A Young Woman's Heart

"Um, shall I wait here for you guys to get off work?"

"Hmm, it's alright. Anyway, there won't be many customers after this. Just sit here and wait." Just then, another customer came in.

Perhaps because it's Christmas Eve, most of the customers who came to the shop were couples.

They all looked so sweet and happy, as if they could walk like that until the end of their lives.

But in reality, how many of these people actually end up getting married?

Mo Xueyao thought to herself with a sour feeling.

The restaurant was bustling with people, not particularly lively, but not particularly deserted either, but there was always business to be done.

Half of the seven or eight tables in the main hall of the store were occupied.

Couples are exceptionally generous with their spending, making the shop owners extremely happy to collect their money.

Mo Xueyao leaned against the back of the chair, watching the pedestrians coming and going in the alley.

Sometimes, a person's emotions don't erupt suddenly, but rather accumulate over time, making a seemingly insignificant event the final straw that breaks the camel's back.

Just like this time.

It wasn't really a big deal; it was just that a relative she wasn't very familiar with stopped by her family's fruit shop while passing through Hangzhou.

As a result, the Dragon Warrior toy that Mo Xueyao had displayed on the store shelf as a exhibit, which she was even reluctant to disassemble, was taken apart by that relative's child. It was one thing for him to take it apart and play with it.

Mo Xueyao wanted to take it back, but her mother told her not to be so stingy, so she could only let the relative's child play with it for a while.

When the family left, the child took the toy with him.

She asked her mother to get it back from a relative, but was told it was just a toy.

Putting aside the fact that this was a prize she won at a childhood party, the price of an official toy from the original manufacturer alone is not cheap, not to mention the various tariffs and duties on its entry into the country.

It can be considered a precious collection.

She didn't remove the packaging box because she didn't want to damage it.

Unexpectedly, someone else took it. When she went to ask for it back, her mother accused her of being stingy.

Her father also told her not to dwell on the matter.

My mother said that kind of toy is not suitable for girls, but who says that girls have to play with certain toys?

But her father whispered to her that since she had been a boy before, she should be more understanding, as it would be awkward to say it directly.

The father and mother's words were not particularly harsh, but they conveyed an undeniable sense of authority.

This made Mo Xueyao feel like a puppet on a string, completely at the mercy of others.

"As a girl, don't be so petty, or you'll become a gossip." Her mother's earnest words became the last straw.

Enraged, Mo Xueyao threw down a sentence and left on the spot.

"What girl or not? I didn't want to be a girl! Who told you to give birth to me like this!"

Perhaps the original reason for the conflict wasn't this, but what was ultimately said was this.

Actually, this might be due to the pressure that has been gradually accumulating over this period of time.

Although she has been trying her best to adapt, those sixteen years of life as a boy cannot be erased so easily.

Sometimes people can't control what they think.

She felt a sense of relief when she shouted it out, and then she walked away with a touch of nonchalance.

But when I was on the bus and realized that I really had nowhere to go, I felt a little regretful.

Now, comforted by Mo Xiaoxiao and calmed down, she is even more lost and confused.

She knew she was wrong, but she was still resentful that her parents were siding with their relatives' children and didn't value her things at all.

They always wanted her to do what they told her to do.

So she remained stubborn and refused to go back.

……

Chapter 142 Christmas Eve 1999 (Part 2)

The wind blowing in from outside the shop carried the chill of winter, making her shiver involuntarily.

Because she came out so suddenly, she didn't even wear a coat. If you don't count her underwear, she was only wearing a sweater and a long-sleeved shirt.

For Mo Xueyao, this was not a peaceful Christmas Eve.

The water in the cup gradually cooled down, and she began to feel sleepy and tired.

"One minute they say I should be like a boy, the next they say I should be like a girl. No matter what you say, you're always right. I'm always wrong. I'm just stingy. I won't even give you a single toy..." Mo Xueyao muttered to herself, exhaling a puff of white breath that fogged up the floor-to-ceiling glass in front of her.

"Hey, Xiaoyao, what brings you here?" Just then, the sound of brakes came from the doorway, and then Mo Zhuyou greeted her with some surprise.

"Youyou." Mo Xueyao forced a smile. "I came to visit you guys today."

"Oh—but it's so late, is that alright?"

