Back to 1997, I became the originator of online literature

Chapter 527 An Irresistible Blind Date

May 20.
Before Cao Sheng's rebirth, May 5.20th was a holiday, a holiday hyped up by businesses. Similar holidays include Singles' Day (11), Double 12, 618, and so on.

But in 2000, none of these were holidays.

In 2000, the only digital holiday that was barely popular was February 2.14th, Valentine's Day.

On the evening of May 20th, Cao Sheng and Lu Xiangwei were drinking together.

The drinking took place at Lu Xiangwei's home.

Lu Xiangwei was Cao Sheng's counselor during his junior college years. Whether in the rebirth or the original timeline, Lu Xiangwei treated him well.

So, when Lu Xiangwei called Cao Sheng at noon today to invite him to dinner, Cao Sheng readily agreed.

To Cao Sheng's surprise, Lu Xiangwei invited him to his home for dinner today.

Cao Shengyuan never visited Lu Xiangwei's home in his previous timeline.

Today was Cao Sheng's first visit, and he specially prepared some gifts: cigarettes, Moutai liquor, and fruit.

He had thought that when he visited today, he would see Lu Xiangwei's family.

When they arrived at the house, they found only Lu Xiangwei and a young woman inside.

Lu Xiangwei opened the door for Cao Sheng. Cao Sheng went inside and caught a glimpse of a young woman cooking in the kitchen not far away.

"Teacher, is that...your spouse in the kitchen?"

To be honest, Cao Sheng has never met Lu Xiangwei's wife.

Lu Xiangwei is over thirty years old, but he has never gotten married.

No one doubted that he didn't want to get married, because everyone could see that Lu Xiangwei was not good-looking and, judging from his appearance, he was the kind of person who would have a hard time finding a partner.

Lu Xiangwei glanced at the woman in the kitchen, smiled and nodded, "Yes, that's right! She's my wife. If nothing unexpected happens, we can get married in the second half of the year."

Cao Sheng looked at him, then at the snow-white walls and the brand-new furniture that came into view.

She asked with a smile, "Teacher! Was this house recently renovated? Was it specially prepared as a wedding room?"

Lu Xiangwei nodded and reached into the shoe cabinet next to him to get a pair of slippers for Cao Sheng.

"How was it? Not bad, huh? Hehe, it certainly can't compare to your villa. This is all the power your teacher has."

As Cao Sheng changed his shoes, he chimed in, "It's already very good, teacher! The most important thing about marriage isn't a house, but a suitable partner. Look at me, I don't even have a partner yet! Haha."

"You don't have a boyfriend? Who are you kidding? You just don't want to find one, right?"

As Lu Xiangwei spoke, he gestured for Cao Sheng to go to the living room.

Cao Sheng went to the kitchen door and greeted the woman busy inside, "Master's wife? Master's wife?"

The woman turned around and saw Cao Sheng. She immediately smiled warmly. "Cao Sheng? You must be Cao Sheng, right? I've seen you on the news. Look, I still have a few dishes here. You and your teacher can go to the living room for tea first! Dinner will be ready soon. Wei! Quickly make Cao Sheng a cup of tea!"

Lu Xiangwei: "Oh, right! Right! I'll make it for him right away!"

Cao Sheng: "Don't be so polite! Don't be so polite! Master's wife, shall I help you?"

Woman: "No need! No need! Go have tea with your teacher!"

Lu Xiangwei: "That's right! Cao Sheng, when Xiaoying is cooking, she won't even let me help. She doesn't like others helping her. Let's go have some tea! We haven't seen each other for so long, it's a good time to chat."

……

After a while.

Over by the sofa in the living room.

Cao Sheng looked at Lu Xiangwei in surprise.

Lu Xiangwei just asked him if he wanted to take the postgraduate entrance exam?

"Teacher! Can our school offer postgraduate programs?"

Lu Xiangwei chuckled, "What are you saying? You're underestimating our school, aren't you? Don't let our old campus fool you; the new campus will be finished in about two years. Have you been to the new campus? It's much bigger than the old one."

After a pause, he continued, "Also, our school has actually been making progress over the years. Our old campus has merged with several local vocational schools. Moreover, our school has recently been upgraded and the name has been changed. It is no longer Huizhou Teachers College, but Huizhou University!"
Moreover, at a recent internal school meeting, school leaders have set a new goal: to upgrade the university to Huizhou University within five years!

What does a graduate degree count for?
Our school already has that, right?

"No way! You've been at our school for so many years, and you've never seen a single graduate student? Never even heard of them?"

Cao Sheng chuckled.

"Teacher, I'm usually a homebody, and I didn't have much contact with alumni from other majors when I was in school, so I've never heard of it."

