CHAPTER 131: CHAPTER 105: MOTHER ZHANG VISITS THE PROVINCIAL CITY

Out of the station, Zhang Guoqing took Mother Zhang directly to sit in the front passenger seat. Seeing a few strands of gray hair on her head, he felt a pang in his heart. Life had not been easy for his mother. From dawn to late at night, she worked the fields, tidied the house, looked after the family. She had lived through to old age without enjoying a single good day. She stayed in the village for most of her life and this was her first trip to the provincial city.

Driving the car, Zhang Guoqing pondered quietly to himself, planning to take his mother for a good meal first. He had noticed Friendship Mall and the Department Store on the street they drove through earlier; it was quite lively. He planned to spend the day with her, leisurely stroll around, and take a look at the provincial city. The car still had fuel, so tomorrow he could drive it to the Military District to return it, making it easier to handle things without carrying anything.

"Mom, my mother-in-law has finally left. Now let’s go eat. After we’ve eaten, I’ll take you to see the best mall in the provincial city. Jiao Jiao gave me quite a few Overseas Exchange Coupons, and asked me to take you to see it and pick what you like."

Mother Zhang pondered the car and touched the window glass. Just now, the relatives were around, so she was too shy to take a close look. "Let’s send a telegram to her grandmother’s house first, otherwise we might forget later. Let’s eat something simple for lunch, things are expensive in the provincial city."

"Mom, just trust your old son today. First, we’ll go to the post office to send a telegram, and then I’ll take you to eat something good. We won’t return the car today, and I’ll drive it back tomorrow. Today I’ll accompany you to have a good look at the big city." Zhang Guoqing parked the car, asked pedestrians for directions to the post office, and drove towards it.

Zhang Guoqing sent the telegram at the post office, specifically noting: Arrive at Beijing station at 5 PM on the 23rd, Lin single person carrying 500 jin of heavy items urgently needs someone to meet at the station. He didn’t even omit a comma to avoid misunderstandings. There was no choice; the old man had just left yesterday. When he gets home, he won’t know if the train will be delayed, or if she might arrive around the same time, requiring family to pick her up.

"Mom, the telegram was sent to Beijing, at the latest they’ll receive it by tomorrow evening. Now let’s go eat, just wait and see your son take you out for fun, your son has a bulging wallet."

Sitting in the passenger seat, Mother Zhang curiously watched the crowd leaving work on both sides. She saw many people riding bicycles, very few wearing patched clothes, and she sighed at how good the big city was, with plenty of people and cars. Their family’s two bicycles in the village were the envy of others. Here, there were hundreds and thousands. They didn’t work in the fields earning work points, and during busy farming seasons, it was exhausting. The city folks didn’t have dark complexions; they were energetic and spirited, each smiling. Children were clean, carried backpacks, skipped and jumped around, and she kept saying how good the city was.

It was the time when work finished, there were lots of people and cars, all workers from nearby factories. This was the busiest part of the city center, where the living standards must be better, and the education for children was prioritized.

Mother Zhang didn’t see the remote parts of the city. Those families’ clothing, food, and housing didn’t compare to their village. At least in the village, the yards were large, unlike the city where a yard housed dozens of households, generations squeezing onto a kang. If a city family had many people and young children, relying on wages for families meant even basic food and clothing were a problem. However, Zhang Guoqing didn’t explain, just let her enjoy the excitement, happiness was enough.

At the restaurant, he took Mother Zhang to find a seat, then went to the counter to order food, ordering several dishes. If they couldn’t finish, they could pack it up to take to his father.

Mother Zhang watched him bring several plates of meat dishes, happily took them while whispering complaints. She knew not to shame her son outside, her Xiao Wu was someone of status. Seeing how passionately people treated him today was different from ordinary folks. Plus, with money given, they couldn’t return it, would eat less later and take some home for the family to taste provincial city dishes.

After eating a warm and full lunch, the two of them took the leftovers, got into the car, and went directly to the nearby Friendship Mall.

Zhang Guoqing showed the Overseas Exchange Coupons, and the inspector let Mother Zhang enter the hall.

Faced with the drastically different environment, Mother Zhang felt a bit tense. She surveyed the glass windows and cabinets, looked at her own clothes. She breathed a sigh of relief, cautiously glanced around, and whispered, "Xiao Wu, I see without these tickets, we can’t get in."

Zhang Guoqing gently patted her hand, telling her not to be nervous, "That’s right. Here it’s mostly those overseas Chinese and some leaders who visit, without the Overseas Exchange Coupons, they won’t let you in, probably for safety. Mom, we’ll start from the first floor, there are three floors in total, everything is here, the prices and quality are better than outside. Xi Zi said you can take everything and invoice them, then settle the payment all together. Unlike the supply and marketing cooperative, where you have to ticket first to pay, then run back to get the goods, such a hassle."