My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 127 Heming, you're dating two people at once!
"again?"

The two girls simultaneously voiced their questions, then glanced at each other before turning their attention to Zhou Heming.

"Grandma, what nonsense are you talking about? When have I ever brought a girl home?"

Zhou Heming didn't even know when he last came back. There were no of his classmates here. Where did he come from to become a girl?

Grandma must be getting senile!

“That time, you brought a little girl home and took a bag of potato chips from me for her, saying that you would give them back to your grandmother when she grew up.”

The old man persisted, even putting down his phone to dig up old ledgers.

"So Zhou Heming was already this good when he was a child."

Lu Bai crossed his arms and teased Cheng Shuangjiang with a serious expression, glancing at him.

"Yeah, indeed."

Cheng Shuangjiang nodded, seemingly siding with Lu Bai.

"No, Grandma, don't slander me out of thin air."

Zhou Heming watched as his grandmother opened a yellowed old account book and felt strange.

"Look, this is it."

Grandma pointed to one of the pages.

Zhou Heming looked over.

The words, written in a fountain pen and now somewhat faded, are clearly recorded.

"Heming asked Ashen for a bag of potato chips, on credit, to be paid back when he's twenty."

The handwriting is still a bit crooked, like a child's. Because it's difficult to write, the character "鹤" (crane) is particularly large, taking up two lines.

"Look, your grandma has a great memory!"

Grandma said with the joy of a child who had won a game.

"No way"

No matter how Zhou Heming looked at it, he could only recognize that it was his own handwriting from when he was a child.

But he had no recollection of it at all.

I glanced at the dates in the ledger; it was from the summer vacation eight years ago.

"About eight years ago, when I was in fourth or fifth grade of elementary school."

Lu Bai leaned closer to take a look, his gaze lingering on the girl's name for a moment.

"Maybe it was a girl I met in town back then? I have absolutely no recollection of her."

Zhou Heming spoke the truth.

It wasn't that he was forgetful, but he really couldn't remember who it was. After all, summer vacation was long, and he was bored while staying with his grandmother. He would run out every day to catch bugs and fish, and sometimes he would play with the children in town, both boys and girls.

“Back then, Heming would take food from me every day and share it with those kids. I don’t even know how much he owed.”

Grandma seemed to think that even family members should keep clear accounts. She flipped through the ledger and found that it was all owed by Zhou Heming.

Today I'll take a bag of QQ candy, tomorrow I'll take a bag of Mimi shrimp chips, and when asked, I'll say I'll pay them back when I grow up. The bag is covered with the names of all my friends.

"That's how it is when your family runs a small shop."

Zhou Heming explained somewhat awkwardly.

"So Zhou Heming has this side to him."

Lu Bai watched with a smile as her grandmother recounted Zhou Heming's childhood stories, finding it not at all tedious, but rather quite interesting.

Cheng Shuangjiang also peeked over and looked at the words left by Xiao Zhou Heming.

"Uh, let's not talk about that, let's not talk about that, Grandma, these two are, um, this is my girlfriend, Lu Bai, and this is our friend, Cheng Shuangjiang."

Zhou Heming quickly explained.

"Oh my, Heming, you're dating two people at once!"

Grandma frowned.

"?"

A question mark appeared above Zhou Heming's head.

At this moment, Lu Bai quickly grabbed Zhou Heming's arm and explained in authentic Sichuan dialect.

"I am Zhou Heming's girlfriend, his girlfriend. She is our classmate."

He then pointed to Cheng Shuangjiang.

"Oh, good, good, what a beautiful little girl."

Grandma finally understood and smiled as she held Lu Bai's hand.

"Here, 'having a boyfriend' means dating."

Lu Bai whispered something in Zhou Heming's ear.

So Zhou Heming just said that they were both his friends, but his grandmother misunderstood.

"This child is beautiful too, they're all beautiful."

Grandma praised Cheng Shuangjiang again, saying that she did a good job of being fair and impartial.

"Thank you, Grandma."

Cheng Shuangjiang seemed to hesitate for a moment before finally following Zhou Heming's form of address.

"Have you had lunch? If not, I'll go get you something. I have noodles and rice."

Grandma started to care about Zhou Heming's eating habits.

"We've already eaten, so why don't we put the food away first?"

Zhou Heming replied that the two actors were naturally included, and Cheng Shuangjiang, as an extra, also enjoyed the crew's boxed lunches.

"Okay, I'll take you upstairs. There are cookies and fruit at home; you can eat if you're hungry."

Grandma took a sign that read "Out of town" from the cabinet and hung it in front of the cashier.

"Aren't you worried about someone stealing your things?"

