Mini Theater Series Two: Xie Zong’s Stationery Shop
(1) Boss, one eraser please
One day, a drowsy weather.
The wind chime at the door jingled. Someone called, “Boss…”
I roused slowly, squinting. The light at the entrance was blocked. A man stood before me, tall and broad, with sharply defined features.
I hurriedly straightened my posture, smoothed my hair, and said softly, “What would you like to buy?”
His voice was low. “An eraser.”
Puzzled, I was about to think more when a little princess popped out from behind him. She wore a pink tutu dress and white sandals, her hair half-up, a delicate crown hairpin perched on top. She had a pair of watery, bright eyes, darting about, clever and mischievous.
I could not help but look at her a few more times. The man asked, “None?”
Only then did I shift my gaze back to him. So he was the little princess’s father.
A trace of disappointment sank in me. My shoulders drooped slightly as I pointed. “In the bottom compartment.”
The man said nothing more. His palm covered the back of the little one’s head as the two of them walked over to pick an eraser.
There were all kinds. She was dazzled. “Daddy, I want two.”
He refused coldly. “No. Your mom said only one.”
The little princess rolled her eyes. “The pink one is mine. This blue one is for my little brother.”
He gave a cold laugh and flicked her forehead lightly. “He can’t use it yet. Do you think I’m stupid? Stop scheming. Hurry up.”
She lowered her head and finally picked a pretty pink one. “I want this.”
He tossed it back. “No. All those flashy colors, you’ll just play with it in class.”
She had no choice but to keep looking.
“Then this one.”
He sucked in a breath and scolded gently, “Get out of here. It’s so small, you can’t even erase properly.”
Princess: “Then what should I buy?”
“Something practical.”
“Which one is practical?”
He reached out too, picking and choosing. The father and daughter muttered to each other in low voices. After a long while, they still could not settle on one.
After half a moment, tired of squatting, the man stood up and watched from the side.
She tilted her head up. “Daddy, I like this one.”
“Look more,” he tapped her forehead. “We bought that last time. It doesn’t erase clean.”
Princess: “Oh.”
After a while, the sound of high heels clicking came from outside. I looked over. A woman walked in from the door, gentle-faced, slender, her fitted dress outlining graceful curves. Her voice was soft and fine as she called, “Lu Qiang?”
From inside came his reply. “Over here.”
The woman nodded and smiled at me, then walked in. “So long? Hurry up, I’m afraid the car will get ticketed.”
He answered, “She’s too slow.”
The princess pouted. “I’m not.”
He said, “Then hurry and pick.”
The woman squatted down as well, took a look, and picked up a yellow one. “How about this, Chengcheng? There’s Miffy on it, and it erases clean. Mommy used this all the time when I was little.”
The little princess’s eyes curved into a smile. She agreed happily.
The three of them came over. I quickly withdrew my gaze.
The man took out his wallet. “Boss, how much?”
“One yuan.”
After paying, they left.
The little princess ran ahead. The two followed behind hand in hand. The woman tilted her head, smiling as she said something. The man smiled too, reaching back to pat her on the hip, then hooked an arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace.
The sun sank westward, the afterglow dyeing the sky red. The three were wrapped in orange light. A breeze rose suddenly. Her long hair fluttered, strands drifting onto his face.
Through the window, I could not resist taking a photo of that moment. The image froze. In their eyes, there was only each other. Warm smiles, eternal and beautiful.
(2) Seeing Lu Qiang Again
The next time I saw the little princess was three months later.
She came in with that burly man, her arm pulling his hand from behind, her small body leaning forward with a bit of effort.
I quickly lifted my head and looked them over. His looks and build were too striking. I recognized at once that he had been here before. He wore a gray top and black pants, standing tall, car keys loosely looped in his hand. What was amusing was the small backpack slung over his broad shoulders, pink, printed with Anna and Elsa from Frozen. It did not quite match his rugged image, yet somehow added a few traces of a uniquely gentle warmth.
I cleared my throat lightly. “What would you like to buy?”
The princess let go of his hand and ran inside, looking here, touching there, everything fresh to her eyes. She seemed a little taller than a few months ago.
The man did not look at me. He lifted his chin toward her. “She’s the one looking.”
He stood at the entrance waiting, body angled, his eyes following the princess the whole time. “Be quick about it.”
The princess picked up a jar of crystal slime. “Daddy, I want this.” Her voice was soft and sweet, delicate and a little coquettish. Her hair had grown longer, parted in the middle, braided into two plaits, tied at the ends with lotus-purple bows, paired with a white princess dress, very ladylike.
The man frowned slightly. “No. There’s already a pile at home. Play with those first, then we’ll buy more.”
The princess looked at it again and again, reluctant, then put it down and began wandering around the shop once more.
