A Young Woman's Heart

"Hey! This is bullying!"

……

(three)

In the end, they still couldn't finish all the super spicy fried rice. Of course, the rest wasn't wasted; Mo Xueyao dumped it all into the chicken coop.

The chicks and ducklings inside seemed very interested in this extra meal, and didn't seem to find it spicy—they just drank a little more water.

The rain stopped for a while, but as night fell, it started pouring down again.

The lamp at the warehouse entrance, which resembled a streetlamp, should have been lit, but it was now off, with raindrops pounding against its shade.

"Xiao Yao~" Wang Jiale sat in the single sofa of the bus, popping a Maltesers into his mouth, and flipping through an old illustrated edition of "100,000 Whys" with the cover peeling off.

Each page features a large illustration with only a few words below, complete with pinyin. Flipping through such a book gives you the illusion of being back in elementary school.

"What's wrong?" Mo Xueyao glanced into the car. She had brought out the projection screen she used yesterday and was watching a martial arts movie from more than ten years ago with Hua Yinyin. Li Wanyan, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected. She was pacing back and forth at the warehouse door, holding an English book and constantly reciting words and texts.

"Can I take a shower here?"

"Of course you can. Just walk straight in from the restroom, there's a changing room, and the shower room is right inside the changing room door."

"There's a changing room...it feels like a public bathhouse?"

"It really is similar to a public bathhouse..."

"Then why don't we take a shower together?"

"I..." Before Mo Xueyao could finish speaking, Wang Jiale started to egg her on.

"Okay, okay!"

“Oh dear, why is Lele also…”

"When we were in training camps before, we only showered together a few times. After that, we started showering on our own for convenience. Actually, showering together is quite fun, isn't it?"

"...Now that I remember, Yinyin seems to be very ticklish."

"Hey—Little Yaoyao, what kind of look is that? What... what are you trying to do?"

"Hehehe~ Yinyin, you can't escape today, can you?"

"No tickling! That's against the rules!"

"Shout, who cares? Just you wait!"

"Lele, help me—"

"Go, Xiaoyao!" Wang Jiale popped a Maltesers into his mouth and continued to cheer.

……

(four)

The bathroom my father built was indeed large enough. Although it only had two showerheads, it wouldn't feel crowded even if four people took a shower together.

At times like these, there aren't enough shower heads.

"Little Yaoyao, can you help me scrub my back?"

"You can't reach it yourself."

"It's a little... out of reach... because it's blocked by her chest."

"...I give up."

"Hmm... I feel that Haruka's figure is better, Gin is too exaggerated."

"Ahem! Wanyan's suggestion is not bad either." Mo Xueyao's gaze was somewhat evasive, and she glanced nervously to the side.

"The class monitor... seems thinner than Xiaoyao."

"So it's better, right?"

"No, it has to be suitable. This is just right for Xiaoyao."

"Uh... Okay, okay, stop praising me... Hurry up and flush it, I'm waiting to use it."

"Slap!" Hua Yinyin, who was just rubbing her hair, suddenly reached out and slapped Mo Xueyao's thigh, making a very elastic and crisp sound, and leaving a red palm print that was neither too deep nor too shallow.

"Hey!"

"Hehe~!" She immediately hid behind Wang Jiale again and started playing a cat-and-mouse game with Mo Xueyao.

"Tch, I'm not that childish." Mo Xueyao suddenly stopped, as if she no longer cared, and walked towards the empty showerhead.

"Little Yaoyao can't catch me, hehehe~"

Just as Hua Yinyin was caught off guard, Mo Xueyao darted behind her and put her hands under her armpits: "Prepare to die, Yinyin!"

"Hee hee hee—giggle giggle... Itchy itchy itchy—Lele poo, ho ho ha ha, save me!"

"Yinyin deserves it." Wang Jiale crossed his arms, looking like he wanted to watch a little longer.

But Mo Xueyao quickly stopped, muttering disdainfully, "Yinyin didn't shave, her armpits are covered in hair..."

"What's wrong? Who's like Yaoyao whose hair doesn't grow in these places at all!" Hua Yinyin's voice gradually faded. "I've been busy studying lately and haven't paid attention to this kind of thing at all. Really... that awful Yaoyao..."

"What's wrong with you? Are you acting all aggrieved?"

"Humph!"

