Winter Returns

Chapter 246 A Fleeting Dream of the Past (Part Four)
Zhang Shutong wandered around the living room.

Square floor tiles, peeling paint on the sofa, wobbly dining table—just an ordinary family with slightly better living conditions.

But for some reason, the furniture and floors all looked shiny and gold, just like a wealthy family's home.

The woman was wearing a white coat, perhaps she was a doctor on the island, and the man had taken off his apron and draped it over the back of his chair; they seemed to be the perfect embodiment of a model couple.

The meal was a pleasant one. The girl was a lively person and chatted about interesting things that happened at school, including how she was chosen as the lead singer for the choir.

Her parents clapped their hands and laughed, saying that they would definitely borrow a video camera that night and record it from beginning to end.

They also talked about Lu Qinglian, who gained a group of female fans because of her three crisp and clean punches.

After finishing her meal, Lu Qinglian awkwardly picked up her bowl and swept the rice grains off the table into it. Her eyes held annoyance, as if she felt her eating manners were not very elegant.

The woman stopped her, saying:
"Auntie, you two go watch TV for a while. Uncle will take you home by bike later."

Lu Qinglian looked up at the window, shook her head, and refused.

As dusk fell, the glittering living room was veiled in a layer of gauze.

Other people's homes are nice, but she wants to go back to her own.

She slung her pink backpack over her shoulder, went out the door, thanked and said goodbye to her classmate's family, and walked away alone into the twilight.

Zhang Shutong stayed by her side and saw her let out a shallow burp not far from the door. He thought to himself, "She's really suffering for the sake of saving face."

But he couldn't make any jokes now, and just silently followed Lu Qinglian.

Because when they returned to the temple, Lu Mu still hadn't come back that night.

Zhang Shutong opened his eyes and heard a sharp whooshing sound.

In the courtyard in the morning, two figures, one tall and one short, were doing exercises, but these exercises were really vigorous... Zhang Shutong rubbed his eyes and realized that they weren't doing exercises, but practicing boxing.

Lu Qinglian stood in a horse stance, punching and kicking with practiced ease. Her movements were skillful, indicating that this was not her first time practicing. After a while, the mother and daughter sparred. She threw a punch, but her mother blocked it casually and she tripped and fell to the ground.

Zhang Shutong sat in the courtyard watching, not really intending to learn from her. Many of the movements required extraordinary flexibility, which was impossible to acquire even if one wanted to. After Lu Qinglian finished practicing, Zhang Shutong didn't go to school with her, but instead waited quietly in the courtyard for Lu's mother to come out.

Soon after, a woman wearing a green robe walked out of the main hall. She had tied up her trousers and was carrying an oil lamp. Zhang Shutong was puzzled. Where was she going so early in the morning with a lamp?

He followed Lu's mother out of the temple gate. She walked very fast, not nearly as easily as Lu Qinglian. Zhang Shutong jogged to the foot of the mountain, even more puzzled.

He had thought there was something hidden in the mountains, perhaps a cave that he needed to explore with a lantern, but as they walked to the lake shore, Zhang Shutong was surprised to find a fishing boat moored there through the morning mist.

Zhang Shutong followed closely behind and stepped into the boat. His heart was rising and falling, not only because the boat was being rowed faster and deeper, but also because he was wondering why a woman would row a boat.

This is not a bus with fixed stops along the way. The boat has only one destination: the other side!
Is she planning to leave the island?
Zhang Shutong was completely stunned. But he remembered that temple keeper couldn't leave the island. What was going on? Leaving quietly? What would happen to Lu Qinglian then?
When she descended the mountain, there was no sign of her "escape," and even now, there is no sign. The surrounding fog is getting thicker. Lu's mother placed the oil lamp at the bow of the boat. Everything around was white, and the flickering flame struggled to provide a light in the fog. When Zhang Shutong looked back, the lake shore had already disappeared.

As the small boat was about to lose its way, the woman calmly continued paddling, her hands working in unison. She neither stopped to observe nor adjusted the direction, and the bow of the boat sailed straight ahead, as if it had never deviated from the predetermined route.

Zhang Shutong knew that it was impossible for things to go so smoothly. If it were, why would there be a rule that people couldn't leave the island?

The fishing boat stopped, and all around was still the boundless water. She stood up, turned around, and said:
"You really did follow me."

Zhang Shutong's heart skipped a beat. At the same time, Lu's mother reached out her hand. Her movements were swift, and he couldn't dodge in time. He could only watch helplessly as that hand touched his chest...

Then pass through.

When they brought it back, it turned out to be a tiny little thing.

Lu Qinglian seemed a little embarrassed in mid-air, so she simply closed her eyes.

It turned out that she had also secretly followed, but the fog was too thick and no one noticed that she was hiding in the cabin.

"We're already late," Mrs. Lu said calmly.

"It's foggy today, the teacher won't blame us," Lu Qinglian explained briefly.

Zhang Shutong thought to herself, "You two are really calm. Is it a matter of being late or not now?"

"Where is Mom going?" Lu Qinglian asked.

