Chapter 443: A Good Wife

Returning from the tea mountain after taking photos at the designated spot, Li Heng began to prepare lunch.

He was the head chef.

Song Yu helped, assisting with tasks like picking vegetables, washing vegetables, and preparing ginger, scallions, and garlic. Of course, the most important thing was accompanying him.

"Are you really planning to make a full-fish feast?" Seeing him slaughter grass carp, mandarin fish, bighead carp, and bream one after another, Song Yu couldn't help but ask with a smile.

"Yes, and also not entirely."

Li Heng introduced them to her one by one, "Mandarin fish braised in brown sauce, grass carp made into sour and spicy fish slices, bream steamed, bighead carp made into chopped chili fish head. Besides the 4 types of fish, I'll also make 8 other dishes."

Over the years, Song Yu had spent quite a lot of time on Junshan Island. Relying on the water, she ate relatively more fish in her daily life. However, most of them were steamed or boiled, and occasionally pan-fried. She hadn't tasted sour and spicy fish slices yet, but she had tasted chopped chili fish head a few times at a restaurant in Changsha.

Hearing him say this, she, with her Buddhist nature, couldn't help but feel some anticipation.

Li Heng was a good cook. Home-style cooking in southern Hunan was particular about speed; there was no such thing as elaborate cooking. Even cutting fish slices was natural, and he finished cutting in a few strokes.

Song Yu was very surprised by his knife skills in cutting fish slices and took several photos of him with her camera, "Did you often cook before?"

"In our rural countryside, children from poor families take charge early. Old Mabu also knows how to cook, and even the 'dim-witted' one you've always thought was lazy can burn a few simple dishes," Li Heng said like this.

At noon, the sun was too poisonous, and the people who went out to work returned one after another. Seeing Li Heng and Song Yu working together in the kitchen in the backyard, everyone ran over to watch with curiosity.

Especially noticing Li Heng personally picking up a sour and spicy fish slice and feeding it to Song Yu's mouth to taste the saltiness, Chen Laoyezi Song said to his daughter-in-law Jiang Yue for the first time in his life, "This boy Li Heng is quite good."

Jiang Yue knew that the old master rarely expressed his attitude on some things. Obviously, Li Heng's ability to cook was a major bonus, filling the last short board for him here in the father-in-law's eyes.

Actually, thinking about it, one could understand. A person who is very good at cooking, logically speaking, must be very family-oriented and know how to cherish his wife in the future. No wonder her father-in-law used this extremely tactful way to comfort her.

Jiang Yue didn't make a sound as usual, just chatting with the women in the family not far away while secretly observing his words and deeds, secretly observing his interaction with her daughter.

Until the sour and spicy fish slices and braised mandarin fish were brought over, she tasted a bite with chopsticks and said the first word of praise for Li Heng in public, "This cooking skill is indeed good."

The eldest aunt next to her was full of praise, "That's for sure, among our whole family, counting one by one, there's no one who has this ability."

The eldest uncle-in-law also specifically washed his hands clean and tasted the chopped chili fish head, "Mm, delicious, not worse than those old masters in Yueyang restaurants. Did he start cooking from his mother's womb?"

The eldest aunt scolded, "What mother's womb, it's clearly because he is skillful and attentive."

Facing his wife's accusation, the eldest uncle-in-law grinned and laughed, not taking it to heart, "I watched the whole process of this dish just now. I'll show off my skills at home too, so you don't look down on me."

Lunch had 12 dishes, and Li Heng brought out his real skills. Besides the 4 fish dishes, stir-fried pork kidneys, braised yellow eel, twice-cooked pork, and grandmother's vegetables all became popular dishes, and the plates were almost snatched clean.

"Brother-in-law, there's no more blood duck, they won't let me have any, they're all snatching with me, is there any more?" At the children's table in the corner of the room, a 7-year-old boy was about to collapse. A bowl of blood duck was snatched clean by other big children. Angry, he ran to the main table to complain to Li Heng, meaning he still wanted some.

A "brother-in-law" made the atmosphere in the whole room full of strangeness, as if a dam had been opened.

Li Heng quietly looked at Song Yu, and that hidden look was as smug as it could be.

Receiving his look, Song Yu smiled beautifully and said to the 7-year-old little cousin, "Go to our table and pick up some dishes."

"Is there none in the pot?" the little boy asked.

Song Yu said, "There's none, if you want to eat, I'll make it for you tomorrow."

The little boy was quite reluctant at first, but after the adults at the table chattered, and after Li Heng promised to make it again tomorrow, he left happily. When he left, he didn't forget to pile the bowl full of blood duck.

