“There’s a fish here with me.”
This was the phrase I found on a missing persons website while searching for the names of the archaeological team on Yongxing Island.
Just now, when I was recounting my experiences to the old lady, I didn’t mention this line, as it was a detail I chose to overlook. However, when Huo Xiuxiu read it out slowly, there was a hint of mockery and a touch of pride in her voice. Hearing her say this took me by surprise, and I realized she might really know something, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to mention such a crucial phrase.
It seemed she had also searched for those people’s names online and had seen that website. This suggested that she had at least genuinely investigated these matters.
Facing this little girl, I felt surprisingly calm. It was strange that I had no curiosity or doubt; perhaps it was because she was younger, and I felt my experience in the world surpassed hers. Looking at her smug expression, I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, thinking there was nothing to be proud of.
“Alright, I admit you’ve looked into this matter too. However, that website is too easy to find, and it doesn’t mean you know something I don’t. I saw that photo years ago.”
The little girl remained unfazed, looking at me with the same expression, and said slowly, “You’re wrong. I never said the words on that photo were something I found online.”
I was taken aback for a moment, sensing there was something more to her words. At first, I was a bit dazed by her gaze, but I quickly realized that her smile was not just the pride of a child.
I wondered why she looked at me with such confidence. I didn’t appear particularly passive, and I felt I wasn’t weak in terms of presence. Yet her gaze was unwavering, as if she had a hundred percent certainty in persuading me, even though what she used to persuade me didn’t seem that compelling.
After some consideration, I felt it was unlikely she was just being clever, as that would be rather juvenile. If she wasn’t just being clever, it meant she believed what she presented was strong, and I might not have grasped its strength. Suddenly, a thought surged in my mind, and I thought, could it be?
“Big sister,” I blurted out, “did you post that missing persons notice and that photo? Did you write that line?”
“Yes, that’s right.” Huo Xiuxiu said proudly, “When you mentioned searching for those names, I knew you would definitely find that photo.”
“You—” I was instantly at a loss for how to respond. I had always thought the person who published that should at least be someone older, like my Uncle San, perhaps an elder or brother from the archaeological team back then. I never expected it to be this little girl.
She took out a cartoonish notebook from her pocket and pulled out a black-and-white photo, handing it to me. It was the group photo, with the words “There’s a fish here with me” written on it, exactly the same as the one I had seen online. This must have been the photo that was scanned and uploaded to the internet.
This was the first time I had seen the original version of their group photo, and holding it felt surreal, as if I had crossed into another world.
“Take a look at this,” Xiuxiu said, pulling out another photo to hand to me.

I recognized it at a glance; it was a photo of Huo Ling when she was young, a full-body shot. At this time, she must have just crossed into her teenage years, dressed in the typical clothing of that era, with a ponytail, and there were printed words saying “Youth Day Commemoration” beside her. My heart stirred as I looked at it; she was so charming, almost like a fairy, and she bore a striking resemblance to the girl in front of me, Xiuxiu.

“This is a photo of my aunt when she was eighteen, taken at Wangfujing during the May Fourth Youth Day,” she said.

“What do you think?” I asked, puzzled.

“Look at this one,” Xiuxiu said, pulling out another photo. It was an image from a newspaper showing a Liberation truck adorned with flowers. I couldn’t tell what event it was in Beijing, but I recognized the backdrop of the Liberation truck; it was the same intersection where Huo Ling was photographed, as I saw the same road sign.

“I found this at the Beijing Museum. It seems to be another photo from the same intersection, taken in 1984. Based on the height of the Liberation truck and the angle at which it was shot, I estimated the height of that road sign, and then inferred my aunt’s height using the sign. I also found out what shoes my aunt was wearing at the time and calculated her barefoot height to be about 1.68 meters. Now look at this,” she handed me another color photo. I instantly recognized it as a dock where Xisha and her group of ten took a photo, but there was no one at the dock. The background featured a sand hill, and leaning against a cable post was a Phoenix bicycle.

“I found that dock back in the day and took a photo from the same angle. Using the cable post on the dock as a reference, I calculated the height of the post based on the bicycle. I also found the shoes from that time and tested my aunt’s barefoot height in this photo, which came out to be about 1.60 meters.”

“That’s an eight-centimeter difference,” the chubby guy frowned.

“I took into account the shoes, as there were very few types of shoes back then. This method has been validated and is very accurate. If we include the shoes, the heights of the people in both photos are essentially the same. But if we calculate without the shoes, it reveals that a young girl actually shrank by eight centimeters during her teenage years,” Xiuxiu said. “So, it really is two different people; your deduction is correct!”

I let out a breath, and Xiuxiu continued, “I haven’t shown these to my grandmother yet, but it seems my aunt really has passed away.”

“That little girl is quite sharp,” the chubby guy said, staring in amazement at the photos. “This is high-tech stuff.”

“I’m a cultured person, different from you all,” Xiuxiu said proudly. “So, do you think I now qualify to make a deal with you?”