Which mother can truly remain calm in the face of her daughter? Mrs. Lu said with a headache:

“It’s fine to be curious at other times, but this isn’t a place you should have come along.”

She turned the boat around immediately, intending to take Lu Qinglian back. Zhang Shutong was still completely confused. They had finally rowed this far, and now they had to turn back? But what would happen if they put Lu Qinglian back on the shore? Should they continue rowing away?
The fishing boat spun around in the water, and suddenly the bow light went out.

"do not move!"

Lu's mother said sternly.

This was the first time Zhang Shutong had seen Lu Qinglian so angry. She instinctively gripped the boat tightly, and Zhang Shutong held his breath as well. At that moment, the fog was so thick it seemed to solidify.

"Cover your eyes and don't make a sound, you must." Lu's mother stared into her eyes.

Zhang Shutong only managed to see Lu Qinglian nod her head before everything went black; it turned out she had indeed covered her eyes.

The sound of flowing water told him that the boat was continuing to move, but a muffled sound came from the bottom of the boat, as if a large fish was slowly swimming by.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of water finally stopped, and they stopped in one place, so quiet that not a sound could be heard.

Then Zhang Shutong heard a rustling sound. He listened carefully, and an unbelievable answer came to his mind—

chain!

It was a chain, like the one he used to lock his bicycle; the metal rings clanged against each other with a cold, rattling sound. It sounded much larger than a bicycle lock, but…

How could there be a chain in the lake?
This place was much deeper than where the two had dived. The small boat was drifting in the center of the lake. How deep was the deepest part of the freshwater lake? Dozens of meters? Or hundreds of meters? Zhang Shutong didn't know. He only knew that the noise around him was getting louder. The splashing sound and the sound of water were mixed together. It seemed that the woman had pulled the entire chain out of the water.

Zhang Shutong silently counted in his mind, gradually filled with astonishment, because the sound continued. Just how long was this chain? And where was it tied? And—

What exactly is it connected to?
Like a heavy object being thrown onto the boat from the water, a loud bang shook my ears, the force so great that it almost capsized the entire boat. Amidst the violent shaking, there was a faint, teeth-grinding sound, as if something was being slowly opened.

Silence returned to my ears.

Anxiety surged in his chest. The fog obscured his senses, and Zhang Shutong felt it was becoming difficult to breathe. Then, with another bang, the chains rattled incessantly, and the fishing boat began to move again. Before he knew it, light had returned, and Zhang Shutong gasped for breath as they escaped the fog.

The fishing boat docked, and only then did Lu Mu put down her oars.

"Let's go, I'll take you to school."

Zhang Shutong frowned the whole way. There was something hidden in the water? But he had taken the ferry countless times, and the lake was always perfectly smooth and still on a clear day. Where did the chain come from? And what was that heavy object?
Of course, this is a memory from a long time ago, which means it disappeared on some day?

Zhang Shutong recalled how she had coldly refused to let him go into the water, but couldn't explain why; perhaps she herself was unclear about it.

We've arrived at school.

Amidst the clear sounds of students reading aloud, Lu Qinglian strode into the schoolyard, but Zhang Shutong lagged behind. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a drop of blood trickle from Lu's mother's hand, blooming into a red flower on the cement ground, like a blossoming winter plum. He opened his eyes again to the sound of wind rushing through the air. In the small courtyard, the fight was at its most intense. Lu Qinglian, her hair in a ponytail, delivered each punch and kick with a whooshing sound, but Lu's mother, abandoning her previous defensive stance, was now on the offensive.

Lu Qinglian gradually lost her grip and soon revealed an opening. With a muffled groan, Lu's mother slightly withdrew her strength and kicked her to the ground.

Zhang Shutong was surprised and wondered if everyone in your family had such a unique way of educating their children. But after watching for a while, he gradually became speechless.

This was not a one-sided beating, but a sparring match, a merciless sparring match. The woman's expression was serious, as if something was chasing her from behind, so every move she made was urgent and fierce. The two of them fought faster and faster, to the point that it was dazzling.

"Come on, have you forgotten what I taught you!"

He fell to the ground again.

Lu Qinglian neither cried nor shouted, but stubbornly got up from the ground.

"Come again..."

"Watch your back..."

"You're too used to using your legs..."

Gradually, even the reprimands stopped; all that remained were repeated collisions, falls, getting up, and then falling again.

So much so that when Lu Qinglian squatted down to feed the fox that day, she slightly furrowed her brows.

But it wasn't without its rewards. Xiao Lu's glorious deeds spread throughout the entire grade, and gradually people started asking her for help. The reward was often a bag of potato chips or a bag of cookies, to teach a lesson to someone they would never normally dare to mess with.

Zhang Shutong smiled helplessly, wondering why he seemed to be developing into a school bully.

The train whistle sounded again; it was that train that never came near. He turned his head unintentionally, paused for a moment, and then rushed to the window.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the train seemed to be getting closer.

Zhang Shutong walked quickly out of the classroom.

As dusk fell, five fluffy little foxes surrounded us when we reached the mountainside.

