“Wasn’t it you who said that scoundrel from the Xu family was a good match back then?” Zhang Guilan wished she could kill her husband with a glare.
“Alright, alright, enough of that. Let’s go greet Staff Officer Gu. We’ve already taken up too much of his time.”
……
Lin Xiaojiao rummaged through the wardrobe for a long time before finally selecting a navy blue dress.
Young girls of this era tended to prefer bright colors, and the original owner of this body had several dacron floral dresses. Forgive her—she simply couldn’t appreciate them.
This somewhat somber, plain-colored dress with a stand-up collar was made of pure cotton. Almost as soon as she put it on, Lin Xiaojiao fell in love with it.
She untied her braids and swiftly tied her hair into a high ponytail.
Bingo!
This was exactly the feeling she liked.
What was that term again—pure and seductive style.
Lin Xiaojiao admired herself in the small mirror until her mother urged her again from outside. Only then did she sling her small cloth bag over her shoulder and step out.
Outside the courtyard, the engine hummed loudly.
The figure she hadn’t seen in a week was standing with his back to her, chatting with her father, a half-smoked cigarette held between his fingers.
As if hearing the commotion, the man turned around.
“You’re here. Get in the car.” Gu Tingzheng looked at the young girl, casually stubbed out the cigarette butt, and politely opened the passenger door for her.
“Thank you, Uncle Gu.”
……
The Jeep 212 was anything but comfortable.
That was Lin Xiaojiao’s only thought during the first ten minutes in the car.
Cars in this era didn’t have air conditioning. With the windows open, the tire noise was especially loud.
The road conditions were poor, and the ride was bumpy and jolting all the way.
She had no time to pay attention to the man beside her or his every move.
Any awkwardness or social embarrassment was completely forgotten.
Lin Xiaojiao’s face was pale, and she pouted pitifully. “Uncle, could you drive a bit slower…”
“It’ll be better once we get on the main road.” The man’s deep voice carried a soothing tone as he unconsciously slowed down.
Lin Xiaojiao glanced at the dashboard.
Twenty miles per hour.
Alright.
She was being unreasonable.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the jeep turned onto a relatively smooth gravel road, and Lin Xiaojiao finally felt some relief.
“Are you going to the county town for something, Uncle?” Duh, why else would he go to the county town?
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how pointless her question was.
“Yes, to order some construction materials from the industrial company.” Gu Tingzheng drove unhurriedly, as if remembering something. “The environment there is too rough. I’ll drop you off to do your shopping first and pick you up after I finish my business.”
She could go shopping by herself?!
“Great! Thank you, Uncle Gu!” Lin Xiaojiao’s voice was filled with cheerfulness.
Soon, the car came to a stop in front of the “Number One Department Store.”
“They have a pretty comprehensive selection inside. Go ahead and browse.” As he spoke, Gu Tingzheng took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out a “big unity” ten-yuan bill and a few ration coupons, and handed them to the young girl beside him.
His expression made Lin Xiaojiao half-expect his next words to be: Here, Uncle will buy you some candy~
She was about to decline when she saw the man pause.
Then, he raised his hand and took off the watch from his left wrist.
It was a—
Lin Xiaojiao’s attention was instantly captured.
Oh my god!
Patek Philippe?!
As the former Miss Lin of the Lin family, how could she not recognize it!
Understated, luxurious, elegant!
In 1980, in an era when people were still chasing after “Shanghai Brand” and “Meihua Brand” watches…
The man beside her was wearing a “Patek Philippe” on his wrist??!
Lin Xiaojiao felt like the whole world had just turned surreal.
The man probably just thought she was a bit surprised. He casually took the girl’s wrist and slipped the luxury watch onto it.
Before she could react, he placed the ten-yuan bill and various ration coupons into the small cloth bag resting on her lap.
“Alright, keep an eye on the time. Meet me at the east gate on the first floor of the department store at exactly eleven o’clock.” He pointed at the watch face and added, “Make sure it’s the east gate. Don’t go to the wrong one.”
“Uncle Gu… this isn’t… really appropriate… is it?” This watch is worth a whole courtyard house, isn’t it?
“Buy whatever you want. Go on, and remember not to leave this building. I still have things to attend to.” Gu Tingzheng clearly thought the girl was concerned about the money. His tone was calm, and he even bent down to open the car door for her.
