"These items are not quite suitable for you," Chen Cheng answered. "Tomorrow, let your mom pick a good one for you."
"Didn’t you just say there are real ones?" Su Liya hoped she could find a bargain like in the TV shows.
Seeing her serious expression, Xiao Meier laughed, "Stop teasing her."
Chen Cheng also smiled, "The realest thing here is the plastic sheet underneath all these items."
Chen Cheng pointed ahead, "There’s also ET from outer space inside, want to go have a look?"
Xiao Meier also laughed, "But really, there are a lot of interesting things inside, old walkmans, beepers, brick phones, and..."
"What, what?" Su Liya was excited, "Let’s go, are there any vinyl records for sale?"
Chen Cheng thought for a moment: "There is indeed a shop selling records inside, do you want to explore?"
As they walked deeper, the items on the stands became even weirder.
There were animal bones for sale, bizarre plants, talismans, magic artifacts, and even glass jars containing mysterious organisms.
Su Liya, who had always been well-protected by Wen Shulin, had never seen such a spectacle and immediately felt scared, gripping Xiao Meier’s arm involuntarily.
"Sister Xiao Er, these items look so scary..." Su Liya trembled.
Xiao Meier patted her hand and comforted her: "Don’t be afraid, they are all fake, just tricks to fool people."
"I thought this was just a flea market in the night!" Su Liya swallowed nervously, "These things really do look..."
"Indeed a bit frightening."
Xiao Meier echoed, although she said she wasn’t afraid, she had also sweated nervously.
They both closely followed behind Chen Cheng, focusing only on his broad back without straying their gaze.
After about three to five minutes, the trio arrived in front of a second-hand record store.
The store was small but well-arranged with style.
A string of small colored lights hung at the entrance, gently swaying with the breeze, emitting a warm yellow light, contrasting sharply with the dim surroundings, making it exceptionally cozy.
Inside, rows of shelves were filled with densely packed vinyl records, from classical music to pop songs, from domestic singers to foreign bands, covering various genres.
A long-haired, bespectacled, and refined-looking middle-aged man was sitting behind the counter, listening to music while flipping through a thick book.
The wind chimes at the door rang, and the man looked up and greeted Chen Cheng with a nod.
"Dacheng, Sister Er. What brings you here today?"
"Bringing a friend over to dig for some stuff." Chen Cheng pointed behind to Su Liya.
Su Liya was also attracted by the collection in the store, never expecting such a professional shop in this place.
Xiao Meier: "Li Ya, what record do you want to buy? Just tell Lao Xu."
"Do you speak Chinese?" Lao Xu asked.
Lao Xu enthusiastically asked, "Miss, what records do you want to dig up? I have everything here, just name it and I’ll find it for you."
Su Liya, initially a bit reserved, relaxed seeing the man’s enthusiasm, and went to the shelves to browse carefully.
"I would like to see if there are any records by Deng Lijun." She gave her answer.
Lao Xu initially thought this foreign-looking girl would choose foreign records, like Queen or the Rolling Stones.
But hearing her unique accent, he seemed to understand.
"Deng Lijun? Yes, of course!"
Lao Xu said as he walked to the shelf, skillfully flipping through, "Little sister, which period or version do you want?"
Su Liya hesitated, not knowing much about Deng Lijun’s records, only familiar with some classic songs.
"Lao Xu, give her some recommendations," Chen Cheng intervened.
Lao Xu took out vinyl records from the display and introduced them to Su Liya:
"This is an early work of Deng Lijun, her voice is still somewhat unripe but very spirited."
"This one is her album in Japan; the style leans towards enka, very flavorful."
"This one is a live recording from her concert in Southeast Asia, a very lively atmosphere, definitely worth collecting."
Lao Xu went on and on.
Su Liya listened, dazzled, discovering that there were so many works of Deng Lijun she didn’t know about, each record seemed to carry a story behind it.
"What about this one?" Su Liya pointed at the record on the top of the display.
The record looked old; the cover featured a woman in a red cheongsam, standing with her back to the camera in front of a window, with a blurred nightscape outside, the entire image filled with a faint sadness and a sense of mystery.
Lao Xu glanced at it, a complex look flashing in his eyes, pausing for a moment before slowly saying:
"This is Deng Lijun’s last studio album, titled ’Light Exquisite Feelings’. The songs inside are adaptations of Tang and Song dynasty poems, the artistic conception is very beautiful, the most mature among all her works, and also the hardest to surpass."
Su Liya asked, "Can you play it to let me listen?"
Lao Xu said, removed the record, placed it on the turntable, and slowly lowered the needle.
Instantly, a melodious melody filled the store, and Deng Lijun’s sweet yet slightly husky voice seemed to traverse time and space, echoing in their ears.