Chapter 145: Dust Fate (Please subscribe!)

Passing Wujiaochang is composed of 5 roads: Xiangyin, Huangxing, Siping, Handan, and Songhu. Formed in the 1920s and 1930s, the five divergent roads "cut" Wujiaochang into five corners like cutting a cake.

There are many universities, factories, and troops around Passing Passing Wujiaochang, and many bus lines have starting or terminal stations here.

The endless flow of people "come in a hurry" and "go in a hurry."

Teachers and students from several universities such as Fudan, Finance and Economics, and Tongji will also gather at Passing Passing Wujiaochang to "go to the market" along these two roads. Li Heng sat in the hotel and could hear the "symphony" composed of whistle sounds, shouting sounds, and car bell sounds outside the wall.

There are even endless loudspeaker broadcasts: "Route 55, direction Xinkaihe, passing Guoding Road, Guoquan Road, Tongji University..."; "Route 9 tram, direction Lu Xun Park, passing Fudan University, Yun'guang New Village, Dabashu..."; and "Please buy a ticket when boarding, show your monthly pass!" etc.

Well, although Passing Passing Wujiaochang cannot be compared with the prosperity of later generations, it is already on the way to improvement from farmland to urbanization.

Ordered a table of stir-fried dishes and braised dishes, and also ordered the signature braised chicken feet and meat buns of the Blue Sky Hotel.

Seeing customers holding frosty drinks, Sun Manning asked the ordering waiter curiously: "Is that kind of drink also from your store?"

The waiter said in a standardized tone: "Yes, miss, our hotel has introduced a frosty machine from abroad, and the frosty drinks are made on the spot with fruit."

Zhang Zhang Zhang Zhiyong chimed in: "How much does that thing cost a cup?"

The waiter replied: "1.6 yuan a cup."

"Hiss! So expensive?" The dim-witted fellow shouted subconsciously.

No wonder he was surprised. You know, the salary in his hometown was only 1.5 yuan a day. Such a cup of fruity drink with ice costs 1.6 yuan. Isn't this robbery?

Robbing money is faster than robbing a bank!

The waiter just smiled strangely and stood there without making a sound.

Seeing this, Li Heng immediately said to the waiter: "Please serve us one cup each."

Zhang Zhang Zhang Zhiyong hated others looking down on him the most, staring at the waiter: "Give me two cups!"

The waiter smiled again and turned away.

Zhang Zhang Zhang Zhiyong stretched his neck and asked, "Brother Li Heng, do I look like a country bumpkin?"

This made Sun Manning giggle non-stop. "You have a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, and there are two mustaches on your mouth. You look cheap, and your clothes are not ironed flat, wrinkled here and there. Hee hee, you really look like one."

"Is that so?"

"Is that so?"

Seeing his unconvinced look, Sun's mother, Mai's mother, Mai Dong, and others all smiled knowingly. They had been together all the way and had long figured out what kind of person Zhang Zhang Zhang Zhiyong was. He was nicknamed "dim-witted," and it was definitely correct.

But let alone, after the dim-witted fellow's interruption, the atmosphere at the dinner table was exceptionally good. Everyone chatted together, unconstrained, and very relaxed.

Not long after, the frosty drink arrived. Li Heng took a sip and felt it was just like that, without any special taste. The only cool thing was that his mouth was cool.

But everyone else at the table was different. They hadn't been baptized by various milk teas and herbal jellies of later generations. The mixture of fruit flavor and milkshake in their mouths was icy and refreshing, very novel!

Li Heng found that everyone at the table loved to drink it, including the local Zou Ping.

Including Mai Sui, who took two sips in a row.

Seeing him look at her, Mai Sui asked softly: "Are you not used to it?"

Li Heng smiled and waved his hand: "No, I have to save my stomach for dinner."

Hearing this, Mai Sui tilted her head and thought for a while, then put down the drink, indicating that she would also save her stomach.

