Chapter 417

The first call was made to Song Yu.

The phone rang twice and got through, the one who answered was Song Yu's aunt.

"Hello, hello." A voice came from the other side.

"Hello, I'm Song Yu's classmate, looking for Song Yu." Li Heng didn't recognize who it was for a moment, and said formulaically.

"Are you Li Heng?" Song Yu's aunt asked uncertainly.

Li Heng looked at the receiver in his hand, "Yes, it's me."

Song Yu's aunt seemed a little happy, "Wait a moment, she is next door."

"Alright, thank you," Li Heng replied politely and waited patiently.

Before long, Song Yu came over, followed by two girls, but the two girls were intercepted halfway by Song Yu's aunt and were not allowed to get too close.

"Aunt, who is looking for cousin?" The intercepted girl was very curious.

Song Yu's aunt's gaze fell on Song Yu, and she smiled: "Secret for now."

Song Yu grabbed the receiver on the coffee table, sat down and spoke: "Li Heng, are you still there?"

"Eh, I'm here." Haven't heard her voice for a long time, Li Heng was happy for no reason.

Song Yu asked: "Where are you?"

Li Heng said: "Shaoshi, near the gate of No. 1 Middle School. I went to your house to find you with joy before, but unfortunately the gate was closed and I didn't find you."

Song Yu told him: "I didn't return to Shaoshi during summer vacation, I went directly back to Dongtinghu."

Li Heng suddenly said in a low voice: "I miss you."

Song Yu looked around, then hummed softly.

"You have to say you heard it," Li Heng requested.

Song Yu's eyes carried a faint smile, and she didn't make a sound.

Li Heng came again: "I miss you so much."

Song Yu smiled and cooperated with him, "Heard it."

Li Heng chuckled and asked: "Did you receive the letter I wrote to you?"

Song Yu said: "Received it before the exam, did you write more later?"

Li Heng said: "Mailed it two days ago."

Song Yu estimated: "Then it might take a few more days."

"Write back to the Lushan Village address when you receive it, I'm going to Shanghai for something in two days," Li Heng said.

Song Yu thought about it and agreed.

Li Heng asked: "Eh, why is it so noisy over there?"

Song Yu said: "Relatives are all back these two days, it's quite lively. Someone next door is celebrating the Bodhisattva."

So that's it, I said why there would be gongs and drums, after chatting for about 10 minutes, Li Heng said the business: "Are you still at home in August?"

Song Yu said: "Should be."

Li Heng said: "Use enthusiasm to invite me to Dongtinghu to see you, I will specifically clear out time by then."

Song Yu smiled, remembered the agreement last year, and said quietly: "You come."

Then she added: "Don't buy too many gifts."

Li Heng said: "Gifts or not, let's talk about it, but I ran into Sun Manning today, and she is also clamoring to come over."

Song Yu said: "Then you bring her over."

Li Heng complained deliberately: "Actually, I'm not very willing, bringing a light bulb in broad daylight affects my pursuit of you. Why don't you help me refuse?"

Song Yu listened and was quiet for a while, then her right hand smoothed her hair by her ear and asked him: "What day are you coming over, I'll go pick you up."

Li Heng calculated the days, "Maybe around the 10th, but it's hard to say specifically, I'll call you before coming."

Song Yu said okay.

This call lasted a long time, the two who hadn't spoken for a long time chatted about many trivial things in life before hanging up.

After her niece put the receiver back, Song Yu's aunt ran over first and asked: "Will he come over during summer vacation?"

Song Yu hummed, "Yes."

Song Yu's aunt looked expectant: "When?"

Song Yu said: "He is quite busy, maybe around the 10th of next month."

Song Yu's aunt immediately indicated, "I'll drive to the station to pick him up with you then."

Song Yu was a bit helpless, knowing what her aunt was planning, but things had reached this point, so she had to accept it.

Song Yu's aunt reached out and hugged her niece's shoulder, "Go, tell your parents this good news."

Good news?

Song Yu, who was as elegant as an orchid, didn't think her parents would like this news very much; from some signs in the past, it could be seen: in terms of talent, Mom appreciated Li Heng very much, but criticized his private life quite a bit.

