Shopkeeper at First Light
by Meghan Park
Rain-slicked asphalt in a Shanghai lane reflects the neon glow of a nearby convenience store sign, casting long, distorted ribbons of electric blue and pink across the wet ground. A young delivery rider in a translucent yellow poncho pauses beside a rusted bicycle rack, adjusting his helmet strap while waiting for an order confirmation. Behind him, a shopkeeper leans out from a narrow doorway, wiping down a glossy enamel counter with a rag, the white surface stark against the damp, grey morning. Potted plants line the sidewalk, their leaves heavy with raindrops, while a discarded plastic bag clings to a chain-link fence. The quiet, hurried rhythm of urban life waking up after a storm.
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