Zhou Heming looked at the empty shop.

"These days, there aren't even any customers, so there are no thieves. You see them all the time."

Grandma chuckled, then strode briskly with the three of them to the iron gate on one side.

The layout here is almost identical to that of Lu Bai's house, except that this building belongs to Zhou Heming's maternal grandmother.

The second floor has a living room, kitchen, and bathroom, while the third floor has three rooms and one bathroom.

One of the rooms was used as a warehouse, filled with the store's inventory. Zhou Heming glanced at it and saw that it was mostly oil, salt, and the like. The other two rooms were either his grandmother's bedroom or a room with a faint, unique smell of old age.

There's another room, which must have been cleaned up recently, a bedroom with a makeshift bed on the floor for Zhou Heming.

"Grandma, um, I didn't tell you before, but Lu Bai might be staying with us too."

Zhou Heming put down his suitcase and backpack and said to his grandmother somewhat awkwardly.

"Oh dear, you little rascal, why didn't you tell me sooner? If you had, I would have had Qian Gong make me a bed frame."

Qian Gong is a carpenter in town.

"Either I call him now and it should be fixed in half a day, or you can sleep in the bed and I'll sleep on the floor."

"No need, Grandma. If you have a mat, you can just make another one on the floor."

Lu Bai quickly tried to dissuade him.

She didn't seem to want her grandmother to think of her as a picky, troublesome girl.

"Yes, yes."

As Grandma spoke, she opened the cabinet, which contained many unopened quilts, mattresses, and four-piece bedding sets, all of which appeared to be gifts from the town's neighborhood committee as part of an event to honor the elderly.

"I'll do the paving."

Lu Bai took over the task, not wanting the old man to have to worry about it.

"I'll do it."

Zhou Heming went upstairs but didn't actually let Lu Bai make the bed.

Cheng Shuangjiang stood to the side, watching their interaction, and nervously pinched the hem of her skirt.

While Zhou Heming was making the mattress and bed, Lu Bai opened his suitcase and took out a box.

"Grandma, this is something I brought back for you."

It was a mobile phone, not expensive, but with a large screen, making it suitable for elderly people.

"Oh dear, how can I accept something so valuable?"

Grandma declined, saying that she was still using the old style from a few years ago, which was chosen by Zhou Heming's mother when he was still healthy.

"Zhou Heming said you often complain about the slow speed of your phone, so he thought of getting you a new one. This is just a small token of our appreciation, so please accept it. This phone works great, and we can even make video calls to you in the future."

Lu Bai handed the phone to his grandmother.

"There's no way to return it now, so it would be a waste of your money if you don't want it."

They even used reasons that the elderly couldn't refuse to reassure the grandmother and make her accept the gift.

"Okay, thank you, Ah Bai."

Grandma's smile grew even brighter.

"I'll set it up for you."

Lu Bai started helping his grandmother tinker with her phone.

Zhou Heming carefully added two mattresses to make the area where Lu Bai was sleeping softer.

Cheng Shuangjiang glanced at the two of them and then came over to Zhou Heming.

"I'll help you."

"No need. Hmm, then you can put the pillowcase on."

Zhou Heming originally wanted to decline, but after seeing Cheng Shuangjiang's somewhat bewildered look, he chose a simple task for her.

By the time he finished laying out two mats placed side by side, Lu Bai had almost finished transferring the data.

"Wow, this new phone is so fast, and the text is so big. It used to take me forever to open this one."

Grandma beamed with joy.

Just then, her new phone rang, and the contact name was Xiao Zhang from the neighborhood committee.

"Hey, Xiao Zhang, oh dear, I was just getting a new phone when my grandson came back with his girlfriend and got me a new phone. Okay, I'm home now, I'll be right downstairs."

Grandma's voice was much louder, and she seemed very happy.

"I'm going downstairs to take care of something. You guys go ahead and do your thing."

She climbed down the stairs with light steps.

"You didn't tell me you bought this before."

Zhou Heming never expected that Lu Bai had prepared a gift.

“I was thinking of visiting my grandma, so I should bring her something. You mentioned before that you wanted to get her a new phone, so I bought one for her while I was at it.”

Lu Bai answered with a grin, immediately anticipating Zhou Heming's thoughts.

"This is for my grandma, please don't transfer money to me, I won't accept it."

"All right."

Zhou Heming, who had originally intended to transfer money to Lu Bai, had to abandon that plan.

At this moment, Cheng Shuangjiang, who had been staring at the two makeshift beds on the floor, turned her gaze away.

Where are we going this afternoon?

she asked.

"Is there anywhere Lu Bai would like to go?"

Zhou Heming asked, looking at the girl beside him.

