1987 My Era

Chapter 676, Three Buttons

Just as the elderly couple were chatting in their bedroom, they heard light footsteps coming from the stairwell outside.

The couple looked at each other and immediately shut up.

A moment later, the door to the bathroom outside was pushed open, and the sound of voices could be faintly heard.

Tian Run'e listened intently for a long time before whispering, "It's Manzai and Hanhan. They're probably coming down to take a bath."

Li Jianguo felt it inconvenient to comment on such matters concerning the younger generation, so he simply remained silent.

About 20 minutes later, two sets of footsteps came upstairs.

Tian Run'e said worriedly, "I just got home, I don't know if they took any safety precautions?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jianguo said, "Instead of worrying about Hanhan, we should worry about Teacher Yu and Zhaoyi. If these two get pregnant too early, well... I'm afraid things won't end well."

Tian Run'e listened with a worried expression, and after a while asked, "Jianguo, who do you hope our eldest grandson will come from?"

Li Jianguo turned his head: "Why are you asking this?"

Tian Run'e said, "Given this situation, we two need to be mentally prepared that they might fight each other openly and secretly over this."

Li Jianguo thought for a moment and said two names: "Zijin, or Songyu."

Tian Run'e asked, "What is the reason?"

Li Jianguo said, "Our family owes Zijin too much, and we have to have a conscience; as for Song Yu, if Manzai insists on marrying her, it will be more advantageous for him."

As the saying goes, a mother's status rises with her son's; if Song Yu were the first to become pregnant, she would undoubtedly be in a favorable position. But Li Jianguo couldn't say these things outright.

For the elderly couple, regardless of whose child it was, as long as it was a member of the Li family, they would naturally value it highly.

But outsiders might not see it that way.

Tian Run'e agreed with her husband's words, "but I dare not have too much hope for it."

Li Jianguo nodded, understanding why his wife said that: "Once things are settled here, Manzai will probably go to Dongting Lake."

Tian Run'e asked, "You mean, we're going to Dongting Lake to see Song Yu?"

Li Jianguo shook his head. "The timing is wrong now. Even if we want to go to Dongting Lake, we need to figure out the attitudes of Teacher Yu and the Huang family before we act. Otherwise, if we make empty promises to the Song family but can't keep them, it will backfire and be bad."

"Ugh!"

Tian Run'e sighed heavily, "Actually, Hanhan is quite suitable, so why didn't Manzai ever think about marrying her?"

This is also something that Li Jianguo can't understand.

That's why, and because they hadn't heard anything from their son, the couple didn't dare to say anything too definitive when they went to the Xiao family.

....
The next day, as dawn was breaking.

Li Jianguo and Tian Run'e got up and started preparing breakfast. They cooked rice and stir-fried dishes according to tradition.

Just after 7 a.m., Huang Zhaoyi, dressed neatly, came downstairs.

Tian Run'e, who was waiting in the living room, immediately got up to greet her, "Zhaoyi, please wash up first, dinner will be served later."

Huang Zhaoyi smiled and said, "Okay, Mom."

The actress in the green dress usually didn't have such a sweet voice, but last night and today, she was willing to call out like that.

Especially when she saw her mother-in-law's pleased expression, she felt a sense of contentment.

She used to worry that, because of her age, the elderly couple might have some complaints or resentment towards her.

But now, looking back, she realized she had been worrying too much, which gave her a strange sense of smug satisfaction.

Huang Zhaoyi knew that her smooth arrival at the Li family was thanks to Peking Opera.

Somewhat coincidentally, just as Huang Zhaoyi finished washing up, Li Heng and Xiao Han walked into the washroom together.

The three bumped into each other, and Huang Zhaoyi greeted them with a smile: "Hanhan, good morning."

"Good morning, Sister Zhaoyi." Xiao Han had received the rain and dew last night, and now she was radiant and in great spirits.

As someone with experience, Huang Zhaoyi immediately understood what was going on with Xiao Han and felt a strange sense of envy, but not jealousy.

As they passed each other, Li Heng suddenly spoke up: "I'm staying in Qianzhen today. I have some business to take care of in Shaoshi tomorrow. I can hitch a ride with you there."

He said this to Xiao Han, and also to Da Qingyi, not wanting to explain further afterward.

Huang Zhaoyi and Xiao Han looked at each other for a moment and readily agreed.

During breakfast, the elderly couple secretly observed Xiao Han and Huang Zhaoyi, especially Huang Zhaoyi.

