1987 My Era

Chapter 688, Romance by the Lake, Jiang Yue's Initiative
Li Heng was a master at catching fish and shrimp in the streams of his hometown, but he was completely clueless when it came to fishing in the vast Dongting Lake, which was really difficult for him.

He spent the whole morning with her, and besides helping her untangle the nets and collect the fish, he mostly chatted with Song Yu. He even took off his shoes and put his feet in the water. The two sat side by side, chatting and laughing about everyday things.

Every time this happened, Sun Manning, the third wheel, would automatically walk away, muttering under her breath, "What a pair of scoundrels!"

Grandpa and Song Shi seemed oblivious to the two of them, busy counting the fish. In their spare time, Song Shi would light a cigarette, stand at the bow of the boat, and gaze at the blue sky and white clouds, never glancing back, so as not to spoil Yu Bao and Li Heng's enjoyment.

At midday, the group returned home laden with their loot.

Weighing the fish, wow, it weighed over 800 jin (400 kg).

Damn it, the biggest fish weighed 47 jin (23.5 catties).

One has to admire the resources available these days. Where in later generations could one ever witness such a grand spectacle?

After sorting the various fish into categories, Song Shi accompanied his grandfather to the county town to sell fish.

Li Heng took a kitchen knife and began to scale and gut the fish. He said to Song Yu, "I'll make you a whole fish feast for lunch. Spicy and sour sliced ​​fish, fried fish, braised fish, steamed fish, fish balls, you name it, I'll make it all."

Seeing that he was covered in sweat from exhaustion, Song Yu used a damp towel to wipe his face and neck, and smiled and said okay.

Jiang Yue and Song Yushu were helping out when they heard Li Heng's words. They couldn't help but glance at Song Yu. The two elders had the same thought in their minds: If Li Heng didn't have any other female confidantes and just stayed with Yu Bao, how wonderful that would be.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Even with Yu Bao being so perfect, she still couldn't win the heart of one man.

...

Speaking of winning someone's heart, Zhou Shihe returned to Yuhang. After practicing the piano in the morning, she had a dream while taking a nap on the sofa at noon.

In her dream, she saw Song Yu meet the elders of the Li family and soon give birth to twins, a boy and a girl, for Li Heng.

A beautiful pair of twins!
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shihe woke up instantly, her clear, bright eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. She slumped onto the sofa, wondering: Was it a dream about what I'd been thinking about during the day? Or was the dream foreshadowing the future?
Mai Sui also took a nap, but she wasn't used to the sofa, so she went straight to the bedroom.

Seeing her daughter lost in thought, which was unusual for her, Zhou's mother stopped as she passed by, observed her for a moment, and then sat down beside her and asked with concern, "Is something on your mind?"

Zhou Shihe came to her senses and said, "I had a dream."

Zhou's mother asked curiously, "What did you dream about?"

Zhou Shihe hesitated for a moment, then recounted the entire dream in detail, before quietly gazing at her mother, hoping for an answer.

After replaying her daughter's dream twice, Zhou's mother said, "Dreams are mysterious things. You can't take them seriously most of the time, but they can be accurate sometimes."

This statement seems to have been meaningless.

But Zhou Shihe got the answer she wanted.

Zhou Shihe said, "Mom, I plan to participate in an international piano competition when I am a junior in college."

Zhou's mother asked, "Your fame has grown internationally thanks to your instrumental albums, why are you still participating?"

Zhou Shihe lowered her eyelids and said softly, "I want to walk my own path."

Zhou's mother understood, and patted her daughter's shoulder affectionately with her right hand: "That's fine, Mom supports you."

...

Song Yushu rarely gets to eat Li Heng's cooking, and during lunch she kept exclaiming and praising, "Li Heng, how come you can do everything so well? You are such a perfect man. Our Yubao is so lucky."

Although Jiang Yue didn't say anything, her chopsticks were very honest, constantly moving between the various dishes, clearly impressed by Li Heng's culinary skills.

Despite her advanced age, Grandma has a strong palate and loves spicy and sour fish. She even served Li Heng and Song Yu a piece of fish balls each.