After the meal, the two went to the shade of the trees by the lake to cool off.

Sun Manning was as sensible as ever and didn't follow.

Looking quietly at the sparkling lake surface for a while, Song Yu said, "Thank you for your hard work today."

"We're all family, don't say anything about hard work, it's all as it should be." Li Heng picked another bright red rose and gave it to her as if it were a rose.

Song Yu was reserved for a short while, but finally took the rose with a faint smile, lowered her head to smell the fragrance, and teased, "I don't even dare to let you stay here for a long time, otherwise my whole family will lean toward you."

Li Heng said happily, "Actually, you can also lean toward me."

Hearing these words with hidden meaning, Song Yu didn't make a sound for a moment, quietly admiring the rose in her hand.

After a long time, she changed the subject and said, "Manning hasn't come back to her senses for two days. It seems that the public opinion in the newspaper this time really had a significant impact on her."

Li Heng knew she was talking about the rebellious words Sun Manning said, and asked in surprise, "You heard all those nonsense words?"

"Mm, heard some, but mostly judged by body language," Song Yu said.

Li Heng mumbled, "She really hasn't been like herself for the past two days, I was scared too."

Song Yu smiled, "It will be fine after these few days. Now, no matter which young girl is by your side, after seeing such overwhelming reports, they will develop a feeling of worship for you in a short time."

Li Heng turned his head, "What about you?"

Facing his burning love, Song Yu was silent for a moment and asked, "Do you think this flower is purely because the petals are beautiful? Or is it because the green leaves set it off well?"

Li Heng felt a chill down his spine.

What do the petals refer to?

What do the green leaves refer to?

Regarding this, both of them knew it clearly. She was implicitly reminding herself not to ruin all the grass around the nest, to leave some green leaves to set off the red flowers.

Figuring out her thoughts, Li Heng said, "Red flowers need green leaves to set them off, water disturbs the green mountains and the scenery is greedy. Flowers are better looking, but they can't do without green leaves to set them off."

Song Yu was a soft-hearted person after all. Regarding her girlfriend Mai Sui, and the other women around him, she stopped at the point and didn't say anything more.

As for Sun Manning, she didn't take it to heart at all.

Because she knew better than anyone that those nonsense words were completely Sun Manning's temporary mouth-running. Once the impact of the newspaper reports passed, she would automatically return to her original position. Whatever she was, she would still be that.

Besides, Song Yu knew that although the man beside her was a flirt, his mouth was also very picky. Women who weren't good to a certain extent couldn't disturb his heart.

"Spring has hundreds of flowers, autumn has the moon, summer has cool breezes, winter has snow. I hope you will still be the original you in the future, the appearance I first knew you." Saying quietly, Song Yu handed the rose in her hand to him.

Li Heng took it tacitly and half-rose to help her insert it into her hair.

Song Yu asked with a temperament like an orchid, "Does it look good?"

Li Heng stepped back and looked, spitting out one word, "Beautiful!"

Looking at each other, the two suddenly became quiet. After a long time, he lay down and leaned his head on her lap, "A bit tired, I'll rest for a while."

This was his greatest luxury on this trip. In his past life, whenever his heart was tired, he would sleep in her arms like this.

Not caring about anything, letting go of all bonds and sleeping.

"Mm." Although this was in public and someone might pass by, looking at his full face of sleepiness, Song Yu didn't choose to refuse.

Here with her was the most relaxing. Li Heng, who hadn't slept well last night, soon fell into a deep sleep, leaving behind rhythmic breathing sounds accompanying the curling lake breeze blowing into the distance.

Song Yu lowered her head and looked at the man on her lap for a while, her eyes full of tenderness, but also full of complexity.

Around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Li Heng and Song Yu came to the tea mountain to help Grandmother Song pick tea.

Although he hadn't touched tea leaves for a long time, his skills were not reduced from that year. Both hands worked together, and his speed far exceeded everyone who picked with one hand. By dinner time, he had picked more than 4 jin of tea leaves.

Song Yu remembered the scene of picking tea last year and asked him, "Zhang Zhiyong hasn't been seen for a long time, any changes?"

"No, still the same, his mouth is still cheap," Li Heng said.

Song Yu smiled indifferently and asked about the situation of their high school English teacher.

Li Heng told her the truth, that the English teacher's mother had passed away in July, and he had even gone there once.

Song Yu asked, "Do you and the English teacher have much contact usually?"