After two minutes, the man shifted his weight to the other leg. “Done yet?”
She dawdled, sneaking a glance at him, then purposefully circled back to the same spot, lifting the jar of crystal slime again. “Daddy, I only want this.”
The man frowned. “There’s still some at home.”
“But the yellow one is used up.”
“Still can’t buy it,” he said.
The princess looked a little aggrieved. “Why?”
The man paused, then said impatiently, “Your mom won’t allow it. If I buy it and bring it back, I’m the one who gets scolded.”
She stood there, unmoving, holding the slime, her big eyes blinking at him.
“Lu Cheng,” he warned in a low voice, pointing a finger at her. “Put it down.”
So her name was Lu Cheng. A quiet delight rose in me at finally knowing the little princess’s name.
Perhaps his expression had grown a little stern. The princess’s lips twitched, she sniffed softly twice, and the tears came just like that. A few drops fell silently. She did not make a sound, her whole little face scrunched up, just looking at him with those big eyes.
That expression was both pitiful and heart-tugging.
Almost instantly, the man’s hand tightened around his car keys. He hurriedly said, “Acting up again, are you? Hold those tears back…” His words were hard, but his tone had already softened beyond recognition.
The princess’s tears came even harder.
“Hold them back and I’ll buy it,” he said. After only a few seconds of standoff, “Come here.” He beckoned her over, taking out his wallet as he asked, “How much?”
“Twenty,” I said.
The man set down the bill, bent over to take her small hand, and muttered, “Same as your mom, only knows how to cry.”
The two of them walked out.
I found it amusing and could not help leaning forward to peek outside.
They stopped at the doorway. The man tugged the fabric at his knee upward, then crouched down, heels half-lifted.
He pulled the princess in front of him. “Let me see. Any tears left?”
She pouted.
The man took out a tissue and gently covered her cheeks. “You’re already in preschool now. From now on you’re a big kid. You should be buying notebooks and pens…” He rambled on for a while. The little princess kept her head lowered. Who knew if she was even listening.
Perhaps realizing it was useless, he folded the tissue. “Wipe your nose… blow it. Harder.”
After a moment, he stood up and took the little princess’s hand. A white Bora was parked beside them. After the car unlocked with a click, his voice came again, half-threatening, “If you don’t behave, when we get home I’ll have your mom beat you.”
The princess gave a delicate snort. “Let Mom beat you instead!”
A cold laugh sounded. His tone carried meaning. “I’m the one who beats her.”
“You’re bragging. How come I don’t know?” the princess looked up innocently.
“I never brag. I make your mom cry all the time.”
The princess would not let it go. “You’re lying. When do you beat her?”
“At night. When you’re asleep.”
(3) ‘Foodie’ Lu Che
The first time I saw Lu Che, the little princess was already about seven years old.
She wore her hair in a ponytail, dressed in a blue-and-white school uniform, a red scarf at her neck, the picture of a standard primary school student. Her cheeks were still plump and rosy, but now carried a touch of a young girl’s lively beauty.
She skipped into the shop, already familiar with the place, and called out toward the counter, “Hello, Auntie!”
Seeing it was her, I narrowed my eyes with a smile. “Chengcheng, hello!” I could not help glancing behind her. “Did you come by yourself?”
She pointed outside, her voice crisp. “Dad and Mom are here too.”
Following the direction of her small hand, I looked out. Through the glass window, I saw a white car parked by the roadside. The passenger-side door was wide open. The man I had not seen in a long time sat sideways, arms folded as he lit a cigarette. One leg rested inside the car, the other stretched out onto the curb. He wore casual pants and a pair of black cloth shoes with thousand-layer soles. His knee bent slightly, drawing out the long line of his leg.
He had just taken two puffs when his body was nudged outward twice by someone inside. He turned his head, exchanged a few teasing words, then stepped out with a faint smile, leaning against the car door to smoke.
Holding the cigarette, his gaze drifted calmly toward the entrance of the stationery shop. I startled inwardly and instinctively withdrew my gaze, only to suddenly meet a pair of big eyes.
The owner of those eyes was just tall enough to reach the counter. He had that rounded, bowl-cut hairstyle, his cheeks chubby, eyebrows arched like little crescents. His small hands gripped the counter as he looked at me, then at the candy box in front of him, licking his lips.
Curious, I looked at him, then glanced at the princess as if asking.
The princess spoke with a hint of disdain that could not quite hide her pride. “He’s my little brother, Lu Che, my tag-along.” Then she patted his head, like a little adult. “Call her Auntie.”
Lu Che kept licking his lips, voice milky-soft. “Auntie.”
I pinched his cheek. “You’re called little Lu Che?” His face was squished out of shape by my pinch. I could not help softening my voice. “First time meeting you. Hello!”
