In the afternoon of June, the heat is like a sticky film wrapping around this small town called "Ning'an" in the south of the Yangtze River. I was sitting by the window of the community service center. The fine sweat on my forehead had just been wiped away by a tissue, but it quickly came out again. The old outdoor air conditioner buzzed outside the window, and the wind blowing in carried a vague musty smell, but it was better than nothing.
