"Of course it's real, it's sitting right in my mom's office."
"So you didn't just make that up to test her," Lu Qinglian said with a soft sigh. "I misjudged you, Student Zhang Shutong. I take back what I just said."
"I didn't leak any extra information to her. I didn't even mention that you're a shrine maiden," Zhang Shutong said, feeling deeply wronged.
"So what do you make of it, that altar?" Lu Qinglian didn't take up his complaint, instead casting her gaze over the entrance of the tunnel.
"Let's go get the statue first before discussing it," Zhang Shutong stopped chitchatting. "I think those pit holes look like they were prepared for the statues. We might as well put it in and try, which happens to verify some conjectures."
He explained further:
"Think about it, the old house itself was locked up, and there was even a layer of Boston ivy blocking it from the outside. If it hadn't rained that day, none of us would have noticed it, and the other end was blocked completely solid. It couldn't possibly be just for a single rock relief, right?
"What I mean is, the legend of the foxes wasn't completely 'covered up.' Anyone could definitely look into it if they put their mind to it. Since that's the case, why go to such great lengths to conceal the existence of the foxes? What's the point of this?"
Zhang Shutong pondered:
"So I feel like it shouldn't be as simple as covering up a legend. Regardless of whether it's true or false, that place serves some other purpose, though it can't be seen for the time being... On the contrary, what do you think?"
Zhang Shutong knew her curiosity was very faint, yet this matter held a connection with the Green Snake Temple.
"The clues are right before our eyes." As expected, Lu Qinglian never hesitated.
Zhang Shutong nodded.
In truth, it wasn't just the Green Snake Temple, but it also included the owner of that basement. It was highly probable that the counterpart had blocked up the fox altar. In other words, was there a connection between the foxes and the clay figures?
The threads were getting more and more tangled.
"Let's go study that statue first." Zhang Shutong pointed at his phone. "I'll first ask if my mom's office is locked."
When the three of them were underground just now, there was one sentence he hadn't lied about, which was that his mother's office was indeed quite far from here. Especially when riding a bicycle, a round trip would take about an hour.
Just as he was thinking about how to take a shortcut, the other end of the line connected:
"Aren't you here yet? Am I supposed to drop the ingredients for the final dish into the wok or not?" The noise of the range hood echoed in the background, and his mother's tone sounded like plant oil that was about to boil. "How many times have I called you? Where are you right now?"
"Right away, right away," Zhang Shutong covered the microphone. "Mom, that fox you showed me this morning..."
"What fox or no fox? Zhang Shutong, if you don't come back right now, I'm going to stir-fry you like a fox!"
The phone hung up with a sharp beep.
"Go directly?" Lu Qinglian was currently shutting the iron door on the ground completely.
"Let's go home and eat first." Zhang Shutong let out a sigh. "Mm... my mom complains that my career drive is too intense."
He thought to himself that Student Lu wasn't much different.
More than ten minutes later, amidst the rustling night breeze, Zhang Shutong turned into the main gate of the residential compound.
The two of them cooperated with reasonable rapport along the way; he pedaled the bicycle while Lu Qinglian held the flashlight from behind. Soon, the bright lights of the dormitory building came into view.
Zhang Shutong parked the bicycle well. He had originally wanted to introduce the place to her, only to remember that Lu Qinglian had already visited once.
He opened the door, and the scent of food rushed into his nose.
The words "flustered and frantic" didn't seem to exist in his mother's dictionary.
The anticipated scene of her rushing out of the kitchen, wiping grease from her hands onto her apron, did not appear. The moment he stepped through the door, he saw her sitting on the sofa peeling an apple at an unhurried pace.
"Hello, Auntie," Lu Qinglian said politely. "Sorry to trouble you."
"It's nothing. Is it cold today? Come in quickly." His mother stood up with a smile. "There's one dish left, and we can eat right away. You two sit down first. Zhang Shutong—"
She drew out her voice as she headed to the kitchen. Zhang Shutong understood her meaning, bending down to fish out slippers.
"Change into them yourself." To avoid any awkwardness, Zhang Shutong simply walked over to the sofa.
He first picked up the thermos and gave it a shake. It was filled with warm water, which his mother had prepared in advance. Thinking that the two of them had been running around outside all day, warm boiled water would quench their thirst much better than a cup of scalding tea.
During the process of pouring water, he realized that this was actually only the second female classmate to visit his home as a guest, following Ruoping.
Ruoping shared a great relationship with his mother. The two of them would chatter away the moment they met, having endless topics to discuss. In contrast, Lu Qinglian merely held her cup, sitting quietly on the sofa.
She was even more composed than he was.
The light in the living room was newly installed, yet it wasn't particularly bright. It emitted a warm yellow glow, barely managing to fill the tiny room.
The sky outside had already grown dark. Zhang Shutong turned his head, able to see their reflected silhouettes in the glass.
"Watch TV?" Zhang Shutong asked.
"No need." Lu Qinglian shook her head.
"Eat an apple?"
"Thank you."
Only then did Zhang Shutong realize that the apple hadn't been fully peeled yet. Their family used a fruit knife to peel skins, which was highly difficult. This kind of craftsmanship wasn't something everyone possessed.
