Winter Returns

Chapter 223 "Taking Photos"

Zhang Shutong came to her senses and sighed softly.

He hadn't expected Yun's parents to be so hostile towards Lao Song. What kind of look was that in their eyes? Even enemies are no better than this, even though they were both heartbroken.

Undeterred, Zhang Shutong knocked on the door and called out loudly, "There's another photo of your daughter here," hoping for a response. But the iron gate remained tightly shut, and the wind blew, causing the faded couplets on it to flutter like two white banners summoning souls.

"Give up," Lu Qinglian suddenly said.

“I don’t think something’s right,” Zhang Shutong said, frowning. “Her reaction when she heard about the photo—no, rather, her complete lack of reaction—was the biggest abnormality. She doesn’t act like a mother who has lost her daughter.”

"It's very simple, nothing is more sorrowful than a broken heart."

Zhang Shutong was somewhat surprised.

“It’s been many years. You might think she should be very anxious, but she’s already gone through it all. Wasn’t it just a simple accident? A car accident. Teacher Song said he didn’t get to see her one last time.” Lu Qinglian paused. “When did it happen?”

"Around five o'clock, not quite six."

“Not long after now, it was night. She must have received the news of her daughter’s accident that night, but…” Lu Qinglian said slowly, “there were no more ships leaving the island at that time.”

Zhang Shutong suddenly understood. There were clearly two kinds of cruelty back then. The cruelty to Lao Song was that he was completely unaware of Yun's accident, and by the time he found out, it was too late. But for Yun's parents, the cruelty was a lake they could never cross, and a sleepless night.

Zhang Shutong couldn't help but glance at Lu Qinglian, wondering how she came up with this idea.

“I’ve seen many people praying for blessings in temples before. Before their family members are on the verge of death, these people will return to the island early because they can’t afford any accidents. Zhang Shutong, you may not know this, but this is the custom on the island.” Lu Qinglian said calmly. “So I say it’s very simple. Her heart is already dead. Finding out about the statue is useful to us, but the dead cannot be brought back to life. It’s useless to her.”

Zhang Shutong said nothing more. He wrote his phone number on the paper and slipped it under the door.

"This is the only way to go."

"There is no other way."

In the end, the only clue was that photograph, which Zhang Shutong held up in front of his eyes:
"Judging from her clothes, it must have been a very cold day. Her down jacket had a hood, so she went to university in the province. Considering the local climate, it's more likely to be a harsh winter than autumn. Also, since it's a photo, who took it? Where is that person now, and how much does he know about the fox?"

In the end, Zhang Shutong fell into deep thought:
"And then there's the location. Although the filming location isn't clearly visible, it should be on an island."

"On the island?" Lu Qinglian asked, puzzled.

"I just thought of it myself, it's just a guess."

Zhang Shutong flicked the photo; the background was a strong orange light that blurred everything.
"It's blurry, but it's clearly not nighttime. If it was taken too quickly and lost focus, yet the teacher's wife is still relatively clear, it must have been taken in backlight. I've thought about this before, and thought it might be due to indoor lighting, so I didn't think much of it. But now there's something that fits the bill better, look—"

The two of them looked at the distant lake at the same time.

The village was built beside the lake. As dusk fell, the enormous sun touched the lake's surface, shimmering in the sunlight. At that moment, thousands upon thousands of water scales were dyed red, and the entire lake was even more dazzling than the setting sun, reflecting a strong orange light. The intense light entered their eyes, and they squinted at the same time.

Zhang Shutong covered her forehead:
"The lake surface, or more accurately, the reflection from the lake surface entered the lens and blurred the background. Since she is from the island, it is not surprising that the filming location was on the island."

At this point, he said with a headache:
"But the island is so big, it's very difficult to find the exact location..."

"Get closer," Lu Qinglian said.

Zhang Shutong was taken aback and was about to turn his face away.

“I mean, bring the photo closer.” Lu Qinglian said expressionlessly.

"You'd better explain yourself more clearly," Zhang Shutong muttered under his breath.

This time, Lu Qinglian didn't refute. Her attention was entirely focused on the photo. After a moment, as if recalling something, her fingertips hovered over the bottom edge of the photo:

"If the photo was taken with the back to the lake, why is there ground instead of the lake?"

Zhang Shutong suddenly realized:

"high."

"So the location is a slightly elevated spot near the lake, but where you can't get a clear view of the lake surface?"

"That should be it, the range has narrowed down considerably." Zhang Shutong then asked, "What about you, do you have any ideas?"

"The premise is that they were really on the island when this photo was taken. Also, assuming the speculation that the background is filled with lake light is also true, then the time when the photo was taken wouldn't be much different from now."

Lu Qinglian had already turned around:
"If you're going to look for it, you'd better do it as soon as possible."

Zhang Shutong followed in her footsteps.

How much longer until sunset? Maybe ten minutes, maybe half an hour. Now is the best time to recreate the filming location.

