A Young Woman's Heart

The man selling dried tofu was an old man. He had two coal stoves on his tricycle, with two pots cooking on them.

On one side is dried tofu sprinkled with a lot of spices in the soup, and on the other side is meatballs in clear soup with only a few scallions floating on top.

"Do you want more?" Li Wanyan stood to the side, seemingly feeling that Mo Xueyao shouldn't spend any more money.

After all, she was a child from a poor family, and sometimes she could be a little 'stingy'. But this stinginess wasn't just about her own money. Even if Mo Xueyao paid for it herself, she would feel it was a waste to waste it.

"Dried tofu, mmm... mmm..." Hua Yinyin licked her lips, "Never mind, I'd better not eat it, or I'll get fat again."

After hearing what she said, Mo Xueyao, who had just been eager to buy it, started to hesitate.

"Cough, it's just a string of dried tofu, it'll be fine, right?"

“Unless you eat less at night, this is equivalent to a bowl of rice.” Hua Yinyin was clearly very experienced in this matter.

"Eh—" Mo Xueyao swallowed, still wanting to buy it.

"Three cents a skewer," the shopkeeper said at the opportune moment.

"How about we each have one, Yinyin?"

A skewer of dried tofu comes in two large pieces. If you divide it up and each person gets one piece, it doesn't seem like there's that much.

"Uh-huh……"

"Would you like Wanyan?"

"I don't need it."

"Then let's buy one!" Mo Xueyao took out three one-cent coins from her pocket. "That's exactly three cents."

"Okay, what kind of sauce do you want?" the boss asked cheerfully.

What is it?

"Sweet, spicy, and ketchup."

"Let's go for the sweet and spicy one."

"Sweet and spicy, right?"

"Um! Could I have a bag?"

"Row."

After receiving the dried tofu, Mo Xueyao put the bag over her hand, pulled a piece off the skewer, and quickly handed it to Hua Yinyin.

"Ouch—it's so hot!" Hua Yinyin almost dropped the dried tofu because it was so hot, but luckily she grabbed the bag in time, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to eat it.

"Hehe." Mo Xueyao chuckled twice as if she had successfully pulled off a prank, and then couldn't wait to take a bite of the dried tofu.

Because it had been soaking in the broth the whole time, the five-spice flavor was very strong, and even the inside was completely infused with the flavor. Every bite was juicy and not dry at all—it almost splashed onto her clothes.

"Wanyan, you really don't want it?" Mo Xueyao chewed the dried tofu in her mouth with satisfaction. "It's really delicious."

"..." Li Wanyan was still hesitating when Mo Xueyao had already put the dried tofu to her mouth.

"Here, take a bite."

"Ah."

In the end, she took a small bite.

"How is it? Is it delicious?"

"It's quite delicious."

"Dried tofu is such a cheap and delicious snack," Hua Yinyin exclaimed. "I remember after school in elementary school, I liked to share a skewer of dried tofu with my classmates. I think it only cost ten cents a skewer back then?"

"I remember it cost three cents. Where did you buy it?"

"That can't be...it can't be that cheap."

"Pretty much, either three or five cents, that's the price when I was in elementary school."

"Thinking about it carefully, prices used to be so cheap?" Hua Yinyin muttered, tilting her head.

“But the salary wasn’t that high before,” Mo Xueyao replied matter-of-factly.

On their way back, the three of them walked through alleys, but many cheap and delicious mobile stalls were located in these alleys.

The aroma of the food kept tempting her, and if she hadn't still eaten the dried tofu in her hand, she probably wouldn't have been able to resist.

In particular, one tricycle was selling spiced braised beef head meat.

Although I don't know what it tastes like, the aroma is so tempting that even a passerby can't help but take a second look.

Of course, you can't buy a whole head of this braised beef; you cut off only the amount you need, and once you've cut it, you can't tell it's beef head meat anymore.

If you were to eat it whole, you definitely wouldn't be able to, because the shape is rather scary...

"Yinyin, why don't you just have dinner at my place?" Mo Xueyao stared at her. "I rarely invite people out on my own initiative."

