1987 My Era

Chapter 568, Xiao Han and Mai Sui, Seeking Divination (Please Subscribe!)

We set off from Lushan Village at 4:30 a.m.

At 7 a.m., the group of six boarded the plane.

The plane tickets are all next to each other.

Xiao Han sat down next to Li Heng quite naturally.

Sun Manning secretly pursed her lips, pulled Mai Sui to sit on the other side of the aisle, and tried to stay as far away from that adulterous couple as possible.

In the end, only Zhang Haiyan and Yang Cheng were left to get together.

As soon as she settled into her seat, Zhang Haiyan asked Yang Cheng furtively, "Hey, what's going on here? Something feels off."

Yang Cheng's expression was exaggerated: "Oh my! We're both adults, and your college entrance exam scores are so much higher than mine. Stop pretending to be stupid, okay?"

Zhang Haiyan glanced at Mai Sui and asked, "I've heard rumors that Li Heng and Mai Sui have an ambiguous relationship?"

Yang Cheng shook his head: "I don't know."

Zhang Haiyan was furious: "Then what did you mean by what you just said?"

Yang Cheng shook his head: "I don't know."

Zhang Haiyan said disdainfully, "No wonder you're so fat, you know nothing. You're just carefree and overweight."

"I don't like it when you talk to me like that. Am I a ball? I'm lucky to automatically attract senior girls to sleep on my belly. It's better than you drugging boys." Yang Cheng wouldn't tolerate anything less than a stunning beauty, and he retorted directly.

Zhang Haiyan retorted, annoyed, "You heard that too?"

Yang Cheng patted his butt: "Your glorious deeds have become legendary. Let me tell you, you're quite famous in our school."

Xiao Han miraculously pulled a piece of dark chocolate from her pocket, unwrapped it, and brought it to his lips, saying crisply:

"My husband, have a bite."

Li Heng asked curiously, "I remember you don't like snacks, when did you buy this?"

Xiao Han laughed and said, "What are you going to buy? I'm not buying anything. I'll take it from the cabinet under the TV."

I found there were still many inside, including a new, unopened box. I thought you liked them, so I brought them back.

Li Heng: "..."

This dark chocolate was a gift I gave to Mai Sui myself.

I never expected my wife to be so cunning, making a fuss over nothing.

Under her smiling gaze, Li Heng had no choice but to take a big bite.

Seeing this, Xiao Han put the other half into her own mouth.

Then, as if by magic, she pulled out eight more chocolates from her pocket and gave them to Yang Cheng, Zhang Haiyan, Sun Manning, and Mai Sui.

Yang Cheng and Zhang Haiyan, unaware of the reason, happily accepted. After all, dark chocolate wasn't cheap these days; it was considered a minor luxury item.

When it was Sun Manning's turn, she frowned slightly. She wanted to refuse outright, but considering that Li Heng was there, she finally accepted.

Mai Sui, however, seemed much more composed. She said thank you and accepted the food. But she didn't eat it; she put it aside, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

She didn't sleep a wink last night and is very tired now, urgently needing to catch up on some sleep.

Of course, Mai Sui didn't want to watch the man and woman show their affection, so she simply closed her eyes.

After distributing all the chocolates, Xiao Han sighed.

Li Heng asked, "Why are you sighing?"

Xiao Han whispered in his ear, "Look at Mrs. Mai's eyelids, they're so tired, she probably didn't sleep at all last night."

Sigh, I was just reflecting on this. Mrs. Mai's fighting prowess seems rather worrisome. Did I punch her too hard?

A chill ran down Li Heng's back.

So this cunning wife isn't even pretending anymore, she's just calling her "Mrs. Mai" directly!
He kept his eyes down, revealing no flaws, saying, "Take it one day at a time, don't be so belligerent."

Having finished showing off, Xiao Han knew when to stop and quickly added, like a sycophant:

"Yes, yes, yes! Mrs. Mai is smart, beautiful, and very polite. She always leaves a room for me whenever I visit Lushan Village. I really shouldn't have bullied her."

Li Heng opened his mouth to speak, but was suddenly kissed by her in a flash.

He was stunned and asked incredulously, "My God! How dare you kiss me in this situation?"

Xiao Han blushed, lowered her head, smiled with pursed lips, and then buried her head in his chest, pretending to be an ostrich.

In her heart, however, she was screaming: "I've been being sarcastic for so long, and if I don't kiss you, I'll get scolded. Compared to losing face and being scolded by my husband, I'd rather be shameless!"

Sigh, this is typical of my wife's behavior—she's so quirky and unpredictable.

I can't win an argument, I can't bring myself to scold you, and I certainly won't hit you.

Li Heng had absolutely no way to deal with her.