The dishes were served, filling the table. Although the price was expensive, although there was no chili, the taste was really okay. At least Mai Dong and others could eat it, and their chopsticks didn't stop.

Sun Manning puffed out her cheeks and said: "Phew! The dishes are delicious. If only there were some chili, I would definitely be able to eat half a bowl more rice."

This was recognized by everyone. Li Heng said: "It's simple to eat chili. You can do it yourself when the time comes. You can eat as much as you want, and you can be as spicy as you want."

Mai Sui heard his meaning: "Li Heng, are you planning to rent a house?"

Hearing this, everyone raised their heads and looked at him together.

Facing everyone's eyes, Li Heng didn't avoid it: "It's for writing, mainly for quietness and safety. Also, don't be too far from the school.

Finally, it must be clean. I can't stay in a dirty environment, and it's easy to breed mice and cockroaches. I can't accept it."

Hearing this, Zou Ping pondered for a long time and suggested: "Then let's go to the school's teaching staff building to see if there are any vacant rooms. It's a bit difficult to satisfy these three requirements outside.

There is an old building left over from the Japanese puppet period at the intersection of Siping Road and Handan Road, which has now become a military camp and has to be drilled every day, which will affect you."

"Okay, let's go to the school to see first. If we really can't find it, we'll come out again." Li Heng responded as such.

The opinion was reached, and the two drove the small van directly to Fudan University.

The old school gate of Fudan was located on the west side of Yanyuan, a memorial archway-style school gate, built in the tenth year of the Republic of China. In the early 1950s, the old school gate was demolished.

Not long after, the new school gate located on Handan Road was completed, with a square flat roof, composed of eight square columns; the columns were of red brick structure. The middle of the school gate was a fence iron gate, and there were small bungalows on both sides.

It was not as classical as the flying eaves and hanging corners of other famous universities, nor was it as magnificent as the carved beams and painted buildings. It looked very ordinary from the outside.

But it was Fudan University, and no one dared to underestimate it.

PS: Please vote for monthly tickets! Please subscribe!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 146 =====

Li Heng, Mai Sui, and Sun Manning looked at each other for a moment, and in the next second, they burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Oh my! That blockhead Tiger might be a bit reckless, but with him around, everyone was quite happy.

Lantian Hotel, second-floor private room.

Looking through the window at the group as they left, Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi, who had been holding back for a long time, finally asked, "Editor-in-Chief Sister Sister Liao, are the guests Zou Ping is entertaining today all from Xiangnan?"

The accent couldn't be hidden.

Except for Li Heng, whose Mandarin was almost entirely standard, the others all carried a more or less thick Xiangnan regional tone.

Especially that Zhang Zhang Zhang Zhiyong; his speaking style was extremely distinct, with a very heavy local flavor.

Sister Sister Liao Hua replied, "They are indeed from Xiangnan."

Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi asked further, "From Shao City?"

Actually, this question was easy to guess. If this group wasn't from Shao City? If this group didn't include the writer December?

Then it wouldn't be worth Zou Ping putting in so much effort.

And it was only after she received news of Zou Ping's recent activities that she specifically sought out Editor-in-Chief Sister Sister Liao to come here for a meal.

Today looked like a chance encounter with Li Heng's group, but it was not accidental at all.

Since being politely rejected two months ago, Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi had appeared fine on the surface; she worked when she should work, taught when she should teach, performed on stage when she should, ate when she should, and relaxed when she should.

But whenever she was idle, whenever she was alone at home, she would feel stifled, and the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became: Was I really that unbearable?

Overthinking, she even once suspected that the men who had shown interest in her in the past were only after her family background, not because she was charming!

Sister Sister Liao Hua put down his chopsticks and nodded.

Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi glanced again at the backs that were gradually disappearing, pondered for a long time, and asked, "Which one is the writer December? That middle-aged man? Or that young man?"

