Fang Yu made a promise with Fang Huahua that she would write to her after school started. "I haven't written a letter yet," Fang Huahua said, sticking out her tongue and shrinking her neck.

"That letter was written to me, I'm so honored! I'll tell you about the latest happenings at the provincial capital school later."

"OK!"

"Huahua, hasn't your period started yet?" Fang Yu asked with concern, like an older sister.

"Hmm, not yet. Am I a man?" Fang Huahua asked with a bitter face.

"Nonsense, you're a man, and I slept with you for so long." Fang Yu chuckled at her words.

“No,” Fang Huahua looked down at her chest in confusion, “I’m still so small here.”

"Maybe you're a late bloomer. If this part doesn't develop, you won't get your period."

"It would be best if I came back after I graduated. It's too much trouble at school. There was a girl in my class whose crotch was bleeding, and we all saw it. After we reminded her, she took off her coat and covered her buttocks before going home."

"Or I can bring you a sanitary napkin first, and you can use it when you arrive."

"But if I come to school, I can't carry it with me all the time."

"Is there any dirt on your underwear? If so, it's coming soon."

"It doesn't seem like it has yet." Fang Huahua shook her head.

"Then you might not actually come right away."

Fang Yu went to the provincial capital with Yu Jihong and Fang Sandi before the start of the school year.

Once the school was confirmed, Yu Jihong found a breakfast shop about half an hour away by bus.

Customers call her "boss lady." She used to envy Fang Meili and the lantern factory owner's title, but now she is a boss lady too, the boss lady of the steamed bun shop.

Fang Dongqiang's family has started his three years of high school. Fang Meixiang can talk more now than before, she can wash her own clothes, and she can even help sweep the floor. Fang Damiao continues to help out at Fang Meili's place, and often goes home to stay overnight. Fang Meili's shop is doing quite well and her business is stable.

Fang Huahua is in her final year of junior high school. Both she and her younger brother are not doing well academically, and they're just waiting to graduate so they can start working and earning money. Their family's situation isn't optimistic. Huahua is still the same as before, and while they've spent a lot of money on her mother Fang Shugen's medical treatment, her condition hasn't improved. They've now been brought home from the hospital and are staying at home.

Everything Fang Yu learned at school was so new and exciting—playing the piano, dancing, and doing handicrafts—all of which she enjoyed.

As soon as school started, Fang Yu wrote a letter to Fang Huahua. The letter paper was bought from the school store and was printed with light pink roses. Huahua said that her letter paper was pretty. She would put a blank letter paper in the envelope and write back to Huahua.

Occasionally, Fang Yu would think of Fang Dongqiang. Fang Yu considered whether to write a letter to Fang Dongqiang. Although she didn't know which class he was in in the first year of high school, she could just write "first year" and see if he would receive it. However, she still didn't put pen to paper. Their high school wasn't as free as her vocational school, and she didn't want to bother him.

Starting September 1, 1995, a two-day weekend system was implemented, meaning students only needed to attend classes five days a week.

In her letter, Fang Huahua complained that it wasn't done sooner, that if classes had ended on Friday afternoons earlier, she could have slept with Fang Yu for two nights on the weekend.

On weekends, Fang Yu would take the bus to her mother's place, where they would help each other in the morning by carrying things, collecting money, and washing dishes.

Yu Jihong loves things the way they are now; she can earn money here and be with her daughter.

During the years Fang Yu studied in the provincial capital, she only went home once a year during the Spring Festival. Apart from communicating with Hua Hua, she could only see her during the Spring Festival.

After graduating from junior high school, Fang Huahua started working at the place where Fang Shugen worked, polishing and coloring handicrafts. Her period came as she wished, after she started working and received her salary. She bought sanitary napkins herself to use.

In June 1998, Fang Yu graduated. Yu Jihong's breakfast shop was scheduled to be demolished in the second half of the year, and they planned to come back and build a house when the time came. So they asked Fang Yu to come back and find a job first.

