A Young Woman's Heart

"It's okay."

"...Potato peels are poisonous."

"Just a little bit, that's how I've eaten it since I was a kid."

Tian Tingchan stopped trying to persuade him and instead took out two small wine glasses, pouring a glass of cherry blossom wine for herself and Zhou Yong.

"Hmm, this wine is sweet, but it doesn't taste like alcohol."

"Hmm..." Hearing this, Tian Tingchan felt much more at ease. She picked up her wine glass and took a sip, but her brows furrowed slightly, as if the wine still tasted very strong to her.

Do you like to drink?

"I don't drink much."

"Looks like you rarely drink—excuse me, could we have some more?"

"Pour it yourself."

The two clinked glasses occasionally, took sips of tofu soup, and ate a few peanuts.

The potatoes, which were a staple food, were quickly eaten up.

However, although the wine was sweet, it had a strong aftereffect. Zhou Yong was already slightly tipsy and his voice became louder, while Tian Tingchan hugged her knees and became even more silent.

"Zhou Yong".

"Hmm? What's wrong? Ah... you interrupted me, I forgot where I was... cough haha... go on, go on."

Why do people live?

"Humans...humans are alive...well...we are all forced to be born into this world, at least when we are born, no one asked us if we wanted to be born, but since we are born, we are alive, and living is for...for obtaining...more happiness!"

"But what if you can't find happiness?"

"No, no...it must be your mindset that's wrong. On the journey of life, you should enjoy everything, whether it's setbacks or pain...ah...there's a saying, 'In the midst of suffering...no, find joy in suffering!'"

"What's the point?"

“Yes, it allows you to go further, see more things, and meet more people. That’s the meaning of life! When you feel it has meaning, it has meaning. You don’t need anyone else to explain it to you… Your meaning in life belongs to you, and it’s different from others’!” Zhou Yong stood up excitedly, then stumbled forward and fell face-first onto Tian Tingchan. “Sorry, sorry… I didn’t mean to…”

She shook her head silently, while Zhou Yong stood up again.

She sighed, her eyes slightly red.

Zhou Yong suddenly grabbed her slightly cold little hand: "Are you unhappy because your hands are cold? That shouldn't be the case... The sun is quite strong... Ah..."

Drunk, Zhou Yong rambled on and on: "If you think life is meaningless just because your hands are cold, that's just too... too funny! Hahaha! If your hands are cold, find a way to warm them up; if you're unhappy, find a way to make yourself happy; if life feels meaningless, find something meaningful to do! Right!"

"Hmm..." Tian Tingchan slightly raised her small face, only to find that Zhou Yong in front of her had already fallen asleep while standing.

……

Chapter 211 Under the Sun (Part 1)

This article attempts to be written from Mo Xiaoxiao's first-person perspective.

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For me, being able to sleep until noon is a very rare thing.

Perhaps it only happens a few times a year.

Because there are many things to do every day.

Busy with family matters, busy with my sister's matters, busy with my own matters...

When my parents passed away, I didn't even fall into confusion or hesitation, because I knew that if I started to feel uneasy, my younger sister would feel even more uneasy.

It was clearly not what their parents wanted to see as they went to heaven.

As the older sister, I can only shoulder the responsibility of taking good care of my younger sister.

Sunlight streamed through my eyelids and into my eyes; the warm sunlight made me feel a little sweaty.

I kicked back a corner of the blanket, and a slight breeze blew in, waking me from my sleep.

call……

The midday sun hung high in the sky.

I lazily looked around, not in a hurry to get up, because I knew that I didn't have to go to school or work today, and I could lie there leisurely.

But when I think about the clothes I still need to wash, the cleaning I still need to do, and the breakfast I haven't made yet—it should be lunchtime now, right?

As I was thinking this, it felt like a bell was ringing in my head, making me sit up in bed.

Sure enough, I still have to get up; procrastination is not a good habit.

Phew, is my little sister awake yet?

I sat on the edge of the bed and turned my head to look to the side. I saw my younger sister sleeping soundly with one hand to her mouth. Saliva was drooling from the corner of her mouth, and she was making smacking noises as if she was chewing something.

Did you dream about the barbecue at yesterday's school anniversary party?

Let her sleep a little longer. Anyway, there's plenty of time today, and the sunshine feels nice on her skin.

I walked to the window and drew the curtains wide, letting the bright sunlight stream into the room.

The first thing to do after getting up is, of course, to wash up.

I slowly climbed down the stairs to the small attic where the bed was placed and went into the bathroom on the basement floor.