He tried his best not to mention Lu Bai's father.

“My grandma went on a senior citizen tour with her friends who do square dancing a while ago, so she’s not in Sichuan right now. Hmm, if you’re asking me where I want to go, there’s a place I’d like to visit.”

Lu Bai pondered for a moment and then spoke.

"A Taoist temple on Heming Mountain." "Going there to pray for blessings?"

Zhou Heming knew there was a Taoist temple there, and Xuanjun's faith must have originated from there.

"I'll take you to meet my family."

Lu Bai smiled bitterly.

“There’s a memorial tablet over there.”

"Okay, shall we go now?"

Zhou Heming checked on his phone and found that the Taoist temple on Heming Mountain was located halfway up the mountain. The bus from here could take you halfway up the mountain, and then it would take about fifteen minutes to climb to get there.

If we take into account the time spent going up and down the mountain, we should be able to make it in time for dinner.

What does Cheng Shuangjiang think?

Lu Bai glanced at Cheng Shuangjiang.

"I can do it."

"Then let's go now."

Lu Bai seemed to have made up his mind.

The three of them went downstairs. Zhou Heming took a spare key from his grandmother and grabbed three bottles of water from the convenience store before heading to the bus stop by the roadside.

"Speaking of which, if Cheng Shuangjiang lived here when she was a child, she might have met Zhou Heming when he was a child?"

As he boarded the deserted bus, Lu Bai asked curiously.

Cheng Shuangjiang shook her head.

"I don't like going out to play."

It means that she spent her childhood in the military compound and never went to play in the town.

“I used to come out to play occasionally when I was a child, but this place probably hadn’t been merged yet back then.”

Lu Bai was referring to the time before Heming Township was merged. She and Zhou Heming were from two different villages, quite a distance apart. Unless someone was extremely daring, children generally wouldn't travel between villages.

"So, the three of us were here when we were little, but we didn't know each other, which is kind of strange."

Even more remarkably, the three of them have now returned to this place at the same time.

A subtle, almost fateful feeling lingered in Zhou Heming's heart.

They reached the foot of the mountain.

Fortunately, due to the development of the scenic area, the road up the mountain is very flat, and you only need to climb a short flight of stairs to reach the Taoist temple.

Zhou Heming wasn't sure if this was his first time here; the surrounding scenery felt a bit unfamiliar to him.

The pavilions and towers, the antique buildings are built against the mountain. An incense burner is located in front of the mountain gate, and there seems to be a lot of incense burning. However, there are not many tourists. Even the small vendors that are unique to tourist attractions seem listless. Most of them are lying lazily on bamboo chairs playing with their mobile phones, showing no interest in attracting customers.

Even the Taoist priest was slacking off.

Fortunately, Zhou Heming did not hear the sound of mahjong being played, which allowed him to retain the last bit of awe for Heming Mountain.

The information board inside the mountain gate displays the history of Heming Mountain.

The actual historical account is rather unremarkable, consisting mainly of some historical developments. As a relatively unknown mountain, it has been visited by very few famous figures.

Zhou Heming found the other version quite interesting.

The above describes how, many years ago, a monster appeared in the mountains, devouring children and women. Later, a passing cultivator heard the people's complaints and set up an array. After forty-nine days, he finally killed the monster.

But the monster's filthy blood had already seeped into the mountain range, making the entire Crane Cry Mountain eerie.

Therefore, the monks established a Taoist temple here and taught the locals the Xuanjun Suppression Ritual, which was performed once every seven years to ensure the seal remained intact.

In memory of the monk, the locals renamed the place after him, and it became known as Crane Cry Mountain.

That monk was later known as Crane Cry Daoist.

This story suits Zhou Heming's taste better; it feels more fantastical.

"Because my family, well, my family has some connection with this place, so our family cemetery is on this mountain."

Seeing Zhou Heming's gaze, Lu Bai explained.

"Is it because they're considered low-class or something?"

Zhou Heming turned around and said.

"Ah."

Lu Bai nodded and continued forward.

Cheng Shuangjiang looked at the picture above, then glanced at Zhou Heming, and followed him.

Although it was a small place, there were couplets in front of every door, as well as poems by poets that Zhou Heming didn't recognize at all, which made it look quite authentic.

After exchanging a few words with the Taoist priest who was slacking off, Lu Bai and his companions were led to the back of the Taoist temple. After climbing a flight of stairs, they were able to enter a cemetery.

"Because it was said back then that even people from the lowest social classes needed to be buried here after they died to suppress evil spirits, so my family's ancestral graves are also here."

Lu Bai thanked the Taoist priest and walked up the path with some familiarity.

We arrived at a tombstone.

