A Young Woman's Heart

Once the cardboard box is opened, the top portion contains a single serving of creamy clam chowder.

Below that is a 12-inch pizza.

If the four girls shared the food, it would be alright, but they definitely wouldn't be able to get completely full.

In addition to clam chowder and pizza, each person also receives a serving of steamed foie gras and caviar for seasoning.

The selection is limited, but the prices are definitely not cheap.

Although Mo Xueyao had been eating very carefully, it was still not as good as the other women.

There was some pizza topping on the corner of her mouth, and she even had a little bit of creamy clam chowder on the tip of her nose.

Compared to the boys, she certainly ate in a quieter and more elegant manner...

All I can say is that we did our best.

"Don't be shy, just eat however you like," Zuo Ziya couldn't help but laugh.

"Huh? Eh? I'd like to eat like before, but, well, Mom sometimes makes sense. Whether you're a boy or a girl, you have to pay attention to your image when you grow up." Mo Xueyao wiped her mouth with a napkin, and after seeing Li Wanyan's hint, she wiped the tip of her nose.

Even so, you still feel a bit awkward and forced when you do it.

"Eh...? Then I'll just have to learn slowly." Mo Xueyao shrugged, subconsciously grabbed a piece of pizza and took a bite. Only then did she realize that everyone else was eating with a knife and fork.

Li Wanyan originally intended to just grab it directly, but fortunately she had a habit of watching others make the first move, so she learned this way of eating from Zuo Ziya, although it looked a bit clumsy.

"Oh, so this is the real way to eat it?" Mo Xueyao smiled awkwardly. She wanted to scratch her head, but then remembered that her hands were covered in oil, so she put them down.

"No, actually, the way you eat it is the correct way." Zuo Ziya shook her head. "This is where you cut it into pieces so it's easier for everyone to cut when sharing it."

"Huh?"

"Pizza is a food eaten by the lower classes in Europe. It's not as high-end as you might imagine. It's only when nobles wanted to eat it but also wanted to distinguish themselves from the lower classes that they would use this deliberately complicated method to eat it 'elegantly'."

"Hey, Teacher Zuo, is it really okay for you to say that about yourself?"

"Perhaps sometimes I have too deep an understanding of myself."

"Then why did you do that, Teacher Zuo? Wouldn't it be more convenient to just take it and eat it?"

“Sometimes habits are not so easy to change, not just physical habits, but also mental habits. Even if you understand them, it’s hard to change them.” Zuo Ziya smoothed her long purple hair. “Moreover, in this kind of living environment, only these kinds of habits can help you survive better.”

“That’s true, after all, Teacher Zuo and I are not from the same social class at all!” Mo Xueyao said this very easily, without feeling embarrassed or inferior at all.

In fact, Li Wanyan had already glanced at her several times.

However, this suggestion had no effect.

"Oh right, tomorrow is Mother's Day," Wang Jiale changed the subject. "Has Xiaoyao prepared a gift yet?"

"Huh? Mother's Day? Tomorrow? Oh... I think so..." Mo Xueyao only realized it now. "Dad said there's a discount event tomorrow. I asked him why there's a discount, and he said to ask himself... Tch, what's with the sarcasm? He could have just told me it's Mother's Day."

"Ahem." Li Wanyan coughed softly and put down her knife, fork, and spoon.

She has finished all the food.

She was a little slower than Mo Xueyao.

The food tasted really good, and it was quite expensive, but actually, I wasn't full...

It wasn't as satisfying as eating at a Shaxian restaurant.

Of course, this was also because she didn't eat much; she gave most of it to Wang Jiale and Mo Xueyao.

She and Zuo Ziya only ate one slice of pizza each.

A single serving of foie gras is actually only five dollars per person.

And it's not exactly thick.

"What's wrong, Wanyan? Aren't you full?" Mo Xueyao asked casually, making Li Wanyan's face turn slightly red.

However, people who are not very familiar with her probably wouldn't be able to tell.

Because it's just too barely noticeable.

"I'm full," she replied casually, then looked at Zuo Ziya, "Thank you, Teacher Zuo."

"You're welcome~ Eating at my house might make you feel a little awkward." Zuo Ziya brushed her bangs aside. "Actually, it's okay. I'm just an ordinary person."

"Yes, I've always treated Teacher Zuo as an equal," Mo Xueyao replied matter-of-factly. "What is Lele planning to give her for Mother's Day tomorrow?"

"As for me, I'll probably make a greeting card myself and send a flower along with it. I do it every year anyway."

“My mom probably prefers something more practical,” Mo Xueyao said, lost in thought.

However, even an hour later when she said goodbye and left, she still hadn't thought of anything to give her.

