A Young Woman's Heart

“Salty glutinous rice balls can be made too,” Li Wanyan shook her head. “That doesn’t prove anything.”

"Oh yeah, that's true... I wonder if we're having tangyuan or yuanxiao today?"

……

Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Start of School After the Spring Festival

2000 2 Month 21 Day.

The weather has warmed up a bit, and it's getting light earlier every day.

Perhaps she hadn't gotten used to waking up early for school yet; it was already six o'clock, and Mo Xueyao still hadn't gotten out of bed.

"Yaoyao—aren't you supposed to get up early to go to school?" The decisive mother pushed open the door and shouted loudly.

"What time is it...?"

It's seven o'clock!

"Huh!?" Mo Xueyao was startled and jumped up. When she looked at the alarm clock, it was clearly only a minute past six, not seven o'clock!

She looked at her mother speechlessly, but since she was already up, she naturally wouldn't go back to bed.

That's just how mothers are; they always like to talk for an extra hour to create a sense of urgency.

However, if she hadn't said that, Mo Xueyao probably would have stayed in bed until seven o'clock.

Stepping out of the room, Li Wanyan was eating breakfast in small bites. Seeing Mo Xueyao come out, she smiled and greeted her, "Xiaoyao, you're awake?"

"Oh, I'll wash up first—I hope I won't be too late to open the door later?"

"There's still time," Li Wanyan reassured her.

So Mo Xueyao rushed into the bathroom, making a series of 'bang bang' sounds, as if something had been knocked to the ground and then picked up.

The sound of brushing teeth was a loud "swish swish swish," not like brushing teeth, but more like quickly washing shoes with a scrubbing brush...

Five minutes later, Mo Xueyao ran out of the bathroom, sat down in front of the pumpkin porridge that had been served to her, and began to eat heartily.

In fact, her washing and brushing speed is much slower than before.

In the past, if she was in a hurry, she could finish brushing her teeth and washing her face in a minute.

"Slow down," Li Wanyan said with a hint of helplessness.

School has started, which means I'll have to wear that skirt-style school uniform again.

In fact, Mo Xueyao hadn't worn a skirt for a month. When she put them on again, it felt like the first time she had worn them, and she felt uncomfortable.

The main reason is that I feel the skirt is too light and airy, and I don't feel safe in it.

Perhaps because I hadn't worn stockings in a long time, it took me quite a while to put them on this time.

Mo Xueyao and Li Wanyan were both dressed in black, mainly because this color is dirt-resistant and low-key.

Although it was not yet 6:30, the sun was already high in the sky, and the bright sunlight gilded the entire city with a layer of gold.

Mo Xueyao and Li Wanyan got on their bicycles and rode towards the school.

Since Li Wanyan would no longer be living in the small room at the fruit shop, but instead would be sleeping directly with Mo Xueyao, her father repaired and maintained his bicycle, which hadn't been used in a long time, and gave it to her to ride.

The car's paint was also changed to her favorite black.

Although it's environmentally friendly paint, it was only applied two days ago, and when I took it out to ride today, there was still a faint paint smell.

The biggest difference between the father's car and Mo Xueyao's car was the front bumper.

Mo Xueyao's bicycle seat has a curved bar, which means it's lower and easier to sit on.

My father's bicycle had a crossbar, and someone could sit on that bar; many men's bicycles were like that.

However, this also means that if you are not tall enough, it will be a little difficult to climb up.

Therefore, when Li Wanyan rides this bike, she first puts one foot on one pedal, then pushes off the ground with the other foot, using the reaction force to propel the bicycle forward, and then steps onto the seat while still using the pedal.

"How is it? Can I ride it?"

"You'll get used to it," Li Wanyan replied, squinting her eyes.

She can ride a bicycle, but she rarely does.

Firstly, the only bicycle in the family used to be the one my mother used to go to work.

Secondly, her home is not particularly far from the school; in the past, walking to school was sufficient.

Sunshine, gentle breeze, and the fragrance of flowers.

And the feeling of ease and freedom while riding a bicycle.

This made Li Wanyan take a deep breath.

She felt her heart, which had been closed off for many years, slowly emerging from the protective chamber, reaching out to feel the free air outside.

Unconsciously, she increased her cycling speed, as if she were flying a kite, letting her heart soar.

The pedestrians, greenery, and shops along the street were left behind by her, while the clouds in the sky followed closely behind her, one of which looked like a round smiling face.

