On a country path leading to the east end of the village, Hou Baojian, the second son of the Hou family, had just returned from the county town and was riding his bicycle very fast. When he was near the village entrance, Baojian took a glance at Uncle Mu who was watching over the melon patch, then hurried to Chun'e's house, where he kissed her passionately and went into the inner room with her. Ever since he became intimate with Chun'e on the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, Baojian, who was helping his elder brother run a restaurant in the county town, had been coming home every few days as if he had lost his soul.