Chapter 318

Just after getting into the car from the airport, he felt a bit regretful, regretful that he didn't take Teacher Yu's car keys; otherwise, driving a Mercedes home would be better than squeezing onto a bus.

However, thinking of this snowy weather, where cars in many mountain hollows in the front town were difficult to move, he extinguished this thought.

Getting on the bus at Changsha Bus Station around 11 AM, by the time he returned to the county and caught the last bus back to the front town, it was already quite late, and many farmhouses were emitting wisps of cooking smoke.

Along the way, he kept hearing people discussing him, discussing his appearance on the Spring Festival Gala. Watching these fellow villagers spitting and feeling honored, Li Heng felt inexplicably happy inside.

However, he didn't strike up a conversation, and instead covered half his face with a scarf. Having traveled all day, he was a bit tired, and now he just wanted some peace and quiet.

Swaying all the way, just when his stomach was churning badly and he felt carsick and wanted to vomit, the bus finally stopped, arriving at the old station in the front town.

Damn it, you can't open the windows when riding in winter, and all kinds of smells are mixed together; it's really too uncomfortable.

Just getting off the bus, he was shocked by the cold wind.

Having no choice, Li Heng pulled his scarf again with both hands, covered his neck tightly, then hunched his back, pulled his hands together, and slowly rushed toward Shimen Station in the goose-feather snow.

Although today was the second day of the Lunar New Year, the street wasn't lively, which might have something to do with it being too late. At this hour, those who came to town to shop had long since gone home, so why would they be foolishly waiting until dark?

His stomach was a bit hungry, but fortunately, Qian Yuejin's wonton shop wasn't closed. Li Heng didn't think much and dove in.

"Landlady, give me a big bowl of wontons, add spice!" he shouted as he entered the door.

"Alright, please wait a moment."

The plump landlady, known as the town's flower, glanced at him and began to cook the wontons.

There weren't many people in the shop at this time, just three people sitting at a table, looking like a group. Because the wind at the door was too strong, he deliberately chose a table in the back, unfastened his scarf, and prepared to eat.

Cooking wontons was fast, and it was ready in no time. The landlady brought the big bowl of wontons over and stared at him for a long time.

At first, his scarf covered half his face, so she didn't recognize him. At this time, the landlady was stunned first, then asked enthusiastically:

"Are you back from the capital?"

"Hmm."

Seeing him shrinking his body, the landlady asked: "Are you very cold?"

Li Heng wanted to say it was okay, but a gust of cold wind blew in and betrayed him.

The landlady smiled, got three fiery red coal balls and placed them by his feet, went to close half the door, and then didn't leave, sitting on the side.

The other three diners shouted, "Landlady, give us a few coal balls too, we're frozen stupid, can't even hold the chopsticks steady."

The landlady replied: "None left, just these three."

The other three were unhappy, "Landlady, you're not fair, treating us differently."

The landlady put her hands on her hips: "What, not convinced? He's the one who went on the Spring Festival Gala; if you went on the Spring Festival Gala, I'd burn coal balls for you too."

Hearing this, the three turned their heads together.

Alright, it would have been better if they hadn't looked; once they looked, their eyes couldn't move away. They put down their chopsticks one after another and ran over, leaning in to watch, looking left and right, up and down; damn it, it was more serious than watching a Western show.

"Are you Li Heng?"

"That 'Hometown's Original Landscape' of yours the night before last was amazing! It was so glorious!"

"Are you that great writer from Shangwan Village?"

The three spoke almost simultaneously, one more surprised than the other, one more excited than the other.

Could they not be excited?

The person in front of them was a big deal in the front town!

How big of a deal?

They might not care if the town mayor came, might not care about their own parents, but they were genuinely worshiping this person from the bottom of their hearts!

The fact that Li Heng was a great writer had been hidden from the outside world due to information blockage, but it had long since spread in the small mountain hollow of the front town.

Whoa! Not only had it spread, it had long since become the biggest topic in the front town these past few days.

No matter which family was visiting, as long as they had a TV, they would watch the rebroadcast of the Spring Festival Gala, and a group of people would gather in front of the TV to discuss him.

Seeing the three staring at him without blinking, Li Heng took the initiative to shout with a smile: "Three uncles, Happy New Year."

