A Young Woman's Heart

"It's okay, I have a membership card, I can get a discount." Hua Yinyin tiptoed around to look at herself, then carefully picked up the silver-gray pipa and gently plucked it a few times with her fingers. "Little Yaoyao, listen, this doesn't sound like a guitar anymore?"

"what?"

"If you keep going like this, it'll look like an electric guitar!"

Wow! Is that even possible?

"Hmph, don't underestimate traditional musical instruments!" Hua Yinyin wrinkled her delicate nose smugly. "Let's buy this one!"

"Is this okay? You bought it so impulsively."

"No problem, no problem! I've brought the money." She patted her backpack behind her. "Just swipe my bank card."

"Aren't you going to watch it a few more times?"

"No problem, um... I'll try a few more times and see how the tone is. Anyway, it's fine for now."

Although I tried for another ten minutes or so, I still chose this pipa.

Hua Yinyin carried it downstairs.

"Would you like to buy this pipa?" the shop assistant asked with a smile.

"Hmm, I have a membership card, let's see how much of a discount I can get."

"We have a special offer today. As long as your membership level is high enough and you purchase an instrument worth more than 3,000 yuan, you will receive a discount of 500 yuan."

"Ah, then I can buy it for exactly three thousand yuan?" Hua Yinyin was overjoyed. "Um, could you please take a look for me?"

"Ok."

Mo Xueyao helplessly covered her forehead. Even she could see that this was a very obvious marketing tactic, but for Hua Yinyin, who really wanted to buy it, nothing she said mattered.

"You are a Level 3 member of our music store, which means you are eligible to participate in our promotion of 500 RMB off for every 3,000 RMB spent."

"Great! Buy it!"

"Okay, please don't rush," the clerk said, suppressing a smile. "Will you be paying by card or cash?"

"Swipe your card! Swipe your card!"

"Okay, please go to the cashier over there to pay. I'll issue you an invoice and give you some free gifts."

"Is there anything wrong?" Mo Xueyao asked curiously—while Hua Yinyin seemed not to care much.

"These are all essential basic supplies, including pipa finger picks, replacement pipa strings, pipa cases, and tuners."

"Hmm, there are quite a lot."

"Of course, after all, it's a pipa that costs three thousand yuan!"

"You just spent three thousand yuan like that, is that alright...?"

"Don't worry, don't worry, I've already talked to my dad!"

What was the budget he gave you?

“Five thousand!” Hua Yinyin opened her palm.

Mo Xueyao was speechless.

……

Chapter Ten: Home Visit?

"Hello, is this Mo Xiaoxiao?" Ye Wen dialed Mo Xiaoxiao's number on Saturday morning, right after having breakfast.

The phone number that should have been left at the school was that of the parents, but since the two sisters' parents had already passed away, only the number of the older sister, Mo Xiaoxiao, could be left.

"Yes, it's me, Ms. Ye Wen." The conversation on the phone seemed to be a bit more formal.

"Xiaoxiao, I'm going to make a home visit later. Are you two home?"

"Eh? Home visit... Um, sorry, Teacher Ye, we... have to go to work today."

"Yes, I know you're working." Ye Wen nodded slightly. "When would be a convenient time?"

"I will work until very late."

"How about I come to your store now? Are you busy?"

"It was fine between one and three o'clock."

"Then I'll go at that time."

"Okay, sorry."

"It's nothing, it's just that there are some things I need to tell you, and it's better to say them in person." Ye Wen smiled. "Then I'll hang up."

"Ok."

"What, are you planning to go and ask them yourself?" Qiu Yi walked over with a glass of milk.

"Yes, it's probably better to talk about these things face to face, isn't it?"

"Do you want me to come along?"

"Forget it, I'd better go alone. You might just mess things up if you go."

"What? You don't trust me that much? Let me tell you, maybe the students like me more!"

"Tch, of course he'd like a pretty female teacher, why would he like you?" Ye Wen glanced at him sideways and teased.

"Damn, it's so cool to be a pretty girl."

"Pfft, do you want to try it?"

"Forget it, forget it."

Time flew by and it was already noon. After having lunch, Ye Wen drove Wang Qianyu's red sports car and arrived at her destination according to the address that Mo Xiaoxiao had just sent.

The biggest advantage of living on the outskirts of the city is the convenience of parking.

Ye Wen easily found a parking space, and then slowly walked forward while keeping an eye on the shop names next to the commercial street.

