After leaving the station, Zhang Guoqing pulled his mother straight into the passenger seat. Seeing the few gray hairs on her head, his heart ached. His mother's life had been truly difficult. She'd been busy from dawn till late at night, working in the fields, cleaning the house, and taking care of the family. She'd endured all her life, never enjoying a single day of good life. She'd spent most of her life in the village, and even this was her first time in the provincial capital.
As he drove, Zhang Guoqing secretly thought, "First, take his mother out for a nice meal." He'd noticed the street from the restaurant, where the Friendship Mall and the department store were located. It was quite bustling. He planned to spend the day with her, taking a leisurely stroll through the city, exploring the vast provincial capital. The car still had gas, so he could drive to the military headquarters and return it tomorrow. Returning empty-handed would make it easier for him to run errands.
"Mom, my mother-in-law has finally left. Let's go eat first. After you're done, I'll take you to see the best shopping mall in the provincial capital. Jiaojiao gave me a lot of overseas remittance vouchers and told me to take you to see them and pick out the ones you like."
Zhang's mother looked at the car and touched the window with her hand. Her in-laws were there, so she didn't feel comfortable looking closely. "Let's send a telegram to his grandmother's house first, or we'll be busy and forget about it. Let's have a quick lunch; things are expensive in the provincial capital."
"Just listen to your son today. First go to the post office to send a telegram, and then take you to eat something delicious. I won't return the car today, I will drive it over myself tomorrow. Today I will accompany you to see the big city." Zhang Guoqing stopped the car, asked a passerby for the direction of the post office, and drove there.
Zhang Guoqing sent a telegram from the post office, noting: "Arrived in Beijing at 5:00 on the 23rd. Lin is alone, carrying 500 kilograms of luggage, and urgently needs to go to the station to pick him up." To avoid misunderstanding, he omitted the comma. It couldn't be helped. The old man had just left yesterday, and by the time he got home, he wouldn't know if the train had been delayed. It might even arrive before him, and someone would have to go pick him up.
"Mother, the telegram has been sent to the capital. They will receive it by tomorrow night at the latest. Now let's go eat first. You just wait for your son to take you out to play. Your son's pockets are bulging."
Zhang's mother sat in the passenger seat, curiously watching the crowds of people leaving work on both sides. She saw so many people on bicycles, so few wearing patched clothes, that she couldn't help but sigh, "Big cities are better, with so many people and so many cars." In the village, even having two bicycles was enviable. Here, there are hundreds, even thousands. No need to work in the fields to earn work points, which would be exhausting during the busy farming season. Look at the city people: none of them are sallow; they are full of energy, full of spirits, and all smiles. The children, clean and neat, carrying their schoolbags, run around and jump, saying how wonderful it is to live in the city.
It's after work, and there are so many people and cars, all workers from the nearby factories. This is the busiest part of the city center, so the living standards must be better, and people place great importance on their children's education.
Zhang's mother hadn't seen the remote areas of the city. The clothing, food, and housing there weren't even comparable to those in her village. At least the courtyards in the village were spacious, unlike in the city, where dozens of families lived in one courtyard, with generations of grandparents and grandchildren crammed onto one kang. In the city, if a family had a large family and young children, relying on a salary to support them, even food and clothing could be a struggle. However, Zhang Guoqing didn't explain, simply letting her enjoy the fun.
When they got to the restaurant, he took Zhang's mother to a table and went to the counter to order, ordering several dishes. If he couldn't finish the food, he could put it in a cup and take it back to his father.
Zhang's mother watched him carry several plates of meat and vegetables, happily accepting them while quietly complaining. She knew she couldn't embarrass her son in public; her son, Xiaowu, was a respectable man. Look at the enthusiasm those people showed him today; it's unlike any ordinary person. Besides, since they'd already paid, it wouldn't be easy to return the money. She'd eat less later and take some back home for her family to try some of the food from the provincial capital.
After having a full and warm lunch, the two of them took the leftovers, got in the car, and went directly to the nearby Friendship Shopping Mall.
Zhang Guoqing showed the overseas remittance voucher. After the inspector looked at it, he took Zhang's mother into the hall.
Faced with a completely different environment, Zhang's mother was a little nervous. She looked around at the glass windows, glass cabinets, and her clothes. She breathed a sigh of relief, looked around cautiously, and whispered, "Xiaowu, I don't think you can go in without this ticket."
Zhang Guoqing patted her hand gently, telling her not to be nervous. "It's like this. This place is mainly for overseas Chinese and some leaders. Without overseas remittance coupons, they won't let you in. I guess it's for security reasons. Mom, let's start from the first floor. There are three floors in total. They have everything, and the prices and quality are better than outside. Xizi said that we can get invoices for all the good things and settle the bill together. It's not like the supply and marketing cooperative, where you have to get invoices and pay first, and then run back to get the things. It's so troublesome."