His eyes curved into slits as he smiled, revealing a few bean-sized white teeth, unbearably cute.
I casually took a lollipop, peeled off the wrapper, and handed it to him.
“Auntie, thank you, but he doesn’t eat…” the princess quickly waved her hand, politely thanking me. But before she could stop him, Lu Che stuffed the candy into his mouth in one bite, tilting his head up to give his sister a fawning smile.
The princess put her hands on her hips, huffing. “Dad said you’re not allowed to take food from others! Didn’t you learn your lesson last time when he spanked you?”
Lu Che blinked, his cheeks bulging with the lollipop. “I didn’t ask for it. Auntie gave it.” His expression was pitiful, as if trying hard to prove he was not in the wrong, bouncing clumsily on his feet.
The princess gave a soft huff. “I’m going to tell Dad later.”
The little one glared at her for a few seconds. “Jiejie!” he called in a sticky, coaxing voice, utterly reluctant as he lifted the lollipop. “Here, you eat.”
The candy was still smeared with his saliva, the orange surface sucked glossy and bright.
“No way.” The princess tucked both hands to her chest, dodging away in disgust. She turned and ran inside to pick out stationery.
The scene between the siblings made me laugh without meaning to. Looking back at Lu Che, he seemed not to notice at all. He frowned slightly at the lollipop in his hand, then after a moment broke into a grin and stuffed it back into his mouth, happily running off to find his sister.
Playful noises rose from inside.
Princess: “So dirty~”
Lu Che, words muddled: “Jiejie, lick it.”
“Little tag-along, stay away from me.”
“Play with me.”
The princess rubbed his curly hair and laughed. “Lu Che is a foodie!”
“I am a foodie!” he shouted along.
“Giggle giggle…”
“Hahaha…”
Even the sunlight outside seemed to melt in their laughter.
After a good while, the princess finished picking things, more or less, and set them on the counter.
The man outside had finished his cigarette. Growing impatient from waiting, he strolled in with his hands in his pockets.
“Lu Cheng.” He frowned. “That’s enough. Are you done or not?”
The two little ones had not noticed him at all. At the sound of his voice, they both paused slightly.
“Daddy.” The princess ran up to him sweetly. Seeing his gaze fall on Lu Che, she bounced about to divert his attention. “Daddy, Daddy, hurry and pay.”
His palm pressed down on the princess’s head. He crooked a finger toward the little one standing farther off. “What are you hiding behind your back?”
The little one’s mouth was smeared with candy syrup. His tongue kept licking his lower lip as he shook his head desperately. “Daddy, I really didn’t steal candy.”
I let out an unkind laugh. Realizing my lapse, I quickly pressed my lips together and hunched my shoulders.
He did not look at me at all. To his son, “You, come here. Come.”
Lu Che kept his hands behind his back, not moving.
He forced a patient tone. “Come now and it’ll be fine.”
After a pause, perhaps intimidated by his tone, the little one shuffled over, edging closer, looking up at him timidly.
He asked, “Including that candy, how much?”
I waved my hand. “The candy was a gift for the child. No charge.”
He glanced at me. “How much.”
His presence was oppressive.
“…” I had no choice but to say, “Fifty-one.”
He paid, lowering his head to tuck away the change. “Next time, don’t hand out candies like that. It makes it easier for human traffickers to trick children.”
His tone was icy. It was directed at me. I: “…”
He said nothing more, put away his wallet, bent down, picked up the smaller one, and turned to walk out.
When they were farther away, I only heard him say in a low voice, “Taking what your old man says as wind past your ears? Wait till your butt blossoms.”
Lu Che’s chubby legs kicked wildly as he wailed in his arms.
Seeing this, the princess hung onto his other arm, protesting as well. “Daddy, if you hit Lu Che, I won’t like you anymore.”
The man lifted his arm, using the momentum to scoop the princess under his other arm too, one on each side.
He strode forward in big steps, giving a cold laugh. “Whether you like me or not, only I decide.” He tilted his head, rubbing his chin against the princess’s cheek.
She pushed at him, dodging, her stance far from firm. Soon she forgot the united front and began laughing and playing with him.
Only at this moment did I fully come back to myself, turning over what he had just said, and found it unexpectedly very reasonable.
(4) What kind of man?
The new school term began, unbearably busy.
That night at nine, the customers finally cleared out. I packed things up, ready to close.
The little princess rushed in. “Auntie, wait a moment, okay?” She had already moved up to second grade, seeming a bit taller than last year. I had only seen her mother a few times, but it was easy to tell the princess’s delicate, pretty looks resembled hers. In the future, she would be stunning beyond compare.
I smiled. “Don’t run, take it slow.”