She sometimes thought: if there were no Xiao Han and Chen Zijin, facing his pursuit, she might not refuse, and Mom shouldn't have any rejection, and would bless the two.

After making the first call, Li Heng relaxed, then dialed Zijin.

As a result, the one who answered the phone was Zhong Lan.

Hearing the other party's voice, both were surprised, followed by a cold field, one asked "Aunt, is Zijin there", one answered mechanically without emotional color "Not at home", and then there was no then, each hung up the phone.

The call time was less than 15 seconds, which can be said to be fast to the extreme.

The third call, he chose to call Wei Xiaozhu.

Because he couldn't remember the number, he had to find the small notebook recording the phone number from his bag, turned to the latest page, the header at the top of the page showed Wei Xiaozhu.

Reciting the landline number once, Li Heng dialed it, this time it was smoother and got through quickly.

"Hello, hello, who is this?" A middle-aged woman's voice came from the phone.

Li Heng worded it: "Aunt, I'm Wei Xiaozhu's college friend, is she there, I have something to find her."

Wei's mother pondered for a while and asked: "What is your name."

Li Heng said: "Li Heng."

Hearing this, Wei's mother felt the name was a bit familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere, but couldn't think of it for a while, so she covered the receiver tightly with her hand and asked her husband who happened to be resting at home in a low voice, "Have you heard of a person named Li Heng? The other party claims to be our daughter's college friend."

Wei's father was lighting a cigarette, and paused his lighter, "From Fudan University?"

Wei's mother nodded.

Wei's father reminded: "Is it the one who performed on the Spring Festival Gala?"

Wei's mother remembered instantly, and immediately said to the receiver: "You wait a moment, Xiaozhu is playing outside, I'll go call her."

"Eh, thank you Aunt," Li Heng didn't care about these few cents, he had plenty of patience to wait.

After waiting for about a minute, the receiver fell into Wei Xiaozhu's hands, "Li Heng, kept you waiting."

"No, it's me who delayed your time," Li Heng replied politely.

Wei Xiaozhu glanced at her parents beside her and asked generously: "What day are you coming over?"

Li Heng said: "The 12th, do you and your aunt have time that day?"

Wei Xiaozhu thought about it and said: "Should have time, my aunt is resting at home these days, no urgent matters on hand."

"Okay, then trouble you to tell her," Li Heng's tone was quite good.

"Mm, okay."

Due to the presence of her parents, Wei Xiaozhu didn't chat about any topics other than business, and ended the call as soon as she finished speaking.

After her daughter put the receiver back, Wei's mother couldn't help but ask: "The one who played *Hometown's Original Scenery* with a flute?"

Wei Xiaozhu nodded with a smile, "It's him."

Wei's mother asked again: "What is he looking for you and your aunt for?"

Seeing her mother curious, Wei Xiaozhu didn't hide it, and simply recounted the matter about Li Heng's aunt.

After listening, Wei's father said while smoking: "I seem to have heard your aunt mention this some time ago."

After paying the phone bill, Li Heng bought two ice creams and went to the willow tree by the river to find Sun Manning.

This girl originally wanted to complain a few words, saying they agreed to play basketball, but she didn't see a ghost shadow.

However, when she saw the ice cream handed over, she immediately changed her words with a smile: "Song Yu is really happy, to be able to let you make such a long call."

Li Heng didn't pay attention to this girl's temptation, checked his watch and said: "It's almost 10 o'clock, let's go."

Sun Manning asked bouncing: "Are you excited to see the beloved Mai Sui soon?"

Li Heng said with a smile: "It's alright."

Then he asked: "The boy who was chatting with you by the river just now looks familiar, a pursuer?"

"My God! Are your eyes under your butt? So ugly! Could I like him?" Sun Manning was very dissatisfied.

Li Heng laughed out loud: "How is he as ugly as you say, he just has some acne."

Chatting about daily life, the two cut through the normal school, and soon arrived at Chengnan Park.

