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Lord Huang’s plan to steal his lady’s first kiss was not progressing smoothly. The two met only once a month, and January’s meeting was canceled due to the rush of the New Year; every rendezvous was in broad daylight, in public places, with no privacy. No matter how eager Lord Huang was, he could not bring himself to romance his lady under the watchful eyes of others. A casual arm around her shoulder or a light hand-holding was the extent of their intimacy. Thus, the grand scheme for the first kiss was put on hold.

In the blink of an eye, the lunar New Year arrived. The university’s winter break began early, especially for seniors with few classes; final exams were finished a month before the holiday. Xiao Ying, like any office worker, could not take leave until just a few days before New Year’s Eve. Huang Qi, unable to wait so long, lingered in the lab for two more weeks after break began, finally confirming that there would be no chance to see Xiao Ying before the holiday, and so she bought a ticket to return home alone.

Luckily, the tradition among workers was to rest until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month, which coincided with the start of the school term, so she could take the train back with Xiao Ying. This year, Valentine’s Day fell on the fifth day of the lunar new year; perhaps they might even find an opportunity to celebrate together.

Upon returning home, Huang Qi attended a high school reunion. With graduation approaching, many classmates were about to enter the workforce, and future gatherings would be rare. Out of fifty-six classmates, forty-five attended—a remarkable turnout.

Huang Qi’s high school class was a top-tier group; most had entered prestigious universities, and she thought many would pursue graduate studies. Yet, at the reunion, she discovered less than half planned to continue their education. University enrollment had expanded in recent years, and the job market worsened year by year; the gap between bachelor’s and master’s salaries was shrinking. Students in employable fields preferred to start working, gaining two or three years of experience, rather than pursue graduate studies, which was more common among those in less popular majors like Huang Qi.

Professor Fang had suggested direct admission to a doctoral program, and Huang Qi consulted her parents. Both Mr. Huang and Ms. Ding were practical people; they felt a doctorate took too many years and was not advantageous for their daughter’s life plan. As their only child, they hoped she would return to her hometown or at least find work nearby. A doctorate focused on global environmental issues would be hard to put to use locally.

Huang Qi herself had no grand ambitions in environmental science; her parents filled out her college application to the environmental department. She thought it over and declined the offer. The architecture department now required top-three grades for graduate recommendation, which was out of reach for her. Since reuniting with Xiao Ying and sharing the materials she had accumulated from auditing architecture courses over the years, her attachment to the department had faded.

Professor Fang understood her decision and bore no grudge, still welcoming her to pursue a master’s degree in his lab.

There was also a reunion with junior high classmates, organized by Li Mingzhi. Although they all hailed from the same town, the venue was chosen in the city. Huang Qi had already returned to her rural hometown and, after asking several close female friends who wouldn’t attend, decided not to go herself. She was indifferent to Li Mingzhi and his group.

Both Ms. Ding and Mr. Huang had winter breaks. Mr. Huang was now a star senior teacher at Number One High School, teaching three senior classes—a grueling task. After the final tutoring sessions, the family returned early to the countryside to help grandparents prepare for the New Year.

Huang Qi, clumsy with her hands, was little help and could only assist here and there. Staying at home with her elders, she couldn’t spend too much time on her phone texting, and Xiao Ying was busy with overtime. Their contact became less frequent.

In Huangsha Town, Huang Qi was something of a local celebrity. Walking down the street, people often approached Ms. Ding, saying, “Is this your daughter? Studying at T University! How grown she is! Oh, a talented girl from a prestigious school—our town’s pride! Has she graduated yet? Is she going for a master’s? Incredible!”

A round of public commentary ensued, with clicking tongues; Huang Qi was accustomed to being treated like a monkey, responding with polite smiles and calling out greetings as Ms. Ding instructed. Yet, the topics had shifted from those years when she first entered college. Now, conversations inevitably turned to, “Hasn’t found a partner yet? At twenty-three by lunar age, it’s time! With her background, ordinary boys probably aren’t good enough, right?” There was a hint of sour amusement.

Ms. Ding replied, “She’s still studying, another three years before graduation. She’ll settle down after finding a stable job.”

The other would exaggerate, “Three more years? She’ll be twenty-six then, an old maid! Girls can study, but ultimately need to marry well—otherwise, what’s the point of all that education? Look at my daughter, just two years older than yours—her son is already in kindergarten! Her husband treats her well, she stays at home looking after the child, doesn’t have a care in the world! Isn’t that better than girls out there working themselves to exhaustion, answering to bosses?”

Ms. Ding responded courteously, “Your daughter is truly blessed.”

Huang Qi loved her hometown deeply, but she was well aware of its common faults—vanity, gossip, comparison, petty disputes, exalting and belittling others. She no longer clung to the illusion that rural folk were especially simple and kind; she had lived in this environment for over ten years and seen countless examples, especially those involving Xiao Ying. These flaws were universal and unavoidable, unrelated to good or evil. All one could do was mind one’s own business and ignore others’ opinions as much as possible.

Still, when it came to finding a partner, Huang Qi thought of Xiao Ying and hesitated about whether to tell her mother. She and her mother were always close, never hiding anything, but she wasn’t sure how her mother would react to her dating a construction worker. She tentatively asked, “Mom, do I really need to start looking for a partner? If I don’t, will I become an old maid?”

