Chapter 96: Another Stroll in the Provincial Capital (Two Chapters Combined)

After returning to the guesthouse, Lin Lishan carried her things back to her room. Seeing that the neighboring rooms were empty, she didn’t bother looking for the old man and the others—most likely they were at the canteen having dinner with others. She took out some milk candies and chocolates, stuffed them into Xizi’s pocket, and let him have a snack first.

The two of them washed up and tidied themselves before heading to the guesthouse canteen. It was right at mealtime, and the place was bustling. Lin Lishan glanced around but didn’t spot her grandfather and the others—they’d probably gone to the military district canteen. She specially ordered Xizi’s favorites: braised pork, steamed egg, pork rib soup, and steamed buns.

After eating their fill and resting a bit, Lin Lishan took Xizi back to their room for a short nap. As dusk fell, she grabbed the two bags of pastries she’d just bought and took Xizi to visit her old friend from the compound.

Her friend, Fang Jianmei, was also in the art troupe. Two years ago, she’d transferred to the Northern Military District with her husband and child. Normally, the two weren’t especially close, but now, in this unfamiliar city where tickets were scarce, it was the perfect time to catch up.

It was late, but Lin Lishan went straight to the gate and asked the guard for Fang Jianmei’s address. With her officer’s ID, a young soldier quickly escorted her to the military family building. Lin Lishan thanked him repeatedly before heading upstairs with Xizi.

Fang Jianmei lived on the second floor in a two-bedroom apartment. Both she and her husband were military officers, and they had two sons. The youngest, twelve, was a sturdy, dark-skinned boy who wasn’t shy at all—quite mischievous, in fact. Both women were delighted to see each other, surprised to run into Lin Lishan here.

Fang Jianmei happily made tea, pulled Lin Lishan to sit down, and handed a fruit plate to her son, telling him to take Xizi to play in his room.

Seeing the two boys go off hand in hand without any trouble, Lin Lishan breathed a sigh of relief—she’d been worried the mischievous boy might bully Xizi.

Fang Jianmei grinned, “It’s been two years since I last saw you! I just heard your father-in-law brought your son-in-law to the military district for a meeting, and I was wondering why you weren’t here. I heard your daughter had a baby—congratulations!”

Lin Lishan took a sip of tea and smiled, “I came to see the baby this time—didn’t expect her to give birth so soon. I’d planned to stay with her for her confinement. Your news is quick—we’ve only been here a few hours.”

Fang Jianmei winked, lowering her voice, “You don’t know—these military wives love to gossip. Any little thing, and everyone knows. Especially with your father-in-law here—several big shots came out to greet him. And your son-in-law was the only one in plain clothes, so it wasn’t hard to figure out.”

Lin Lishan glanced around at the furnishings, “How are you settling in here? Getting used to it?”

“What can I do? Even if I’m not used to it, I have to stay. It’s alright, except the winters are freezing—you can’t even go out. You’re lucky you came now; in another month, you can forget about going out. And the local fashions are terrible—most military wives wear patched-up clothes. It’s nothing like Beijing. But what can I do? The kids are older now, I can’t keep avoiding a transfer. The art troupe work here is easy, though—lots of free time. I’m getting lazy.”

Lin Lishan rolled her eyes, “What’s wrong with free time? You still get paid, and you can go shopping.”

Fang Jianmei looked aggrieved, “Shopping? There’s nothing good except the Friendship Store, and you can’t get in without foreign exchange certificates. That’s my only hobby. It’s not easy to go into the city—if you buy too much, people gossip. Everyone’s watching. I hardly go out anymore.”

Lin Lishan burst out laughing, “Serves you right for showing off! I just went to the Friendship Store—lots of stuff, but hardly any tickets. Do you have any way to get some? I want to leave some for Jiaojiao so she can buy things too. The supply and marketing co-op can’t compare in quality or price.”

“No need to ask anyone else for foreign exchange certificates—I have 200 yuan worth of foreign exchange coupons left, not much more. Do you need other tickets? You’re not leaving tomorrow, are you? Let’s go shopping together in the city.”

Lin Lishan nodded happily—now her Jiaojiao wouldn’t be short of tickets. “Great! That’s generous of you. I have time in the morning, but in the afternoon I need to get back to Jiaojiao. I’ll drive, so let’s go early. Bring any other tickets you have—I haven’t been to the co-op yet, maybe there’ll be something good. If not, I’ll mail things to you later. If you need anything you can’t get here, write to me and I’ll send it.”

Fang Jianmei thought for a moment, “No need to trouble you with mail. If I really need something, I’ll ask my eldest sister—she works at the Beijing Department Store, remember? I’ll give you all my tickets; if you don’t use them, my husband can give them to his comrades. My sister often sends packages, so I’m too lazy to go into the city.”

Lin Lishan didn’t refuse—art troupe girls rarely lacked tickets, except maybe for cloth coupons.

