Chapter 5 (Part 1)
That afternoon, the bookstore was deserted, with not a single customer. But no one was worried. Gan Ling read while Han Xi worked on her crafts, level with her. She worked quietly and intently. If it weren't for Tian Miao, Gan Ling would have considered Han Xi a mere background object, like a bookshelf. Tian Miao pulled up a chair and sat beside Han Xi, feet propped up on the table's rung. She held a box of cut fruit, sent by the fruit shop's owner, Afang. Gan Ling, a picky eater, knew the cut fruit was from fruit that was about to rot. She accepted it but didn't plan to eat it, placing it on the shelf to dispose of it later. Han Xi, knowing the situation as well as she did, showed no sign of coveting the fruit box. Tian Miao, seeing the two of them staying quiet and neither asking for food, assumed it was just a case of reservedness, and she felt a little annoyed. "Sister Ling, why aren't you guys eating? If you don't, then I will!" Gan Ling hesitated, not wanting to expose her, so she nodded. Tian Miao happily took down the fruit box, feeling like she had won the battle. She had made you all so pretentious, but now you have nothing to eat, right? Tian Miao found a plastic fork from somewhere, picked up the fruit, and stuffed it into her mouth piece by piece. The fruit was very sweet, with a ripe aroma in her mouth, accompanied by a faint taste of alcohol. "The pineapple is very sweet - do you want a piece?" "No." Han Xi didn't even raise her head. "What about the dragon fruit?" "No either." Eating fruit alone is pleasant, but also lonely. Tian Miao's foot, which was resting on the table, suddenly shook, and the small piece of sequins that Han Xi was holding between her fingers fell onto the table. She turned her head and glared at Tian Miao. "Take your foot away!" "Why do you want to take it away?" "You're disturbing me!" "Don't talk nonsense! How did I disturb you by lying there?" "You were shaking your foot." "I clearly didn't move!" "Bullshit! You moved! I felt it!" Gan Ling raised her head. "Why are you arguing again?" Han Xi turned to complain to her. "He's messing with me!" Tian Miao looked innocent. "I'm eating fruit! Who has time to mess with you?" Gan Ling said, "Tian Miao, mop the floor now that there are no customers!" "Didn't you mop it this morning?" "Again." "Why do I always have to mop? Han Xi never works! And she earns more than me." "Then don't come tomorrow. You're making this place look like kindergarten." Tian Miao finally fell silent. She angrily stuck her fork into a piece of honeydew melon, pouted, and slowly got up to work. Gan Ling said, "Don't make too much noise when mopping the floor, or...
The bookstore was deserted that afternoon, with not a single customer in sight. However, no one was worried. Gan Ling was reading while Han Xi was working on her crafts on the same level as her. She worked quietly and intently. If it weren't for Tian Miao, Gan Ling would have considered Han Xi a mere background object, like a bookshelf.
Tian Miao dragged a chair and sat side by side with Han Xi, with his feet resting on the crossbar of the table, holding a box of chopped fruit in his hand, which was sent by Afang, the owner of the fruit shop.
Gan Ling was quite picky about food. Knowing that these pieces were cut from fruits that were about to rot, she collected them but did not plan to eat them. She simply put them on the shelf, ready to find a chance to dispose of them.
Han Xi knew the ins and outs just as well as she did, and had no desire to eat the fruit box. Tian Miao saw that the two of them were silent and neither of them asked to eat, thinking that the girls were being reserved, and she felt a little annoyed.
"Sister Ling, why aren't you guys eating? If you don't eat, then I will!"
Gan Ling hesitated, not wanting to expose her, so she nodded. Tian Miao happily took down the fruit box, feeling like he had won the battle. He let you guys be so hypocritical, but now you have nothing to eat, right?
Tian Miao found a plastic fork from somewhere, picked up the fruit, and stuffed it into his mouth piece by piece. The fruit was very sweet, and had a ripe aroma in his mouth, accompanied by a faint taste of alcohol.
"The pineapple is sweet—would you like a piece?"
"No." Han Xi didn't even raise his head.
"Where's the dragon fruit?"
“No.”
Eating fruit alone was pleasant, but also lonely. Tian Miao's foot, resting on the table, suddenly twitched, and the small piece of sequins Han Xi was holding between her fingers fell onto the table. She turned her head and glared at Tian Miao.
"Take your feet away!"
"Why take it away?"
"You're influencing me!"
"Don't talk nonsense! How did my presence affect you?"
"You were shaking your feet."
"I didn't move at all!"
"Bullshit! You moved! I felt it!"
Gan Ling raised her head and asked, "Why are you arguing again?"
Han Xi turned around and complained to her, "He's messing with me!"
Tian Miao looked innocent, "I'm eating fruit! Who has the time to mess with you?"
Gan Ling said, "Tian Miao, since there are no customers now, why don't you mop the floor?"
"Didn't we delay it this morning?"
"Drag it again."
"Why do I always have to drag it out? Han Xi never works! And she earns more than me."
"Then don't come tomorrow. It's making this place look like a kindergarten."
Tian Miao finally shut up, stabbed the fork into a piece of melon viciously, pouted his lips, and slowly got up to work.
Gan Ling said, "Don't make too much noise when mopping the floor, so as not to disturb others."
"knew-"
Han Xi raised his head and glanced at Tian Miao, forcing a smile.
Gan Ling lowered her head and continued reading the book in her hand: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, a 2015 hardcover edition. This was her first time reading such a prestigious book; for some reason, she had never much enjoyed romance novels since she was a child. She had seen the movie a long time ago, the one with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth and Matthew MacFadyen as Darcy, on DVD at Kong Yu's house.
