Volume 3 Winter Solstice Chapter 6: Disappearance
Early the next morning, when Jiang You got up in a daze to go to the bathroom, he saw a thin layer of ice on the window.
He pulled up his trousers and pushed open the small window of the bathroom. The wind and snow blew on his face.
It was still a little dark.
The snow on the ground piled up.
He closed the window and walked out of the bathroom in his slippers.
The door to the second bedroom opened.
Jiang Mo was wearing light yellow pajamas and standing barefoot in front of the door.
"Good morning." Jiang You walked past him.
"Let's make a snowman," he yawned, "Let's do it after you wake up. Aren't you sleepy? No, it won't melt..."
There were two spider silk threads hanging on the door of the master bedroom . Jiang You stretched out his hand and was about to push them apart. When his fingers were about to touch the door, he seemed to think of something. He pulled his hand back and his eyes became clear. "Ten minutes, sleep for another ten minutes."
The transparent spider silk gradually melted into the air.
He walked into the bedroom, threw himself on the bed, and turned over while hugging the quilt.
The bed is so soft.
The quilt is so warm.
I'm so sleepy.
He was trapped, his consciousness was sinking and blurring...
The quilt, the quilt is moving.
Don't move.
He grabbed the quilt.
Still moving.
"Don't move," he said.
The quilt remained still for a few seconds.
Then, with great force, the quilt was pulled away from his arms. He finally opened his eyes and saw Jiang Mo standing at the foot of the bed, holding a corner of the quilt in his hand.
Most of the quilt fell to the ground.
"I got up , I really got up," Jiang You sat up against the back of the bed. He felt around the bed and found a half-full bottle of Coke. He unscrewed the lid and took a big sip. "I was just about to get up. Do you know gravity? It's this force that pulled me up, not letting me get up, and making me heavier."
Jiang Mo looked out the window.
Jiang You stood up, walked to the foot of the bed and picked up Jiang Mo. He went to the second bedroom first, put Jiang Mo on the bed, found socks and shoes for him to put on, rummaged through the closet, found a light blue down jacket, put it on him, and then carried him downstairs.
Open the store door.
A cold wind blew in.
He walked down the stairs holding the minced ginger. The sound of stepping on the snow was heard. The leaves of the camphor tree, the swing, the edge of the pond... were all covered with white snow.
The snow is still falling.
Looking up, I saw tiny snowflakes dancing and spinning endlessly.
He put Jiang Mo down, and Jiang Mo took a few steps forward.
The snow on the ground was not thick, only about seven or eight centimeters. Jiang You squatted down, gathered the snow with his hands, and made it into a small ball. Then he threw it lightly at Jiang Mo.
The snowball hit Jiang Mo's back, broke apart, turned into snow flakes, and slid down his down jacket.
When Jiang You was about to throw the second snowball, Jiang Mo turned around and a ball of snow fell from the sky and hit him.
He jumped a few times, letting the snow fall off, patted it with his hands, and then wiped his face. He said, "One more."
Another ball of snow fell, and when it landed on Jiang You, he moved to the side and the snowball hit the ground.
"Another, smaller one."
Jiang Mo glanced at him.
Jiang You waited for a while, but there was no movement. He said, "Hurry up."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a snowball bigger than the previous one flying towards him. He reached out and caught it, then took two steps back to release the force. Then he threw the snowball in the direction of Jiang Mo, who jumped away.
They had a snowball fight in the yard.
Snowball chased Jiang You, Jiang You chased Jiang Mo...
There is more and more snow in the yard.
Enough to build a snowman.
Finally, Jiang You caught up with Jiang Mo and picked him up. He said, "Okay, that's enough. Let's make a snowman."
Jiang You rolled a small snowball.
The minced ginger rolled a big snowball.
One big, one small, one up and one down, put together.
Then rub it to the left and pinch it to the right, and soon a snowman will be made.
After Jiang You walked around the snowman twice, he walked back to the store, went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and took out the half bag of finger radishes sleeping in a corner of the refrigerator. He looked at the color of the radishes and said, "It should be inedible, right?"
He took one out and inserted it into the middle of the snowman's head as a nose.
"How about buying a bunch of grapes instead of two eyes?"
At this time, he heard footsteps. In the dim morning light, Tang Butian stepped into the yard. Jiang You's hair was covered with snow, and his clothes were a little wet. He said, "So early, what's the matter?"
"There is a case."
"What do you think of my snowman?"
“It’s pretty good.”
"Come in and sit down. I'll change my clothes and come down. By the way, I've planted all the seeds you gave me. Some of them have already sprouted in the greenhouse..."
Tang Butian glanced in the direction of the flower room, then she followed Jiang You into the store. After sitting down, she saw Jiang Mo sitting down opposite her, staring at her.
"Morning," she said.
Jiang Mo looked at her.
"Would you like some milk?"
Jiang Mo continued to look at her.
She stood up, walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, found the milk, found the cup, poured the milk into the cup, put it in the microwave, and then she hesitated.
She walked to the kitchen door, looked at Jiang Mo and asked, "One minute or two minutes?"
Jiang Mo still looked at her and raised his hand to make a number two.
After Jiang You changed his clothes and went downstairs, he saw Tang Butian putting the hot milk in front of Jiang Mo.
Jiang You sat down, "Have you had breakfast?"
"No."
Jiang Mo held the cup with both hands, raised it, and took a sip.
"There's a shop selling soy milk, fried dough sticks and egg pancakes nearby. Let me see if they deliver food now. It's too cold and I don't want to go out." Jiang You went upstairs again and took down his phone. He found the shop and said, "It seems like they deliver food. Do you want sweet or salty tofu pudding?"
“Sweet.”
"Then I'll have a salty one," Jiang You ordered slowly, "and another serving of xiaolongbao, and two servings of Quanjiafu egg pancakes. Do you want spicy or sweet sauce?"
“Hot sauce.”
"I'll just have a sweet sauce," Jiang You paid and put down his phone, "What case?"
"Tangjiang University, sophomore year, two girls are missing."
"Your schoolmate? Then what?"
"They rented a house outside." Tang Butian pointed the phone screen at Jiang You. "After the counselor asked the landlord to open the door, the situation inside the house was detected. There was a fluctuation of spiritual power."
Jiang You looked at the photo on the screen. On the ground was an intricate and delicate abstract pattern of dark red circular gears of different sizes put together.
Jiang You rubbed his eyes and said, "I also rented the house to two girls yesterday."
"Is there something wrong with them?" Tang Butian asked.
"No, I just feel that renting it to two girls may not be reliable." Jiang You paused and asked, "How long have they been missing?"
"I don't know. It was close to the final exams and the class monitor couldn't contact them, so he told the counselor. The counselor contacted their parents, and the parents said they hadn't contacted them for a long time."
"It's really great. Isn't there any surveillance in the community?"
“There is only a record of entering the community a week ago.”