Winter Returns

Chapter 185 Gathering and Scattering (Part 1)

Zhang Shutong stuffed the two wooden plaques into his pocket and hurriedly went downstairs.

In the kitchen, Mrs. Feng was busy at the counter.

"Auntie, where is Ruoping?"

Zhang Shutong hurriedly asked.

"We're out of garlic at home, so Ping'er went out to buy some. Shutong, you don't know, a new vegetable market just opened on our island last year, it's so lively... Can you tell Auntie what's wrong?"

The woman was making dumplings, her hands and apron covered in flour.

"I have an urgent matter to attend to," Zhang Shutong said, "I need to borrow the key to the electric scooter."

"Hey, the dumplings are almost in the pot. Even if we're in a hurry, we have to eat something and leave. Besides, there aren't any boats left..."

Zhang Shutong had already run out of the room.

His breathing became rapid.

My own home.

Right in my own home.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have come here with a useless key.

He glanced around and saw that the white SUV had indeed driven away. Zhang Shutong got on the bike, turned the handlebars, and the small electric bike started up with a whoosh.

He didn't want to stay in this situation any longer. Zhang Shutong told himself that his current task was to find the clue, take it back, and not repeat the same mistake.

There's very little left for him to cherish here. The evening breeze still whistles in his ears as it did back then, but the streets are no longer the same. He drives his car along the road he's traveled countless times, with unparalleled skill. Five years ago, this was his battlefield, and five years later, it remains the same.

Shortly after, Zhang Shutong slammed on the brakes, the rear tire scraping a black line across the cement floor. He rushed up to the second floor before the car had even come to a complete stop. Standing in front of his own door, Zhang Shutong was slightly out of breath. There was no carpet in front of the door, so this place must not have been assigned to anyone else. He inserted the key and turned it, and heard a click.

The door opened smoothly.

Zhang Shutong looked at the living room, which looked exactly the same as it had five years ago. Except for the family photo on the wall, which had been removed, nothing else had been moved. The sofa, coffee table, and television were still there. The furniture had been arranged in advance, and the family could be said to have moved in with just their bags. Now that the family was gone, the house was just covered with a layer of dust.

He looked around, taking in everything within sight, and then quickly went to his room. His room hadn't been touched much; the desk and bed... Zhang Shutong opened the drawer, but it was empty. He then knelt on the floor, pursing his lips, and peered under the bed.

But there was nothing under the bed either.

Where...?

Zhang Shutong frowned, recalling his own habits, wondering where he should put that "thing".

The answer is that he wouldn't keep it at home.

If it's important, you should carry it with you at all times, or leave clues discreetly.
If it's important, it shouldn't stay in this tiny concrete building.

Zhang Shutong thought for a moment, then searched his parents' room again. He even went and moved the toilet tank. Someone would put something in a waterproof plastic bag and stick it to the inside of the tank lid, right? But even though he thought of all these things, he found nothing.

Finally, he sat on the sofa, his anxiety rising, which he suppressed with a deep breath.

Where exactly?
Zhang Shutong began to recall what he had seen and heard that afternoon. No one seemed surprised by his itinerary, and everyone knew he would be returning to the island early. Logically, he should have left some preparations, such as Qingyi's phone call from the cold-blooded line...

unless--

Zhang Shutong examined the key in his hand.

Unless he really has no other plans.

The previous regressions all occurred eight years later, so it wasn't difficult to anticipate and prepare a backup plan. But what if this regression was something that even I didn't anticipate?

Who would hide something important in their home? This place isn't some sturdy and well-hidden steel fortress; even a thief could easily pick the lock on the security door… Zhang Shutong's heart suddenly sank. He remembered that his official job was to move people, a task that couldn't be finished in a day, so Ruoping's mother had prepared a room for him.

Zhang Shutong gripped the key. The truth might be ridiculous: was he simply unwilling to trouble Ruoping's family or find a place to spend the night?

What's the point of coming here by myself?
Zhang Shutong looked at the mess in the living room. He had turned almost all the furniture upside down and searched every possible hiding place and every possible hiding place, but he still found nothing.

Zhang Shutong was silent for a moment, then dialed Ruoping's number again.

"Hey, what's up?" The voice on the other end was clear. "I'll be back in a bit."

“I just went to tidy up the room next door,” Zhang Shutong said. “I opened that wooden crate.”