After all, Manzai spent the night in Hanhan's bedroom last night, and some intimate things happened between them. Unexpectedly, Huang Zhaoyi did not show any dissatisfaction. This made the couple even more certain of their suspicion: Hanhan and Zhaoyi may have reached some kind of tacit understanding and formed an alliance.

After the meal, the five of them boarded a car, carrying gifts, and headed to the Xiao family's house in town.

Tian Run'e was very thoughtful; she even brought two bags of the best rice to her door.

Although the Li family hasn't been farming for the past two years, their paddy fields, which yield dozens of dan (a unit of weight) of grain, haven't been abandoned. The eldest brother-in-law's family helps cultivate them, and they share a portion of the harvest with the Li family. So, the family isn't short of rice.

"In-laws, you've come all this way, why did you bring so many gifts?" Wei Shiman said warmly as she opened the door and saw that everyone was carrying a lot of gifts.

Tian Run'e laughed and said, "These are just some inexpensive things, just to express my feelings. Please don't take offense."

As soon as she entered the house, Wei Shiman said to her daughter, "Go and pour tea for your parents-in-law."

Wei Shiman's instruction made Xiao Han a little embarrassed. When she returned with the tea, she shyly changed her words:

"Mom, have some tea."

"Dad, have some tea."

"Oh, thank you, Hanhan." The elderly couple were very happy and generously gave her two more red envelopes as a gesture of gratitude.

Just like last night with Huang Zhaoyi, each red envelope containing the change of address was 1200.

This isn't considered stingy these days; it's a very large sum of money.

Li Heng glanced at his elderly parents' pockets and found it somewhat strange that they were still carrying red envelopes with them. Did they have made ample preparations for this kind of thing in advance?
After pouring tea for the elderly couple, Xiao Han then poured a cup for Li Heng and Huang Zhaoyi as well.

After chatting with the Li family on the sofa for more than half an hour, Wei Shiman seized a chance to be alone with her daughter and quietly asked, "Why didn't you come back last night?"

Xiao Han cleared her throat and said, "My mother-in-law likes me, so she let me stay."

Wei Shiman reached out and patted her daughter's arm: "Who did Li Heng sleep with last night?"

Xiao Han looked at her mother with a strange expression: "Mom, I'm Li's daughter-in-law. If you don't sleep with me, do you expect me to sleep on the street outside?"

"Aren't you ashamed? Did you take any safety precautions?" Hearing that Li Heng slept with his daughter in front of the Li family elders and Huang Zhaoyi, Wei Shiman felt relieved and then asked about the safety precautions.

Xiao Han's ears were burning, and she said crisply, "Oh dear, these past few days have been your precious daughter's safe period."

Staring into her daughter's eyes, Wei Shiman thought for a moment and said, "I'll get pregnant when Li Heng is a senior in college."

"what?"

Xiao Han was somewhat surprised, not expecting her mother to say such a thing. She asked hesitantly, "You're not going to school anymore?"

Instead of answering, Wei Shiman asked, "So, do you think studying is more important, or marrying Li Heng?"

Xiao Han thought about it carefully for a moment, and said with a sigh, "No wonder you're my mother, you're a master at teaching your daughter bad things. Your idea is indeed brilliant, but I'm afraid it will have a bad influence."

Wei Shiman couldn't help but pat her daughter again and analyzed, "It's a wonder you're a semi-doctor now. You don't show much in the first four or five months of pregnancy. It won't be until at least the fifth month that your belly will start to show. At that time, it's perfectly fine to wear loose clothes."

No one else will notice.

Also, you need to choose your timing carefully. Ideally, you should conceive during winter break, then the two months when you'll show the most will be the following summer vacation. After that, ask the school for leave, and that should be about it. With Professor Wenyan around, this vacation shouldn't be difficult.”

Xiao Han asked pitifully, "What if your daughter has severe morning sickness?"

This was a very difficult problem, but Wei Shiman still insisted: "When I was pregnant with you, I was like nothing was wrong. I didn't have any reaction when eating, walking, or sleeping. I was working until you were about to be born, and then I took maternity leave."

Maybe you, like your mother, are worth taking a gamble on.

After he finished speaking, the bedroom suddenly became quiet.

The mother and daughter remained silent, gazing at each other without saying a word.

After a long while, Xiao Han said miserably, "I haven't even had enough of being a daughter yet, and now I'm going to be a mother."

Wei Shiman felt it was a bit cruel, but she didn't budge.

Xiao Han asked curiously, "Why are you suddenly urging me to have a baby?"

