Winter Returns

Chapter 73 The Heavy Snow Four Years Ago (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote!)
Zhang Shutong, an alien, pursed his lips and said, "I promised Gu Qiumian I'd treat her to dinner."

Old Song was surprised again.

Only Zhang Shutong himself knew that this was an extra precaution. Although it might not be used, if the "real culprit" still hadn't surfaced by then, leaving the island to escape the danger seemed like a safe option.

Old Song nodded and said, "Okay, I have no problem with that. The key is whether Qiu Mian is willing..."

As they spoke, the two rushed out of the teaching building. The snow seemed endless, and everything was a vast expanse of white. The two men, one tall and one short, crossed their arms and ran to the parking lot.

It's basically just a bare concrete area. Yingcai Middle School doesn't even have a bus. If Old Song's car weren't so small, it would probably be requisitioned quite often.

Old Song opened the trunk, tossed Zhang Shutong a towel to wipe the rearview mirror, and then took out a mop to sweep the windshield. The two worked quickly, and Zhang Shutong, breathing out white puffs of steam, asked, "Where are the other teachers?"

“The dean of students went over there. He has a car. He just took Zhou Ziheng out first,” Old Song clicked his tongue. “You know, it’s really not good for a police car to be on campus. But don’t worry, Qiu Mian’s attitude is very firm. She wants an explanation, and the principal can’t say anything.”

"That's fine." Zhang Shutong breathed a sigh of relief. This could be considered a butterfly effect. He hadn't told Gu Qiumian last time, and Gu Qiumian... didn't seem to care much. She probably didn't want to ruin her mood, so she left it to someone else to handle.

But this time, the two of them had already discussed it at the library, and everything went smoothly except for the line she added herself.

"You don't know, Qiu Mian can be quite intimidating when she's cold, like the kind of person from a truly wealthy family, you know? She doesn't even have to say anything, the director still has to smile and ask her if this or that is okay..." Old Song said, grinning, "You better watch out in the future, kid. Don't do anything like that this afternoon, otherwise if something really goes wrong, I can't protect you, understand?"

Zhang Shutong, however, said he didn't understand.

He thought about the frightening side of Gu Qiu Mian—

However, it's hard to imagine, perhaps because Zhang Shutong is so bold, that he simply couldn't associate the word "scary" with the other person.

"Alright, get in the car."

Old Song tossed a mop into the trunk, and Zhang Shutong got back into the Ford Focus. This time the seats were dry, but the air conditioning wasn't very effective. They warmed up the car for a while, but the cabin still didn't get warm.

"Japanese air conditioners are still the most effective. I should have bought a Civic instead," Old Song muttered, shrugging his neck.

Men are not only experts in the realm of relationships, but also in the realm of automobiles.

"Hey Shutong," Song Nanshan glanced at the engine temperature gauge, shifted gears, and drove off, "I suddenly remembered, what did you mean when you said you wanted to learn to drive? You weren't joking, were you?"

Zhang Shutong nodded.

Old Song said with satisfaction, "That's right. As a man, it's time to develop an interest in cars. Let me explain..."

Zhang Shutong listened helplessly as he explained various car facts to him. In fact, he wasn't interested in cars; he just needed a reliable vehicle. He couldn't keep riding his bicycle around in the cold weather.

The car drove smoothly out of the school gate. There were few people on the street today. Old Song used both his hands and feet to explain the operating principles and precautions while shifting gears. Zhang Shutong listened attentively. He had a good memory and remembered the gist after listening once. However, Old Song said that understanding and being able to drive are two different things. He told Zhang Shutong to come up and try it himself when he had time.

Looking at the snow scene outside the window, Zhang Shutong asked if they would have to go downstairs to shovel snow again tomorrow. Song Nanshan replied that it depended on whether the snow had stopped or not, as the weather forecast was unreliable and no one knew when it would stop snowing.

"Why did it suddenly start snowing?" This was the question that Zhang Shutong couldn't understand the most. He looked at the snowflakes and muttered to himself.

Zhang Shutong didn't expect Lao Song to be able to answer her questions; he was just chatting casually.

"The weather is unpredictable." Song Nanshan smiled calmly, his face full of masculine composure.

He thought to himself, "Could you say something auspicious? I'm afraid something unexpected might happen."

However, the question was indeed nonsensical, so Zhang Shutong simply shut up and turned on the air conditioner.

Old Song continued:
"This is nothing. Have you forgotten about four years ago, around this time? That time the rain was even worse. Parts of Xuanming Lake froze over, and boats couldn't even sail out. It even made the national news..."

Zhang Shutong thought for a moment and said, "How come I don't remember?"
When the two compared their answers, they realized that Zhang Shutong hadn't transferred schools when that snow fell.