"...Why are you opening my suitcase? Are you a pervert?" There was a pause on the other end of the phone, followed by Ruoping's teasing voice, "Which dress or doll have you taken a fancy to? I'll pack it for you tomorrow."

“They are two wooden plaques.” He paused. “I have absolutely no recollection of these two things. Could they be related to Lu Qinglian’s ears?”

"Yes, she made a wish back then, hoping that her hearing would get better soon."

"What about the other one?"

"what?"

“That wooden sign that says ‘Sorry’,” Zhang Shutong pressed.

"You mean that one? I found it. I thought the pattern on the back was nice, so I kept it. I almost forgot about it if you hadn't mentioned it."

Her voice was natural and light, but Zhang Shutong noticed that her breathing was a little faster than before.

"Is it really just because it looks good?"

"Back then you always said I was a lovesick fool. Well, what can I do? Beauty is the most important thing in the world. You're not going to be suspicious again, are you?" Ruoping laughed and scolded, "We're in college now, it's long past the time to be a detective."

"When are you coming back?"

"What's wrong? Why are you digging so deep?"

"Auntie said you went to the market to buy groceries."

"Yes, green peppers."

"Green peppers?" Zhang Shutong remembered it should be garlic.

"Otherwise what? Who do you think it's for? Isn't it because we know you like stir-fried pork with green peppers? Okay, I'll hang up now, we'll talk about it when we get back..."

Zhang Shutong remained silent upon hearing this. A sound came from the other end of the phone, like the barking of stray dogs in a market, before silence returned.

Nothing can be done.

Zhang Shutong rubbed his temples and dialed Qingyi's number. He stood up as the phone rang, then thought that if he couldn't find any other clues, he should at least find out what happened to Ruoping and Dukang.

"How is it?" The call was answered shortly afterward.

"I found two wishing plaques at Ruoping's house, just a moment..."

As he spoke, Zhang Shutong placed the wooden plaque on the table. He was on a video call, so Qingyi could see any clues at a glance. However, the lighting in the living room was rather dim, and night was about to fall. Not long ago, the setting sun on the horizon was like blood, but now it was slowly disappearing.

Zhang Shutong then realized that he hadn't even had time to turn on the lights. He walked to the entrance and then remembered that the power had been cut off long ago. Sure enough, the switch didn't work.

He sighed and walked to the balcony.

"I'll go to the balcony; there's a bit more light there. I'll tell you something verbally first. One thing I'm pretty sure Ruoping wrote is about Lu Qinglian's ears. And another one—sorry, sorry, yes, the content is just these four words, but I can't read the handwriting…you don't know either?"

"Hmm, what did Ruoping say?"

“She said she found it.” Zhang Shutong paused. “But I don’t think that’s right. Let’s assume this is also related to Lu Qinglian’s ear. Who do you think could be involved in this back then, Du Kang?”

"No way, if he really wanted to write something, he shouldn't have written an apology. He should have written something like wishing Lu Qinglian a speedy recovery. But you didn't know either?" Qingyi sighed. "If you hadn't asked me directly, I would have thought it was you who wrote it based on the description."

"What do you mean?"

"Just kidding, don't take it seriously." Qingyi pondered, "Let me think... Ruoping did go to the temple back then, but I really don't know she wrote a wishing plaque. Of course, writing one is normal, but what's unusual is why she didn't hang it up? But these things are hard to say..."

Zhang Shutong walked to the balcony.

He used the light to illuminate the wooden sign, and while Qingyi was trying to decipher the handwriting, he silently looked out the window. To be honest, he didn't have much hope. Qingyi seemed to know even less than he did, and it was very likely that, like his own key, it was just a false alarm.

Zhang Shutong clutched the bunch of keys absentmindedly. Even now, he still felt that something was hidden in the house, right beside him.

Although the furniture in the room hadn't been moved, the bedding had been removed. There were plenty of hotels on the island, and a night's stay was very cheap. Even if it was just something to make do with, one shouldn't have to spend the night on a wooden plank bed.

But what is it?
And who is it related to?
Zhang Shutong wondered if his thinking was flawed from the start? No one would hide something so important in a house that had been moved, not a secret but something else?

Is there anything he needs to come back for?
He only did two things on the island: help with the move and meet Lu Qinglian. He didn't need to go home for the former, but for the latter...

Zhang Shutong turned his head as if possessed and looked at the storage room at the end of the balcony. It was called a storage room, but it was actually a small, independent space separated by an alloy sliding door.

