Chapter 422

After washing up, Li Heng came back to eat breakfast: "How did you sleep last night?"

"Very good," Zhou Shihe said.

Compared to the cold and deserted small building at No. 27, she preferred the small building at No. 26, feeling it was livelier and more full of fireworks.

After breakfast, Zhou Shihe went straight away and returned to her own home.

Li Heng pulled open the living room curtains and looked opposite, finding the doors and windows tightly closed; he didn't know if Yu Laoshi had woken up yet?

Miss Zhou did buy three breakfasts, but the other one wasn't sent over and was now placed on the coffee table.

After pondering for a moment, Li Heng picked up the breakfast and walked toward the small building at No. 25.

The courtyard door was locked, but this couldn't stump him.

Seeing him step back two steps, then a sprint, he flipped over the courtyard wall from the side. For a rural child, a courtyard wall 2 meters high was just sprinkling water, not needing much effort at all.

Done, the room door inside was also closed, so he had to knock.

"Dong dong dong!"

"Dong dong dong!"

After a few knocks, Yu Shuheng threw a bunch of keys from the window into the courtyard; she didn't show her face, let alone come down.

Picking up the keys, Li Heng opened the door, changed his shoes, and went up to the second floor with a "ceng ceng ceng."

There was no one in the living room; he looked toward the bedroom direction and then sat on the sofa to wait. Not long after, Yu Shuheng, having changed her clothes, walked out of the bedroom, but didn't pay attention to him at first, scanned him, and then entered the washroom.

After washing her face, brushing her teeth, and fixing her hair, she came to him.

"Teacher," he raised his head to greet her.

Yu Shuheng looked at him, then looked at the breakfast on the coffee table, and sat opposite him: "Not very hungry."

Li Heng subconsciously raised his Cartier watch on his left hand and glanced at it, 8:35.

"Really not hungry?" he asked.

"Mm."

"How about I cook you a bowl of noodles."

"Okay."

Simple dialogue, Li Heng was completely speechless.

Seeing his constipated look, Yu Shuheng smiled meaningfully. Then, in a great mood, she changed positions, moved in front of him, held his face with both hands, looked at it seriously for a while, and finally leaned over and kissed his chin.

She had kissed him several times, not on the cheek, or on the chin, but never on his mouth.

After kissing, she stood up, stretched, and walked toward the hallway on her own: "The keys on the coffee table are yours to keep; don't affect Teacher's sleeping in later."

There were ready-made noodles at home, and they were soon served on the table.

He came to the doorway and said to Yu Laoshi, who was pruning flowers and plants in the courtyard: "Teacher, the noodles are ready."

Yu Shuheng stretched the scissors toward him: "You come help me prune."

"Haven't done this stuff, I don't know how," Li Heng said.

Yu Shuheng said: "It's okay, I'll teach you on the side."

Hearing this, Li Heng took the scissors.

Yu Shuheng really brought the noodles out from the house, eating while teaching him from behind.

After pruning a sweet-scented osmanthus tree, Yu Shuheng asked: "You stayed up all night, aren't you going to rest for a while now."

Li Heng turned around and stared at her.

Yu Shuheng didn't escape, looking straight at him, the meaning in her eyes self-evident.

After a while, he asked in a low voice: "Teacher, what time did you sleep?"

"Past 4:00, I guess," she said.

One question and one answer, everything was in the silence.

After 9:00 AM, the two went to the small building at No. 27 together and entered the piano room.

At this time, Zhou Shihe was already inside, playing the *Nightingale* that was just arranged last night.

Li Heng and Yu Shuheng didn't disturb her, automatically slowed down their footsteps, and sat on the positions on both sides of the piano to listen quietly.

Until the piece was finished, Yu Shuheng spoke and said to Li Heng: "You pick up the flute and play with Shihe again; I'll see the effect."

*Nightingale* is mainly a duet between Li Heng's flute and Zhou Shihe's piano; when recording the album later, Yu Shuheng and some other instruments will join in.

Li Heng and Zhou Shihe looked at each other and played together tacitly.

Yu Shuheng held the music score, listening while making notes, and after it ended, the three gathered together to discuss some places that could be improved.

Just like this, for more than a week, the three lived a life of being inseparable. During the day, they arranged music in the piano room, walked together after dinner, and then did their own things.

Since Zhou Shihe stayed overnight at the small building at No. 26, as soon as it got dark, Yu Shuheng basically didn't step into the small building at No. 26 again; Li Heng noticed this point but pretended not to know and didn't break it.

Although the two women had constant differences, the effect of the cooperation was gratifying, and they finally managed to finish all the arrangement work before August arrived.

According to Yu Laoshi, the next step was the hard rehearsal and album recording session. The three had the experience of playing together at the Spring Festival Gala, so naturally, it was easy for them.