Originally, according to the letters Li Heng had sent her, she had initially guessed it was Mai Dong.

Mai Dong fit the description in the letters: middle-aged, wife in poor health needing care, young daughter needing to get engaged, couldn't get away during summer vacation.

However, there was a point that puzzled her: Mai Dong looked quite decent, but lacked a scholarly air; instead, he had an imposing, heroic aura. Combined with his complexion, he looked more like someone who had spent years running around and was full of worldly wisdom.

This didn't match the identity of the teacher and writer she had in mind.

On the contrary, that young man with the sharp features not only had a gentle temperament and an artistic air about him, but he had also subconsciously taken a step back the moment he saw her, which made her suspicious.

Of course, the most important reason she asked this was that when she tentatively invited Zou Ping to eat together, Zou Ping had instinctively looked at Li Heng.

Based on this alone, Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi concluded that Li Heng must be Zou Ping's most important guest.

It was just that Li Heng was truly too young. Judging by his age, he was about the same as her niece. Were *Living* and *Cultural Bitter Travels* really written by him?

To communicate fluently and resonate with the writer December, she had read *Living* seven times.

She loved *Cultural Bitter Travels* even more, finding it even more surprising and delightful than *Living*. She would flip through it whenever she had free time these past two days. Looking at those beautifully excessive words, looking at the Dunhuang Mogao Caves, Crescent Moon Spring, Dujiangyan, Liu Hou Shrine, and the Three Gorges that leaped off the page, her mood had never been this joyful.

But every time after the mental pleasure came the distress; the great writer was putting on airs, rejecting her before they had even met.

Every time this happened, she regretted it—regretted the impulsive decision to send him a photo.

Otherwise, in the hazy mystery, she might still be receiving his letters on time.

Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi had countless times looked in the mirror and confessed to herself: What exactly is wrong with me?

Was she truly attracted by his talent and writing?

Or was she just unable to swallow the fact that she had been rejected?

When he wrote to her, there were no ambiguous words, at most warmth, but she loved those faint, gentle whispers and never tired of reading them.

Before going out today, she had specifically worn a pair of sunglasses because she didn't want him to see her thoughts clearly. Through his letters, she felt the writer December was a master at reading people, and she was inexplicably afraid.

Sister Sister Liao Hua found Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi's question difficult to answer. Because he could clearly feel that Li Heng did not want to have any further involvement with her.

Honestly, he was quite depressed too.

Huang Huang Zhaoyi had a good family background, was beautiful and generous, and had never lacked suitors since she was a child, yet she had developed inappropriate feelings for Li Heng, whom she had never met.

Even more ironically, Li Heng was not only a generation younger than her but was also quite repulsed by this.

After thinking for a long time, Editor-in-Chief Sister Sister Liao sighed and said, "Huang Huang Zhaoyi, who the other person is doesn't matter; what matters is your mindset."

Seeing she didn't speak, Sister Sister Liao paused, changed his tone, and said with a bitter smile, "You already have the answer in your heart, why bother asking me?"

Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi said, "I do have an answer, but this answer makes me even more confused."

Sister Sister Liao was speechless, understanding her confusion, and said, "The day I returned from Dongting Lake, I took *Cultural Bitter Travels* to the teacher's house.

After reading it, the teacher sighed, 'Each generation of the land produces its own talents, and the new replaces the old; I truly didn't misjudge him.'"

"Each generation of the land produces its own talents, and the new replaces the old," combined with the context of "new person," and then combined with the lofty status of the old Mr. Ba who said these words, everything became clear.

Who is the writer December?

The answer goes without saying.

Is it him?

Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi suddenly felt very uncomfortable and fell into a long silence amidst her distress.

Then she drank one small cup of liquor after another, not eating any food, not asking Editor-in-Chief Sister Sister Liao to drink with her, just drinking 8 small cups in a row before putting down the glass.

8 small cups of white liquor, a full half-jin.