He also knew that there was a very tall shelf in the storeroom, and if something was placed on top, his mother couldn't reach it even on tiptoe and would need to call for his help.

Zhang Shutong never imagined that something could be hidden inside. Who would put something very important on a bright balcony? It could be under the bed, under the sofa, or even under the toilet tank, but you would never hide a secret on a shelf. No, that has nothing to do with "hiding".

Now, he instinctively walked over, only to find that the sliding door was rusted and required some effort to open.

Zhang Shutong finally saw the scene inside the storeroom. Logically, since everyone had left, there should have been nothing on that shelf, but a cardboard box lay quietly on top.

He could reach out and take the box off. It was a white shoebox, bought from the only shopping mall on the island. If he remembered correctly, it had a beautiful pattern printed on it. Zhang Shutong had always had a good memory, but this time he was wrong.

Exposed to wind and sun, and with the passage of time, even the most beautiful cardboard box will fade.

Zhang Shutong weighed it in his hand; the weight hadn't changed.

He opened the box; the plastic seal had cracked, but the shoes inside were well-protected. One pair were clean but somewhat worn cloth shoes, and the other pair were brand-new cotton boots that looked very warm.

But it was summer. Zhang Shutong lowered his gaze, closed the cardboard box, and put it on the top shelf. There was no point in thinking too clearly about many things. He didn't really want to figure out why it hadn't been taken with him when he moved, and why it had stayed quietly in a corner for five years, so...lonely.

"I won't see you off now. You don't understand, your sneakers are still wearable. Besides, there will be opportunities sooner or later..."

He seemed to hear a voice in his ear, and Zhang Shutong thought to himself, even his mother makes mistakes.

Yes, perhaps what's hidden at home isn't a secret at all, but a regret.

"I can't tell either." A clear voice came from the speaker. Zhang Shutong nodded, not surprised by the answer. He had just thought of something else, so he asked:

"Do you remember when Ruoping and Dukang's relationship started to deteriorate?"

"This... do you remember when we found a tunnel behind the hospital? Once we went down there to clean things up. Ruoping didn't want to work with us, but she did anyway. In the end, she hit her head and went back crying."

What happened that night?

"That's why we're so confused, because nothing has happened," Qingyi said with a sigh.

Zhang Shutong frowned. He was inside the tunnel at the time and couldn't leave. He remembered sending Ruoping an apology text message when he went down, but there was no signal down there. Then he put the fox statue back, and the time travel happened.

Just as Zhang Shutong was about to say something, he suddenly heard a rapid knocking on the door.

"Go back later."

He tensed up instantly, gently slipping his phone into his pocket. It's no wonder he was cautious; this was a house that had been abandoned for a long time, and no one should have come knocking on the door. Besides, the lights were off, and no one should have known he was home. Or was someone following him?

Zhang Shutong held his breath and tiptoed through the living room. The knocking grew louder, and he peered through the peephole. Fortunately, there was a motion-activated light in the hallway, and in the dim light, Zhang Shutong could make out the person's face—

The other person was wearing a baseball cap, carrying a file bag, and wearing a green short-sleeved shirt, looking every bit like a postman.

Zhang Shutong was stunned for a moment.

At that time, express delivery was not yet popular on the island, and most goods were delivered by post.

The postman knocked on the door for a while longer, until he was about to turn and leave, before Zhang Shutong finally spoke up and asked:
"what's up?"

"Is anyone here? Someone answer me," the postman muttered. "Your package, please come and sign for it."

"What delivery?" Zhang Shutong didn't open the door. "This place was emptied out last year."

"Empty? That shouldn't be the case. Did I come to the wrong place?" the other party asked in surprise. "201, Zhang Shutong, is that right?"

Zhang Shutong was also surprised.

He had even thought about his parents' friends. Maybe someone hadn't received their news of the move and had mistakenly sent the items to the island. But why was he the recipient?

"Are you Zhang Shutong? If you're going to refuse delivery, just let me know," the postman urged.

Does anyone know my address? If it's a friend I met in high school or college, then I should fill in my current home address.

Who knows their own itinerary?
Zhang Shutong opened the door:

"What am I?"

"I don't know, just open it and see for yourself. Here, you can just sign your name..."

The postman left, and in the empty building, only Zhang Shutong remained, carrying that file bag.

The name and address were hidden. Zhang Shutong remembered that postal delivery usually took a long time, meaning that the recipient needed to determine whether he had returned to the island or even home that day before sending the item.