Zhang Shutong hurriedly got on his bike, and only after the wheels had rolled a full circle on the muddy ground did he belatedly realize that they were actually looking for traces of a photograph taken seven or eight years ago.

They returned to the other side of the "broken bridge" and rode along the lake shore, first stopping on the western shore of the small island.

Lu Qinglian compared the photos in her hand:
"restricted area?"

Their first thought was the location where the clay figurines were created.

I don't know when it started, but she also began using "restricted area" to refer to the western suburbs.

“The height isn’t quite right.” Zhang Shutong looked around. “If you’re standing on the lake shore, you can always capture the lake behind you, unless you raise the lens when taking the picture. But then the angle of the subject won’t match. This picture of my teacher’s wife is neither a downward nor an upward shot.”

“There’s a rock over there.” Lu Qinglian said thoughtfully, then stood on it and looked into the distance.

"Lu Qinglian, look this way," someone suddenly said.

Lu Qinglian turned her face in response, and with a click, Zhang Shutong looked at the phone screen. The girl's profile as she turned her head was frozen on the screen, and the setting sun dyed her black hair amber, giving it a translucent texture.

“It’s still not right,” Zhang Shutong frowned. “Even if you’re standing on a rock, you can still take a picture. Let’s keep looking.”

But after he finished speaking, he noticed that Lu Qinglian didn't get into the car, but instead reached out her clean hand to him.

"It will be deleted, don't worry."

"Recycling bin".

"...Those will also be deleted."

"You'd better know how."

The bicycle headed south of the island. Zhang Shutong remembered that this was the highest point, and even the road around the lake and the lake surface were not on the same level. But after just one glance, he realized that he was wrong. He could still take pictures of the lake behind him without even having to do any experiments.

"So, the so-called height needs to be at least one story high?"

Zhang Shutong pondered:

"The buildings along the lake... aren't actually located in the suburbs?"

Since he was holding the fox statue, he subconsciously thought the filming location was in a deserted place, but now it looked like it was at least near the city. Zhang Shutong felt a chill for no reason. He subconsciously thought of Gu Qiumian's villa, which was a semi-lake view house. Lying in the bathtub on the first floor, he could take in the lake view below the window.

Did Yun visit the villa seven or eight years ago? Was the villa completed then? Was it just an empty plot of land, or was it already finished?
"Take a picture in the bathroom if you have time?"

Zhang Shutong hurriedly patted Gu Qiumian. But after sending the message, he looked at it and felt that it was very ambiguous, so he sent a voice message to explain the situation with the photo.

First came a string of ellipses, followed by a photo of Gu Qiu Mian standing in the bathroom. She was leaning against the window, holding her phone with both hands, wearing that burgundy bathrobe, but her face was turned to the side in the shot. The setting sun bathed the whole scene in red, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks; she was truly beautiful.

Zhang Shutong glanced at it and rejected the guess. The villa's location was too high, and it wouldn't achieve the effect of backlighting at all.

He breathed a sigh of relief; at least he wasn't involved with Gu Qiu Mian.
"I'm busy now, let's talk tonight."

He rode his bike a few meters, then suddenly slapped his forehead and sent out the words "very beautiful".

He and Lu Qinglian were now on a long street, on the edge of the city. Zhang Shutong looked at the buildings that had sprung up around them: supermarkets, snack shops, nail salons, tutoring centers...

It's pointless to study what they did. After so much time, the whole street may have changed completely. The correct approach is to first determine the approximate location and then speculate on what happened back then.

The two walked towards a restaurant. Zhang Shutong lifted the plastic curtain at the entrance. It was the peak dinner time, but the restaurant was empty except for a chubby man watching TV behind the counter. The man turned his head, his eyes lit up with joy, and he jumped up from his stool.

"You're here! What would you like to eat?"

"Could I use the restroom?"

"Oh, just turn left upstairs." The man sighed and sat back down, as if he had gone from heaven to hell in an instant, making Zhang Shutong feel a little embarrassed. He and Lu Qinglian kept walking and just kept thanking him.

"You're welcome. By the way, it's only for peeing, so please don't... wait a minute?" The shopkeeper suddenly paused, "These days, how come kids stick together even when they're in the toilet..."

"It seems... it really might work?" Zhang Shutong asked uncertainly.

They huddled by the second-floor window. The second floor was mostly empty, with only some cardboard boxes of seasonings, a few tables, and a deck chair. Looking out the window, they could see the shimmering lake in the distance, and the glow of the setting sun shone into their eyes. Zhang Shutong took out his phone.

"Hard work is now a point of reference."

Lu Qinglian sighed softly.

A few seconds later, she moved away from the window:

"How about it?"

“It’s quite close, but still not quite right.” Zhang Shutong zoomed in on the upper part of the photo. “If it had been taken on the second floor of a shop back then, you should be able to see the outline of the window, but you can’t see it in this photo.”

