Classmate Li Zhuangsheng doesn’t want to be reborn

The next evening, the group of five walked slowly through the Confucius Temple.

The surrounding area was bustling with people, and the colorful shops were lively and bustling.

"There are so many people! Mengdie, be careful and don't get separated." Mother Hu said, taking Hu Mengdie's hand and pushing her towards Li Zhuangsheng, smiling broadly. "There are four ladies here, Zhuangsheng, you must be their protector!"

The two mothers, who were able to give birth to such stunningly beautiful women, must have possessed exceptional qualities and appearances. Even in their later years, they retained their charm, let alone the young and vibrant Hu Mengdie and Li Xiuyu.

As Li Zhuangsheng mingled among them, he also felt that he was being watched more closely.

"Haha..." Li Zhuangsheng had no choice but to give up his idea of ​​taking out his phone to play and chuckled dryly.

"Hu Mengdie, would you like some osmanthus cake?"

"I won't eat it, thank you."

"Hey, Hu Mengdie, there's a Horse Head brand ice cream over there..."

"I won't eat it, thank you."

"Oh, there are roast duck rolls over there, Hu Mengdie, do you want some?"

"I won't eat it, thank you."

"What's this coconut bamboo tube, Hu Mengdie? Do you want it?"

"I won't eat it, thank you."

……

Along the way, Li Zhuangsheng kept recommending roadside snacks to Hu Mengdie, but all he received in return was Hu Mengdie's indifferent and polite rejection.

"What are you doing?" Li Xiuyu, unable to bear it any longer, pulled Li Zhuangsheng aside and scolded him, "You're even more of a simp than before!"

"Lick the dog?"

Li Zhuangsheng was stunned for a moment. Although the word was unfamiliar, it was so vivid and descriptive that it was instantly understood.

"How can you slander someone's innocence out of thin air?" Li Zhuangsheng exclaimed, his eyes wide. "I'm just being polite!"

"Then why do you never ask me? It's impolite of you!"

"You just grabbed and ate everything I bought, do I need to tell you?"

Li Xiuyu glared at Li Zhuangsheng with considerable resentment: "Anyway, that's good enough. Can't you see how impatient he is?"

Li Zhuangsheng turned to look at Hu Mengdie, whose expression remained indifferent, revealing nothing of her mood.

"To be honest, I really didn't see that coming..."

"Because you're stupid! That's enough. Besides, what kind of idiot are you?" Li Xiuyu couldn't help but laugh. "All you do is ask girls if they want to eat?"

“…Please enlighten me.” Li Zhuangsheng’s body trembled.

He almost forgot that Li Xiuyu was a lesbian and should know very well how to get along with girls.

Li Xiuyu grinned mischievously: "Look, there's a gold shop up ahead. Ask Hu Mengdie if she wants any gold or silver jewelry. She definitely won't refuse."

"Oh, oh..." Li Zhuangsheng nodded repeatedly, but then turned around and came back to his senses, "Uh, but, that must be quite expensive, right?"

"You know that too!" Li Xiuyu said irritably. "So stop flattering me. Gold is so expensive now, a thousand a gram. How much can you buy with your little savings?"

Li Zhuangsheng realized that Li Xiuyu was teasing him, and muttered in a low voice, "I just think it's pretty impolite of me to do nothing."

Humans are social animals; they can be men, students, sons… Li Zhuangsheng was used to all of these identities, but now he had an unprecedented one: “husband.”

She didn't know what her husband should do, especially in this awkward situation.

But he felt that, as a boy, he should make a show of respect no matter what. So he patiently tried to talk to Hu Mengdie, even though he could tell that she didn't really want to talk to him.

But he was, after all, her husband in name only, and he was doing this in front of his mother-in-law.

Li Xiuyu was annoyed and stopped paying attention to him.

"This Confucius Temple, I feel..." Perhaps a little embarrassed, Li Zhuangsheng coughed lightly and said, "I feel that it has changed quite a bit."

"When was the last time Zhuang Sheng came?" Mother Hu asked with a smile.

“It’s been several years… oh, it should be more than ten years,” Li Zhuangsheng said.

In his memory, the last time he visited Confucius Temple was after graduating from elementary school, which was four years ago. But in fact, it had been more than a decade ago.

Thinking about it, it really has been a long time.

A day in the mountains feels like a thousand years in the human world. Returning home feels like being a stranger in a strange land.

It's normal for Confucius Temple to have changed a lot after so long. I didn't expect it to have been this long.

Li Zhuangsheng suddenly felt a pang of melancholy, a strange emptiness in his heart. He only snapped out of his reverie when a pedestrian bumped into his back.

Mrs. Hu was slightly taken aback, but then she understood and laughed, "Now, from your perspective, the Confucius Temple has changed a lot!"

"Mmm." Li Zhuangsheng nodded. "I feel much prettier, and I'm eating more too."

"I don't feel like anything has changed," Li Xiuyu thought to himself.

