Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was August. Neither Li Xiu nor Zhou Lian ever brought up the university exams—what would happen if she got in, or if she didn't. It was as if the matter didn't exist, and they carried on with their lives just as they always had.
On a hot summer afternoon, the scorching sun beat down upon the earth, and cicadas droned tirelessly from the trees. Most of the villagers had gathered to cool off in the shade of the large trees in front of the village headquarters when the ring of a bicycle bell drew everyone's gaze. A smiling postman was asking for directions to Zhou Lian's house.
The village chief, Ge Dayu, stood up and asked with a puzzled look, "You're looking for Zhou Lian? Delivering a letter?"
Seeing the postman's confused expression, one of the onlookers chimed in, "This is our village chief."
