By Huina Zheng
Yan eyed the 300 yuan shoes in the shop window. “Can I have them?” she pleaded.
“They’re too expensive,” her father responded.
“Just this one pair?”
“Grow up,” he dismissed.
Yan clutched her mother’s sleeve, tugging hard. “Please.” But her mother shook off her hand and walked away with her father, leaving Yan alone in the crowded mall.
Crushed, she sank to the floor, tears streaming. “But my salary and savings are with you. Why so cruel?” she sobbed, her plea lost in the mall’s hustle.
At 28, Yan wept over shoes, her helplessness and dependence painfully clear amidst indifferent shoppers.
Excellent! Love the ‘grow up’ to find out she’s 28
Loved this. An excellent twist at the end (and possibly a bit of cultural commentary?)