1987 My Era

Chapter 581, It's Dragon Boat Festival Again
Li Heng stared blankly at the line of text on the paper, his fingers gripping it tightly.

His three women in his previous life each had their own unique characteristics:
Zi Jin was passionate.

The cunning and scheming wife.

Song Yuzhong.

When it comes to magnanimity, only Song Yu can rival Teacher Yu.

Well, although Song Yu is generous, she naturally has a Buddhist-like attitude. She doesn't care about many things, doesn't fuss over many things, and is easygoing.

Li Heng knew that Teacher Yu's magnanimity towards him was not innate, but rather because the teacher had deep feelings for him.

Li Heng sat on the bed for a long time before going downstairs.

Upon seeing him appear, Tian Run'e immediately stood up to greet him and asked, "Manzai, did Teacher Yu leave you any clues?"

Li Heng didn't say a word, but simply handed the note in his palm to his mother.

After reading it, Tian Run'e was dumbfounded. She sighed softly and handed it to her mother-in-law next to her.

Grandma Li took the note, lowered her head for a long time, and then said, "I thought the turning point that appeared tonight was nothing compared to this."

Teacher Yu is so magnanimous; I, an old woman from the countryside, have underestimated her. If my eldest grandson can really marry her, it will be a blessing bestowed upon our Li family for eighteen generations.

A single note earned Grandma's high praise and heartfelt approval.

A little later, the note ended up in Li Jianguo's hands.

After reading it, the middle-aged man was impressed by Professor Yu's demeanor. He puffed on his cigarette and said, "Run'e, when we have time, we should go to Fudan University again."

What's the point of going to Fudan University?
Of course, it's to make it up to them.

Even if Teacher Yu has everything he needs, the elderly couple themselves were a symbol in the past.

Tian Run'e nodded and said, "I misunderstood Teacher Yu before, thinking she was inactive. I realize that she has a broader perspective than I do and a deeper understanding of Manzai."

What does it mean to have a deeper understanding?

That is, Yu Shuheng realized a truth: she couldn't always use high-pressure tactics with Li Heng's confidantes. Sometimes, a gentler approach was more effective.

Because she knew that Li Heng would never give up on a woman he had slept with. Li Heng also disliked others using underhanded tactics.

She had previously considered her mother Shen Xin's ruthless methods, but during the investigation of Huang Zhaoyi, she suddenly realized her mistake and immediately withdrew Liu Bei.

Yu Shuheng's tolerance for Li Heng grew with time and love. The longer time went on, the deeper her love for Li Heng became, and the deeper her love for him became, the more tolerant she became of his philandering.

Li Jianguo deeply agreed: "Yes, most people can't do that."

Tian Run'e asked, "Then when should we go?"

Li Jianguo thought for a moment and asked, "How about the Dragon Boat Festival?"

Before Tian Run'e could reply, Li Heng almost jumped up as if by reflex: "No way."

Grandma, Li Jianguo, and Tian Run'e all looked at him, their faces full of confusion.

Faced with three pairs of eyes, Li Heng gave an awkward smile and blurted out, "I'm going on a field trip with Teacher Yu for the Dragon Boat Festival. This was an itinerary we discussed a long time ago, so you won't see me when you get there."

Tian Run'e asked, "Should we go with the wheat ears?"

"She has to go to class. What is she going to do there?" Li Heng asked.

Tian Run'e said, "It's good that someone is home. Your dad and I have gotten to know Teacher Yu a little better now, but we're complete strangers to Mai Sui. Manzai, your dad and I can go and stay with you for a while."

Li Heng: "..."

That's really bringing up the very thing you shouldn't have said.

Song Yu is coming to Fudan University for the Dragon Boat Festival.

Although next year is a turbulent time and Song Yu may not be able to make it, we can't completely rule it out, can we?
He needs to take precautions in advance.

Li Heng still refused: "Maisui has a delicate face and is a very kind person. You two shouldn't go and scare her..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Now that things have come to this, I'm not afraid of you calling me shameless. I really like wheat."

Tian Run'e glanced towards the door and asked in a low voice, "You really like her? How does she compare to Song Yu?"

Li Heng said almost without hesitation: "I want to marry Song Yu, and I want to keep Mai Sui by my side at all times."

Upon hearing this, Tian Run'e and Li Jianguo exchanged glances and remained silent, but the name Mai Sui stuck with them even more and held them in their hearts.

The couple knew how much their son liked Song Yu.

But now, the sprouting ears of wheat have made them feel somewhat underestimated.

Grandma, listening nearby, was confused. After a long while, she finally asked, "Who is Song Yu? And who is Mai Sui?"

Li Heng scratched his head, chuckled, and quickly slipped away, going up to the second floor.