Zhang's mother was dazzled the moment she entered. She listened to Zhang Guoqing's words without answering, just nodding. She looked at each item, and they were indeed good, even the prices were good.
Zhang's mother followed him from the first floor to the third floor, looking around, picking out things cheaper than at the supply and marketing cooperative, and then hurriedly pulled him away. She wasn't used to this place.
After leaving the door, Zhang's mother secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "Xiaowu, where are we going next?"
Zhang Guoqing drove the car and stopped not far away. "Mom, this is the largest department store in the provincial capital. Just like the supply and marketing cooperative, some things require tickets. I have plenty of tickets here. Buy whatever you like. Don't worry about not having enough money."
The department store is just a two-story red brick building at the intersection of two roads, with slogans painted all over the walls.
"Down with American imperialism and achieve communism."
"Worker-peasant alliance, mutual assistance between town and country!"
"Hard work and thrifty construction of the nation!"
"Take the road of collectivization and achieve common prosperity!"
The big red lettering was very eye-catching, and the entrance was bustling with people coming and going. No one left empty-handed; everyone was carrying large and small bags. The two of them entered through the main entrance and heard the announcement: "Today's special offer on Liberation Shoes. Buy one pair per person. There are defective items in the textile section on the second floor, but you can buy them without a ticket. Any stock is on the first floor, so you can buy them without a ticket."
Zhang's mother, having heard the announcement, hurriedly dragged Zhang Guoqing to the first-floor inventory counter. Without asking anyone else, she saw the busiest area from a distance and squeezed in. Zhang Guoqing managed to protect her as she squeezed through the crowd, watching her excitedly choose items. Once she had chosen everything and received a ticket, he went to the line to pay and hand it over to the salesperson.
Squeezing out of the crowd, Zhang Guoqing followed his mother closely. His mother had gotten the hang of the purchase and was so excited that she hurriedly went upstairs while listening to the broadcast. She asked where the defective product was and went there.
Zhang Guoqing looked around with a nagging headache at the crowded crowd. It was full of women selecting items, shouting at the salesperson to bring them to her. The counter was packed with people, each one talking at once. If you didn't listen carefully, you couldn't make out what they were saying; it was a chaotic mess. He had no choice but to follow Zhang's mother and wait outside. After she had chosen the towels and fabrics she liked best, the ones she felt had the fewest flaws, and waited for the salesperson to issue the invoice, over half an hour had passed. He hurriedly took the order and ran to the first floor to queue for payment. After getting the stamped invoice, he ran back upstairs.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, the clearance items were all gone. Now he could take his time looking around. It was like a fight to buy them, so he was afraid he wouldn't be able to find anything. And since it was all women, he felt embarrassed to squeeze in.
"Mom, we all have tickets next. I've prepared them all. Don't worry."
Zhang's mother looked at the things he was carrying with a smile, "You don't understand. If we had known earlier, we would have come here first. Maybe there would be some good things if we came earlier. They're all picked out. What a bargain."
Zhang's mother thought about it. She should be familiar with the buying and selling procedures of the supply and marketing cooperative. She pulled Zhang Guoqing to the counter on the left side of the first floor and started to look. The two of them spent a long time, and finally Zhang's mother was satisfied and planned to go home.
Zhang Guoqing looked at the two people and saw they didn't have much in their possession. Most of them were just looking at the merchandise, not buying it. He didn't know what the fun was in just looking without buying. He found Jiaojiao's shopping style was better: she could target her target, grab something, and go.
I used to hear my friend complain that he never wanted to go shopping with his mother, and he'd never go again. He found it strange. He felt so good to be able to accompany his mother shopping, to carry her bags, to watch her happily and excitedly shop. He even regretted not having a mother.
Now he has been slapped in the face. If he could meet that friend, he would definitely express his deep sympathy and give that guy a hug as if they had met too late. Especially his mother, who just looked but didn't buy anything, he was worried about her. In the end, she liked the things she saw, but Zhang Guoqing, who was reluctant to spend money, just paid for it.
He also increasingly felt that his Jiaojiao wasn't spoiled at all. Her temperament and habits suited him perfectly. They'd both risen from humble beginnings to immense wealth, and she hadn't changed much. Whether it was shopping or being a person, she'd always been as serious about life as ever, never wasting time on useless things. If she were left wandering around like this, she'd probably be getting mad at you.
