Works
Why, 8 Months After Buying a Bed, I’m Still Sleeping on the Sofa?
AUG 01, 2024
With Double Eleven, China’s version of Black Friday, approaching, I eagerly scoured online, finally settling on a bed that seemed just right. But something didn’t feel quite settled, so I decided to visit a physical store for reassurance. The store was located in the city center, near some fancy apartments, and its exterior immediately caught my eye. Inside, the environment was cozy, and a friendly saleswoman with a warm smile showed me around. She even introduced me to their special online catalog with more options and better prices. Surrounded by all the greenery in the store, I felt so relaxed that I quickly agreed to her suggestion — a solid wood bed frame, but with a bed board that wasn’t solid wood.
The buying process went smoothly. The saleswoman kept in touch, updating me on every detail, from the warehouse to delivery. But then things started to go a bit sideways when the installation technician was supposed to come. He called me several times, only to change the time each time. It turned out he was handling everything on his own — driving, delivering, installing, and contacting customers. When he finally arrived, I learned that his hometown was a two-hour drive away, and as a father of two, he rarely got to visit home. I asked if he got any days off, maybe a six-day workweek, but he just said, “I’m out here to make money, so why take a break?” He quickly set up the bed but then told me that some parts were wrong, so the bed board couldn’t be installed correctly. And so, I kept sleeping on the sofa.
By mid-December, I couldn’t take it anymore and asked for a refund. The saleswoman quickly responded, promising to take care of it. The next day, the technician returned and finished the installation in no time. I told him how eager I was to finally sleep in my new bed, and he just gave me a gentle smile — a smile that seemed to hold many untold stories.
As it turned out, the real challenge was just beginning. When I made the bed and prepared to enjoy my first night in it, a strong smell of formaldehyde hit me. That’s when I realized the issue with the non-solid wood bed board — or maybe it was the mattress. With no other choice, I returned to the sofa, an old piece from the last century that, though not pretty, was made of good, honest materials. I endured the week with the windows wide open, air purifiers on full blast, heaters going, and a few green plants and pomelo peels to help out.
Finally, I was so excited to get back to the bed, but after just one night, my eyes were swollen shut, and my cheeks were sore. Allergies forced me back to the sofa once again. After a few rounds of this, I ended up dismantling the bed and moving it to a better-ventilated hallway, buying all sorts of formaldehyde removal products, hoping that soon I’d finally get to sleep in my new bed.
Looking back over these forty years, I can’t help but feel the rapid changes in society. The loss of professional pride and the fading of simple, rural values make me think about what defines this era. Maybe that’s why stories like the fires in Henan and Jiangxi become big news in The New York Times but are barely talked about here. In our busy lives, only the tragedies of children’s deaths — whether by suicide or otherwise — occasionally come up in conversation. So it’s no longer surprising that, eight months after buying a bed, I’m still sleeping on the sofa.