Tian Run'e and her mother-in-law then recounted Manzai's rich romantic history.

After listening patiently, Grandma Li counted on her fingers: "Song Yu, Xiao Han, Chen Zijin, Teacher Yu, plus Mai Sui, that makes 5 people, right?"

It seems this old country woman is still too short-sighted to keep up with her grandson's pace. Oh well! With so much money, he can afford to raise ten or twenty grandchildren.

Li Jianguo: "..."

Tian Run'e: "..."

The couple had long realized that their son had inherited his grandmother's unruly and unconventional ways.

Now that living conditions have improved, Grandma isn't very interested in anything else, except for the Li family's many descendants.

Grandma stared at the five fingers for a while, then asked her daughter-in-law, "Which of these five is the best?"

After thinking for a moment, Tian Run'e said, "According to Lanlan's opinion: in terms of appearance and temperament, Song Yu is the best; in terms of family background, Teacher Yu is the best; and in terms of intelligence, it should be Xiao Han."

I won't say much about Zijing; Mom, you've watched her grow up, you know her better than anyone else.

We don't know Mai Sui very well; we only spent a few days with her. But Lanlan said that besides Song Yu, Mai Sui will probably be the most favored in the future.

Grandma asked in surprise, "Is Song Yu really that good? What about her character and temperament? Can she compare to Teacher Yu?"

Tian Run'e shook her head: "I haven't seen the real person up close yet."

Li Jianguo interjected, analyzing, "For Manzai to remember him so fondly, he must have something special about him. If he were a narrow-minded person, no matter how good-looking he was, Manzai wouldn't value him so much."

Tian Run'e nodded, quite confident in her son's judgment.

Hearing this, Grandma, showing her old teeth, said, "I thought today would be a bloody battle, but it seems this is just a small matter."

"You two need to be prepared. Don't even think about persuading our grandson to give up on these girls; you're not capable of that."

The couple, feeling frustrated, didn't know how to respond to what he was saying.

Grandma asked, "Besides these five, are there any others outside?"

Tian Run'e and Li Jianguo looked at each other and shook their heads.

Tian Run'e was thinking about an unknown teacher and worried about Zhou Shihe, but these were just rumors and speculations, existing only in her imagination, and couldn't be taken seriously.

Around 9:30 p.m., Chen Zijin arrived.

Seeing that Li Heng wasn't on the first floor, she went over and asked Tian Run'e, "Mom, where is he?" Tian Run'e pointed upstairs, "Manzai is on the second floor. Teacher Yu has left. Zijin, you can go up by yourself. Mom won't go up with you."

This statement contained a lot of information, leaving Chen Zijin completely bewildered.

Yu Shuheng is gone?
Why leave at this point?
Is it because I came back?
Her thoughts raced, and in that instant, she made many guesses. But no matter what, the final result was perfect: the other party was gone, no one in the Li family was going to compete with her, and she could spend the New Year with her beloved.

Chen Zijin's face flushed slightly. She reached out and took her future mother-in-law's arm, saying, "No rush. I haven't seen Mom and Grandma for a while. I'll spend more time with you."

That evening, Grandma intentionally chatted with Chen Zijin, and the three of them talked until very late.

Li Jianguo listened the whole time, occasionally chiming in. Later, Chen Gaoyuan came over, and the two men joined the conversation while smoking.

At 11:30 p.m., as night deepened, most people in Shangwan Village turned off their lights and went to bed.

After parting ways with her grandmother and future mother-in-law, Chen Zijin went upstairs to the second floor.

Li Heng was reading a book when he heard the noise at the door and immediately turned around.

Chen Zijin stood halfway at the doorway, gazing at him with a beaming smile.

The two pairs of eyes met, and it was as if they were inlaid together, inseparable.

After a long while, Li Heng, unable to contain his desire any longer, swallowed hard, put down his book, got up and came to her side. After confirming her identity with his eyes for two seconds, he bent down, picked her up in his arms, happily spun her around a few times, put her on the bed, and then pressed himself down on her.

Chen Zijin was no stranger to any of this. When the man appeared on her, she calmly hugged him back, and their lips met in a passionate kiss.

Around 2 a.m., the two went downstairs hand in hand and took a shower.

In the bedroom on the first floor, Tian Run'e was not asleep at the moment, but was discussing the issue of Manzai's five women with her husband.

When she heard footsteps outside, Tian Run'e nudged her husband with her elbow and asked, "What time is it?"

Li Jianguo said, "Why are you asking this?"

“You dead man, look at the time,” Tian Run’e urged.