“Hmm, H… this sign, that’s it, this is it.” Ye Wen nodded and glanced into the store. There was only one customer in the store at the moment, leisurely eating fries by the window.

The two sisters, Mo Xiaoxiao and Mo Zhuyou, dressed in shop assistant uniforms, were sitting at the far end of the table, chatting and laughing, though it was unclear what they were talking about.

"Welcome!" When Ye Wen pushed open the door and walked in, Mo Xiaoxiao stood up almost instinctively.

"Hey, Wen's here." Mo Zhuyou looked at her lazily. "Hello, teacher—"

"Since you're already calling me A-Wen, there's no need to add 'teacher' again, is there?" Ye Wen said with a light laugh.

"Are you... Xiaoxiao and the other students' homeroom teacher?" Duanmu Bi walked out from behind the counter.

"correct."

"Hello~ I'm Duanmu Bi, Duanmu Ji's older sister. Is he in your class now?"

"Yes, I am."

"Please take care of my younger brother."

"Yes, I will." Ye Wen gave a somewhat perfunctory smile, after all, the purpose of her visit today was not to visit Duanmu Ji's home.

"So, what does the teacher want to do at home?" Mo Zhuyou put her entire face on the table, as if she was about to melt.

"There's something very important I need to say," Ye Wen said, looking at Duanmu Bi. "Would it be convenient for me to take them both outside to talk?"

"Well, it's a bit free now, so why don't you go outside and talk to your homeroom teacher?" Duanmu Bi was very easy to talk to, and immediately waved her hand and shouted to the two girls.

"Eh...? I don't want to move..." Mo Zhuyou said, letting out a big yawn.

"Alright, Wen rarely comes to visit, let's go out~" The older sister reluctantly grabbed her younger sister, took her hand, and led her outside.

"So, where are we going...?" the younger sister murmured sleepily, leaning her whole body against her older sister.

"Let's talk while we walk," Ye Wen smiled. "Hmm, Xiaoxiao, Youyou, do you two like musical instruments?"

"Musical instruments? Hmm, they're alright."

"I guess I like it." Mo Xiaoxiao patted her sister's head with her hand and smiled helplessly.

"Actually, it's like this. Our school has arranged for each class in the second year of high school to form a band. Although the minimum is three people, it's better to have a full band right now. We're currently short a drummer, and..."

Before Ye Wen could finish speaking, a helpless, bitter smile appeared on Mo Xiaoxiao's face.

Mo Zhuyou lazily interrupted her, "Awen~ we don't play any musical instruments, although we like them, we've never learned them..."

"Well, and, to join a band, you'd have to stay after school to practice often, right? But we have to work every day after school now," the older sister added, seeing that her younger sister had interrupted Ye Wen.

"Oh, let me finish speaking." Ye Wen pinched Mo Zhuyou's little face. "It's like this, our school has also secured a one-on-one sponsorship program for impoverished students to help you learn musical instruments. You can receive 1,000 yuan a month, and the school will also cover the cost of buying the instruments."

“Hmm…” Mo Xiaoxiao fell into deep thought.

"Huh? Hmm...? Hmm!? One thousand? A month!?" Mo Zhuyou didn't react at first, but when she realized how huge a sum of money one thousand yuan a month really was, her eyes widened suddenly.

"Yes, the funding will continue for three years, meaning there will be another year of funding after you graduate."

"Wow! But we've never learned any musical instruments, is that okay?"

"No problem, don't worry," Ye Wen said with a light laugh. "As long as you're willing to learn, you can. Besides, the drum set is a relatively easy instrument to learn."

"Sister, sister, let's participate!"

"Well... Youyou, you can participate, and I'll continue working."

"Do you still need to work?" Ye Wen frowned. "Actually, this money should be enough, right? Why not make things easier for yourself?"

Actually, she thought it would be better for Mo Xiaoxiao to play the drums, because as the older sister, Mo Xiaoxiao was more serious about her work, and learning from scratch would be more efficient.

"That's right, sister, don't always go to work. Working every day is so tiring. This way we can rest on weekends. You usually practice at school until eight o'clock, which is much earlier than when we get off work!"

"...I usually don't practice until eight o'clock," Ye Wen said with a dry laugh.

"Oh, really? I think eight o'clock is pretty early."

Ye Wen was speechless for a moment, feeling both amused and sorry for them.

"So, how about it? Want to think about it?" Ye Wen steered the conversation back on track.

"Yes, sister, go ahead, go ahead! You can play the drums, and I'll keep you company after school every day. Wouldn't that be great? You don't have to work and you'll still get paid!"