The Wind Blows from Ili

On September 3, 2021, summer in Nanjing was like a pot of boiling porridge: thick and scorching. The air was filled with the sweet scent of osmanthus trees baked in the sun, mingled with the rasping sound of suitcase wheels scraping over the paving stones as new students arrived. At the registration point by the south gate of Nanjing University's Xianlin Campus, red banners snapped in the wind. The words "A warm welcome to the Class of 2021" looked slightly bleached beneath the blazing sun.