Sun Manning had been secretly observing Xiao Han and Li Heng's behavior. When she saw Xiao Han kiss Li Heng on the corner of his mouth, she immediately pouted and whispered in Mai Sui's ear:
"Xiao Han's methods are too cunning and too bullying. Mai Sui, just say the word and I'll come over and beat her up right now."

Mai Sui asked softly, "You dare to hit her in front of Li Heng?"

Sun Manning gestured with her hands: "Are you made of paper? You hold onto Li Heng, and I'll beat her up."

Mai Sui felt a little dizzy: "You two are about the same height, you might not be able to beat her."

Sun Manning asked, "What a coincidence, she's also 166cm?"

Mai Sui nodded and said, "When I see you standing together, you all seem to be about the same height."

Sun Manning said dejectedly, "I can't stand it anymore. She's too good at seducing men. When are you going to stand up for yourself?"

"If all else fails, just sleep with Li Heng. With your charm, I guarantee Li Heng will want to be on top of you every day. Then that vixen won't have a chance!"

Hearing these lewd words, Mai Sui felt a little embarrassed and turned her head to face the window, deciding to avoid seeing them altogether.

Having not slept all night, the heavy-hearted Mai Sui finally managed to get through it and slowly drifted off to sleep.

When she was shaken awake, the plane was already over Huanghua Airport, and flight attendants were announcing over the loudspeaker that the plane was descending…

The situation in southern Hunan has changed.

Stepping out of the airport, the winter sky was indistinguishable from the horizon. Apart from the gray earth, only cigarette box scraps were flying around in the north wind. The temperature this year seemed to be a few degrees colder than last year.

Because of his cunning wife's shrewdness, he dared not ask Huang Zhaoyi to come pick him up in Changshi.

The group had no choice but to take a bus to the South Bus Station in the city center, where they had a quick lunch before rushing to the waiting room.

The bus station was crowded with people, who were sweating profusely despite the cold winter. Everyone's eyes shone with excitement. This lively atmosphere and the joy of rushing home could only be felt among the crowds.

In this day and age, it is not easy to return to one's hometown. The Spring Festival has become the only wish of those who have left their hometown. Just like migratory birds and fish returning to their hometown, even if they have to travel thousands of miles, they still want to return to the hometown where they were born and raised, to see their parents, their wives and children, to smoke a few cigarettes with their neighbors, to set off a few strings of firecrackers, and to have a New Year's Eve dinner.

No matter where you are, who you are, what your position is, or whether you have money in your pocket, the moment you embark on your journey home, you have only one thought in your mind: I want to go home.

Following the slow, shuffling flow of people, the group of six finally made it through the waiting room and boarded a bus back to Shaoyang City.

"Oh my god! Every time I go home, I lose two pounds. There are just too many people."

As soon as she got on the bus, Sun Manning breathed a sigh of relief, but then began her daily, insane rant.

The closer she got to home, the heavier Mai Sui's mood became. She sat quietly by the car window, looking at the bleak street scene outside, her whole being looking ashen and dejected as she did.

Even the usually carefree Sun Manning noticed that something was wrong with her best friend, and put her arm around her shoulder to ask, "What's wrong with you? You've been so quiet the whole way."

Let me tell you, the more you act like this, the happier your rival will be.

Didn't you notice? Xiao Han was very proactive the whole way; Li Heng couldn't get away to comfort you at all.

Mai Sui couldn't help but glance at Li Heng, who was being linked arm-in-arm with Xiao Han, and said gently, "I don't blame him."

Sun Manning stared intently at her friend for a while, and then said with disappointment:

"It seems we can't count on you to deal with Xiao Fox. I hope Song Yu isn't as weak as you either, or I'll be worried sick for you two."

It would have been better if Song Yu hadn't been mentioned, because as soon as Song Yu was brought up, Mai Sui didn't want to talk anymore. "I'm still very sleepy. I'll take a nap. Keep an eye on the luggage."

"Go to sleep, go to sleep. With me here, I'd like to see which blind pickpocket dares to come looking for trouble. I'll smash him to death with my big boobs." Sun Manning tried every trick in the book to amuse her friend.

Wheat Ear: "..."

It takes three to four hours to get from Changshi to Shaoshi.

Halfway there, feeling a bit cold, Xiao Han took out a blue scarf from her bag. She tied half of it herself and the other half around Li Heng's neck. She rested her head on his shoulder and chatted with him, making the time pass quickly.

While talking to his cunning wife, Li Heng occasionally observed Mai Sui in the back seat through the reflection in the glass, paying attention to her every move.

As they approached Shao City, Xiao Han suddenly whispered crisply in his ear:
"Mr. Li, isn't your wife the prettiest one in the whole car reflected in the glass?"

Well, we've been caught red-handed.

He really wanted to ask: Are you a monkey? How come you're so clever?

Li Heng replied, "Of course, doesn't she know whose wife she is?"