Looking at the fish balls, Li Heng couldn't help but whisper in Song Yu's ear, "Is Grandma urging us to get married and have children?"

Song Yu glanced at him with a faint smile, but didn't reply.

Today was a rare cloudy day. After lunch, Li Heng and Song Yu went for a walk by the lake. As they walked side by side, he reached out and took her hand without realizing it.

Song Yu glanced down, thought for a moment, and didn't pull away, letting him lead her forward.

When they passed a muddy puddle, Li Heng even lifted her up and carried her across. This scene was witnessed by a nearby tea farmer.

Immediately, an older woman greeted her: "Yu Bao, you've brought your boyfriend back!"

In the past, Song Yu would have smiled and remained silent or changed the subject when faced with such a question, but today she answered directly: "Yes, he likes the scenery of Dongting Lake, so I brought him back to stay for a while. Fourth Aunt, have you had lunch?"

Auntie Si laughed and said, "I've eaten here. When I passed by your house before, I saw your fiancé making braised fish in the yard. He's quite good at it, it smells so good."

Song Yu smiled and said, "Come visit me at home sometime."

"Hey, go chat with your mom tonight." Aunt Si and Jiang Yue were very close and often visited each other.

As the two strolled by, the surrounding tea farmers instantly erupted in excitement, gossiping about the incident.

Some people said, "See? I said it last year: this great writer is the son-in-law of the Song family. Now it's confirmed."

Someone chimed in, "The Second Master has excellent judgment."

Some people say, "A fortune teller once passed by and said that Song Yu would be very wealthy and noble in her life. Now it seems that his prediction has come true."

Some people said enviously, "If I had a daughter as beautiful as that, my family could also rise to prominence and become phoenixes."

Someone immediately poured cold water on the idea: "A girl as beautiful as Song Yu might not appear again in the next 100 years in this small area of ​​Dongting Lake. Sister Wang, you should give up on this idea as soon as possible."

"..."

There was a lot of gossip going on behind their backs, but the two of them only vaguely heard some of it.

Li Heng intertwined his fingers with hers and joked, "Did you hear that? We're a match made in heaven."

Song Yu smiled beautifully and led him forward until they stopped at a secluded and quiet place.

She stood on a rock, quietly gazing at the shimmering lake surface. The wind blew her plain white dress, and she looked absolutely beautiful.

Li Heng gazed intently at her profile, and finally, unable to resist, he embraced her from behind.

Unfortunately, his right hand accidentally covered her chest, and for a moment the entire semicircle was in his palm.

The sudden, strange attack caused Song Yu's body to freeze instantly.

A few seconds later, she couldn't help but glance down and saw that he was pretending to be dead and had no intention of letting go. She immediately turned her head away and looked at him with a strange expression.

Li Heng looked at her closely, feeling a little guilty, but thinking that the woman in his arms was his wife, his emotions gradually calmed down.

Song Yu noticed the subtle changes in his face and said after a while, "You know what? For the first time, I saw desire in your eyes."

"Huh?" Li Heng exclaimed, unsure how to respond.

Song Yu's body gradually softened, and she leaned against his chest. "This is how it should be. Otherwise, I'll start to doubt my own charm."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng hugged her even tighter, pressing his face against hers. "I was clearly being naughty, but you're still so understanding and giving me a way out. You're so good to me, my wife."

Song Yu smiled and gazed at him.

The two stared at each other, and suddenly, Li Heng felt a surge of emotion, his blood rushing to his head. Before she could react, he leaned forward and kissed her red lips.

The rich aroma enveloped her, and Song Yu's mind went blank for a moment.

Soft and chewy, with a hint of sweetness, half a minute later, Song Yu gradually came to her senses and experienced the taste of her first kiss.

Then she raised her right hand, but lowered it halfway down, her heart softening as she didn't push the man away.

Song Yu opened her eyes and quietly watched him take what he wanted, his lips thoroughly kissed all over.

At one point, his red letter began to knock on the city gate. Song Yu hesitated, but finally opened her heart.

Upon succeeding, Li Heng felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, his energy and spirit immediately surged, and he exerted all his strength to entwine, soon becoming completely immersed in it.

