Jim went to the thrift shop. He wasn't looking for anything in particular. He liked to go there just to browse. A big sign on the front door said OPEN. The shop was closed on Sunday and Monday. The rest of the week, it opened at 10 a.m. and closed at 2 p.m.
Two women worked inside. They rang up sales and put the items into plastic bags for the customers to carry out. At the back of the shop was a big room where another lady worked. She sorted the new donations and put price tags on them.At the end of each day, she would bring the new donations out to the main part of the shop.
Everyone who worked at the thrift shop was a volunteer. The only "payment" they received was that they had the opportunity to see, and buy, any items in the shop before the customers did.
When Jim entered, the lady at the register told him hello. She knew Jim because he was a regular customer.
Jim said, "what's new?"
She laughed and said that nothing was ever new at a thrift shop. "It's always old and it's always used," she smiled.
Jim looked at the watches in the glass case. He saw one that he liked.
"Could I look at that one?"he asked.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Great news! My uncle Precious Stone, has announced he is going to the Golden Mountain, or America, as the natives call it. Gold was found there almost three years ago. Many Chinese have already crossed the great ocean to become guests of the Golden Mountain.
So Uncle will make the trip. then we can eat meat every day instead of once a year at New Year's. And the meat will be prime cut instead of the fat and gristle we usually get. And we'll own five fields like a great family, not two. He's got many plans for when we are rich.
The clan doesn't think much of Uncle. Though Father is younger than Uncle, he actually runs things. The clan thinks Uncle is only clever at knocking scraps of wood together into shelves or little boxes. Worse, they claim he has no luck. They say that if Uncle stood among a thousand people and a cloud drifted overhead, the cloud would rain only on poor Uncle.
I know Uncle is a great man. I'm the only one he can talk to.
So Uncle will make the trip. then we can eat meat every day instead of once a year at New Year's. And the meat will be prime cut instead of the fat and gristle we usually get. And we'll own five fields like a great family, not two. He's got many plans for when we are rich.
The clan doesn't think much of Uncle. Though Father is younger than Uncle, he actually runs things. The clan thinks Uncle is only clever at knocking scraps of wood together into shelves or little boxes. Worse, they claim he has no luck. They say that if Uncle stood among a thousand people and a cloud drifted overhead, the cloud would rain only on poor Uncle.
I know Uncle is a great man. I'm the only one he can talk to.
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