A Young Woman's Heart

The streetlights were also out, and it was unclear whether they were connected to the same power line as the shops or if a separate line was also malfunctioning.

At first glance, the entire street was pitch black, and the passing cars turned into moving lights.

Candles were lit in Grandma Jin's shop. Because the general store was relatively enclosed, walking in gave me a strange feeling of entering a witch's hut.

Zhuang Lianlian was sitting under the candlelight, lost in thought. When she saw Mo Xueyao come in, she quickly looked up.

"What would you like... um, it's Haruka."

"Hmm, where's Grandma Jin?"

"Not in the store."

"Not here again~" Mo Xueyao sighed casually, slapping the banknotes on the table. "Ten candles and three candlesticks, how much?"

What kind of candlestick do you want?

"Anything that can hold candle wax will do," Mo Xueyao said, trying to save money.

"Then let's have a tray-type candlestick. What kind of candles do you want?"

"A regular white candle will do."

"Hmm... one stick costs three cents, ten sticks cost three dollars, and a candlestick costs fifty cents, so it's four dollars and fifty cents in total."

"Here." Mo Xueyao pointed to the banknotes on the table and joked, "Be careful, don't burn them."

"No, it won't happen," Zhuang Lianlian replied earnestly.

Mo Xueyao took the change, put it in her pocket without even counting it, and went out the door.

"Wait, we haven't brought the candles yet..."

"Oh, right!" Mo Xueyao chuckled and scratched her head. "Where was it again?"

"I'll get it for you."

"No need, no need." Mo Xueyao knew that Zhuang Lianlian's leg wasn't very good. "Just tell me where it is, and I'll go get it."

"Hmm... Go to the end of this path, and on the innermost shelf, you'll find tray-shaped candlesticks and white candles."

"Okay, I'll grab a bag." Mo Xueyao grabbed a red plastic bag and went straight inside. She quickly filled it with ten candles and three candlesticks, then came out. "I'm off then."

"Okay." Zhuang Lianlian didn't check whether the amount she took was correct either. In fact, given the relationship between Mo Xueyao's family and Grandma Jin, it seemed that it wouldn't matter even if she didn't pay.

If Grandma Jin were here, she would probably refuse to accept the money.

Back at the family's fruit shop, my mother was making Mapo Tofu in a pot when her hand slipped and she accidentally sprinkled a handful of chili powder into the pot.

The pungent, spicy smell permeated the fruit shop, and even just smelling it from afar made Mo Xueyao cough a few times.

"Mom—who are you trying to kill with all that chili peppers?"

"I put in too much," the mother replied somewhat embarrassed. "Why? It's not like we can't eat it."

"I'm afraid if I eat this, my butt will hurt tonight." Mo Xueyao rolled her eyes. "Let Dad eat this dish."

"You're really too filial!" the father teased.

The mother was unhappy: "What's wrong? It's okay if it's a little spicy. It's all your fault. I originally said I wanted to eat something light, but you thought light food wasn't good, so I had to cook something with strong flavors. If you don't eat it, then tomorrow we'll all be eating boiled tofu!"

"Hey, it was your own carelessness, how can you blame us?"

"It's all your fault."

"Women are just so unreasonable."

"Think it over first, there are three women in this house." His mother glanced at him sideways.

Mo Xueyao immediately sided with her father: "It's alright, consider me a man! It's a tie at two to two now!"

"Hey, Xiaoyao, your dad didn't spoil you for nothing."

"Dad, I want to eat dragon fruit today."

"Oh dear!" The father shook his head. "So that's what you were planning! Sigh, my heart is broken."

"What? It's only right that I get some reward for helping you out, isn't it?"

"This dragon fruit costs ten yuan each."

"Tch, not many people will buy it anyway, just pick one that's almost rotten for me." Mo Xueyao licked her lips. Most people don't like the taste of dragon fruit because they think it's bland, but Mo Xueyao really likes its sweet taste, which is much better than sour oranges and cloyingly sweet bananas.

"Alright, alright~ sigh, what can I do? You're my only teammate—" The father glanced at Li Wanyan and changed what he was going to say, "You're my only teammate!"

The super spicy Mapo Tofu was served, and then my mother stir-fried a hand-shredded cabbage with only a little shredded meat and a braised chicken with meat pieces. The soup was the same as always, the cheap and affordable tomato and egg soup.

