Teacher Sun, her counselor, had initially been a bit worried about Su Qing taking a long leave of absence. After all, being away from school for an extended period wasn't good for a student's academics. But during last semester's final exams, Su Qing had placed first, putting Teacher Sun's concerns to rest with her tangible results. So, when Su Qing requested a long leave this time, Teacher Sun didn't say much, simply reminding her not to neglect her studies.
When classes ended for the day, Su Qing, having not seen her dorm mates in a long time, decided to go to a small restaurant off-campus for a big meal to catch up. The market was becoming more open, and many small stalls and eateries had sprung up near Beijing University, making the area quite lively.