Lin Xiaojiao: …
She got out of the car, her mind completely blank.
Wandering around the four-story department store for nearly half an hour, Lin Xiaojiao finally began to regain her senses.
She found the fabric counter first to complete her mother’s task.
Next to the fabric section was the small general merchandise counter.
Lin Xiaojiao’s footsteps involuntarily slowed down.
Floral water, shampoo, snowflake cream, new towels, new toothbrushes…
She wanted them all…
And next to those, new underwear, new undergarments…
She wanted all of those too!!
Lin Xiaojiao was tempted, extremely tempted.
In the ten or so days since she had crossed over, she had been trying hard to adapt to this era.
But she still couldn’t fully accept the stark reality.
Looking at these items right in front of her that could clearly improve her living conditions…
Even though each item wasn’t expensive, she wanted to buy everything.
The pocket money her mother had left her was clearly only enough for a fraction of it.
Originally, she hadn’t wanted to spend the money he gave her…
Would someone who could wear a luxury watch care about a single “ten-yuan bill”?!
Lin Xiaojiao kept trying to convince herself.
She wasn’t being overly sentimental.
In the end, she first went to buy a woven bag.
Ahem, she needed a bag to carry all these things, right?
Once a woman’s shopping desire is ignited,
the outcome is—
utterly unstoppable.
It wasn’t until Lin Xiaojiao had filled a large woven bag and could barely lift it that she remembered to check the watch.
Five minutes to eleven!!
Oh no!
She was still on the fourth floor.
Forgetting about shopping, Lin Xiaojiao hoisted the heavy shopping bag onto her shoulder and sprinted toward the first floor.
So heavy…
Her shoulder was almost sore from the strap.
She had only made it to the second floor.
With no other choice, Lin Xiaojiao put the bag down and switched shoulders.
Then she continued down the stairs.
Finally reaching the first floor,
she was dumbfounded again.
Where was the east gate?
She couldn’t tell directions at all.
The department store was noisy and bustling, and all the counters looked the same.
She quickly grabbed a passing staff member: “Comrade, hello! Could you tell me how to get to the east gate on the first floor?”
The person pointed casually: “Over there, go straight and then turn right.”
She thanked them and stumbled along, dragging the heavy bag, only to find a counter selling enamel basins and thermos flasks after turning the corner.
Where was the door??
Lin Xiaojiao was so anxious she was almost in tears.
It was already past the agreed-upon 11 o’clock.
…
Meanwhile, at the east gate.
Gu Tingzheng had arrived ten minutes early. Standing tall and straight under the shade of a tree, his gaze was steady as he watched the exit.
At exactly eleven o’clock, the bell atop the department store rang.
People flowed in and out of the entrance, but there was no sign of that petite figure.
At five past eleven, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
At ten past eleven, he glanced up at the large clock on the building’s roof, his eyes revealing a hint of seriousness.
Gu Tingzheng did not wait any longer, turning around and striding into the department store.
He had told her not to leave this building, so she must still be inside.
The First Department Store was the largest shopping center in the county town, bustling with crowds at noon.
Gu Tingzheng swiftly moved through all four floors.
His eyes swept like radar, but unfortunately, he did not spot his target.
Clearly, aimless searching was inefficient.
Gu Tingzheng went straight to the service desk, took out his military officer ID, and revealed his identity.
“Comrade, excuse me. Could you help me find a young girl? About this tall, wearing a navy blue dress, with a braid, around seventeen or eighteen years old…”
Just as he was inquiring, Lin Xiaojiao also approached the service desk for help.
She had finally managed to find the east gate on the first floor…
But there was no sign of Gu Tingzheng.
She was panicking.
For the nth time, she complained about this era of underdeveloped communication.
If only she had a mobile phone, everything would be solved…
She could only drag her woven bag and head to the service desk, hoping to call the village factory to reach her father.
Unfamiliar with the place, she had no other options…
At that moment, she saw the man leaning over, communicating with the staff…
“Uncle Gu…”
Her voice was almost choked with tears.
Gu Tingzheng looked up.
He saw the young girl dragging a woven bag, her hair slightly disheveled, her face flushed, and her eyes brimming with tears.
He instinctively made a gesture—
He opened his arms.