On the evening of the thirtieth, Shen Yunfang celebrated with a group of soldiers, making dumplings and watching the programs they had prepared themselves, which was quite interesting. During the event, she also saw the girlfriend of the company commander from the city, Bai Lian. Both her name and her person were so distinctive. Her personality was as fitting as her name suggested, pure and untainted, or in other words, haughty.
To Shen Yunfang, a peasant girl, and to women like Sister Wu, who were from the countryside, Bai Lian was dismissive and refused to associate with them. She stood alone, proud and aloof, all evening.
At first, Sister Wu had approached her with a spirit of unity and friendliness, attempting to strike up a conversation. However, after being rebuffed several times, she, too, gave up.
In the following days, Shen Yunfang didn't see Bai Lian again; she heard that Bai Lian had left early on New Year's Day.