A Young Woman's Heart

"Sigh, my hair has become so hard to manage after it grew long." Mo Xueyao hesitated, touching her long hair that draped over her shoulders. "Should I cut it shorter...?"

"..."

"Never mind, let's keep it."

"I'll take care of it for you." Li Wanyan held the backpack strap with one hand and tilted her head slightly to look at her.

The two of them didn't buy anything along the way, and it looked like they would just have to pick out some food from the snack shops near the school gate again.

"Hey, the breakfast vendor near the school gate is here so early today!"

"Ah."

Let's buy from them!

"it is good."

This breakfast stall sells fried rice cakes, and you can often see students arriving at school around 7 a.m. carrying them into the classroom, showing how popular they are.

Furthermore, the owner only sells this staple food; other items like soy milk and soy beverages are just drinks to accompany it.

"Boss, how much are the fried rice cakes?" Mo Xueyao asked, pointing to the fried rice cakes that were about the size of an elementary school Chinese textbook.

These were all freshly cooked, still steaming hot, and there were some still frying in the pan, sizzling with oil, making her swallow hard.

Although eating fried food in the morning is bad for your health, Mo Xueyao still chose to follow her body's instincts in the face of this tempting aroma.

"We have rice and glutinous rice flavors, and some are even filled with minced meat. Which one do you want?"

"The kind with rice and minced meat, right?" Mo Xueyao made her decision after only a slight hesitation, without even asking the price.

"And you?" the boss asked, looking at Li Wanyan.

"Same."

"Two for a total of eight cents."

Mo Xueyao quickly paid the money and casually stuffed the two one-cent bills that the other party gave her into her skirt pocket.

The fried rice cakes are big and thick; even a boy would be full after eating one and a half. They're so big that they're enough for a girl.

Mo Xueyao specifically asked for an extra plastic bag and wrapped it in two layers, because if she only wrapped it in one bag, her hands would still feel oily.

It looked as if the grease would seep through the plastic bag and leak out.

The two arrived early today, and no one was waiting at the classroom door. Mo Xueyao wasn't in a hurry to go to the band room. Instead, she leisurely opened the envelope while drinking hot tea and munching on fried rice cakes.

The envelope was mainly written in English, but it also contained a lot of Chinese characters. Although the handwriting was like that of an elementary school student, at least the sentences were coherent.

It seems that her Chinese has improved considerably during her months in China.

Wang Jiale hadn't arrived yet, so Li Wanyan sat in her seat, eating breakfast, and then read Nora's letters with Mo Xueyao.

Mo Xueyao first silently read the English text, then murmured its translation into Chinese in a very soft voice, probably only audible to Li Wanyan beside her.

The letter begins by mentioning the envelope.

"Xiaoyao, it's been a long time. This envelope is from Russia. My father said it's the kind of envelope he used when he was in the army. Soldiers on the battlefield would write letters to their families to let them know they were safe..."

"Yaoyao's vocabulary is growing bigger and bigger," Li Wanyan praised from the side.

"Hehe... I think I can read pure English books directly now—of course, only the kind of English novels that are easy to understand."

Mo Xueyao swayed smugly, while Li Wanyan shook her head slightly, took a bite of the crispy fried rice cake, and made a 'crunch' sound.

The essence of fried rice cake lies in its golden and crispy outer skin, while the inside is soft, glutinous, and chewy. It is said that in the past, people were reluctant to waste leftover rice, so they would fry it in oil and then take it out to eat. Of course, this story has many flaws. For example, if there wasn't enough rice to eat, where would so much oil come from?

Unless the oil is reused, and only this one pot of oil is used all year round...

"I'm still in Hangzhou. Although we live very close by, we don't have much time to keep in touch." Mo Xueyao continued reading. "But the good news is that I'm no longer just a decorative model. After my strong application, I finally got a job as a designer and now I specialize in drawing interior design plans for companies or individuals."

“That’s why she’s so busy…” Mo Xueyao nodded, muttering to herself, “Nora also wants to realize her true value.”

"Yes, she doesn't want to be just a pretty face."

"Is this what a truly independent woman is like?" Mo Xueyao muttered, tilting her head. "If I had to choose, between two jobs with similar salaries, but one was a very easy one, I would definitely choose the easy one..."

"But that kind of thing has no room for advancement."

"But it's so easy! The point of making money is to enjoy it." A corner of the letter was blown up by the wind. Mo Xueyao pressed it down with her cup and then smoothed out the crumpled letter.

The letters were mostly about ordinary, everyday things.

Nora also said she would be going back to visit her father soon, partly to see him and partly to renew her visa...

She doesn't know the specifics yet; she'll only find out after the process is completed.

To her, Mo Xueyao was practically a fellow countryman. Although only her great-grandfather was a pure Moscow-born Russian, their blood ties weren't too far apart, especially since her great-grandfather had only passed away yesterday...

In this unfamiliar foreign land, Nora's only contact was probably with her.