Wei Shiman came to the door, listened to the situation outside for a while, and then came back and said, "Last night, Mom had a dream that someone gave birth to a boy for the Li family first. Your parents-in-law were so excited that they have been accompanying that mother and child for several years."

Xiao Han suddenly felt a sense of urgency: "Mom, who is that woman?"

Wei Shiman shook her head: "I couldn't see her face clearly. In the dream, her face was like it was shrouded in mist, quite blurry. I tried to see it clearly, but I couldn't. But..."

Xiao Han asked nervously, "But what?"

Wei Shiman tried hard to recall the dream: "But that person was wearing an earring."

Xiao Han asked, "What style is it? Are you sure it's a stud earring? Not a hoop earring?"

Huang Zhaoyi, who was in the living room, was wearing a pair of large earrings. Wei Shiman knew what her daughter meant: "They're not earrings, they're studs. Mom is very sure about that."

Earrings?

Xiao Han went through his list of female confidantes and found that Mai Sui, Teacher Yu, and Zi Jin all liked to wear earrings.

On the contrary, Song Yu and Zhou Shihe prefer a minimalist style and usually wear fewer accessories.

Xiao Han asked, "Mom, are your dreams accurate?"

Wei Shiman said, "Sometimes it's accurate, sometimes it's not. For example, I've dreamed several times that your grandmother passed away, but she's still in good health now."

When I was pregnant with you, I had a dream about butterflies. The next day, your grandfather said it was probably a girl.

After chatting for a while about dream interpretation, the mother and daughter decided it wasn't good to stay in the bedroom any longer, so they went out to entertain the guests.

Back on the sofa, Xiao Han kept glancing at Huang Zhaoyi's large earrings. After thinking for a moment, she tentatively asked, "Sister Zhaoyi, I've noticed you always like wearing earrings. Have you never tried studs?"

Huang Zhaoyi reached out and touched her earrings, saying, "I also have studs, but I don't usually like to wear them. I prefer earrings."

Actually, Huang Zhaoyi didn't have any particular preference for earrings or studs before, and she liked to wear them interchangeably.

But ever since she had a relationship with Li Heng, every time they were in bed, this man liked to bite her earlobe, fiddle with her earrings, and then compliment them on how they suited her temperament. So she stopped wearing earrings much. Earrings became a thing of the past, sealed away in the dust.

When Xiao's relatives came to visit, Li Heng's family stayed for the whole morning, had lunch, and then left.

Xiao Han and Huang Zhaoyi did not come along, but stayed at the Xiao family home.

Back in Shangwan Village, Li Heng rode his bicycle and first went to the neighboring village to give his mentally challenged grandmother 500 yuan.

Unexpectedly, I ran into my old classmate Zou Aiming on the way back.

Zou Aiming was electrofishing in the river at that moment. Upon seeing him, he immediately reached out and shouted, "Lao Heng! Lao Heng!"

Li Heng tossed his bicycle aside into the bushes, jumped onto the riverbank, and asked, "Old Zou, what day did you come back?"

Zou Aiming stopped fishing and came out of the river. He reached in, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one and put it in his mouth. He also put one in his own mouth, lit it with a lighter, and said, "I arrived home the day before yesterday. I've had nothing to do these past two days, so I've been doing this in the river."

Li Heng rummaged through the bamboo basket, peered inside, and exclaimed, "Wow, not bad at all, so many sand loaches and stone crawlers!"

"My pretty female neighbor praised me as a hardworking little bee, saying I can catch seven or eight pounds in two hours. Lao Heng, you should get some to take home and eat. We have so many of these at home, we can't possibly finish them all," Zou Aiming said with a grin.

Li Heng didn't stand on ceremony: "Sure, I used to be quite good at this, but I haven't been in the water much in the last two years. Where did you buy this fish-catching machine?"

Zou Aiming, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, said, "It's not mine, it belongs to my uncle. I borrowed it to play a few rounds. But it seems he bought it from the county town. These things are ridiculously expensive, costing over 100 yuan."

The wage for rural labor has now risen to 3 yuan, but even so, more than 100 yuan is still a considerable expense.

Smoking cigarettes, the two reminisced about their high school days on the riverbank.

During the conversation, Liu Yejiang was mentioned. Zou Aiming said with great enthusiasm, "That bastard didn't go to school. I heard he went to Qingdao to work with someone."

Li Heng chimed in, "Qingdao, Shandong? Isn't that really far?"

