Chapter 134: Conquest, the English teacher

The Three Gorges are not far from Dongtinghu. After transferring at the Changshi Railway Station in the middle of the night, they arrived early the next morning.

Historically, when Fan Zhongyan wrote "Yueyang Tower Notes," it was the fifteenth day of the ninth lunar month, a time of crisp autumn weather. The autumn sky was clear and bright; Li Heng and his three companions were lucky enough to encounter a sky that looked clear for ten thousand miles.

"Li Heng, is this the hotel you agreed to meet your editor at?"

After searching for a while, Li Ran pointed to a state-run hotel on the front right and asked.

"It seems to be this one."

In this day and age, there is a state-run hotel in almost every place, so it wasn't actually hard to find.

Li Heng and the others took out their introduction materials and hurriedly went through the check-in procedures.

Just as he turned to follow the attendant upstairs, two people came down from the stairwell. One of them had a familiar face—who else could it be but the editor, Zou Ping?

"Li Laoshi!"

Meeting suddenly, Zou Ping's face was full of joy. How to describe this expression? It was like a stray dog meeting its master, having found a place to belong.

In truth, he had also been frightened by the editor-in-chief.

Li Heng was the one carrying his dream of being a gold-medal editor. The joke Editor-in-Chief Liao made before he left, telling him not to worry about it, had sounded an alarm for him, making him cherish this big, thick thigh even more.

"Editor Zou, good morning."

Zou Ping hurriedly introduced the Editor-in-Chief Liao beside him, "This is our Editor-in-Chief Liao from *Harvest* magazine. He heard you were creating a new novel and specifically rushed over."

"Hello, Editor-in-Chief Liao, welcome to Xiangnan. Because the weather in the Three Gorges was bad, we were delayed by an extra day. Sorry to have kept you waiting so long."

Being a day late from the agreed date, Li Heng's attitude was sincere; he explained the reason as soon as they met.

As for the purpose, it was, of course, to make the people who had been waiting in vain feel a bit better.

Editor-in-Chief Liao was a man of slightly advanced age. He had a square face, a full forehead, and his hair was combed back into a meticulous slicked-back style. He wore a pair of thick, beer-bottle-bottom glasses and had a fountain pen tucked into his chest pocket. The whole person appeared both serious and scholarly.

"Hello, December. Hearing that you have a new novel coming out, I couldn't wait to rush over. I didn't notify you beforehand, so please don't take offense."

Seeing how young he was, Editor-in-Chief Liao had intended to call him by his name, but that seemed too distant, so he simply addressed him by his pen name in a warm tone.

Li Heng naturally noticed this and said with a smile, "Just call me Xiao Heng. My elders at home all call me that."

"Eh, have you all eaten breakfast yet?" Editor-in-Chief Liao scanned the other three people and asked cheerfully.

"Not yet. We just checked in, and after a night on the train, we feel a bit greasy all over. We want to take a shower before going out to eat." The English teacher was a very clean person; she had to tidy herself up and feel refreshed before she had any appetite to eat. Li Heng was catering to her preferences.

"Then you all go up to your rooms to wash up first. We'll wait for you downstairs to have breakfast together." Editor-in-Chief Liao turned his body to the side, letting the four of them go upstairs.

"Alright."

Li Heng nodded, briefly introduced the English teacher and the other two, and then seized the time to go upstairs.

At this moment, the hotel attendant looked at Li Heng with a strange expression. In her mind, words like "Li Laoshi," "Editor-in-Chief of *Harvest* magazine," "creating a new novel," and "December" kept echoing.

Thinking and thinking, the attendant, who had just had a somewhat business-like attitude, underwent a 180-degree turn. After enthusiastically sending Li Heng and the four others to their room on the 3rd floor, she flew downstairs like the wind to tell the manager the news she had just heard.

After hearing it, the manager was stunned and shocked. He hurriedly sent tea to Editor-in-Chief Liao and Zou Ping, who were waiting on the lobby sofa, and then, unable to hold back, carefully asked:

"Are you the Editor-in-Chief of *Harvest* magazine?"

Editor-in-Chief Liao didn't feel surprised after hearing this and nodded with a smile.

The manager pointed his right finger downstairs and couldn't help but ask, "Worth you making a trip in person, who is that Li Laoshi upstairs?"

Editor-in-Chief Liao felt this was a clever person and said cheerfully, "It is the answer in your heart."

"Ah, it really is! It really is the great writer December who wrote *To Live*!" Having received confirmation, the manager became even more restless, his eyes and face full of excitement.

Remembering Li Heng's low-key style and knowing he had just leaked the other party's identity, Editor-in-Chief Liao immediately pleaded, "Please help us keep it a secret."

"Rest assured, our staff has very tight lips. I will go and instruct them right now."

Doing as he said, the manager returned to the counter and said to the attendant from before, "Keep your mouth tight. It looks like the other party doesn't want to expose their whereabouts."

"Then can I ask December for an autograph? My mother is his reader and likes his novels very much. She always says *To Live* has power and gives her the courage to go on living." The attendant said earnestly.