Li Heng subconsciously observed her micro-expressions and replied, "Not much, we don't usually associate much, and we haven't written letters. It's just when I pass by on my way home during winter and summer vacations, I occasionally go to the first middle school."

"Mm," Song Yu said, and didn't ask again.

After dinner, the two agreed to come to the lakeside like yesterday.

Li Heng played three more pieces on the erhu, which were "The Street Where the Wind Lives," "Hexi Corridor," and "Together with the Orchid."

Song Yu listened very carefully. When the three pieces were finished, she sighed and said, "It sounds really good."

Li Heng put down the erhu, "When the pure music album comes out, I'll mail one to you."

Song Yu said okay.

Being with a lover, time often passes very quickly. In the blink of an eye, he had stayed at Dongtinghu for 3 days.

Sun Manning said with unfinished interest, "Li Heng, are you really leaving tomorrow? Can't you play for a few more days?"

Hearing this, Song Yu looked at him.

Li Heng had the heart to stay, but he had promised Zijin to go to the capital to see her. Besides, Li Ran had already gone to the capital, so he couldn't delay any longer.

He said, "I have things to do, time is relatively tight."

Song Yu said softly, "If the matter is important, then go busy yourself first."

Li Heng nodded and said to Sun Manning, "Why don't you play here for a few more days, and I'll come back to pick you up after I finish my business?"

"Forget it, pull it down, I'm such a big person, why would I need you to pick me up? By then I'll transfer directly from Changsha back to Shaoshi." Under Song Yu's retention, Sun Manning decided to play for another week.

August 11th morning.

After breakfast, Li Heng said goodbye to the Song family one by one, then took a boat to the county town on the shore.

Song Yu personally sent him to the station.

Little aunt Song Shuyu and Sun Manning also came together.

After buying the ticket and putting the luggage on the bus, Li Heng walked to Song Yu and said reluctantly, "Then I'll leave first, I'll come to Dongtinghu to see you again next year."

Song Yu gazed at him, quiet and silent.

Looking at each other for a long time, Li Heng stretched out his hands, "Hug one more time."

Song Yu pondered for a moment and didn't refuse.

There were many people at the station, not to mention Song Shuyu and Sun Manning were watching them from the side. The two hugged gently for ten or twenty seconds before separating.

Song Yu helped him fasten the opening on his chest and entrusted him, "Try not to sleep on the road, pay attention to safety, and report to me when you arrive in the capital."

Jingcheng?

Li Heng was shocked in his heart. He had never revealed that he was going to the capital on this trip, but he didn't expect that he couldn't hide it from the person in front of him at all.

Song Yu seemed to have guessed his thoughts, smiled, and stared into his eyes without speaking.

Just at this moment, the bus started. Li Heng was urged by the conductor to get on the bus. He poked his head out from his seat and said to Song Yu, "Then I'm leaving, you have to take care of yourself."

Song Yu looked at him reservedly. Until the bus moved forward and drove away, she raised her right hand and waved it slightly in front of her, saying goodbye to him.

Li Heng also waved his hand hard, and amidst a cloud of dust, he disappeared from the sight of the three women.

Two people came, one person returned. Li Heng didn't feel any discomfort, just thinking that it would be a long time before he could see Song Yu again, and his heart felt empty.

His whole body was limp on the seat, staring blankly out the window, as if he had lost his soul.

For a moment, he really wanted to impulsively tell the driver to stop, really wanted to spend a lot of money to tell the driver to turn back, go back to find Song Yu.

He didn't know how long had passed, Li Heng's heart moved, and he suddenly remembered the letter.

Immediately, he regained his strength, opened his backpack, and took out the yellowed envelope from inside.

She had said, let him open this letter after leaving Dongtinghu.

Because many changes had occurred in his past and present life, and he had pursued Song Yu in advance, the letter that didn't exist in his past life now existed in this life.

Looking down at the somewhat old envelope, his heart was pounding, and he was nervous for no reason.

Thinking of the farewell at the station earlier, he said he would come to see her at Dongtinghu next year, but she didn't respond. Was this foreshadowing something?

Thinking of that sentence "Li Heng, thank you, thank you for your love," his heart began to tremble. It wouldn't be like this, right? He was thinking wrong, right?

Clearly, she had been very good to him over these three days, hadn't she?

Her family members had also accepted him to a certain extent, hadn't they?

With various uncertainties, Li Heng finally summoned the courage to tear open the envelope and took out a red-striped letter paper from inside.

The letter paper was extremely simple. The header was Yueyang No. 1 Middle School. Clearly, it was draft paper that the eldest uncle-in-law had brought back from school.

