Chapter 115: Hidden

After leaving the train station, Zhang Guoqing pulled his mother straight to the passenger seat. Seeing the few strands of white hair on her head, he felt a pang of sadness. His mother had really had a hard life. From before dawn until late at night, she worked in the fields, did housework, and took care of the family. She’d toiled her way to old age without ever enjoying a single good day. She’d spent most of her life in the village—this was even her first time in the provincial capital.

As he drove, Zhang Guoqing thought to himself that he should first take his mother out for a good meal. Driving down the restaurant street, he’d noticed that both the Friendship Mall and the Department Store were lively and bustling. He planned to spend the day with her, strolling around and showing her the big city. There was still gas in the car, so he’d return it to the military district tomorrow and head home empty-handed, which would make it easier to take care of some things.

“Mom, my mother-in-law finally left. Let’s go eat first. After we’re full, I’ll take you to see the best mall in the provincial capital. Jiao Jiao gave me quite a few remittance coupons and told me to take you shopping and pick out whatever you like.”

Zhang’s mother looked around the car, touching the window with her hand. She hadn’t dared to look closely earlier with her in-laws present. “Let’s send a telegram to your grandma’s place first, or we might forget when we get busy later. We can just have a simple lunch—things are expensive in the city.”

“Mom, just listen to your son today. We’ll go to the post office to send the telegram first, then I’ll take you to eat something good. I’m not returning the car today; I’ll drive it back myself tomorrow. Today is all about showing you the big city.” Zhang Guoqing parked, asked a passerby for directions to the post office, and drove over.

At the post office, Zhang Guoqing sent the telegram, making sure to specify: “Arriving in Beijing at 5 p.m. on the 23rd. Lin Danren bringing 500 jin of luggage. Need someone to meet at the station.” He didn’t even skip the comma, just in case there was any misunderstanding. After all, his father-in-law had only just left yesterday, and with train delays, he wasn’t sure who would arrive first. Someone had to be there to meet her.

“Mom, the telegram is on its way to Beijing. At the latest, they’ll get it by tomorrow night. Now let’s go eat. Just wait for your son to show you around—your son’s pockets are full.”

Sitting in the passenger seat, Zhang’s mother curiously watched the crowds of people getting off work. There were so many people riding bicycles, and hardly anyone wore patched clothes. She couldn’t help but sigh at how nice the city was—so many people, so many cars. Back in their village, just having two bicycles made them the envy of others, but here there were hundreds, even thousands. No need to work in the fields for work points, and during busy farming seasons, people in the village would be worn out. City folks didn’t have tanned skin, looked energetic and confident, all smiling. The children were clean, carrying schoolbags, running and jumping around. She kept saying how wonderful the city was.

It was rush hour, so there were crowds of people and cars, mostly workers from nearby factories. This was the bustling city center, where life was clearly better and children’s education was valued.

Of course, Zhang’s mother hadn’t seen the poorer parts of the city, where people’s clothes, food, and living conditions were worse than in the village. At least in the village, the yards were big, unlike the city where a dozen families squeezed into one courtyard, several generations sharing a single kang. If a city family had many children and relied on wages, even getting enough to eat was a problem. But Zhang Guoqing didn’t explain, just let her enjoy the excitement and be happy.

At the restaurant, he found them a seat and went to order several dishes. Whatever they couldn’t finish, he’d pack up for his father.

Zhang’s mother was happy as she accepted the plates of meat, but quietly grumbled. She knew not to embarrass her son in public—her Xiao Wu was someone important. The way people treated him today was different from ordinary folks. Besides, the food was already paid for, so she couldn’t return it. She’d just eat less and take the rest home for the family to try.

After a hearty lunch, they took the leftovers and drove to the nearby Friendship Mall.

Zhang Guoqing showed the remittance coupons, and after checking them, the staff let them in.

Faced with such a different environment, Zhang’s mother was a bit nervous. She glanced around at the glass windows and display cases, then at her own clothes. Relieved, she carefully looked around and whispered, “Xiao Wu, I guess you can’t even get in here without those coupons.”

