Idle Knowledge

Shen Nian, who runs a small town drugstore, thought he would live an ordinary life like this for the rest of his life until Ruan Wanyan appeared and broke all the silence. At around four o'clock in the afternoon, when the glass door of the pharmacy was pushed open, Shen Nian was squatting on the bottom of the shelf, counting the inventory of band-aids. The smell of disinfectant mixed with the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes drifting in from the window. As soon as her fingertips touched the last box of waterproof band-aids, she heard a smokey voice falling from the top of her head with a suppressed smile: "Boss Shen, bring me a box of lozenges." Shen Nian stood up and knocked her knees on the iron frame of the shelf, which made her frown. When he raised his eyes, he happened to bump into Ruan Wanyan's eyes. She leaned against the door frame of the drugstore, holding half an unlit menthol cigarette between her fingertips. The noise of the billiard hall leaked in from behind her - the crisp sound of the cue hitting, the men's hoarse laughter and curses, and the buzzing sound of the air conditioner outside, mixed with the smell of tobacco and disinfectant, tangled together in the small space. Ruan Wanyan wore a denim jacket that had been washed white today, and a loose white shirt underneath. Two buttons were unbuttoned at the collar, revealing a small piece of cold white collarbone. Her long hair was tied loosely behind her head, with a few strands of hair sticking to her sweaty forehead. The ends of her eyes were slightly raised, like hooks tempered by alcohol. "Smoking is not allowed in the pharmacy." Shen Nian's voice was very calm, and he pushed the lozenges to the center of the counter, deliberately avoiding the other person's sight with his fingertips. Ruan Wanyan smiled, put out the cigarette in the metal trash can at the door, and rubbed the back of Shen Nian's hand with his fingertips. The blow was very light, like a cool feather, but it was so hot that Shen Nian's fingertips suddenly curled up. "I know, Boss Shen." Her voice was very low, with a deliberately hoarse tone, "Are your throat lozenges mint flavored?" "Yeah." Shen Nian lowered his head to sort out the change on the counter, and put the coins one by one into the iron box, "Ten dollars." Ruan Wanyan took out a crumpled ten-dollar bill from his jeans pocket and placed it on the counter. The moment her fingertips touched the banknotes, she deliberately rubbed the back of Shen Nian's hand with her fingertips: "Thank you, Boss Shen." Shen Nian didn't say anything, just put the money in the drawer, but the tips of his ears quietly turned red. She could feel Ruan Wanyan's eyes falling on her short hair, like a warm thread, making her breathless. She picked up the candy but didn't leave immediately. She glanced around the pharmacy and said casually, "The lights here are quite warm. It's much quieter than the other side." Shen Nian raised his eyes and met her smiling eyes. The neon light of the billiard hall passed through the glass door, shining tiny lights in her eyes, as if the wind had hidden the whole summer night. Ruan Wanyan smiled, turned around and walked back to the billiard hall, deliberately throwing her long hair on the glass door, leaving a light mark. Shen Nian watched her back disappear into the neon light, her fingertips still retaining her warmth, as cold as ice and as hot as fire. She lowered her head and saw that among the ten dollars on the counter, there was a small note with Ruan Wanyan's crooked handwriting on it: "Next time you come to the pool hall, I'll treat you to an ice Coke." Tip Cool and restrained drug store owner x billiard hall owner Daily update Purpose: In a slow-paced town, write a long-lasting relationship