He had come here with Li Zhuangsheng during his university years, more than once. It's just that Li Zhuangsheng didn't remember.

Hu Mengdie didn't show much interest in these unfamiliar snacks; instead, she browsed some boutique shops along the roadside.

Whenever Hu Mengdie walked into a small shop, Li Zhuangsheng would silently follow her inside.

"Why did you buy so many things?" Mrs. Hu frowned slightly, looking at the trinkets in her daughter's hands. "These things only cost a few dollars outside, but they're ridiculously expensive inside!"

“I bought it for my friend…” Hu Mengdie said softly.

"Mengdie is so sensible, she's thinking of her friends even when she's out having fun!" Chen Lanying said with a smile.

“I bought one for my friend too.” Li Zhuangsheng waved the bracelet beads in his hand.

He bought this for Zhang Qixiang. Although they weren't very close, Zhang Qixiang was his best friend, and Zhang Qixiang had been showing a lot of concern for Zhang Qixiang's "condition" these past few days. So when Hu Mengdie bought one, Li Zhuangsheng bought one too.

In fact, Li Zhuangsheng wanted to pay for Hu Mengdie's shopping, since it's the husband's responsibility to "pay the bill" when his "wife" goes shopping, but Hu Mengdie didn't accept. She had already figured out the current electronic payment methods.

"Confucius Temple is quite lively, isn't it?" Li Zhuangsheng remarked.

As night fell, the Confucius Temple became increasingly lively, with people packed shoulder to shoulder. Li Xiuyu, fearing that Li Zhuangsheng might get lost, held Li Zhuangsheng's hand tightly. Li Zhuangsheng also occasionally looked back to see if Hu Mengdie and the others were still there.

"The lanterns were displayed at Confucius Temple a few days ago for the Lantern Festival. It was so lively and beautiful," Mrs. Hu said with a smile. "I heard from Mengdie that she was planning to come with you... Why didn't you come?"

"Is...that so?" Li Zhuangsheng chuckled and scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "I don't know, I don't remember. Maybe something came up that prevented me from coming."

"Well, there's no rush, even if it's just a year or two!" Mrs. Hu said with a smile, taking Li Zhuangsheng and Hu Mengdie's hands and placing them together. "You can come back to visit next year, there's plenty of time!"

"Ha ha……"

Li Zhuangsheng's throat was a little dry, and he smiled shyly.

Hu Mengdie didn't say anything, but her hand clenched slightly.

Chen Lanying raised an eyebrow and glanced at him, then exchanged a look with Li Xiuyu, neither of them speaking. ...

Back at the hotel, everyone was exhausted.

"By the way, would you like to stay in Nanjing for a few more days?" Chen Lanying asked Li Zhuangsheng and Hu Mengdie with a smile at the door.

Li Zhuangsheng glanced at Hu Mengdie.

"No need, you've already gone to so much trouble. A trip to Confucius Temple is enough." Hu Mengdie smiled.

"Silly child, what's the trouble..."

"Alright, Mom, I want to go home early too! Now's not the time to play around, my readers are all urging me to update my novel in the group!" Li Zhuangsheng said with a slight frown.

"Alright, alright, then we won't play anymore. It's better to go home early." Chen Lanying waved her hand with a smile.

Back in their rooms, Li Zhuangsheng collapsed onto his bed, letting out a long sigh of relief: "Wow, I never expected this. The Qinhuai River doesn't stink anymore! I remember last time I went, it stank horribly!"

Li Xiuyu laughed: "The Qinhuai River hasn't smelled for a long time. What old almanac are you talking about!"

“Yes, it’s been more than ten years…” Li Zhuangsheng sighed softly.

When he was in elementary school, he went to the Qinhuai River and was extremely disappointed. The river reeked, like a stinking ditch.

What's worse, there were even pleasure boats on the river. I don't know how the people on those boats could resist.

Having visited the Qinhuai River once, I can't help but show a disdainful expression when looking at the background of Nanjing Zero Distance.

Therefore, when Li Zhuangsheng learned the poem "Smoke shrouds the cold water, moonlight shrouds the sand, moored at night near the wine shop on the Qinhuai River" in middle school, the first thing he thought of was the stench of the Qinhuai River. He thought to himself, "The ancients really didn't care about the smell, setting up brothels in such a stinky place."

Unexpectedly, the Qinhuai River no longer smelled bad. It was truly a surprise. But thinking about it carefully, it had been quite a long time. The last time he went to the Qinhuai River was back in the 1990s. He probably wasn't even born yet. It felt like a thing of the past.

He suddenly felt a little lonely; amidst the chaotic mountains and lingering snow on a cold night, a lone candle illuminated a stranger in a foreign land.

He suddenly remembered that a few days ago, he opened his eyes to the bewilderment of a snowy night.

He left Hu Mengdie's house alone and walked silently for a long time, with only the wind blowing and snow covering the ground.