As time passed, Song Yu, held in his arms, grew softer and hotter. Finally, she slowly closed her eyes, fully enjoying the wonderful feeling of their first kiss.

After a long, long time, the two, almost suffocating, slowly separated. Song Yu stared at his eyes, her gaze glistening.

The previous series of kisses left her slightly breathless, her breath sweet and fragrant, her breath pattering against Li Heng's face.

Feeling her warmth, Li Heng was moved and kissed her forehead, then hugged her even tighter.

"You don't blame me?"

"No wonder."

"I also..."

“We’re by the lake now, it’s daytime. I advise you to save face for your fiancée,” Song Yu interrupted him with a faint smile in her eyes.

Li Heng rested his chin on her shoulder, turned his head to look at her, and said with a happy expression, "Fiancée sounds too unromantic. Can you remove the word 'fiancée'?"

Song Yu laughed and said, "We'll see what you're capable of after graduation."

Li Heng nuzzled her face with the tip of his nose. "Do you like being with me?"

"Ah."

Song Yu gave a soft "Mmm," and said, "I feel very safe with you. If only I had known..."

She fell silent halfway through her sentence.

Li Heng pressed further, "If you had known earlier, would you have been with me long ago?"

Song Yu smiled but remained silent.

Just then, a group of people slid down the mountain and saw the two embracing from about 20 meters away, and they were all a little dumbfounded.

Then someone shouted towards the tea plantation above: "Jiang Yue! Jiang Yue! Your precious daughter has been snatched away by a wolf cub! Hurry up and slaughter pigs and cattle to prepare a feast!"

Song Yu was unusually shy, her face flushed as she stepped out of his arms. She then used her right hand to smooth the stray hairs on her face to hide her embarrassment.

At this moment, Jiang Yue and Song Yushu were helping Grandma Song pick tea leaves.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yue went to the edge of the earth, craned her neck to look down, and saw her daughter and Li Heng by the lake, as well as four or five busybodies.

Jiang Yue thought to herself: Yu Bao chose a pretty secluded spot, how could it be so unlucky?
That's right. There's no road in front of this spot, so logically no one should be there. But as luck would have it, these tea pickers don't play by the rules at all. To save time, they just slid down the mountain. Damn it, isn't that unfair?
However, for Jiang Yue, her daughter had already openly slept with Li Heng to prove her point, so even if there were some ambiguous things happening by the lake, it wouldn't provoke her anger.

I just feel sorry for my daughter's innocence and reputation.

After this incident, my daughter will have no choice but to marry Li Heng in the future.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yue responded with a smile to the noisy neighbors below: "They are still studying and are easily embarrassed. Uncle Song, please calm down. When they graduate and get married, I will have Yu Bao and Li Heng personally deliver wedding candy to your home."

Mr. Song, a resident of Lezi, is 73 years old this year. He and Mr. Song are cousins, not even five generations apart. The two families are usually very close.

Grandpa Song pointed at his finger and exclaimed, "Graduation? If I remember correctly, your Yu Bao is only a junior this fall, right? It'll be at least two years!"

Jiang Yue nodded: "I'll be a junior in the second half of the year, so it'll be another two years."

Grandpa Song immediately put his hands behind his back, raised his chin, and said in a condescending manner, "That won't do. The fortune teller said I'll be going through a tough winter this year and won't make it through. I won't be able to eat wedding candy in two years. Let your son-in-law put on a feast tonight, and I'll join in the fun."

Since they've already said that much, and they're her elders, Jiang Yue smiled and agreed, "Alright, I'll accept on behalf of the two younger ones. I'll treat you to a good meal and drinks tonight."

Having gotten a free meal, Grandpa Song and his group left happily, giving Li Heng a long, uninterrupted stare before departing.

Li Heng was very obedient, following behind Song Yu and greeting everyone one by one.

After the others had gone some distance, Jiang Yue thought for a moment and then slid down the mountain to stand in front of the two of them.

Jiang Yue said to Li Heng, "Xiao Heng, you're a good cook. You can cook tonight so everyone can try it. We'll help you out."

