Chapter 3: Fate
After returning from Zhongyuan Cave, Xiao Yao was still worried that Chu Yu would ignore his advice and sneak back to Zhongyuan Cave for adventure.
Ke Chu You seemed to have already forgotten that she was the one who proposed going on an adventure to Zhong Yuan Cave, and these days she's been dragging Xiao Yao around taking pictures everywhere, without mentioning anything about entering Zhong Yuan Cave again.
This afternoon, Xiao Yao felt a little uneasy in his heart. It was already past two o'clock, and Chu Yu hadn't come to find him yet. This made Xiao Yao, who had gotten used to spending afternoons playing with Chu Yu, feel somewhat anxious.
He arrived at Zhang's house and saw that there was only an old lady in the yard. The old lady had been a widow since her early years, with only one daughter who had died young. The old lady was somewhat deaf, and Xiao Yao called out to her several times without getting a response.
"Is Zhang Danni and Xiao Chu not here?" Xiao Yao said loudly to the old man who was a bit hard of hearing.
"Ah......? Didn't Little Chu go find you? I saw her leave with that camera case on her back." The old lady's words made Xiao Yao's heart sink.
"Zhong Yuandong!" She went on an adventure alone? Xiao Yao was frightened.
This is perhaps the inertia of the wheel of fate, or Chu Yu is his destined calamity! He pulled her back from the gates of hell 25 years ago, relying on the coincidence of time and space, but she insisted on rushing into the Zhongyuan Cave where there is no return. What a calamity indeed!
"Uncle!...... Uncle...... it's not good!" Xiao Yao rushed into the village committee in a panic, just as the branch committee members were having a meeting. The old branch secretary was conveying the spirit of the superiors brought back from the township meeting.
"What's wrong, Xiao Xiao?! You're in such a hurry! Slow down...". Although he was somewhat displeased that someone had burst in and interrupted his speech during the meeting, upon seeing that it was his son's classmate Xiao Yao, a smile immediately appeared on Old Branch Secretary Xu Mantang's face.
"Xiao Chu is gone!" Xiao Yao exclaimed loudly, panting heavily.
"Xiao family brothers! You're also too incompetent, Xiao Mei is nowhere to be seen and you're already in such a state, how will you be able to control her later?" The female director Chun Cai's wife burst out laughing.
The village cadres were also delighted.
These days, the two university students have been inseparable, and this rumor is probably related to Xu Kun's wife. Now seeing Xiao Yao frantically searching for someone makes me laugh even more.
"A few days ago, she said she wanted to go into the Zhongyuan Cave to play, but I stopped her. This afternoon, there's no sign of her, and the camera is not in the house either. I'm worried about her..." Xiaoyao knew what they were laughing at, these people are all his elders, he didn't want to explain too much, first make it clear what's important.
"Zhong Yuandong!" Xu Mantang was originally nonchalant, thinking it was just some young people's business. But upon hearing the name Zhong Yuandong, his expression suddenly turned solemn.
Xu Mantang, as the host of Qiushan Gorge for over twenty years, was well aware of the numerous bizarre disappearance incidents that had occurred in Zhongyuan Cave.
His third brother's youngest son was the one who went missing in Zhongyuan Cave at the age of ten, and to this day his third brother still has occasional bouts of madness, known as "Third Crazy"... There's also Zhou Laogui's younger uncle, Zhang Dangnu's only daughter... All these children went missing in Zhongyuan Cave.
"That's a man-eating cave!" Chun's wife was so scared that her notebook fell to the ground.
"How dare this little girl be so bold!" Xu Zhonghe, the director of the security department, couldn't help but curse.
"Uncle Mǎn Táng! We must quickly send someone into the cave to search!" Xiāo Yáo hastily said.
"Into the cave?" As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present immediately fell silent. Although Xiao Chu had not been here for long, everyone in the village, from top to bottom, really liked her, but when it came to going into the Zhongyuan Cave for the sake of this outsider... everyone hesitated.
"Get Yang San'ge over here!" Xu Mantang said thoughtfully to his nephew Xu Zhong.
"That's right! Only Old Sheep has been in..."
Yang San has been in before, but he...
Lao Yang, originally surnamed Yang, was from Henan Province. During the liberation, he was conscripted and later captured, after which he settled in Qiushanyu. Alone and with no family, the village arranged for him to herd sheep and watch over the forest collectively.
In the past few years, Lao Yang was treated unfairly, but later the county forestry bureau implemented policies and gave him a forest ranger position, now he can be considered as someone who eats "public food".
When Xu Zhong brought him over, he didn't say anything. After arriving and hearing that they were going to enter the Zhongyuan Cave to find Chu Yu, his face immediately hung with a big worry character. On the face full of wrinkles and folds, his eyebrows furrowed into a river character, not saying a word, just squatting there silently puffing on his tobacco pouch.
"Yang San Shu, say something!" Xiao Yao looked at him like that, anxious and couldn't help but shout.
"Entering the cave isn't impossible, but going too deep is daunting!... Forget it! Little Chu that girl is Huang's master, I'll risk my old life to venture into Zhongyuan Cave once more."
Huáng Mèi Zǐ is the adopted son of Old Sheep's family, although not his biological granddaughter, but after his adopted son passed away, the two became dependent on each other and were closer than blood relatives. Chǔ Yuè, who lived next door, was very fond of Huáng Mèi Zǐ, who was a diligent and lovely girl, and often took time to guide her studies.
After making up his mind, Lao Yang sighed and said, "Zhong Yuandong! How did she end up in this damn Zhong Yuandong!"
"Yes! I've been saying that this haunted place should be sealed off for a long time. After this incident, we'll pool our money and labor to seal off this man-eating cave!" Xu Zhong said indignantly.
"That's all, let's stop talking and start preparing immediately. Every minute counts in saving lives!" Xu Mantang stopped the crowd's chatter and waved his big hand to say.
Zhongyuan Cave Entrance. When Lao Zhi and the cadres and militiamen arrived, it was noon. The afternoon sun shone on them from the opposite mountain, but there were several large rocks blocking both sides of the cave entrance. Even in the midday sun, the entrance to the cave was still dark, and a gust of cold wind occasionally blew out, making people feel a bit chilly.
According to the old branch book and other village cadres, they did not want Xiao Yao to enter the cave at first. After all, one had already fallen in and couldn't afford to lose another. However, after a few rounds of persuasion, no one could stop him. But before entering the cave, Xiao Yao pulled the old branch book aside.
"Uncle Mantang, if... you should quickly send someone to report to the countryside, Xiao Chu's father is the daughter of Municipal Committee Leader Chu Tian Shu, Director. If something really happens, even the county will not be able to handle it."
Xiao Yao knew Chu Yu's identity after Chu Yu got into trouble. In this situation, if they didn't clarify things, the village wouldn't be able to organize a rescue with their own strength alone.
"Ah! How can you say this... Why didn't you tell me earlier?! You know Father is such a high-ranking official, even if I sent someone to follow her every day, she still wouldn't be able to get away with this!"
Xu Mantang was shocked to hear Chu Yu's true identity. As a municipal committee cadre, he had been an old party member who had eaten public food for so many years, how could he not be clear about it?
Thinking of the figure in his dreams for over twenty years and that tragic past, he still couldn't believe how the fate that had been changed by him could possibly return to its original trajectory.