That was the loneliest time of his life; he had never felt so lonely before. The loneliness was extreme; his mind was empty, as if he were numb.

Actually, at that time he really hoped that Hu Mengdie would invite him to her home for a visit, and then let him call his home, preferably so that they could come and pick him up.

Even if they don't come to pick him up, just hearing their voices would make the journey home less frightening and confusing for him.

Realizing that times have changed and the world is ever-changing, Li Zhuangsheng felt a pang of loneliness once again.

"What are you thinking about?" Li Xiuyu slapped Li Zhuangsheng on the forehead.

"Ouch!" Li Zhuangsheng was suddenly slapped and cried out, clutching his head.

Li Xiuyu laughed: "Look at you pretending, I didn't even use any force!"

Li Zhuangsheng put his hand down and muttered, "You scared me!"

"Don't overthink it, we're going back to our home tomorrow!" Li Xiuyu said.

"Yes, I'm home." Li Zhuangsheng smiled as well.

Li Xiuyu raised an eyebrow and lowered her voice: "Hey, who are you planning to give that creative night light to?"

"What creative night light?" Li Zhuangsheng feigned ignorance.

"You don't know, do you?" Li Xiuyu sneered slightly, turning his head. "Hu Mengdie!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Li Zhuangsheng panicked and quickly grabbed Li Xiuyu.

Hu Mengdie looked puzzled and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

Li Zhuangsheng broke out in a cold sweat: "It's nothing, it's nothing... She, she just asked you when you plan to go home tomorrow?"

"Didn't you say you were going back at 9 a.m.?"

"Oh, right, I forgot all about it, haha!" Li Zhuangsheng chuckled dryly.

Hu Mengdie frowned slightly, thinking to herself, "What kind of memory does he have? He'll definitely get Alzheimer's in the future!"

Good heavens, who is this person? You must be joking!

"Will you tell me or not?" Li Xiuyu threatened in a low voice.

"No, what did I say?" Li Zhuangsheng continued to resist stubbornly.

"Who is that Tianxia Wenshu nightlight intended for?"

"Why would I give it to anyone? I think it's quite nice, can't I keep it for myself?"

Li Xiuyu grinned: "Hmm, that works too. But I also really like that little nightlight, you can give it to me."

Li Zhuangsheng's face stiffened: "If you liked it, why didn't you buy it yourself earlier?"

"I didn't like it before, but I like it now." Li Xiuyu's voice gradually became louder. "How can you be so stingy? I've been acting as your driver and your nanny these past few days, and you can't even bear to give me a small nightlight?"

"I..." Li Zhuangsheng was speechless for a moment, his expression changing. After struggling for a long time, he finally said reluctantly, "Fine, here you go!"

Having said that, she turned away angrily.

"Look at you, so stingy!" Li Xiuyu laughed. "It's just a nightlight!"

Is this a problem with a nightlight? Ugh!
Li Zhuangsheng was seething with anger. At this point, he was certain that Li Xiuyu had done it on purpose.

But he really had no way to refute it, no way to refuse it, and he couldn't even explain it.

That despicable Li Xiuyu, how dare he bully his brother like that! You just wait, wait until I regain my memories! You'll be begging me for mercy then!

After spending many days in Nanjing, Li Zhuangsheng and Hu Mengdie finally returned to the county town, just in time for lunch.

The two families had lunch together, lamenting their fruitless trip to Nanjing, and discussed future plans.

Mr. Hu suggested that if the treatment in Nanjing wasn't effective, they should try seeking medical help in Beijing, so as not to delay the children's health. He reasoned that memory loss definitely involves the brain, and even if no problems were found, there might be underlying issues.

Li Minghua was also somewhat interested and asked Li Zhuangsheng for his opinion.

Li Zhuangsheng put down the chicken leg in his hand, let out a burp, and said that he should think about it some more. Anyway, he was healthy now, had a good appetite, and had already undergone examinations and treatments in Nanjing. Repeating the treatment probably wouldn't be very effective. He might as well listen to the doctor, go home and rest for a while, and maybe he could slowly recover some of his memory.

Beijing is not like Nanjing. It's only a two-hour drive from the county seat to Nanjing, but it's too far from Beijing.

Moreover, they have already spent a lot of money in Nanjing, so the expenses in Beijing would probably be even more unpredictable.

Moreover, he had inquired carefully during his last doctor's visit, and the doctor said that they could go to a higher-level hospital, namely a hospital in Beijing. However, given Li Zhuangsheng and Hu Mengdie's situation, they couldn't find anything wrong here, and even if they went to Beijing, the result would probably be the same.

Li Zhuangsheng certainly wanted to go to Beijing to take a look, but based on his observations over the past few days, the cost of accommodation, examinations, and treatments was indeed a huge expense.

After some discussion, they agreed with Li Zhuangsheng's statement. The next step was to discuss the future "direction" of Li Zhuangsheng and Hu Mengdie.

(End of this chapter)