Late Night Bookstore - Chapter 14
That night, there was only one customer—the girl with the corgi. The total income for the day was a mere hundred yuan, while the cost was nothing more than a cup of water. Of course, you could argue there were also expenses like electricity and rent, but that wasn’t the way to look at it. Back when Xu Le ran the place, these were also costs, yet his earnings were almost non-existent. To find some satisfaction and confidence in life, one needs to make the right comparisons.
It was also thanks to that girl that Zhou Ze realized it was Valentine’s Day. He opened WeChat, found Dr. Lin’s contact and thought about sending her a red packet. However, when he realized he didn’t have enough money to send 13141 yuan, he considered sending 131.4 yuan instead, but that seemed a bit cheap.
She’s not even sleeping with me anyway, he thought. Forget it, I won’t send it.
He tossed his phone aside, grabbed a book and stayed in that position until morning.
Afterward, he went next door for some wontons. Zhou Ze wasn’t sure if the skin was thin or the filling was thick, but as usual, he downed a large bowl of sour plum juice before devouring the wontons. Then he gripped his throat, taking deep breaths to suppress the urge to vomit. The prospect of having to repeat this routine every time he ate cast a shadow over his future.
Zhou Ze couldn’t help but recall the man from the video who had struggled similarly while eating porridge. The thought was bleak. Eating was originally one of the greatest pleasures of being alive, but now it had become something he was disconnected from. He wondered if there was such a thing as a “Anorexics Club,” where people sat around a table, applauding whoever managed to take a bite of food.
“Good job! Our xxx is truly amazing!” They’d cheer. The image was both ridiculous and unsettling.
No matter what, the video from yesterday, including the old Taoist in the video and the man drinking porridge, felt temporarily too distant for Zhou Ze.
After Valentine’s Day came New Year’s Eve2. In the past, the shopping district would have been adorned with festive decorations, full of the lively atmosphere of the New Year. But now, it remained quiet and desolate.
This was much like life. There are moments of glory, followed by inevitable loneliness. He remembered when the shopping center first opened—it was bustling. Now it had become neglected and forgotten.
Xu Qinglang’s business was doing well that day, likely because most other shops were closed for the holiday. His decision to keep delivering food on New Year’s Eve naturally attracted more orders, as there were fewer options for customers.
Delivery drivers in blue, yellow and red uniforms constantly came and went from Xu Qinglang’s noodle shop. Zhou Ze squatted outside his bookstore, smoking and reflecting.
Damned Xu Le. Wouldn’t it have been better to open a braised chicken shop?
In mythological stories, immortals often say: “A day in heaven is a year on earth.” Zhou Ze figured this applied to hell as well. He remembered dying in a car accident—or more accurately, being cremated—on Children’s Day. Now, in the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve. More than half a year had passed so quickly. Life was but a fleeting dream, merely wandering aimlessly along the road to the underworld.
After smoking quite a bit and contemplating his life, Zhou Ze felt tired. He pulled out his phone to check for any movies playing nearby. The cinema was just around the corner and he figured he could kill some time there.
“Hey, do you have any old newspapers?” Xu Qinglang asked, stepping out after finishing a round of food deliveries.
“What for?”
“To paste on the walls,” Xu Qinglang replied.
“That frugal, huh?”
“Newspapers give a space that nostalgic, vintage feel. You didn’t sell them all yesterday, did you?”
“There are some left. Hold on, I’ll get them for you.”
Zhou Ze went back upstairs and pulled out a stack of newspapers from a box near his freezer. Carrying the waist-high stack down, he handed them to Xu Qinglang.
“Not going home for New Year’s?” Xu Qinglang asked.
“I’ll spend New Year’s with my books.”
Zhou Ze didn’t have a goatee or a glass of wine to match the poetic grandeur of his statement but the sentiment was there.
“You’re not going home either?” Zhou Ze asked after indulging in his own thoughts for a while.
“With over twenty properties, which home should I go back to?” Xu Qinglang sighed.
“…………” Zhou Ze was speechless.
The two fell silent for a moment and then Zhou Ze spoke up: “Let me tell you a story.”