He was thinking: You two are both my wife, so I didn't say anything wrong, did I?

Xiao Han's eyes curved into crescent shapes, clearly understanding his little thoughts.

However, a smart woman never directly confronts the truth; knowing when to stop is the highest level of wisdom.

When they got off at Shaoshi Bus Station, Xiao Han said to Zhang Haiyan, "Haiyan, I'm a little thirsty. Come with me to buy a bottle of soda."

"Okay." Zhang Haiyan didn't think much of it and followed her best friend to the small shop.

Yang Cheng, quick-witted as ever, hurriedly followed, saying, "I'm thirsty too! I want to buy some soda too. I'll be your bodyguard."

Three of the six left, leaving only Li Heng, Mai Sui, and Sun Manning in the same spot.

Sun Manning watched Xiao Han's departing figure, her lips twitching, unsure of what to say.
Li Heng pulled Mai Sui to a secluded corner, then, without saying a word, hugged her tightly.

With that hug, Mai Sui felt a warmth in her heart, all her distracting thoughts vanished instantly, and she felt completely at ease. She then reached out and hugged him back.

"My goodness! My dear young master and auntie, how dare you hug each other here?" Sun Manning followed over, then quickly stood on tiptoe to block the two of them, and then peeked out, afraid that passersby might appear.

This girl may have a sharp tongue, but she's actually very reliable.

She knew Li Heng's reputation; in Shaoshi, he might be recognized, and that would be a real problem.

Therefore, even at the risk of being beaten by Li Heng and Mai Sui in a mixed doubles match, Sun Manning did her best as a good friend to protect the two of them for a while.

Li Heng ignored the girl, gently stroking Mai Sui's face, and said with concern, "Then I'll go back first. I'll come to Shao City to find you on the 20th."

He has to go to the Xiao family's house on the 19th and can't be there in person. So he can only come over on the 20th.

Mai Sui understood what he meant, and smiled sweetly, saying, "Okay, then I'll postpone my return to Shaodong for a few days."

Li Heng nodded and released her.

Mai Sui withdrew her hand and urged, "Go on, don't keep Xiao Han waiting."

Li Heng and Mai Sui understood: Xiao Han buying soda was a real thing, an excuse was a real thing, and giving the two of them space to talk and say goodbye was a real thing.

As for why Xiao Han, who had been so publicly displaying her affection all along, would suddenly make such a big turn? Outsiders can't figure out her true thoughts; only she herself knows.

Sun Manning also knew that Xiao Han was letting Xiao Han off the hook.

So, after being cursed behind her back the whole way, she was now feeling extremely complicated, a feeling that was hard to put into words.

This girl thought: If she were Xiao Han, she would probably be even more high-profile in her pursuit of Li Heng, and she wouldn't allow her man to be alone with her love rival at such a crucial moment.

Sun Manning suddenly understood: no wonder she was able to snatch Li Heng from Song Yu first; her methods were terrifyingly clever. Sui Sui should have resented Xiao Han, but her final move was so brilliant, so magnanimous, that no one could bring themselves to hate her.

After all, Xiao Han came first, and Mai Sui came later. In matters of the heart, whoever takes the first step has the right to the relationship.

Thinking of this, Sun Manning thought of her friend Chen Zijin and sighed silently. "Alas, another useless woman. Her man was seduced away by Xiao Han."

Watching Li Heng leave, Sun Manning said to her best friend, "Let's go, watching him will only upset me. I arranged to meet my dad at the second restaurant on the right side of the exit. Let's go there."

Wheat said yes.

...

Xiao Han returned from the grocery store and handed him a bottle of soda.

She asked, "Mr. Li, shall we go home now?"

The implication is: Have you dealt with your ex-lover yet? Can you go home now?
Li Heng was speechless.

He asked, "Where are the Haiyan people? Have they left?"

Xiao Han said, "Haiyan ran into her family members who came to pick her up, so she left right away. She asked me to tell you: Happy New Year."

He nodded, glanced at his watch, and said, "It's getting late, we need to get in the car quickly."

It's getting late; there are less than 10 minutes left before the last bus from Shaoshi to the neighboring Jinshi Town.

That's right, we're going to Jinshi Town next door.

There's only one midday bus to Qianzhen, and it's long gone. You have to take a bus from the neighboring town. Jinshi Town is the northern center of Hui County, much larger than the surrounding towns. It was once planned to be developed into the county seat, but for some reason, that plan was shelved.

The three of them, carrying their luggage, rushed hurriedly towards the familiar corner of their memories.

Luckily, the car is still there.

Even more fortunately, there weren't many passengers on the bus; including the driver and the salesperson, there were only about 12 people in total.

The ticket seller asked, "Where are the three of you going?"

Xiao Han, who was at the front, said, "Get off at Fuxi Temple."