Zhang Guoqing patted her hand reassuringly. “That’s right. This place is mostly for overseas Chinese and officials. Without remittance coupons, they won’t let you in—it’s probably for security. Mom, let’s start from the first floor. There are three floors in total, and they have everything. The prices and quality are better than outside. Xi Zi said we can pick out everything we want and pay all at once, not like the supply and marketing co-op where you have to pay first and then go back to get your stuff.”

Zhang’s mother was dazzled from the moment she walked in, just nodding as Zhang Guoqing explained. She looked at everything—things were indeed nice, but the prices were something else too.

They browsed from the first to the third floor, picking out a few things that were cheaper than at the co-op, then she hurried him to leave. She just wasn’t used to this place.

Once outside, Zhang’s mother let out a sigh of relief. “Xiao Wu, where to next?”

Zhang Guoqing drove a short distance and stopped. “Mom, this is the biggest department store in the provincial capital. Like the co-op, some things require coupons, but I have plenty. Just buy whatever you like—don’t worry about money.”

The department store was just a two-story red-brick building at an intersection, with propaganda slogans painted all over the walls.

“Down with American imperialism, realize communism!”

“Worker-peasant alliance, urban-rural cooperation!”

“Hard work and thrift to build the nation!”

“Take the road of collectivization, achieve common prosperity!”

The big red characters were eye-catching, and the entrance was bustling. No one left empty-handed—everyone carried big bags. As they entered, the loudspeaker was broadcasting: “Today, discounted Liberation Shoes, one pair per person. Second floor textile section has defective items, no coupons needed. First floor has surplus stock, also no coupons needed.”

Hearing this, Zhang’s mother quickly dragged Zhang Guoqing to the first-floor surplus counter, not bothering to ask anyone. She spotted the biggest crowd and squeezed in. Zhang Guoqing barely managed to shield her as they pushed through. Watching her excitedly pick things out, he queued up to pay and get the coupons for the sales clerk.

After squeezing out of the crowd, Zhang Guoqing followed closely behind his mother, who was now in full shopping mode and excitedly hurried up to the second floor, following the broadcast to the defective goods section.

Zhang Guoqing looked at the packed crowd with a headache—it was all women shouting for the sales clerks to hand them things. The counter was swamped, everyone talking at once, so chaotic you couldn’t tell who was saying what. He had no choice but to wait outside for his mother. After she picked out the towels and fabrics with the fewest defects, and the clerk wrote up the bill, more than half an hour had passed. He rushed downstairs to pay, got the stamped invoice, and ran back upstairs.

Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief—at least the rush for the discounted goods was over. Now they could take their time. That earlier scene was like a brawl, everyone afraid they’d miss out, and all women—he was too embarrassed to squeeze in.

“Mom, we have coupons for everything else. I’ve got it all ready, so take your time.”

His mother grinned at the things he was carrying. “You don’t get it. If we’d come here first, maybe we’d have gotten even better stuff. It’s so cheap!”

She was clearly used to the co-op’s way of shopping and dragged Zhang Guoqing to the left-side counter on the first floor to browse. The two of them spent a long time there, and finally, his mother was satisfied and ready to go home.

Zhang Guoqing looked at the things they’d bought—actually, not that much. Most of the time, his mother was just looking, not buying. He didn’t get what was so fun about window shopping. He realized that shopping with Jiao Jiao was better—she was decisive and quick.

He used to hear friends complain about never wanting to go shopping with their mothers again, and he’d thought it was strange. Wasn’t it great to spend time with your mother, carry her bags, and see her happy and excited? He’d even felt sorry he didn’t have a mom to do that with.

Now he understood. If he saw that friend again, he’d give him a sympathetic hug—they’d really be kindred spirits. Especially with a mom like his, who just looked and didn’t buy—he got anxious for her. In the end, when she found something she liked but couldn’t bear to spend money on, Zhang Guoqing just paid for it.

He also realized more than ever that his Jiao Jiao wasn’t spoiled at all. Her temperament and habits matched his perfectly. Even after they’d gone from ordinary to rich, she hadn’t really changed. Whether shopping or living, she was always serious and never wasted time on useless things. If she had to wander around like this, she’d probably get mad.

