1962, Qingxi Town, Jiangnan. Shen Jinnian is known as a troublemaker, but Gu Yanzhou next door is recognized by the whole town as a top student. Everyone said that they were not the same kind of people, but Gu Yanzhou just loved to take care of her - he made up for her when she skipped school, he dealt with the aftermath when she got into trouble, and even every tooth she lost, he secretly kept in a small iron box.
From the age of six when they went to school hand in hand, to the age of sixteen he made a promise: "I will come back to marry you after I pass the college entrance examination." She said harshly: "You will pass the college entrance examination first."
That summer, he was admitted to Peking University with the top score in the county. On the day when the admission notice was sent home, he walked through the crowd of congratulatory people in the courtyard and walked up to her: "I passed the exam and I'm here to fulfill my promise."
This wait is four years. For four years, he was in Beijing and she was in the small town, and the letters never stopped. Four years later, he gave up the opportunity to stay in Beijing and returned to her. He took out a silver ring from his pocket and said, "I have been waiting for you for ten years. In this life, I just want to marry you."
Her eyes were red, but she still said the same thing: "You are really annoying."
He smiled and pulled her into his arms: "You have to endure it—for the rest of your life."
Love in that era was very slow, so slow that you could only love one person in your life. And they spent ten years of waiting as childhood sweethearts in exchange for staying together for the rest of their lives.