Ugh, really, my sister has thrown her clothes away again.

Wasn't it supposed to be soaked in a bucket?

What a lazy guy!

Helpless, I put the school uniform that she had just thrown on the sink while showering yesterday into the plastic bucket next to me.

That was what the construction workers used to mix latex paint when they were installing the cabin.

After I put it away, I washed it more than ten times, and then used it as a bucket for soaking clothes.

This way, clothes will be cleaner even when washed in a washing machine.

Besides... it's better not to use a washing machine if you can avoid it. It wears out your clothes too much, and you'll have to buy a new school uniform later, which is not worth it.

I pinched the blue and white striped briefs between two fingers and tossed them into another basin.

Outerwear, clothes, and underwear all need to be washed separately to get them clean.

Because I had to do laundry in the morning, I put my hair up in a bun and used several hair clips to hold my bangs in place so they wouldn't get dirty while I was doing laundry.

A few strands of dry, yellow hair broke off while I was combing my hair. Although I consciously tried to catch them with the sink, quite a few still fell to the floor.

Sometimes I think being a girl is really troublesome. Every time I clean, the most trash is just strands of hair.

Moreover, it's quite difficult to clean it completely.

Sometimes, just as you've cleaned it up, a few more pieces fall onto the floor. If someone with OCD were to do that, they'd go crazy.

Fortunately, I only have mild obsessive-compulsive disorder, but it's not that serious.

The same brushes are used for washing underwear, coats, shoes, and socks.

When we lived in a rented apartment, we couldn't keep things so organized. Now that we have such a big home, everything has to be in perfect order.

I first washed my underwear, and then brushed my school uniform jacket.

My sister has a yellowish-brown stain on her skirt. Did she spill soup on it while eating lunch?

Hmm, I hadn't noticed before, but now it's going to be a bit difficult to wash...

Washing clothes is a tedious and boring task, but as long as you can calm down, it won't feel too difficult.

Thinking about other things while doing laundry can make time pass faster.

I was just thinking about what to make for lunch when I snapped out of it and realized I'd finally washed the stain off my skirt.

Fortunately, the school uniforms at Yukong High School are made of a relatively durable material; otherwise, with such vigorous washing, they would have developed a hole sooner or later.

Since we had to go to the courtyard on the first floor to dry the clothes, I sorted them into categories and put them in a clean basin. Then I took out the little leather shoes that my sister and I wore at the school anniversary celebration, dipped a soft shoe brush in a little water, and simply brushed the surface. Then I used a stiffer brush to scrub the soles clean.

Leather shoes shouldn't be washed all the time, so a quick rinse like this is enough.

Although they were cheap items bought at a small commodity market, they were still the most expensive shoes my sister and I owned.

We only wear them for important events; normally we both wear those cheap canvas shoes that cost ten yuan a pair from street vendors.

Standing up after washing the clothes is probably the most painful part.

I felt numbness in my lower body and stiffness in my back. I had to endure the soreness in my back and the numbness in my legs. Then I slowly stood up while holding onto the wall. If I stood up too quickly, I would feel dizzy.

After about three minutes, the commotion subsided. I breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the basin, went downstairs, and opened the door to the yard.

Life is so much happier now than when I lived in a rented room. I not only have a two-and-a-half-story house, but also such a big yard.

The village is still a bit far away from us.

A bike ride of one or two kilometers might not take too long, but all you can see in the distance is a small village that looks like a miniature model.

The tea plantation behind the house was quiet; no one was picking tea leaves today.

I squinted to adjust to the sunlight, hanging my clothes one by one on the clothes rack, and then placing my little leather shoes aside to let the sun dry them and dissipate the sweat smell.

These pantyhose have another hole in them.

Fortunately, it's in the back of the knee, so it's not too noticeable and the hole isn't too big, so I can still wear it a little longer.

It seems like we're running low on new stockings and pantyhose; we'll have to buy some more from the street vendors later.

After hanging the clothes out to dry, I went back to my room. The house was fairly clean, because I don't spend much time at home, so there was just some dust but not much trash.

When I swept the 'bedroom,' which resembled an open-plan loft, with a broom and dustpan, I found that my younger sister was already awake. She was lazily sticking her legs out of the covers, then tightly clutching the blankets, letting the bright, warm sunlight shine on her back.

She was holding my phone. Although I couldn't see the screen, I knew she was playing Tetris on her phone from the familiar electronic music.

"Awake?"

"Mmm—" the little sister stretched lazily and said in a spoiled tone, "I don't want to get up~"