1987 My Era

Chapter 43, Enemies Meet

Before he could say hello, she looked into his eyes strangely and said:

"Li Heng, why don't I quit my job and marry you?"

Li Heng was startled when he heard this. Being stared at by her felt like an electric current passing through him, making his whole body feel numb.

He took a step back unconsciously and said, "Teacher, please don't scare me. I'm still a minor."

Wang Runwen laughed angrily and hooked his finger, "Come in!"

Li Heng felt dangerous and took another step back: "No, I'm afraid of getting beaten."

Wang Runwen kicked the door shut: "Then get out."

Li Heng was speechless. After ten seconds or so, he had to knock on the door again.

"Dong dong dong...!"

“Aa ...

This time, as soon as the knock sounded, the door opened inward. Wang Runwen put his hands on his chest, glanced at him, turned around and walked inside.

She said, "I've been reading your novel all morning."

"Ah."

"If you are thirsty, pour yourself some tea."

"Okay, dizzy... there's no water in the kettle."

"I just finished the last cup, so I made it myself."

Li Heng picked up the kettle to get water. While waiting, he complained, "Teacher, you are too rude. This is not the way to entertain guests."

Wang Runwen sat on the sofa and read the last part of the manuscript: "You are just a minor, what kind of guest are you?"

Hey, this woman is quite vindictive. She immediately hit back when I just mentioned minors.

After connecting the water and putting the kettle on the coal stove outside, Li Heng boasted a little: "I will be a great writer soon, you have to learn to be nice to me.

If you encounter difficulties outside in the future, you may be able to report my name. "

The English teacher crossed his legs and sneered, "How do you report it? Do you report Chen Zijin's husband? Or Song Yu's man? Or both?"

Damn it, he's always exposing my secrets. I can't even chat with him today!

Li Heng shrank back and leaned against the fabric sofa. While paying attention to the kettle, he slowly looked around the room.

You know what, even though it’s only 1987, it’s still pretty trendy inside.

There is a black and white TV, a landline telephone, a fabric sofa, curtains, a phonograph and a radio.

There was actually a sewing machine in the corner of the room, the famous Butterfly brand.

It seems that the old principal was not a clean person in the past.

It was rumored that the old principal and his wife had been at odds for decades. After he was transferred to the Affiliated High School of the Normal University, he fell in love with a female teacher there and started a new family.

This made his wife very angry, so she started dating the director of a state-owned enterprise and got married.

In short, outsiders say that the couple are not good people, both have bad tempers, and it is difficult to tell who is right or wrong.

This is really tough for the English teacher. Her childhood was filled with her parents fighting and arguing, smashing dishes and furniture, and her mother even attempted suicide by cutting her wrists several times. Although she was found and rescued each time, these things made her completely fearful of marriage.

Over the past ten years or so, no matter how her relatives and friends tried to introduce her to potential partners, she just refused to go.

The water boiled, and Wang Runwen finished reading the last few pages of the manuscript. He concentrated for a long time, feeling a little sad, and asked:
"It's really well written. How did you write it?"

Okay, this teacher hasn’t come out of the book yet.

Li Heng already had an explanation for how the book was written, and he immediately brought out the second uncle's life experience and the hundreds of books that Comrade Li Jianguo had in his possession.

Wang Runwen did not raise any questions in person, although he felt as if he was listening to something incomprehensible and was extremely shocked and found it unbelievable.

But the manuscript of "To Live" was in her hands, and with facts and evidence, she had no choice but to believe it.

Watching Li Heng pour two cups of boiled water, one for him and one for himself, the English teacher was stunned for a while, then stood up, found a can of tea leaves, and put two handfuls of tea into the cups.

She looked up at the clock on the wall and said, "It's almost time. Only one minute left."

Hearing this, Li Heng looked at the wall clock.

12: 19.

He reached out and brought the landline phone closer, then picked up the scalding hot tea and poured it into the cup in sips to cool it down.

"Dingle bell...Dingle bell..."

As the two were waiting quietly, the red phone in front of them rang on time.

The English teacher said, “Here it comes.”

"Ah."

"You don't want to answer?"

"No hurry, wait a minute."

In Li Heng's opinion, from the moment the phone rang, the two parties entered the negotiation stage. In order to get the bargaining chips he wanted, he couldn't show an eager look.

The first call rang 8 times, then naturally completed the procedure and hung up automatically.

The time agreed upon by both parties arrived, but no one answered the phone. Chen Xiaomi in Beijing suddenly had a bad feeling. Could this "December" be a difficult person?
But then she began to comfort herself, thinking that communication was inconvenient these days and the other party was a teacher, so maybe he was delayed for a while because of his students' matters.

After all, no one is a saint, right? It is inevitable that something will happen. Thinking of this, Chen Xiaomi calmed down and waited for another 5 minutes before making the second call.

"Jingle Bell…"

The bell rang again in the quiet living room. Wang Runwen looked at him with a calm expression and suddenly felt dazed: it seemed that Li Heng was more mature than himself in his heart.

Logically speaking, with such a big happy event happening, let alone her, even the older teacher Wang Qi and the dean of studies couldn't remain so calm. Shouldn't they have been ecstatic a long time ago?
This time Li Heng did not keep the other party waiting for long and picked up the receiver after the second ring.