"Oh, should I feel honored?"

"If you say something sarcastic again, I'll pinch your cheek!" Mo Xueyao made a gesture as if she was ready to pinch her cheek at any moment.

Speaking of which, Hua Yinyin's chubby little face is indeed very comfortable to pinch. Of course, she will usually fight back when her face is pinched.

"Xiao Yaoyao's is very comfortable too, tsk... Cheng Yuan's face is the oiliest."

"Pfft, you'd better not let Cheng Yuan hear you say that, she might be coming over for dinner later."

"I know, it's the fruit shop upstairs."

When you're walking and have a companion chatting beside you, the journey suddenly feels much shorter.

There have been so many places demolishing and building houses lately that there's been a lot more dust on the asphalt roads, and occasionally dump trucks will drive by wobbly.

For some reason, the dump trucks Mo Xueyao saw always looked dilapidated, and when walking beside them, she was always worried that they would tip over.

In comparison, large trucks with sealed cargo boxes are much safer.

Although the trucks don't pass by the fruit shop, the dust they bring still has some impact on the fruit shop. As a result, Mo Xueyao's mother has to wipe the fruit frequently because the dusty fruit looks worse and is less attractive to customers.

Because some people who buy fruit as gifts really do judge things by their appearance—whether it tastes good or not is not something they consider.

"Wanyan, come a little closer." Mo Xueyao stood on the sidewalk and waved to Li Wanyan.

Hua Yinyin, who had been walking along the sidewalk, was the first to jump up: "Why are there so many trucks on this road?"

“There are a lot of construction sites,” Mo Xueyao shrugged. “I hate big trucks, but they’re indispensable for city construction…”

"Couldn't we use trucks with covers..." Hua Yinyin covered her nose and fanned herself, "They're all dusty."

"It'll be fine once the construction site is gone."

"Won't there be new construction sites then?"

"Hmm... at least it's not around here anymore... they might develop even more remote suburbs by then." Mo Xueyao said with a light laugh, "Why is this car being driven so erratically?"

Which one? The one in the back?

"Um……"

Just then, the truck suddenly swerved to the side, crossed the green belt, and crashed into us.

The driver seemed to have just woken up, but instead of slowing down, the car accelerated even further.

Before any of the three could react, Mo Xueyao instinctively took a step back, while Li Wanyan was about to be hit by the car.

"Yan!!" At this moment, he couldn't even call out a complete name. That exclamation was the only reminder he could offer.

……

Chapter Ninety-Seven: A Replay of Life (Part 1)

I still remember that it was autumn that year.

However, that autumn was exceptionally cold.

The leaves had fallen long ago, leaving the roadside trees bare. A stray cat, injured, was crouching among the withered weeds, licking its wounds.

A little girl dressed in thin clothes watched it from afar, wanting to approach but not daring to.

The wildcat seemed to sense her thoughts, and after hesitating for a moment, it turned and ran away.

It will find a safer and more secluded place to heal itself—without needing anyone's pity or sympathy.

"Hoo..." The girl hugged her knees and exhaled. Although it wasn't so cold that she could exhale white breath, she felt that every breath she took was icy.

This is Li Wanyan, a second-grade student.

The father and mother were arguing at home, and the alcoholic and incompetent man hit his wife.

His wife, Li Wanyan's mother, fled the house covered in wounds.

The rude man, the so-called father, left triumphantly with the family's remaining savings.

"I told you, I can win! What does this bitch know?!"

He uttered those words, it's unclear whether he meant them to the air or to Li Wanyan.

In short, he walked with his toes pointing outwards when he left, like a crab with its claws outstretched.

A full day and night have now passed.

No one was home. The rented house had not paid its electricity and water bills, and the water and electricity had been cut off.

The small window barely allowed any light into the room.

So she could only do her homework on a park bench.

After finishing writing, I didn't know where to go next, and I just felt extremely hungry.

go home?

Can that place still truly be called home?

Or rather... is a place without a mother truly a home?

The cold autumn wind blew up the test papers placed next to my schoolbag.

The bright red number "100" is particularly eye-catching.