Fang Yu went home, put down her luggage, and went to Fang Huahua's house. Huahua hadn't finished get off work yet.

Fang Yu saw the dusty bicycle. It had been years since she had ridden a bike in the summer evening breeze. She decided to surprise Hua Hua by picking her up from get off work.

Fang Yu took a rag, wiped the bicycle, pumped up the tires, and set off for the bamboo handicraft factory.

The golden-red light bathed the paddy field ridges in a warm glow, and the evening breeze carried the fragrance of rice blossoms. Fang Yu savored this long-lost atmosphere.

"A smile on my face, humming a country tune, letting my thoughts drift in the evening breeze..." Fang Yu was humming happily when a small flying insect buzzed into her mouth. Fang Yu clenched her mouth tightly, coughing twice, and hurriedly stopped her bike, spitting out the insect. She patted her chest and couldn't help but laugh, "I'm in a good mood today, don't bother me!" and continued riding towards the factory.

It's right across the street. There are long, unprocessed bamboo stalks piled up at the factory gate. When the wind blows, the air is filled with the bitter smell of bamboo.

When Fang Yu arrived, it was right at the factory's closing time. Fang Yu was wearing a light green dress with delicate white lace embroidered around the neckline and tiny gardenia prints on the hem. She was wearing a pair of off-white leather sandals and was standing on the opposite side of the crowd, holding onto the handlebars of a bicycle, searching for Fang Huahua's shadow in the crowd.

Fang Yu looked at the crowd coming out, and many eyes fell on her. Girls a little older than her huddled together and whispered, their eyes sweeping over her dress. Then came a few young men who had just come out of the factory, still clutching gloves covered in bamboo shavings, their eyes fixed on her face. There were also some from her village, who muttered, "This looks like Third Brother's daughter."

Fang Yu felt a little embarrassed by the stares and unconsciously tugged at the hem of her skirt.

Hua Hua came out. Seeing Hua Hua, she was pushing her bicycle and talking to an older woman next to her. "Hua Hua!" Fang Yu shouted.

"You have such beautiful friends!" the woman next to me exclaimed.

"Okay, sis, I'll go over first." Fang Huahua pushed her bicycle and ran over. "Fang Yu, why didn't you say you were coming back?"

"I have a surprise for you!" Fang Yu reached out and removed the bamboo shavings from Hua Hua's head.

A male worker who rarely spoke to Fang Huahua walked over, smiled and nodded at her: "Huahua, is this your friend? He's back from the big city, right?"

“Yes, she’s my good friend. She just graduated from kindergarten teacher training.” Fang Huahua held Fang Yu’s hand. “You don’t look like someone from here.”

"But I'm right here now. I've returned after completing my studies!" Fang Yu laughed, tilting her head back.

The two bicycles rode side by side, their wheels rolling over the clean dirt road, kicking up fine dust that was quickly swept away by the wind.

They rode and chatted. Fang Yu slowed down a bit, her gaze sweeping over the rice paddies on both sides. Among the bright green rice leaves, the grain-filled ears of rice hung heavily, rippling in the wind, making even the wild chrysanthemums along the paddy ridges sway lovely. "I haven't been back for summers for several years. This scenery is so soothing."

Fang Huahua laughed and kicked the foot pedal, "I watch it every day, I'm so tired of it!"

Fang Huahua came to stay at Fang Yu's house that night. In recent years, Fang Yu had only come back for the Chinese New Year. Her parents were also at home, and they hadn't slept together for a long time. They had so much to talk about at night.

"I'll go with you to the kindergarten in the city tomorrow."

"And what about when you go to work?"

"Take a day off. I'm tired of working every day. I want to go out and have some fun. It's perfect that we go to the county town together. I'm earning my own salary now, so I'll go buy some clothes. Will you come with me?"

"Okay, I'll go to the kindergarten first. Once I've finished my business, we'll go shopping. Let's go to bed early so we can go early tomorrow."

"Okay, time for bed. We're going to town tomorrow!"