The manager pondered for a moment, patted her on the shoulder, "I can understand your feelings. But don't go and rashly disturb them now. I want an autograph too, but let's wait until they are about to leave before acting secretly."

"Alright, I'll listen to you." The attendant's eyes were burning; she really wanted to run home and tell her mother, who was disabled but strong-willed, the news that Li Heng had come to Dongtinghu.

Upstairs.

The English teacher, having finished washing up, asked, "Why did the Editor-in-Chief of *Harvest* magazine come too?"

Li Heng said smugly, "I have great fame."

The English teacher sneered, "Heh, are you sure it's not because he's worried about your prose subject matter?"

Li Heng looked into her eyes and asked clearly, word by word, "Teacher, put your hand on your heart and tell me, do you think what I write is bad?"

The English teacher inexplicably didn't want to meet his gaze and flicked her long hair nimbly, "Just average."

"Huo! Just average? Our dear, lovely teacher guards me day and night while I write; I thought I was writing very well." Li Heng muttered.

The English teacher used her fingertips to adjust her glasses, squinted with a smile, and warned, "Write your book well, don't think about things you shouldn't."

Li Heng stretched, "I'm not thinking about anything. Teacher, don't overthink it."

The English teacher suddenly became a bit impatient and fiercely squeezed a cold word out through her teeth: "Scram!"

"Hey, you really are boring. Every time we're chatting nicely, you start scolding people." Li Heng complained.

Hearing this, the English teacher just looked at him and smiled, explaining nothing. That teacherly air of hers, heh, was held so arrogantly.

The four of them met in the hallway, went down to the first floor, and went outside with Editor-in-Chief Liao and Zou Ping to have breakfast. It wasn't a lavish meal, just a simple bowl of rice noodles.

Slurping noodles seems to be very popular in the land of Xiangnan; no matter where you go, there's always a place to eat them.

However, in Li Heng's experience, apart from the rice noodles in Changshi being a complete mess and impossible to swallow, the noodles in other places each had their own characteristics and were actually not bad.

Regarding this point, he was particularly puzzled. What on earth were those rice noodle shops in Changshi thinking? How could such terrible flavors be preserved for so many years? Sigh! This could also be considered a mystery.

After breakfast, Editor-in-Chief Liao and Zou Ping followed Li Heng into his room with eager eyes.

Did they know what the other party had come for?

Li Heng didn't waste words either. He closed the door, took the manuscript out of his bag, and placed it on the table: "It's all here. For now, there are only 6 pieces."

Looking at the 6 stacks of manuscripts of varying thickness, Editor-in-Chief Liao's gaze slowly moved from the first stack to the last. After half a minute of silence, many words that had reached his lips were swallowed back. He took the first stack and began to flip through it.

What he took was the first piece, the one about "Daoist Tower."

Outside the gate of the Mogao Caves, there is a river. Crossing the river, there is a stretch of open ground where several stupas for monks who had passed away were built at varying heights. The stupas are circular, gourd-shaped, and coated in white on the outside. Judging from the collapsed ones, a wooden stake was erected in the center of the stupa, surrounded by yellow clay, with a base built of blue bricks. The monks who have resided at the Mogao Caves throughout history have never been wealthy, and proof of this can also be found here. As the sun sets and the north wind blows bitterly, this dilapidated group of stupas appears even more desolate.

In the very first paragraph, Editor-in-Chief Liao was attracted by the beautiful language and the images that unconsciously formed in his mind. After flipping through and reading two more pages, all the doubts in his heart vanished.

By the time he was halfway through the first piece, Editor-in-Chief Liao's form had changed, and his demeanor had changed too. He went from being casual just a moment ago to becoming solemn. The manuscript that had been spread out on the table was now invisibly in his hands. He held it with both hands, his gaze as gentle and cherishing as if he were looking at a child.

The more he read, the slower he went; the more he read, the calmer his heart became; the more he read, the more lingering the aftertaste; the more he read, the more shocked his heart felt...

In just a few short minutes, Editor-in-Chief Liao's identity had shifted, as if he had transformed from a challenger coming to the door into a devout apprentice of a martial arts school.

That dignified appearance of the leader, that completely self-forgetful expression of the leader! It made Zou Ping's heart itch with curiosity.

Seeing the Editor-in-Chief conquered, Zou Ping didn't care anymore. He picked up another piece and sat on another chair to read.

There were 6 stacks of manuscripts, and they couldn't be finished all at once. Li Heng simply ignored them and went to the English teacher's room next door to visit.

"How is it? What was Editor-in-Chief Liao's reaction?" The English teacher lowered her voice and asked with concern.

Li Heng blinked, "Teacher, do you not believe in me?"

After meeting her gaze for a few seconds, he said again, "I didn't close my room door tightly."

Hearing this, the English teacher walked out quietly. After a moment, she returned.

It was Li Heng's turn to ask smugly, "How was it?"

The English teacher was happy for him, "Congratulations! It seems my judgment was correct."

She had wanted to say that she herself loved this new book very much, and when she saw the professional Editor-in-Chief Liao and Zou Ping similarly immersed in the world of the book and unable to extricate themselves, she felt a sense of joy and pride.

