Harvard Business School Reading List

Author: Yun Zhongtian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: At the age of four, I was already an old customer of Mr. Victor's candy shop. Whenever the small bell by the door rang, Mr. Victor would appear behind the candy counter, smiling at you. He was truly old, with a full head of beautiful white hair. When all sorts of attractive and delicious candies were laid out before a child, choosing just one was quite a challenge. Every time I finally selected a candy, I always felt a bit unhappy, thinking that perhaps another candy might taste even better. Mr. Victor would put the candy I chose into a paper bag and then, as usual, pause for a moment without saying anything. But all the children knew that if his eyebrows lifted slightly, it meant you had one last chance to choose. Only when the money was placed on the counter would he tie the bag for you, and then you could no longer hesitate.
Our home was two blocks away from the bus station, and I would pass by the shop every time I took the bus. Once, when my mother took me to the city for errands, we passed the bus station on our way home. "Let's see if we can find something good," she said as she led me to Mr. Victor's long glass counter. The old man came out and talked with my mother for a few minutes. My eyes were fixed on the candy samples in the counter, and before leaving, my mother bought some candy for me with money. Every week, my mother would go to the city once or twice, and I was always taken along. On the way back, I would always eat the candy I saw in Mr. Victor's shop—it had almost become something we had to do. At that time, I didn’t know anything about money. I just saw my mother hand over something and receive a package-like object. Gradually, the concept of exchange entered my mind.
Once, I even walked across two streets alone to Mr. Victor's little shop. I remember struggling to ring the doorbell, and when the door opened, I walked slowly to the counter as if under a spell. Here was the mint candy—very cooling; there was the fruit gelatin candy—sweet in the mouth; and next, a bowl of cream chocolate—I took a little of each, putting them together, my heart filled with sweetness. Mr. Victor leaned slightly forward and asked, "Son, do you have this much money?" "Oh, of course," I replied, "I have plenty of money." I reached out and dropped a handful of pine nuts, wrapped in silver foil, into his hands. He stood there, looking at the nuts in his palm, then stared at me intently with sharp eyes. "Is this enough?" I asked eagerly. He tilted his head slightly and shrugged, saying, "I think I have a bit too much." Then he turned around and took two pence from the old-fashioned cash box and placed them in my hand. "Here, this is your change!"
Whenever I got my mother’s permission, I would receive a few pence to exchange for candy at that shop. From then on, I no longer paid attention to the pine nuts. As I grew older day by day, I gradually forgot about it.
When I was around six or seven, my family moved to another city, where I grew up, got married, and started my own home. My wife and I kept various beautiful ornamental fish and even opened a shop, which was doing quite well. Most of the fish were imported from Asia, Africa, and South America, and some rare species could sell for five dollars each. One sunny afternoon, a little girl came in, followed by her brother, who was about five or six years old. I was busy cleaning the fish tank. Both of them stared at the fish swimming back and forth in the water with big, round eyes.
"Wow!" the younger brother exclaimed loudly, "Can we buy some?" "Of course," I replied. "As long as you can afford it." "Oh, we have a lot of money," the girl said confidently. Those words sounded so familiar. They looked at the fish for a while and asked for several different varieties. I put them into a jar and then into a plastic bag, handing it to the boy. "Handle it carefully," I warned. He nodded and turned to his sister, "You give the money." He said. I reached out to take the money, but when she loosened her small finger, I suddenly realized what was happening. I even knew what the girl would say next. She handed me three small coins. At that moment, Mr. Victor’s familiar face seemed to appear before me—the little girl was so much like me as a child! Only then did I realize that I had given Mr. Victor not just some pine nuts, but also a difficult question, yet he had answered it perfectly.
Looking at the coins in my hand, I felt as if I had returned to the candy shop. I understood the innocence and naivety of the two children, and I knew that it could be protected or hurt, just as Mr. Victor had long understood years ago. Memories flashed through my mind, and I was so moved that I could barely speak. The little girl stood before me, asking softly, "Is this enough money?" "I think I gave you a bit too much," I said, though my heart was pounding from excitement. "Here, this is your change." I took two pence from the cash drawer and placed them in her hand. Then I stood at the door, watching the two children carefully holding their treasures and running away happily.
When I turned around, my wife was standing by the pool, tending to the aquatic plants. "Tell me what happened?" she asked. "Do you know how much fish you gave them?" "About thirty yuan worth," I replied. "But I had to do it." When I finished telling her about the incident with Mr. Victor and my childhood self, her eyes filled with tears. Then, she smiled gently and kissed my cheek.