The letter was simple, and the content was even less.

No, it was pitifully little, just one line of words.

The content was: Li Heng, if you can settle down, I should be a very good wife.

A letter, just such a sentence.

He read it three times, and counted it again, totaling 20 words.

When he read it for the 4th time, he fell into a long silence.

If he could settle down, she would be a very good wife. It meant she agreed, it meant she was willing to be his woman, to be his wife.

The problem was, could he settle down?

Could he settle down? Facing Teacher Yu, facing Mai Sui, facing the big Qingyi, even Li Heng himself didn't dare to be 100% sure.

And if he couldn't settle down, was this a rejection letter?

Associating it with Song Yu's calmness at the station just now, he had no bottom in his heart.

He hadn't touched Mai Sui in his past life, and this scene hadn't happened. He tried to guess her true intention based on Song Yu's habits.

Unfortunately, after thinking about it for a long time, this was a false proposition no matter how you looked at it.

The content of this letter could be left or right, swaying, and any understanding was feasible. The key lay in his own attitude.

Perhaps, Song Yu was testing him, testing how much he cared about her, how much he loved her, and whether he could restrain himself for her?

Perhaps, Song Yu was expecting him.

Perhaps, Song Yu knew he couldn't change, and used such a letter to say goodbye to him, just like her waving at the station entrance.

When the bus passed through Miluo, the weather changed outside, the wind blew, and it rained.

Li Heng sat stupidly in front of the window like a zombie, ignoring the wind and rain outside. Even if the rain drifted in and fell on him, he couldn't perceive it.

The conductor in front discovered his situation and hurriedly shouted at him, "Boy, close the window tightly."

Li Heng stared blankly outside, without reaction.

The conductor shouted again, and seeing that he still didn't move, simply walked over quickly, reached out to help him close it, and asked him, "Boy, your expression is a bit scary, are you uncomfortable somewhere?"

Li Heng came back to his senses and shook his head apologetically, "No, thank you."

The conductor looked at him repeatedly, then left.

Driving a bit further, Li Heng suddenly stood up with a "whoosh" and wanted the driver to stop.

The driver glanced at him and said loudly, "It's raining so hard, there's no human smoke within three miles around here, what are you getting off the bus for?"

Li Heng told the driver, "I forgot something, I have to go back."

Hearing this, and seeing his complexion wasn't very good, the conductor intervened, "Someone died and ghosts haunted this graveyard area a while ago. Why don't you wait a bit longer to see if you can meet a returning car in front, and then you can just hitch a ride."

Hearing about ghosts, Li Heng was speechless, but the scale of the graveyard outside was unimaginably large, which really scared him.

His luck was very poor, he didn't meet any returning cars on the road, and the bus drove until it reached Changsha. The conductor asked him, "Why don't you wait patiently for a while, we have to go back in the afternoon."

Li Heng asked, "How many buses are there a day?"

The conductor said, "There aren't many people taking the bus these days, there are only 3 buses."

Li Heng was confused, "Then why did you say just now to see if we could meet a returning car on the road?"

Seeing his depressed look, the conductor laughed, "The returning car had already passed, it crossed when we just entered Miluo. If I didn't say that, you would definitely have wanted to get off the bus in a hurry."

Li Heng realized, "Then the ghost haunting was also fake? Also to bluff me?"

The driver smoked a cigarette, "This is hard to say. But a murder case happened there a while ago, a man and a woman died, stabbed to death. Afterwards, many people were spreading that ghosts were haunting there at night."

Well, the other party was also kind. After asking clearly about the departure time, Li Heng got off the bus to eat a bowl of rice noodles for lunch, then mailed a letter from his bag, then went to the bank to withdraw some cash, and finally called the Song family.

Song Yu seemed to know he would call and had been waiting.

And so, as soon as the phone rang, she picked up the receiver.

"Li Heng, have you arrived in Changsha?" Song Yu asked with concern.

Li Heng said slowly and heavily, "Cook more rice for dinner, I'm coming back to eat."

Song Yu wasn't surprised at all. After a while, she asked, "Did you read the letter?"

Li Heng said "Mm."

Song Yu looked out the window, "It's raining very hard outside."

Li Heng said, "I know."

Seeing that he was unmoved, Song Yu was silent for a while and said, "I'll come to Changsha to find you, or you come to school to see me during the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Some words are understood as soon as they are heard. Li Heng immediately understood the hidden meaning in her words. She hoped he would take time to think about it, and then go find her after thinking clearly.

