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Upon arrival at their destination, they drove directly to the best hotel in the area.
Because they booked in advance, the hotel was well-prepared, and they were very satisfied.
The money was well spent, and the service was excellent!
They set off at eight o'clock in the morning and it took them more than an hour to get here.
They rested first, and after enjoying a delicious lunch, they went out for a stroll.
Port Jervis is a small town with a population of less than 10,000 and is less than 100 miles from New York City.
As rents rise in New York City, many artists and shop owners flock to the small town, where they can rent unprecedentedly large and affordable shops.
Now, visitors to the town can tour artists' galleries, fine antique shops, and enjoy delicious American food: stuffed pork chops and pumpkin stew.
The art scene here is vibrant, and everyone who visits can find something they like.
For example, men can enjoy antiques, women can enjoy jewelry, and food lovers can enjoy many delicious dishes, including signature dishes such as stuffed pork chops and pumpkin stew.
The most distinctive feature here is that it's quiet and not crowded.
It's completely different from bustling New York.
When people arrive here, they feel calm and relaxed.
Appreciating art means appreciating it with your heart; buying things also means following your true inner thoughts, not impulsive shopping driven by a noisy atmosphere.
After a delicious lunch and a short rest, I applied sunscreen, put on a sun hat, and then went out for a stroll.
Qi Zhenghan pushed Grandma Qi, who was sitting in a wheelchair, and the group chatted and laughed. Whenever they saw something they liked, they would stop and admire it.
When they passed a jewelry shop with a very oriental style, Grandma Qi said, "I'll just look at those foreign things; I don't understand their meaning. If you like them, you can buy them. Now I'm going to browse the shops I like."
"Sure, Mom, what kind of jewelry do you like? We'll buy some," Qi Shuliang said with a smile. He was now trying his best to satisfy his mother and be filial to her.
"Whether to buy or not, we'll decide after we see it. The most important thing is to have a good mood while browsing the shop." Grandma Qi was excited. This shop reminded her of the jewelry shops in the county town in the past.
Once inside the shop, no one greeted us; there were only pieces of jewelry locked behind the glass door.
There was only one elderly craftsman polishing a piece of jewelry.
"Master, could you take this hair ornament out and let me see it?" Grandma Qi asked, looking quite eager.
The old man looked up, glanced at Grandma Qi, and asked, "From the mainland?"
"Yes!" Grandma Qi was taken aback. "Don't you sell to people in the mainland?"
"Sell, of course I'll sell," the old man said with a smile, his previous indifference gone. "I'll get it for you right now!"
The old man took out the exquisite gold hairpin and said, "This is an old craft, passed down from my ancestors."
"Your ancestors were very powerful?" Grandma Qi asked with a smile as she looked at him.
It's rare to meet someone who can speak Chinese, and she was able to say a few words herself.
"Of course it's amazing! My ancestors were master craftsmen in the Imperial Household Department. They even made jewelry for Empress Dowager Cixi back in the day," the old man said proudly. "Take a look around. If you like anything, I'll give you a discount."
Grandma Qi held it in her hand and examined its quality and style.
"The craftsmanship is indeed excellent," Grandma Qi praised. "Let me see those two gold hairpins."
The old man quickly grabbed the hairpins, and Grandma Qi put them in her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and said, "Not bad, not bad. I don't want this hairpin with the dangling ornament. Give me four gold hairpins, one with plum blossoms, one with chrysanthemums, one with lotus flowers, and one with peonies."
"Alright!" The old man was pleased to see that the old woman knew her stuff, unlike Westerners who thought gold jewelry wasn't as pretty as diamonds.
Grandma Qi bought four sticks. She kept one, and gave the remaining three to Anna, Qi Zhengmin, and He Tiantian.
She also picked out a jade pendant for each of Qi Zhenghan and Qi Shuliang.
Since these are all newly built, the cost of materials, labor, and a small profit is not expensive.
After buying and packing, the old man quickly took out his business card and said, "Sister, my surname is Qi. My ancestral home is Huai City, Anhui Province. I came to America with my master to make money in the 1930s. I never thought that I would never be able to go back."
"Oh my, your ancestral home is Huai City!" Grandma Qi exclaimed in surprise. "You've never gone back since you left?"
"No, it's been almost forty years in the blink of an eye," Old Man Qi said with emotion. "I saw in the newspaper that China and the United States have established diplomatic relations now, but I don't know when I can go back home to visit my family!"
"Oh, it should be soon then. Just wait a little longer. I wish you a speedy return home in glory!" said Grandma Qi. Old Man Qi's situation was also quite pitiful.
"Hearing your accent makes me miss my hometown even more," said Old Man Qi. "Although I've married and had children here and integrated into life here, I still miss my hometown when I'm dreaming. I wonder how my brothers and sisters are doing."
Grandma Qi knew what it felt like to miss family, so she said, "What's your name? If you have any plans, I'll ask someone to help you find it."
Old Man Qi had been waiting for these words, so he quickly grabbed the paper and pen next to him, wrote down his name, and said, "My name is Qi Da, my older brother is Qi Tong, my younger brother is Qi Bin, and my younger sister is Qi Fei'e. Our hometown is No. 56, Ginkgo Street, Huai City."
Grandma Qi took the note and said, "Okay, I'll keep it. If there's any news, I'll have someone send you a letter."
"Thank you so much, elder sister," Qi Da said excitedly. "These few things are just a small token of my appreciation. Please accept them as a thank you for helping me find the person."
"That won't do!" Grandma Qi said, "These people, I might not even help you get into trouble, how could I possibly accept such an expensive gift from you? Brother Qi, how much is it exactly? I'll give it to you. If you don't offer to pay more, I won't take this."
She helped this old man Qi because he had been separated from his family for decades. She had experienced such pain and empathized with him. She didn't want anything from the old man Qi.
"Old lady, this thing doesn't cost much..." Old Man Qi continued, "Please keep it."
"I said no, absolutely not," Grandma Qi said. "Let's go!"
Grandma Qi was very tough.
"Alright, alright, I'll take the money, okay?" Old Man Qi said with a bitter face, "Three hundred US dollars for the chief engineer!"
Qi Shuliang raised an eyebrow. The three hundred US dollars was probably just the price of the materials. The old man didn't ask for a labor fee. Normally, it would be worth at least five hundred US dollars.
"Son, is this appropriate?" Grandma Qi didn't like taking advantage of others.
"I guess it's for materials," Qi Shuliang said softly. "Just give an extra two hundred US dollars for labor."
Upon hearing this, Grandma Qi smiled and said, "Alright! Pay up." (To be continued.)
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