After dinner and their baths, Wu Cuicui and Lin Guoqiang turned off the lights in the bathroom and living room before returning to their bedroom.
Wu Cuicui took out a key and unlocked a drawer.
Inside were all the important items—household registration booklets, savings passbooks, plenty of cash, stacks of Great Unity banknotes, as well as smaller-denomination bills and various ration coupons.
“Didn’t you say yesterday that you were going to exchange for national grain coupons? How many did you get?” Wu Cuicui counted the grain coupons one by one, her brows tightly furrowed. “Let Wanwan take all these grain coupons with her. Tomorrow we’ll go to the department store and buy her two more sets of clothes, and shoes too. I heard those Warrior white sneakers are pretty good. Let’s buy our daughter two pairs.”
“Buy them, buy them all!” Lin Guoqiang pulled out the national grain coupons he had exchanged through an acquaintance and added, “What else do we need?”
Wu Cuicui thought for a moment.
“We need to bring two tins of milk powder too. Our daughter has always been frail; drinking more milk will help her nutrition. We should pack several extra bars of soap, and that shampoo too. Towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste—we should bring more of those, right? Wanwan loves cleanliness so much that she changes her towel every two months…”
“I heard the winters in the north are especially cold. Thick clothes and warm shoes are a must. It’ll take three days by train to get there. Let’s also buy a few cans of sweet syrup fruit preserves. I think Wanwan likes those.”
“Old Lin, do you think we should bring a quilt too? And bed sheets, pillows, and things like that?”
Comrade Old Lin looked somewhat helpless.
“Comrade Wu Cuicui, have you considered whether our daughter can actually carry all that?”
Wu Cuicui thought about it and said, “Doesn’t your comrade-in-arms have a son working at the Railway Bureau? We can ask them for help. They can help Wanwan with her luggage when the time comes. Our daughter is going to the countryside. She may only come home once a year, or maybe not even that. The more things we send with her, the more at ease I’ll feel.”
“That could work,” Lin Guoqiang replied, “but I still think it’s too much. Let’s leave the winter clothes for now. Once Wanwan gets settled, we can just mail them to her. Isn’t that convenient too?”
Wu Cuicui felt that was reasonable. She glanced at him twice.
“Comrade Lin Guoqiang, for once you’re starting to look slightly more agreeable.”
Lin Guoqiang chuckled.
“Then are there any other issues, Comrade Wu Cuicui?”
“After giving her the coupons, we should give her money too, right? How much?”
“Didn’t Lao Er send a letter the day before yesterday? He said he also remitted one hundred yuan and asked us to give it to Wanwan,” Lin Guoqiang said. “We’ll give her another hundred. Eldest Brother’s family will definitely give some too. That’ll add up to three hundred yuan. After that, we’ll send money regularly every month.”
“Our daughter has never traveled far from home. She shouldn’t carry too much money. What if someone tricks her? In my opinion, even three hundred yuan is too much.”
At that point, Lin Guoqiang felt troubled.
In his eyes, his precious daughter was good in every way. She was beautiful and kind-tempered.
The only problem was that she was too good and too innocent.
She had never seen the darker side of human nature. The place she was going to was so remote and distant.
What if some wild boar came along and carried her off?
No, that wouldn’t do.
He had to write a letter to his old comrade-in-arms and make sure he looked after Wanwan properly.
He also had to make sure no other man spirited Wanwan away.
Such a thing absolutely could not happen.
If there really was such a fellow, even if he had to break that pig’s legs, he would separate the two of them.
That was how the old father thought.
“Three hundred yuan is already the minimum!” Comrade Wu Cuicui was even more worried about whether her daughter could live well in the countryside. “You know what our daughter is like. Even after being sent down, she probably won’t be able to do much physical labor. Her work points will be almost worthless. What if she goes hungry because we gave her too little money? Three hundred. Not a cent less!”
Lin Guoqiang was persuaded.
“Then three hundred it is.”
The couple talked until midnight. Only after confirming that nothing had been overlooked did they turn off the light and go to sleep.
…
Lin Wanwan was once again awakened by the sound of the public broadcast.
