WE Coffee creates a Pure Land for readers.

The coffee shop holds an event.

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On the first floor of Jinke Street, Hou Shuang, the owner of the "WE Coffee" coffee shop, took a nap while reading while taking advantage of the absence of customers.

Several middle-aged men came in, sat down and shouted at Hou Shuang, "Boss, please get a deck of cards and bring some more chairs. Let's play cards here for a while."

Hou Shuang stood up and Wenyan advised: "excuse me, sir, this is a place for reading, we do not provide any entertainment facilities."

The middle-aged man left.

Give up a well-paid job and return to Yongchuan

"they have the right to choose whether or not to enter the coffee shop, just as I have the right to choose customers." Hou Shuang, 26, said gently, but with firm eyes.

The reporter walked into "WE Coffee". As soon as he entered the door, there were stacks of neatly folded books on the small square table at the door. Looking up again, a wall full of books came into view.

The shop is very quiet, with a book in hand and a cup of coffee next to you, and from time to time look up and whisper a word or two with the people next to you, which is the state of most customers. There are also groups of people who gather together and talk softly.

In order not to disturb the customers in the store, Hou Shuang and the reporter came to the chairs outside the store.

"there are almost more than 1000 books in the store. I bought a small number of them, and more of them were donated by people who like to read." Hou Shuang said that so far, book friends have sent books one after another.

The 26-year-old girl spoke of her coffee shop as if she were talking about her own child, with a look of pride and relief on her face.

In June 2015, Hou Shuang gave up a high-paying job abroad, turned down offers from several big domestic companies and returned to Yongchuan, where he was born and raised.

"after all, my roots are in China, and my home is in Yongchuan." Hou Shuang said.

I love coffee. I can't quit if I'm addicted to it.

Speaking of the bond with coffee, Hou Shuang said that it all originated from a period of life in a foreign country four years ago.

In 2012, Hou Shuang was appointed by the company to work in Angola, Africa.

Indonesians have a habit of drinking coffee in the morning. When Hou Shuang goes to work in the morning, he can smell the strong aroma of coffee.

"every time I pass by, I think the coffee smells good." Hou Shuang said with intoxication.

After being infatuated with coffee, Hou Shuang began to walk the streets looking for different flavors of coffee. From overcrowded coffee shops to unknown street shops, Hou Shuang will soak there as long as there is coffee.

"I have to drink at least two cups of coffee a day." Hou Shuang said, "I love coffee and coffee culture. I'm addicted to it. I can't quit it."

Books are mentors to her.

Just went to work abroad for half a year, living habits, working environment, customs and culture and other earth-shaking changes, so that Hou Shuang can not adapt to life abroad, but also let her extremely depressed.

In those "gray" days, the cheerful Yongchuan girl once closed herself and immersed herself in her work, and she was unwilling to communicate with others at all.

"I feel irritable and depressed every day, but I don't know how to get rid of it." Hou Shuang said.

Looking back on that time, Hou Shuang looked gloomy: "then I realized I couldn't go on like this, so I started reading."

Since then, apart from work, what Hou Shuang has done most every day is to stay at home and read, one book after another, again and again.

Because of the irritable mood, at first, in the face of the text in the book, Hou Shuang could not read it. More often, he was holding the book and looking at the text inside in a daze.

"it was the book that pulled me out of the gray days." Hou Shuang said, "Books are really mentors and helpful friends to me."

A cafe with the theme of reading

In December 2015, the "WE Coffee" coffee shop is located on Jinkejin Street.

"in foreign countries, there are many cafes with the theme of reading. People always like to soak in coffee shops and drink coffee while reading." Hou Shuang said, "but in Yongchuan, there are no such cafes."

With this idea in mind, Hou Shuang turned WE Coffee into a cafe with the theme of reading, and joined the Desert Island Library to provide inter-city book lending.

In addition, Hou Shuang will use his spare time to hold English corner, book club and other activities to share his reading experience and practice oral English with his book friends.

Over time, "WE Coffee" became a gathering place for readers.

Some people also say that studying in the WE Coffee shop is many times more efficient than reading in the library.

"actually, I'm not as great as they say I am." Hou Shuang smiled, "I just try my best to create a pure land for people who love reading."