He picked it up and shook it; it seemed to be a small object. Zhang Shutong quickly opened the file bag, but instead of reaching in to take it out, he turned the bag upside down.

With a thud, an MP3 player fell to the ground.

An unknown package, an unknown MP3 player...

He turned to go inside to find his headphone cable, only to realize that all his belongings had been moved.

Headphone cable, headphone cable...

Perhaps Ruoping's family has it.

He knew he couldn't stay in this room any longer, but who handed him this MP3 player that suddenly appeared? And what was inside it?
There are more and more loose threads.

He felt a sudden wave of fatigue.

Since the regression, he has been constantly pushed around by everything, running around in a frenzy, and every time he makes a discovery, it is blocked.

This cannot go on.

Zhang Shutong took out his phone again and called Ruoping:

"Have you gone home yet?"

"Don't rush me, I'm about to pay..." The background noise was a bit loud. "What is it? Tell me?"

Do you have any headphone cables at home?

"Yes, it's in the second drawer on the left side of the desk. Go find it yourself. I'm getting on the bus now."

Amidst the noise, Ruoping hung up the phone.

Zhang Shutong frowned.

She was buying groceries.

Yes, this phone call was indeed made to buy groceries.

The issue is……

Where was the last phone call?
If it were a noisy place like a vegetable market, how could I have noticed her breathing quicken?

I wasn't in the car at the time.

It should be very quiet because you can't hear the wind, tire noise, or engine noise.

So Ruoping went to another place.

It was as if something had connected them in that instant, but Zhang Shutong immediately wondered, where had she gone?
Zhang Shutong remembered that dog bark.

The dog barks...

"Shutong, could you check on Zorro for me sometime and feed him a sausage?"

With Du Kang's words in mind, Zhang Shutong almost instantly pinpointed the location.

What was Ke Ruoping doing at his family's restaurant?
Feed the dog?

Even though their relationship had clearly soured, Zhang Shutong had a suspicion in her mind, regardless of whether it was about feeding the dog or not.

He slammed the security door shut, went down the stairs in a few steps, and when he arrived at Dukang's Restaurant by bicycle, he went straight to the back courtyard.

There was a storeroom in the yard. After Du Kang left, his parents built a doghouse outside the storeroom, and the dog was kept there.

This is what Zhang Shutong asked Qingyi on the road.

As darkness fell, he stared at the dark warehouse. Before he could get close, he heard a dog bark, and then in a flash, a black hunting dog tightened the chain around its neck.

"This is the same little guy they found back then!" Zhang Shutong thought in surprise. "No wonder it was tied up." He cautiously approached, and the dog lowered its body, tucked its ears, and looked at him warily.

Just a moment ago it was clearly in an aggressive posture, but the next moment when Zhang Shutong walked to its side, the dog sniffed his hand and wagged its tail to show its affection.

Zhang Shutong felt no relief whatsoever.

He had seen Gu Qiumin's dog before; that Doberman had acted similarly that night, initially wary, then relaxed. Zhang Shutong knew it wasn't because he was particularly popular, but rather—

The dog recognized its owner's scent on itself.

Because he was covered by Gu Qiumian's down jacket and had her scent on him, Doberman smelled his young master's scent and let him go.

The same goes for this hunting dog.

Zhang Shutong handed over the wooden sign with the word "apology" engraved on it. The hunting dog sniffed it and immediately started circling around him excitedly.

really……

He silently wondered, if this wooden plaque was indeed carved by Du Kang, why would Ruoping deliberately conceal it, and why would she come to this warehouse alone?
To confirm his guess, he threw the wooden sign with all his might. The dog was about to chase after it, but it had been kept in its kennel for years with an iron chain around its neck. The chain tightened instantly, and the dog barked incessantly.

Then the dog's gaze suddenly turned hostile. Zhang Shutong was prepared; he had bought a sausage on his way here, which he had just dropped on the ground. The dog glanced at him, then sniffed it warily before carrying the sausage back to its den.

Zhang Shutong squatted down helplessly, thinking to himself that Du Kang had trained this dog well enough. It was black by nature, and now that it was dark, it was pitch black again when it returned to its kennel.

Zhang Shutong turned on his flashlight and shone it at the dog.

Then his pupils contracted.

Using the dim light of a flashlight, in a corner of the doghouse.

He thinks he saw one...

A fox statue.

A sad fox, gazing at something somewhere.

(End of this chapter)