"You wait here, I'll go to her uncle's house to see, sometimes she will go to her uncle's place when she comes to Shaoshi," Sun Manning said like this.

Li Heng sat on the park stone bench, "Go, go back quickly."

This girl left, and this girl came again, in less than 5 minutes, she ran over and said: "Mai Sui has already been here, she went to her grandmother's house half an hour ago, her aunt told me."

Hearing this, the two left Chengnan Park and walked toward Hongqi Road, went down the gentle slope, crossed the intersection, and Li Heng stopped under the shade of a tree on the right side of a three-story building: "I'll wait for you here."

"I plan to sit at Mai Sui's grandmother's house, it's so hot, don't you want to go up and sit for a while? Her grandmother's house has air conditioning!" Sun Manning asked teasingly.

Li Heng looked up, "I didn't buy gifts, let's forget it this time, you go up and sit, just call Mai Sui down."

"Humph! Seeing color and forgetting righteousness, a heartless guy!" Sun Manning walked away arrogantly.

As soon as she entered the house, her grandmother saw her and greeted kindly: "Manning, you came to find Sui Sui."

"Yes. Grandmother, where is Mai Sui?" Sun Manning asked looking around.

Grandmother pointed to the shower room in the backyard, "Taking a bath."

Sun Manning muttered to the door of the shower room in the backyard, knocked and shouted: "Mai Sui! Mai Sui!"

The sound of water inside stopped, Mai Sui opened the door, "Manning, you are here."

"Finished bathing? Putting on makeup?" Sun Manning poked her head in.

"Not putting on makeup, just maintaining the skin, the weather outside is too dry today," Mai Sui said.

"Tell me, taking a bath at this point, cleaning yourself up, is it to see someone? Is it to hug someone?" Sun Manning acted as the head of the secret service, her eyes flashing non-stop.

Mai Sui's face was hot from being said, but she still reacted: "Have you seen Li Heng? Did he follow?"

"Yo! You are really sensitive to someone! I just leaked a little flaw, and you noticed it." Sun Manning teased.

Mai Sui asked: "Where is he?"

"No fun, why are you so smart?" Sun Manning curled her lips: "Outside the house, I called him in, he said he didn't bring gifts, so he was embarrassed to come in."

Hearing this, Mai Sui couldn't care about continuing to maintain her skin, walked out of the shower room: "I'll go call him."

"Call a fart, isn't he going to Shaodong with you, not leaving directly?" Sun Manning asked.

Mai Sui pondered on the spot for two seconds, then turned and walked upstairs: "Also okay, I'll go get my bag."

Sun Manning followed: "Take me? I'm too bored at home alone."

Mai Sui smiled: "I've already told my family, you will come over today."

"Hoo hoo! We are still close." Sun Manning raised her fist, very happy.

Then this girl patted her chest to express her attitude: "Don't worry, I definitely have eyes, I won't affect your date, on the contrary, I can help you cover."

In fact, Mai Sui had this thought early on, so she told Manning about Li Heng going to Shaodong in advance, just calculating that Manning would go to Shaodong together.

Bringing a boy back to her hometown alone, not to mention whether her parents would have suspicions behind her back, but the neighbors around would definitely talk about it.

And if it became bringing a man and a woman home, that would block all idle talk at once. Anyway, the fact that she was in love with him was not a secret to Manning, so she didn't have much avoidance.

She had thought about it, if Manning reacted slowly, she would directly issue an invitation, inviting Manning to go to Shaodong together.

After getting things ready, Mai Sui first called home, and then walked out.

"Sui Sui, where are you going?" Seeing her granddaughter leaving not long after she came, her grandmother asked from behind.

Mai Sui said: "Grandmother, Manning and I are going out to play for a while."

"Then are you coming back for lunch?"

"Not coming back, I'm going back to Shaodong this afternoon."

Sun Manning and Mai Sui were in the same class since elementary school, and often came to the house to find Mai Sui to play, her grandmother didn't suspect this, and let the two go.

Walking ahead, Mai Sui looked left and right, and found Li Heng hiding under the loquat tree to cool off for a long time.

