He gives and He takes

For the first time in almost two years of Shanghai living, I walked into my favorite import grocer and saw a copy of Vanity Fair. A single ray of sun burst through the clouds and illuminated its glossy specter on the magazine rack. I bowed my head and it slid into my open palms, like receiving manna from heaven.

Then I asked the register boy how much it cost. 90 kuai. About US$14.30.

I put it back.