There was a moderately sized coffee industry exhibition at the International Expo Center over the weekend. Lin Song had long lost his enthusiasm for joining crowds; whether in his daily life or in business, he instinctively resisted excessive exertion. Lately, however, his business seemed to be turning a corner. As the May weather grew warmer, the coffee shop’s losses narrowed. It looked as if with a bit more diligent effort, profitability was within reach. His wholesale coffee bean business had also picked up. Although the cafés he had personally cultivated as clients were closing down one after another, his distribution channel customers had persevered, with sales volumes and turnover rates actually increasing. And so, on mornings when he was awoken by the sunlight, Lin Song felt a long-lost glimmer of anticipation for the future. This glimmer was just enough to coax him out of the house. ...

The rain from last night, neither too heavy nor too light, had finally ceased before dawn. The air was filled with the damp, earthy smell of the soil, mingled with the unique clamor of a city awakening. The wet asphalt glistened under the sparse streetlights, reflecting a cool, clean light. A news alert popped up on Lin Song’s phone: The U.S. had bombed Iran. The world was vast, a stage for distant gunfire and conflict, like a movie that had nothing to do with him. Lin Song’s world, however, was small—so small it was confined to the path leading to the breakfast shop. Today, the city’s high school entrance exams were finally over. The long period of noise and tension seemed to have found a moment of respite along with the final bell. ...

In Wuhan, the last ten days of every June are always a time of torrential downpours. It’s as if their frenzied nature has offended the Dragon King; the relentless rain shrouds the city for more than ten days straight. A thousand years ago, Hankou was still a marsh. In the rainy summers, the wild ducks were happiest. Back then, there was endless rain from the sky and an inexhaustible supply of small fish in the lakes. As all of nature flourished, all the wild ducks had to do was dart about, twisting their nimble necks and eating nonstop. When full, they would nap under the shade of a tree. Waking at dusk, they would rush into the ponds and continue eating. The wild ducks in the Hankou marsh grew fat and plump, their feathers glossy and sleek. ...

In Lin Song’s childhood memories, summer vacation was intrinsically linked to his grandmother and the fragrance of the earth. Every July, when the school’s white walls were scorched by the blazing sun and the teacher on the podium wrote the final stroke with a piece of chalk to announce the start of the holiday, his heart had already flown to the small village nestled deep in the lake district. His father would always drive the old “Jiefang” (Liberation) brand truck from his work unit, taking him to his grandmother’s doorstep amidst a roaring “chug-chug-chug” and clouds of dust. Lin Song had once asked how much coal the truck could carry at once. His father held up five rough fingers and said proudly, “Five tons. Enough to keep a large courtyard of families warm for an entire winter.” ...

I pulled out my phone and found Mr. Wang’s WeChat. The map showed the location of the café he had recommended. It was over 700 meters from the bus stop, an 8-minute walk. The interview with the café owner was scheduled for 10:30 AM, so I shouldn’t be late. Looking Back and Moving Forward This past Tuesday, I finished my barista course at the training school. After the exam next Friday, I’ll get my certificate. Learning to bake bread and make coffee is much more interesting than studying for the Gaokao. Funnily enough, even the teachers would mess up sometimes. We could actually laugh in class; my old middle school teachers never allowed any joking around. ...

Wuhan had already entered its plum rain season. Even deep into the night, there was no relief from the heat; everything felt damp to the touch. Tossing and turning in bed, Liu Jie would shift his position about every class period’s length, a sheen of sweat on his forehead that the constantly blowing fan couldn’t disperse. He regretted not turning on the air conditioner before bed. For a fleeting moment when he was about to sleep, the thought of flipping the AC switch had crossed his mind. But coming out of the bathroom, the electric fan in the living room was working hard, and Liu Jie, bare-chested, felt quite cool. Since it wasn’t that hot, he had simply collapsed onto the bed. ...

The currents of history often lay the groundwork for a city’s rise in unforeseen ways. In 1369, the second year of the Hongwu reign, the newly enthroned Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang initiated a massive military recruitment in the Huguang region (modern-day Hubei and Hunan provinces) to quell the Ming Xia regime in Sichuan. Two years later, generals Tang He and Fu Youde led this army west, pacifying the region. While the campaigns concluded, a wave of migration had just begun. This grand demographic shift, later known as the “Lianghu Tian Chuan” (the filling of Sichuan by people from the two lake provinces), inadvertently injected the most primal life force into what would become a great commercial metropolis. ...

In recent years, the US dollar’s position as the world’s primary reserve currency and the bedrock of international transactions is facing unprecedented scrutiny and challenges. The dollar, which historically tended to strengthen during periods of economic or geopolitical conflict, has recently exhibited unusual behavior, signaling that a subtle shift might be underway in the international monetary system. One signal of this change comes from the actions of international rating agencies. Following Standard & Poor’s downgrade of the US sovereign credit rating from AAA in 2011, Moody’s recently lowered the US government’s credit rating from Aaa to Aa1. This means the United States has now lost its top credit rating from all three major international credit rating agencies (S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch). The downgrades reflect concerns about the US’s accumulating debt burden, fiscal uncertainty, and political polarization, factors that could weaken the US’s future fiscal strength and policy stability, thereby impacting investor confidence in US Treasury bonds. ...

“Ten li of masts leaning against the town, ten thousand households’ lights bright through the night.” This poetic line, quoted in the 1920 Xiakou County Gazetteer, vividly portrays the magnificent scene of Hanzheng Street at its peak prosperity. Hanzheng Street is one of the oldest streets in Hankou, boasting a history of over five hundred years since its formation. As early as the early Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, a change in the course of the Han River made the area adjacent to it a good haven for passing ships, attracting numerous people to build foundations and houses. Shops and trading firms along the street gradually increased, accommodating visiting merchants. By the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1620), the area around the main street had already formed a bustling market town. ...

When you leave home punctually from Monday to Friday, take the crowded subway to the busy office, day after day, what you anticipate is the salary your boss pays you each month. Regardless of your skills or how much energy and enthusiasm you invest, the final salary you receive is generally in line with your expectation – not significantly more, nor noticeably less. With the salary your boss provides, you might treat friends to a special seafood meal when a restaurant has a promotion. On weekends, shedding your stiff work attire for a comfortable T-shirt, you might visit a street bar for a drink and offer polite applause to a singer you enjoy. ...