She walked over quickly with an umbrella, stood two steps away from him, her face full of soft smiles.

After staring at each other for a while, she said: "You are here."

"Mm."

The warm scene of looking at each other was broken, Li Heng took a step forward, then another step, wanting to reach out and pull her.

"Ooh humph!" Sun Manning behind made a sound on purpose, interrupting the interaction between the two.

Li Heng and Mai Sui turned their heads to look at her together.

Sun Manning looked at the sky with her hands behind her back: "Are you sure you want to be intimate on the side of the street where people come and go? Beside is Mai Sui's grandmother's house. If I were you, I would hide in the small alley behind."

"You think too much."

Li Heng was speechless, continued to reach out and pull Mai Sui's wrist and left.

Mai Sui looked at his side face, smiled softly, and followed quickly.

"Eh, this girl is hopeless." Sun Manning sighed silently behind her back.

Leaving the area of her grandmother's house, the three took a bus directly to the bus station, this time the luck was good, they didn't wait long after entering the station before there was a bus to Shaodong.

Maybe because it was too hot at noon in midsummer, there were not many people on the bus, including the driver and the ticket seller, there were only 7 people in total.

The four drivers were all gathered in front.

Li Heng and Mai Sui looked at each other, and tacitly chose to sit in the back of the bus, the purpose was to be quiet.

Sun Manning sat in the front row of the two, opened the window glass, poked half her head out and kept admiring the scenery along the way. The main point was you talk about your love, don't worry about me, treat me as air.

When the bus drove out of the Shaoshi city area, Mai Sui subconsciously looked ahead, seeing the driver and others chatting, she took out a handkerchief from her bag and helped him wipe his sweat seriously, first wiping his forehead, then wiping his face.

She said softly: "Running so far in such hot weather, you've worked hard."

Li Heng said: "Actually, I came yesterday."

Mai Sui asked: "Stayed overnight at Wang Laoshi's house?"

Li Heng said yes.

Mai Sui asked with concern: "How is Wang Laoshi's mental state? The matter of her mother being poisoned has spread to our Shaodong."

Li Heng was a little surprised: "Spread so far?"

"Mm, I heard neighbors talking about this yesterday, saying the murderer was caught, everyone is discussing how to sentence it?" Seeing Li Heng's curious face, Mai Sui said more to cater to his preferences.

The distance from Shaoshi to Shaodong is only a little over 30 kilometers, and it took less than two hours to get to the station by bus.

"Mai Sui, your dad is over there, I saw your dad," Sun Manning had sharp eyes, and saw Mai Dong in the crowd as soon as she got off the bus.

At this time, Mai Dong was smoking and chatting with a group of people, occasionally looking toward the entrance.

Suddenly, Mai Dong saw the bus from Shao Yang to Shaodong, calculating the time, it should be this one, so he said goodbye to his friends, first ran to buy a few bottles of frozen soda, and then walked toward the three people quickly.

"Li Heng, Manning, you are here."

Mai Dong was very enthusiastic, handed over three bottles of soda: "This ghost weather is hot to death, come, drink some ice soda to cool down."

"Thank you, Uncle," Li Heng took it, thanked him politely, and drank it unceremoniously.

After he drank two sips, Mai Dong, who had chatted with his daughter and Sun Manning for a few words, immediately greeted: "Don't stand here first, go, let's go home, the food is already prepared at home waiting for you."

Leaving the station, the three sat in a small van. The van looked a bit new, estimated to have been bought for less than half a year.

It is said that Shaodong fake goods are famous all over the country, many local people in Shaoshi would scold the other party if they were angry: you Shaodong goods. Li Heng poked his head out to look at the surrounding streets, feeling that the prosperity was no less than the Shaoshi city area.

Seeing Li Heng interested, Mai Dong introduced the surroundings while driving, and chatted like this, it took about 15 minutes to arrive at Mai Sui's house.

A 4-story small building inlaid with tiles on the street looked very eye-catching, showing the wealth of the Mai family.

200 meters behind the small building, there are two factory buildings, one is a hardware factory, and the other is a clothing processing factory, both are the Mai family's industries.