“Oh, I forgot you and Qiu Mian came in the second semester,” Old Song recalled. “That was my first year here, my first winter. I thought, what kind of place is this? It’s a godforsaken place, all you see is snow. I’d be huddled in bed eating instant noodles at night, and I was so regretful. I had to leave as soon as possible. Then the school administration said they were short of teachers, and told me to stay a little longer, Song. I thought, that makes sense. Our class is the first one I’ll be teaching, I can’t just leave halfway through, right? So I decided to stay. But I never expected to stay until now. I’m almost like Old Song now…”

As he spoke, Song Nanshan lowered the window, looked at the falling snow, subconsciously took out a cigarette, lit it, and sighed:
"This is the fourth winter."

He reached out and casually caught some snowflakes from outside the window, looked at his palm, but finally fixed his gaze on the Bulbasaur on the center console.

Zhang Shutong knew what the man was reminiscing about, but this time was different from before. Old Song didn't talk much about the girl and didn't bring up that past again.

Zhang Shutong didn't know whether she should ask... Perhaps it was best to keep this matter buried in the other person's heart.

He then recalled the man he met eight years later, dressed in a suit with his hair neatly combed. Their conversation was too brief; Zhang Shutong forgot to ask him where the Ford Focus was, whether the Bulbasaur on the center console was still there, and whether the man was married.

It would be best if he were already married; his child might be almost eight years old by then, otherwise he wouldn't be able to maintain such a presentable appearance.

Zhang Shutong tactfully offered a line from a song: "Dedicate your youth to that magnificent city behind you?"

"Hey, you know this song?" Old Song was taken aback at first, then smiled. "But I'm already halfway through my youth, while you guys are just starting out. In the blink of an eye, you bunch of little brats have grown up. Do you even remember how tall you were back then?"

Song Nanshan gestured with his hand as he spoke:
"At most 1.7 meters tall, that's about the same height as Ruoping now. Being able to watch you all grow up, how should I put it, sometimes I feel that staying here for four years was really worth it."

Zhang Shutong understood his unspoken message and asked, "Teacher, are you planning to switch jobs after you finish teaching this class?"

"Who can predict the future?" This time, Lao Song finally stopped speeding and focused on driving carefully. He stared ahead. "Teacher is a restless person. Actually, he's been quite stifled these past few years. If he has any dreams, it's probably to go out and travel."

"You really know how to hold it in," Zhang Shutong said with a laugh. "No wonder you drive around aimlessly every weekend."

"I can't stay idle. You know, there's not much to do on our island. Oh, except for the temple on the mountain, the one where Qinglian lives. It's barely a tourist attraction. I've gone there to burn incense a few times and even ran into Qinglian. But you know what, it's really weird. Imagine, you're a teacher, you go to the temple to burn incense, and the temple keeper is your student, wearing a long robe. Oh, you have to pay some incense money, right? And she's the one collecting the money. It's really strange..." Old Song was itching to complain.

Zhang Shutong thought to herself that this wasn't so strange. Luckily, technology wasn't advanced yet. It would be really strange if she casually pulled out a QR code and let you scan it in a few years.

Old Song tapped the steering wheel again, seemingly bored.
"Where else can we go? Qiu Mian's shopping mall? I browse there occasionally, and it's actually quite nice. I recently discovered a window in the supermarket that sells cooked food, and it tastes really good. Sometimes I buy some to take home as snacks with drinks. I'll take you to try it another day... Now that you mention it, I just remembered that her dad actually gave me several shopping cards."

"Oh, a bribe." Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "You'll be able to see that cooked food vendor soon."

"Yes, yes, yes." Old Song didn't mind. "But what use do I have for these things? Buying some gifts when I go home for the New Year is enough. What expenses can a bachelor have? I could bring back a color TV, but what would I do with it? Just as a decoration?"

It seems that Lao Song also has a lonely side.

Zhang Shutong felt a strong connection to the story, realizing it was similar to his own situation back then. He had earned money but nowhere to spend it; he didn't need it for small expenses, and he didn't have enough for large ones, so he kept saving it all up, only to find it was all for nothing now.

Zhang Shutong then jokingly asked, "Then why did you come here in the first place? Weren't you just looking for trouble?"
“Actually, I didn’t plan to come here to teach. I originally wanted to come and relax,” Song Nanshan said casually. “Back then, four years ago, something happened, and I was feeling down in the city. My ex-girlfriend happened to be a local, but I never came here. Plus, there weren’t any fun places around, so I thought I might as well come and see the scenery. Everyone says that seeing lakes and mountains can make you feel more relaxed… that makes a lot of sense.”

Zhang Shutong was taken aback upon hearing this.

He gleaned two new pieces of information from these words.

Of course, the first one wasn't exactly new; he had already guessed it. The "something happened" that Lao Song mentioned was probably his ex-girlfriend's car accident. He guessed that the man didn't want to be reminded of the past, so he simply moved to another city.

The second point was somewhat surprising; it was the first time he had learned that Song Nanshan's girlfriend was also from the island.