"Eh, Happy New Year! Happy New Year!"

The three nodded busily, and getting a greeting from the great writer made their faces bloom with joy.

They could brag when they went back tonight: Guess who I met in town today? Whoa! You wouldn't dare believe it if you were beaten to death; I actually met that legendary great writer, ha! Even more awesome is that he took the initiative to greet me and say Happy New Year! You guys will never have this kind of face in your lifetime.

After a few pleasantries, the three finally left satisfied and returned to their own table, but they still turned their heads to glance from time to time, obviously their hearts hadn't calmed down yet.

Phew! Damn it! Finally able to eat wontons in peace.

Li Heng, who was starving, exhaled and buried his head in the wontons, one after another, one after another; still so delicious, still the taste of childhood.

After he had eaten most of the bowl, the landlady finally couldn't help but speak, "Did you come back alone?"

"Hmm." Li Heng had food in his mouth and responded vaguely.

"It's getting dark, and it's snowing. Do you dare to walk the mountain road back alone later? Many bold people don't dare to walk that graveyard alone," the landlady asked.

He had thought about this problem long ago, but since things had reached this point, there was no other way; he couldn't not go home, and he couldn't be thick-skinned enough to squeeze into Xiao Han's house.

He replied: "It's fine, I'm used to walking, it'll be fine if I don't think too much."

The landlady seemed to see through his insincerity, "Do you want me to send you home?"

"Ah?"

Li Heng was surprised: "Aren't you afraid?"

The landlady smiled and said: "I definitely wouldn't go alone, I'd call my son."

Li Heng thought for a moment and still refused: "Thank you, someone is coming to pick me up halfway."

The landlady didn't believe him and joked: "Don't worry, I won't make you marry my daughter."

After the college entrance exam last year, she once wanted to introduce her daughter to him, but gave up the idea when she saw Xiao Han.

Li Heng laughed along: "Really don't need to, I'm naturally bold and don't believe in these things."

Nothing can be forced; seeing he was willing, the landlady also gave up her good intentions.

After eating the wontons, Li Heng took out money to pay the bill.

But the landlady firmly refused, saying he was the signboard of their front town, winning glory for the front town, and all the surrounding villages had face because of him; if she took his money, she would be struck by lightning.

Hearing the four words "struck by lightning," Li Heng suddenly felt a chill on his back; in his previous life, he died like this, and in this life, he was most taboo about this thing.

Hey, if she won't take it, she won't take it; after some pushing and shoving with no effect, Li Heng finally said thank you and left with his bag.

"Wait, take this."

The landlady chased after him, gave him a flashlight, and also handed him a paper package: "Inside are tea leaves and rice, I got them from burning talismans before the New Year, take them to boost your courage."

Li Heng was stunned, feeling warm inside, and said thank you sincerely. He didn't pretend to be modest and accepted the things.

He left.

As soon as he left, a girl came down from the second floor, the landlady's daughter, whose appearance was almost a mold of the landlady's, and she was a junior at Hunan Normal University this year.

The daughter asked in surprise: "Mom, why are you so good to him?"

The landlady said: "Forming a good connection."

The daughter looked at his back: "He is now in the clouds in the sky; I guess there are many people outside trying to curry favor with him, he might not remember your kindness."

The landlady clapped her hands: "Didn't I say it's a good connection? Your mom believes in Buddha and doesn't ask for a return."

"Tch, who knows if you're asking for a return." The daughter didn't believe it at all.

The landlady sighed: "It's a pity, two years ago when he first came to my shop to eat wontons, I took a fancy to him at first sight and have been thinking about setting you two up, sigh, our family doesn't have this blessing."

The daughter pouted: "Are you sure you didn't want to push me to him only after he wrote books and became famous? Otherwise, you could have introduced us two years ago."

"You dead girl! Specifically singing the opposite of me, if you make me angry, I won't give you living expenses." The landlady scolded with a smile.

The sky slowly turned dark.

The world was dead silent, with only the rustling sound of large snowflakes falling to the ground.

Li Heng stepped on the snow that covered his ankles and walked toward Shangwan Village step by step. Although he was wrapped like a meat dumpling, he still couldn't resist the bone-chilling cold.

The road home was a mountain road, and he had to cross three mountains to get home. The further he went, the fewer lights and households there were on the side of the road.