The three of them had tickets for almost the entire journey, and the ticket seller was very helpful in carrying their luggage.

The driver glanced at Xiao Han several times before finally fixing his gaze on Li Heng. He couldn't help but ask, "Are the three of you college students?"

When it comes to college students, Yang Cheng is the most flamboyant. He wants the whole world to know that they are college students. He answers loudly, "Yes, Master, we study in Shanghai and just came back from winter break."

Li Heng and Xiao Han exchanged a glance, feeling both helpless and amused. This idiot really knows how to cause trouble wherever he goes and has never been low-key.

Upon hearing that the student was a university student studying in a big city like Shanghai, everyone in the car turned their heads and stared at them.

These days, college students are like foreigners watching a Western play; they're incredibly rare, and seeing three at once is bound to pique everyone's curiosity.

The driver stared at Li Heng, his eyes shining, and asked, "If I'm not mistaken, this is the legendary, famous writer? Isn't he?"

Before Li Heng could reply, Yang Cheng excitedly put his arm around his waist and asked, "Master, do you know my brother?"

Li Heng: "..."

Xiao Han: "..."

The driver shook his head: "I don't know him, but I hear other drivers talking about him every day. I've heard it so many times over the past two years that I'm sick of it."

Yang Cheng patted Li Heng on the chest and said with great pride, "It's the real deal, this is the legendary writer featured on the news!"

Upon hearing this, the car fell into a deathly silence. Everyone stared at Li Heng in disbelief, scrutinizing him, trying to discern something different about him.
It is said that the great writer Li Heng is the legendary Wenquxing (God of Literature) descended to earth, with three heads and six arms, eloquent and incredibly handsome.

Everyone knew perfectly well that the three-headed, six-armed demon was definitely a hoax, a lie, otherwise it would be a monster.

However, Li Heng's appearance and temperament did not disappoint, and they met everyone's expectations.

The ticket seller wanted to collect the money, but the driver laughed and scolded, "You old hag, all you know is how to be greedy for money. He's a scholar, it's a blessing for him to ride in our car. He's given us a lot of face when we report back to the county magistrate. What money do you want?"

The driver was telling the truth.

Within his small territory in Hui County, he dared not boast about Li Heng, after all, Li Heng was from Qianzhen.

But once they leave and return to the county, going to Shaoshi or other places, wow, Li Heng becomes the stuff these drivers brag about.

When people from other places open their mouths, they often ask, "I heard that someone from your county has become quite a big shot. He's even been on the news and in the People's Daily. Have you met him in person?"

The driver and the others had never met Li Heng in person before, but at this point, they had to say that they had, because it would make them very proud, and they even spoke louder when talking to their relatives and friends.

Stopped by her husband, the ticket seller realized her mistake and laughed, saying, "I forgot, I'm so obsessed, I can't accept money from the God of Literature."

No matter how much money Li Heng offered, they refused to accept it.

They even waived the train tickets for Xiao Han and Yang Cheng, saying they were university students who would become pillars of the nation in the future. Basically, they refused to accept anything.

Yang Cheng was overjoyed and wished he could grab Li Heng's cheeks and kiss him a few times. Good heavens! This is so prestigious! He wished this trip could go as far as possible, it's so damn glorious.

Along the way, Yang Cheng fully demonstrated his skills as a local bully, chatting and gossiping with the elderly and other local heroes on the bus.

Whenever Li Heng was mentioned, this guy would spare no effort in flattering him, almost praising him to the point of deification. The people in the car not only didn't find it annoying, but listened with great interest, and everyone joined in, chattering away, spitting as they spoke, creating a very lively atmosphere.

The cunning Xiao Han behaved herself quite properly at this moment, refraining from any ambiguous relationship with Li Heng. After all, the rumors about Mr. Li and the noblewoman of the Chen family were already rampant, and she dared not, and could not, let her honey get caught up in any more unfavorable gossip.

She would rather wrong herself than put her man in a bad position; she had to protect his reputation.

They say flattery will get you everywhere, and Yang Cheng, who makes a living by talking, went on and on for hours without stopping, pointing fingers and gesturing all the way from Shaoshi to Fuxi Temple.

Before getting off the bus, Li Heng put the three people's ticket money on the seats, and then followed the two off the bus.

After the bus had traveled a short distance, the ticket seller exclaimed, "That famous writer just left his ticket money on the seat!"

Everyone craned their necks to look over, and sure enough, there was a stack of small tickets on the seat.

I counted them, and they were exactly 20 yuan.

Someone said, "The fare for three people is only 18 yuan, you've made a profit of 2 yuan." The driver turned around and praised, "That's the quality of others. We roughnecks only think about how to make money. Look at them, hey, cultured people are cultured people! The difference between them and us peasants is huge."

One woman even said to the ticket seller, "I'll exchange two dollars with you."

