1987 My Era

Chapter 575, That Lost Youth

Inside the Mercedes-Benz.

Li Heng asked, "Teacher, have you finished dealing with everything in the capital?"

"Mmm," Yu Shuheng responded warmly.

Li Heng asked gossipily, "Why did Jiaojiao and Sister Xu start arguing on the phone?"

Yu Shuheng said, "The two of them often quarrel, several times a year. This time, the trigger was that Jiaojiao said that Editor-in-Chief Liao was older than Suyun's mother."

By the way, Suyun has already returned to Shanghai.

Li Heng was surprised: "Spending the Lunar New Year at my senior brother's house this year?"

Yu Shuheng said, "It should be."

Li Heng asked, "Whose surname does the child take?"

Yu Shuheng said, "Your first child is your senior brother, and the next one is surnamed Xu."

Li Heng asked, "What if my senior brother has only one child and then stops having more?"

Yu Shuheng smiled meaningfully: "He will have children. Your senior brother is not like you; he can endure it."

Li Heng was speechless.

It's obvious that the teacher is a heartless person, using her earlier statement, "I would never be wronged in front of a big family like yours," to mock him.

After driving for several dozen miles, Yu Shuheng asked, "Two big grass carp again, and a bag of winter bamboo shoots again. Did you go to Maisui's house in Shaodong?"

Li Heng didn't hide anything: "I stayed there for two nights."

Yu Shuheng glanced at him, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "What do you plan to do with Mai Sui in the future?"

Li Heng looked out the car window: "Teacher, do you reject her?"

Yu Shuheng didn't reply immediately. She stared ahead for a while before speaking softly, "Little boy, if the teacher rejects you, will you abandon her?"

Li Heng replied without hesitation, "No."

Yu Shuheng sighed softly, and after the car had driven another twenty or thirty miles, she said in a soft voice, "The teacher is generous and allows you to have two mistresses."

The implication is that she can accept wheat ears.

That aligns with my previous statements.

Li Heng pondered for a long time before finally admitting, "Mai Sui is very good to me. She's gentle and doesn't cause trouble. I can't live without her."

Yu Shuheng understood the underlying meaning of his words, which was "don't make a fuss".

After thinking for a moment, she reminded him, "Don't underestimate heroes of the world, and don't underestimate their parents. This is your second time going to Shaodong, isn't it? Once something happens, there will be clues to follow. You should control your outward emotions in the short term."

Li Heng remained silent.

He agreed with the other party's words; once something happens, there will be clues. And sure enough, this time Mai Sui inadvertently revealed a flaw. He wondered if Mai Dong's future father-in-law would suspect something was amiss.

Seeing his silence, Yu Shuheng asked worriedly, "Have we already given ourselves away?"

Li Heng shook his head and denied it outright: "No, I went there with Sun Manning. She covered for me. I haven't done anything inappropriate with Mai Sui these past two days."

Yu Shuheng fell into deep thought.

The Mercedes headed north, stopping to buy some things at Huixian County. It then passed through Huamen, Hexiangqiao, Liuduzhai, Qijiang, and Yanggu'ao, finally arriving at Qianzhen in the evening.

As she passed by Shimen Station, she glanced at Qian Yuejin's wonton shop and asked, "Did the old shop close down? Why has the sign changed?"

They're still selling wontons, but the owner and the signboard have changed, and business has plummeted.

Li Heng said, "The former proprietress now runs a shop in Shaoshi, and her husband is running it now."

"Business was so good, why did you go to Shao City? How can business be as good as it used to be?" Yu Shuheng asked, puzzled.

Li Heng said, "There's more to this than meets the eye."

Yu Shuheng asked curiously, "What's the secret?"

Li Heng then revealed the affair between Zhang Zhiyong's father and the shop owner's wife, and pointed to the girl cooking wontons in the shop, saying, "That's the shop owner's wife's daughter. She's a senior at Hunan University and came back during winter break to help her father run the business."

Yu Shuheng frowned slightly, carefully examined the girl in the store, and said, "This girl is quite pretty. Her mother got pregnant with another child before her divorce."

Li Heng is right.

Yu Shuheng asked, "Didn't her father cause any trouble?"

Li Heng said, "We did try to find him, but Lao Yong's father has a complicated social background. He owns a sand mining company in Shaoshi and has many people working for him. We made a fuss once, but it didn't work out. Instead, we were beaten up. In the end, we heard that he swallowed his anger for the sake of his daughter's safety."