Editor-in-Chief Sister Sister Liao watched her the whole time, not comforting her, not actively drinking with her, and not disturbing her.

Because he was also a man of culture, he could understand the coldness at the heights, the loneliness of the Moon Palace; finally meeting someone willing to offer their soul, only for...

Only for it to end like this!

Don't talk about family background, don't talk about how excellent one's own conditions are; in this kind of fate, the more you refuse to accept it, the more thoroughly you lose. It wouldn't matter who it was; it would be bitter for anyone.

This was an unsolvable problem.

After another long period, Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi, who was already half-drunk, slowly raised her head at one moment, "Editor-in-Chief Sister Sister Liao, my matter..."

"I understand." Sister Sister Liao didn't let her finish in embarrassment, nodding to indicate he would keep it secret for her.

Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi poured two more glasses of liquor, placed one in front of Sister Sister Liao, picked up her glass, and said, "Thank you, I toast you with this."

Sister Sister Liao said helplessly, "Huang Huang Zhaoyi, you can't drink anymore."

Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi smiled, tilted her head, and finished it in one gulp.

There was no way out; Sister Sister Liao finished his as well.

Putting down the glass, Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi steadied herself, then took the sunglasses out of her bag and put them back on.

Afterward, she took out a Mercedes-Benz car key and handed it to him, "My head is a bit dizzy, I can't drive anymore. You take me."

Sister Sister Liao nodded, took the keys, and followed her out of the private room.

The Mercedes was a 230TE model, an import. Even in a big place like Shanghai, having a car like this in this day and age was quite eye-catching.

More eye-catching than driving a Rolls-Royce in later generations.

After closing the car door and starting the engine, Sister Sister Liao asked, "Huang Huang Zhaoyi, where are you going? Home or...?"

Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi thought for a long time, leaned against the seat, and said, "Take me to my sister's house."

Sister Sister Liao understood; she didn't want to stay home alone, fearing trouble.

After the car had driven for a while, Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi suddenly asked, "Fudan University?"

Sister Sister Liao nodded, "Yes."

Huang Huang Huang Zhaoyi didn't ask again, closed her eyes, and began to rest.

On the other side.

After a short rest at the hotel, Mai Sui's family of three, Sun Manning and her daughter, and Zhang Zhang Zhang Zhiyong went to Fudan University to tour the campus.

Li Heng didn't rest either; he started looking for a house with Zou Ping.

Zou Ping asked, "Old Li, what kind of house are you looking for? What are your requirements?"

Li Heng had already considered this and said immediately, "It's for writing, so quiet and safety are the main priorities. Also, it shouldn't be too far from the school.

Finally, it needs to be clean and hygienic. I can't stay in a place that's too dirty; it's easy to breed rats and cockroaches, which I can't accept."

Hearing this, Zou Ping pondered for a long time and suggested, "Then let's go to the school first to see if there are any vacant rooms in the faculty and staff building. It's difficult to find a place outside that meets these three requirements.

There is an old building left over from the Japanese puppet era at the intersection of Siping Road and Handan Road, but it's now a military camp and they drill every day, which would affect you."

"Okay, let's go to the school first. If we really can't find anything, we'll look outside," Li Heng replied.

Having reached an agreement, the two got into the minibus and headed straight for Fudan University.

Fudan's old school gate was located on the west side of Yanyuan, a memorial arch-style gate built in the tenth year of the Republic of China. In the early fifties, the old gate was demolished.

Not long after, the new school gate on Handan Road was completed, square with a flat roof, consisting of eight square pillars; the pillars were made of red brick. In the middle of the gate was a fenced iron gate, with small bungalows on both sides.

It didn't have the classical flying eaves of other famous universities, nor the carved beams and painted rafters, and it looked quite plain on the outside.

But it was Fudan University, and no one dared to underestimate it.

PS: Seeking monthly tickets! Seeking subscriptions!

(End of chapter)