A Young Woman's Heart

"Really! Don't let my seemingly carefree appearance fool you, I actually have a lot of worries too, I just try to think about the good things." She ran her fingers through her increasingly long hair. "I feel like I should probably get my hair trimmed sometime, it's too long and such a hassle."

"Just trim it a little?"

"Hmm... Spring is here, summer isn't far behind, is it? Maybe I should get a short haircut," Mo Xueyao muttered. "Don't you think I'm losing more and more hair lately?"

"I finally grew it long, should I cut it short?"

"Well, I have to give it a try, but if I cut it now, it might grow long again by summer."

"Then you can wait until it grows out before cutting it short again."

"So, I guess I should give it a try after all." Mo Xueyao said, gesturing excitedly. "Wanyan, what do you think of that layered, slightly messy hairstyle? Something with more texture and a bit of a cool, edgy vibe."

"Hmm... give it a try if you like."

"I'm a little hesitant about whether to cut it now or in the summer. If I cut it in the summer, it will grow back in the fall, which is just right."

"Then let's do it during the summer vacation." Li Wanyan made the decision for Mo Xueyao, who had trouble making choices.

"Okay, that's settled then! Alright, let's go down the mountain!" She stood up, patted the grass seeds off her clothes, and leisurely walked down the mountain.

Going downhill takes less effort, but it's actually more difficult than going uphill, and if you jump around too much, your knees will hurt a lot.

The best approach is to take it one step at a time.

Throughout the journey, Mo Xueyao kept playing with the five-cent revolver, and wherever she went, the smell of gunpowder wafted out.

By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, the mine had been completely emptied.

Mo Xueyao wanted to buy some more bullets to play with, but was told that there were no bullets for sale separately.

This left her with no choice but to keep the gun as a collectible, though she rarely knew where it ended up.

When I got home, my mother hadn't started preparing lunch yet. She probably thought that since Mo Xueyao and Li Wanyan hadn't returned yet, she would wait until they got home before starting.

"Mom, look at this!" Mo Xueyao held up the plastic bag she had helped Li Wanyan carry halfway there. It was filled with bitter herbs and some other wild vegetables and wildflowers.

"You picked this huge bag of bitter herbs? That can't be possible, right? You probably don't even recognize them. Did Yan Yan pick them?"

"Tch, so you look down on me that much!" Mo Xueyao put the bag on the ground with dissatisfaction. "Although it was indeed Wanyan who picked them."

"Oh, you picked some bitter herbs? I feel like I haven't had this kind of vegetable in years." The father said, pruning the flower branches and looking up. "Now that you mention it, I'm actually starting to crave it."

"Is it really that delicious?" Mo Xueyao rolled her eyes. "Mom, let Wanyan make this bitter vegetable dish this time!"

"You really dislike your mom's cooking that much?"

"I just wanted to try Wanyan's cooking..." Mo Xueyao muttered softly, "Of course, your cooking lately hasn't been very good either. Could you add more salt and oil? It's too bland!"

"Godmother, let me do it. Do you have any dried chili peppers at home?" Li Wanyan picked up the latch on the counter, plugged it into the faucet, turned it on, washed her hands, and said.

"Yes, we have scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers. Would you like to cook?" Mo Xueyao's mother didn't stand on ceremony at all, which made Li Wanyan smile with satisfaction.

This means that they truly treat her as part of the family.

If we're all family, there's no need to constantly use polite words when giving or receiving.

Of course, this is because Mo Xueyao's family all have this kind of temper; if it were any other family, it wouldn't be a problem.

After all, every family is different.

Some families feel that mutual respect is heartwarming, while others feel that being boisterous and inseparable is what makes a family warm and cozy.

"There's so much, we can't cook it all at once." Mother grabbed a large handful and put it in a basin. "Wash some first, then we'll use some to stir-fry and some to make a cold dish. I'll make the cold dish."

"Ok."

"Yaoyao, start cooking the rice." Of course, her mother didn't let Mo Xueyao be idle.

"Okay—" Mo Xueyao replied listlessly.

Meanwhile, Li Wanyan and her mother got busy together, washing the bitter greens with clean water and removing any unwanted leaves.

Then drain the water.

While waiting, Li Wanyan's mother watched her cook.

"They should be able to do it, right?" she asked, still a little uneasy.

"Yes, I will." Li Wanyan smiled, took out the washed garlic, chopped it, filled the pot, brought it to a boil, rinsed the chopped bitter greens in the water, then drained the water, heated the oil in a pan, and after waiting a while, threw in the garlic slices.

"Your technique is very skillful," the mother exclaimed. "If only Yaoyao could be as virtuous as you, but this girl only knows how to slack off all day long."

"Yaoyao is tired too," Li Wanyan said with a light laugh, defending Mo Xueyao.

"Wanyan will definitely not have to worry about not being able to get married in the future."

"Let's talk about the future later." Li Wanyan shook her head gently. After stir-frying the garlic, she put the bitter greens back into the pot, turned up the heat and stir-fried them vigorously for half a minute. Then she poured in some boiling water, covered the pot, and turned the heat to medium.

After simmering for a while, she opened the lid and stir-fried it over high heat for a few minutes, adding salt, dried chili peppers, and a little sugar.

"Did you figure this out yourself, or did your parents teach you?" the mother asked curiously, watching her sprinkle sugar.

“My mom taught me,” Li Wanyan said with a smile. “When we were in the countryside, we would pick some to eat.”

"I knew it! You know to use sugar to remove some of the bitterness." Mother smiled. "But maybe it tastes better without the sugar."