Yu Shuheng asked, "What is Zhang Zhiyong's relationship with his father?"

Li Heng said, "They've broken up. My dim-witted mother is now getting a divorce."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shuheng parked the car on the side of the road. "Teacher is a little hungry, let's go down and have a bowl of wontons."

Li Heng looked up at the sky, which was getting dark, and thought that because it was inconvenient and he hadn't informed his family in advance to prepare meals for his teacher, he got off the bus.

The girls in the shop recognized Li Heng at a glance, remembering that Xiao Han, the town's most beautiful girl, had once eaten at the shop when he was young.

Similarly, the girl knew that he and Zhang Zhiyong were very close, so when she looked at Li Heng again, the admiration in her eyes was gone, and she seemed indifferent. She didn't even greet him when business came in.

Yu Shuheng had a pretty good grasp of what the girl was thinking, and said with a smile, "Two bowls of wontons, one medium bowl with mild spice and one large bowl with extra spice."

Ms. Yu was so beautiful and had such a refined, scholarly air that the girls couldn't help but glance at her several times before finally lowering their heads to cook wontons.

After waiting for several minutes, the wontons were served. Li Heng couldn't wait to take a bite, but then his interest waned. The taste wasn't bad, but it lacked the wow factor it used to have, which was why business was so much worse than before.

The girl had been observing his expression, but finally, lacking composure, she asked him, "Is it really that bad?"

"It's alright." Li Heng was surprised. He didn't expect the other party to talk to him. He thought he would be implicated because of Lao Yong.

The girl said, "It's okay, but it's just average. I didn't learn my mom's secret recipe for making broth, which made the taste a bit worse, and business wasn't good either."

The girl instinctively said "my mom," but then changed her mind, clearly showing her deep resentment towards the boss's wife for abandoning her family.

Before Li Heng could reply, the girl asked, "What is Zhang Zhiyong's relationship with his father like now?"

"We broke up, just like you," Li Heng answered honestly.

I overheard the girl say, "I'll treat you to the wontons today."

Li Heng smiled, sensing a significant change in the other party's attitude. As for the reason, even a fool could figure it out.

Yu Shuheng was a little hungry, so she slowly ate all 15 wontons.

Here, 10 wontons are served in a small bowl, 15 in a medium bowl, and 20 in a large bowl. The large bowl is twice as expensive as the small bowl.

After the meal, the two left, but Li Heng quietly slipped the money under the bowl.

Perhaps, for the girl, the money didn't matter; she was only happy to hear that Zhang Zhiyong had broken ties with his father.

But Li Heng had accepted their money, so he couldn't not pay them back.

The Mercedes started up again and headed towards Shangwan Village.

They had only gone halfway when it got completely dark. Yu Shuheng was not used to the winding mountain road and immediately reduced her speed to 20 km/h.

Li Heng said, "Teacher, how about I drive it?"

Yu Shuheng hesitated for a moment, then said, "You've only been driving for less than a year. This kind of road is dangerous. I'll let you have it in a few years."

Well, he could sense the strong distrust in the air.

In my past life, I was a seasoned driver for decades, having driven three different cars.

Li Heng didn't try to be brave; instead, he took on the role of guide, constantly reminding people in the passenger seat where there were bends, where they needed to honk their horns, and where they needed to slow down.

Driving on such a high mountain road late at night was a huge challenge for Yu Shuheng. She was on edge the whole way, but thankfully she made it to the village safely in the end.

Cars were extremely rare in those days, let alone a luxury car like the Mercedes. As soon as it entered the village, it caused a huge sensation, and many people followed behind to watch.

Someone said, "Oh, judging from the noise, it must be that the Li family's 'God of Literature' has arrived."

Some people said, "What a grand display! What an impressive presence! It's even more impressive than the town mayor's car. The mayor's car isn't this nice. It's probably not just Wenquxing who's back, it's probably that university professor who's come."

Someone chimed in: "What are you afraid of? I guarantee it's true. Don't you remember? Last time, the fairy-like female teacher came to our village in one of these black cars."

"..."

There have long been various versions of the relationship between Teacher Yu and Li Heng in the village, but due to the Li family's current prestige and the Chen family's high position, everyone only dares to gossip behind their backs, while on the surface, it's all praise.

