Buying Horse Bones with a Thousand Gold

February 23, 1986, Sunday, the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

In the women's dormitory at the University of California, Berkeley, Zhen Rongrong changed into a simple outfit and carefully combed her hair into a neat mid-height ponytail, making her already somewhat gallant features look even more capable.

A few days earlier, the university's Chinese overseas student association had suddenly received notice that leaders from the mainland's education commission would be coming to visit them, and a Lantern Festival tea gathering had been arranged for today.

There were even rumors that the tea gathering might discuss job assignments for everyone after they returned home.

As a Party Member, Zhen Rongrong understood the importance of such matters. She was ready half an hour early, checked herself in the mirror, picked up her schoolbag, and prepared to leave.

But just as she reached the door, Ruan Shujun, who had been sleeping beneath her blanket, suddenly jumped out of bed. "Rongrong, wait for me. I'll go with you."

Zhen Rongrong froze for a moment and asked in confusion, "Did you receive the notice? Liu Dongsheng told me that only government-sponsored overseas students were required to attend this time."

Ruan Shujun hesitated, then said awkwardly, "Although I'm self-funded, my degree still has to be reviewed and my work unit assigned after I return home.

"At an occasion like this, perhaps no one will care who I am if I go. But if I don't go, someone will definitely remember who I am. One thought can make all the difference, and the assignment result could be vastly different."

Zhen Rongrong: "..."

In the mainland of 1986, overseas students still faced certain restrictions in employment. Ruan Shujun believed that if she ended up assigned to some lousy work unit just because