The first floor is three storefronts, used for business. The Mai family mainly lives on the second and third floors.

Following up to the second floor, Li Heng met Mai Sui's grandparents and Mai's mother one after another.

"Li Heng, haven't seen you for more than half a year, you are more energetic than before," Mai's mother smiled and poured him a cup of herbal tea.

Li Heng took the tea: "Thank you Aunt for the compliment."

Sun Manning poked her head over, asked with a smile: "Aunt, why don't you compliment me?"

"Haha."

The family laughed instantly.

After greeting everyone, Mai Dong greeted, "Come come come, let's eat first, otherwise the food will be cold, let's talk while eating."

Mai's mother asked Li Heng: "Drink some wine?"

It seems that Mai Dong drinks some wine every meal, seeing the other party looking at him expectantly, Li Heng didn't refuse, "Alright."

It was not any famous wine, but the shochu that locals love to drink, Mai's mother poured him a vegetable bowl.

Sun Manning also wanted a bowl, shouting carelessly: "Uncle, Li Heng, today I will drink with you."

At this time, Mai Sui's grandfather followed and interjected: "Pour me a bowl."

Mai Dong turned his head, "Old man, the doctor said, you should smoke less and drink less."

Mai's grandfather was thin, living like skin and bones, and was not satisfied when he heard this: "I'm at this age, what's the point of living if I can't smoke or drink? Hurry up and fill it up for me!"

The old man's voice was loud, his waist was straight, his posture was full, worthy of being an old soldier who retired from the battlefield.

Mai Dong looked at Mai's grandmother, looking for help.

Unexpectedly, Mai's grandmother shook her head, sighed and said: "Let him be."

With the mother-in-law letting go, Mai's mother poured a bowl of wine for her father-in-law.

The old saying goes that drinking wine and talking happily, with wine to add to the fun, the table has been lively, and the atmosphere is very good.

During the period, Mai Sui quietly said to him: "Why don't you share some wine with me, don't get drunk."

Li Heng blinked, and said with words that only two people could hear: "Your family is here, I'll give you what I drank?"

Mai Sui understood his meaning in seconds, her ear roots were instantly like fire burning, just one sentence was worth several minutes of kissing her in the past.

This wine was not given after all, but Mai Sui was not good at showing too much concern, every time she picked up food for him, she had to pick up a pair of chopsticks for Manning.

Sun Manning wrinkled her nose, and whispered in her ear: "You raise a man, and treat me like a pig. You are really partial, the food you picked for him in the bowl is better than mine."

Mai Sui looked, and found it was really so, immediately smiled apologetically, and picked a few good dishes for her friend again.

Mai's grandfather looked at Li Heng quite pleasingly, kept clinking bowls with him, and had to shout at him to drink and eat every minute or two, making Li Heng want to be lazy and drink less wine, but it didn't work.

I don't know if it's an illusion?

Every time he met Mai's grandfather's eyes, he felt an inexplicable abruptness, feeling that the other party's eyes were particularly turbid, the pupils were light yellow and light yellow, as if they were diffusing, without focus.

Thinking of meeting the English teacher's mother passing away when returning to Shaoshi, and meeting the one who drank pesticide and threw into the fish pond when returning to the village, wouldn't it be such a ghost thing to encounter when coming to Shaodong?

Li Heng felt a bit of fear in his heart, really hoping it was his own overthinking, thinking wrong.

Mai Dong is worthy of being a first-generation businessman after reform and opening up, his personality is flamboyant, he can talk, the wine table topic has never been repeated, and the tricks to persuade Li Heng to drink are also not repeated. Mai Sui tried to stop her father a few times but it didn't work, because Mai Dong was also drunk, treating Li Heng as a brother.

Seeing Mai Dong and Li Heng drinking with their shoulders hooked, Sun Manning laughed crazy, secretly said to Mai Sui: "Hear that, your dad called Li Heng little brother, you have an extra uncle, you love your uncle."

Mai Sui couldn't laugh or cry, and had to watch Li Heng carefully.

