Thirteen Wonders (ShíSānYāo) : Chapter 26 - White Hair
Chapter 26: White Hair
The loss of Guan Xiaoxiao’s several hundred yuan in class funds was initially a ‘taboo’ subject. The whole class was on edge, as if an invisible thief lurked among them—more terrifying than ghosts, especially since the incident had already led to two deaths.
It wasn't until Wednesday afternoon that the truth finally surfaced. Students from the neighboring class, assigned to clean up in front of the building, were unclogging a drain when they used a wire to fish out a wad of soaked paper from the nearly stagnant water.
“What is this?”
Unlike regular paper, it had a reddish tint and was folded into a compact rectangular shape. A curious student carefully peeled it open and, from the parts that hadn't completely disintegrated, recognized it—it was the missing class funds.
In Guan Xiaoxiao’s memory, she had placed all the money in the classroom but had suddenly remembered she might need to buy something before leaving. So, she took a few bills with her, intending to cover the cost in advance.
Those few bills, folded up in her pocket, accidentally fell out when she passed by the drainage grates on the first floor. The gaps between the stone slabs were spaced just right, and with a gust of wind, the money was blown into the stagnant water below.
Once the truth was revealed, the tense atmosphere in the class dissipated, but it was even more heartbreaking—what had merely been an accident and a misunderstanding had led to the loss of two lives.
The school administration held several meetings to discuss whether surveillance cameras should be installed in classrooms, but the debate remained unresolved.
Zhou Yao went to pay respects to Cheng Yuan once. Mother Cheng still wore her simple, old but clean clothes, but her swollen, puffy eyes had lost all vitality.
A few times during class, Zhou Yao instinctively reached out to pass a draft notebook to the seat next to her, only to pause mid-motion and hesitantly pull her hand back. Those moments of distraction were rare—she would stare blankly at the empty seat for a few seconds before turning back around.
Hearing that Zhou Yao had been close with Cheng Yuan at school, Mother Cheng forced out a smile and spoke with her for a while. Before leaving, Zhou Yao gave her a deep bow. “When I first arrived at school, Cheng Yuan was the first person to speak to me. Later, she never discriminated against me or said anything about my condition. I’m very grateful to her. To have such a wonderful daughter, to have such a wonderful mother—you should both be proud of each other.”
“Thank you for giving me the chance to know Cheng Yuan.”
Mother Cheng covered half of her face, sobbing as she nodded repeatedly, unable to form words. “Auntie thanks you… Thank you… Good child…”
……
After everything that had happened, the plan for a museum visit was finally confirmed. The senior students were given half a day off to visit the Shazhong Museum.
They had to gather early in the morning. Zhou Yao packed her things, slung a small backpack over her shoulders, carrying a bag of bread to tide her over, a bottle of water, and fifty yuan. With that, she left the house simply and quietly.
As she was heading out, Zhou Ma happened to be coming in. Zhou Yao paused for a moment. “Dad, our school is organizing a visit, I’ll be—”
“I know, I know! You told me plenty of times already. Just go, go.”
Without even looking back, he went inside to grab something.
Zhou Yao glanced over her shoulder before continuing forward.
……
The mahjong parlor was busy. After a hectic half-day, Zhou Ma and his wife were both exhausted. Since there weren’t enough players in the afternoon, they decided to take a break. Mother Zhou went to chat with some neighbors, while Zhou Ma retreated to the back room to watch TV.
Feeling like having some tea, he couldn’t find the tea canister. Seeing that Zhou Yao’s room door was open, he knew it wouldn’t be inside, but he still hesitated before stepping in.
Zhou Yao was neat and organized. To be fair, there wasn’t another daughter as well-behaved as her in this whole neighborhood. Other families had their troubles—disobedient kids, talking back, poor grades, or worse, imitating thugs. Every parent had their headaches.
But none of that was an issue with Zhou Yao. She had been obedient since she was little and remained so even now.
An indescribable feeling stirred in Zhou Ma’s heart. Maybe they had neglected her for so long that neither he nor his wife thought there was anything special about this daughter. At some point, his wife had started treating her with the same dismissiveness that other parents reserved for their unruly children. And gradually, he, too, had treated her indifferently.