Zhang Shutong tried his best.
The apple peel broke.
Zhang Shutong peeled again.
It broke again.
Soon, the apple looked bumpy and uneven, like it had been gnawed on by a dog.
Zhang Shutong cast a glance at Lu Qinglian.
"Give it to me," she said with a touch of helplessness.
Zhang Shutong watched her lower her eyes. The apple rotated in her hands, and very quickly, a beautiful, unbroken strand of apple peel was perfectly produced.
Zhang Shutong watched her shift her posture again. As her hand rose and the knife fell, a small piece of apple landed in the dish.
Lu Qinglian pushed the dish forward, her meaning self-evident. Harboring a strange mood, Zhang Shutong voiced his thanks, pinching the piece of apple to pop it into his mouth.
The juice burst out, and it tasted quite good.
Knowing that she loved eating apples, Zhang Shutong pushed the dish back to her. To his surprise, Lu Qinglian stopped her hand holding the knife, gave him a sidelong glance, and with a crisp crunch, she bit off a mouthful of the apple.
"...I originally intended for you to eat it yourself."
"Mm, I meant the same thing." She chewed in small bites.
"Student Lu Qinglian, have you ever heard of the word harahei (two-faced/deceptive)?"
"What?"
"It means a person looks very pure and airheaded on the outside, appearing to lack guile, but in reality, their belly is filled entirely with black ink." Zhang Shutong kindly helped popularize the term for her.
"Student Zhang Shutong," the deceptive woman put down her apple. "I guess Auntie will ask what you did today in a moment."
She tilted her head with a look of pure incomprehension:
"What did you do at noon and in the evening?"
"Have a taste." Zhang Shutong finished peeling a mandarin orange.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, which signified a reasonably satisfied meaning:
"In a moment."
Thinking with a weary heart, Zhang Shutong felt like the leverage she held over him was growing more and more numerous.
At this moment, another phone call rang out. It was from Qingyi. Qingyi said with a bitter face that Ruoping should still be angry; he had just called, but the girl didn't pick up. Zhang Shutong also felt a bit worried. Just as they were about to discuss a few words, the kitchen door slammed open with a bang.
This was usually the signal that dinner was served.
His mother called him to help bring out the dishes.
Zhang Shutong had no choice but to offer a brief apology first. The moment he stepped into the kitchen, his mother pulled him over and asked in a low voice:
"Where's the apple?"
"Eaten."
"That's good." His mother spoke with a relieved gaze that seemed to say my son has finally grown up. "I originally wanted to slice them for you two, but after thinking it over, I decided to leave the chance for you to show off. What was Qinglian's reaction?"
Zhang Shutong was suddenly left speechless.
He thought to himself that it could actually turn out like this. He had indeed shown off, but the problem was that Lu Qinglian had shown off in front of her son.
Zhang Shutong silently took the dish plate, deciding to speak less in a moment.
The truly headache-inducing situation should be at the dining table.
Sure enough, the three of them sat down properly shortly after.
"Mmm... I feel like you two are still a bit reserved?" His mother scanned the two of them.
At the rectangular dining table, his mother sat alone on one side, while he and Lu Qinglian sat on the other side.
"It's fine," Zhang Shutong explained. "The two of us are usually like this, we rarely speak."
He looked at Lu Qinglian, and Lu Qinglian also nodded her head gently.
"I thought you two would have many common topics to talk about?" His mother feigned surprise.
"No." Two voices rang out simultaneously.
"See, see." His mother clutched her stomach in laughter.
"Auntie, it is because he likes to mimic my words."
"Don't mimic other people's words in the future," his mother chimed in to support her.
Zhang Shutong was choked up by the words. At this moment, his mother raised her wine glass and cheered with her eyes curved into smiles:
"Come, let's toast first."
Zhang Shutong clinked his high-born goblet. Right now, everyone was still drinking Huiyuan juice; in a little while, it would suddenly switch to the uniform Under the Hawthorn Tree. Many matters changed in this imperceptible manner.
Today featured four dishes and one soup: wolfberry old chicken soup, winter melon stewed with pork ribs, green pepper fried with shredded pork, tomato fried with eggs, and a dish of king oyster mushrooms. It was indeed very sumptuous. Zhang Shutong had grown up eating the first three dishes; his mother's culinary skills belonged to staying within her comfort zone with occasional extraordinary performances, but the moment she stepped out of it, she headed straight for the lower limit.
What Zhang Shutong referred to was exactly that dish of king oyster mushrooms. He had actually wanted his mother to stir-fry king oyster mushroom slices, a simple clear stir-fry would do, but for some reason, she had not only diced them but also added soy sauce, to the point where Student Lu failed to recognize what it was at all.
She picked up a bite, her chopsticks pausing briefly within her small, delicate lips.
Zhang Shutong didn't plan to expose his own mother's shortfalls either. He didn't speak, only wanting to eat his food silently, but his mother's words wouldn't stop:
"Qinglian, how is your foot doing?"
"The recovery is mostly complete."