The ticket seller asked, puzzled, "Why do you need to exchange money?"

The woman said, "This money was taken from the money pouch of the God of Literature. It's lucky. I'll exchange it for another one and keep it. Maybe it will bring good luck."

As the old saying goes, the more backward a place is, the more superstitious it is.

Sure enough, as soon as the woman spoke, everyone on the bus was tempted.

In no time, the ticket seller had only 2 yuan left. She absolutely refused to give it away; she wanted to keep it and mark it to use as a purse weight, to hold onto the God of Wealth!

Li Heng and his two companions were unaware of what happened on the bus. It was about 10 miles from Fu Ximiao to the town. As it was getting dark, he asked around among his neighbors in order to save time, and finally found a motorcycle rental shop.

Okay, he just has a motorcycle, not a rental service. To be precise, he's a gold miner. He goes out to dig for gold with the group of gold prospectors from Liuduzhai. He's very rich.

Li Heng recognized the other person, who seemed to have started driving a Rolls-Royce after the turn of the century and settled in Shenzhen.

The other person, who was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, also recognized Li Heng: "You're Li Heng?"

Li Heng smiled and said, "Yes."

The other person quickly took out a pack of Baisha cigarettes, handed two to him and Yang Cheng, and said enthusiastically, "Do you know Li Li? She was your classmate in junior high school, and we went to the No. 1 High School in the county town. Now she is studying at Xiangnan Normal University."

Li Li?

We're very familiar with each other. We were classmates for three years in junior high, had good grades, and interacted a lot. How could we not be familiar with each other?
Xiangnan Normal School and Zou Aiming ended up in the same school.

Li Heng and Xiao Han looked at each other and asked, "Who are you and Li Li?"

The young man rubbed his hands together proudly and said, "She's my fifth sister, my own flesh and blood, the kind who come from the same mother's womb. She often talks about you at home, saying how amazing you are, how famous you are at the teachers' college."

With this connection, well, it's another free ride.

After dropping Xiao Han off in town, the young man insisted on seeing Li Heng off as well, saying he would take him to the village, to Shangwan Village.

As darkness fell, thinking of the two large cemeteries by the mountain road, Li Heng couldn't refuse any longer and stopped being pretentious. He was very grateful and rode his motorcycle towards the village.

It was quite late when they returned to Shangwan Village. Li Heng invited the young man to stay at his home for a while, but the young man only offered Li Jianguo a cigarette and said a few polite words before leaving.

Before leaving, the young man said to Li Heng, "Come visit sometime. Li Li often nags you guys. Next time you need to take a bus, just come find me. I have plenty of time."

Li Heng chuckled and said, "Okay, drive carefully on the road."

The famous person had returned, and everyone at the crossroads rushed over upon hearing the news. No one really knew why they'd come so quickly; they were just there for the excitement, to see what was happening, and even exchanged a few playful remarks. But when they tasted the expensive paper-wrapped candy Li Heng had brought back, they were all completely satisfied.

After finally dealing with his neighbors, Li Heng, exhausted, first took a shower and then went to the dining table.

Li Jianguo and Tian Run'e originally did not plan to return so early; they intended to return at the end of the year with Li Lan, Zi Jin, and Zou Jiao.

But plans can't keep up with changes. When they learned that Manzai was going to the Xiao family, the couple were both surprised and unsure of what to do, and immediately bought tickets to rush back.

Li Heng asked, "Where's Grandma?"

It was windy outside, and the food would get cold easily, so Li Jianguo simply closed the door. "Your grandma is in Lengshuijiang; we haven't gone to pick her up yet."

Li Heng asked, "Then why didn't you invite your eldest sister and brother-in-law to come and eat together?"

Li Jianguo said, "I heard from the village chief that your brother-in-law's grandmother passed away. His whole family has been away from home for the past two days, going to the mountains to observe mourning."

My sister's husband and maternal grandmother live quite far from Shangwan Village. It's more than 30 li (15 kilometers) by mountain road, requiring crossing several mountains. If it were by road, it would be at least 70 or 80 li (35 or 40 kilometers).

The couple also arrived home this morning, not much earlier than Li Heng. They were busy tidying up the house and, without a phone, had no time to contact their eldest daughter, Li Yan.

After asking around in vain, Li Heng simply stopped asking, picked up his chopsticks and started stuffing food into his bowl, devouring it.

Seeing that he was starving, Tian Run'e waited for her son to eat for a while before asking, "Manzai, tell Mom, what exactly happened when you went to the Xiao family?"

With food in his mouth, Li Heng mumbled, "Didn't I tell you on the phone? Why are you asking again?"

“It was just a phone call. Zijing was in the yard at the time, so I didn’t dare ask too many questions. Please repeat it again,” Tian Run’e said.