“Sure,” Xu Qinglang nodded, with a shy smile. His long hair fell gently across his face, which he swept aside with a delicate gesture, making him look even more enchanting. The charm was not something that could be explained to outsiders.
“There was once a man who, on New Year’s Eve, encountered the richest person in town. The tycoon was stumbling down the street, drunk out of his mind.
‘Why aren’t you going home?’ the man asked.
The tycoon answered, ‘Home? Where is my home? My family and relatives are not by my side. Are you talking about my mansion, the largest estate in the city?'”
Xu Qinglang nodded slightly, seemingly resonating with the story.
“And then,” Zhou Ze continued, “the man grabbed the tycoon and beat him senseless, shouting, ‘How dare you show off on New Year’s Eve!'”
“…………” Xu Qinglang.
Their conversation ended and Zhou Ze went back inside the bookstore. The heater was on and the warmth enveloped him as he flipped through his phone, finding no one to contact. He thought about visiting the orphanage, but decided against it— he didn’t have much money left.
Just then, a customer arrived. A young man in a blue work uniform and a safety helmet timidly stepped into the store and asked, “Can I read here? How much does it cost?”
“Read all you want. Pay whatever you feel like,” Zhou Ze waved him off, indicating he could make himself at home.
“Great. Do you have any novels?” The young man asked, still a bit shy. “I like reading online novels.”
Zhou Ze pointed to a box behind the bookshelves. “They’re all in there.”
The young man rummaged through the box for a while, clearly pleased, although some of the books were still wrapped in plastic.
“Go ahead and unwrap them. No charge,” Zhou Ze said generously.
“Thanks!” The young man tore open a book and sat down on a plastic stool to start reading.
Zhou Ze, the bookstore owner, sat behind the counter trimming his nails while the young man immersed himself in his book. About half an hour later, the young man stood up, pulled out a cigarette and offered one to Zhou Ze.
“They’re not great cigarettes, so don’t mind them.”
“Hey, cigarettes aren’t really anything good to begin with, so what’s the difference between good and bad?” Zhou Ze took the cigarette and the other person also took one, then walked outside the shop to smoke while braving the cold wind, leaving Zhou Ze momentarily stunned. He had intended to smoke inside but decided against it, setting the cigarette aside and continuing to trim his nails.
After finishing his smoke, the young man returned but instead of sitting back on the stool, he leaned against the wall and sat on the floor. Even though the air conditioning was on, the tiles were still cold but the young man didn’t seem to mind. He was probably used to it.
About fifteen minutes later, four more men in blue work uniforms arrived. The oldest looked to be under thirty, while the youngest was probably around seventeen. The young man leaning against the wall waved to them, likely having called them over.
The newcomers greeted Zhou Ze, who responded casually, while continuing to trim his nails. He made a mental note to buy a proper nail grooming kit. For now, though, most stores were closed and deliveries had stopped due to the holiday.
When Zhou Ze looked up again, all five workers were sitting on the floor, each with a novel in hand. Judging by the covers, they were mostly fantasy novels, though one of them was reading a horror book, biting his nails as he read, clearly engrossed. Zhou Ze disapproved of the nail-biting, considering it a sign of poor self-care.
Occasionally, one of the workers would chuckle quietly at something in their book. The store, though now filled with people, remained peaceful. The intermittent sounds of their laughter didn’t disturb the tranquil atmosphere.
As evening approached, Xu Qinglang brought in a bowl of dumplings and remarked, “Wow, it’s quite lively in here.”
Zhou Ze nodded with a smile.
“Anyone want something to eat?” Xu Qinglang asked the workers sitting around.
They glanced at each other, unsure how to respond.
“Don’t worry, it’s on me,” Xu Qinglang said, showing the generosity of a man with over twenty properties. “It’s New Year’s Eve and it’s tough to be away from home. We’re all brothers out here, no matter where we’re from.”
“Thank you, boss! May you make a fortune!” The eldest worker stood up and thanked Xu Qinglang.
“It’s nothing, really,” Xu Qinglang replied with a smile.