Every pore on her body was relaxed, enjoying this peaceful time and this happy day.

I couldn't help but smile foolishly.

In the blink of an eye, she arrived at school, still feeling a little reluctant to leave.

Half a minute later, Mo Xueyao caught up, panting. As soon as she reached the school gate, she jumped off her bike and leaned against it, asking, "Huff... Wan... Wanyan... why were you riding so fast...?"

Having not exercised for a long time, Mo Xueyao's body was naturally not as good as Li Wanyan's, who exercised regularly.

"I'm sorry." Li Wanyan's smile faded, and she regained her usual calm demeanor. "It's been a long time since I rode a bicycle."

"Wanyan would actually get excited about something like this?" Mo Xueyao scratched her head, looking at her with curiosity as if she were seeing her for the first time.

Li Wanyan seemed a little shy. She didn't answer, but turned her back and pushed her bike into the school.

The weather is fairly warm today, especially when you're standing in the sunshine.

In this kind of weather, even students who don't like going to class will be happy to come to school to bask in the sun, chat with their classmates, and brag a little.

Thinking about it carefully, time really flies. Excluding the first month in the hospital, Mo Xueyao has already attended classes here for a semester, and she has been a girl for almost half a year.

These six months were nothing compared to the previous sixteen years, but for her, they felt longer than the three years of junior high school.

Because so much has happened in between, and my body has undergone such significant changes, there are many things I need to adapt to.

Even if she were willing to adapt, her body's habits and instincts wouldn't make things go smoothly.

Boy or girl?

If we disregard physical gender and only consider the mindset, what exactly defines a boy and what defines a girl?

She felt that she was neither a girl nor a boy at that moment.

It seems to exist somewhere in between, a genderless entity.

—Or you could say she's both like a girl and a boy.

Lost in thought, Mo Xueyao couldn't help but pinch the hem of her skirt.

If it were me in the past, I would never have been able to walk around the street in such a dress with such a calm and relaxed feeling...

Is it just a habit?

Habits are truly a terrible thing.

"Ah, the class monitor is finally here!" Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from the front. Mo Xueyao looked up and saw Wang Jiale jumping around in place, smiling and waving at her, "Xiaoyao!"

"Huh, why is Lele here so early today?" Mo Xueyao said in surprise. "Is she going to copy homework again?"

"Am I that kind of person?!" Wang Jiale muttered, hands on her hips, dissatisfied. "I finished writing a long time ago! I was just bored at home, so I wanted to come to school early!"

"That's true." A long winter break can actually make you feel bored staying at home.

After all, coming to school means I can meet so many classmates and experience many more interesting things.

Humans are social animals, after all. Staying cooped up at home all the time can get boring.

"Good morning," Li Wanyan greeted Wang Jiale with a smile.

"Huh?" Wang Jiale froze on the spot, and after a long while, he darted to Mo Xueyao's ear and whispered, "Did I see that right just now?"

"What did you misread?"

"Did the class monitor smile?"

"The class monitor isn't a robot, is it weird for him to smile?" Mo Xueyao said, speechless.

"No, I mean, it's so rare! I've never seen the class monitor smile before."

"Really?" Mo Xueyao tilted her head. "Then you'll probably see him often in the future."

As they were talking, Li Wanyan had already opened the classroom door with her key. No one had entered the room for almost a month, and the air had become quite stuffy.

She coughed as she was choked by the dust, and quickly opened the window to ventilate the room.

Wang Jiale and Mo Xueyao put their schoolbags down in their seats and slipped out, because the stuffy smell inside was just too unpleasant.

A long-awaited reunion is always a joyful occasion.

Although this is just a reunion after a short separation during winter break.

But there are still many novel and fun things to talk about.

Even though Wang Jiale was talking about things that girls would be interested in, Mo Xueyao listened patiently, setting aside her so-called prejudices as a boy. Those things were actually quite interesting.

For example, she said that she made dumplings during the Chinese New Year, but she didn't know how to make them at all, and ended up making all sorts of strange and unusual dumplings.

Another example is when a certain celebrity appeared on the Spring Festival Gala, and people talked about how handsome he was, which in turn stirred up gossip about other celebrities.

Men generally prefer to talk about national and family affairs, while women usually prefer to talk about gossip.

There is no right or wrong, no good or bad.

We just have different areas of interest.

Furthermore, the fact that different groups are talking about different things is proof of the peace in this country, showing that people don't need to focus on the same thing and can enjoy their own lives in peace.