Zou Aiming slapped his thigh, blew a smoke ring, and said, "That's right, this bastard is doomed to failure by going to sea with a cargo ship."

Then the conversation turned to Chen Lijun, and Zou Aiming said, "I'm planning to go see Liu Li tomorrow, Lao Heng, are you coming?"

Liu Li and Chen Lijun are from the same place and were junior high school classmates.

Zou Aiming said he was going to find Liu Li, but his real intention was not to visit Liu Li, but to revisit the place where Chen Lijun grew up.

Li Heng turned his head: "I heard from Liu Li that you had a girlfriend at the Normal University, didn't you?"

“I did date someone, but we broke up.” Zou Aiming flicked his cigarette ash.

Li Heng asked, "Normal University is a hub for beautiful female college students in Changsha. I heard your girlfriend was quite pretty, so why did you break up with her?"

"Sigh, don't even mention it. I had a photo of Chen Lijun in my wallet, and she accidentally found it. Then she questioned me about who the person in the photo was. I replied that it was my youth, and then we had a huge fight and broke up." Zou Aiming recalled the past with great regret.

Li Heng was speechless: "Really, you put the photo in your wallet, wasn't it just a matter of time before it was discovered?"

Zou Aiming said, "It doesn't matter, we broke up, that's fine. Anyway, she won't let me touch her body. Lao Heng, are you free tomorrow?"

Li Heng said, "Unfortunately, I don't have time. I have to go to Shao City tomorrow to take care of some business."

Upon hearing this, Zou Aiming wisely refrained from asking what business he had in Shaoshi. After chatting and joking around for a while, the two went home separately.

Before leaving, Zou Aiming gave him all the fish and shrimp in the bamboo basket, leaving the basket behind, and then slipped away singing a folk song at the top of her lungs.

His impression of this guy was that he was always cheerful and a bit glib, but not a bad person. In his previous life, Zou Aiming had a good reputation among his classmates until his later years.

Back home, Li Heng handed the fish and shrimp over to Comrade Li Jianguo to handle. He then went to Yang Yingwen's house and learned that Old Mop's father had passed away and was buried at the foot of the tea mountain opposite.

Standing in the courtyard, Li Heng looked across the river and indeed found a new grave in a corner on the north side of the mountain. The grave was in a rather remote location; it was not visible from the houses at the crossroads, but it could be seen from the village office of Shangwan Village.

He asked Yang Yingwen's mother, "Auntie, has Yingwen come back yet?"

The aunt sighed, "The fourth son is a stubborn fool. He didn't come back, and a lot of people are talking about it behind his back."

The aunt then pointed to the old house built during the Qing Dynasty: "Her three older sisters have all gone out to do side jobs and are not at home. I am terrified at night when I am alone. I always hear footsteps walking back and forth in the house at night, and the pots and pans in the kitchen are clanging and banging."

I can't stay here any longer. In a while, I'm going to Beijing with your parents. Yingwen said he found me a job there."

Li Heng turned his head and carefully examined the old "回"-shaped courtyard. According to the Third Uncle, the wooden house was several hundred years old, and the foundation was rotten. More than 100 people, including the old and the young, as well as children who died at birth, had died there. It was very eerie.

He agreed, saying, "That's a good thing. Auntie, you can stay there peacefully. Maybe you'll be able to settle down in the capital someday."

Hearing that she could settle down in the capital, the aunt smiled despite her wrinkled face. "Thank you for your kind words. If I can really settle down in a big place like the capital, my life will be worthwhile."

The large courtyard was now deserted, except for the aunt and a flock of chickens, ducks and geese. Li Heng chatted with them for a while before leaving, as the air here felt colder than on the street outside, which was rather eerie.

Li Heng spent the entire afternoon visiting relatives, bringing various gifts and visiting several key families in the village. He also went to Weijiaduan and had dinner at his aunt's house.

June 30th, a little after 8 a.m.

Li Heng arrived at the town's post office on time, where Huang Zhaoyi was already waiting in her car.

Xiao Han and her daughter Wei Shiman were also there, but they were only there to see them off.

Because of the large number of people and his sensitive status in the small town, Li Heng did not have close contact with Xiao Han. They talked for about ten minutes in the post office corridor before parting ways.

Get on the bus, close the door, and the bus departs for Shao City.

The two talked about McCormick throughout the journey. Huang Zhaoyi told him, "In the first half of the year, the company's revenue exceeded 5700 million, with 28 of our seasoning products receiving good reviews in the market. We are currently launching seafood-based seasonings, including fish sauce, shrimp paste, and oyster sauce..."