Yawning, she got up and washed up. As soon as she came out of the bathroom, Wu Cuicui returned carrying meat buns and steamed buns.
Today, Wu Cuicui was not wearing her factory uniform. She wore a white blouse on top and military-green straight-leg trousers below. Her hair was pinned up behind her head, making her look exceptionally capable and efficient.
Though faint wrinkles had appeared on her face, they only added to her charm. It was obvious that she had been a great beauty in her younger days.
“You’re awake? Finish breakfast and we’re heading out.”
Lin Wanwan accepted a meat bun.
“Thanks, Mom.”
The factory residential compound was some distance from the department store.
Wu Cuicui rode the family’s sturdy bicycle, carrying Lin Wanwan on the back.
The sky was cloudless, and sunlight poured down unobstructed.
The streets bustled with people. The most common mode of transportation was bicycles. Most people wore identical work uniforms or white shirts. Occasionally, an old-fashioned bus rumbled past.
Trees lined the streets, and the air was remarkably fresh.
Most of the buildings on both sides were two- or three-story brick structures standing closely together, with laundry hanging outside and swaying gently in the breeze.
Sitting on the back of the bicycle, Lin Wanwan held onto Wu Cuicui’s clothing and admired the unique atmosphere and scenery of the era.
Though it lacked the prosperity and fashion of later generations, it was lively in its own way, carrying a distinctive style and spirit unique to the times.
Simple and unadorned, much like the people of that era themselves.
After cycling for about half an hour, they finally stopped in front of a four- or five-story building.
Among all the buildings they had passed, this one was the most attractive. Its exterior walls had been painted, and a large sign hung on the rooftop with the words “Department Store” written on it.
Rows of bicycles were parked outside.
Wu Cuicui parked the bicycle in an open space, locked it, and led her daughter inside.
There were quite a few people in the department store.
Comrade Wu Cuicui had a very clear objective. She headed straight for a counter and placed money and coupons on it.
“Two pairs of those Warrior shoes, size thirty-six…”
The sales clerk first glanced at the mother and daughter, then picked up a pen and wrote out a receipt. Afterward, the receipt, money, and coupons were clipped together with a metal clamp and forcefully slid toward the cashier’s desk.
Only then did Lin Wanwan notice that many steel wires were connected to the counters.
Good heavens.
So this was how department stores handled payments during this era?
No wonder there were long lines in front of every counter!
Her eyes widened as she tilted her head upward, watching the metal clips zip back and forth along the wires.
She felt as though she had wandered into a spider demon’s lair.
“Wanwan, what are you looking at? We’re going to the second floor!”
Wu Cuicui’s voice snapped her back to reality.
“Oh, coming~” Lin Wanwan answered brightly before following her upstairs.
They bought shoes, tops, trousers, toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels, soap, and shampoo.
The shopping took the entire morning.
Most of the time was spent waiting.
At first, Lin Wanwan could still stand around and wait, but later she felt her heart struggling under the strain, so she found a stool and sat down, staring pitifully toward the counters.
She was naturally beautiful. Today she wore a light yellow fitted dress and had her hair braided into a fishtail braid, making her look youthful and radiant.
People passing through the department store could not help but cast admiring glances her way.
Wu Cuicui noticed this as well.
She proudly straightened her back, feeling immensely honored.
She practically wanted to grab a loudspeaker and shout:
Beautiful, isn’t she? That’s the daughter I gave birth to!
When they had entered the department store, they had been empty-handed.
When they came out, Wu Cuicui was carrying two large bags.
Lin Wanwan wanted to help carry some of the load, but Wu Cuicui immediately waved her off.
“It’s only a short distance. Mom can handle it!”
Wu Cuicui unlocked the bicycle and hung the bags on the handlebars and basket before calling her daughter over.
“Today at noon, Mom’s taking you out to eat at a restaurant.”
Lin Wanwan tilted her head at the words. Wrapping her arms around Wu Cuicui, she rested her chin against her mother’s waist and replied with a bright smile,
“Mhm, Mom’s the best~”
Wu Cuicui laughed as well, her tone affectionate.
“Silly girl.”