A Young Woman's Heart

"Uh, I've never been there."

"I've heard that the sea is very vast, and I'd like to go to the beach to see it."

"Uh, once I find out where the sea is, I'll definitely take you there," I promised immediately.

"Really?" Miss Nancy's voice was full of surprise.

"Of course, a gentleman's word is as good as his bond!" I couldn't help but shout out, then quickly covered my mouth with my paw to avoid making Little Yao's master really angry.

"That's great, thank you."

"Thank me after I take you there." I chuckled to myself. "Ah, I really want to see you."

"I'm sorry, I'm in the box."

"If Xiaoyao's owner could buy a transparent box, that way at least she could still see you."

"Yes, if I could talk to her, I definitely would."

"Too bad I can't, meow." I sighed. "By the way, let me tell you about some interesting things that have happened lately?"

"Okay."

Do you want to hear what the cat says, or what the human says?

"It will be all right."

"Hmm, let me talk about people first. The other day, I saw a little boy walking alone in a dark alley. Then a woman suddenly rushed out and covered his mouth with a handkerchief. The little boy actually fell asleep immediately. I don't know what the woman was going to do, but she just carried the little boy away. Are human mothers now doing this so that their children can sleep well at night and not run around playing?"

"Huh...? Are you sure it's his mother?"

"Probably, right? Uh, I'm not sure. Anyway, when I was little, my mom wouldn't let me go out to play. If I ran out, she would bring me back. It's probably similar to what that human woman did."

"Hmm, strange humans."

“Yes, strange humans.” Sugar nodded in agreement, her furry head bobbing slightly.

……

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Which side story do you prefer, Sugar Diary or Giant of Light?

Chapter 81 The Library in Summer

Saturday, September 2000, 7.

Temperatures in Hangzhou have been rising steadily over the past few days, with the highest temperature reaching 40 degrees Celsius on one day.

And the same is true today.

Under the blazing sun, the perceived temperature can be even higher.

However, the weather forecasts all seemed to agree to keep the maximum temperature at the critical point and didn't report it any higher.

Of course, it was unbearable to stay at home without air conditioning, so early in the morning, Mo Xueyao and Li Wanyan went out and arrived at the library entrance.

It was only a little past seven o'clock, but a lot of young people had already gathered at the entrance, and even some elderly men came to join in the fun.

These people come here to cool off and can also read books for free. For cultured young people in this era, this is the best place for entertainment and leisure.

Arriving so early is also to grab a good spot. If I can get a seat close to my favorite bookshelf, it will be much more convenient.

The library has tables and chairs next to the bookshelves, and there are also sofas and coffee tables in the lobby. They are comfortable, but they are all located on the first floor. Not only do you have to go upstairs to exchange books, but there are also many people coming and going at the entrance, which can be disturbing.

Mo Xueyao didn't mind whether it was convenient or not, but she wanted to find a quiet corner to avoid being disturbed by others.

Most people who come to the library are quite self-disciplined, but inevitably there are always a few bad apples. And some people, although they are very quiet, have a strange stench that is unbearable to others.

Positioning yourself in a corner can usually prevent this from happening.

At 7:30 a.m. sharp, the library opened its doors and people walked in quickly and in an orderly fashion.

At least they didn't swarm in like the old ladies fighting over eggs.

The air conditioner was probably just turned on; it doesn't feel very cool.

Although it was only 7:30, Mo Xueyao was already drenched in sweat after standing outside for a while.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, separated her matted hair, and quickly went upstairs.

The first thing to do, of course, is to return the borrowed books.

This is convenient; you don't need to show your library card. Just leave the books at the return desk, and the librarians who have already started working will be responsible for re-entering the books into the system.

Mo Xueyao didn't rush to find a book. Instead, she went to the corner, a spot she and Li Wanyan had been monopolizing for almost a week.

It's located right at the innermost corner, with a wall on one side and a floor-to-ceiling window on the other.

When they first found this spot, the windowsill was covered in dust, as if no one had cleaned it. But over the past few days, it has become much cleaner because Mo Xueyao wipes it with a napkin every day to avoid getting covered in dust if she accidentally leans against it.

The table at the corner isn't big; it's a long bench that can seat just two people, so there's no need to worry about any other inconsiderate people coming over to join in the fun.

She placed the cloth bag, which had been used for so long that the threads were starting to come undone, on the table, thus claiming her spot.

A young man walked by, glanced at her, and then walked away with regret.

He clearly wanted to find a similar position.

Li Wanyan hasn't come over yet, not because she's too slow going up the stairs, but because she's currently choosing the books she wants to read.

The two had visited several times and had naturally developed a tacit understanding, knowing how to divide the work without needing to say a word.

