Chronicle of the 70s

In the afternoon, the three girls got ready. It was mid-May, and fashionable girls were wearing long dresses by then. However, it was still a bit chilly in the evenings, so the three of them wore bell-bottom pants and various patterned shirts, looking stunningly beautiful with just a little dressing up.

Li Xianglu saw this and took out her lipstick and perfume, letting everyone spray some and apply a light red lipstick before going out. As Li Xianglu was tidying up the clothes, she saw Iro rush back in a panic.

Li Xianglu was taken aback and asked: "What’s wrong, Iro? Why did you come back?"

Iro said breathlessly: "I need to go back. Someone called the office just now, saying there’s an emergency at home and they need me to return."

Li Xianglu reassured her: "Don’t worry, it can’t be that serious. Otherwise, they would come directly to see you instead of calling the office, right? They weren’t even afraid that nobody would be on duty."

Iro calmed down after hearing this; indeed, if it were a real emergency, someone would have come to find her instead of just making a phone call.

With that realization, she gratefully looked at Li Xianglu, packed her bag, and left, mentioning that she might not come back tonight.

By now, it was already past seven.

Li Xianglu changed into her pajamas, leaned on the bed, took out a bag of guoba (crispy rice snacks), and poured half a bowl for Xiao Chong and half for herself; the two of them ate while reading books, one above and one below.

Li Xianglu was reading a foreign literature magazine that Xu Xi had mailed her. Now there were only the two of them left in the dorm, as two had gone to the social gathering and another had gone home; Xu Xin and Wang Ke said they were going to study on their own.