A Young Woman's Heart

Mo Xueyao's father also mentioned that when he was young, he went to Shanghai and it was so hot in the summer that he deliberately took the air-conditioned bus to the last stop and then took it back...

The only advantage of a car without air conditioning is that it has windows.

With the car windows open, letting the wind blow into the car is actually quite comfortable.

But if it stops and there's no wind, it can be incredibly uncomfortable.

After getting off the bus and walking a short distance back to her neighborhood, Mo Xueyao felt as exhausted as if she had just completed an overseas trip.

Loudspeaker announcements came from a shop outside the residential complex.

"Land lease expires! Last three days! Everything in the store is 50% off! Last three days! Clearance sale! Everything is 50% off!"

The shouting was playing on a loop.

Mo Xueyao subconsciously looked in the direction from which the sound came and saw a somewhat old banner hanging in front of a store that hadn't been renovated much. It read "Last Three Days" and "Clearance Sale" in large characters.

Everyone has the desire to find a bargain, and Mo Xueyao is no exception.

She immediately became interested and pulled Li Wanyan over to take a look.

Unfortunately, all they sell here are household items—if it were her mother, she would surely be happy to buy a lot.

But she had no interest in any of these. Instead, Li Wanyan spent money to buy a pack of hair ties and three headbands.

Hair ties cost only two cents a pack, and headbands are also very cheap; you can buy three for one dollar, and the quality seems acceptable.

After buying it, Li Wanyan immediately picked up a white lace-trimmed one and put it on Mo Xueyao's head.

Mo Xueyao's short hair doesn't really need a headband, but it actually looks good when she uses one; her hair seems to lie flatter.

"Go back and take a shower before using it... Your hair is all sweaty now, look how oily it is." Mo Xueyao wiped her hair, took off the lace headband, and put it on Li Wanyan's head.

"Let's go back and take a shower." Li Wanyan put away her playful mood; the sweat on her body made her not want to stay outside any longer...

……

Chapter 83 Summer vacation is only halfway over

Leisurely but not boring days always pass quickly.

Time quietly arrived in August amidst the chirping of cicadas in the summer.

Today is Tuesday, August 1st, 2000.

The summer heat did not lessen as the months changed.

Even though the weather forecast said it would be cloudy today, the sun, which was so bright it could blind people, was still hanging high overhead, and it didn't seem to be blocked by any clouds.

It would be great if the clouds in winter and summer could switch places—because in winter, even on a sunny day, the sun can easily be blocked by clouds.

On summer mornings, I'm more likely to wake up because of the heat.

Not to mention, Mo Xueyao's bed was right next to the window, and the sun could shine directly on her through the window, which was...

It's quite enjoyable in winter, but in summer it's a real headache.

"Whoa—!" Mo Xueyao suddenly threw off the covers and sat up. It was rare for her not to go to the library early in the morning today because she had been invited to Wang Jiale's house.

I originally planned to bring Li Wanyan along, but she found a complete set of books yesterday that described a fairly detailed history of China. She was more interested in that and said yesterday that she would go to the library again today.

Perhaps after spending a lot of time together, you won't care too much about whether you're always together, since you can always meet up if you want!

"Stuck together... Is it me or Wanyan?" Mo Xueyao tilted her head and looked at herself in the mirror, muttering to herself.

The house was so quiet that you could hear the clock ticking in the living room.

Li Wanyan had obviously gone out early in the morning to reserve a spot, and her mother had already heated up two bento boxes in advance, one of which was left at home.

She ate them for breakfast—she didn't have much of an appetite early in the morning, so she only ate half of them. She couldn't possibly throw the other half away, so she put it in the refrigerator.

And at this time... she hadn't brushed her teeth yet.

If I ate breakfast without brushing my teeth on a normal day, I would either get nagged by my mother or be watched by Li Wanyan.

Being home alone has its advantages, you know.

At least you can be more unrestrained...

Mo Xueyao scratched her hair, combed it carefully, and put on the headband that Li Wanyan had bought that day. Of course, she chose the least conspicuous one among them—pure white.

"No, I still can't get used to it." She shook her head, feeling as if her head was being held in place by a large hand.

Although it held her hair in place, the discomfort made her remove the headband and instead use a single hair clip to hold her bangs back.

"It definitely feels more refreshing this way." She shook her head, and a few more strands of hair fell to the ground. "Ugh—it's so annoying, I'm losing hair every day. Is it malnutrition or overnutrition...?"

Mo Xueyao muttered to herself as she squatted down, picked up the hair from the bathroom, and threw it into the trash can.

I don't want my mom to say that I never clean up my own hair and that it clogs the drain.

She put on a cool summer skirt, walked to the door, slipped on sandals, hesitated for a moment, and then decided to take the folding umbrella that was placed by the door.

Summer rains always come unexpectedly, and weather forecasts are sometimes unreliable, so it's better to bring your own. Besides, at least it can shield you from the blinding sun.

Actually, she used to never carry an umbrella when she went out. This new habit might be due to the influence of Li Wanyan.

"Hey, using an umbrella to block the sun today?" As soon as I got downstairs, I saw the old man selling fried skewers loading things onto the back of his old-fashioned bicycle. Of course, he had to come back to replenish the goods he sold out of. The best-selling items were usually cheap and delicious things like stinky tofu and ham sausages.