A little tail followed behind her, wobbling left and right, bumping into my leg. He also called out, “Auntie, wait a moment.”
Lu Che was plump all over, his little belly round from eating. I bent down, unable to resist pinching his cheek. He shrank his neck back to dodge, giggling as he ran inside with his sister.
This time the princess was quick, taking only a learning machine. It was required by the second-grade teacher, and almost all had been sold out that day.
I returned to the counter and packed it into a bag.
“Four hundred,” I said.
The princess cupped her hands around her mouth and called outside, “Daddy, pay.”
Before the man even came in, another item appeared on the counter, an identical learning machine to the princess’s.
The little one had grown taller than last year too. He crossed his arms on the counter, joining the commotion. “I want one too.”
The princess frowned. “You can’t even use it yet. What do you need it for?”
“There’s Jett inside.” His chubby finger pointed at the box, where Super Wings’ Jett was printed on the packaging.
The princess explained patiently, “That’s just the box. It’s not inside. You’ve only just started kindergarten, you don’t need it.”
“I want it,” he insisted.
“At worst I’ll give you the outer box.”
“No, I want it.” Lu Che’s little mouth jutted out high.
“What do you want?” a man’s voice came.
Outside, the sky had already darkened. Only a few streetlights barely lit the road. He stood at the doorway, half his face in light, half in shadow, head lowered as he looked at the two children, not stepping inside.
The princess said, “Little brother wants a learning machine too.”
Lu Che said softly, “Daddy, I want one.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Can you even read?” He turned to me. “How much?”
I looked at the counter. “Do you want one or two?”
“One.”
“Then four hundred,” I quoted.
He lowered his head and flipped open his wallet, simply taking out all the cash inside. A few of the bills were red, along with some loose change. He counted. Altogether, three hundred sixty.
“…” I cleared my throat awkwardly, holding back from speaking.
Yet his expression remained natural, open. He calmly pulled out ten yuan, placed the rest on the counter, then turned to the princess. “Go, ask your mom for fifty.”
The princess responded and quickly ran out.
The moment Lu Che heard, he grew anxious, bouncing twice on bent knees. “Then what about mine, Daddy?”
“Put it back where you got it.”
As if understanding his father’s unyielding stance, the little one pouted, tears falling with soft plops.
“I want Jett!” Getting no attention, he opened his mouth wide and began crying loudly.
The man did not indulge him at all. After paying, he picked up the chubby little boy and turned to leave.
The figures melted into the dark.
I could not help but wonder: in a world where stepping out the door costs money, a man whose wallet holds less than five hundred yuan in loose cash, what kind of man is he?
Before I could think it through, the crisp sound of heels brought me back.
The person who came in was holding Lu Che, speaking softly, “Sorry for delaying your closing.”
I recognized her as the princess’s mother and smiled. “Customer comes first. It’s fine.”
Her proportions were excellent, around one-sixty in height, looking somewhat delicate. With the chubby little one clinging to her like an octopus, she seemed slightly strained.
I asked, “Did you forget something?”
“I’m sorry, could I trouble you for another one of those learning machines?” Her smile was just right, the curve of her lips softening people instantly. Her gaze was attentive and sincere, carrying a polite friendliness.
“Of course, I’ll get it for you right away.” My voice softened as well. At this moment, even speaking loudly felt like an offense.
At last getting his wish, Lu Che held the learning machine in one arm, the other wrapped around his mother’s neck, still sniffling, tear drops hanging on his face.
She kissed his little cheek. “Baby, don’t cry anymore. When we get home, Mommy will play with you, okay?”
Lu Che was still unhappy, turning his head to sulk against her shoulder.
“Then does Cheche want a lollipop?” She took one out to coax him.
He held out for a few seconds, then said in his milky voice, “Daddy won’t allow it.”
“It’s fine if Mommy allows it!”
He hesitated. “I should listen to Daddy.”
“But your Daddy listens to me,” she said, unwrapping the candy and turning it in front of his eyes.
The little one frowned, thinking for a moment, then sniffled again. “Daddy will spank my butt.”
“With Mommy here, Daddy wouldn’t dare.”
“Really?”
“Really.” She handed over the lollipop. “Give Mommy a kiss first, okay?”
Lu Che planted a loud kiss on her cheek, holding the lollipop, finally breaking into a happy smile.
She smiled too, then turned to me. “Sorry for the scene. How much in total?”
“Four hundred one,” I said.
After taking the money, I watched them leave.
I closed half an hour later than usual that day. Walking along the road, the question from earlier finally became clear.
If I were that man, if I met a woman like her, life would be just like this—
I earn the money, you manage it. With you, I wouldn’t live extravagantly. Rice, oil, salt, the ordinary things of life, a few hundred in my pocket would be more than enough.
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