Three dishes and a soup constitute Mo Xueyao's family's daily dinner.

"When will the power outage end today?"

"Who knows? But a sudden power outage shouldn't last too long." The father swayed back and forth in his chair. "I heard your godfather got a job transfer. Apparently, he's been transferred to the Agriculture Bureau as a section chief."

"Haven't he always worked for the Agriculture Bureau?"

"No, it used to be the Fisheries Bureau."

"Huh...?" Mo Xueyao was stunned for a moment, then scratched her head vigorously. "Forget it, there are just too many cases to understand, it's too complicated."

"Being transferred to the Agriculture Bureau should be considered a promotion, because the Fisheries Bureau in Hangzhou is not very big," my father explained.

"Looks like I might become a bureau chief someday?"

"Haha, then it will take even longer. Basically, getting promoted requires working your way up."

"So from now on, when I go out, I can say my godfather is the bureau chief?" Mo Xueyao said smugly.

"Hahaha—I suggest you don't say it. Being too arrogant will get you a beating," the father laughed. "If you do something wrong and say that, you'll probably implicate your godfather!"

"Hmph, they thought they could get away with anything just by mentioning his name."

"You're not the police chief, how can you act so arrogantly?" The father shook his head with a smile.

"Master, Miss, Second Miss, all three of you, dinner is ready," the mother called out in a deliberately strange tone.

This is a candlelight dinner.

In Mo Xueyao's view, this was nothing romantic; it was just an ordinary summer night with a power outage.

The light from candlelight and kerosene lamps mingled together.

"Are you still open?" a customer asked, peeking out into the room at night.

"Of course we'll open it! What would you like to order?" The father immediately stood up.

It's quite common to start a business in the middle of a meal.

"Ouch—it's so spicy—" Mo Xueyao is the one in the family who can handle the spiciness the most, but if she can't eat it, then no one else can.

Li Wanyan also tried, but even though she tried to hold back, her brows furrowed.

"Add more tofu and stir-fry it again tomorrow."

"It'll be broken tomorrow," Mo Xueyao muttered, her eyelids drooping.

"Put it in the refrigerator."

"Refrigerators aren't a cure-all."

"You brat, you insist on arguing with your mother, don't you?" Her mother tapped her forehead with chopsticks. "Is there enough food? If not, I'll make an egg pancake."

"It's about right, it'll do, there's still soup." Mo Xueyao replied lazily, using a soup spoon to scoop the soup into her rice bowl, turning the rice into rice porridge.

When I was a child, I liked to do this when I couldn't eat. As I grew up, I developed this habit. If there was really no food left, I could eat a bowl of vegetable soup.

Born into an ordinary family, Mo Xueyao naturally wouldn't have that kind of spoiled habit.

That's why she didn't really understand why Zuo Ziya liked to eat simple, coarse food.

It's not that I don't understand people who like to eat; rather, I don't understand why they would consider simple food to be "refined."

I always feel that the values ​​of the wealthy are the opposite of those of ordinary people.

If simple meals can be considered elegant, then Mo Xueyao's dinners every day could be considered half elegant.

"Oh, right, there's also bitter melon. I'll make you a cold bitter melon salad," the mother said, standing up again.

"I will not eat!"

"Bitter melon can be good for your skin."

"Pshaw, so what? It's bitter, I'm not eating it!"

"I'll put some sugar in it for you."

"reject."

"Are you going to eat or not?" the mother raised her voice.

"Eat, eat, eat... Fine, I'll eat, okay?" Mo Xueyao pouted, feeling wronged. "Don't I even have a choice?"

However, in fact, Li Wanyan ate the most of the freshly served cold bitter melon salad.

Is it because she likes bitter foods, or is it because of the claim that they "can beautify the skin"?

……

Chapter 298 Hua Yinyin and Her Father

The top floor of a high-rise building.

Hua Yinyin's family.

There was also a temporary power outage here, because the place is so modern that we didn't even have candles prepared.

"They clearly said when we bought the house that they were using new wiring and there was absolutely no chance of a power outage..." Hua Yinyin muttered softly as she drew back the curtains.

But only the occasional flash of lightning could illuminate the room, making it virtually impossible to continue painting.

We do have a flashlight at home, but you can't exactly hold it in one hand and draw with the other, can you?

That's too tiring.