The midday sun beat down, drenching her in sweat. Even so, pedaling a cargo tricycle under the scorching heat couldn't dampen Xu Changqing's cheerful mood.
Her good mood persisted even after she returned the cargo tricycle, got her deposit back, and realized she would miss the bus she'd planned to take home before three p.m.
She was still in high spirits, but her delay was torturing Shen Weimin, who was waiting for her back in Chaoyang County. He had been waiting since noon, his anxiety growing with every passing moment.
When Xu Changqing went to the Provincial Department Store to spend all her daily necessities coupons, Shen Weimin was anxious, but he wasn't yet worried that his Changqing would be abducted.
When Xu Changqing went to the secondhand market near the department store and delightedly dug up two scrapped watches, a radio, a mantel clock, and other things, Shen Weimin still wasn't concerned about her getting lost.