Especially in the section between the two villages, there was no human habitation for two or three miles.

Almost at the graveyard, turning the corner ahead was it.

In the past, he and the brainless one would always roar and shout all the way through.

Now that he was alone, he first used his flashlight to shine around the road, and finally, he gathered his courage, hardened his heart, and started singing, singing while walking, to boost his courage.

While singing, he couldn't help but think, what if something ahead followed him and sang along, what should he do? Turn around and run back? Or bravely rush forward?

Thinking and thinking, he turned the corner, Li Heng opened his eyes and took a look, and his hair stood on end instantly!

My god!

There was actually a new grave on the side of the road, not yet covered with soil, and it was covered with a bamboo mat used for drying grain, and he could vaguely see the coffin.

In front of the coffin was a sesame oil lamp, which was the Yellow Springs lamp lit by the filial family for the deceased to light the way to the underworld in the custom; it had to be lit as soon as it got dark, for 7 nights in a row. That is, the first seven days.

With just one glance, he understood; the time of death was wrong, and now it belonged to temporary burial, waiting for a good time to re-position and cover with soil. This scene, although not often seen in their countryside, happened every now and then.

Run! If he didn't run, his heart would leak! Li Heng thought this, his feet added strength, and he rushed out fiercely, singing loudly while rushing.

"Eh, Li Heng? Li Heng! Are you Li Heng?"

Just after running out a hundred meters, a female voice came from below the road, urgent and excited, which startled him.

Li Heng shone his flashlight over, a bit dumbfounded.

Wasn't this his old elementary and junior high school classmate Zou Jiao? She had gone to work in neighboring Zhuzhou with a distant relative after graduating from junior high school, hadn't seen her for many years, why was she here late at night?

He rubbed his eyes: "Old Jiao?"

"Ya, you still recognize me, ha." Zou Jiao seemed particularly happy and struggled to climb up.

Li Heng instinctively took a step back, and not feeling safe, took another step back: "How are you here alone?"

Zou Jiao frowned, almost crying: "You don't think I'm a ghost, do you?"

Li Heng smacked his lips, reached out and pinched her cheek, it was warm, and he immediately let out a sigh of relief, "Old Jiao, aren't you afraid of staying here alone?"

Hearing this, Zou Jiao said depressedly: "You think I want to? My shoe slipped, and I slid down the mountain."

After chatting, he found out that she was also returning from outside today, in a similar situation to himself, scared by the new grave ahead, then kept running forward, and as a result, fell on this uphill section, then slid down the mountain along the icy road, and it took a lot of effort to climb up.

She asked: "Are you back from the capital?"

"Yes, did you see me on TV?"

"Saw it, I spent the New Year outside, there was a TV, your Spring Festival Gala was the 6th program, so amazing."

"Why did you choose to come back today?"

"I ran back, that boss wanted me to be his wife, I didn't want to, so I ran away overnight."

Li Heng was speechless, slowly remembering, it seemed that her boss had taken a fancy to her, had always been quite good to her, but was over 10 years older than her, she couldn't accept it, so she ran.

Li Heng asked: "Didn't you go with a relative? Where is your relative?"

"She got married over there, and has two children already." Zou Jiao said.

With company on the road, neither of them was so afraid, and talking and chatting, they entered the village entrance.

A production team lived at the entrance of Shangwan Village, and there were 5 ponds facing them. Even though it was dark, there were still many children playing with firecrackers outside. Laughing and giggling, very happy.

"By the way, Li Heng, is your second sister married?"

Zou Jiao had been a follower of the second sister Li Lan since she was a child, and in later generations, she was still a follower, and they had an extremely good relationship until they were old.

Li Heng said: "Not yet, you'll be able to see her in a while."

The two were from the same production team, and their homes were in Group 3 of Shangwan Village. Passing Group 1 and Group 2, they finally reached the crossroads.

The crossroads were quite lively at this time, with many people chatting under the eaves of the Chen house, a rough scan showed no less than 20 people.

Listening again, everyone was gathered together, it turned out they were discussing the matter of rebuilding the bridge.

"The great writer is back! The great writer is back!"

"Tian Run'e, come out quickly to pick up your youngest!"

"Chen Zijin, your man is back!"

"..."