At the end of the movie, when Elizabeth saw Darcy walking towards her in the morning light, Kong Yu shed tears, while Gan Ling just let out a low sigh.
"Where in the world can you find such a rich and devoted man?"
Kong Yu vowed: "Everyone will find his or her own Darcy!"
They were both 17 years old that year. 15 years later, Kong Yu maintains her happy marriage, while Gan Ling has nothing. Now she is somewhat convinced that a person's happiness may really be related to their attitude.
After mopping the floor, Tian Miao sat down to continue eating his fruit. However, he didn't approach Han Xi. Instead, he dragged a shabby little stool to the bookstore entrance, sitting there with his long legs stretched out on the floor and his back leaning carelessly against the bookshelf, looking rather uncouth. Gan Ling wanted to say something to him, but was afraid he would pick a fight with Han Xi again, so she just let him go.
The elusive Marco suddenly emerged from behind the bookshelf, calling out lazily, his eyes fixed on the fruit box in Tian Miao's hand.
"Marco! Come here!"
Marco's steps immediately lightened, his back shrugged as he walked, and he quickly reached Tian Miao, tilting his head back and looking at him expectantly. Tian Miao placed a small piece of melon on the ground. Marco lowered his head to sniff it, then looked up at Tian Miao with a hesitant expression.
Tian Miao greeted enthusiastically, "Eat! It's for you!"
Marco seemed to understand, lowered his head, licked the melon, and ate it quickly.
Tian Miao was satisfied, "Isn't it sweet?"
"Meow--"
"Here! I'll give you another piece.
Tian Miao and Marco shared the remaining half box of fruit.
The afternoon was long. Han Xi finished making a dress for a doll and began stringing a new bead bracelet. Tian Miao hid behind the bar, playing games on her phone. Gan Ling finished reading Pride and Prejudice and glanced at the clock. It wasn't even four yet.
Gan Ling stood up and stretched her muscles, thinking that maybe she should bring a yoga mat to the shop so she could practice with Han Xi sometime this afternoon. Suddenly, a quarrel erupted from outside the door. Several boys were jostling and shoving each other at the entrance. One of them was suddenly shoved into the shop by his companions. He turned around and cursed, and the other two followed him in.
They were three young men in their twenties, dressed in shabby clothes and each one looking more furtive than the last. Gan Ling watched them with a wary eye. Not far from Xiaoxi Lane was a vocational and technical college that had produced many "famous people," but none of them had anything to do with good deeds.
"Who are you looking for?" Gan Ling asked.
The boys chewed gum and looked around. One of them, wearing a blue T-shirt, replied to Gan Ling, "We're not looking for anyone. We're just reading a book."
This sentence sounded like irony to Gan Ling. None of them looked like people who would read idle books. They were lucky enough to be able to cope with the courses in school.
"Oh, what book do you want to read?" Gan Ling continued politely.
"Is there a David Fei?" The man in the blue T-shirt scratched his head. "Fei is the Fei from Faye Wong."
"David Copperfield?"
“It seems to be this.”
"We don't have it here." Gan Ling instructed him, "You can buy this kind of book online."
The other party was stunned, "Then what are you selling?"
"Second-hand books have rather obscure contents and are not useful in schools."
The man in the blue T-shirt didn't register the dismissal. He shoved his hands at his waist and tilted his head back to survey the books on the shelf. The other two henchmen also followed him, pretending to be serious. They all tilted their heads back and searched silently, each one observing or thinking something without a single word to their companions. Gan Ling, however, no longer sensed any danger. The boys' expressions all held a genuine sense of unease and confusion. Perhaps she had guessed wrong, and they were truly here to look for books.
Gan Ling returned to her desk and sat down, giving them plenty of time to browse. As long as they were quiet and didn't make trouble, she would welcome them.
Wu Juan told her on WeChat that they were almost out of flour and sugar. Gan Ling replied, "I'll buy some today." She opened the shopping app and found a brand she frequently bought. She didn't place an order immediately, but instead compared products again in the search bar, hoping to find something with a better value.
She was always very focused on her work. When she put down her phone, the voices of the three uninvited guests reached her ears. To her surprise, Han Xi was standing next to them, recommending books to them.
"You want to read something from the Qing Dynasty? These are all here! Look! This 'Flowers of Shanghai' is as famous as 'Dream of the Red Chamber'!"
"I want it!"
"Okay! There's also this book, 'Tianyuhua,' which tells the story of the Donglin Party's battle of wits with Wei Zhongxian. You know Wei Zhongxian, right? He's that incredibly evil eunuch..."
A follower approached Han Xi and asked in a low voice, "Do you have the Jin Ping Mei?"
Han Xi remained calm. "I don't have the original version, but there are some book reviews that contain some of the plot, but not all. Do you want them?"
Gan Ling was dumbfounded, confused as to what had transpired in the store while she'd been distracted. She was astonished not only by the three boys' enthusiasm for buying books, but also by Han Xi's mastery of the contents of these old books. For every book she bought, Gan Ling would create a catalog index, including the author, year, edition, and a general description of the content. To make it easier for customers to choose a book, she would also send Han Xi and Tian Miao a copy of each updated catalog. She was certain that Han Xi had never read any of the books on the shelf; it was clear that the girl's knowledge came entirely from Gan Ling's catalog index.
She can remember so many books, what a talent!
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