The snow on the mountain road gradually melted, but Zhang Shutong still chose a tree without snow and leaned against it to watch Lu Qinglian feed the fox.

He had a feeling that the foxes would get quite fat this winter, thanks to their school bully owner, whose pink backpack was stuffed full of snacks.

Despite her willingness to take the lead, Lu Qinglian resolutely refused to actually do anything. She would simply show up briefly, and the effect was still remarkable. For example, if A and B had a conflict, she would first go to A's side and then show her face to B, making a fortune in the process.

By a twist of fate, it actually helped a child who was usually bullied.

She asked for very few potato chips, but specifically requested sausages and jerky. Popeye loves spinach, and Lu Qinglian... well, actually, it's to feed the fox.

These little creatures are truly carefree. Zhang Shutong was already able to touch the fox's head. He tentatively reached out his hand, but the fox just tilted its head and looked at the air, thinking that a cold wind had blown by.

Zhang Shutong did not stop and continued walking towards the temple.

Before it got dark, he entered the main hall.

Lu Qinglian's grandmother was preparing dinner; he was all alone here.

Candles were lit in the main hall. Zhang Shutong first tried to push open the small door in the corner, but failed again.

He was not discouraged. As dusk illuminated the eastern wall, Zhang Shutong noticed something on it. He could vaguely make out a clay doll statue. He remembered Lu Qinglian saying that the mural recorded the legend of the clay doll.

Zhang Shutong glanced at it, then looked at the remaining illuminated painting.

In the center of the image is a low, square building that resembles a temple, but the temple is surrounded by a vast expanse of blue.

That's a lake?
Does this mean the temple was built in the lake in the past?

In his dream, he could only speculate. Zhang Shutong noticed the shadow lurking in the water, like uneven patches of blue paint. Perhaps the painter's skill was too rough, or perhaps...

Zhang Shutong turned to look at the statue of the green snake.

He first discovered that the snake's eyes were two pieces of red agate. The one on the left seemed a little dimmer, and the gemstone seemed to have come to life, with faint shadows flowing inside, like a dream.

"time is limited."

Zhang Shutong suddenly remembered this sentence, but how could the gemstone be moving? He was just about to suspect that it was the light of the setting sun that was causing the problem, and he was about to go closer to take a look, but then darkness returned to his eyes.

This morning's exercise was even more intense. Lu's mother didn't hold back at all. When she's gentle, she's a very good mother, but when she's strict, she exudes an almost tangible pressure.

This is Lu Qinglian's life now. She lives a fulfilling and regular life every day, but it can also be described as extremely monotonous. The temple is very small, and the school is not very big either. She always chooses to take the shortcut to and from school, and she walks quite a lot every day. In fact, she lives in a small world.

Sometimes she would close her eyes in pain during morning exercises. Perhaps she didn't understand her mother's sudden strictness, but she had always been a woman of few words. Her mother wouldn't hurt her, and she would do whatever her mother said.

It's also possible that school life diverted her attention.

The schoolbag was filled with more and more snacks, and the chorus was becoming more and more synchronized after school. The teacher was quite discerning and chose Lu Qinglian as the lead singer. She was beautiful, sang well, and had a cool and aloof temperament that was beginning to take shape. Just standing there would attract the attention of countless people.

During Chinese class that day, when the teacher was explaining the phrase "emerging from the mud yet remaining unstained, washed by clear ripples yet not becoming seductive," a mischievous boy interrupted:
"Teacher, I think Lu Qinglian fits the description perfectly."

The class burst into laughter, and Lu Qinglian lowered her head.

"You need to grow up quickly." In front of the side hall at dusk, the stars lit up the night sky, and the woman put her arm around her shoulder.

“I think those classmates are very immature now.” Lu Qinglian felt that she was mature enough. She told her mother about what happened in class, which was a fresh example.

"Yes, that's right." Mrs. Lu thought for a moment, then patted her head. "You've done very well."

Zhang Shutong subconsciously turned around. He sensed a gaze lurking in the darkness. An elderly woman stood there, silently watching the conversation between the mother and daughter.

Zhang Shutong was startled, because the other person used to wear only simple cloth clothes, but tonight she was wearing a blue robe. That elegant blue robe looked so out of place on her. The sleeves were too wide and the hem was too long. Her hunched back could not even support the clothes. It was clear that the last time she wore it was a very long time ago.

Conversely, Lu's mother was only wearing a white dress, and asked again:

"Is life tough these days?"

"It's alright." Lu Qinglian didn't rule out the possibility of anything, because she actually felt that life wasn't so bad right now.

"The days ahead may be even tougher."

Lu Qinglian was looking at the stars in the sky. She measured it in her mind and nodded her chin without paying much attention.

"Go to sleep."

When he opened his eyes, it was a new day. Now he couldn't tell how much time had passed, only judging the passage of time by the gray-black snow on the street.

That day, Lu Qinglian returned to the mountain after rehearsing. She finished her homework at the table and, feeling bored while waiting, practiced the New Year's Day song in the empty room.

There were no spectators present, so Zhang Shutong gently clapped his hands.

(End of this chapter)