He left Zhou Ze’s dumplings on the table and returned to his shop. Zhou Ze sipped some soup and forced down two dumplings. Annoyingly, Xu Qinglang had forgotten to bring him any sour plum juice, making the food hard to swallow.
Grabbing a pack of cigarettes from the counter, Zhou Ze stepped out from behind the counter.
“When you finish reading, swap out the books yourselves. I’ve got full sets here. This store is running at a loss anyway, so don’t worry about it.”
He handed out cigarettes to each of the workers, who seemed flattered and grateful. They all stood up and headed outside, forming a line as they squatted and smoked, careful not to dirty the store.
Zhou Ze hesitated for a moment before joining them outside. The wind was cold but he squatted down with them and lit a cigarette. The workers chatted amongst themselves. Those who were married talked about their wives and kids and the unmarried ones joked about their girlfriends back home. They teased each other, laughed together and despite knowing each other’s stories, there was always something to talk about.
From their accents, Zhou Ze could tell these workers came from all over the country. Tongcheng, being near Shanghai, was part of the Yangtze River Delta region. While it couldn’t compare to Shanghai, the demand for labor was still quite large every year. As long as one was willing to work hard, jobs and money weren’t hard to come by.
They passed around a few more cigarettes. Zhou Ze finally spoke up, “So, none of you are going home for New Year’s?”
“Nope, everyone’s fine at home.”
“Going back is such a hassl, and there’s work after the holiday. The boss will give us red envelopes, too. Might as well stay and earn a bit more to send back home.”
“Yeah, tonight’s great. Got novels to read, cigarettes to smoke. This New Year is quite enjoyable.”
“Boss, when are you closing the shop?” one of the workers asked.
“I’m not closing.” Zhou Ze replied.
“Is the boss not going home?”
“My wife at home doesn’t listen, so I’m not going back.”
Zhou Ze felt a surge of bravado as the workers all gave him thumbs up, cheering him on.
Of course, no one pressed the issue. They could tell from his accent and the fact that he ran a bookstore, not a fruit stand, that Zhou Ze was a local. The locals have their reasons for staying at their shops instead of going home during New Year, so they didn’t tease him further.
Each of them was the backbone of their family, working hard to earn a living. Their wives back home cared for the elderly and children. They were exhausted but so were their wives. Life was hard, passed down through generations of struggle. Who had it easy?
Just as Zhou Ze was about to offer another round of cigarettes, a voice called from across the street: “Xu Le!”
Zhou Ze looked up to see a familiar Porsche Cayenne parked on the opposite side of the road.
His sister-in-law was calling out to him. She had been spooked by Zhou Ze a while ago in the bathroom but had since returned to normal. Of course, she didn’t actually believe her brother-in-law was a ghost, she just blamed her own fright for making her see things. Still, she wasn’t fond of him. After all, it was quite embarrassing to have been scared to the point of wetting herself!
“Xu Le, come home for dinner!” she shouted.
“I’m not going. The store’s busy and it’s lively here,” Zhou Ze waved her off.
What a joke! Why would he go back to face those troublesome in-laws during the New Year?
Why should he take the nonsense from this inconsiderate sister-in-law?
Most importantly, why would he rush home to sleep separately during the New Year?
Was he looking for punishment?
“Sister, is this guy nuts? What’s his deal? Completely unreasonable!” His sister-in-law pouted from the back seat.
Dr. Lin smiled, “Let’s go home and have dinner with Mom and Dad first.”
“Oh, sounds like you plan to come out tonight, sister?”
“I am his legal wife, after all,” Dr. Lin said no more and started the car to leave.
As the car disappeared from view, Zhou Ze turned to the workers and asked, “Hey, what do you guys think, isn’t my wife’s pretty?”
“Beautiful!”
“Very lucky!”
“She’s gorgeous!”
“Hahahaha.”
Xu Qinglang came out of his shop, carrying a large tray. “Here, braised pork rice bowls. Dig in, everyone!”
The workers hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed. The oldest among them spoke up, “We didn’t bring any—”
“I already said it’s my treat! Mention money again and you’re not treating me like a brother. One day, we might meet again and when that day comes, I might need a favor from you.”
