A Young Woman's Heart

"Oh no! I lost again!"

"Oh no! Your money has been stolen again, and now you're penniless again."

"Damn it, can I chase after that beggar?"

"no problem!"

The older sister listened intently to her younger sister's conversation while playing games with Mo Xueyao, and a subtle smile crept onto her lips.

"Glug glug—" The pork rib and tofu soup in the rice cooker was already bubbling. The ribs could be stewed for a little longer; they would taste even better when they were tender enough that even the bones could be chewed up and swallowed.

After all, these ribs cost money, so of course we can't waste them.

However, the soup and other vegetables are already edible, especially the tofu, which will dissolve into the soup if cooked any longer.

My sister took out three porcelain bowls and filled them with soup, but didn't fill them completely to avoid spilling.

"Here you go~ the tofu soup is ready, have some tofu soup to warm yourselves up~" The older sister handed the porcelain bowl to the two of them.

"Mmm...so fresh and delicious!" Mo Xueyao took a sip and kept praising it. Then she scooped up a piece of tofu with a spoon and put it in her mouth. It was so hot that she had to keep chewing while breathing out hot air.

"Eat slowly, you can't rush things," my sister said softly.

The younger sister picked up the bowl and took a sip: "Delicious~ My cooking skills are getting better and better, I really can't bear to let you marry another man!"

"Pfft, that's a long way off."

"Hmph, does my sister like any boys yet?"

No.

"I think, sister, why don't you not get married? Let's just spend our lives together!"

"Pfft, we'll see, we'll see." The older sister playfully pinched her younger sister's nose and said with a light laugh, "By the way, you can eat it with steamed buns."

The steamed buns were also placed on the baking rack, and now they have become baked steamed buns, which are crispy and sweet.

In addition, there are also roasted potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, and roasted corn cut into sections, which are almost ready.

These are all simple and inexpensive foods, yet they allow people to deeply appreciate the beauty of life.

"Ah—it's so good to be alive." Mo Xueyao uttered this sentiment for no apparent reason.

"Why are you suddenly saying that?" the older sister asked.

"Because only when you're alive can you enjoy so many wonderful things." Mo Xueyao grabbed a small piece of toasted bread and put it in her mouth. Before she had even finished chewing, she took a piece of corn and held it in her palm.

The bowl of tofu soup was placed on a cardboard box next to it; when thirsty, one could pick it up and take a small sip.

The warm liquid flowed down my esophagus and into my body, making me feel as if my whole body was slowly burning warmly.

While eating and continuing to play the game, the younger sister asked, "We've chased them into an alley, should we keep chasing them?"

"Chase!"

"The thief stopped and turned around. It was a little girl. She cried and told you that she had no parents or family and that she had no choice but to steal your money. What would you choose—to forgive her? To go with her to see her parents? To report her to the authorities? Or to kill her?"

"Hmm... Shall we go see her parents?"

“Okay.” The younger sister turned to the next page and read the plot text aloud. “You follow the little girl to the end of the alley. All around you is rotten and dirty garbage. At the very end, there is a small hole. Follow the little girl and crawl in. You will enter the city’s sewers. The stench will almost make your nose go numb. After walking for a while, the view ahead will suddenly open up. It is a slum in the city. The girl’s mother and she live in a house that has mostly collapsed. Some potatoes are planted in the open space in the yard. The walls that have not yet completely collapsed are also full of mottled marks.”

"Wow, this description! Did you write it yourself?" Mo Xueyao asked in surprise.

"No, my sister helped me polish it, um..."

"That's pretty impressive, but unfortunately, descriptive writing about scenery is rarely used in Chinese composition..."

"Alright, alright, then the little girl took you to see her mother. Her mother is seriously ill and needs to continue her medication. You need to go and buy some herbal pills."

"But I don't have any money."

"You can choose to steal, rob, borrow money as collateral, or go and make money. Of course, if you go and make money, you might not have enough time."

"Let's just rob them! Let's rob the mountain bandits!"

"Do you really want to do this?"

"Of course~ but I have a plan, firstly..."

The younger sister and Mo Xueyao chatted enthusiastically, and a lot of inspirations came to them.

Although everything was done on paper, with only words and rough patterns, the two of them felt as if they were truly immersed in that world.

There's no need for brightly colored screens to display the game's visuals, nor for numerous voice actors for different characters.

Everything depends on imagination.

This game is fun enough if you have a rich enough imagination.

Time flew by and it was already afternoon.

"Okay, Xiaoyao, my sister and I have finished our leave now, we have to go to work."

"Ah, okay."

Are you staying at home? Or... going home?

"Hmm... I don't want to go home." Mo Xueyao hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow."

"Okay, but it's better to go back sooner rather than later, or your parents will worry."

