The secret written on the second-hand book – can I, a stranger, read it?

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bg5.png ▼ How long has it been since you last bought a book? Have you ever bought second-hand books? Books, from bookstores to readers, pass from one person to another like a relay – it is life responding to life. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRP0Hn16sV59FjMoTJVdiaPLnxaVPzjEpfyQxt1sDu0LeoZudnN8iaVX4g/640?wx_fmt=png Although second-hand books may see their pages yellow and their spines become brittle over time, their good content does not lose value; many stories and meanings accumulate within them. One of the joys of buying second-hand books is the traces, annotations, or messages left by previous owners – these connect the previous and current owners and feel like stepping into a fragment of someone’s life. Let’s take a look at the different types of such annotations, whether they are silly, serious, or heartfelt. ▼ Buying second-hand books is like going on an adventure in search of treasures. True book connoisseurs believe that “books should only be read when borrowed, and only bought as second-hand.” https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRax4Qj8QX1GCYEEg1KyHUBmkIUQcfnGibq31FNicGZf2YuMGlFpbrLlnA/640?wx_fmt=png/Douban user Yang Xiaoyang Bu Chi Qingcao: Anyone with dreams is amazing! / For them, a good second-hand book found among mountains of text is by no means an ordinary second-hand item; it is rather a trophy seized skillfully from life. Do you think they are just spending money? No, if saving money means making a profit, then saving money on books is like trying to steal light by drilling a hole in the wall. Who would have thought that a second-hand book bought for ten yuan wouldn’t even allow one to be immersed in the knowledge it contains? https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaReKhaDBcNqovAOUiauibnibj85fiaND70DYDo1yZW3Eib1Vrth3yh1EUgG6g/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user isomerism: The former owner of this book embodied the precious spirit of someone who spends money generously, showing through his actions what surprise really means and what it means to say “there’s gold in books.” https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRPTrk9ibwWXzdzzB8ncbmdkTgNpQmyyZsTEd4LcJUWFicTwJ9CBJmibryw/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user Gongzi Xiaolu: Second-hand books can not only act as symbols of generosity but also resemble Doraemon, always ready to help. When you open such a book, it’s as if you’ve entered a tunnel through time, allowing you to discover a world full of fun and humor. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRnB0XV8M1icdibPKKh1icYgbiaL3d7GmwN7YaXSMmiaQqNJlF9SiaZhdf3UyQ/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user Liufeng Rusi: Some second-hand books are covered in drawings filled with inspiration and humor. Their simple writing tools and correction fluids allow them to compete with the book’s original designers. They use their imagination to make the text and illustrations match their own aesthetic sense, bringing together famous people from different times and places, along with objects from various eras, creating a “surreal abstract” style. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaR1uO6SfmkktnzDkHflauGuwMXwIcEjhic30bI8cn0ZEYPjfIqpWbzeiaw/640?wx_fmt=png/ The witty messages left on these books can be seen as a silent invitation to the next owner. Sometimes, cartoon-like drawings are used to add charm, subtly indicating the connection between the previous owner and the book. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaR9oEsvLTHUyTr7ujM7qdfLd66dnliaMkfDjlN1J8icBBaFlkAZGccbu1w/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user Jiājiāchéngzhēn: Secret crushes in the library… Book graffiti artists also use their imaginative skills in ways that are hard to describe. This feeling of helplessness makes us feel closer to each other at this moment. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRXqN5BEtT7SoslXjJBFeCFGibxCD2wu72fRWn93ssLia23CTgV4TqypkQ/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user Bùchī dàn yǎng de Xiǎo Zhōu: In the messages left on second-hand books, you can find not only another interesting person but also some extra jokes. If there’s any rule for buying second-hand books, it should be that “not reading the messages on those books is the same as not having read the book at all.” After all, in life, sadness and fatigue aren’t the right attitudes; optimism and laughter are the solutions. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRrDZKtiblm4rO5xOJyBUFRhoYkrxMfN6ricbWSWicK7xHJjpvRH8nSSZ2A/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user Shuzaiii: There was only one copy of this book left in the library. I found this prank in the last return card. ▼ Books lovers with a strong desire to learn see every punctuation mark as important. When they’re in the dark depths of knowledge, only highlighters can give them a sense of security. The colorful marks are like glowing balls, proving that someone has been there before. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaR7hnpBx7Rh8nCh2AicSkLGblS4OSP75uUhTn4pJiaqV5OyKem4TOd0WaA/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user Àhà: The second-hand book I bought… Well, it’s okay, but it wasn’t necessary. It’s also clear that as books lovers interact more with knowledge, their attitude changes from initial enthusiasm to eventual annoyance. You’re right in front of me; I can recognize each word, but when combined, they become an unsolvable puzzle. There’s no greater distance in the world than this. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRpCWJImrMTpwKQJ1GptYSm3q3jkbwI3L3lKhrU1JnQf3LlnXETo78XA/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user Yǐnběn: The previous reader must have read very carefully… It’s easy to imagine how engrossed they must have been while reading these words. / There is another type of reader. Unlike top students, their enthusiasm isn’t directed toward studying; instead, they embody the spirit of Leeuwenhoek and, like detectives solving cases, use microscopes to examine books. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRaPKhzPLsHQ6KXjL70Y1p3oDoiaBGNdKgddgLSLyhtX8OJqiccw0Cic33A/640?wx_fmt=png/ A Douban user named Kerisiting. If we were to classify them strictly, they would belong to the category of those who study diligently – the “top student” subtype, akin to Holmes. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRyX7jnmt2ZehElO7moeMAFHiaKn6y49UeWBVaYGnSHT3hia6XOsC8iaZFw/640?wx_fmt=png/ Another Douban user, Aspirin. ▼ Live a simple life with deep affection. The joys and sorrows bestowed by fate – some people are able to embrace them with a broad heart, while others find courage in facing them calmly. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRV6jbBBaSGgvjZJQWaArV2rdeCJnwZNcFqdgLIvcwbtGYrYDABQbqiaQ/640?wx_fmt=png/ A Douban user named “Impoverished Yet Not Satisfied”: I bought a copy of Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du Mal from 1986 today, and the passage on the title page describes my current life quite well. It’s like a shout that shakes the ears. / With the brushstrokes of life, they have written a preface to neo-realism – within these pages, those who understand each other feel as if they are neighbors, no matter how far apart they are. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRCItsgTzZBsUHgDRSLmk151eBiaOEjVAB0JiaSanSf9Sc49UkmZ9c88ZA/640?wx_fmt=png/ A Douban user asks: Listening to the Floods Again: Thirty years on, do the two of them still read poetry together? / Whether it’s a message written when giving away a book or those secret feelings known only to oneself, those words that are carefully written down bit by bit after taking some time to think about them gain great power through the medium of writing. All those who love writing are sincere, whether their words are random or carry deep meaning. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRQ8I57dgs4MCA8AyPFLMc7kiaYzkianX7icS7uVbJYCwYocn6ZWr2pAorA/640?wx_fmt=png/ A Douban user named Zhan Zihui: Some old books bought for a few bucks; when opened, I found traces of the previous owner’s handwriting still on them. I don’t know what it went through before it was put on the market; perhaps its love was washed away by the passage of time, or maybe later generations sold it as useless junk to make money. Fate is only more complicated and intricate than my guesses. It would be best if, more than thirty years later, even without this book, the two of them could understand each other’s inner thoughts. / Scholars busy with life among the rows of books leave messages filled with love and dreams, offering healing to those lonely souls through sleepless nights and to those wounded hearts after enduring hardships, the moment they read such messages. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRZKANmiamK59kkbCv0iattibXw4bdD28vC1Dxe3ZeAS2kYicXwljd1jVcGg/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user Da Ke Xue / Everyone can find their innocent heart again in these messages; no matter how turbulent the outside world may be, this place will always be the most accommodating for you. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaR1DM6LSLIXj5ibMu9H6zByBIPhLxCCichyJTdic1HubABF5IQiaBUVrxuoQ/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user MR. Liu Xiansen / With the increasing trend of second-hand book trading, it’s not uncommon to find notes left in books for the next reader. It’s like a message in a bottle with no way back, but perhaps the next reader will smile when they see those similar thoughts. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaR*bWK81G0pPfZl3MR3pM1dvyyTo7ydXR0fAOklCY3c3cqGic5jia7ib6pQ/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user Blueberry Mousse: Finding such notes is part of the joy of browsing second-hand bookstores. Books may become old, but the stories between books and people continue to be passed on. There are traces left by time, as well as the moods, emotions, and stories of different people. Of course, there are also unexpected surprises. Unlike the “blind box” marketing strategy, each second-hand book is truly a limited edition. Opening the first page might reveal notes like “Purchased at a certain bookstore on a certain date.” With a bit of luck, one might even find an autograph from the author. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRa7oHHWfOWaLD1njnicQk3xwcbFfnwCAqDTciabZ8OBppEqmn0FrTwGRg/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user WANG ECO: Mo Yan’s signature on a second-hand book from 1999. What’s more important is that even if the previous owner had no intention of communicating with the next reader, all the traces they left behind are actually special. There are book stamps, colorful detailed annotations, diagrams of relationships between characters, lipstick marks, etc. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRPicvOkIqAibZgicEic9ibXWXMVCvOdKLtMkewkd0ib4f7sZmNdhBJS3HKgUQ/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user Tie Xian Mu Piao / Dried flowers, leaves, words written in absentmindedness, grade reports, admission notices, ticket stubs, stamps, photos… All of these are signs that someone has been there before. And by noticing these signs, you become the other end of a connection across time and space. https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_png/lcaq0oMjdFwfvmc96uBicnBxKt6C2icHaRPE9XwRhSnIQ6VBM9S0Vwr5b8UWh9W73od6qXBOe5Uc7kMJBNYoia3Yg/640?wx_fmt=png/ Douban user Niiak4: “White Night”/