Had Zhou Yao ever done anything wrong?
No.
Looking around at the clean and tidy room, he saw the bed neatly made, the pillow placed just right, and her shoes arranged properly on the simple shoe rack. She even had a small bookshelf filled with books that neither he nor his wife could understand.
She knew how to craft things—she had carved wooden seals, made kites when she was little, woven bamboo strips, and even made a small bamboo basket.
He used to watch her back then, laughing at the clear, bell-like sound of her voice.
Zhou Ma realized he had been standing there for a while. Coming back to his senses, he felt an inexplicable urge to leave quickly. But as he passed her desk, a piece of paper caught his eye.
He stopped again and pulled it out. It was a ranking list from the last exam. Zhou Yao’s name was right there—she ranked second out of over a thousand students.
Zhou Ma held the paper in silence for a long time before finally placing it back where it was. Returning to the living room, he continued watching TV, but nothing on the screen registered.
After a long while, as if suddenly pricked by a needle, he shot up from his seat and strode out the door.
……
The evening sun was warm and golden. Zhou Ma carried a medium-sized cake box as he walked through the alley. A neighbor saw him and teased, “Whose birthday is it, Zhou Ma? Buying cake, huh?”
Zhou Ma just smiled and replied loudly, “Sitting around wasting time is boring. Wouldn’t it be better to have some tea at my place tonight?”
The neighbor laughed. “Only if there are enough people! Can’t play if there aren’t enough!”
“......”
After a brief exchange, Zhou Ma smiled faintly and continued home.
But before he could reach his house, someone suddenly called out, “Something’s happened! Something big!”
“What could be so shocking?” The neighbors weren’t too concerned.
“The mountain at Guinan collapsed! So many people died! The road is blocked off now…”
Hearing this, everyone perked up. “Really?”
“It’s on the news right now—local news—”
People rushed back inside to turn on their TVs. Only Zhou Ma stood frozen in place. “Where did you say?!” he asked, his voice trembling.
“Guinan Mountain! Near the museum! A huge landslide—cars flipped over, some fell down, lots of people died!”
Guinan Mountain Museum—
Zhou Ma’s face turned deathly pale. His hands and feet went cold. Then, as if struck by lightning, he suddenly bolted home. He tossed the cake onto the table, the box tilting to the side. He didn’t care. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, where the news was broadcasting the disaster.
The scene was pure chaos—rescue teams arriving, people wailing, sobbing, weak cries of pain flashing across the screen.
Zhou Ma stared at the television, unmoving. His eyes were locked onto the screen. The reporter at the scene was saying something, but all he could hear was a loud ringing in his ears, drowning out everything else.
Then, suddenly, Zhou Ma dashed out the door.
A neighbor called after him, “Zhou Ma! Where are you going—?”
There was no reply, only the sight of his figure disappearing into the distance.
……
“Where to? Guinan Mountain?” The taxi driver waved him off. “No way, it’s sealed off. The road is blocked.”
Zhou Ma knocked on the window of the next cab. “Sir, take me to Guinan Mountain! Hurry!”
“It is difficult to get to Guinan Mountain. The area is in chaos, and cars couldn’t get through. The roads surrounding it are completely sealed off—there is simply no way in.”
He went from car to car, asking, “Sir, are you going to Guinan Mountain?”
Each time, he was met with refusal. “No, not going.”
“Take me to Guinan Mountain!”
“You can’t get through, it’s blocked. Not going.”
“Guinan Mountain…”
“The roads are closed. Not going!”
Before long, everyone at the intersection knew about a middle-aged man who seemed possessed, insisting on going to the disaster-stricken Guinan Mountain. A street vendor selling a truckload of fruit on the roadside couldn’t bear it anymore. “Big brother, why are you so determined to go to Guinan Mountain? You really can’t get there right now! Why don’t you wait a while and see?” He pointed at the sky. “Look, it’s about to rain. The situation will definitely get worse. It’s too dangerous—who would go there now?”