Swallowing the food in his mouth, Li Heng took a sip of soup and said, "Is that so..."

Since the matter was of great importance, he patiently recounted Wei Shiman's trip to Lushan Village in detail.

After listening, the couple looked at each other, their expressions serious and somewhat heavy.

Li Jianguo had lost his appetite. He put down his chopsticks and asked, "Zijin and your second sister will be back in a week. How are you going to handle that?"

“They both knew all along that a fight wouldn’t happen,” Li Heng reassured the two elders.

Not only will they not fight, but these two wives are now in an alliance, specifically targeting Song Yu. He's not worried at all right now.

Tian Run'e wasn't as optimistic as him. "We're all in the same small town. Aren't you afraid of rumors spreading? What will the Chen and Xiao families think? How will they stay in this small town?"

Li Heng was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll keep a low profile tomorrow."

The couple looked at each other, and it seemed that this was the only way. At this point, whether they kept their heads down or stood up, they would still get hurt, but they couldn't just not go.

While eating, Tian Run'e was still worried, "Is Teacher Yu coming?"

Li Heng said, "Come."

Tian Run'e asked, "Did she take the initiative? Or did you?"

Of course it was her initiative! How could I be so stupid as to invite Teacher Yu over? Wouldn't that be like hanging a knife over my head?
But as the saying goes, what you rush for is worthless. Li Heng was afraid that the elderly couple would not value Teacher Yu as much as before, so he immediately said, "I took the initiative. Teacher Yu has helped me a lot, and I don't know how to thank her. She doesn't need anything."

However, Ms. Yu enjoys rural life and loves eating wild mountain vegetables, so I invited her to come and stay for a few days during the winter break.

Tian Run'e wanted to say a few words to her son, saying that he was always causing trouble and couldn't he just stay in the summer vacation?
But when she realized that things were already set in stone, she swallowed back the words she was about to say. Before leaving, she said to her husband, "Jianguo, Teacher Yu likes to eat wild game. Go and make some contact and buy a lot of it these next few days. Buy some wild rabbits, pheasants, wild boar meat, and all sorts of things."

Li Jianguo readily agreed.

Towards the end of the meal, Tian Run'e suddenly brought up Song Yu: "Last time I heard you went to Peking University, I asked Lanlan to tell you to take me to meet Song Yu, but why didn't you want to?"

Li Heng countered, "Mom, what will you do if you see Song Yu?"

Tian Run'e was speechless.

After finishing the last bite of his meal, Li Heng stood up and said, "Don't worry about Song Yu's matter. When the time is right, I will bring her to meet you."

He took 400 yuan out of his suitcase and went out.

After her son walked away, Tian Run'e sighed, "I just asked him a question tentatively, but I didn't expect your son to still be bothering Song Yu. I thought that with Teacher Yu around, he would restrain himself."

Li Jianguo comforted him, saying, "Forget it. Now that Manzai is famous all over the world, he has his own plans and arrangements for everything. We can no longer make decisions for him. We should try to ask as few questions as possible about his private life, so that he won't find it annoying and stop coming home."

Tian Run'e worried: "It's not good if my son is too capable. With so many daughters in the future, they'll surely drain him dry."

Li Jianguo chuckled: "I've observed that you're not like this outside. When you talk about your son, you're so proud of him that you could talk about him for ten days and ten nights without stopping."

Tian Run'e rolled her eyes at her husband, then got up and went to the shrine. First, she lit three incense sticks, held them in her palm, bowed three times to the ancestors, and then placed them in the incense burner. Next, she began to burn paper money, constantly saying good things for her son.

"Ancestors above, today Jianguo, Run'e, and Manzai Liheng have returned to see you. They've always been filial to you, both in the capital and at home. Please bless our family, bless us with prosperity and many descendants. Bless Liheng with everything going smoothly, especially his health; may he be healthy and strong as an ox. The end of the year is approaching, and I have a few questions to ask you. Please, ancestors, show your divine intervention..."

After rambling on and on, Tian Run'e burned a thick stack of paper money, then took out a divination chart from the shrine, and knelt on the ground to perform three prostrations before the ancestral tablets.

The so-called prostration ceremony involves getting on all fours, touching the forehead to the ground, and the body to the ground, which appears extremely devout.

After performing the three grand rites, Tian Run'e muttered to herself, "Will Xiao Han be a member of our Li family? If so, let's cast a divination."

After saying that, he threw out a divination stick. The hexagram showed one yin and one yang, and it was indeed a sacred hexagram.

She asked, "Where is Chen Zijin?"

Is it a lost hexagram or a sacred hexagram?

She asked, "Where is Song Yu?"

The divination was lost, but it remains a sacred divination.

Tian Run'e picked up the divination stick and asked, "Where are the wheat ears?"

She threw a divination stick into the air, and it landed with one yin and one yang symbol. Her face turned green.