This meal was festive, and it lasted for an hour before dispersing.

Mai Dong was drunk, drunk as a mud.

Li Heng was also drunk, and was helped into the bedroom on the third floor by Mai Sui and Sun Manning.

After sending Mai's mother away, Mai Sui first helped him take off his shoes, then brought a basin of warm water, and after wetting the towel, bent down and wiped his body carefully.

Really very careful, even the bends of his fingers and behind his ears were wiped.

Sun Manning watched sourly from the side, "My God! Are you looking for a man? Or looking for a grandfather? Why treat him so well?"

Mai Sui didn't turn her head, washing his feet on the ground: "He loves cleanliness."

Sun Manning gestured with both hands, "He loves cleanliness, it's true, but you don't have to treat him so well! Can he marry you in the future? Will he marry you?"

Mai Sui paused, her movements didn't stop, and she said in a low voice: "Manning, I don't ask for anything from him. Don't say this in the future, it's not good for him to hear, he will be under pressure."

The two sisters have known each other for more than ten years and have a very good relationship, Mai Sui had no scruples when talking to her, and spoke out her thoughts directly.

"I!" Sun Manning stomped her feet, speechless on the spot.

After a long while, this girl sat on the chair beside her dejectedly: "You just spoil him, I hope he really treats you well for a lifetime in the future."

Mai Sui smiled softly, didn't answer, washed his feet with clean water, then took a dry towel, wrapped his feet and slowly absorbed the water droplets, and then placed his legs flat on the bed.

After doing all this, Mai Sui packed up the basin and towel, adjusted the air conditioning temperature, and finally said to Sun Manning: "Manning, you also drank a lot, go to the room next door to rest."

Sun Manning asked: "What about you?"

"I'll accompany him for a while," Mai Sui said gently.

"Not seeing each other for a day is like three autumns, right?" Sun Manning teased.

Mai Sui pretended not to hear this.

Sun Manning remembered something: "Around August 10th, I'm going to Dongtinghu with him, are you going?"

Mai Sui shook her head.

Sun Manning stopped talking, besides wanting to travel, she also had the thought of taking Mai Sui along to face Song Yu directly.

Even if they are very good friends, there is a distinction between closeness and distance. Sun Manning only spent 3 years with Song Yu, while this year is the 13th year with Mai Sui, seeing Mai Sui so weak in front of Song Yu, she naturally had the idea of helping her build up her strength.

She didn't necessarily want to help Mai Sui, she just hoped that her two best friends could compete fairly and compete on the same level.

Because Mai Sui saw through her best friend's little thoughts, she refused decisively.

Seeing that she was not listening, Sun Manning sighed, self-deprecatingly said "You are all good people, the whole family loves each other, and I am the only bad person", and then left.

Mai Sui just smiled, and when she sent her to the door, she suddenly said: "Manning, go sleep in my bedroom."

Sun Manning turned around and looked left and right, then sneered: "Hoo! Are you afraid your mom and grandma will check the room halfway? Don't worry, I will definitely cover for you and lock the door."

Her little thoughts were exposed, Mai Sui closed the door with a flushed face.

Standing at the door for a while, she pulled the curtains, came to the head of the bed and sat down, looking at him, looking at the man on the bed affectionately.

Whether it was high school, college, or Lushan Village, there were others around him. Only here, she was not disturbed, and could put down all her defenses and psychological burdens, and appreciate him without any pressure.

Although she had no thought of fighting for him, as a woman, who wouldn't want to have her own privacy with her lover?

Usually, in front of people, she could only be his friend.

Only in this small room could she completely open her heart and treat him as her most sincere lover.

Outside, there was heavy traffic, bustling, but inside the room, it was quiet.

At a certain moment, Mai Sui, who was obsessed with watching, felt a surge in her heart, and made an extraordinary bold move, took off her sandals, climbed onto the bed gently, and lay flat.

She would have no chance to sleep in the same bed with him in the future.

Is this considered sleeping in the same bed with him now, even if it's only 10 minutes.

5 minutes is also fine.

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Updated before editing.

(More to come)

(End of chapter)