Suddenly, someone with sharp eyes spotted Li Heng and immediately shouted loudly.

Where there is one, there is two; many people followed suit, joining in the fun and shouting.

The mixed shouting sounded like a nuclear bomb thrown onto a calm lake, instantly resounding through the gourd mouth of Shangwan Village.

In less than three breaths, dozens of households around stretched out their heads, and then walked out.

Although Shangwan Village had no TV and no signal and couldn't watch the Spring Festival Gala, Li Heng's appearance on the Spring Festival Gala was a big event! It spread everywhere in the small town, and many new wives from outside villages added fuel to the fire when they returned to their maiden homes for the New Year, directly praising Li Heng as having three heads and six arms, praising him as a god in the sky.

Whoosh, in an instant, men, women, old, and young all crowded over, and the black mass of heads was no less than 120.

The Liang family's "ash-shoveler" was also there, and his wife, Auntie Fatty, was also there, but the couple hid behind the crowd and watched secretly; after all, they had a grudge against the Old Li family, so how could they dare to be blatant? But they were also curious; Li Heng was being passed around as a god-like figure everywhere in and out of the village, and they could hear the legend everywhere they went, so they were itching to see.

Someone who loved fun didn't think it was a big deal and shouted: "Yo! Auntie Fatty, you're here too, go to the front, come to the front, the Old Li family is prosperous now!"

Hearing this, Auntie Fatty picked her feet in embarrassment, turned around and ran back to her own house, followed by a bang, the door closed.

"Hahaha"

People nearby were amused and laughed loudly.

The Liang family's "ash-shoveler" had thick skin and stood in the crowd watching the fun like nothing had happened.

The commotion outside was too big, and the people of the Old Li family came out. Li Jianguo, Tian Run'e, Grandma, and Li Lan, followed by the second aunt and second uncle, and a cousin.

At the same time, the Chen family on this side of the road also came out. Chen Gaoyuan, Chen Xiaomi, Chen Xiaohong, Chen Zijin, and Chen Zitong, etc., followed slowly by Chen Laoyezi Chen, and several old partners in the village.

Although, at this moment, the crossroads gathered over a hundred people, big and small, men, women, old, and young, but in Li Heng's eyes, there was only Zijin.

Zijin was the same, happily looking at him with the crowd.

Looking at each other, two seconds later, Chen Zijin happily crossed the crowd to pick him up, wanting to help him carry things.

As a result...

Li Heng didn't care about these, and directly hugged Zijin in front of the old and young in the village, hugging her up excitedly.

The face lost in the summer vacation the year before last, he wanted to help his wife find it back this New Year!

"Wife, I'm back."

"Hmm hmm..."

There were too many people, and Chen Zijin was very shy, but being hugged like this by her own man, she was very sweet inside. Gazing at this face in front of her, tears couldn't help but well up in her eyes.

With this moment, she had no regrets in this life.

Hugging for ten seconds or so, Li Heng put her down, intending to call people and elders, but didn't expect a shout to come from the front.

"Brother-in-law!"

This "brother-in-law" was shouted by Chen Zitong behind her, her eyes blinking.

Zhong Lan, hiding in the corner of the second floor, looked at the scene of her eldest daughter and that brat hugging through the curtain gap, listening to her younger daughter's "brother-in-law." Anger suddenly rose, but she was helpless.

It's not like the past anymore; that brat has soared into the sky, and she can't do anything about him.

Zhong Lan was not in a good mood and left the window, but didn't go far before stopping in place. After struggling for a while, she quietly came to the window again, used her fingers to pull open the curtain, pulled out a gap, and continued to check the situation outside.

Just saw Li Heng holding her eldest daughter's hand, greeting the Chen and Li families all the way, and even took out a pack of Furong Wang cigarettes from his backpack to distribute to the onlookers.

Not only that, besides cigarettes, there were also candies, a big bag of candies, saying they were wedding candies for him and Zijin.

This brat is quite good at handling people; back and forth, he had both face and substance.

Zhong Lan's gaze lingered on her eldest daughter's happy face for a long time. Later, she looked at her younger daughter who was grabbing candies to eat, and couldn't help but scold in a low voice: You dead girl, usually as smart as a monkey, looking down on three, five, ten yuan, today you laugh from ear to ear just because Li Heng gave you a candy, it really makes me angry. You white-eyed wolf.