Li Wanyan and Mo Xueyao took the bus back. Mo Xueyao looked at the scenery outside the window and continued to think along the way.

"Uh—I don't know what to give as a gift."

"The sentiment itself is enough," Li Wanyan said softly.

"Hmm, then, a greeting card will do? Something simple?"

"It's all right."

"I guess something with a little bit of sentimental value is better." Mo Xueyao scratched her long hair, which reflected a faint golden light in the sunlight. "Ugh—I can't think of anything!"

"Let's just make a greeting card, something I made myself."

"Then let's take this one..." Mo Xueyao was slightly dissatisfied. "Shall we go buy the materials and make it ourselves later? Speaking of which, does Wanyan know how to fold origami cranes? Folding a few origami cranes would be nice."

"meeting."

And so, that's how the decision was made.

To avoid being discovered by their mother, the two got off the bus near their home and went to the nearest small shop to buy materials.

Generally speaking, small shops near schools tend to have a more complete selection of these materials.

"I'll pay." After selecting the materials, Li Wanyan took out the pink wallet that Mo Xueyao had given her.

I originally planned to choose a simple wallet, because Li Wanyan definitely wouldn't like anything fancy.

But Mo Xueyao did the opposite.

Li Wanyan readily accepted.

Just as she said.

What you give is not important; what matters is the sentiment.

And this wallet, which is so out of character for her, might actually make a lasting impression on her.

"Going home! I'm planning to make a little spring out of this cardstock so it pops open when you open it up!"

"It's all right."

……

Chapter 273 Mother's Day, May 14th

It was a very ordinary Sunday.

Mo Wenli put up a sign at the entrance of the fruit shop, offering a Mother's Day special.

Essentially, it's about lowering the profit margin on fruit sales to increase sales volume.

The discounted items are mainly fruits with large stockpiles or those that will spoil if not sold soon.

It's better to sell it cheaply than for it to rot.

If you're stingy in business, you'll actually fail at it.

You need to be generous enough to do good business.

The fruit shop next door followed suit and put up a Mother's Day sign, and even offered discounts on fruits that weren't on sale at the Mo Wenli Fruit Shop.

"Mom! Happy Mother's Day!" Mo Xueyao forced herself to hand over the card. She had always felt that giving gifts on Mother's Day was a rather cheesy thing. She had only given one before the third grade of elementary school, and hadn't given one since starting junior high school.

"You still give me gifts? Even if it's just a greeting card." The mother smiled with satisfaction, but still teased her intentionally.

"Tsk, what's wrong? Aren't you satisfied with just a greeting card? You're already being generous with one, okay?" Mo Xueyao pouted, and then saw Li Wanyan hand over a greeting card as well.

"Happy Mother's Day, Godmother," Li Wanyan said with a smile.

"Oh, Wanyan is so kind~"

"Hey, aren't they all greeting cards? Why are they being treated differently?"

"It's obvious that Yan Yan's is more elaborate." The mother held both greeting cards in her hands, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Yao Yao didn't put enough effort into it!"

"Tch—! Mom's treating me differently!" Mo Xueyao shouted angrily, "You didn't even open it! It contains the design I've been thinking about for ages!"

"Alright, alright, just kidding. I'm really touched that you're so kind," her mother said with a smile, trying to comfort Mo Xueyao. "I hope you'll have this thought every year."

"Oh dear." The father peeled the apple with a sour taste in his mouth. "My daughter has grown up and she's definitely still her mother's little darling, not her father's."

"What's wrong? Are you jealous?" Mo Xueyao glanced at him sideways.

Why didn't I receive a gift?

"Today is Mother's Day, not Father's Day..." Mo Xueyao was speechless for a moment, "Father's Day is still a long way off!"

"Sigh, never mind, just remember it when the time comes." The father shook his head. "The treatment on Father's Day is vastly different from that on Mother's Day."

"What do you mean?" Mo Xueyao asked, puzzled.

"You see, major shopping malls and stores hold promotions for Mother's Day, but they rarely do anything for Father's Day, right?"

"Hmm...it seems so..."

Mo Wenli had a cigarette in his mouth. When he saw Yang Xiaoyu looking at him, he chuckled and put the cigarette back in the pack. "Times are changing. In the past, men were in charge, so they spent money, and all kinds of goods catered to men's preferences. But things will be different in the future. I think that in the future, women will probably be in charge, and it will be women who spend money. Even if they buy things for men, it will be gifts from women to men."

"so what?"

"So, men's spending power is gradually falling behind that of women, and in the future, businesses will probably put men-related activities at the very bottom of their promotional lists."

"Women first?"