Having no other choice, Li Jianguo reluctantly reached out from under the covers, grabbed a flashlight and watch from the bedside table, shone them on the bed, and said:

"2:07"

Tian Run'e reminded, "Quickly turn off the flashlight."

Li Jianguo did as instructed.

Tian Run'e was very worried: "He Zijin can stay up this late. If it were Mai Sui, who is as beautiful as Su Daji, she would probably stay up all night. Not to mention there are three other stunning women."

Li Jianguo felt awkward about such a private matter and didn't know how to respond. He simply comforted him, saying, "According to the birth chart, Manzai is a lucky person and will be blessed by heaven. Don't think too much about it."

"Sigh. That's all I can hope for." Tian Run'e sighed again, feeling a sense of helplessness.

...

The next day.

That is, Lunar New Year's Eve.

Li Lan returned around 11 a.m.

My childhood friend Zou Jiao was also with us.

Upon arriving home, Li Lan wanted to find Yu Shuheng to thank her, but instead, she encountered Chen Zijin. She immediately changed her mind and praised her, saying:
"My sister-in-law looks absolutely stunning today, so beautiful."

"It's cold outside, Second Sister, have a cup of hot water to warm yourself up."

As for why she was so beautiful, Chen Zijin knew perfectly well, and naturally dared not dwell on the topic any further.

Li Lan took the hot tea, took two big gulps, and asked, "Where's your man? Why didn't he come out to pick me up? Have you gotten too rich? You've got some nerve!"

Chen Zijin chuckled upon hearing this and replied, "He went to town this morning, and Dad went too."

"Huh? They say a woman should follow her husband wherever he goes, but you didn't come along?" Li Lan found it strange.

Chen Zijing's cheeks flushed. She didn't know how to explain that last night's events had been too wild. Her legs were so weak that she could barely walk, so she didn't go with them.

She made up an excuse at the last minute: "Something came up at home this morning, and I couldn't find the time."

This "family" refers to the Chen family across the street.

Li Lan then asked, "Where are my mom and grandma?"

Chen Zijin replied, "Grandma is visiting the neighbors and helping them offer incense. Mom went to the field to pull up radishes."

Chatting, the two women went upstairs to the second floor.

Li Heng's bedroom is on the second floor, at the southernmost point, while Li Lan's room is on the northernmost point, at the farthest point.

Li Lan quietly walked through each room, but found no trace of Teacher Yu's presence. She immediately realized that Teacher Yu had left.

"Was she forced out by Zijing? Or did Teacher Yu leave on her own?" This thought crossed Li Lan's mind.

However, she didn't ask, but instead took out her clothes and said, "Sister-in-law, I'll take a shower first, and then come with me to my older sister's house for lunch."

This afternoon you helped me with the cooking; I've prepared some New Year's dishes. I'll make a few of your favorites.

"Okay," Chen Zijin replied with a smile.

Neither of the two women mentioned the Chen family's New Year celebrations. Last year, Chen Zijin ate at both sides' restaurants, and it's likely that it will be the same this year.

....
The town's post office.

Ten days had passed since Li Heng last parted ways with Huang Zhaoyi. With the pregnancy on his mind, he hurriedly went into the post office.

Unfortunately, Wei Shiman was also there, busy talking to one of her subordinates, and didn't notice Li Heng at first.

It seems this call can't be made for now. Better safe than sorry. If the contents of the call accidentally reach the mother-in-law's ears, there will inevitably be another round of trouble.

He glanced at the landline phone with some annoyance, left the post office, and looked up at the sky in the direction of Shanghai, wondering: Last time it wasn't a safe period, was Da Qingyi pregnant or not?
Thinking this through anxiously, Li Heng wandered around the small town until he finally found a pesticide shop with a telephone that sold pesticides.

"Boss, can I make a phone call?" he asked.

The male boss was playing cards and didn't have time to look up: "Inside the city? Or outside the city?"

Li Heng said: "Outside the city."

The male boss pointed to the landline, indicating that he should make the call.

After thinking of some cryptic words, Li Heng started making phone calls.

The result was unsatisfactory; three calls were made in a row, but no one answered.

Could it be that on New Year's Eve, the leading lady wasn't at her new home? Or did she go back to the Huang family instead?

Thinking this way, he immediately gave up the idea.

He was afraid that the person who answered the phone would be Huang's mother or others, because then he would definitely be bombarded with questions, including some that he couldn't answer right now.

Oh well, I'm going to Shanghai anyway on the third day of the Lunar New Year, it'll only be two or three days, I'll just wait.

After leaving the pesticide shop, Li Heng went to the town government's residential compound, but the Xiao family was no longer there; they had returned to Weijiaduan.

Well, my cunning wife went back to her hometown in the countryside for the New Year, leaving me all alone.

(End of this chapter)