Winter Returns

Chapter 176 The Smiling Fox (Part 1) (Seeking monthly votes!)

His first reaction was disbelief.

What if we ask someone to verify it?
Gu Qiumian, like herself, came from the provincial capital.

The same applies to parents.

Needless to say, his best friends were born and raised on the island.

It seems he can't even find anyone to corroborate his testimony.

Zhang Shutong had no choice but to suppress his astonishment and asked again:

"Are there any other legends, I mean, about foxes?"

"No, right?" Su Yunzhi asked uncertainly.

"But surely some people have visited the island as tourists? Visited the temples to worship? They should know that the legends of the two places are different?"

"Well... none of my friends seem to have been to the island, and I've never talked to anyone about the legends before."

That's true, Zhang Shutong thought. Just like when he went to school in the city, when talking about the island, people wouldn't pay much attention to the legends of a temple. At most, someone would ask: What's so-and-so like? Is it fun?

You can recommend a few attractions and restaurants, and maybe add some travel tips, and that should be about it.

Zhang Shutong looked at Lu Qinglian again, but she just shook her head.

Actually, she should be the one who knows the least. She has never left the island since she was a child. Apart from going to school, she has stayed in the temple. Before this, she had never even been exposed to the internet. How could she know?

He then analyzed:

The rumors about the fox must not be unfounded.

Because it's not just a rumor, there are "physical evidence" to back it up, even though it's buried underground.

Who has heard of a version that has been altered?
Strangely, the legends of foxes do not mention snakes, and the legends of snakes do not mention foxes. It does not follow the traditional pattern of good versus evil in mythology.

At this moment, Su Yunzhi muttered to herself:
“That’s strange. Did the children on your island grow up listening to a different legend? I can help you find out when we get back… But I don’t think the legend of the fox is false. Look, something seems a bit strange here.”

She picked up her camera, and the screen emitted a faint light. Zhang Shutong quickly leaned closer. The photo showed a rock wall, and at the bottom of the rock wall, there was a recessed space on the ground.

They were using flashlights before, which only provided a single beam of light, but the senior student used a flash when taking photos, which illuminated almost the entire space.

Several pits were arranged in the recessed space.

Zhang Shutong was shocked.

There were exactly five, no more and no less.

These pits are not regular in shape, some are round and some are square, but they are all about the same size. They are sunk into the ground and are connected in a straight line.

"It's like... a pre-arranged spot, the number is so coincidental, it couldn't have been formed naturally?" Su Yunzhi pondered. "But what was this rock carving used for? Offerings, sacrificial animals or something? But that doesn't seem likely, a typical altar would be at least a bit higher..."

Zhang Shutong instantly recalled the fox statue his mother had dug up; the statue also had a base, giving the impression of—

They should have been here.

What if we let that grinning fox in?

He suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Zhang Shutong turned around, and there were still remnants of the debris they had cleared from the tunnel behind him.

It turns out that what was blocked wasn't just a rock wall, but...

Zhang Shutong searched his mind for words, but found he couldn't find a single accurate description.

"What if I said I saw a statue?"

He said suddenly.

Two pairs of eyes immediately turned to him.

This time, Lu Qinglian remained silent.

Zhang Shutong didn't rush to answer.

"Wow, really? Is it like the fox on the cliff?" Su Yunzhi asked in surprise.

"Yes," Zhang Shutong asked, "Do you want to go see it? But it's a bit far?"

“Okay…” She nodded happily, then glanced at her watch subconsciously—a delicate, small women’s wristwatch. “Oh no! It’s almost six o’clock, and I have to catch the ferry back to the city…”

Su Yunzhi said with regret:

"I'll have to wait until next weekend. If possible, could you send me the photos later?"

“Okay,” Zhang Shutong said. “Let’s go up first; it’s a bit stuffy down here.”

"You guys go up first." Lu Qinglian was still frowning at the rock wall.

Zhang Shutong knew that the legend of the fox had a much greater impact on her than on him, so he tossed the flashlight to her:

"Then we'll wait for you upstairs."

They remained silent the entire way.

Zhang Shutong walked in front, and when they reached the fork in the road, he deliberately stopped:
"Won't your classmate be unable to find you? There's no signal underground."

Su Yunzhi had no suspicions. She had been walking slowly, as if she was still thinking about what she had just seen and heard, but upon hearing this, she quickly jogged a few steps, and the distance between them was reduced considerably.

Zhang Shutong took one last look at the other end of the tunnel and headed towards the stairs.

I doubt my senior would have imagined that there's a secret hidden underground, which might be related to foxes, or it might not.

By the time we finally emerged from the tunnel, it was already getting dark; being underground makes you forget the passage of time.

Not long ago, there was a brilliant sunset, but now the moon can be seen hiding in the clouds.

Zhang Shutong looked back and saw Su Yunzhi on the stairs, panting and supporting her knees.

She has long, straight, fine hair and likes to wear simple dresses, even in winter. Today, she is wearing a white floral dress and wrapped tightly in a down jacket.

It's said that girls at this age develop earlier than boys. My senior is only a head shorter than me, but temperament is a strange thing. It seems to have no age limit. If Lu Qinglian has a cool and aloof demeanor that transcends age, then Su Yunzhi always has the feeling of an older sister. Even if you're in kindergarten, as long as you're a grade below her, you still have to call her "senior".