After listening attentively, Li Heng asked, "Then this year's revenue will exceed 100 million?"

Huang Zhaoyi said, "Revenue exceeding 100 million is the company's strategic goal for this year."

Li Heng asked, "I've seen McCormick light soy sauce and dark soy sauce in department stores in Shanghai. When were they launched?"

Huang Zhaoyi said, "At the end of last year."

Li Heng asked, "Are soy sauces popular?"

Huang Zhaoyi said, "Sauces are very popular in eastern coastal cities and the Pearl River Delta, while chili sauce is more popular in the central and western regions."

Remembering something, Li Heng tilted his head and asked, "The chili sauce has been on the market for over a year. How much of that revenue did it contribute?"

Huang Zhaoyi listed the details with great familiarity: "Chili sauce contributes almost a quarter of the income."

Li Heng was quite satisfied: "The market potential for chili sauce and soy sauce is huge. If you're willing to spend money on advertising, you can take advantage of the fact that there are few competitors now and firmly establish your market share as soon as possible."

Huang Zhaoyi said, "In August, McCormick chili sauce will be advertised on CCTV. An agreement has already been signed for prime time before the weather forecast."

Li Heng's eyes lit up: "It must have cost a lot, right?"

Huang Zhaoyi laughed and said, "It's alright."

Hearing her say this, Li Heng realized that the woman in front of him had probably used some connections.

While talking about company matters, the car had unknowingly entered the city. When they passed Shaoshui Bridge, Li Heng called for the car to stop.

Huang Zhaoyi pulled over, rolled down the window, and looked around. She found the city's infrastructure to be rather ordinary. However, she wisely refrained from asking further questions, such as why he had gotten out here.

Before getting off the bus, Li Heng thought for a moment and said, "Buy me a house in Shaoshi. It needs to be safe and secluded, and preferably close to Chengnan Park."

Huang Zhaoyi kept it in mind and said, "Okay."

Li Heng said, "If it's Changshi, I'll just stay at your place for now. Please prepare a car for me. It doesn't have to be a big brand, just a reliable one."

Hearing that he wanted to stay at her house, Huang Zhaoyi felt a sweet feeling well up inside her for no reason. "Okay."

After giving her his instructions, Li Heng glanced at his watch and said to her, "Come with me to the restaurant across the street for a meal. You can go back to Changshi later."

Huang Zhaoyi put on sunglasses, got out of the car, and followed him toward the small restaurant.

It's called a restaurant, but it's really just a hole-in-the-wall eatery. The tables and chairs are old, but at least it's relatively clean.

The two sat down and discussed ordering four dishes. They also ordered two bottles of iced soda.

Li Heng opened his soda and took a big gulp. He said, "There's something I've been forgetting about. I just remembered, your eldest sister asked Editor-in-Chief Liao to pass on a message that she wants to meet with me. What do you think?"

Consort Huang asked, "When did this happen?"

Li Heng told her, "It was around the end of April or the beginning of May, but I don't remember the exact date."

Huang Zhaoyi pondered for a moment and said, "It might be related to my mother and my family."

Li Heng nodded: "That's what I think too."

Huang Zhaoyi said, "There's no rush to see her. When I have time to go back to Shanghai, I'll go see her with you then."

Li Heng said, "Okay."

After saying that, he suddenly asked, "Have you been secretly taking birth control pills these past few times, hiding it from me?"

Not daring to meet his eyes, Huang Zhaoyi lowered her head, tacitly agreeing.

Li Heng stared at her for a long time before finally sighing and saying, "I know what you're thinking, and I know you're doing this for my sake. Actually, I felt guilty towards Zijing because of this."

But in the end, I went back on my word and became a person who broke their promise.

When Zijing asked him for his promise of having a first child, he hesitated and remained silent. The reason was that he had promised to give Daqingyi a child as soon as possible.

His guiding principle was always to keep his word.

But he couldn't say no to Zijing. Although he didn't explicitly agree that time, he didn't refuse either.

Later, Song Yu made another request for Zi Jin, and he agreed.

Because he knew that some things could be done once or twice but not a third time, he crossed the line between Zijing and Daqingyi and still showed favoritism.

Huang Zhaoyi said, "I don't blame you."

Li Heng nodded. "Next time, take safety precautions. Don't take any more medicine."

Huang Zhaoyi said, "Mm."

