Summary

It is now 1976 in Hà Nội. One day while riding her bike home from school, Hương has to stop and fix her bike chain, which has been getting caught frequently. Tâm, the new student she gave a tour to a few months earlier, stops to fix the chain and walks with her to a bicycle repairman. As Tâm helps fix her bike at the repair shop, a woman tells Hương that they would make a cute couple.

Hương has feelings for Tâm; when they are together, she feels a “new and powerful sensation” (258). At a nearby pond, Tâm picks a flower for Hương, which angers the boatman who takes care of the pond. Tâm briefly meets Dieu Lan, who is suspicious of his intentions.

Diệu Lan continues her search for...