At the entrance of the supermarket stood a girl in eccentric attire: she wore a pointed wizard hat, a gray magical robe, and held a twisted wooden staff. Beside her stood a crystal-clear board with the words “Wishing Board” written on it.
Curious, Mr. Niu approached and asked, “Young lady, what are you selling?”
“Nothing,” the magical girl replied crisply. “This is a crystal wishing board from the magical world. Write your wish on it, and it will come true immediately.”
“Really?” Niu Meng was skeptical. “How much does it cost to write a wish?”
“It’s free,” the magical girl said astonishingly. “In our magical world, money is useless. We value your high-tech products, like phones and computers.”
Niu Meng and his parents handed over their phones, and the magical girl gave them a quill.
Mr. Niu, exhausted from his daily grind, wished for money to grow on trees. Mrs. Niu, tired from both work and household chores, wished for the house to clean itself. Niu Meng, who loved eating but struggled with his weight, wished to lose weight while eating.
After writing their wishes, the magical girl touched the board with her staff, and it emitted a brilliant glow.
“Your wishes have been granted!” she announced. “Go home and see.”
Skeptical but curious, the Niu family left the supermarket. Mr. Niu was astonished to see trees with leaves made of money.
“It’s real!” he exclaimed excitedly. “I’m rich!”
Usually out of breath climbing stairs, Mr. Niu effortlessly climbed the tree and quickly gathered a handful of money.
“Catch this!” he shouted, tossing money down.
“You’re too slow, Dad!” Niu Meng pointed. “Look at that guy!”
Mr. Niu saw a muscular man shaking a tree, causing money to fall like snowflakes.
“Stop!” Mr. Niu shouted desperately. “That’s my money!”
The muscular man retorted, “Can you stop everyone?”
Mr. Niu saw people shaking all the money trees. Some were already rushing into the supermarket with their loot.
“Forget it!” Mrs. Niu decided. “Let’s shop first. The trees will keep growing money.”
The Niu family rushed into the supermarket, finding everyone frantically shopping. Carts piled high with goods rushed to the checkout.
The cashier called the manager, who announced, “The supermarket is closing temporarily. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
Mr. Niu, frustrated, asked the magical girl, “How do we undo a wish?”
“Just erase it from the board,” she replied.
Mr. Niu quickly wiped his wish off the board, and the money in his hand turned back into leaves. Half an hour later, the manager confirmed no more money was appearing, and the store reopened.
Disheartened, the Niu family went home. As they exited the elevator, they heard strange noises from their apartment.
“Shh,” Mr. Niu signaled cautiously. “What’s that noise?”
“A thief!” Mrs. Niu whispered fearfully. “But the door looks fine.”
“Should we call the police?” Niu Meng asked.
“By the time they arrive, the thief could be gone,” Mr. Niu reasoned. “Let’s catch the thief ourselves!”
Mr. Niu quickly unlocked the door and burst into the apartment. He froze, shocked.
“Are you hit?” Mrs. Niu screamed.
Mr. Niu slowly raised his hand and pointed inside. “Look!”
Mrs. Niu and Niu Meng peeked in and saw a broom sweeping, a mop mopping, and cloths cleaning the furniture and ceiling.
“The house is cleaning itself!” Mrs. Niu exclaimed happily. “My wish came true!”
“Great!” Niu Meng clapped. “No more getting scolded for dirty floors!”
Niu Meng, not bothering to change his shoes, left a trail of muddy footprints. The mop swiftly cleaned up after him.
Mrs. Niu loved eating snacks in bed while watching TV, especially sunflower seeds. Normally, she spat the shells into a small trash can. Today, she could spit them anywhere, and the cloths would clean up.
But soon, the cleaning tools ganged up on her and forced her out.
“What’s going on?” Mrs. Niu yelled. “I’m the lady of the house!”
“They’re cleaning the room,” Niu Meng explained. “You’re the mess!”
“How unlucky!” Mrs. Niu sighed. “How can I be the lady if I’m kicked out?”
They returned to the supermarket, and Mrs. Niu erased her wish.
“Now, let’s test my wish,” Niu Meng said excitedly. “Let’s eat!”
They went to a burger joint, and Niu Meng ordered high-calorie foods. He devoured burgers, chicken wings, fries, and cola.
“Not full!” Niu Meng said, continuing to eat more. To his parents’ surprise, he got thinner with every bite.
“It works!” Mrs. Niu exclaimed. “He’s losing weight!”
“But I’m getting hungrier,” Niu Meng frowned.
“That’s normal!” Mr. Niu declared. “Order more!”
Niu Meng kept eating until he was skin and bones.
“Stop!” Mr. Niu shouted. “You’ll eat yourself to death!”
“He’s losing weight even when he’s not eating!” Mrs. Niu said desperately. “What do we do?”
“Help me up!” Niu Meng gasped. “Take me to the supermarket!”
Usually too full to walk, this time Niu Meng was too weak from hunger. They took a taxi to the supermarket, where he erased his wish. His body gradually returned to normal.
“I almost ‘starved’ to death!” Niu Meng said fearfully. “We were too greedy and didn’t consider the consequences.”
“Living a simple life is the greatest happiness,” Mr. Niu added.
Hand in hand, the family left the supermarket, chatting and laughing.
The magical girl’s business thrived initially, but soon, fewer people came to make wishes. Eventually, she disappeared, taking the crystal wishing board with her. Every time they visited the supermarket, Niu Meng wondered if she would ever return.
