They had lunch outside first, and then Qin Nian pulled Yang Yufen and the children into the department store.
She started by buying clothes, shoes, and socks for the two kids. If not for Yang Yufen stopping her, Qin Nian would have picked out even more.
"Kids grow fast. No need to buy too much—they’ll outgrow them soon, and it’s hard to alter them later."
"Alright, I’ll listen to you, Mom. But is two sets per child too little? What if they’re still wet after washing…"
"Don’t worry. Didn’t you just buy a washing machine? Spin-dry them, and with the weather getting hotter, they’ll dry quickly. Instead, we should buy some fabric to make summer shirts—they’re better for hot weather and prevent rashes."
Yang Yufen suggested.
"Okay."
The two then picked out some fabric.
"Mom, try on this dacron blouse."
"Alright, alright. This blue floral pattern is so pretty, and the fabric is smooth. It’ll be comfortable in summer."
Yang Yufen only held it up to check the size.
"It fits perfectly. I can tell without even trying it on."
At that time, most people weren’t overweight, and though Yang Yufen was tall, she wasn’t heavy either.
"Mom, you don’t have to try on the clothes, but you should try on the shoes. Otherwise, they might be uncomfortable if they don’t fit."
Qin Nian then spotted a pair of leather shoes.
"Oh, leather shoes make your feet sweat. I prefer cloth shoes. Pick a pair of those for me."
Yang Yufen could tell the leather shoes weren’t cheap and quickly waved her hand in refusal.
"These are made of lambskin, ma’am. Don’t worry, they won’t make your feet sweat. Your daughter is so filial—you should try them!"
The sales assistant eagerly stepped forward.
"No, no, I’m not used to them. She’s my daughter-in-law, but she really is filial—treats this old lady so well. She’s beautiful and capable too, hehehe."
Yang Yufen replied with a laugh.
Qin Nian’s face flushed at the praise, and she picked out two pairs of cloth shoes instead.
"Mom, try these on. If they’re comfortable, we’ll take both so you can alternate. And let’s get a pair of rain boots too—they’ll be handy on rainy days."
The sales assistant had initially been disappointed, but hearing they were buying more, her enthusiasm returned.
Two sets of clothes, two pairs of cloth shoes, a pair of rain boots, and several nylon socks later, they were nearly done shopping.
Just as Yang Yufen thought they could leave, Qin Nian pulled her upstairs to a jewelry counter.
"Nian wants to buy jewelry? Hmm, these do look nice. Young people should dress up a bit."
Yang Yufen didn’t think much of it until Qin Nian pointed at a somewhat old-fashioned gold bracelet and asked to see it.
"Yes, this one. Ring it up."
Qin Nian took out the money—38 yuan per gram, 30 grams for the bracelet, with a 40-yuan discount. Just like that, 1,100 yuan was spent.
"Nian, maybe pick something more youthful? This design is nice—it’d suit you."
Yang Yufen pointed at another piece.
But Qin Nian took the bracelet, grabbed Yang Yufen’s hand, and slipped it onto her wrist.
"Mom, this is for you. It won’t break easily. You have to accept it, or I won’t feel at ease."
Qin Nian looked at her earnestly. Yang Yufen hesitated but finally nodded.
"Alright, I’ll take it. But wrap it in red thread—it’s too eye-catching."
Yang Yufen asked the sales assistant, who quickly fetched red thread and wrapped it tightly, hiding every trace of gold.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the strait, bullets flew.
"I told you to leave!"
"I hid Rourou. Brother Lan, let’s go—I know a nearby sewer. We can escape through there."
The man’s hand, hidden at his waist, slowly moved away as he was helped to flee.
That evening, the family of four ate out again before happily returning to the residential compound.
The next morning, Qin Nian rode her bicycle to work, and news quickly spread through the compound.
"Did you hear? Our compound is setting up a nursery school. Finally, a place for the kids!"
"I heard! They’re hiring three teachers and two staff for cooking and cleaning. Anyone who’s finished high school can take the exam—they’ve even set the date."
"Exactly. The pay’s the same as elementary school teachers, plus summer and winter breaks. Being a teacher is great."
"No one in my family qualifies for this nursery job. A stable job like this isn’t for us. But what do you all think about the other big expense—central heating? Will it really be warmer than coal? The rationed coal isn’t even enough, and now they want to centralize heating. Is it reliable?"
The discussions shifted entirely to the nursery school and central heating, and no one paid attention to Qin Nian’s big purchases anymore.
"Aunt Yang, there’s a call from your hometown. They’ll call back in half an hour."
Yang Yufen was in the yard, watching the two children play in a basin of water.
Time flew, and soon it was July. With the nursery construction and central heating installation underway, everyone was busy—it was a massive project. On top of that, the National Day parade preparations had the whole country on edge.
"Alright."
Yang Yufen called back, then coaxed the children out of the water.
"Come on, Grandma will take you to buy popsicles."
"Yay!"
Dabao and Erbao scrambled out, changed their clothes, and climbed into the tricycle.
As the two sat in the tricycle eating ice cream, Yang Yufen went to take the call.
"Hello? Yufen, it’s Gui Xiang!"
"Gui Xiang! How’s everything at home? Isn’t this the busy season? Why call now?"
"They’ve reconnected the phone lines in our village, so I thought I’d call. Everything’s fine here. How about you?"
"I’m doing well too. The two grandkids are so well-behaved. Once they’re a bit older, I’ll bring them back to visit!"
"Wonderful! The village head has something to say too. I planted cotton again this year—I’ll send some to you later."
Gui Xiang handed the phone to the village head.
"Xianjun’s mom, your household registration’s been moved, but your house is still here. The villagers have kept it tidy. Thanks for your help with the sweet potatoes. Call the village more often—everyone misses you."
"Of course. No need to thank me—we’re all from the same village. I’m just glad everyone’s pulled through."
"We’ve built a new road, and now there’s a bus that stops right at the village entrance. It’ll be easier when you bring the kids back—one bus in the morning and evening, plus an extra one on market days. Just check the schedule."
The village head chatted a bit more before they hung up.
If not for this call, Yang Yufen, busy with the children, might have forgotten some things.
"July already… That rascal will be back soon. At least Nian’s so busy these days—they won’t run into each other."
She murmured to herself, gently patting her grandsons’ little heads.