She was most afraid of wheat ears because she felt that the girl in bed could probably eat people alive, and she was very afraid that her son's body wouldn't be able to handle it.

After staring at the divination chart for a while, Tian Run'e sighed again and picked it up.

She asked, "Where is the teacher?"

The hexagram is "Diu Gua" (丢卦), a yang hexagram.

Confused, she cast another hexagram, which was still a positive one.

The third time it was lost, it was still a Yang hexagram.

Tian Run'e asked, "Does this mean that the teacher won't be a member of the Li family in the future? If not, please ask our ancestors for a divination."

The hexagram is lost, but it's still a yang hexagram.

If it's lost again, it's a Yang hexagram.

Tian Run'e stared at the shrine, puzzled. Finally, she tried asking, "Where is Yu Shuheng?"

Lost the divination.

Good heavens, this time it's a divine divination.

She suddenly realized that she had to call him by his full name; calling him "teacher" wouldn't work. Thinking this to herself, she asked again, "Where is the teacher?"

The hexagram is "Diu Gua" (丢卦), a yang hexagram.

Ignoring the superstition, I threw it again, and it still turned out to be a Yang hexagram.

She picked up the divination stick, pondered for a long time, and asked, "Besides Teacher Yu, did that bastard offend any other female teachers? If so, please, ancestors, cast a divination stick to remind me."

Lost the divination!

Two sides facing the yin, indeed it is a yin hexagram!

Tian Run'e was furious and squeezed the divination stick so hard that she almost broke it.

Even such an intellectual teacher like Ms. Yu is not satisfied and still dares to cause trouble outside. At this moment, she feels that if she had two sons, she would break one of their legs.

After feeling frustrated for a long time, and with her knees aching from kneeling, she finally realized what was happening and continued to ask, "Where's Zhou Shihe?"

Lost the divination!

One hexagram faces in the dark, while another spins like a top on the ground. As it spins, it reaches a corner and miraculously stands upright.

Her eyes widened in surprise; in all her years of divination, this was the first time she had ever witnessed such a phenomenon.

Undeterred, she lost the divination again.

As a result, this time both hexagrams spun together, and as they spun, they ended up in the corner of the wall, standing there against the wall.

Just as Tian Run'e was about to throw the divination sticks away again, Li Jianguo, who had been watching the whole thing, spoke up: "Run'e, you're too attached to appearances. Don't force it."

Upon hearing this, Tian Run'e lowered her body as if she had exerted a great deal of effort, "What kind of divination is this? I've lived for so many years and this is the first time I've ever seen one."

Li Jianguo said, "I saw it when I was a child. My mother once cast a divination like this, and after that she dared not cast it again. She stopped and killed chickens and ducks to reward the ancestors."

Tian Run'e asked, "Shall we kill a chicken later?"

Li Jianguo nodded: "I'll go to the village secretary and buy one right away."

After her husband left, Tian Run'e felt extremely agitated, feeling that these divinations were too unreliable. So she asked, "Ancestors, where is the pig in the pen? Is it our Li family's daughter-in-law? If so, please cast a divination."

The hexagram is lost; both sides of the hexagram face down, indicating a yin hexagram!

It's not a sacred hexagram! It's a yin hexagram!

Seeing this, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness! Our ancestors are still protecting us. If even the pigs in the pen were to receive a divination, she would feel like dying. She would have to apologize, because her ancestors would definitely be blaming her and playing tricks on her with divination.

5!
Five auspicious divinations were performed: Xiao Han, Song Yu, Zi Jin, Teacher Yu, and Mai Sui.

There was also an unnamed female teacher.

Zhou Shihe, that girl, couldn't understand divination, so Tian Run'e automatically ruled her out.

That's fine too. That girl is too beautiful and comes from a very powerful family. Our Li family is too small to accommodate her. That's fine too! That's fine too!
Tian Run'e was not depressed at all; on the contrary, she was quite happy.

Then she started thinking, "A female teacher? Which female teacher don't I know?"

However, this female teacher is a Yin hexagram, so the outcome is unpredictable.

She considered consulting the oracle again, but her husband had given her instructions, so she ultimately gave up the idea.

After hiding the divination sticks on the shrine, Tian Run'e generously burned another stack of paper money.

Our ancestors worked so hard, casting so many divinations; we must fill their pockets!

....
After leaving home, Li Heng walked up the road, greeting neighbors and villagers along the way with sweet smiles. There were so many people in the village that his face was stiff with smiles the whole way.

When I passed by Zhang Zhiyong's house, I found the gate was closed. His grandparents were gone, and the yard was no longer as lively as it used to be. There were no dogs, chickens, ducks, or geese, and even the fishpond was dry, probably because it was leaking and no one was taking care of it.