After getting in the car with his mother, Zhang Guoqing thought for a moment, then went back in to buy some face cream, cod liver oil, and soap. No woman dislikes these things, and his mother was only 46—not old at all, just unpampered from living in the countryside. Besides, since they’d come to the big city, he should bring back some gifts for his sisters-in-law and sisters.

“Mom, these are for the sisters-in-law and the older sisters. You can divide them up. Whatever’s left, you keep for yourself. It’s getting cold—put some on so your hands don’t crack, and take care of your face too. I see all the women like these things.”

“Oh, my good son! I was wondering what you were buying. These are expensive and rare—you should save them for Jiao Jiao. Why’d you buy so much?” Zhang’s mother was both happy and distressed as she looked at the items. Truth be told, she really liked them—the scent was lovely.

Zhang Guoqing laughed at her—he could tell she was reluctant to put them down. Even with his modest salary, when he bought Jiao Jiao imported cosmetics, she was both pained and delighted.

He remembered reading somewhere: “There’s no woman who doesn’t love cosmetics. Every woman wants to be young and beautiful. No matter how old she is, after 18 she doesn’t like to be asked her age—more than being asked about her private savings.”

“Mom, Jiao Jiao’s mother gave these to us. Just use them, don’t worry. Your son knows what he’s doing—I’m not pretending to be rich. I really have money. Let me tell you a secret—don’t tell anyone. Jiao Jiao’s mother gave us a lot of money—she paid six years’ rent for the Beijing house, 50 yuan a month. You do the math. From now on, as long as that house is rented out, we get 50 yuan a month. My mother-in-law said we can spend as much as we want and still not run out. My brother-in-law only makes 36 yuan a month. So, just between us, we’re really not short of money. Keep your own money—if you want anything, just tell me.”

Zhang’s mother was stunned, counting on her fingers, her heart pounding so hard she couldn’t even do the math. She stammered, “I—I’d better not count. Xiao Wu, don’t tell anyone about this, not even your father. Remember, not a word. My goodness, no wonder your mother-in-law buys things by the carload without batting an eye.”

Zhang Guoqing laughed. He figured his father already suspected he wasn’t short on money, knew about Jiao Jiao’s big house, and understood his mother-in-law’s personality. Still, he and his wife had tacitly kept quiet about it. He only told his mother because she was so reluctant to spend. As for the rest, he didn’t plan to tell anyone—not even his mother.

“Now you can relax. So, is there anything else you want but can’t bear to buy? We can go look again.”

His mother was tempted, but then shook her head. “Forget it, even if we have money, we can’t waste it. Save it for Ping An and your future kids. Life is long.”

Zhang Guoqing took out all the coupons that were about to expire. “I’ll pick out all the ones close to expiring, and we’ll buy according to that. Otherwise, it’d be a waste.”

He locked the car and took his mother back into the department store. This time, she was much more relaxed and bought whatever she needed. Together, they used up all the coupons that were about to expire.

After shopping, Zhang Guoqing drove his mother to the park for a look around. Then he tried to take her to the cinema, but she absolutely refused, saying it would be dark by the time the movie ended and the family would worry. So Zhang Guoqing asked around on the street for where to buy used books and cassette tapes.

After winding through the streets, he finally found the place. He first bought some revolutionary song tapes, then, after asking his mother, bought some opera and storytelling tapes. Zhang Guoqing knew these would be hard to find in the future, so he bought a big stack regardless of the price, carefully explaining to his mother what each tape was about. Otherwise, she’d worry—these were expensive, after all. His eldest sister only made so much a month, and the most expensive tape was 1.5 yuan, while even the cheapest was 0.5 yuan. He spent nearly 50 yuan on tapes alone.

Afterward, he took his mother to a nearby area full of used book stalls. This was the provincial capital, after all—two whole alleys of book stalls. He quickly picked out books, which were cheaper than in the county. It took him two trips to the car to carry them all.

“All right, it’s almost dark. Let’s go home—your dad must be worried sick, and who knows what Jiao Jiao’s eating tonight. Let’s go. I’ve had enough of the big city for one day.”

His mother was a bit scared of him now. She’d never seen anyone spend money like water. People were staring at them—if it weren’t for the car parked outside, someone might have tried to rob them."