"It's alright, I'll stay here tonight."

"Huh? Staying overnight? It might be a bit cramped..."

"I'm glad you don't mind."

"It's alright, it's alright, how could I mind? It's rare to have someone come over to stay overnight, that makes the night more lively." Mo Zhuyou smiled. "But I have to go now, I'll chat with you later."

"Yes, it's okay, I'll be fine on my own."

"Youyou're back! Come on over, there's another one here, being delivered to Genshan Liushui Garden!" A plump woman with squinty eyes waved and called out from the kitchen.

"Huh? Why is it so far? Can't someone else see us off?"

"The others went further; this is the most recent order."

"Alright, alright..." Mo Zhuyou walked helplessly to the woman, took the packed food and a note with an address written on it, and said, "Then I'm off."

"Yes, there shouldn't be any more after that. You can rest when you get back. Thank you for your hard work."

"I hope so~" Mo Zhuyou replied lazily, walked out the door, got back on her bicycle, put the packed food in the basket, and then leisurely pedaled away.

Mo Xueyao waited quietly. You could say she wasn't thinking about anything, or you could say she was thinking about countless things, so many that she couldn't even remember what she was thinking.

A woman dressed as a Christian walked into the store, touching the cross hanging on her chest and praying while handing out flyers to other customers.

"God is merciful. Believers can go to heaven, while non-believers will go to hell. We are all born sinful, and God has given us this opportunity for redemption..."

The middle-aged woman's rambling made the diners feel somewhat awkward.

The chubby woman from before couldn't stand it anymore and waved her out of the shop: "Go away, go away, go play somewhere else, don't disturb our business!"

"I am spreading the gospel of God!"

"You cannot disturb others when you spread the gospel of God."

"You'll go to hell! You'll meet Satan!"

"If anyone's going to see you, it'll be the King of Hell! Come on, you've really gone mad from your religious beliefs." The woman, who seemed to be the proprietress, turned and smiled at the diners in the restaurant. "It's alright, it's alright, everyone please continue eating. Sorry to disturb your meal."

Everyone else smiled and said it was nothing, while Mo Xueyao took the flyer booklet from her hand.

Since I'm bored anyway, even if it's something preachy, I might as well take a look.

Christmas Eve is an important Western holiday, and for foreigners, it is just as important as New Year's Eve.

Similarly, this is also a day for families to reunite.

Foreigners often have a big meal together as a family, then gather around the fireplace to play music and sing, sharing the joy together.

Some people even stay up until the next day, which is also a legitimate reason for children to stay up late.

And there will also be gifts from so-called 'Santa Claus'.

But for Chinese people, it's just an ordinary holiday, at most there will be more discounted items in shopping malls.

Christmas is a festival commemorating the birth of a saint.

Who is the saint in Catholicism? Of course, it's Jesus.

So who is Santa Claus?

The flyer didn't say it, so Mo Xueyao thought it probably wasn't Jesus, but perhaps another saint.

I wish there really was a Santa Claus in this world who would give gifts to children.

However, she knew from elementary school onwards that it was all fake, and that even if there was a Santa Claus, it was just adults playing the role.

Having been raised with traditional education, Mo Xueyao had no concept of Jesus being a saint. If asked who the saint was, she would more likely blurt out "Laozi" or "Confucius".

Or perhaps they are saints like Jiang Ziya and Guan Yu, who have been elevated to a high position by the world.

"Alright, Xiaoyao, we're done with our work, let's go home." Just as her thoughts were drifting away, she heard her older sister Mo Xiaoxiao's voice beside her.

Looking at the streets again, they were indeed very deserted.

The clock hanging in the restaurant was almost pointing to the 12 o'clock position.

So much so that when she stood up, her legs felt a little numb.

She stomped her feet hard before gradually recovering.

Mo Xiaoxiao and Mo Zhuyou both looked a little sleepy.

"Ahhh—I really want to go to sleep early." Mo Zhuyou yawned widely.

"But no, you still need to go to the bathroom to take a shower. You haven't showered for two days."

"It seems so..."

"Shayao, do you want to take a bath?"

"Huh? I... but I don't have any clean clothes."

"It's alright, just wear mine for now, as long as you don't mind," the older sister said with a smile.