But he was anxious now and didn't want to wait, "I'll take the bus back to the small county town in a while."

Song Yu switched the receiver from her left hand to her right hand. After half a day, she switched it from her right hand to her left hand, then tucked the fine hair by her ear with her fingers, and finally said softly, "Come find me at the hostel where we stayed last time, I'll wait for you there."

The hostel she mentioned where they stayed last time was the place where Li Heng, Wang Runwen, Zhang Zhiyong, and Li Ran stayed when they passed through Dongtinghu last year.

Li Heng said, "Okay."

The two tacitly didn't mention returning to Junshan Island. They had just left, and now they were coming back. It didn't look good in the eyes of outsiders.

Tossing back and forth for a day, at dusk, Li Heng returned to the lakeside of Dongtinghu again and found that hostel.

Entering the hostel, just as he was about to open his mouth to ask the front desk clerk, he saw Song Shuyu at a glance. This little aunt was clearly waiting for him specifically, beckoned to him, and walked over.

Meeting again, Li Heng was a bit embarrassed to shout, "Little Aunt."

Song Shuyu didn't ask anything, saying with a smile, "Follow me, Yu Bao is chatting with Maning in the room."

Li Heng asked, "Maning came too."

Song Shuyu said meaningfully, "I'll take her for a stroll in a while."

Li Heng was speechless, "Thank you, Little Aunt."

Arriving at a room on the left on the second floor, Song Shuyu stopped at the door, knocked, and shouted, "Yu Bao, Li Heng is here."

Hearing it was the little aunt's voice outside the door, Song Yu stood up from the chair and opened the door.

Sun Manning followed behind. When she saw Li Heng, her eyes twinkled, and then she happily followed Song Shuyu away.

Once people left, Li Heng entered the room and closed the door behind him.

For a time, the room was silent. You look at me, I look at you, and their gazes intertwined.

After a long, long time, Li Heng walked over and hugged her in his arms, "I thought you didn't want to see me anymore."

Feeling his sincerity, Song Yu teased with a smile in her eyes, "I did have that thought, but it's not that I don't want to see you for a long time, because I can't control your legs."

Li Heng freed his right hand to stroke her left cheek and said slowly, "I'm sorry."

His voice was very heavy and sincere. Song Yu calmed down. A moment later, she leaned her head on him, and for the first time, she took the initiative to hug him with both hands, leaning on him.

"Am I too willful?"

"A little."

"How to explain to Uncle and Aunt?"

"I didn't hide it."

"Ah?"

Hearing him say "Ah," Song Yu smiled and asked, "Know you're afraid?"

Li Heng said firmly, "Not afraid."

Seeing his insincere words, Song Yu explained, "I told them you left something behind and didn't bring it, so I'm sending it to you, and I won't go back tonight."

"Really not going back tonight?"

"Mm, it's not good to leave you alone here."

"Do you know what I left with you?"

Song Yu smiled without a word.

Li Heng asked, "What was Uncle and Aunt's reaction?"

Song Yu slowly closed her eyes and sighed softly, "Meeting a rebellious daughter like me, what other reaction could they have? They can only let it be."

Li Heng lowered his head and kissed her hair, feeling even more guilty, "It's my fault, I implicated you."

Song Yu was quiet and didn't make a sound.

After another while, Li Heng asked, "That letter..."

Song Yu interrupted his words, "You are still young, let's talk about it later."

What she said was "You are still young," not "We are still young," aiming to tactfully tell him that the decision-making power of this relationship lay with him, and the initiative also lay with him.

To a certain extent, compared to the content in the letter, she had made a concession, and a big one at that.

Facing Song Yu, Li Heng knew he couldn't force her too much, and at the same time, he was a bit lucky, lucky that he had turned back from Changsha. Sure enough, he hadn't come back in vain, and sure enough, there was a harvest.

He hadn't guessed wrong.

Regarding his return, regarding his anxiety, Song Yu was soft-hearted after all, and didn't seal the road completely.

Seeing that he hadn't spoken for a long time, Song Yu opened her eyes and asked quietly, "What are you thinking about?"

Li Heng said frankly, "I'm thinking about the letter, and also about your attitude toward me these two days."

Song Yu asked, "Is it contradictory?"

Li Heng nodded.

Song Yu pursed her lips, "When facing you, I always can't be hard-hearted."

Li Heng was thoughtful and reflected, "It seems that in the past year, I have appeared too few times in front of you. Sigh, my fault."

Song Yu smiled composedly and closed her eyes again.

PS: Updated first, edited later.

(End of chapter)