So, you went to work in your deceased lover's hometown?
But why?
He had initially thought that Lao Song left the city to avoid being reminded of him by familiar sights, but wasn't this getting closer and closer?

Or perhaps, after his girlfriend passed away, leaving only her elderly relatives, Lao Song came to support her parents.
So why are you considering leaving the company?

Zhang Shutong didn't really want him to recall these painful memories, but she still subconsciously asked:

"What about the teacher's girlfriend?"

"Her? There were some unexpected things between us, so we broke up." The man's tone was very casual, and he casually ruffled his hair. "Alright, don't worry about the teacher anymore, why don't you just..."

He wanted to suggest that he could teach the kid himself, but then his expression turned strange. It seemed that the kid had suddenly become enlightened today and didn't need him to teach him anymore.
The master and disciple sighed simultaneously, a faint sadness passing through their hearts.

Song Nanshan sighed because he had nowhere to pass on his experience, which he regretted.
Zhang Shutong felt that the timing was not right. Since Lao Song had made it clear that he didn't want to talk about his girlfriend, he shouldn't press him for details. There was no need to try to get information out of him. He still remembered the lesson from Leng Xuexian.

He then lazily said, "Teacher, if you feel lonely in the future, just come and find us. Anyway, my parents aren't home often, and Ruoping and the others also want to find someone to freeload off them."

Old Song laughed and scolded, "You only remember me now that you're here to freeload, huh? What do you guys want to eat this week? I'll take you. Why don't you invite Qiu Mian and Qing Lian along too?"

At this point, Old Song perked up:

"How about I take you guys out for some fun during winter break? We won't go too far. Did you know that a new highway was built these past few years? It only takes less than three hours to get from here to the next province. It's quite developed over there, with aquariums and amusement parks, things you're all interested in. What do you say, do you want to go?"

Zhang Shutong was quite interested in the aquarium. How could someone who likes fishing not like an aquarium? He said of course he wanted to. He counted on his fingers and realized that it was early December, and the holidays coming soon included Christmas, New Year's Day, winter vacation, and then the Spring Festival.

No one was more eager for the weekend to end than Zhang Shutong.

He subconsciously imagined his future life. The wind blowing from the driver's side didn't feel cold; instead, it made him feel refreshed, but it also pulled him back to reality. Then Zhang Shutong shook his head and thought that Lao Song's ability to steer the conversation off-topic was truly first-rate.

The police station wasn't far from the school; they were almost there. As Lao Song put it, the engine hadn't even warmed up yet. They parked the car by the roadside and braved the snow to enter the hall.

In small places, there are some unorthodox but effective methods. Zhou Ziheng's father rushed over. When the school contacted him, they only said that he had a conflict with his son and other students. It is estimated that Zhou's father was still wondering what kind of conflict could lead to the police station. In the end, he was taken away without saying anything. The father and son were questioned separately, and the matter was quickly settled.

The arson plan was also revealed by the other party, including the paper with their fingerprints on it.

Even without that piece of paper, Zhou's father, as the mastermind behind it all, knew who the participants were. Plus, now that confessing to accomplices could reduce his sentence, the man was naturally very eager to do so.

It's unknown how many people with the desire to steal but lacking the courage were implicated by him. It must have been another sleepless night for the police on the island.

The dispute in the commercial street has finally come to an end.

It went even more smoothly than Zhang Shutong had imagined.

Aside from Lao Song being taken aback when he saw Zhou Ziheng's father, it was quite strange that Lao Song didn't recognize him. He wanted to greet him and ask, "Brother, what brings you here? What happened?"
Then I just stared blankly as the other person was pulled away.

Old Song was heartbroken that he couldn't have the pig liver. Zhang Shutong sat with him on the bench in the lobby waiting for the results. She asked him curiously, "Why don't you know Zhou Ziheng's father? How did you become a homeroom teacher?"
Old Song said helplessly, "It's always his mother who comes to the parent-teacher conference. Besides, this isn't the city, so parents can at least bump into each other when they come to pick up their kids. You all just ride your bikes and leave. I'm not from around here, I don't know many people, how would I know that's his dad..."

As soon as Old Song finished speaking, just like a familiar face appeared, a middle-aged policeman came up to them:
"Teacher Song, it's been a long time."

Song Nanshan stood up, shook hands with the other party, and exchanged pleasantries for a moment:

"...I'm so sorry to have troubled you with that matter back then."

"Not at all, you're too kind."

As they talked, the two pushed open the glass door and went outside to smoke. Zhang Shutong was already bored, and his curiosity was piqued by the conversation. What connection could Lao Song have with the police?
Was your car stolen?

So he quietly went behind the door, hiding half of his body. He felt like he was becoming more and more like a detective lately. Through the thick laminated glass, the howling cold wind carried their intermittent conversation.

Old Song lit a cigarette for the policeman, snowflakes falling on his black police hat. The man pulled down the brim and squinted.
"...I said this four years ago when you came to her funeral..."

(End of this chapter)