"Hello."

The three words "Hello, how are you" made Chen Xiaomi subconsciously stunned. Why did the voice on the other end of the phone give her a sense of familiarity?

It seems like I've heard it somewhere before?
But when she thought about it carefully, she couldn't remember where she had heard it.

In fact, it was normal for her not to associate it with Li Heng in a short period of time.

Chen Xiaomi was a college student born in 80. He left his hometown early and has been working in Beijing since graduating from college.

Besides, Chen Gaoyuan and his son were ordinary people in the late 80s. Since her father and brother came to Beijing, she usually stayed with them during the winter and summer vacations and seldom went back to her hometown.

Li Heng has been growing taller over the years, and he also experienced a male voice change in the third year of junior high school. His voice is no longer the same as it was in his childhood.

Even though they had been caught in bed together last summer and had officially spent time together in a room face to face, she was the one doing the verbal output.

Faced with Chen Xiaomi, who is as strong as his second sister, how could Li Heng, a country bumpkin who knew he was in the wrong and had no social experience, dare to talk back?
He always kept his head down at that time.

Therefore, it was good to have a sense of familiarity through the phone, or maybe it was because she was more sensitive.

Of course, the most important thing is that she would not subconsciously think in the direction of Li Heng.

Just imagine how sophisticated the writing style of "To Live" is, how profound the story and thought are, and how old is Li Heng? He is only a little over 17 years old, a few months younger than Zijin. It would be strange if he was the first person to come to mind.

Chen Xiaomi didn't recognize it was him.

Li Heng was unable to tell right away because the other person's voice was hoarse.

Chen Xiaomi felt that she was too concerned about this opportunity and was a little suspicious. She immediately adjusted her attitude and replied:
"Hello, I'm Chen Xiaomi, the editor of People's Literature. Are you the writer December?"

What?

What’s going on?
Chen Xiaomi?? !!

Is it such a coincidence? Is this how the saying "enemies meet on a narrow road" is interpreted?
Is it really that bitch from the Chen family?
Li Heng couldn't believe it. God was really playing tricks on him. He was just planning to use "literature" to make trouble for her, but he didn't expect that God would deliver it to his door personally.

This is even more accurate than China Post delivery!
Seeing no response on the phone, Chen Xiaomi asked again: "Hello, are you still there?"

"Yes, I am December." Li Heng suppressed the happiness in his heart and answered calmly.

After many twists and turns, the author was finally found. Chen Xiaomi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said elegantly:

"Congratulations December, your book "To Live" has passed our preliminary review. Can I ask you a few questions now?"

Li Heng said: "Okay."

Chen Xiaomi first asked: "Are you from Shaoyang?"

Li Heng said: "That's right."

Chen Xiaomi smiled and said, "What a coincidence! I am also from Shaoyang. I didn't expect that we are from the same hometown. Your "To Live" is very contagious."

Well, I know you are from Shaoyang, I came here just for you...

But it's really cool to hear you, a woman, calling me "you" all the time.

Li Heng was happy and complained in his heart, but he was very humble on the surface: "Thank you, you are too kind."

After a few words of conversation, Chen Xiaomi felt that the other party's attitude was quite good, much better than she expected.

She then asked a question that Uncle Dai and the editor-in-chief were particularly concerned about: "How many words are left after "To Live"?"

李恒悉数回答：“全文总共是13万5000字左右，邮寄了4万到贵社，后面大概还有9万5000字。”

Chen Xiaomi wrote it down with a pen, and then said, "The first 4 words of "To Live" are well written. We have accepted your submission. When can you send the rest?"

Normally, editors of People's Literature would not be so polite to new authors.

But Li Heng's mature version of "To Live" had a great impact on the editorial department. The writing style, story and ideology were extremely sophisticated and impeccable.

Chen Xiaomi believed that the other person would become a great literary figure in the future and that she had no guidance to offer, so with the idea of ​​building a good relationship with him, she behaved very politely.

Li Heng did not talk about the mailing, but asked: "Can I ask a question first?"

Chen Xiaomi said: "Please ask."

Li Heng asked: "How much is the fee your publishing house gave me?"

Chen Xiaomi was a little confused by this question.

She has been working for two years and has dealt with countless writers. Other writers would be very happy to be able to publish articles in "People's Literature", so how could they actively ask about royalties when they first contacted her?
Literature is such an elegant subject, how could it be so vulgar to talk about money?

Besides, isn’t it all “People’s Literature” that decides what the amount is?
Is this person a money-grubber?
But he is too obsessed with money and can't understand the occasion?

I just thought that the other person was easy to get along with, but I didn't expect to be slapped in the face so quickly.

Just as Chen Xiaomi was pondering how to put it, a conversation suddenly came from the other end of the phone.

I saw a woman asking the writer December: "Is this the number for Harvest magazine?"

Then there was a faint voice over there: "Shhh~!"

Got it!
This time, Chen Xiaomi was not just stunned, but felt like she was struck by lightning. She just stood there in a daze, feeling chilled to the bone!
(End of this chapter)