Regardless of which version of the rumor it is, everyone thinks Li Heng is very lucky in love. This female teacher is even more beautiful than the Xiao family girl in the small town, making everyone envious.

Seeing the gleaming Mercedes pass by and hearing the flattering voices around her, Aunt Pang felt even more distressed than if she had seen her husband and daughter-in-law having an affair. Suddenly, the sunflower seeds in her hand lost their flavor, and she got up and hurried home.

An older woman called out, "Auntie Pang, why are you leaving so soon? Why don't you stay a little longer?"

One of the men chuckled, "Li Heng is back in all his glory. Auntie Pang is losing face if she stays. If she doesn't leave, you'll all laugh at her."

An old man added insult to injury, saying, "Auntie, I advise you to sit a little longer. Your Master Liang is currently kissing your daughter-in-law. Don't disturb their good time."

Master Liang is the infamous Liang, the philanderer whose reputation spread far and wide.

Believe it or not, that old man from the Liu family actually guessed right. The philandering Liang was having an affair with his daughter-in-law in the bedroom.

Listen, after a series of heart-wrenching screams, you hear the sound of a hoe and carrying pole pounding on the door. Then, Aunt Pang drags her daughter-in-law out the door, pulling her by the hair, and hurling insults and curses at her—words as vicious and utterly vile as could be. Her daughter-in-law hadn't even had time to get dressed…

"Hey!" Someone yelled, and everyone at the crossroads rushed over to watch. Suddenly, the area in front of the Li family's house became quiet.

Upon seeing Yu Shuheng enter, Li Jianguo and Tian Run'e immediately busied themselves, first serving tea and inquiring about her well-being, then rushing to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Even though Li Heng mentioned that they had eaten wontons in town, it didn't dampen the elderly couple's enthusiasm. They insisted that wontons were nothing compared to dinner, as they insisted on eating a proper meal.

Enjoy your meal!
Yu Shuheng smiled and whispered in Li Heng's ear, "Never mind, let them cook. I'll eat some later."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng left the kitchen, saying, "Then I'll have a drink with you, teacher."

Yu Shuheng nodded, then said, "See if you have any hot water. I want to take a shower."

"Yes," Li Heng replied, turning around to prepare hot water.

For a moment, only Yu Shuheng and Grandma Li remained in the main room.

Grandma Li secretly sized up Teacher Yu several times, thinking of the rumors circulating in the village. But she still couldn't quite believe it: such a handsome university teacher, Jian Guo said that his family had very high standards, so high that the Li family couldn't even look up to him, and he was also much older than her beloved grandson. How could he have chosen her grandson?
But if you say you don't believe it at all, Grandma Li is puzzled: This is the second time she's come, and the New Year is coming soon. Does that mean the teacher and student really have a good relationship?
Noticing that Grandma Li was secretly observing her, Yu Shuheng smiled gracefully and politely greeted her, "Grandma."

Grandma Li smiled kindly and said, "Hey, teacher, please sit down for a while. You've been traveling all day, have some tea."

Yu Shuheng sat down to the side and patiently chatted with the old man.

Although my grandmother was a typical rural woman who hadn't received much formal education, her children were all successful.

Her son is a college graduate who once served as a division-level cadre, and his wife is also a college graduate; her eldest daughter is married well; her youngest daughter works at a supply and marketing cooperative, and her son-in-law is a powerful section-level cadre in Lengjiang, about to be promoted. Having been influenced by her surroundings, she sees that her son is far more successful than the average person. The two of them could only manage a passable conversation.

Suddenly, Grandma tentatively asked, "Teacher, are you married?"

As intelligent as Yu Shuheng was, how could she not understand the deeper meaning? After a moment of contemplation, she said, "No."

Grandma then asked, "Do you have someone you like now?"

Yu Shuheng pondered for a moment: "Yes."

Grandma's heart skipped a beat. Could the rumors in the village be true? She looked at her nervously.

Facing each other, Yu Shuheng smiled elegantly, then asked, "Grandma, have you heard any bad rumors?"

Grandma denied it: "No, teacher, don't overthink it. Everyone says that the teacher has helped our Li Heng a lot. The teacher deserves half the credit for how Li Heng is where he is today."

Everyone carries the flowery bridge, and Grandma clearly understood this sentiment.

Yu Shuheng said, "I don't deserve credit. It was just a small favor. I just like him."

Grandma asked, "What does 'love at first sight' mean?"