He asked his neighbor, "Sixth Aunt, is no one home at Zhiyong's house?"

Aunt Liu was eating from a large bowl: "Nobody's here. The two old folks have gone outside. Zhiyong's mother went back to her parents' home; I heard they're getting a divorce. As for that idiot father of his, he's already declared he's not coming back. Some people say that this damned man has four illegitimate children outside."

As the two were talking, the widow next door came out, carrying a bundle of fish grass, presumably to feed the fish in the pond.

Aunt Liu lowered her voice and said, "See? Zhang Zhiyong's father has so many mistresses. He's still in contact with the others, but he didn't want this one. I bet his bottom is rusty."

Li Heng: "..."

Many rural women are like that; they speak politely but then suddenly throw out a dirty joke. He's used to it. After chatting for a while, he continued walking and soon arrived at Liu's house.

Upon entering, one sees Liu Chunhua's mother weeding in the yard, using a small hoe to remove the weeds from the cracks between the stones. Hearing the noise, she turns around to look.

Upon recognizing who it was, Liu's mother immediately sat up straight, laughing and exclaiming, "Oh, the great writer is back! What brings you here?"

Li Heng called out, "Auntie, have you had dinner yet?"

Liu's mother put down her hoe and hurriedly invited him into the house. She brought him a stool and poured him tea. Before leaving, she placed some of her treasured fruit platters in front of him.

After doing all this, Liu's mother said, "Our home is simple and humble, please don't mind, great writer."

The other party was a primary school teacher at the town's central primary school, and she was much better at speaking and acting than the average rural woman.

Li Heng said thank you and symbolically took an orange and peeled it.

Liu's mother also found a stool and sat down not far away, then carefully asked, "Is Fourth Sister in Shanghai?"

Liu Chunhua is the fourth child in the Liu family, and everyone usually calls her Fourth Sister.

Li Heng looked up. "Auntie knows?"

Liu's mother glanced outside the gatehouse and nodded: "Her ex-husband came to the house and made a scene, saying that Fourth Sister had eloped with a idiot and gone to Shanghai."

Li Heng frowned: "You've made a scene? Didn't you get divorced?"

"They're divorced, but I heard that he broke the other person's left hand because he was a bit dim-witted. He's not happy about it, but he doesn't dare to cause trouble for the Zhang family, so he can only take it out on honest people like us." When this matter was mentioned, Liu's mother also felt ashamed, and her expression was uncertain.

Clearly, she hasn't had a good time in the village these past six months; all sorts of rumors and gossip have been suffocating her.

Li Heng asked, "And then what happened?"

Liu's mother said, "My eldest and second sons called on relatives and friends to fight with the other side. The other side sent four cars full of people, and seven of them were injured. My eldest and second sons were also hospitalized for a while."

The eldest and second eldest refer to Liu Chunhua's two older brothers.

Fights over this kind of thing are perfectly normal in rural areas. Li Heng has seen it all since he was a child, or rather, he experienced it all during junior high school.

I still remember when I was in the first year of junior high school, it was common for dozens of people to gather together, and I've even seen groups of over a hundred on each side, filling up an entire hilltop.

Well, that's just the atmosphere in Shao City, isn't it? Everyone's incredibly tough. If you're not strong, you'll be bullied every day, and you'll be forced to become stronger.

Well, it should be said that it was the prevailing trend in the 1980s. Later, with the reform and opening up, many people went to work outside and focused on making money, so this kind of ridiculous thing gradually faded from the historical stage.

Li Heng asked, "Who won?"

Liu's mother said, "We fought twice, and we won both times. Relatives, friends, and neighbors helped us a lot."

"It's good that we won. The other party probably won't dare to cause trouble again." Li Heng immediately changed the subject and replied, "Sister Chunhua is indeed in Shanghai and is currently pregnant."

"Pregnant? Whose? The one with no brains? Or her ex-husband?" Liu's mother felt like she was in a stormy sea, and she stood up unconsciously.

Li Heng replied, "Old Yong's."

Following Liu Chunhua's instructions, Li Heng then gave her a brief account of what happened between her and Que Xinyan in Shanghai, and concluded by saying, "Auntie, don't worry. The two of them have opened a noodle shop, and business is booming. They're even discussing hiring help next spring."

Upon hearing the offer of help, Liu's mother leaned forward slightly and asked, "What do you think, if I go and help?"

Li Heng asked in surprise, "Auntie, you're not teaching anymore?"

"I'm retiring soon. I'll be of retirement age in six months. If possible, I can apply to my superiors to retire early. It shouldn't be difficult." Liu's mother usually has a good relationship with her superiors. Her older brother also works in the system. Although his position is not high, he still has a basic network of connections.

This is also why Liu Chunhua was able to join the army after graduating from high school, because he had certain social connections to rely on.

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(End of this chapter)