actually made me feel more refreshed.

My hair still feels a little damp even though I've used a hairdryer.

Mo Xueyao leaned against the headboard, letting her long hair fall down, swaying gently in the breeze outside the window.

Li Wanyan walked into the room wearing close-fitting pajamas and turned on the electric fan placed against the wall.

The fan was already at its maximum angle, but even so, it couldn't blow directly onto the person lying in bed.

Fortunately, the room wasn't big, and the breeze made it feel somewhat cool.

As for when it gets really hot, you can choose to sleep on the floor or turn on the air conditioner.

However, even though we bought an air conditioner, we still only turn it on when it's hottest.

That means it won't open until at least July.

Now, in my mother's words, it's about—just hang in there a little longer.

Li Wanyan then pulled the screen window closed before climbing onto the bed and squeezing next to Mo Xueyao.

"Phew—Wanyan didn't wash with hot water again, did she?"

"Um……"

"It's so hot already."

"Washing my hands with cold water will hurt." Li Wanyan gently squeezed her right hand.

"Pfft, did you get rheumatism on your hand prematurely?"

"possible."

"Ahem..." Mo Xueyao was just trying to make a joke, but Li Wanyan's serious answer made her feel a little uncomfortable. "Turn off the lights and go to sleep?"

"Can I go to sleep after taking a shower today?"

"Well, close your eyes and chat for a while, and you'll fall asleep while you're chatting."

Li Wanyan nodded, hesitated for a moment, got out of bed, took a sip of water before turning off the light, and climbed back into bed.

The window of the small room doesn't face the street, but only the road in the neighborhood. The pale yellow streetlights are already on, and you can see the figures of people busy behind the windows in the buildings across the street.

Some of the other people looked like they were sitting at a table by the window writing something; they might also be high school seniors like them.

The wind outside the window blew through the screen, gently lifting Mo Xueyao's hair, making her scalp feel as if it were being massaged.

In fact, even when the lights are turned off, the room is not dark, because outside light shines in through reflections from various objects.

You can still see the clear moon outside the window.

"Coo-coo—coo-coo-coo—"

"Chirp, chirp—"

“Zierwa…”

"Ah, the cicadas are still chirping so late, don't they sleep?" Mo Xueyao pulled her long hair back a little. "I don't know who it was, but they told me that cicadas don't chirp at night. Honestly, that person must never have paid attention to summer nights."

"It sounds like there's also the sound of frogs."

"Hmm...it seems so?" Mo Xueyao made a dark, humorous joke. "If the toad discovers where the crickets are 'singing,' it should be able to enjoy a buffet, right?"

"..."

"Hey, Wanyan, haven't we been writing that for a while now, you know, the letter we were planning to send to every classmate after graduation?"

"Ah."

"Ah, I feel like I'll never finish writing. I've only written for a dozen or so people. It's gone from being an interest to a job, just like a teacher writing comments on our report cards."

"You don't need to write everything down."

"But I always feel that if I don't write it down for everyone, it will seem like I'm neglecting someone. Besides, doesn't Wanyan think it's really cool to give everyone a copy? Everyone will definitely be surprised, no, they'll be shocked, and then they'll be overjoyed."

"It's not that exaggerated." Li Wanyan shook her head gently.