Ms. Ding replied, “Don’t listen to the town gossip. They stay in the countryside and don’t know how things change outside. Rural girls graduate from junior or senior high and start working at just fifteen or sixteen, without a career to speak of. If they don’t marry and have children, what else is there? Most get married at twenty. Students who study away from home can’t be judged by the same standards. In cities, young people marry much later. Twenty-six isn’t old; boys are just reaching the legal age for late marriage.”

Huang Qi acknowledged her mother’s words, pondering how to steer the conversation toward Xiao Ying.

After a few steps, Ms. Ding softened her tone, “But if you meet someone you like at school, you can start dating. It’s good to prepare early; you don’t always succeed on the first try.”

Huang Qi smiled and took her mother’s arm, “What kind of partner would you prefer for me? Tell me, so I have a reference, and don’t end up with someone you dislike and break us apart.”

Ms. Ding glanced at her, “Nonsense. I have no objections, as long as you like him. How bad could boys from your university be? But, selfishly, I hope you don’t choose someone from a family that’s too poor. No need for riches, just a comfortable middle-class family like ours. Otherwise, if you marry into hardship, I’d be heartbroken.”

Huang Qi’s smile became stiff. Her mother’s standard was clearly a boy from T University with decent family background—Xiao Ying didn’t fit at all. Though he was a childhood neighbor, his family wasn’t anything to brag about… Best to say nothing for now, wait for a better opportunity to test her mother’s attitude.

When they reached the supermarket entrance, Ms. Ding said, “By the way, Weiwei’s mother told me she’s back as of yesterday. Do you want to visit her? You seem bored at home.”

Huang Qi was delighted, “Really? I’ll go right away!”

Weiwei’s father had worked at the supply cooperative, then set up a wholesale department store. A few years ago, when city chain supermarkets expanded into the townships, he seized the opportunity to join as a franchisee. Now he owned eight supermarkets across five nearby towns, replacing the old Sha boss as the richest man in Huangsha Town.

Huang Qi and Weiwei had kept in touch online but hadn’t seen each other for a year. Meeting up brought special joy. After chatting a while, they mentioned the recent class reunions, and Weiwei’s excitement faded, “Our class had a reunion too, a day after yours—when I returned to school, I saw Liang Zhenyu.”

Weiwei and Liang Zhenyu, a young couple, had been predicted by their teacher: Liang Zhenyu got into T University’s biology department, but Weiwei only made it to a provincial second-tier college. The distance and differences grew, their conflicts accumulated, and after nearly two years, they broke up in the second semester of sophomore year.

Huang Qi never quite understood what had caused their breakup. Weiwei had confided many times online, but Huang Qi remembered none of the details—likely just trivial matters. Couples often break up over trivial matters.

“So, did you say anything to him?”

“What could I say? I have a new boyfriend, he has a new girlfriend. He brought his girlfriend to visit Number One High School, and I happened to see them. He’s only a senior, yet already bringing his girlfriend home…” Weiwei’s eyes reddened as she spoke.

Huang Qi felt sorry for her, “Weiwei, do you still care about Liang Zhenyu?”

Weiwei scoffed, “Care? What for? What’s the point? He’s the one who changed, who rejected me. Hmph, if he hadn’t broken up with me, I wouldn’t have realized how popular I am! Since the breakup, I’ve had three boyfriends, all tall and handsome students from famous universities. Who cares about him?”

Seeing Weiwei’s mix of hurt and bravado, Huang Qi didn’t know how to comfort her and silently poured her a glass of water.

Weiwei calmed after drinking, “Enough about me—what about you? You’re a senior at a university full of men, and you haven’t had even a single romance?”

Huang Qi blushed, “Weiwei, actually… I have a boyfriend too…”

“What!” Weiwei jumped up, “When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me about such a big deal? Is he a classmate? What does he look like? Any pictures?”

“We started dating just last semester, only three months ago—I haven’t had a chance to tell you. Weiwei, you actually know him—it’s… Zhou Yin Sha.”

Weiwei paused, surprised, “Zhou Yin Sha? Isn’t he…”

Huang Qi knew what she was about to say, “He’s working near our university, we met again and got together… Weiwei, please don’t tell anyone yet—I haven’t told my parents.”

Weiwei’s excitement faded, and she sat down, “Do you think… your parents will approve?”

“I don’t know. Weiwei, what do you think? If it were your parents, how would they react?”

Weiwei replied instantly, “Don’t even think about it! After making some money from the supermarkets in recent years, my parents are so snobbish. My last boyfriend was from Southern University, good-looking and a top student, but my mom disliked his rural background and that his family couldn’t afford a city apartment, so she made me break up with him. Luckily, I wasn’t very attached, so it didn’t matter… Oh! I, I’m just rambling—your parents are intellectuals, not as snobbish as mine. Don’t lose hope…”

Weiwei sat beside Huang Qi and took her hand, “I hope you don’t mind my bluntness. Honestly, your parents are both teachers, one at Number One High School, one at Number Five, and you’re at such a prestigious university, now headed for a master’s degree. Your family is well-educated, but finding a… construction worker, most people would think it’s not a good match. I know you and he liked each other since junior high, but…”

She looked up at the gloomy winter sky, as if touched by some deep feeling. “It’s easy for two people to become lovers, but to actually walk through life together, to grow old side by side—that’s truly difficult.”