And recording was all taken care of by Yu Laoshi, so Li Heng didn't need to worry too much, instead, he polished the last two chapters of *Bai Luyuan* whenever he had time.

Currently, Chapter 45 has been written. Chapter 46, which is also the last chapter, is about halfway done.

Because he added one-third of the content to this book, it caused him to ponder for a long time on the final ending, aiming to thoroughly integrate the new content with the original book and condense it into a knot.

The word count of the last chapter is very large, estimated to be tens of thousands of words.

Sorting out his thoughts, Li Heng glanced at the heavy rain outside and continued writing at the desk:

Many years later, that is, just after the first New Year after the liberation of Zishui County, Deputy County Magistrate Lu Zhaojian was arrested in his office. Hei Wa was drafting an application report to restore his party membership at that time, and two people walked into the room; he didn't look up until the person snatched the brush from his hand, and then he realized the person wasn't asking him for work instructions. Before he could think, his arms were already tied tightly with fine hemp rope. Hei Wa jumped up and shouted: "Why, why! Who sent you here?"...

Regarding the book *Bai Luyuan*, everyone has their own insights:

In the long river of history, those who only know how to do things can never compare to those who know how to conduct themselves; Xiaowen and Hei Wa are the best contrast. Xiaowen is ruthless, sharp-eyed, and quick-witted; not only did he join the uprising verbally, but he also used actions (shooting the regiment commander) to leave evidence of truly joining, while Hei Wa did more, but it was not known to everyone, and there was no factual evidence, resulting in him dying unjustly. Many readers feel that Zhaopeng should also not have been spared from persecution; otherwise, he wouldn't have turned a blind eye to Hei Wa's death. Bai Jiaxuan led by example all his life, knowing and doing as one; in the end, his eldest son broke his firm belief that good people have good rewards with actual actions, and he himself was powerless, gasping for breath and blind, witnessing the tragic old age of his peer Lu Zilin, regretting the only land-swapping event he did behind people's backs to seek blessings, nourishing Xiaowen's high official position and wealth, but having no affection or righteousness, and he himself was powerless. Perhaps, Bai Jiaxuan's old age was also full of self-torture.

From sunrise to sunset, for a whole day, Li Heng just sat in the study without going out, writing non-stop to finish the last chapter.

Yu Shuheng and Zhou Shihe also knew that this book had gone through more than half a year and had reached the most important stage, so neither of them disturbed him.

On the contrary, after practicing the repertoire during the day, Zhou Shihe specifically went to the vegetable market to buy some vegetables and cooked a big meal herself.

Yu Shuheng didn't rest either, rarely helping out on the side.

At this moment, although the two women didn't have much communication, they were both working hard for one thing.

After 7:00 PM, four dishes and one soup were served on the table, but Li Heng didn't come out for a long time.

Yu Shuheng looked at her watch and asked her: "He didn't eat at noon?"

"Shouldn't have, the lunch is still on the coffee table on the second floor, untouched," Zhou Shihe said.

Sitting for a while, Yu Shuheng suggested: "Let's move the food to the second floor."

"Okay." Zhou Shihe got up and got busy.

On the second floor, Yu Shuheng opened the lunch on the coffee table to look, then threw it into the trash basket, then went to the study door and stood for a long time; twice her right hand grabbed the doorknob, but in the end, she withdrew it silently and turned back to the sofa.

Zhou Shihe didn't move from beginning to end, took the newspaper bought new in the morning, and read it quietly.

Yu Shuheng sat on a separate sofa, her gaze couldn't help but linger on her for a while: quiet as a delicate flower reflecting in the water, moving like a weak willow swaying in the wind; her beauty was breathtaking, with a long-lasting classical charm.

Before meeting Zhou Shihe, Yu Shuheng had always been a top figure on Mount Tai, looking down at all the mountains. And seeing Zhou Shihe in front of her, she understood what it meant to have heaven beyond heaven and people beyond people.

No wonder the little boy likes to stay with her.

During these days of rehearsal in the piano room, due to the moving piano sound and the person playing the piano, Li Heng focused his gaze on Zhou Shihe more than once, and more than once was lost in the music world for Zhou Shihe.

Regarding this, Zhou Shihe knew it well, and Yu Shuheng also noticed the strangeness.

However, neither of them exposed it, nor did they break this balance. One continued to play the piano with dignity, not looking at him; the other closed his eyes slowly, simply choosing not to see.

But the relationship between the two women was invisibly affected; under the calm-as-water coat, the inside was splitting more and more. It's just that they were both women with extreme cultivation, and didn't express it in the form of sharp conflict.

There was no movement at the study door, and the two women could only wait quietly in the living room. Each occupied a sofa, one reading books and newspapers, the other closing her eyes to rest; it was as if a Chu-Han boundary lay between them, not interfering with each other, not crossing the boundary.