Jiang Yue was clearly trying to show off, implying that her son-in-law was both scholarly and martial, capable of handling all kinds of matters, from the refined to the sophisticated.

Of course, the ultimate goal is to prove to everyone how good her daughter's judgment is, and that she can't have made a mistake in choosing someone.

"Okay, sure," Li Heng readily agreed.

Looking at her daughter, then at Li Heng, then back at her daughter, Jiang Yue pondered for a moment before asking, "When are you going to the capital?"

She was asking: When will the two of them go to Beijing to meet the elders of the Li family and Tian Run'e and her husband?

Li Heng and Song Yu exchanged a glance, and the two clever people had a vague idea in their hearts.

Because of this suspicion, Song Yu remained silent and quietly waited for Li Heng's reply.

Li Heng said, "Song Yu and I have discussed this matter. We will stay in Dongting Lake for a full month and fly to the capital around August 22nd."

Jiang Yue nodded.

For her daughter's sake, she later said, "When you buy plane tickets, buy two extra ones, one for me and one for your Uncle Song."

After speaking, Jiang Yue stared intently into Li Heng's eyes, wanting to know how he would react.

Thinking to himself that this was indeed the case, Li Heng was not frightened at all. Instead, he excitedly grabbed Song Yu's left hand and quickly agreed, "Okay."

After a "good," the tense atmosphere instantly changed completely, becoming cheerful and harmonious.

From Li Heng's subconscious actions and emotional expression, Jiang Yue confirmed one thing: Li Heng's repeated claims of wanting to marry Yu Bao were absolutely true; he wasn't just being glib and trying to take advantage of her body before discarding her.

This made Jiang Yue feel much better.

In the past, Jiang Yue would never have had such thoughts. She was absolutely confident in her daughter's charm and believed that it would be difficult for any woman in the world to surpass her daughter.

But after learning that Zhou Shihe was also in love with Li Heng, Jiang Yue's confidence in her daughter immediately plummeted. As someone who had been navigating the social world for decades, she knew all too well the terrifying power of authority.

Especially the Zhou family, they are not just scary, but unfathomable, and can be described as terrifying.

Zhou Shihe is no less attractive or elegant than Yu Bao, and she's also a talented pianist, a definite plus. Plus, she comes from a wealthy and influential family. If a slightly more pragmatic man were to choose between Yu Bao and Zhou Shihe as his marriage partner, he would most likely choose Zhou Shihe.

Therefore, the sincerity that Li Heng just showed was truly commendable, and Jiang Yue's goodwill towards him increased significantly without her even realizing it, raising her impression of him to a whole new level.

Of course, Jiang Yue is a very smart person.

She had only vaguely mentioned that she and her husband, Song Shi, were going to the capital with the two of them, but she made no mention of meeting Tian Run'e and her husband in person.

After all, the meeting of the two families' parents is a momentous event, and it carries completely different meanings.

The two children, whose parents have never met, are at most in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.

After their parents met, they immediately became engaged.

Comparing boyfriends/girlfriends and engaged couples, which is more important and which is less so? The implications of each are not comparable.

Therefore, Jiang Yue did not explicitly request to meet Tian Run'e and her husband, as that would be beneath her dignity; instead, she subtly left the decision to Li Heng.

She believed that given Li Heng's love for his daughter and his quick wit, he would understand her feelings and arrange everything for the meeting between their parents.

Jiang Yue looked at her daughter and sighed inwardly, thinking: In order to get ahead of Zhou Shihe and Yu Shuheng, I can only help Yu Bao this far. After that, I will have to rely on my daughter's own charm and skills.

Song Yu almost instantly understood her mother's good intentions and was deeply moved. She took Jiang Yue's arm with her left hand and Li Heng's hand with her right hand, and said, "Since we're going to entertain Grandpa and the others tonight, let's go back and get ready early."

Jiang Yue nodded, agreeing with that thought.

Li Heng asked, "What do your great-grandfathers like to eat?"

Jiang Yue said, "We'll prepare the dishes, don't worry about it."

Li Heng replied, "Okay."

P.S.: Too much has been cut. Scenes from earlier chapters are being inexplicably deleted all the time. Please check back promptly.
(End of this chapter)