"Do you need me to pick you up for school these next few days?" His mother wasn't just being polite; she genuinely cared. "I told Tong... Shutong several times. Did he mention it to you?"
Zhang Shutong had indeed mentioned it, but Lu Qinglian expressed that it was unnecessary.
Right now, she gracefully declined again, so his mother stopped pressing the matter.
Zhang Shutong had originally thought that once the atmosphere was sufficiently built up, his mother would say very movingly, "Qinglian, thank you for saving Shutong last time..." or something along those lines. Yet for some reason, his mother didn't mention it at all. She simply kept piling food into Lu Qinglian's dish, while simultaneously giving him frantic looks. Zhang Shutong couldn't understand what she meant at all. He could only bite the bullet and ask:
"Is it delicious?"
"Very delicious."
"Then what do you want to eat next time? Auntie will make it?"
"I..." Lu Qinglian shook her head.
"Is there somewhere that doesn't suit your taste?" his mother asked worriedly.
"Very delicious." Lu Qinglian had no choice but to repeat herself.
"Then you'll come again next time, right?" His mother blinked her eyes pitifully.
Lu Qinglian turned her head. Zhang Shutong knew he couldn't continue playing dead anymore:
"Mom, let's look at the time. She's quite busy."
"Alright, then it's a deal. Next week it is," his mother asserted decisively.
Zhang Shutong thought to himself that she shouldn't have reached the age of auditory hallucinations yet.
The matter of eating a meal seemed to be hammered out just like that. His mother asked again, "Are you two still in the same class?"
Zhang Shutong said they were currently desk mates.
"Then does Shutong usually cause trouble for you?" his mother asked, cradling her face in her hands.
Lu Qinglian didn't answer immediately. This woman actually raised her chin, thinking about it seriously.
Zhang Shutong poured juice for her.
"No, Student Zhang Shutong studies very earnestly."
"Is that so? That's good then. I was just afraid he would go wild with playing." His mother began to flash her eyes again.
"But he always looks for me to talk during class."
Hearing this, his mother lost her color—this time it was a genuine loss of color, not faked. She said in surprise:
"For real? You actually actively look for people to talk to?"
"Discussing studies."
His mother looked at Lu Qinglian again.
"Basically, yes." Lu Qinglian added calmly again, "But it is best to pay attention to his sleep quality and psychological health issues."
"Have you been experiencing insomnia lately? Is the pressure very high?" His mother's heart was even larger.
"No." Zhang Shutong denied it in a hurry. He had already finished his rice in two or three bites, feeling restless and uneasy for the first time. "I'm done eating..."
His mother raised her eyebrows:
"The two of us haven't finished eating yet. What are you running for?"
Zhang Shutong really wanted to say that Lu Qinglian had actually finished eating too.
This was his first time seeing Lu Qinglian eat so much food. Usually, she only ate a small box of rice; even during gatherings, she would only taste a little bit, as nobody forced her to eat anyway.
Yet she couldn't withstand his mother desperately piling food into her dish today, rambling all the while about how it was exactly the time to grow her body, so she should eat more, especially for girls, otherwise it would harm her health...
She had even specially prepared a pair of public chopsticks used for serving food. Lu Qinglian possessed an efficient nature and never uttered nonsense, so every time his mother served food, she would stuff it into her mouth. By the time Zhang Shutong finished his side, the rice in her bowl hadn't moved much, while the bones on the dining table were about to pile into a small mountain.
It was equally Zhang Shutong's first time seeing Lu Qinglian reveal a helpless expression. Every time she was just about to speak, a piece of pork rib was placed in her bowl; just as she was about to refuse, a chicken drumstick was fed over again; just as she was about to put down her chopsticks, a spoonful of tomato fried with eggs was blanketed over her rice again.
Even a layer of oily sheen appeared on her pink lips.
Zhang Shutong admired his own mother to the point of absolute prostration. This seemed to be a method to make Lu Qinglian speak a bit less; he planned to try it next time.
When the young girl cast her gaze toward him for the first time, Zhang Shutong forcefully suppressed his laughter.
The second time, Zhang Shutong considerately refilled her juice.
By the third time:
"Do you want me to scoop another bowl of rice for you? Don't be polite."
"Auntie," Lu Qinglian finally spoke, saying slowly, "Actually, Student Zhang Shutong ran into a..."
"Looking at it this way, you're full? Then don't eat anymore. It's easy to get indigestion at night. Mom, you have a few bites too."
"Alright, alright, then you two go out to do some activities tonight, don't get stuffed out." His mother put down her chopsticks with regret, before asking out of curiosity, "What is it? Who did he run into today?"
First of all—
It was impossible for Zhang Shutong to help solve the leftover rice she couldn't finish in her bowl.
Who knew that Lu Qinglian would say:
"A fox."
"A fox?"
Both mother and son were startled.
"We saw a rock wall carved with a fox today, which was why we were delayed for a bit and kept Auntie waiting for a long time." Lu Qinglian first wiped her mouth before pulling out that flip phone. She clicked open the photo album with some unfamiliarity; it turned out she had actually taken photos while down below:
"He told me you have seen this fox. Can you take us to look at it?"