A Young Woman's Heart

"ravioli?"

"Hey~ I want to eat stir-fried dishes—"

"That might be slower."

"Never mind, let's have wontons then."

"It's okay, let's make a rice bowl. It includes stir-fried vegetables and it'll be quick."

"Yes, this is good!"

"My fingers hurt so much..." Wang Jiale put her fingers in her mouth and held them there. "Won't playing with them for a few more days cut my hands?"

"No, it won't. It'll just cause calluses," Hua Yinyin said with the air of someone who's been there.

"Ugh, I don't want to get calluses... my smooth, soft hands are going to become rough!"

"It's okay, even a beautiful girl's calluses are smooth and tender!" Hua Yinyin patted her shoulder and comforted her loudly.

"Did you forget anything?" Mr. Xue asked with a smile, already at the door.

"Hmm... I'll just put my drum set here... Will it get dirty?" Mo Zhuyou asked with some concern.

"How could it get dirty after just one night? If you're really worried about dust, just bring a bigger cloth, or you can just cover it with a sheet." Hua Yinyin, carrying her schoolbag and pipa bag, walked to the door. "Come out quickly~ It's time to lock the door!"

As I walked through the stairwell, I could faintly hear the sounds of bands from other classes.

It seems some people started practicing later.

However, many others only practiced for less than an hour before disbanding and going home.

The setting sun dyed everything in the world orange-red, reminding Mo Xueyao of a half-cooked fried egg, and her stomach couldn't help but rumble.

We walked together for a while, and then parted ways at a fork in the road.

"Bye-bye~" Hua Yinyin, Wang Jiale and Mr. Xue were going to catch a bus, but they were taking different buses, and apart from Wang Jiale, the other two were going in different directions.

Meanwhile, the two sisters, Mo Zhuyou and Mo Xiaoxiao, rode the same bicycle and turned onto a shortcut.

Only Mo Xueyao and Li Wanyan remained to continue walking forward.

The autumn evening breeze gently caressed Mo Xueyao's face, and the playful wind also slightly lifted her skirt, letting more coolness flow into her body.

"It's getting a bit cold..." Mo Xueyao took the schoolbag that Li Wanyan was carrying for her with one hand, and put the other hand in her pocket. "I can do it myself."

"Yes, tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival."

"Huh? What? Tomorrow's the Mid-Autumn Festival?" Mo Xueyao's eyes widened in shock. "How come I didn't know?"

"Yaoyao has been so focused on the band lately that she hasn't been paying attention to these things."

"Uh...it seems...to be...?" Mo Xueyao suddenly slapped her thigh. "Oh! Right, did Wanyan write a letter to your mother?"

"I've already asked Ms. Ye Wen to help me send it out."

"Oh, maybe you'll receive a letter from your mom tomorrow too."

"Mmm." Li Wanyan smiled expectantly.

The original route back was temporarily blocked due to water pipe repairs. Although people could walk across, it was very troublesome, and if they accidentally stepped into a pothole, their shoes would get all dirty.

So after carefully observing for a while, the two decided to take a detour.

Although it was just a slightly detour, it still felt quite novel, as it offered a different kind of scenery than usual.

There are more shops on this street, some renting DVDs and videotapes, and others renting various books—of course, renting books is far less cost-effective than going to the library.

In addition, there are small bookstores that specialize in selling all kinds of new books.

It's only about two storefronts in size, with rows of shelves inside selling popular novels and comics that appeal to young people.

You absolutely cannot buy classic masterpieces here, but you can find many books that you can't usually find in Xinhua Bookstore.

Some very niche novels were published in the two special administrative regions of G and A, or in T province, which has a special political significance.

Some of them are in traditional Chinese characters, while others are essentially intended for sale in mainland China, so there are simplified Chinese versions.

In front of the store today, there is a large poster as tall as a person, with the cover of a novel on it and several lines of text next to it that are deliberately made to look like an 'explosion'.

"New book arrived! 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,' a world-class fantasy masterpiece!"

Mo Xueyao felt like she had heard of Harry Potter before, but she didn't have a deep impression of it, and she couldn't even remember where she had heard it before.

But she still longed for and was very curious about the world of magic.

Many fairy tales are set against the backdrop of various kinds of magic, but she has yet to read a story that unfolds a magical world.

Even if such stories exist, they mostly occurred in ancient times, and not in modern or contemporary times.

The poster includes a brief description of the book, suggesting that the story is set in modern times.