In Hangzhou, there are quite a few people who like to eat stinky tofu.

Mo Xueyao even thought that this was probably what was called local characteristics?

"Is business good today?" Mo Xueyao asked casually, changing the subject.

"It's alright, it's summer vacation now, there are more students—hey, Xiaoyao, it's not raining today."

"Can't we use an umbrella if it's not raining?" Mo Xueyao glanced at him sideways, pursed her lips. She was quite familiar with this uncle, so she didn't feel any awkwardness and was very casual when joking.

"Hahaha—you've really grown into a young lady now, you know you need to be pretty. Why didn't you always carry an umbrella when you were little? Haha—"

"Tsk, childhood is childhood." Mo Xueyao blushed a little, mainly because she had actually been a boy for so many years, and it was indeed quite embarrassing to have adopted a girl's habits.

"Hey, where are you going? Want me to give you a ride?" the uncle said, hopping onto his bicycle.

Mo Xueyao glanced at the back seat, which was now occupied by stinky tofu, and said helplessly, "Where can I sit?"

"Here!" The old man patted the crossbar of the bicycle.

"Forget it, I'm afraid my butt will hurt, and we're going in different directions," Mo Xueyao said, opening her umbrella. "I'll take the bus."

"Okay, then I'll go first!"

"Bye-Bye."

Mo Xue glanced at the blazing sun overhead, then picked at her ears, annoyed by the chirping of cicadas by the roadside.

The owner of the auto repair shop at the entrance was sitting on a small stool eating an ice pop. His hands were always blackened from repairing cars, as if they had never been washed properly, even while eating an ice pop.

"Rental period ends, last three days, clearance sale, everything half price!" The loudspeaker in that store was still blaring. The store, which was basically unrenovated, was piled high with all kinds of daily necessities.

However, it seems that it has been more than three days now, hasn't it?

"Maybe they'll move out this afternoon?" Mo Xueyao muttered to herself, glancing around a few times but not lingering.

A variety of sounds came from all around—the shouts of vendors, the cries of children, the arguments of passersby, the honking of car horns…

There were many different kinds of horn sounds, from cars, bicycles, and motorcycles, all mixed together.

But Mo Xueyao didn't find it noisy at all; on the contrary, she felt it was natural and comfortable, since that's the kind of environment she grew up in.

It's 8 a.m. now, and there are still quite a few people and cars on the road. After this time, when the sun gets even stronger, there probably won't be many people walking on the road. At that midday, walking on a street with few pedestrians and watching the sun scorch your shadow will only feel more unbearable.

Wang Jiale's home wasn't far from Mo Xueyao's; she could actually walk there without taking the bus. But the sun was so strong that she really didn't want to walk, so she took the bus instead, and then... got off at the next stop.

Yes, it's just one stop away.

In the past, she would definitely have chosen to walk, but now that she has some spare money, she's become more inclined to enjoy life, right?

At least they won't be so stingy with small amounts of money.

"Knock knock." Standing at Wang Jiale's door, Mo Xueyao knocked for a full three minutes. She checked the door several times, still wondering if she had come to the wrong place.

Finally, the sound of footsteps came from the room, and then the petite Wang Jiale appeared in front of her, dressed in pajamas with her clothes disheveled.

"Hmm—Xiaoyao is here so early—" she said, rubbing her eyes and yawning widely.

"Why are you still sleeping?" Mo Xueyao stepped into the room and took off her shoes by the door without using her hands.

"I went to bed late yesterday..." Wang Jiale ran back to her bedroom.

The bedroom was a mess, with clothes piled up haphazardly everywhere. Although they looked folded, they didn't look tidy at all.

The air conditioner was on in the room—every room in her house had a yellowed window air conditioner, and it was unclear whether it was brand new and worn out, or if it was second-hand when she bought it.

Even if it's all secondhand, it's still luxurious enough.

"No way, you're still going to sleep?"

"I'm not fully awake yet, let me sleep a little longer..." Wang Jiale said coquettishly as she snuggled into the covers.

In this sweltering summer, being covered with a blanket is such a treat.

However, this made Mo Xueyao feel a little awkward. She stood in the room, unsure whether to go out or stay, and if she went out, where should she sit?

To be honest, she didn't know why Wang Jiale had asked her to come over today. After all, it was someone else who had taken the initiative to invite her over, so she couldn't say much.

After all, they are all very good friends.

"Xiaoyao, want to sleep together...? Sleep a little longer..." Wang Jiale asked softly, huddled under the covers.

"No, I don't think so." Mo Xueyao was quite sober at this moment. "Then I'll wait for you in that room with the tatami mats?"

"Uh-huh……"

She thought she would have to wait a long time, but after more than ten minutes, Wang Jiale got up. It seemed that she was just a little grumpy when she woke up and wanted to stay in bed a little longer, but in fact she was already awake.

"Sorry, Xiaoyao, I'll come over after I wash up."

"Oh." Mo Xueyao didn't act like an outsider at all. She poured herself a cup of tea from the tea leaves on the coffee table and leisurely sipped it. "Can I turn on the air conditioning here?"

"Of course!" Wang Jiale's voice came from the washroom.

Where's the remote control?