"Is it related to that tree?" Lu Qinglian pointed to a large tree outside the window.

Following her finger, there was a roadside tree standing in the middle of the road. Even though it was winter, its dry branches still blocked some of the light. Maybe it was the tree's fault, or maybe not. They couldn't possibly cut it down and try.

Zhang Shutong didn't dwell on it much:
"Let's assume this is the place, and ask what used to be on this street."

"So it really is time to eat, what are we having?" A few minutes later, the man's eyes lit up with joy again.

"Uh, let's not eat yet."

"I see." The man sighed.

"Let me ask you a few questions first..." Zhang Shutong said, forcing a smile, "What was this street like seven or eight years ago? Was it still the same as the surrounding shops?"

"Back then, it was quite desolate. I'd never even heard of nail salons or milk tea shops, let alone opened one."

What were you selling back then?

“It’s just me.” The man shook his head. “Besides, there’s no street, just an empty lot. I built this house myself. Back then, it was just a lonely house. If you wanted to do some business, you would just push a small cart from home, set it up, and get to work. Nobody cared.”

"And what about this person?" Zhang Shutong found Yun's photo. "Do you remember him? He should have borrowed the restroom back then, with a companion, and he was carrying a video camera?"

"It looks familiar!" the shop owner exclaimed, clapping his hands.

Zhang Shutong's heart skipped a beat.

"I don't seem familiar either." The man said with a troubled expression, "I run a restaurant and I see too many people every year. If you ask me if I recognize them, I think I do, but if you really want to say I've seen them before, I wouldn't dare to say so definitively and delay your business."

"And although this girl is quite pretty, she's not exactly a memorable face." He pointed at Lu Qinglian and clicked his tongue in amazement, "If it were this girl, I would definitely remember her."

“They were probably acting strangely at the time,” Zhang Shutong explained, “They went up to the second floor and took a picture.”

“The only abnormal thing I’ve seen in all these years is the two of you,” the boss raised an eyebrow. “There are people who borrow the toilet, but no one who borrows the toilet together.”

Zhang Shutong felt a little embarrassed, but this was indeed the most suitable location they could think of. With the sun about to set, even if they went out to look again, it would be difficult to think of anywhere else. Just then, a weak voice sounded in his ear:

"Want to eat? It's getting late, have something to eat..."

When the two plates of fried noodles were served, the aroma of the stir-fried food filled the air. Zhang Shutong unwrapped the disposable chopsticks, but he didn't have much of an appetite. He discussed with Lu Qinglian:

"It still doesn't make sense. Even if the location is right, why would my teacher's wife choose a restaurant just to take a picture?"

"Come on, here's a small cold dish for you." Before the two could say anything, the owner leaned out from the kitchen again. "Come often in the future. Look, there are hardly any people here now. It's not easy. Help me attract some customers."

"It's not easy at all." Zhang Shutong had no choice but to continue the conversation.

The boss sighed:

"Business used to be pretty good, it's all your school's fault."

"School?"

"Yes, yes, you two look like students from Yingcai High School. What grade are you in this year? Isn't your school just one street away?" the man said. "Oh, you might not know, but the junior high school gate used to open to the north instead of the south. This place is not far from the school gate."

"That's why I've been doing this for so many years. It used to be so lively," the owner reminisced. "My stall used to be huge. There's a rice bowl vendor near your school gate now, isn't there? That's my apprentice."

Zhang Shutong looked at the green peppers in the fried noodles and felt that the other person was not lying.

"Anyway, I was the first to know when teachers' salaries at the old school went up," the boss said smugly. "Whether it was teachers or students, at lunchtime or in the evening, they all came... I remember now!"

He suddenly slapped his thigh:
"Young man, where's that photo of yours? Let me see it again, quick, quick!"

Zhang Shutong handed over the photo, and the man was deep in thought, gesturing occasionally, though it was unclear what he was gesturing for.

"You remember now?" Zhang Shutong asked tentatively.

"No."

He was somewhat speechless, only to hear the boss continue:
"But then I remembered why she looked so familiar. This girl must be a student at Yingcai Middle School. She must have eaten here before."

Zhang Shutong was taken aback when he heard this. He had never thought of this possibility before, but it was surprisingly reasonable. His teacher's wife was from the island, and there was only one junior high school on the island. Where else could she go to school if not on the island?
Zhang Shutong seemed lost in thought:
"So, besides a lakeside location and a floor level, there's actually an overlooked aspect that meets both conditions?"

"You mean the school?" Lu Qinglian, who always ate in silence, thought for a moment, "But the classroom windows face the city."

“But there’s one place that’s not the case.” Zhang Shutong suddenly put down his chopsticks, his speech quickening unconsciously. “Or rather, we’ve misunderstood something. That photo was indeed taken upstairs, but upstairs doesn’t necessarily mean indoors…”

He and Lu Qinglian exchanged a glance, and at the same time, the same possibility came to mind—

"The rooftop!"

(End of this chapter)