"Hmm, but I'm worried that Yaoyao won't be used to it."

"Haha, why do you always spoil her?" the mother laughed. "She should suffer a little! Hmm, I'll go make some cold bitter greens salad, and then stir-fry some green peppers and shredded pork. Once the rice in the rice cooker is cooked, we can have lunch."

"it is good."

Li Wanyan stir-fried the bitter greens again until they were evenly mixed, then poured them into a plate and took a bite herself with a pair of chopsticks.

"How is it?" The mother picked up her chopsticks, took a bite, and put it in her mouth. "Hmm—Yan Yan did a very good job."

"It's alright," Li Wanyan replied, a little embarrassed. "Yaoyao, want to eat?"

"Hmm, let me try it! You all say it's so delicious, but is it really that good?" Mo Xueyao rushed over, picked up a big mouthful and put it in her mouth.

The first sensation was refreshing and slightly crunchy, with a hint of sweetness. Then came a strong bitter taste, which made Mo Xueyao stick out her tongue after swallowing it: "Hiss—too bitter!"

"Who told you to eat such a big bite all at once?" the mother said irritably. "Bitter vegetables are meant to be eaten little by little. The sweetness in the bitterness must also be savored slowly!"

……

Chapter 189 Qingming Festival

The date was Tuesday, April 4, 2000.

Today is also a special festival for Chinese people – Qingming Festival.

However, there was no statutory holiday for Qingming Festival in those days, so both schools and workplaces had to continue working as usual.

But schools can always be flexible.

Today, Yukong High School organized all students from three grades to visit three different cemeteries to sweep tombs.

The first-year high school students were assigned to Hangzhou Yinshan Cemetery.

This place is quite close to Mo Xueyao's fruit shop and also quite close to the hillside. It's a cemetery built by the local government.

However, it is usually not crowded, and it only gets a little lively during the Qingming Festival.

Of course, this should have been a tomb-sweeping activity with a somber atmosphere of remembrance, but the students treated it like a lively spring outing.

There was no sadness in the air. The students, who were not lined up neatly, chatted casually around each other.

The vice principal was a little angry, but the current principal, Mo Kong, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Vice Principal, there's no need to get angry with the children. After all, they didn't experience that era, so it's normal that they don't empathize with it and don't understand the sacrifices and contributions of their predecessors."

"But we can't just leave it like this, can we?" the vice principal said irritably. "You always spoil those students. Don't you know that as a teacher and as a school leader, you have an obligation to guide them to have the right values? Yes, I haven't studied abroad and I can't argue with a young, elite like you, but the older generation's approach always has its reasons."

“Yes.” The principal nodded slightly without refuting, “How can students who have not experienced war and are sheltered in an ivory tower understand? As you said, what we need to do is not to force indoctrinate, but to guide.”

"Heh." The vice principal swung his arm and walked away, not wanting to see it and get annoyed.

Principal Mo looked at him calmly, his weathered eyes shifting slightly.

"Little Yao Yao, did you know that the Qingming Festival will also fall on April 4th twenty years from now?" While queuing, even though Zhang Yumeng was between Mingming and Mo Xueyao, Hua Yinyin still insisted on going past her to chat with Mo Xueyao.

"Why do you know such trivial things..." Mo Xueyao sighed helplessly, "How old will we be in twenty years?"

"Ah, don't think about it, don't think about it! Beautiful girls never grow old!" Hua Yinyin shouted.

"Ahem." Just as the students were waiting in an orderly fashion for the bus to arrive, a voice suddenly came over the school's loudspeaker.

Then many people saw the principal holding a wireless microphone, casually walking through the line, speaking in a relaxed and unhurried manner as if having a casual chat:

"On school days, we don't have to attend classes and can go out to relax. I think everyone would be very happy."

"After all, school-organized spring outings haven't been happening to most of you since junior high, right?"

"However, we are not going on a spring outing today. Everyone can relax on the way there and on the bus. It's okay. After all, people can't always be tense."

"However, I hope that when everyone starts to sweep the tombs of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives, they can remain quiet and not make noise."

“I am well aware that not everyone can empathize with wars that did not happen in their own time, but you must understand that it is because of the sacrifices of our predecessors that we have peace today. Perhaps they did not ask for anything in return when they sacrificed themselves, but we, their successors, cannot think that way.”

"Actually, I'm a principal who rarely talks much, haha, but there are some things that need to be said. Respecting the martyrs is also respecting ourselves."

No one likes war, but eventually someone has to bear the burden of war and end it.

"And they were such pioneers."

As Mo Kong said this, he happened to walk past Mo Xueyao. He turned his head, and a warm smile appeared in his weathered eyes, carrying a deep tenderness as he swept his gaze over all the students in front of him.

"I know everyone hates being lectured, so I won't say any more—please board the bus in an orderly manner, according to the head of teaching affairs for each grade and the homeroom teacher for each class."

The principal's words did have some effect, but they only quieted the students for a few minutes. Once they were on the bus, they started chatting enthusiastically again.

Of course, a few people were still infected and couldn't help but think of those past events etched in history.

In history, names are just a series of numbers, appearing cold and devoid of warmth, making them seem very distant.

But thinking about it carefully, in that era, those people might have been his relatives, his family, his friends...

The martyrs fought in the city, shedding their blood in every corner, just to protect this land that has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

The bus slowly started moving, and in a daze, Mo Xueyao felt as if she had traveled through time and space and was sitting on a troop carrier.

He was surrounded by silent comrades, and countless corpses lay all around him, some of the enemy and some of his own.