Not to mention chatting and talking.

After 10:00 PM, the study was still quiet, and the pen tip followed the thoughts to the last paragraph:

After winter, on the night of the first cold wave hitting Bai Luyuan, one could still hear Lu Zilin's howling in the first half of the night, but in the second half, it was silent. At dawn, his woman Lu Hexi discovered that he was already stiff, and the feces and urine in the cotton pants he had just put on had frozen into yellow wax-like ice...

After finishing the last ellipsis, the pen tip left the paper page automatically; Li Heng held the pen with his right hand, lowered his head, and looked at the last few words on the paper. At this moment, he seemed to have no life, standing still like a stone sculpture!

Finished the book!

It's over!

Taking more than half a year, it finally came to an end.

At this moment, his heart was full of mixed feelings; there was the flatness of copying the book, and also the huge joy of creating new content, perhaps using the advantage of foresight to process and walk a unique path. This is probably the meaning of living a second life.

After suddenly relaxing, Li Heng's eyes lingered on the manuscript for a long time, until a certain moment when the urge to urinate came, he stood up abruptly, pulled open the door, and rushed toward the toilet!

He was so thirsty today, but controlled himself to drink only a very small amount of water, just so he wouldn't go to the washroom often, just so his rare writing state wouldn't be interrupted.

Hearing the movement, Zhou Shihe looked at the wall clock subconsciously, then put down the newspaper and carried the dishes downstairs.

Yu Shuheng also opened her eyes at the same time, followed by carrying the remaining dishes up, and then went to the study door to stand for a long time to ask him: "Finished writing?"

"Mm, finished."

"After eating, show it to Teacher."

"Okay."

At the washroom door, the two faced each other; after a while, Yu Shuheng said: "Tomorrow and the day after, you and Shihe rest freely, Teacher will go arrange the album recording matters. Starting from the day after tomorrow, we will rehearse while recording the pieces."

"Done, listen to Teacher." Li Heng nodded.

Looking at the sumptuous dinner on the table, Li Heng thanked sincerely: "Comrade Shihe, you've worked hard."

Zhou Shihe smiled, didn't make a sound, and after setting the dishes, scooped a bowl of rice for him and Yu Laoshi.

Yu Laoshi was a bit surprised, but then said thank you and took the rice.

After the three sat down, Li Heng waved his chopsticks and said: "Don't stand there, I'm almost starving to death, let's eat quickly."

Saying that, he started the first chopstick, picked up a chopstick of chili fried meat and put it in his mouth, repeatedly praising it as delicious and delicious.

Seeing this, the two women followed suit.

This meal, the three basically didn't communicate much, they were all a bit hungry, and were all concentrating on eating. Compared to Yu Laoshi and Miss Zhou's slow and deliberate manner, Li Heng's movements were much rougher, a big chopstick of vegetables and a big mouthful of rice, working hard.

Rarely seen him so rude.

But it was precisely because of this rudeness that the two women felt the food was particularly fragrant, and they even ate half a bowl of rice more.

After dinner, uh, it should also be considered a late-night snack.

Yu Laoshi suggested going out for a walk to digest.

Li Heng agreed.

Zhou Shihe didn't object and silently followed out of the courtyard.

Don't know when, the lights of the small building at No. 24 diagonally opposite turned on, and not just one, but both the first and second floors were on.

The families in this alley were basically empty during the summer vacation; Li Heng, who had no psychological burden, stood in the middle of the alley and shouted: "Old Fu! At home?"

"You brat, howling and howling! You guys are going out in the middle of the night?" Hearing the sound, the fake Daoist poked his head out from the second-floor balcony.

Not long after, Chen Siya also appeared on the balcony with a big pregnant belly.

After a brief conversation, Li Heng learned that the couple had moved over from their hometown and would basically live here permanently from now on.

Li Heng looked up and asked: "Sister Chen, how much longer until the due date?"

Chen Siya replied: "Mid-September."

She asked: "Do you want to come in and sit for a while? Drink a cup of tea? Old Fu brought back a bag of good tea leaves in the last two days."

Li Heng looked at the two women and refused: "Another day, we just finished eating and are a bit full, need to walk."

Chen Siya smiled and said okay.

Just as the three were about to leave, the fake Daoist shouted from behind: "Li Heng, let's go fishing together when you have time."

Regarding the fishing matter, because of the water ghost incident last year, Old Fu had stopped for a period of time; clearly, he was now healed and forgot the pain, and was addicted again.

Considering Old Fu had shouted many times, and he had never gone once, he gave face and said: "Okay, come call me when you have time."

Saying goodbye to the couple, the three left Lushan Village and walked half a circle around the campus.

Maybe it was because of the summer vacation, or maybe it was too late, they didn't meet a single person on the road.