Zhou Heming followed behind, looking at the tombstones. He noticed that some were very old, dating back over a hundred years, while others were from the last two years. The photos on the tombstones included men, women, young and old.

He counted them; there were more than a dozen surnames. It seemed that people who married into low-class families were all buried here.

Although it was a bit out of place, he was thinking about whether he should be buried here in the future.

Turning his gaze back, Zhou Heming saw the somewhat old tombstone.

Zhou Heming's professional instincts immediately reminded him that this was not a tombstone for two people buried together.

Lu Bai's mother passed away fifteen years ago. In her portrait, she was very young and beautiful, and she did look a lot like Lu Bai, probably a more mature version of him.

One can imagine that Lu Bai in his twenties or thirties would probably be even more charming than he is now.

Just like last time, when Lu Bai accompanied Zhou Heming to pay respects to his mother, Zhou Heming and Cheng Shuangjiang watched Lu Bai burn incense and offer sacrifices, talking about what had happened during this time.

At this time.

Lu Bai looked at Zhou Heming, reached out, and pulled him over.

"You should also meet my mother and offer her some incense."

She persisted.

"it is good."

Zhou Heming knelt down in front of the tombstone along with Lu Bai.

"Then what identity should I use to offer incense?"

He asked the same question that Lu Bai had asked before.

"Use it."

Lu Bai thought for a moment, seemingly hesitant.

At this moment, Zhou Heming also had an idea.

He picked up an incense stick, lit it, and solemnly looked at the smiling portrait on the tombstone.

"Auntie, I'm Zhou Heming, and I'm Lu Bai."

He glanced at the girl beside him.

"He is now Lu Bai's future husband."

Said so.

Lu Bai was taken aback, lowered her eyes, and gently turned her face away, not daring to show her shy expression at this moment.

Standing to the side, Cheng Shuangjiang remained silent, biting her lower lip and staring intently at Zhou Heming.

"Why can't you just say he's your current boyfriend?"

After Zhou Heming finished bowing, the two stood up, and Lu Bai punched his arm in a slightly annoyed manner.

"I want to put your aunt's mind at ease."

Zhou Heming glanced at the portrait again.

He seemed to understand why Director Lu Ban was in such a hurry to propose back then.

Because this desire to truly make the other person one's family is so urgent, one is unwilling to wait even a day.

He could imagine how strong Lu Bai's longing for "family" must have been, having grown up in such an environment.

Just like Zhou Heming himself.

"Cheng Shuangjiang, would you like to say hello to my mother?"

Lu Bai looked at the girl who had been silent all along.

"I don't need it."

Cheng Shuangjiang resolutely refused.

"I'm just a classmate."

She murmured.

"No, you're my best friend, our most important person, like family."

Lu Bai pulled Cheng Shuangjiang up and led her to the tombstone.

".All right."

Cheng Shuangjiang responded somewhat awkwardly, but instead of kneeling down like Lu Bai's family members, she stood up and offered incense.

"What about us now?"

After she finished offering incense, Zhou Heming asked Lu Bai about the next steps.

But Lu Bai seemed to be thinking and didn't hear Zhou Heming's call until he patted the girl's shoulder, at which point Lu Bai turned around.

"I told you before that I would introduce you to some people, right?"

She looked at Zhou Heming with a nervous expression.

"Ah."

Zhou Heming nodded.

"Come with me."

Lu Bai didn't explain further. Instead, he led Zhou Heming and Cheng Shuangjiang, who was following behind, up the steps to a higher point in the cemetery.

Here, there is a lonely tombstone.

Before looking at the inscription on the tombstone, Zhou Heming first saw the portrait on it.

She was a girl of about ten years old, who resembled Lu Bai somewhat, but had a gentler temperament.

For some reason, Zhou Heming felt a moment of familiarity.

Then he saw the name of the person whose tombstone was on it.

Lu Qian.

He died seven years ago.

"These are the people I killed."

Lu Bai's voice trembled slightly, as if he was trying his best to suppress some emotion.

"Who is this?"

Cheng Shuangjiang frowned slightly, as if she had thought of something.

“This is my sister. Seven years ago, she died in a flash flood because of me.”

Lu Bai looked away, not daring to meet the gaze of the girl with the gentle smile in the photo.

Almost at the same time.

The instant I saw this name.

Zhou Heming felt as if he had been hit hard on the head.

Some deliberately hidden memories surged up like a tide, tearing at his brain nerves, as if trying to drag him into the abyss of recollection.

"I think I've seen her before."

Zhou Heming murmured, then paused, quickly finding certainty in his memory, and his tone became resolute.

"I have met Lu Qian."

*
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(End of this chapter)