Now, the senior's long hair and skirt are a bit dirty.

Zhang Shutong knew her stamina wasn't great, and the air underground wasn't fresh to begin with. She'd just been climbing up and down the platform, and was now slightly out of breath. Zhang Shutong hesitated for a moment, then extended his hand to her. Su Yunzhi looked up, seemingly surprised, then placed her hand in his. The next second, she stood firmly on the ground, smoothed her hair, and chuckled softly, saying thank you.

"Thank you, junior."

Zhang Shutong was never really comfortable with this title. Although he called her "senior sister" all the time, she rarely called him "junior brother."

Zhang Shutong simply asked:

"Aren't you going back quickly?"

"Let me tidy up first; it looks like a mole right now."

She dusted off her clothes and joked:
"Why aren't you going downstairs soon? That classmate is getting impatient."

Zhang Shutong didn't want to be teased like that:
"You've misunderstood. It doesn't look like... uh, the kind of relationship you're thinking of."

"Really? I thought you would be very popular with girls."

"No, I don't think so," Zhang Shutong said absentmindedly.

"I haven't even asked your name yet, and you're always calling me 'junior'?"

"Zhang Shutong".

"Which word?"

“The character “述” in “述说” and “桐” in “梧桐”.

"Hmm...it's a very scholarly name," she complimented.

Zhang Shutong was stunned for a moment.

It's simply because this sentence sounds familiar, or rather, it's exactly the same.

He remembered that he met Su Yunzhi at the opening ceremony. He had good grades in the high school entrance exam and was one of the freshmen representatives.

Meanwhile, the senior student had become the vice president of the student council, holding the power of life and death over the freshmen. On that day, she was also to host the opening ceremony, wearing a lake-blue long dress that shone brightly.

No one could figure out who this senior was, so they just obediently followed in her footsteps.

Zhang Shutong occasionally messed up. He remembered that the day before, he had done something related to time travel, staying up very late and suffering from severe sleep deprivation. He didn't even realize that his name tag was hanging upside down. At that moment, the girl in the lake-blue dress walked over:
"It's fallen over."

Zhang Shutong quickly looked down and glanced at it.

She naturally reached out and helped him tie the name tag.
"Zhang Shutong... Hmm, it's a very scholarly name. Don't be nervous, keep going."

After saying that, he smiled gently at her.

It was then that Zhang Shutong realized that there were two types of "older sister" girls—a term he coined himself—namely, mature and sophisticated women and girl-next-door types. The senior in front of him looked like the former, but was actually the latter.

When others hear her name, they will only wonder what it means, or who would talk about someone's name as soon as they meet them? Few people are as uninhibited as she is.

"Su Yunzhi".

By this time, the girl had almost finished cleaning the dust off her body, and she stretched out one hand.

Zhang Shutong shook hands with her, but the touch was brief.

"Clouds in the clouds, branches in the leaves."

Su Yunzhi mimicked his tone as she introduced it.

Zhang Shutong nodded, indicating that he would remember it.

"Then I'll be going now." The girl waved to him.

It's getting late.

Zhang Shutong watched her step out of the old house, the pale moonlight shining on her face. Zhang Shutong took a step forward:
"Oh, right, there's something..."

"Hmm?" Su Yunzhi turned her face.

"...Please keep this tunnel a secret, it will cause a lot of trouble if it gets out."

"I understand. Don't tell my classmates, right? Let's keep it as my little secret on this island?" she said with a smile. "Anything else?"

Zhang Shutong was silent for a few seconds:

"Walk slowly."

Su Yunzhi's figure gradually disappeared into the distance. She was on the phone as she walked. She looked up at the corridor on the second floor of the hospital and waved to herself. Several figures appeared in front of the window. It seemed that, just as she had said, a classmate had gotten a stomachache.

Zhang Shutong looked at the evening sky. It wasn't completely dark yet. Dim clouds covered the sky, which was hazy under the moonlight. After all, it was a very high place, far away from the ground where he was standing. There were no shadows of swaying branches there.

He asked the footsteps behind him:
"Any other discoveries?"

"No."

"It's too much of a coincidence."

“I know.” Zhang Shutong turned around and stopped looking out the door. “So I deliberately tested her, but it seems to be just a coincidence. Whether it was finding this tunnel or discovering those pits, even if I deliberately said that I had found a fox statue, her attitude was only curious, not that she would go looking for it even if it meant missing the crossing.”

"Zhang Shutong, it seems you haven't completely lost your mind because of that senior." Lu Qinglian said in a rare tone of praise.

"Is this a compliment?" Zhang Shutong asked curiously.

"You can understand it that way for now," she said lightly, then asked, "What were your thoughts when you met the senior from your dream?"

"Uh……"

Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "You're already quick to answer."

How come this woman still remembers her excuse for dreaming? He ignored her malicious teasing.

"gone."

Zhang Shutong glanced at his phone; it was almost six o'clock. Two missed calls from his mother popped up. He slapped his forehead, dialed back, and said while waiting for the call to connect:
"Actually, my mom recently dug up a fox. She just showed it to me this morning. It's the one that's grinning."

Lu Qinglian stopped in her tracks.

She frowned and said:

"You actually saw it?"

(End of this chapter)