Dreaming With My Dragon Lover

"What's wrong now?"

Yuan Ge has become quite used to seeing the little loony getting emotional at the drop of a hat.

Rong Qiuchen excitedly takes Yuan Ge's hand and shakes it vigorously, then points to the top of the cabinet near where the young shop owner was sitting before. The top shelf of that cabinet looks rather like a small stage. Compared to the other sets, this one is clearly the largest, and there are seven dolls in it.

All the dolls are styled in Beijing Opera characters, including various Sheng roles and Dan roles. The costumes they wear and the objects they hold are all miniature models made to scale, exquisite and vivid. The dolls' tiny Peking opera headpieces are even more glorious and glittering. It is impossible to imagine what kind of materials were used to finely carve them to such a realistic level. Most impressively, each Beijing Opera doll has a different stage pose, a different demeanour and expression, as if they have been infused with souls. And at the bottom of the stage are the small words inscribed in gold - Flowers of the Opera Stage!

Yuan Ge feels the hair on the back of his neck stand up. With such a coincidence, no wonder the little loony was so worked up.

Rong Qiuchen examines the seven dolls carefully and sees that there is no price tag attached anywhere, so he turns back to the owner and asks eagerly, "Are these dolls for sale? Can you sell them all together to me?"

The shop owner does not look well; his face is so pale and bloodless that it is hard to tell what illness he is suffering from. It seems that he has lived in this gloomy shop all his life, accompanying these toy dolls of various shapes and sizes. To Rong Qiuchen's question, his answer is as cold and emotionless as his expression, just a few dry words, "Not for sale!"

How could Yuan Ge not see that Rong Qiuchen was very keen to get the doll set, in fact, he himself is also very interested, so he walks up to the shop owner and tries a different approach, "Excuse me, sir, this doll set is perfect, the stage and all the props are very beautiful. I wonder how you got the inspiration?"

Yuan Ge's enquiry seems to have touched the young man's heart.

"This doll set is very special to me. It took me months just to find the right materials and set the scene. If you like my work, you can pick any other dolls, but this set is not for sale." He pauses and adds, "Believe it or not, each doll has a soul, just like a child. And these seven dolls are like my favourite children."

Yuan Ge glances at Rong Qiuchen and he sees that his eyes are full of disappointment, as if he has been rejected by his beloved woman. His dejected look is so unbearable to look at that Yuan Ge feels compelled to continue to persuade the shop owner. 

"But I see the for sale sign on your shop window, which means that you need the money. Isn't it more important for you to get the shop's cashflow going for the time being?"

The shop owner lets out a helpless sigh, "You two do know your stuff. I knew it when I heard you guys recite poetry just now. But these days, dolls styled in ancient period costumes are far less popular than other styles of dolls, so my shop has not been doing well and I can't keep it going much longer...…"

"Then why did you refuse when we offered to buy your dolls?"

"As I said, you can buy any other doll, but this set is special to me and not for sale. Each doll you see in this shop has a soul, a personality and a story of its own. Every day when I look at them, it's like listening to them tell me about their lives." The shop owner speaks slowly, this time with emotion in his words, looking quite haunted and eccentric.

"Personality? Soul? That's interesting …"

Yuan Ge becomes even more curious after hearing his words, because the doll in the middle of the stage looks exactly the same as Rong Qing in his dream, with the exact same makeup as well! And beside himself, Rong Qiuchen hasn't taken his eyes off this set of dolls at all.

"So what's the story of this set of dolls?"

The shop owner lowers his head and speaks softly, "They come from my dreams. No one would believe me when I say this, but they came to me again and again in my dreams and I remembered every one of them and every expression they had as if they were right in front of me. I spent a lot of time creating them exactly as I dreamed them. I made them very carefully, not daring to make any changes. I always felt that these dolls were trying to tell me something. I didn't want to let them down, so how could I bear to sell them?"

"I believe you!" Yuan Ge says with conviction, "A dream is but a shadow of reality. Even though it is not reality, it can still inspire art." He takes out a business card from his pocket and hands it to him, "The film I am currently shooting, Qingqing, the script also comes from my dream and is closely related to the Flowers of the Opera Stage. If possible, I hope you can come to the set and see the filming process with your own eyes, then I am sure you will understand the shock I felt the moment I saw these seven dolls. At the same time, I understand very well why your dolls look so striking - because their souls are given by you personally, filled with your consciousness and emotions. Each of your dolls is a true work of art."

When it comes to art and artistic creation, Yuan Ge is quite confident that he could talk to this man all day long, as long as he is someone who really understands and has a true artistic spirit.

Hearing Yuan Ge's words, the shop owner's originally indifferent face actually shows a hint of emotion.

Sensing his wavering, Yuan Ge hurriedly adds, trying to strike while the iron is hot, "My, uh, my brother and I really like your masterpiece very much. Look, sir, it's the first day of the new year, so let's make a deal.. You get your first sale of the year and ensure a full year of prosperous business, while we get our wish and get the best New Year present for ourselves. Isn't that a win-win?"