That’s all, thank you.
He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, with many boys around her, while he was so ordinary, with nobody paying attention to him.
At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him. She was surprised, but out of politeness, she agreed.
They sat in a nice coffee shop. He was too nervous to say anything, and she felt uncomfortable, thinking, “Please let me go home.”
Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.”
Everybody stared at him. So strange! His face turned red, but, still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it.
She asked him curiously, “Why do you have this hobby?”
He replied, “When I was a little boy, I was living near the sea. I liked playing in the sea, and I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood. I miss so much my hometown and my parents who are still living there.”
While saying that he couldn’t hold back his tears. She was deeply touched. That’s his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can speak out his homesickness must be a man who loves home, cares about home, and has responsibility for his family.
Then she also started to speak about her faraway hometown, her childhood, and her family. That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story.
They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who met all her demands: he was kind-hearted, warm and careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him.
Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story went on just like every beautiful love story: the princess married the prince, and then they were living in happiness…And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee.
After 40 years, he passed away, leaving her a letter.
Learning the truth while reading the letter,
Learning a new skill
Role Model of the Year of Our School
The day I heard that the Rainbow Bookstore was closing after fifty years of business, I was heartbroken. The bookstore was a place where anyone in the neighborhood could drop in and connect through their love of books.
When I hurried to the store, I saw the books were being packed into boxes. Sighing deeply, the store’s elderly owner, Casey, told me how it was becoming difficult to run an independent bookstore. Most young people preferred reading e-books on tablets. Customers were being attracted by chain stores and online discounts. I tried to think of some words of sympathy, but I had to admit that the Rainbow Bookstore couldn’t stay in business much longer.
Childhood memories came flooding back. A bunch of us kids would frequently drop by the store after school, looking at the new books, or just chatting with old Casey. He knew every book in the store and would always pick the perfect one for us. We spent hours reading, seated on the store’s old, but comfortable furniture. Casey encouraged us to share our ideas and comments on the books by writing them on a large board in one corner of the store.
When I left the bookstore, it was becoming cold and dark outside. I turned to wave goodbye to Casey, but both he and his bookstore were already hidden in a thick mist. It made me realize that the bookstore and all that old Casey had given to the community could soon disappear for good.
A few months later, I was back in the neighborhood from my vacation and was surprised to see that the Rainbow Bookstore was still there and open for business. Its old brick outside hadn’t changed, but inside it was like a different world. Clearly, the Rainbow Bookstore was in good and creative hands.
I was told that the community had decided to work together on a campaign to save the Rainbow Bookstore. The campaign had been led by Jennifer Oakley, a saleswoman who had grown up in the neighborhood and who was helping Casey run the bookstore.
With Jennifer’s help, the bookstore was being turned into a different place.
I suddenly saw Casey, who was reading readers’ comments on the big screen, and joined him.
Traffic Safety, Our Responsibility
Recently, many teenagers have got injured or even killed in traffic accidents.
The New Skill I Want to Learn
Yours,
Li Hua
Yours,
Li Hua