Sensing her disappointment, Li Heng hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "After I graduate, will you come with me to the grasslands? I want to ride horses. Remember to set aside time in advance, about a month."

Huang Zhaoyi instantly understood the deeper meaning: a month-long solo trip for the two of them was essentially a way to conceive. Hope ignited in her eyes, and she said excitedly, "Thank you."

Li Heng tilted his head: "Thank you?"

Huang Zhaoyi smiled, leaned over, and whispered happily in his ear, "Honey, I was wrong. I promise I won't do it again."

Looking at the slender white swan neck so close to his face and feeling the heat wave in his ears, Li Heng, who had already opened the floodgates three times last night, became restless again.

Huang Zhaoyi seemed to sense that he was in a good mood, and mustered up her courage to ask, "How about we go to the car?"

Li Heng was provoked by her words and was about to speak when the restaurant owner brought over the dishes. Seeing this, Huang Zhaoyi had no choice but to sit back in her original seat.

The two then ate their meal in peace, without saying a word, and neither mentioned going to the car to make love.

Li Heng didn't mention it because he felt the time and place were inappropriate.

Huang Zhaoyi didn't mention it because she had already lost heart and didn't have the courage to bring it up a second time.

After the meal, Da Qingyi drove back to Changshi.

Li Heng found a general store and called Teacher Yu first.

"Jingle Bell."

"Jingle Bell."

The phone rang twice before connecting, and a voice came from the other end: "Hello."

Li Heng said, "Teacher, it's me."

Yu Shuheng asked, "Where did you make the call?"

Li Heng said, "I'm in Shao City, I just arrived recently."

Yu Shuheng glanced at the sky outside the window, "Are you planning to go find Runwen later?"

Li Heng said, "I don't have anywhere to stay overnight in Shao City either."

Although they were saying seemingly insignificant things, they both understood the underlying meaning perfectly.

After a long silence, Yu Shuheng said, "Then you go first, I'll arrive around 2 pm tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll wait for you," Li Heng said.

After hanging up the phone, he dialed Shaodong and called Mai's house.

The phone was answered by Mrs. Mai. "Who is this?"

"Auntie, this is Li Heng. Is Mai Sui home?" Li Heng asked.

Upon hearing that it was Li Heng, Mai's mother immediately perked up. "Sui Bao and a few classmates are taking a nap. Wait a moment, I'll go and call her."

Li Heng said thank you.

A little over a minute later, Mai Sui picked up the receiver and asked softly, "Li Heng, are you still there?"

"exist."

Li Heng responded and asked, "When did you start taking afternoon naps? We don't have that habit in Lushan Village."

Mai Sui glanced back at her mother, who was picking vegetables in the yard, and said in a low voice, "We played too late last night, so let's catch up on sleep today."

Then she asked, "Where are you?"

Li Heng said, "I'm in Shao City."

Mai Sui asked, "Are you going to pick up Teacher Yu?"

Li Heng gave an irrelevant answer: "I promised to make you snails last summer, but I've been putting it off. I'd like to come to Shaodong soon to fulfill my promise. Would you welcome me?"

Wheat Ear was somewhat pleased, remembering the promise she made to herself a year ago, and asked with a gentle smile, "Really coming?"

Li Heng said, "It will be a week later."

Mai Sui said, "Okay, give me a call beforehand and I'll come pick you up."

As she spoke, Mai Sui glanced at the calendar on the wall and made a note of what day it would be a week from now.
After ending the call, Mai Sui put the receiver back, then went outside to the yard and asked her mother, "Mom, where can I pick snails?"

Mai Mu asked, "Does your classmate want to eat snails?"

Mai Sui said, "Li Heng will come over to visit in a while. He will make snails for us. I'm thinking of picking them up first and rinsing them in clean water for a while to remove the mud and sand inside."

Mai Mu said, "It's the middle of the day, and these things are everywhere along the reservoir. I'll go and collect a bucketful after lunch."

Mai Sui laughed and said, "I took Shihe and Manning with me, so that Shihe could experience picking snails."

After making two calls, Li Heng made a third call to Wang Ye.

The result was the same as the previous days: no one answered.

Li Heng was puzzled. Why is he so busy?

"Boss, how much?" he asked.

The shop owner checked the time and said, "Kid, you've been playing for a total of 9 minutes and 12 seconds. That's 10 yuan."

After paying, Li Heng also bought an ice cream and ate it.

Standing on the Shaoshui Bridge, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, he gazed at the abundant flow of the Zi River. Afterwards, he went to a department store to buy gifts.