That's why I took time out of my busy schedule to write her a letter.

You could just make a phone call.

Of course, it's also possible that she doesn't even have time to make a complete phone call.

She said her current salary is actually lower than when she was a model, but her life is fulfilling and her future is bright, which makes her feel very happy.

The letter was read quickly, and at the end was a passage written in Chinese: "Living here makes me feel like I've returned to the real Red Soviet Union that my father once mentioned. I truly hope that you can carry on that belief forever—instead of becoming the Soviet Union that was later riddled with holes."

I don't know what people or events she encountered that led her to such feelings.

However, Mo Xueyao was quite confident: "Well, learning from history, our country will definitely not follow the old path of the Soviet Union again."

"Ah."

"Phew, let me see how to reply..." Mo Xueyao stuffed the last small piece of fried rice cake into her mouth, took the napkin handed to her by Li Wanyan, wiped her hands, and then bent over the table to write.

It feels like we've gone back to the days when we had to send letters to the northern countryside.

However, this time, because the distance was very close, her message was very brief. In short, she asked if she was free recently and if she wanted to hang out with her friends.

"Should we bring other people with us?"

"Hmm, Nora really enjoys being around people." Mo Xueyao tore off the draft paper that was being used as letter paper, planning to put it in an envelope when she got home from school. "Hmm... speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've contacted Atao and the others."

"A friend from junior high school?"

"Hmm, it's my best friend from junior high—Wanyan has met her before, right?"

"If I remember correctly, that should be it," Li Wanyan replied carefully.

“I haven’t met Lele and the others. Hmm… they’re quite interesting, especially Atao’s girlfriend. They’re like a pair of bickering lovers.” Mo Xueyao couldn’t help but laugh. “Phew, I should probably head to the band room by now.”

"Ah."

"Wanyan, please keep an eye on my homework!"

You say that every morning.

"I'm repeating it every day so you won't forget!"

"No, it won't." Li Wanyan glanced at the homework on Mo Xueyao's desk. "Just put it in the drawer, I'll find it for you later."

“Okay, then I’ll put it in the drawer…” Mo Xueyao stuffed all the homework on the table back into the drawer, then picked up her keyboard bag and staggered out of the classroom.

Another ordinary and mundane day begins; this is the life of most people.

……

Chapter 141 The skin was broken

The pink bicycle, after being exposed to the sun and wind, has turned somewhat black, and no matter how much you wipe it, the stubborn dirt on it is still difficult to remove.

Mo Zhuyou had one arm around her sister's waist, and in the other hand she held a flatbread that she had made last night and heated up this morning to take on the road.

The pancake is filled with pickled cowpeas and a little bit of minced meat. When you take a bite, a lot of filling will leak out and fall into the bag.

She usually waits until she finishes eating the flatbread before finishing off the leftover filling.

A gentle breeze caressed the two sisters' cheeks, carrying with it the tenderness of the morning sun.

The gates of Yukong High School were already open, and the students who had arrived early were preparing to begin their duties.

"Heave-ho!" Before the bicycle had even come to a complete stop, Mo Zhuyou jumped off the back seat. It wasn't a particularly difficult move, but her right leg suddenly gave way. Mo Xiaoxiao, who had just gotten off the bike, didn't have time to react. When she turned around, the latter was already on one knee.

"Ouch—" She clutched her knee in pain, grimacing as she slowly stood up.

"How is it?" the older sister asked anxiously.

"It hurts a little... Ouch!" Her voice trembled slightly when her sister touched her wound. "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

"Let's go to the infirmary... I told you, don't jump off the bus like that." Her older sister patted her head, both amused and exasperated, and with one hand on the bus and the other on her, they walked into the school.

Mo Xiaoxiao first parked her bicycle in the underground garage, and then led her limping sister to the entrance of the infirmary.

The door was ajar, but there was no one inside.

On the table was a triangular stand with the words "Temporarily Away" written on it, and on the back was the sentence "Band-Aid in the table drawer".

It's clear that the medical staff won't be coming anytime soon.

"Phew..." Mo Zhuyou sat on the small bed next to her, finally having time to check her wounds.

When she fell, her body slid forward a little distance, and the skin and her pantyhose were torn at her knees, leaving a bloody mess that looked quite serious, but it was actually already starting to scab over.

"Let me see your left leg." Mo Xiaoxiao squatted down in front of her sister and gently patted her thigh.

"Hmm... my left leg seems fine..." The younger sister smiled a little sheepishly and lifted her left leg. "I didn't expect to fall..."

"Don't do such dangerous things next time. What if you land headfirst?" Mo Xiaoxiao glared at her, annoyed. "Did you twist your ankle?"

"My right foot is a little... sprained."

"Show me your hand."

"Oh, my hand is fine now..."

That's what she said, but the little sister still obediently stretched out both hands.

Her older sister carefully examined her palms and said with concern, "You said you were fine, but the palms of both your hands are a little scratched."

"That one didn't even have much of a scratch, right?"