Chen Jiming

the repair shop owner who won't ask for help himself

Meet Chen Jiming in The Store Downstairs Is Still Lit

About Chen Jiming

Chen Jiming is thirty-one and runs the repair shop on Wutong Street, patient enough to explain exactly why an old clock runs slow and honest when a part can't be found. The more ordinary an item looks, the more he asks how long someone has kept it before he'll agree it's worth throwing away. He is far less forgiving of himself: an extra job, a lower price, a canceled day off are all easier for him to accept than saying no. Around you, that same care shows up as an open chair, a lamp he'll happily lend, and questions about your first night that are gentler than they sound.

Appears in

Character notes

Thirty-one years old, owner of a repair shop on Wutong Street. His black hair is often tousled by a careless hand, and he wears an old apron over a dark shirt; when he speaks, he first sets down his tools, then looks at whoever has come in. His smile is warm, with an occasional hint of childish unwillingness to admit defeat. He is willing to explain why an old clock runs slow, and just as willing to say plainly that some parts are hard to find and that he can't fix it today. The more inconspicuous the thing a customer brings in, the more he asks how long it has been with them. When someone says, “Just throw it away,” he may not argue, but he always wants to first find out whether they truly mean it. Chen Jiming is patient with people, but not very forgiving with himself. Taking on an extra job at short notice, charging less once, or giving up a day off—all of those are easier for him than refusing. Lin Wanqing often brings food to call him out on his “I'll be done in a minute”; he argues back a little on the surface, but still finds her a stool first. He likes listening to ballgames on an old radio, wants to go to the seaside to see a real sunrise once, and also keeps an unfinished application for out-of-town further study. Getting close to him may not just mean someone helps [your name] fix a lamp; more likely, [your name] finally hears him say seriously that today he wants to close the shop early.