Summary

Skinner buys Zou Lei a cellphone. On the phone is a message from him to his mother, promising to return home when he believed the time is right. On another visit to his house, Zou Lei begins crying and says she will never see “him” (who we know is not Skinner, but the author does not specify who) again.

Then, the author shifts to the first person and the novel is does not reveal who is speaking. The narrator says that everyone should thank the army for all that they do. However, they also describe losing soldiers to accidents (such as a cave collapsing) and the government choosing to let them die to save money. The story shifts back to third person while Skinner shows Zou Lei pictures of his deployment.

Zou Lei begins looking for new jobs. She risks riding the...