Lu Xiangwei nodded. "Alright! But what I just told you was true. Even if you don't like our school's graduate programs, you can still apply to other universities if you want to take the postgraduate entrance exam. With your current reputation, I believe our school leaders would definitely be willing to write you a letter of recommendation. I think you have a good chance if you want to take the exam. Why don't you give it a try?"

Cao Sheng thought for a moment, then smiled and shook his head. "Forget it, teacher. My mind is on novels right now. Even if I get into graduate school, I won't learn much if my mind isn't on studying. It's meaningless if I'm just trying to get a diploma."

Lu Xiangwei was surprised and looked Cao Sheng up and down, asking in confusion, "So you previously transferred from a junior college to a university?"

Cao Sheng: "Teacher! It's because I completed a bachelor's degree program after completing a junior college diploma that I have this understanding!"

Lu Xiangwei nodded, his expression revealing a hint of regret.

After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "Then... what about the position I mentioned to you before? The school leaders have already promised me that they can give you a chance to stay at the school. Since you don't want to continue your postgraduate studies, then... after you get your bachelor's degree in June, you can stay at the school to take a position? If you're willing, I'll help you with that."

Cao Sheng was surprised that Lu Xiangwei still remembered this matter.

When he was a freshman, his first novel had just been published, and Lu Xiangwei helped him ask the department head for a spot to stay at the university.

He's almost finished his bachelor's degree program now, and I never expected Lu Xiangwei to still remember it.

He naturally doesn't need the opportunity to stay on as a faculty member.

What's the point?

Just to earn one or two thousand yuan a month?

The salary at Huizhou Teachers College might not be that high right now.

The only benefit is probably more workplace experience, which might be helpful for his novel writing.

However, compared to the long hours required to stay at the university, Cao Sheng felt it was not worth it.

He has many ways to choose from in order to write and experience life.

There's no need to take a position at a school and create a bunch of superiors for yourself.

When I embarked on the path of writing, wasn't it all for the freedom I wanted?

So, facing Lu Xiangwei's eager gaze, Cao Sheng smiled and shook his head, "Thank you, teacher! But, let's forget it! I really don't have time. As you've probably heard, I'm currently serializing two novels at the same time, and I don't even have enough time to write every day. I really can't find the time to go to school to work!"

Lu Xiangwei took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

His expression was somewhat wistful.

He sighed and said, "Well, you're right! You're currently serializing two novels at the same time, which is indeed a lot of pressure. Alright! Since you're not interested, I'll give this opportunity to other students."

Cao Sheng was a little surprised. "Oh? Teacher! Which student would you like to recommend to stay at the school?"

Lu Xiangwei chuckled, "Don't worry about that! You might not like this opportunity, but your classmates would love to have it! They've all been working for two years now and have some experience. I'll ask them about it later! It's not certain yet!" ...

Not long after, Xiaoying, the teacher's wife, called for dinner.

Lu Xiangwei warmly invited Cao Sheng to sit down at the table.

I opened a bottle of snake wine.

When opening the bottle, Lu Xiangwei said, "Cao Sheng! This is what I recently bought from the snake farm. This is the first time I'm drinking it. Try it and if you like it, I'll buy some for you later. The Huizhou Snake Farm is a partner of our school, and I know people there."

Cao Sheng expressed his gratitude, but looking at the lifelike cobra in the glass bottle, he felt a chill run down his spine.

He has never been afraid of many things since he was a child.

What I fear most is snakes.

Every time I see a snake, it's like seeing my natural enemy; I feel panicked, and my hair seems to stand on end.

"Come! Try it!"

Lu Xiangwei took a cup of snake wine and handed it to Cao Sheng, greeting him warmly.

As Xiaoying, the teacher's wife, brought dishes to the table, she also called out, "Cao Sheng! Don't be shy! Try it! Come and have a taste!"

"Okay! Okay! Thank you, teacher! Thank you, teacher's wife!"

Cao Sheng thanked him with a broad smile, looking down at the wine in his glass, feeling as if he had encountered a tremendous challenge.

For a moment, his mind was filled with a series of thoughts.

I recall a news report from the original timeline: someone opened a bottle of snake wine that had been soaking for a year, and the snake was still alive when it attacked and bit them…

Cao Sheng doesn't remember who he was bitten by, or whether they died or not.
I also recalled how, when I was a child, I would encounter various snakes in the fields, and my hair would stand on end, and I would run hundreds of meters away.

I also wondered if the cobra urinated in the wine while it was soaking in it. Did the venom from its fangs seep into the wine? Were its fangs removed?
"Drink it! Have a taste!"

Lu Xiangwei poured himself a glass of wine and sat on the other side of the table. Seeing Cao Sheng holding his wine glass and not moving for a long time, he looked surprised and tried to persuade him again.

"Good! Good!"

Cao Sheng responded with a somewhat stiff smile, and then, suppressing his discomfort, took a bite.

Upon seeing this, Lu Xiangwei beamed and happily took a sip as well. "Hiss... How is it? Is it good?"