But when she looked up and received that strange look from Li Heng, the English teacher's face suddenly turned cold. Without a word, she walked past him and sat on the edge of the bed.

Seeing this, Li Heng said, "Teacher, you should stand by the window and look up at the bright moon; that would be more atmospheric."

"In broad daylight, where would there be a bright moon? Scram! Hurry up!" The English teacher was so angry she laughed. She crossed her arms over her chest and squinted at him.

Li Heng not only didn't scram, but instead sat down brazenly on the chair opposite her.

He asked, "Teacher, you've been running around with us for a whole summer vacation. Is the money you have on you still enough?"

If you want to talk about this teacher, she's a stubborn one. Originally, every time Li Heng would pay for her travel and room expenses together, but afterward, she would definitely stuff those costs back into Li Heng's pocket.

And she would threaten him, saying, "If you don't take this money, then I'm going back to Shaodong County immediately."

Facing these words full of dignity, Li Heng couldn't muster a bit of temper.

Everyone followed suit, including the dim-witted one and Li Ran. Except for occasionally treating them to meals, they all paid for their own travel and room expenses. Every single one of them had such a damn strong personality.

The English teacher was still angry, "It's not enough. I'm going back tomorrow."

Li Heng said, "Don't do that. Stay and..."

The English teacher interrupted, "Stay and drink the northwest wind?"

Li Heng said, "How could I let you drink the northwest wind? You are my respected teacher. I will definitely raise you well, raise you to be white and plump."

The English teacher stared straight into his eyes, "How come I don't see a shred of 'respect' in your eyes?"

Li Heng retorted, "Still not respectful? Do you want me to put you on a memorial tablet and worship you?"

"Respect! Heh!"

The English teacher tightened her arms over her chest, "If it weren't for your talent in writing, I would have gouged out those dog eyes of yours eight hundred times already."

I...!

Damn it, I really didn't do it on purpose...

Sin! Sin!

He had just glanced unconsciously and was caught on the spot again. Li Heng moved his gaze away without a trace, but the English teacher didn't let him off easily this time. She stared fixedly at his side profile, the corners of her mouth full of sneers.

For a time, she looked at him, and he looked at the calendar on the wall in a daze. The room was instantly silent, and you could hear a pin drop.

Just like that, I don't know how much time passed...

In the end, it was the English teacher who took a step back, withdrew her gaze, and said, "I remember that Song Yu's ancestral home was Dongtinghu."

Li Heng said "Mn."

The English teacher asked, "Do you want to go find her?"

Li Heng didn't avoid it, "Of course I do."

The English teacher scanned him and asked with concern, "With the way you are in Jingcheng with Chen Zijin, and now chasing after Song Yu here, aren't you afraid of playing with fire and getting burned one day?"

Li Heng was silent. After a while, he said, "I have no way out."

The English teacher mocked, "Lust is lust, look at how troubled you make yourself."

Li Heng ignored her sarcasm, sighed, and said, "Teacher, you don't understand."

"Heh!" The English teacher cast a look of contempt as always.

Sigh, this teacher comrade is not a kind person. This place is impossible to stay in. Amidst her cold sarcasm, Li Heng stood up, ready to leave.

Unexpectedly, the English teacher suddenly said something completely out of the blue, "Li Heng, what do you think about Teacher going to teach in Hushi?"

Li Heng turned around in a daze, "Go to Hushi? A temporary idea? Or did your best friend Yu... Heng tell you to go?"

"Yu Shuheng."

"Right, that's the name."

"I'm tired of them." The English teacher said as such.

Li Heng sat back down, "Uncle and Aunt?"

The English teacher nodded and then shook her head, "Many times on the street, I can run into her and her new lover."

She was referring to the English teacher's mother, and the new lover was, of course, her second husband.

Li Heng said, "Hushi is a good place. If you want to go, go early. You'll have a companion in your best friend."

The English teacher thought for a moment, waved her hand, and said, "Forget it. You scram. I want to stay quietly for a while."

Being told to scram for the third time, Li Heng's little temper flared up, "Hi, don't always scold me to scram. After this summer vacation, I really will scram, and you'll never see me again. Bye-bye to you."

Watching him leave in a huff, the English teacher laughed dumbly. But after laughing once, she couldn't laugh anymore.

As the door closed tightly, she stared at the empty chair. After a long time, she found paper and pen in her bag and began to write a letter:

Shuheng, happy to see this letter!

I shouldn't have written to you again so soon, but there are many things in my heart I want to share with you.

I followed him out again. A few days ago, I went to the Three Gorges, and currently, I am at Dongtinghu. The words from his pen are even more beautiful, but I am even more restless...

As for teaching in Hushi, forget it. My personality isn't suited for big cities.

Leaving the English teacher's room, Li Heng went to knock on the dim-witted one's door, but it ended in vain.

Running downstairs to ask, the attendant told him that Zhang Zhiyong and Li Ran, these two goods, had let themselves go as usual and had run off without a trace long ago.

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(There is more.)

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 135 =====