“Deal!”
“Say no more!”
“Come to my hometown anytime!”
“Come!”
The workers grabbed their rice bowls and sat in the bookstore, crouching on the floor and placing the bowls on the plastic stools as they happily dug in.
One worker even tried to keep reading his novel while eating, only to get a playful knock on the head from another. “Careful, you idiot! If you get grease on the book, how’s the boss supposed to sell it?”
“Good point. I’ll eat first.”
The atmosphere was lively. Zhou Ze returned to his counter and managed to force down three more dumplings. For some reason, perhaps because of the festive atmosphere, he felt less nauseous than usual.
After finishing their meal, the workers went back to reading. The shop was warm, filled with novels and the mood was harmonious.
Before they knew it, it was 10 p.m.
The oldest worker stretched and said, “Time to go. Let’s clean up before we leave.”
“Got it!”
The five workers tidied up the bookstore, sweeping the floor and putting everything back in order.
“Boss, we’re heading out. Thanks for today.”
“Don’t mention it,” Zhou Ze waved them off.
They left, unlike the girl with the corgi, who had left behind a hundred yuan after reading for a while. These men had spent an entire day and half the night in the shop and didn’t leave a single yuan behind.
But Zhou Ze didn’t mind in the slightest. He felt no dissatisfaction.
Stretching, Zhou Ze decided to call Xu Qinglang to clean up the bowls and chopsticks. When he arrived at the noodle shop, he found Xu Qinglang sitting at a table, reading a newspaper.
It was the same stack of newspapers Zhou Ze had given him earlier.
Xu Qinglang, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looked rather scholarly, quite fitting for a man who owned over twenty properties. He certainly had an air of refinement.
“Can you clean up the bowls and chopsticks over there?” Zhou Ze asked.
“Sure, I’ll do it right now.”
Xu Qinglang set aside his glasses, rubbed his eyes and went next door to tidy up.
On top of the stack of newspapers was a copy of Yangtze Evening News, dated seven days ago. The front page carried a large headline in bold:
“Heroic acts during apartment fire touch the hearts of many.”
Last week, a densely populated apartment complex in Tongcheng had caught fire. The situation had been dire.
Five young construction workers from a nearby site had rushed into the flames to save people, ultimately rescuing over twenty elderly, women, and children. However, after their last attempt to save someone in the fire, they were unable to come out again.
The front page featured a large photograph of the five men standing shoulder to shoulder, making peace signs, as if it was taken shortly after they arrived at the construction site and stayed in the same temporary shelter. Their faces were young yet weathered, smiling shyly but radiantly.
Xu Qinglang walked into the bookstore, looking at the five bowls of rice with toppings placed on the plastic stools in front of him. Not a single bite had been taken and the food had long lost its warmth. Each bowl had a pair of chopsticks stuck upright3 in the middle.
“Brothers,” Xu Qinglang muttered softly, “Eat well. Drink well.”
Outside, the sound of fireworks filled the air. Tongcheng hadn’t banned fireworks, so the sky was lit up with colorful displays, full of joy and festivity.
Zhou Ze looked up at the vibrant night sky and whispered, “New Year has arrived.”
TL Note:
1. In China, 1314 is a popular number that carries a symbolic meaning, especially during Valentine’s Day or in romantic contexts. It is pronounced “yī sān yī sì” in Mandarin, which sounds similar to the phrase yī shēng yī shì, meaning “for a lifetime” or “forever.” Couples might send 1314 yuan as a gift, symbolizing their wish for lifelong love and companionship.
2. The New Year celebrated here is the Chinese New Year, which is based on the lunar calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar. In China, the date of the New Year varies each year, typically falling between January 21 and February 20.
3. Chopsticks left vertically stuck into a bowl of rice resembles the ritual of incense-burning that symbolizes “feeding” the dead and death in general.
Storyteller Bamboo Ninja's Words
Hey! ༼ つ ◕‿◕ ༽つ Thank you for reading! Hopefully you enjoyed it! Updates will happen daily (will notify in discord if I take a break)
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