Buy expensive ones, buy them for our homeroom teacher Wang Qi, buy them for Principal Sun, and buy them for Teacher Wang.

An hour later, he entered Shaoyang No. 1 Middle School carrying large and small bags.

Just as I passed through the gatehouse, I encountered the female doctor from the infirmary.

As they passed each other, the female doctor felt he looked familiar. She deliberately slowed her pace to get a better look, and two seconds later exclaimed, "Li Heng?"

Li Heng smiled, recognizing the other person as his high school English teacher best friend, and pushed his sunglasses up his head. "Dr. Shen, long time no see. Where are you headed?"

Seeing that she hadn't mistaken the person, the female doctor became incredibly excited: "It really is you! I went to a restaurant to buy food, have you eaten yet?"

Li Heng nodded: "I just ate before I came."

The female doctor asked, "Are you here to see Runwen?"

Li Heng said with a smile, "I've come to see our homeroom teacher and Teacher Wang."

The female doctor said, "What a coincidence! Runwen asked me to buy her food. You should go in and find her; she just came back from her fourth class."

"Okay, sure." After a brief exchange, Li Heng left the school gate and headed towards the old tenement building on the left.

Go up to the third floor, turn left, and it's the third room.

Li Heng put down the gifts and began knocking on the door.

"Boom boom boom!"

"Boom boom boom!"

"Who is it?" a rather magnetic voice came from inside.

Li Heng, feeling playful, ignored the lack of response and continued knocking on the door.

The next second, the curtains next to them opened, and a face looked over through the glass window.

Wow, she's quite mature; she didn't just open the door abruptly. Li Heng thought to himself, then moved to the window and looked at his English teacher face-to-face through the glass.

In the past ten seconds or so, the expressionless English teacher suddenly made a movement, putting her hands on her chest and her whole body trembling slightly.

Li Heng: "..."

Wearing a white shirt in the middle of summer and then shaking it is really going to kill me!

Good heavens, please take this damned monster away!

It was intentional, absolutely intentional!
Li Heng gestured with his lips, indicating that she should open the door.

Ignoring English, his right hand, under his gaze, climbed upwards until it reached his collar, where he brazenly unbuttoned two buttons.

Then a smile crept onto her lips as she looked at him with amusement.

Li Heng was dumbfounded and speechless.

Seeing his lecherous look, the English teacher laughed, her face beaming with a thousand charms. Then, she tossed her long hair, slammed the curtains shut, and disappeared.

This wait was very long.

This wait lasted for 5 minutes.

Just when he was waiting so long that the flowers were almost withered, the door finally made a sound. With a few clicks, the bolt was opened, and half of the door opened, revealing a stunningly sexy and voluptuous figure inside.

Li Heng immediately noticed something was wrong and blurted out, "Teacher, did you just put on makeup?"

"Shut your stinking mouth and come in!" Wang Runwen said with a sneer, kicking him in the shin as a signal for him to be rude.

Despite the pain in his calves, Li Heng cheerfully squeezed into the room from the side with his luggage.

Wang Runwen didn't go back inside immediately. He stood at the door and peeked into the passageway on both sides. Seeing that the narrow passageway was quiet and that the doors and windows of the neighbors around him were closed, he retreated back inside and closed the door.

Wang Runwen looked down at the things he had bought and noticed cigarettes and alcohol. "Are these for Teacher Wang Qi and Principal Sun?"

Li Heng is right.

Wang Runwen said, "Teacher Wang Qi is no longer at No. 1 Middle School."

Li Heng asked, "Where did you go?"

Wang Runwen asked, "You don't know?"

Li Heng shook his head.

Wang Runwen said, "He participated in a teaching skills competition and won the provincial championship. He was then recruited by the High School Affiliated to the Normal University. His whole family went to Changsha."

Li Heng asked, "When did this happen?"

Wang Runwen said, "Just the first half of this year."

Li Heng said, "This is a good thing. He has finally realized his long-cherished wish."

Wang Runwen nodded: "His wife also went to teach in Changsha, at Mingde Middle School, teaching biology."

Before he could reply, Wang Runwen delivered another piece of news: "Principal Sun has also left."

Li Heng was taken aback: "He left too? Promoted?"

Wang Runwen said, "He has accumulated some capital over the years and was transferred to work at the Education Bureau in April."

Upon hearing that Principal Sun had already left, Li Heng suddenly had a sudden realization.

His intuition told him that the English teacher had probably called him and Teacher Yu over because it was related to Principal Sun's personnel changes.