"Magic..." The boy riding a broom on the book cover evokes a sense of longing.

In Mo Xueyao's mind, magic was something omnipotent, capable of making everything much more convenient.

For example, let the broom move by itself to clean, let the mop mop itself to mop the floor, let the dishes and chopsticks wash themselves, and let the ingredients process themselves before cooking...

As a child, she often fantasized about what it would be like if magic really existed in the world.

As she grew older and learned more about science, she realized that instead of hoping that magic really existed in the world, it was better to expect the power of technology to turn so-called magic into reality.

But the fantasy still exists in my heart—even though there are always illogical parts in the magical world.

The price of the new book was written in the bottom right corner of the poster—twenty-four.

The first 100 purchases will also include a poster, a bookmark, and a magic broom charm.

This made Mo Xueyao somewhat tempted.

Moreover, libraries usually don't purchase these new books very quickly.

It will take at least three to five months before it can be watched.

Li Wanyan looked at Mo Xueyao, who was standing still, and asked softly, "Do you want to buy it?"

"Hmm...! This feels pretty good!"

"Do you have enough money on hand?"

"It's definitely enough. I didn't spend too much before, and I still have quite a bit left..." Mo Xueyao opened the small pocket in her schoolbag where she kept her money and looked inside. There was a fifty-yuan bill inside. Of course, this wasn't all of it. She had kept the rest at home. This was just for emergencies.

"Perhaps someone else in the class will buy it." Li Wanyan meant that they could borrow it to take a look.

"Hmm... other people's things are always different... I still want to buy them myself..." Mo Xueyao always wants to collect the things she likes.

In the end, she went into the bookstore.

The latest Harry Potter books were placed on the most prominent shelf, each one meticulously packaged and looking exceptionally exquisite.

Mo Xueyao picked it up and looked at it over and over for a while. Because she couldn't tear open the packaging to see what was inside, she hesitated. What if the story inside wasn't that great?

Although the shop owner didn't ask her whether she wanted to buy it or not, the gaze he gave her was still somewhat unsettling.

"Boss! I want to buy this, and there's a free gift too!"

"The free gifts are still available, one book for twenty-four."

"Hmm... Here you go!"

"I'll get you a bag and pack it up for you, number twenty-six."

The book was then placed in an elegant kraft paper bag, along with the complimentary gifts.

Mo Xueyao carried the paper bag, humming a little tune in a very cheerful mood, and even wished she could spin around on the spot.

"Do you like it that much?"

"Actually, I don't know if I'll like it... but I'd probably like this kind of story. Yeah, I'll have to watch it when I get back!"

"Aren't you going to do your homework?"

"Ugh...! Homework..." Mo Xueyao scratched her head in anguish. "Although I did a little during class meeting, I still haven't finished my English homework... Hmm, but it shouldn't take too long. Luckily, we have class meeting today. Watch me finish it in fifteen minutes!"

"We must ensure quality."

"I know, I know, but before that..." Mo Xueyao looked at the fruit shop that was now almost in front of her, and took three steps at a time to climb the steps. "Mom—!! I'm starving!"

"It's all cooked, just waiting for you to come back."

"Ah, great! We can eat it right away!"

"Will you get home around this time every day from now on?"

"Not necessarily, it might be a little later or a little earlier, but it should be around 6:30."

"Okay, eat up."

"Dad—dinner's ready!" Mo Xueyao sat down impatiently and shouted to her father.

“You guys eat first, I’ll wrap up this bouquet and come right away,” the father replied loudly.

"Dinner's ready! Dinner's ready!"

"Can't you serve yourself?" the mother said with a laugh and a scolding tone. "You always make Yan Yan serve you."

“It’s okay~ Wanyan is happy to help~” Mo Xueyao answered for Li Wanyan.

Li Wanyan smiled gently and placed a full bowl of rice in front of her.

"Oh~! Thank you!" Mo Xueyao eagerly grabbed her chopsticks. "Tonight's dinner is stir-fried pork with chili peppers! And it's stir-fried cured pork too, I love that!"

"Eat more if you like it. I heard that chili peppers can help with weight loss."

"Really? Hmm, then I'll eat more... Mom, it's so spicy—" Mo Xueyao's little face scrunched up.

"Who told you to eat so much at once? Couldn't you have eaten it little by little?"

"Whoosh, hiss hiss..."

……

Chapter Thirty-Four: Daydreaming in Class

Tuesday, a sunny day.