By the time Song Ning left the hospital, it was already dark.
But she was in a good mood.
She had seen Old Man Qi and Grandma Wu, called off the engagement, and settled on an immediate goal: the college entrance exam.
She felt brimming with energy.
She had already begun searching her memory for anything she could recall about the 1979 college entrance exam.
The Military District Hospital was not far from the Military District Guesthouse.
She only had to follow the street outside the hospital, turn right, and walk through an alley.
After turning into the alley at an unhurried pace, Song Ning remembered that she had not eaten dinner.
Her conversation with Lu Changqing had made her miss dinner, and by the time she got back, the Guesthouse cafeteria would already be closed.
She paused, thinking she should buy some snacks at the supply and marketing cooperative on the main street.
As she turned around, she spotted a figure darting back out of sight at the entrance to the alley.
Song Ning was startled.
She had not even noticed someone following her.
She crouched down, pretending to tie her shoelaces, and stole a glance behind her.
But the person was alert and did not show himself.
Compared with those two idiots who spoke Sichuan dialect and that thug surnamed Ge and his companions, this person was clearly more professional.
As Song Ning straightened up, she suddenly quickened her pace and hurried toward the other end of the alley.
That end opened onto another main street.
The lights grew bright again, and there were still plenty of pedestrians around.
Once she emerged from the alley, Song Ning quickly slipped aside and hid in a dark spot.
Several minutes passed before a young man wearing a cap walked out