Yu Shuheng smiled slightly and explained, "It's just that I have a good impression of Li Heng; he's pleasing to the eye and comfortable to look at."

Grandma leaned forward and asked in a low voice, "Teacher, could it be that you've taken a liking to my eldest grandson?"

Yu Shuheng was stunned, not expecting the old man in front of her to be so straightforward.

She wanted to admit it, but felt it wasn't right.

She didn't want to admit it, and it made her feel even worse.

That moment stumped her.

After a long pause, Yu Shuheng decided to take a chance and asked, "Grandma, how about I become your granddaughter-in-law?"

This time it was Grandma's turn to be in a dilemma. Her eyes widened, a mixture of surprise and astonishment.

Grandma instinctively wanted to ask, "Aren't you his university professor?" but of course she couldn't ask that. In the end, she just chuckled kindly, "Okay! Okay!"

Grandma is old and has never been to big places. She may not have seen much of the world, but she is still quite worldly-wise. She has now fully realized that Jianguo and Run'e probably already knew the inside story about the teacher in front of them. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so enthusiastic, and they wouldn't have brought their eldest grandson home.

But the problem is...

The problem is that Run'e said this morning that the Chen family across the street will be back in a few days, and Chen Zijin will come back with them.

If Teacher Yu and Chen Zijin meet, won't they start fighting?
Grandma said it was good, but in her heart she was comparing Chen Zijin with Teacher Yu in front of her.

Compared to her, I feel inexplicably sorry for Chen Zijin. Her grandmother knows that her daughter-in-law has a lot of prejudice against the Chen family, and I'm afraid the teacher is really going to get his way.

But no matter how you try to reason with them, Grandma actually harbored a lot of resentment towards the Chen family; she always sideed with her relatives, regardless of right or wrong. It's just that they helped find a doctor to cure her son's illness, and her eldest grandson did indeed sleep with that beautiful young woman. With good and bad things intertwined, the old lady sometimes didn't know what to do.

Li Heng came out and walked over to Teacher Yu, saying, "Teacher, the hot water is ready. Go take a shower."

"Okay." Yu Shuheng got up and said to her grandmother before leaving, "Grandma, I'll wash up first and then come to keep you company."

Grandma Li, with a missing tooth, smiled and nodded.

After watching her eldest grandson and teacher leave, the grandmother went to the kitchen, closed the kitchen door, and asked Li Jianguo, "Jianguo, is this Teacher Yu now part of the family?"

Li Jianguo paused for a moment, then looked at his wife.

Tian Run'e, who was chopping vegetables, turned her head and asked, "Mom, what do you think of Teacher Yu?"

"She's a nice person, beautiful, and has an air of nobility." After thinking for a long time, Grandma finally came up with the word "nobility" to describe the feeling she had towards Teacher Yu.

Well, she had only heard the word "noble" from her youngest daughter; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to come up with it.

After saying that, Grandma lowered her voice and asked, "Such a good teacher, has he really won over our grandson?"

Tian Run'e glanced at the kitchen doorway: "That's right, your precious grandson is giving me a headache now."

Unexpectedly, Grandma said, "What's the big deal? Don't make a big deal out of it. Just eat what you can handle. If our grandson doesn't have the ability, he'll calm down on his own after a while."

"That's true, but if we get her pregnant, things might get messy," Tian Run'e said with great worry.

Grandma was still quite assertive: "So what if I'm pregnant? It's good! Do you think my grandson can't support a child? Let alone one, ten or eight wouldn't be a problem. While I can still move around, I can help take care of them."

Tian Run'e was both amused and exasperated. "Mom, it's not just about the child; it's about how to explain it to the woman."

Grandma smacked her lips: "What explanation do you want? When we had no food, we would fight over a single sweet potato in the field. If we won, we would take the sweet potato home; if we lost, we would swallow our broken teeth. It's the same principle. Our eldest grandson is that sweet potato now. Let them fight over it."

Tian Run'e smiled wryly: "Mom, the woman's family is not simple, it's not easy to deal with."

Grandma shook her head, her tone domineering: "What's so difficult about it? Killing someone is just a matter of a head falling to the ground, being killed is just a scar the size of a bowl. If I had been home three summers ago, I wouldn't have let you go to the Chen family to plead for mercy. You slept with them, that's all. No one was tied up, it was all voluntary. If something happens, can you blame only my eldest grandson?"