“Help me see if the troupe has any new military satchels—give me a few, I want to give them as gifts. They’re rare and people love them. You don’t know—my Jiaojiao won’t let me buy anything, says I need to keep a low profile. She says I already look like a nouveau riche. The foreign exchange coupons I sent her, she just hides away. I want to give some satchels to her nephews—if I buy new schoolbags, she’ll feel bad.”

Fang Jianmei laughed, teasing, “It’s true—every pot has its lid. How did a big spender like you have such a thrifty daughter? I really envy you for having a girl—so sweet and thoughtful. My eldest is fifteen and only cares about using nice things. His dad even said he should go to the army for some discipline. There should be satchels—I’ll check at the troupe tomorrow morning and come find you.”

Lin Lishan nodded, agreeing to meet at the guesthouse the next day.

Fang Jianmei remembered something her elder sister had asked and whispered, “Last time, the old troupe leader said he was retiring and you’d be promoted. Is it confirmed?”

Lin Lishan nodded. She was able to stay a few extra days this time because the transfer documents had come through—otherwise, without a deputy, everything would fall on her shoulders. Now, with a deputy promoted, she could finally relax a bit.

Fang Jianmei brought up her elder sister’s daughter. The plan had been for her to work at the department store this year, but her sister thought it wouldn’t look good to have her under her own supervision. The girl was sensible but a bit slow-witted. Her sister didn’t feel comfortable letting her work elsewhere, so she’d managed to get her a spot in the art troupe next year and wanted Lin Lishan to look after her.

Lin Lishan agreed without hesitation—no big deal for her. Just keep an eye on the girl and give her some guidance. Fang Jianmei valued Lin Lishan’s position—no one would dare bully the girl with her around.

To others, being a troupe leader was a big deal, but Lin Lishan’s own daughter had no interest in it. She wasn’t worried about her daughter or son-in-law—if they couldn’t get into university, it wouldn’t be hard for her to find them jobs in Beijing. Money wasn’t an issue; Jiaojiao could live however she wanted. They’d discuss it when her husband returned.

Curious, Lin Lishan asked, “By the way, have you seen Xiaofei? He came with my dad.”

Fang Jianmei was surprised, “I didn’t know he was here. I just heard your father-in-law brought your son-in-law. Maybe he’s busy now—if not tonight, I’ll see him tomorrow. We can buy him something to take back.”

“My mother-in-law is still anxious to find him a match. You should help keep an eye out—Xiaofei’s already twenty-four, it’s time. If he doesn’t marry, his younger brothers can’t marry early either.”

Fang Jianmei laughed, “My mom’s just fussing. I think Xiaofei already has someone in mind, but he’s not confident enough to say anything. Think about it—over the years, besides your girls, has he ever talked to any other girls?”

Lin Lishan was shocked, “Who do you think he likes? I hardly ever see him—he’s never home. I only know he’s close with Shengli. Our family doesn’t know anything about this. Jiaojiao’s married, and my mom keeps asking why the others aren’t settled yet.”

Fang Jianmei shook her head, “Everyone’s busy—who has time to pay attention? I just noticed he never talks to any other girls except yours. If I ask, he’ll just play dumb. Who knows what he’s thinking? My mom’s just making a fuss. Even his own mother isn’t worried.”

“Feelings are best left for them to sort out. If you try to play matchmaker and get it wrong, it’ll just be awkward for both. I’ll just play dumb and see what happens when we’re back in Beijing.”

“Alright, if you find out, write and tell me. If that rascal falls into my hands, I’ll give him a hard time,” Fang Jianmei said, rubbing her hands and laughing.

“Okay, I’ll let you know if I find out. It’s getting late—tomorrow I’ll wait for you at the guesthouse. Once you’re done at the troupe, we’ll head out.” Lin Lishan stood up and stretched.

Fang Jianmei quickly stopped her, “Wait, you haven’t taken the tickets yet! Don’t rush—have something to eat first.”

Lin Lishan shook her head, “No need, I already ate. If I eat more, I’ll have indigestion. We can talk about the tickets tomorrow. I’m exhausted these days—better get some sleep.”

With that, Lin Lishan called out to Xizi. She saw Xizi and Fang Jianmei’s younger son whispering together, heads close, clearly getting along well. Fang Jianmei’s son kept trying to stuff something into Xizi’s hands, while Xizi kept refusing. Looking closer, she realized it was a toy bullet train—she knew Xizi liked those. She didn’t say anything, just watched to see what Xizi would do.

Xizi looked at Lin Lishan with pleading eyes, “Grandma, big brother wants to give me this, but he keeps insisting even though I said no. What should I do?”

Lin Lishan smiled and patted both boys on the head, “It’s fine, take it. He’s your Uncle Xiaofei’s cousin—what a tangled family tree. Xiaomeihua, remember to bring your son out with us tomorrow so the boys have company.”

“Of course, we’ll both take the morning off to go with you. I’ll see you out—and tell Xiaofei that we won’t be home tomorrow morning. Say hi to your father-in-law for me.”"