Out of politeness, Cao Sheng nodded repeatedly, "Very good! It has a unique flavor!"

Lu Xiangwei: "Then I'll get you a bottle later too? What kind of snake wine do you want? The snake farm has all kinds of snakes, and all kinds of snake wine, but some are quite expensive."

Cao Sheng quickly refused, "Never mind, teacher, I don't usually drink, so please don't bother."

Lu Xiangwei: "It's no trouble at all! I have a pretty easy job anyway, and I know people at the snake farm, so it's settled then! I'll get you a bottle later. By the way, what kind of snake do you want?"

How did it get settled?

Cao Sheng repeatedly declined, which finally made Lu Xiangwei realize that he really didn't want the snake wine.

During the meal, Xiaoying, the teacher's wife, also sat at the table and dined with them.

After discussing snake wine, Xiaoying, Cao Sheng's teacher's wife, smiled and said, "Hey! Cao Sheng, I heard from your teacher that you don't have a girlfriend lately, right?"

Cao Sheng smiled and nodded.

He hasn't confirmed a romantic relationship with anyone yet.

There's no shortage of women.

Of course, he couldn't reveal such inside information to outsiders.

Xiaoying glanced at Lu Xiangwei, then looked at Cao Sheng, and said, "Then let me introduce you to someone? The daughter of a deputy director of the municipal power company! She's a returnee from studying in England, quite beautiful, and most importantly, she comes from a good family. Many of her relatives are government employees. If you're interested, I can arrange for you to meet tomorrow. How about it? Want to meet her?"

Cao Sheng was somewhat taken aback.

Unexpectedly, the teacher's wife, whom I met for the first time, wanted to introduce me to a potential partner.

Cao Sheng subconsciously looked at his teacher, Lu Xiangwei.

Lu Xiangwei nodded with a smile, "Cao Sheng, why don't you meet him? Xiaoying works at the power company. The deputy director she mentioned heard that I'm your teacher and that you're single, so she asked Xiaoying to help set you up. Your teacher's wife can't refuse, right? Just consider it doing me a favor, okay?"

Cao Sheng: "???"

At this moment, Cao Sheng was speechless.

He really wanted to refuse.

But when the words of refusal reached my lips, I was too embarrassed to say them.

He had simply declined Lu Xiangwei's offers far too many times today.

First, he refused Lu Xiangwei's suggestion that he take the postgraduate entrance examination; then he refused Lu Xiangwei's suggestion that he stay at the university to take a position; and just now he also refused Lu Xiangwei's offer to buy him snake wine.

Now that his teacher's wife is introducing him to potential partners, it's understandable that she means well.

In addition, Lu Xiangwei had always been very good to him.

Now Lu Xiangwei has made his intentions clear—his teacher's wife works at the power company, and the deputy director of the power company asked her to help him find a wife.

If he doesn't give her any face at all, how will his wife explain it to that deputy director when she goes back?

Faced with the expectant eyes of Lu Xiangwei and his teacher's wife Xiaoying, Cao Sheng gave a wry smile and nodded, saying, "Alright! Then I'll go see her. But, teacher and teacher's wife! I'll only go see her briefly. I really don't have any thoughts about dating recently, and I can't guarantee that we'll officially start dating!"

Xiaoying beamed with joy, raising her glass with both hands. "Thank you! Thank you, Cao Sheng! Thank you for giving me this face. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to explain it to my superiors. Here! Let me toast you! I'll drink this, you can drink as you like!"

Lu Xiangwei also raised his glass in a toast, "Cao Sheng! Thanks! I won't say more, it's all in the wine!"

Cao Sheng: "No need to thank me! No need to thank me! Mistress, teacher! You don't need to do this!"

……

noon the next day.

Cao Sheng took some time to go to the address sent by his teacher's wife, Xiaoying: a restaurant called Cao Family Kitchen.

I met the daughter of the deputy director.

This young lady, who returned from studying in England, is named Shi Mengping.

She is petite, and I estimate her to be about 1.5 meters tall.

Cao Sheng estimated her weight to be around 80 pounds. With his current arm strength, he was confident he could grab her by the neck with one hand, lift her into the air, watch her kick her legs wildly, watch her eyes roll back, watch her tongue stick out...

Well, those were the strange thoughts that flashed through his mind when he first saw her.

He didn't know why such a bizarre thought came to his head.

Teacher's wife Xiaoying stood next to Shi Mengping and enthusiastically introduced the two parties.

Before she could finish speaking, Shi Mengping stretched out her small, white hand, tilted her flushed cheeks, and said, "Cao Sheng, Zhongyuan Yidianhui, right? Every time I go back to China these past two years, I hear people mention your name. By the way, I've even read your work! 'Living with an Air Hostess'! I really liked it! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

(End of this chapter)