Zhou Ma didn’t answer.
The vendor guessed, “You’re not looking for someone, are you? Who could be so important? It’s too dangerous now, don’t act recklessly…”
At those words, Zhou Ma turned to look at him, his eyes instantly bloodshot.
Who could be that important?
His daughter.
His daughter was still at Guinan Mountain.
……
By the time the rain started pouring, the streets had mostly emptied. Zhou Ma still hadn’t managed to get to Guinan Mountain. Eventually, the taxis were switching shifts, and most cars wouldn’t even stop for him anymore.
He was completely soaked, trudging through the mud, taking unsteady steps as he made his way back.
At the entrance of the alley, he suddenly saw a frail figure standing under an umbrella, looking at him.
“Dad?”
Zhou Ma jerked his head up. Zhou Yao stood not far away, looking at him with pure, quiet, and gentle eyes, like a delicate, pristine flower.
She hesitated for a moment, then quickly walked over to him, lifting her umbrella high to cover them both. “Dad, what happened…? Where did you go? Your clothes are drenched…”
Zhou Ma stared at her, at that face that bore some resemblance to his own. People often said that Zhou Yao would grow up well, inheriting all the best features from her parents. She was fair-skinned and beautiful, looking like she came from a well-educated family.
Under his intense gaze, Zhou Yao shrank back slightly. “…Dad?”
It felt like an eternity before the disheveled, rain-drenched middle-aged man in front of her suddenly turned red-eyed.
Zhou Ma squatted down, covered his face, and wept in silence.
……
Even after returning home with Zhou Ma, who had finally calmed down, Zhou Yao still felt something was off. After showering and changing into thick pajamas, she was about to close the door when she ran into a neighbor passing by.
The neighbor greeted her, “Yaoyao? Is your dad okay?”
Zhou Yao paused, hand on the door. “He’s busy at the mahjong parlor. Why?”
“Oh, you didn’t know? This evening, when Guinan Mountain collapsed and killed all those people, your dad ran off in a panic when he heard the news! Everyone was shocked.”
Zhou Yao froze.
“When he came back, he was with you—looking all filthy. No one knows what he was up to…”
The neighbor chatted a bit more before walking away. Zhou Yao stood by the door, dazed.
She shut the door and went to get some water. On the table where the vegetables were placed, she noticed a tilted cake box. Just then, Zhou Ma walked in. Zhou Yao asked, “Dad, what’s this?”
Zhou Ma glanced at it and looked away. “Bought a cake. It got smashed, probably can’t be eaten. Just throw it away.”
Without another word, he grabbed what he needed and went back to the mahjong parlor, leaving Zhou Yao standing there, lost in thought.
……
Late at night, Zhou Yao called Chen Xuze to her room to eat the deformed, smashed cake. Not only was he not mad, but he also sat obediently beside her.
She scooped up two bites for herself and then held up a forkful to Chen Xuze’s lips. He didn’t say anything, just quietly ate it. The two of them sat cross-legged on the floor, sharing the cake while looking at the crescent moon outside the window.
“What a shame, the strawberry on top fell off. No way to pick it up and eat it together.”
“I’ll buy you another one tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Their conversation flowed naturally.
When there was only one bite of cake left, Zhou Yao suddenly stabbed her fork into it and didn’t move for a long time.
She tilted her head slightly, gazing at the moon.
“I always thought… he didn’t care about me.”
“But today…”
Chen Xuze stayed silent, listening intently.
“But today, he…”
“But…”
Zhou Yao kept saying ‘but’ without finishing her sentence.
“I think…”
Finally, as she spoke, Chen Xuze caught a glimpse of a single glistening tear on her face, its sheen almost indistinguishable from the moonlight.
She said:
“He might still love me, just a little. Even if it’s just a tiny bit.”
Chen Xuze, momentarily distracted, thought—compared to the moonlight…
She was far more beautiful.
……
The last bite of cake was eaten. The box and fork went into the trash.
What a shame.
That fallen strawberry—no one would ever know whether it was sweet or sour.
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