One person goes to find books, while the other person stays here to watch the seats. Although they can just leave their bag and go, who knows if they might encounter an unreasonable person?

Besides, it's not really justifiable to leave a bag in a public place and take up a seat.

The bookshelf near the corner is the kind that hardly anyone visits.

There's a sign here that says "Unpopular Essays." The word "unpopular" is clearly written, which gives you an idea of ​​how unpopular the books are.

While there may be good books among those that nobody reads, most unpopular ones must have their own problems.

Perhaps it's too profound, or perhaps it's too basic...

While Li Wanyan was choosing a book, Mo Xueyao got a little bored, so she randomly picked one from the bookshelf next to her to read.

The book is called "The Absurd Future".

The author's name is strange; it consists of several Arabic numerals—"4396".

I don't know if it's a birthday or some other code name.

Most of the books on the obscure miscellaneous bookshelf are not very interesting. Mo Xueyao has read them before, but she just flips through them to pass the time, just like when you're on the toilet and you always stare at the ingredient list of the laundry detergent next to you.

The pages are brand new, but the printing date is 1995.

Clearly, no one cares about this thing; otherwise, it wouldn't be so well-preserved after five years.

This is a library, not a museum.

Upon opening the first page, I was greeted by a rather dull, lame joke: "Oh my god, congratulations on opening this book, you've found a treasure!"

"If I said I came from the future, you certainly wouldn't believe me, so I can only say this—do you believe that many absurd and ridiculous stories will happen in the future? Or, just take it as the ramblings of a madman."

"Reality is full of absurd stories, so it's not surprising that they will happen in the future." Mo Xueyao curled her lip, not liking this kind of pretentious narrative.

"Decades later, America will call us a superpower." The author then begins his narrative.

The text is also interspersed with a lot of nonsensical nonsense.

The excessive repetition of idioms such as "as everyone knows," "in short," and "to be honest" gave Mo Xueyao a headache. She even wondered if the author only knew how to use these idioms.

Moreover, the phrase "beautiful country" made her pause for a moment, and it took her more than ten seconds to realize which country it referred to.

"The American embassy is no longer respected in China; it was later converted into a hot pot restaurant, and business is booming..."

"The United States is stealing technology from China..."

"Isn't this going against you?" Mo Xueyao rolled her eyes.

"And then America changed it to fifty portions, haha!"

"This is ridiculous... The author is completely immersed in his own world." Mo Xueyao's head was getting more and more throbbing as she read on, because there were many words she simply couldn't understand.

Those were definitely not obscure words she had never seen before; they seemed to have been invented by the author.

"Later, China became the first country to achieve controlled nuclear fusion, first building a settlement on the lunar surface, and then, more than a decade later, began building a habitable base on Mars."

"We don't even care about this tiny Earth; our journey is to the stars!"

"The United States is far too short-sighted..."

"In the eyes of the Chinese at that time, America was like the late Qing Dynasty."

"Decades later? How is that possible?" Mo Xueyao curled her lip. "Technological development doesn't happen that fast. Although the author is a patriot, it seems like he's gone too far with his fantasies."

"The US is still using outdated 5X technology, while the new generation of Chinese are already using 9X!"

This can't even be considered a book.

The entire piece is the author's own monologue, and it lacks any logic; it's just a random stream of thoughts.

"This can actually be published?" Mo Xueyao flipped to the end speechlessly and found that it was published by a publishing house called "Wozijiyinshua Publishing House".

But if you read it more carefully, doesn't it just mean 'I printed it myself'?

"No wonder there wasn't even a price tag... Who printed these books and stuffed them into the bookshelf?" Mo Xueyao muttered to herself helplessly.

At this moment, Li Wanyan walked over carrying four or five books.

"Have you made your choice?"

"Hmm, what are you looking at?"

"Uh, I found a messy, tattered book. It looks like someone printed it themselves and put it on the bookshelf. The contents are incoherent and utter nonsense. The book says that American technology is 80 years ahead of ours, but we will surpass them in a few decades. Even if they don't progress, it will still take 80 years. Besides, how could they stand still? It would take at least one or two hundred years."

"A book about futuristic fantasies?" Li Wanyan glanced at the cover.

"Pretty much? But I think it's more like something written while drunk." Mo Xueyao shoved the book back. "I suggest you don't read it. It's an eyesore... Besides, the author's writing is terrible, and there are typos in the printing. If I weren't so bored, I wouldn't bother reading a single line."

"Hmm." Li Wanyan wasn't very curious, and hearing her say that, she lost interest and sat down instead, opening a foreign novel with Chinese and English translations.