"Hey, it's not like I'm bullying you. You were the one who started it."

"Yinyin is playing the victim again."

"Even though it's summer, you should still get dressed quickly after your shower," Li Wanyan said as she walked out wrapped in a towel, glancing sideways slightly. "Unless you want to catch a cold or fever on the day of the college entrance exam."

……

(Fives)

Four girls were crammed into the third floor of the treehouse.

Compared to the other three petite women, Li Wanyan looked much larger; her legs were noticeably longer, and she leaned somewhat uncomfortably against the wooden wall.

Fortunately, it rained all day, which dissipated a lot of the heat; otherwise, with four people crammed into such a small space, they would most likely have suffered heatstroke.

It was still early, but Hua Yinyin was probably a little tired from playing, because she fell asleep as soon as she lay down—she didn't even lie on the mattress, but directly on the soft foam mat.

"Won't I fall off the ladder while I'm sleeping at night?" Wang Jiale was quite worried about this.

"No way, oh, you didn't close the sliding door." Mo Xueyao got up again, climbed down the ladder, moved the sliding door out, locked it, and then laboriously turned around and climbed back to where she had been lying.

"Oh, I see. It's become a completely independent space now."

"Yes, that way I can sleep anywhere."

"It felt like lying in a wooden box?"

"Uh...maybe? But at least we have a window, even if it doesn't lead directly outside..." Mo Xueyao said, letting out a big yawn, "Let's go to sleep too. We've relaxed enough today, so we definitely need to study hard tomorrow..."

"OK……"

……

Chapter 312 The Last Day Before the College Entrance Examination

(One)

Saturday, September 2002, 7.

The Yukong High School, which should have been quiet, was still filled with noise from the students.

Normally, summer vacation would have started by now, but classes are still in session.

The final exams are actually over; this period of time feels more like an extra tutoring session.

“Hey—I heard from the seniors that they were already on vacation at this time last year…” Wu Shanshan lay sprawled on the table, and no matter how much Jiang Yuru fanned her, she couldn’t stop sweating from pouring out of her body.

On such a hot summer day, the classrooms at Yukong High School don't even have air conditioning; they rely entirely on overhead electric fans blowing.

However, the hot air was only slightly better than nothing.

Even when I'm incredibly tired, I can't fall asleep because I'm drenched in sweat as soon as I lie down. I can't even sleep with my cheek pressed against the table.

Some people are so strong that they can sleep leaning against a chair, but that's not a long-term solution, because they'll soon have backaches and sore waists.

Yu Shu didn't seem to feel very hot, and there were fewer fine beads of sweat on her forehead than others: "Let's go to the band room to cool off at noon."

"Yeah! Senior girls, are you coming back today?"

"I think so..." Wu Shanshan weakly raised half a finger, "Hey, I heard that the vice principal made us have extra classes..."

"Not surprising at all." Yu Shu sighed. Although she wasn't particularly afraid of the heat, she still looked somewhat listless.

The sun was shining directly overhead, making the classroom feel like a giant furnace. Most students simply didn't have the energy to continue studying. As soon as get out of class ended, many of them, mostly boys, rushed to the sink to wash their faces.

You can see quite a few boys walking from the corridor into the classroom, all soaking wet.

"He's lucky, he has air conditioning in his office. Ugh..." Wu Shanshan muttered dejectedly, "I heard the principal is changing again next year. Are we going to be tortured for a whole year?"

"Will not."

"Huh, how can Ruoruo be so sure?"

"That's what the principal said!"

"Huh?"

……

(two)

"In the sweltering summer heat without air conditioning, forcing students to attend classes in the classroom is probably just a waste of their energy. And how many of them can concentrate?" Mo Kong stood at the door of the vice principal's office. Although the corners of his mouth were turned up, he didn't seem to be smiling.

“We had it much tougher back then. At least they have electric fans now. What’s there to be afraid of in the heat? Even if you can’t concentrate on your studies, it’s okay. Just consider it a mental workout.”

"Times have changed. Why stick to the old ways when there are better methods?"

"What era are you talking about? All I know is—" The vice principal didn't seem angry, but he raised his voice a little, "The children these days are more fragile than the last. What will happen if we go to war? What if something unexpected happens? Strengthening their minds will only benefit them."

"Every era has its own mission, and people in each era should enjoy the privileges of their time."