"Sister-in-law, who are you scolding as a white-eyed wolf?" Sister-in-law Chen Xiaoyun didn't go outside, just woke up, still holding a cup of tea in her hand.

Zhong Lan turned around, her expression unnatural: "Xiaoyun, you're awake."

"Hmm, Li Heng is back? Let me see." Saying that, Chen Xiaoyun passed her sister-in-law, bent down and pulled open the palm-wide curtain, just in time to see Li Heng taking her eldest niece back to the Li house.

After watching for a while, Chen Xiaoyun stood up and said: "Sister-in-law, if Zijin doesn't come back tonight, don't go over and make a scene."

Actually, she believed her sister-in-law wouldn't make a scene; after all, her eldest niece had stayed at the opposite door for several nights before the New Year, and although her sister-in-law was angry, she didn't stop her.

It was just that now that Li Heng was back, she was afraid that her sister-in-law, who was stimulated, would lose her reason, so she added a word.

Zhong Lan said unhappily: "Now that their wings are hard, you have all lowered your faces and stood over."

Chen Xiaoyun laughed, comforting: "Those who know the times are heroes; in a family like ours, face is sometimes very valuable, and sometimes it's often worthless.

Zijin likes Li Heng so much, even if you want to stop it, you can't. Might as well fulfill them happily."

Zhong Lan frowned and asked in a low voice: "Are you sent by the old man to be a lobbyist?"

Chen Xiaoyun didn't hide it: "Sister-in-law is smart, seeing through it at a glance."

Zhong Lan paused, her hands intertwined, and after a long time, she said desolately: "That brat has won people's hearts; even the old man has finally clearly intervened. Tell him not to worry, I won't go and make a scene."

Chen Xiaoyun opened her mouth, wanting to say something but stopping.

Fortunately, at this time, Chen Gaoyuan came in, "Xiaoyun, Xiaomi has something to look for you."

Chen Xiaoyun knew clearly that this was an excuse for her eldest brother to send her away, so she responded immediately and walked out, also taking the door with her.

Chen Gaoyuan walked over, took his wife's hand and sat her on the chair: "Angry again."

Zhong Lan said: "Don't dare."

Chen Gaoyuan knew his wife's temper and poured a cup of hot water for her.

Zhong Lan asked coldly: "Why didn't you go to the Li house? Your two daughters are both there."

Chen Gaoyuan smiled helplessly: "They are juniors, it's different. You should have seen the situation between Zijin and Xiao Heng just now; things have reached this point, let them be."

Zhong Lan asked: "Xiao Heng, Xiao Heng, what if your daughter stays overnight there tonight?"

Chen Gaoyuan thought for a moment and said slowly: "It's not the first time, as long as Zijin is willing."

At this point, the couple looked at each other, neither making a sound for a while.

After a while, the sound of a flute sounded from the opposite side, and at everyone's request, Li Heng played "Hometown's Original Landscape" performed at the Spring Festival Gala.

Zhong Lan, who was about to drink tea, stopped, stopped her hand movements, and after a long time said: "Is this the program that brat performed on the Spring Festival Gala?"

Chen Gaoyuan listened intently, and after a long time reacted, "It should be, it's really good to listen to, Xiao Heng has talent, no wonder the newspaper gave him the title of musician."

Zhong Lan wanted to argue a sentence, but found no way to start, no way to argue.

After a long time, she asked: "At such a young age, he is so accomplished, writing books to become famous, composing music to become famous, even his methods of dealing with women are self-taught, how exactly is his brain grown? How exactly did he learn it?"

Chen Gaoyuan couldn't laugh or cry, not knowing if his wife was praising? Or belittling?

Chen Gaoyuan pondered and said: "Some people are born in Rome, as if they know it from birth; I think Xiao Heng is this kind of person."

Zhong Lan asked: "How does the old man evaluate him?"

Chen Gaoyuan was surprised, it was the first time he saw his wife ask about this, he said: "The old man only said two words: 'Genius'."

Zhong Lan took a deep breath and drank tea again.

Finally she said: "Gaoyuan, you go out, let me be quiet alone."

Chen Gaoyuan nodded, stood up and patted his wife's shoulder lightly, and walked out.

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Posting first, editing later.

(End of chapter)