Tian Run'e shut up. She had always felt that Lanlan was not like herself, but like this mother-in-law, who was very shrewish in her actions.

However, this mother-in-law often helps take care of her sister-in-law's children, and she only stays at home for a few days throughout the year.

A few years ago, when everyone was struggling to get enough to eat, this mother-in-law went to her husband's younger sister's house with a plan in mind: to have her younger daughter support her and ease the burden on her son.

Outside, there was a lot of noise. After taking a shower, Yu Shuheng came to the second-floor corridor and looked down at her neighbor, Aunt Pang, and her daughter-in-law pulling each other's hair, and the incestuous Liang and his son fighting.

Li Heng said from the side, "Teacher, why don't we go inside? It's cold outside."

Yu Shuheng seemed to see right through his thoughts, "Are you afraid I'll think your customs are vulgar?"

Li Heng waved his hand: "No. Where there are people, there is a world of intrigue; where there are people, there will inevitably be filth and corruption. Such immoral behavior may not be ubiquitous, but it certainly exists in the shadows. I heard that Aunt Pang attempted suicide several times, but failed each time, complaining that the pesticide smell was too strong. Her daughter-in-law also had a falling out with her son, but I don't know why she came back?"

Yu Shuheng glanced at the fat aunt who was about to be overpowered and beaten by her daughter-in-law, and said, "I heard that this person used to bully you."

Li Heng did not deny it: "Everyone in the village is someone she gossips about behind their backs. Our Li family is not an exception. The teacher, on the other hand, is well-informed."

After a while, Yu Shuheng slowly spoke up: "No wonder when she was beaten by her daughter-in-law, the outsiders didn't try to break up the fight, but instead cheered and watched the show."

Li Heng pouted, "See that old man in the gray Zhongshan suit?"

Yu Shuheng nodded.

Li Heng said, "That's our village's former Party Secretary. He's usually a pretty good person, and he's always the first to step in and stop any arguments or disputes. But today even he was smoking and watching the commotion, so naturally no one else would bother to break it up."

Yu Shuheng thought of a phrase: "completely lost the hearts of the people."

The farce outside continued for a long time, with people crying and shouting until late at night. Not a single villager went up to stop them; instead, they all fanned the flames.

The Li family members didn't go out; instead, they sat together, eating and drinking.

Well, they weren't hungry, so they only ate a little food, but they each drank more than half a glass of wine. Li Jianguo and Tian Run'e were a bit reserved in front of Teacher Yu, but Grandma Li was completely unaffected and became the main conversationalist with Teacher Yu at the dinner table.

At 11:30 p.m., Li Heng and Teacher Yu returned to the second floor after having a late-night snack.

Li Jianguo, Tian Run'e, and Li's grandmother all live on the first floor.

Seeing Teacher Yu sitting on the bed and starting to practice yoga, Li Heng was in no hurry to leave and just leaned against the door frame watching.

Ms. Yu, who had taken off her coat, had a particularly good figure. Unlike the English teacher, whose female organs were alluring, Ms. Yu clearly had a pure yet seductive style. Her intellectual beauty, combined with her well-proportioned figure, made him very aroused.

One was practicing yoga, the other was watching, and so much time passed...?
At one point, as Yu Shuheng began to finish her work, Li Heng suddenly closed the door and, on a whim, went over to her.

Upon hearing the noise, Teacher Yu couldn't help but turn around to check.

Before she could even catch her breath, someone pounced on her, viciously pinning her down on the bed like a hungry wolf.

Smelling the familiar scent, Yu Shuheng, who had been in shock, quickly calmed down and quietly watched him greedily ravage her heart.

After a long while, a mouth suddenly attacked her red lips from below, and she instinctively turned her head away.

Li Heng paused for a moment, but didn't insist on kissing her. Anyway, she seemed a little hesitant about kissing, and never let him enter Yanmen Pass successfully.

He then very naturally kissed Ms. Yu's cheek, earlobe, and earlobe...

More than ten minutes later, her shoulder blades were exposed to the cold air, and then a warm, moist sensation moved across them.

Yu Shuheng turned her head and stared at the skill with which he was speaking, momentarily lost in thought.

She had originally planned to experience the pleasures of being a woman again tonight, through her clothes, but unexpectedly, the little man on top of her suddenly stopped and hugged her.

He just held her like that, without moving.

After a while, Teacher Yu asked in a soft voice, "Little brother, what's wrong?"