After Zhang Guoqing and his mother got into the car with the bag, he thought for a moment and went inside to buy some face cream, Harry Oil, and soap. What woman doesn't like these? Besides, his mother was only 46 years old, not old at all. It was just that she lived in the countryside and didn't take care of herself. Besides, since he was in the provincial capital, he had to bring some gifts for his sister-in-law and sisters.
"Mom, these are for my sister-in-law and my elder sister. You can share some. The rest are all yours. When the weather gets cold, they won't crack your hands and they can also help maintain your skin. I think all the women like them."
"Oh, my dear son. I thought you were buying something. These are precious and rare. You should take them back for Jiaojiao. Why did you buy so many?" Mother Zhang looked at these things with both joy and distress. Not to mention that she really liked them. They smelled nice when applied on her.
Zhang Guoqing looked at his mother with amusement. Don't think he didn't see her expression. He touched the box with great affection. Indeed, even though his monthly salary was not high, he bought Jiaojiao high-end foreign cosmetics. She was also distressed and couldn't let go of them.
I've read those words in a book before: Every woman loves cosmetics; they all want to look young and beautiful. No matter how old a woman is, after turning 18, she's always unhappy to be asked her age; it's even harder to bring up than asking about her personal finances.
"Mom, Jiaojiao's mother gave it to me. You can use it without worry. Your old son knows the situation and won't pretend to be rich. I really have money in my hands. I'll tell you secretly, don't tell anyone, Jiaojiao's mother gave her a lot of money. I paid her the rent for the six years in Beijing, 50 yuan a month, can you calculate how much it is? In the future, as long as the house is rented out, there will be 50 yuan every month. My mother-in-law said that even if we spend it hard, we can't spend it all. How much is my brother-in-law's salary? It's 36 yuan a month. So, I'm telling you secretly, we really don't lack money. Keep your own money and tell me what you want to buy."
Mother Zhang counted on her fingers in shock, her heart pounding. She couldn't calm down and calculate the exact amount. She whispered incoherently, "I, I'm not going to count it. Xiaowu, don't tell anyone about this huge sum of money, not even your father. Remember, don't tell anyone. Oh my god, my God, you're really a golden child. No wonder your mother-in-law buys things by the cartload without blinking an eye."
Zhang Guoqing laughed heartily. His father probably guessed he had plenty of money, knew Jiaojiao had a large house for rent, and understood his mother-in-law's temper, so he had a good idea. But regarding all this, he and his wife tacitly kept silent. He only told her because he saw his mother was reluctant to part with this or that. As for the rest, he had no plans to tell anyone else, not even his mother.
"You feel relieved now. Well, if there's anything else you'd like to buy that you're reluctant to part with, let's go take a look."
Zhang's mother nodded in agreement, then shook her head. "Forget it. Even if you have money, you can't spend it carelessly. Save it for Ping An. You will have children in the future, and there is still a lot of time to live."
Zhang Guoqing took out the bills, put them in their place, and picked out all the ones that were about to expire. "I'll find all the bills that are about to expire. We will buy them according to this. Otherwise, it will be a waste if they expire."
Zhang Guoqing locked the car and took his mother back to the department store. This time, Zhang's mother was clearly more relaxed and bought whatever she needed. Together, she and Zhang Guoqing spent all the money they had picked out.
After shopping, Zhang Guoqing drove his mother to the park. Then he took her to the cinema, but his mother refused to let him out. She said it would be dark after the movie, and the family was worried. So Zhang Guoqing took her to the street to ask people where to buy used books and tapes.
After driving around a lot, he finally found the place. He first looked at the tapes and bought some revolutionary songs. He asked his mother, and she told him to buy some opera and storytelling tapes. Zhang Guoqing knew that these opera and storytelling tapes would be hard to come by, so he didn't care how expensive they were. He bought a whole stack of them and told his mother in detail what they were about. Otherwise, she would be very anxious. They were really expensive, considering how much his eldest sister earned in a month these days. The most expensive tape was 1.5 yuan, and even the cheapest one in the whole stack was 0.50 yuan. Zhang Guoqing had spent almost 50 yuan.
Afterward, Zhang Guoqing took her to a nearby area lined with used book stalls. This was the provincial capital, after all, and two alleys were lined with used book stalls. He quickly selected good books, and the prices were cheaper than in the county town. He made two trips back to the car before finishing.
"Okay, it's almost dark. Let's go back. Your father must be worried sick. I don't know what Jiaojiao ate tonight. Let's go. I've had enough of the provincial capital."
Zhang's mother is now afraid of him. She has never seen anyone spend money like water. Goodness, those people are looking at him stupidly. If there was no car parked there, someone would have robbed him.
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