Pour him a glass of cool boiled water, and the English teacher asks, "Have you eaten yet?"

Li Heng replied, "I ate before I came. I just ran into Dr. Shen downstairs."

The English teacher said, "I've been too lazy to cook lately, and I'm tired of the school cafeteria food, so we've been eating out and occasionally bringing some food back."

Li Heng was a little thirsty. After finishing his glass of water, he was about to get up to pour himself a second glass when Wang Runwen reached out and took his glass, pouring him a second one.

The English teacher filled the second glass of water and placed it in front of him. She then sat down on the separate sofa to the side, casually crossed her legs, and asked:

"Why did you come alone? Didn't you come with Shuheng?"

Li Heng said, "I went home on the 28th and just came from Qianzhen. Teacher Yu won't arrive until tomorrow."

"Oh."

The English teacher, with her alluring red lips, gave a nonchalant "Oh," her eyes flashing with a strange light. "She's so trusting? Isn't she afraid I'll eat you tonight?"

Li Heng said, "With my weight of over 100 pounds, the teacher can't finish eating me in one night."

Upon hearing this, the English teacher didn't say anything, but instead casually tousled her straight black hair with both hands, letting it drape lazily over her shoulders, and then used her fingertips to pry open the third button.

Through the ravines and gullies, one can vaguely glimpse the scenery inside.

After doing all this, she didn't look at anyone or say anything to seduce them. She leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest.

Suddenly, the living room became very quiet!

Especially with all the curtains drawn, in the dimly lit environment, an atmosphere of hormones is spreading relentlessly.

Without a sound, Li Heng's gaze fell on her, and his breathing gradually became abnormal.

Two minutes passed, and Li Heng remained seated without moving.

Five minutes passed, and Li Heng still hadn't moved.

Ten minutes later, he slowly stood up, came to her, and stood still.

He looked down at her.

The English teacher was like a sage monk, as steady as a rock, completely still, with only her alluring white shirt pulsating rhythmically with her heartbeat.

Li Heng swallowed hard, took two deep breaths, bent down, grabbed the shirt with his left hand, and buttoned it up one by one with his right.

When he tied the last bead, Wang Runwen opened his eyes, his gaze full of mockery, and said sarcastically, "So this is the kind of man Yu Shuheng has chosen. I thought he would have much self-control."

Li Heng focused on buttoning his shirt and said as calmly as possible, "Don't talk nonsense. In this situation, it's rare to find a man more gentlemanly than me."

Wang Runwen looked him straight in the eye: "You were with a woman last night?"

Li Heng remained silent.

Wang Runwen asked, "Mai Sui came to see me a couple of days ago, was it Xiao Han?"

Li Heng's eyelids twitched, and he plopped down on the coffee table, facing her closely. He asked a question that didn't seem to fit the question: "What exactly is the teacher trying to say? Can you please stop being so curious about my private life?"

Hearing this, Wang Runwen brushed a strand of black hair off his shoulder with his right hand. "You've been involved in ambiguous relationships with so many outstanding women. Your IQ and EQ should be quite high. Don't you really realize what I'm trying to say?"

As Li Heng entered, she subtly hinted that Principal Sun had already left Shaoshi No. 1 Middle School.

In the short time they had just met, she had twice tested his reaction with her body, and the effect was quite good; Li Heng was very interested in her body.

The reason why he was able to control himself and not act recklessly was something that both of them knew perfectly well.

She unbuttoned her clothes to test him, wanting to know if his tastes had become too discerning during his two years in Shanghai, amidst the allure of the outside world, and whether his previous tastes still suited him.
As it turned out, Li Heng was still the same Li Heng we first met.

As soon as the English teacher said this, the living room fell silent again.

Li Heng was lost in thought.

The English teacher leaned back on the sofa, staring intently at him, scrutinizing his eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, face, and ears—every feature was exquisite and beautiful.

Wang Runwen thought to himself: If the person in front of me were a girl, dressed in women's clothing, she would probably be just as good-looking as Xiao Han and Shu Heng, and could rival Song Yu.

Coupled with his strong artistic temperament and his identity, it's no wonder that so many girls are willing to be drawn to him like moths to a flame.

No wonder Shuheng fell for it without even realizing it.

Thinking this through, Wang Runwen suddenly felt a little relieved: although he had entrusted Li Heng to Shuheng, Shuheng had stolen from him, but he couldn't entirely blame her.

P.S.: Updated first, revised later.

(End of this chapter)