"Don't call him little brother."

"What are you shouting about?"

"Anything is fine, just change the way you address me."

"Then, call me my little man?" she asked with a teasing smile.

Li Heng rolled his eyes, pulled her into his arms tightly, and whispered in her ear, "I don't know why, but I just want to hold you like this and sleep all night."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shuheng gradually suppressed her teasing expression, stared into his eyes for a long, long time, and finally uttered a single, elegant word: "Okay."

“I’m not leaving tonight,” he said.

"Hmm." Yu Shuheng hummed softly, reached out her right hand and stroked his face for a while, before saying, "Turn off the light, I'm a little sleepy too."

Li Heng got up and turned off the light.

The room was suddenly plunged into darkness.

In the darkness, he groped his way back into bed, snuggled up behind her, and hugged her tightly.

Yu Shuheng didn't move much, closing her eyes and lost in thought in his arms:
She understood that the reason this young man suddenly stopped tonight was threefold: first, he was wary of her being a university professor; second, he was afraid of her family background; and third, he hadn't given up on marrying Song Yu and was afraid that if he took her, he would never be able to marry Song Yu again.

However, tonight wasn't all bad news: through his passion and that tender embrace, she could at least be certain of one thing: his attitude towards her had changed like never before, and he must have feelings for her.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have hugged me like this in the past.

She would never suggest spending a night with him.

The bad news was still there, blocking her way like a mountain; but the good news also made her happy, at least this trip to Shangwan Village was worthwhile.

Li Heng slept soundly that night.

That night, Yu Shuheng had trouble sleeping for the first half of the night, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts, and she was also feeling uneasy from the giant pendulum ride. It wasn't until the latter half of the night that she finally calmed down and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Liu Chunhua's mother came to visit Li Heng.

After chatting with Liu's mother for a few minutes, Tian Run'e tiptoed upstairs and quietly opened the door to her son's bedroom.

When they peered through the peek, they found...

Wow, the room was empty. Even the bedding on the bed was still neatly stacked, untouched.

Tian Run'e turned around and looked into Teacher Yu's room. The door was closed, and she wondered what was happening inside.
Undeterred, Tian Run'e then quietly searched all the other rooms on the second floor, but still couldn't find her son. Finally, she glanced at Teacher Yu's bedroom one last time and went downstairs.

When she came to Liu's mother's side, she said, "Xiuhong, is your matter urgent? If it's not urgent, I'll have Li Heng come to see you at noon. He stayed up all night writing and is sleeping now."

Upon hearing this, Liu's mother immediately stood up: "Alright, my matter isn't urgent. I just heard that your Li Heng came back last night, so I wanted to inquire. Run'e, I'll be going now. There are still two pigs to feed at home."

"Yes." Tian Run'e personally escorted her to the courtyard gate.

After everyone left, Grandma Li, who was sunbathing in the yard, asked her daughter-in-law, "When is Lanlan coming back?"

Tian Run'e said, "It's the 27th of the twelfth lunar month."

Grandma Li counted on her fingers: "That'll take several more days. How long will Teacher Yu stay?"

Tian Run'e looked up at the second floor: "Mom, I don't know yet, and I don't feel comfortable asking."

Grandma Li said, "You can't ask about that, or they'll just kick you out. I just saw Liu Jun bring home two pheasants he hunted from the other side of the river. I wanted to call out to him, but I was afraid of disturbing Teacher Yu upstairs. Teacher Yu likes pheasants, so you go and buy some. They were fresh this morning."

Upon hearing this, Tian Run'e untied her apron and went out to Liu Jun's house.

Liu Jun is the only person in the village who makes a living by hunting. He usually helps his wife with farming, but he spends two-thirds of the year carrying a hunting rifle deep in the mountains.

Li Jianguo had bought quite a bit of wild game a few days ago, but most of it was dried or cured, with very little fresh. Even the freshest game had been sitting for several days and didn't taste as good as the game he'd just hunted this morning.

At midday, Yu Shuheng and Li Heng came down from the second floor.

Upon seeing the three elders of the Li family, Teacher Yu smiled somewhat apologetically, "I overslept last night, Grandma, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Grandma glanced at the two of them and said warmly, "Are you hungry? Let's eat."

After a quick wash, Teacher Yu sat down at the dining table and began to inquire about Li Jianguo's health: "Uncle, how are you feeling these days?"

