Key plot points:
1. A youthful vow: Young Dongfang and the girl Tianyuan fall for each other and pledge themselves to one another in secret.
2. A sudden farewell: The day after they pledge themselves to each other, Dongfang enlists in the army.
3. An imposed betrothal: Before or after Dongfang leaves, the postman working at the town post office arranges a marriage between himself and Tianyuan through their parents, especially Tianyuan’s father. Tianyuan vehemently objects.
4. One-sided devotion: After completing his basic training, Dongfang begins writing to Tianyuan. He keeps it up for about a year, sending dozens of letters.
5. A silent barrier: Tianyuan never receives a single letter. The postman, who works at the post office, intercepts or destroys them.
6. A misaligned destiny: Several years later, Dongfang returns to his hometown on leave and discovers that Tianyuan is married. Her husband is neither him nor the postman, but the quiet, steady Shishan.
Character profiles:
• Dongfang: His name symbolizes vitality, distant horizons, and a fate of parting. He is passionate, keeps his promises, and has great ambitions. His love for Tianyuan is sincere and ardent. He enlists out of duty or to seek a way forward, leaving with hopes for the future and a promise to Tianyuan. Army life tempers his resilience, but homesickness and thoughts of Tianyuan never leave him.
• Tianyuan: Her name symbolizes the land, innocence, and fertile soil that holds emotions. She is stubborn, has a mind of her own, and feels deeply. She loves Dongfang and dares to pledge herself to him in secret to resist an arranged marriage. Faced with the postman’s proposal and Dongfang’s complete silence, she endures years of pain, waiting, disappointment, and even despair. In the end, her choice is a silent act of defiance and a reluctant compromise, as well as a farewell to the past.
• The postman: His name is his profession, symbolizing letters