"Tch, that's exactly what makes them worry. And if they're worried, why haven't they come looking for me yet?" Mo Xueyao said angrily. "It shows they treat me like a puppet and don't care about me at all!"

"How could that be?"

Of course not. Mo Xueyao knew she was just saying it out of anger, but she still couldn't help but continue, "I have to listen to them in everything. I don't have any freedom at all. I'm not going back!"

"Alright, alright." The older sister shook her head helplessly. "After the charcoal fire is burned out, the ash can still be used for warmth. If it's completely burned out, just close the lid. If you're hungry tonight, you can come to the shop and have lunch with us. I'll talk to the boss."

"I've left my keys here. Remember to lock the door when you go out, Xiaoyao~" The younger sister took the keys out of her pocket and tossed them onto the bed. "Going to work, bye-bye~"

Okay, bye-bye.

"boom."

The door was closed.

"Ah~ I really don't want to go to work~" Mo Zhuyou's voice outside the door gradually faded away.

Mo Xueyao suddenly felt a cold loneliness.

She was starting to miss the little cat-shaped candy at the fruit shop, and also a little bit of Li Wanyan, who had been staying at her fruit shop recently.

I even miss the little husky named 'Haha' at Grandma Jin's shop.

"I'm not going back," she muttered to herself, then poured herself another glass of miso soup and sipped it slowly.

The rain outside continued to fall.

……

Chapter 147 Not Doing Chinese Homework

Monday always represents a new beginning.

Although this is actually a continuation of last week's situation.

However, recently people have begun to feel a little hopeful, simply because the year is finally coming to an end and the New Year is just around the corner.

Everyone looks forward to the Spring Festival Gala and the Spring Festival holiday. They also miss their hometown and think about where they should go and see if they go back, since many years later, many people and things will no longer be there.

The rain outside the car was neither heavy nor light; the carriage was not crowded, but there were quite a few people; Mo Xueyao's thoughts were not complicated, but not peaceful either.

She had indeed run away from home, but she had not received any news from her parents, as if they had no intention of coming to find her.

Or perhaps you're looking for something but have nowhere to look?

If that were the case, she would feel better, but whether this was just her own perception or the truth, she didn't know.

Starting yesterday, she first felt indignant and dissatisfied, then somewhat lost and helpless, and today, she began to think about whether she should apologize first.

Admittedly, she was wrong that day, but on second thought, were her parents also right?

Why is it always the case that children apologize to their parents first, and only then do the parents apologize depending on the situation?

Mo Xueyao pursed her lips and tried hard not to think about these things anymore.

Mo Xiaoxiao, who was on the bus with her, gently nudged her arm and asked her what her plans were for the day. However, she did not respond and just sat on the seat with her schoolbag in her arms.

Mo Xiaoxiao, who was standing to the side, just smiled, seemingly feeling somewhat helpless.

Mo Zhuyou was holding a piece of black rice cake and eating it in small bites. She was especially careful to stop and stop eating when the car was particularly bumpy, so as not to let the black rice cake roll to the ground.

Perhaps because of the experience from last time, they are now being more cautious.

For a poor family, every penny is precious and cannot be wasted. If possible, they would rather split a penny in two to spend it.

"Speaking of which, has Xiaoyao done her homework?" Mo Xiaoxiao started a new topic to keep the atmosphere from becoming too dull.

"Homework is all at home," Mo Xueyao replied softly. In her hand was a piece of jujube cake, which was a little more expensive than the two sisters' breakfast. She originally didn't want them to spend money, but she couldn't persuade her older sister, so she bought it anyway.

Not to mention the two sisters, even for Mo Xueyao, this was a rare breakfast.

"Cough cough! Cough—uh!" On the bumpy bus, Mo Xueyao ate too much and choked. She pounded her chest hard, making a 'thump thump' sound, which attracted the attention of those around her.

"Xiaoyao, Xiaoyao, have some water." Mo Xiaoxiao quickly handed her her water cup, patting her back as she said with concern, "Drink slowly, drink slowly, don't choke on the water again."

Mo Xueyao didn't answer, but instead took a few more big gulps of water before she recovered.

"Thank you." Her face was slightly flushed, not from shyness, but from not having had fresh air for a short while.

The bus arrived at the station in no time, and Mo Xueyao finished the jujube cake in her hand.

Only Mo Zhuyou was still a little reluctant to part with it, and she still had half a piece left in her hand. When asked, she replied that she would eat it when she got hungry after the second period.

This is the pain point for the poor. If they were rich, why would they have to save a little money for breakfast and eat it later?

Perhaps the biggest fear is that others in the class will be eating snacks while they themselves will have nothing to eat, which would be embarrassing.

The two sisters only had one umbrella, which was barely enough since they rarely took the bus to school. However, with an extra person, it became especially crowded.

The three of them had no choice but to stick together, as if they were glued together with superglue, to avoid getting more rain on them.