That one word, "Uncle," made Tian Run'e and Li Jianguo exchange glances.

In the past, Teacher Yu rarely addressed people by their titles, but today he called me "Uncle." What does that mean? Even a fool would understand the implication.

Teacher Yu lowered herself to marry into the Li family.

Tian Run'e was somewhat emotional, recalling that she had made a special trip to Lushan Village and accepted the women from there as daughters-in-law.

But she didn't know what Teacher Yu was thinking. She verbally agreed, but didn't restrain Manzai's behavior, letting Manzai flirt with other women outside, which disappointed her.

Li Jianguo replied, "My health is almost fully recovered. As long as I don't do heavy work, I'm basically no different from an ordinary person."

Tian Run'e chimed in, "The doctor said he needs to recover for another two to three years."

As Yu Shuheng became more familiar with the elderly couple, her speech and manner became more down-to-earth and relatable, creating a better atmosphere at the dinner table.

After breakfast, Li Heng took Teacher Yu for a walk and stopped by Liu Chunhua's house along the way.

While clearing away the dishes, Tian Run'e said to her husband, "Your son slept in the same room as Teacher Yu last night."

Li Jianguo's hand, which was reaching for a cigarette, stopped: "Really?"

Tian Run'e whispered, "It's absolutely true. Although the two of them shared a room during the mushroom picking season in the summer, at least Manzai slept in his own room back then, just to make it look like a couple. But now they don't even bother with that, they just sleep together."

Li Jianguo sighed deeply, his face full of worry: "No wonder Teacher Yu called me 'uncle' this morning."

For the next three days, Li Heng didn't go anywhere or do anything. He would just take Teacher Yu for walks in the sun and take pictures at the tea plantation across the street. Day after day passed by.

When he has no worries about food and drink, and when he has a beautiful woman like Teacher Yu by his side, very few things can arouse his interest.

He sometimes wondered if he liked this kind of life. Fame and fortune came too quickly, and money came too much; he couldn't quite adjust his mindset for a while.

As the old saying goes, at one year old you make your debut, at ten you strive for excellence every day, at twenty you have lofty ideals, at thirty you have a basic direction, at forty you are popular everywhere, at fifty you work hard, at sixty you retire to your hometown, at seventy you play mahjong, at eighty you bask in the sun, at ninety you lie in bed, and at one hundred you hang on the shrine as an ancestor.

Of course, some people refuse to accept old age and want to live to 100, even hoping to pee on the wall at 100.

The village hasn't changed much, but with land allocated to individual households and electricity becoming more widespread, you can clearly feel that everyone's spirits have improved.

Some people carried goods on shoulder poles and started small businesses, going from street to street; some bolder people emptied their savings to buy motorcycles and drove taxis in the county town; some opened scrap metal recycling stations, some went to the western part of the country to pan for gold, and some somehow found a way to start a side business in Zhuhai. There were fewer idle people than before, and many people finally discovered a new world outside and tried to leave their mountain villages to see it for themselves.

However, his carefree days didn't last long before his peaceful life was shattered, and he was completely jolted awake from his illusions of being too happy to leave.

"Li Heng, you're home."

With a shout, Li Heng, who was huddled on the threshold, finally came to his senses, turned his head to look at the source of the shout, and found that it was Liu Juan, whom he had not seen for a long time.

Although Liu Juan still had a youthful innocence, she was much more mature than before. She quietly walked over and asked, "Li Heng, where is your teacher?"

Li Heng pointed to the second floor: "Catch up your sleep upstairs."

As he spoke, he reached out with his right hand and handed her a small stool.

Liu Juan didn't stand on ceremony. She took the low stool, sat down, and said, "City people are just different from us country folk. They even have the habit of taking a nap. Here, if anyone dares to sleep during the day, they'll be scolded to death."

She was telling the truth.

If someone sleeps during the day, they will definitely be labeled as lazy and good-for-nothing by busybodies.

Li Heng remained silent, staring at her.

Liu Juan felt a chill run down her spine from the stare. She looked down at herself and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

“You’ve changed. You’re not the same anymore,” Li Heng said.

Liu Juan asked, "What's different?"

Li Heng sarcastically remarked, "Did you dare to talk to me in the past? Did you dare to come looking for me? You were always hiding behind the crowd, secretly watching me."

Liu Juan looked embarrassed, her cheeks immediately turning red to her ears. Before she could finish, she tried to cheer herself up, saying, "I'm a college student now, and I've seen the world. I'm not that afraid of you anymore. Besides, I just did the same thing as many girls—I secretly looked at you. I don't have a crush on you, so don't misunderstand."

Li Heng felt that these words sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard them before.
He asked, "Where do you study?"

Liu Juan said with a touch of pride, "At Hunan University."

Unable to bear her smugness, Li Heng said, "Your good friend Chen Zitong, even at Renmin University, isn't as arrogant as you."

Upon hearing this, Liu Juan immediately deflated. "She's at Renmin University? And she did so well on the exam?"

"Hmm." Li Heng hummed in response: "You haven't been in contact?"

"Stamps were too expensive. She wrote me a few letters, but when I didn't reply, we gradually stopped."

Liu Juan stared at the two ants on the ground for a while, then whispered, "Do you know why I came to find you?"

Li Heng shook his head.

Liu Juan said, "I burned all my old diaries today."

Li Heng looked at her, then looked at her again, seemingly lost in thought.

Liu Juan asked, "Now that you are a renowned writer and musician admired by thousands, could you give me a blessing?"

"I wish you success in both love and career, and good health in the future," Li Heng said sincerely.

Liu Juan turned her head, stubbornly stared at him for a moment, and then said, "Thank you."

After saying that, she got up and left. Her not-so-broad back stood straight, as if bidding farewell to a period of untold youth.

Watching the receding figure, Li Heng suddenly remembered a sentence. On the tractor to the front town, the women's director saw Li Heng talking to his daughter and was so frightened that she immediately pulled her daughter behind her and said to Li Heng: "If you want to chat, talk to your aunt. Liu Juan is timid and has never seen the world. Don't scare her."

The women's director was afraid that she would scare her daughter, that she would seduce her daughter into bed.

Ah, recalling those days when he was treated like a rat in the street, like "Ximen Qing," he couldn't help but sigh. When you're not doing well, even those who seemed easy to get along with before will turn on you.

However, to be fair, he had a very good impression of the girl.

In her past life, she was a renowned college entrance examination tutor at Yali High School. Xiao Han and I had our youngest daughter studied under her. She often gave our youngest daughter extra tutoring and frequently brought her home for meals.

He remembers clearly that once his daughter said to him: "Dad, Teacher Liu Juan is very kind to me. She often brings me delicious food."

"cough!"

A dry cough suddenly came from behind him. Li Heng turned around and saw that it was Teacher Yu, who was looking at him with a half-smile.

Li Heng asked, "Teacher, are you awake?"

Yu Shuheng stretched lazily, completely exposing her graceful figure to everyone: "If you don't sleep with me, I won't be used to the new bed. I'll continue to sleep with you tonight."

Li Heng: "..."

After staying at Lao Li's house for a few days, Teacher Yu has become quite bold, daring to tease him like that now.

Seeing his gaze lingering on her, a strange glint flashed in Yu Shuheng's deep eyes: "What? Still not satisfied with the past two days?"

Li Heng blushed awkwardly: "Teacher is so beautiful, it's never enough."

Yu Shuheng smiled, a smile that held a profound meaning.

Li Heng touched his nose, realizing he was indeed a bit weak-willed; sometimes his hands would cross the line and he wouldn't be able to pull them back for half an hour. He even occasionally started using his mouth.

She stared at him for a long time, until his eyes flickered, before Yu Shuheng finally asked, "Did that little girl just now like you?"

"No, that's not true. They came to ask me about Chen Zitong," Li Heng said.

Teacher Yu bent down and whispered in his ear, "Keep lying, the teacher heard you."

Li Heng rolled his eyes: "Since you've already heard it, why are you asking me? Aren't you deliberately trying to be unethical?"

Ignoring these words, Yu Shuheng smiled and asked, "Where are your parents?"

Li Heng replied, "They went to the market, and Grandma went with them. She said she also wanted to visit my aunt's house, so she probably won't be back until later."

Yu Shuheng glanced at the sky, then raised her right wrist to look at her watch: "Let's go too."

Li Heng asked, "Want to drive?"

Yu Shuheng said, "No, walk."

"Ten miles? Can the teacher manage that?" Li Heng looked at him with a thousand doubts.

"No, you can carry me on your back." Yu Shuheng walked out.

Li Heng was speechless.

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(End of this chapter)