Chapter 2: The Zoo and the Department Store

It was the weekend, and early in the morning, Xia Qinqin was already awake.

She still remembered that her little uncle had promised to take her to the zoo today. From the moment she woke up, she hummed nursery rhymes excitedly, standing obediently on the bed as her mother dressed her.

Seeing that the weather was quite warm today, Meng Yufei took a bright red woolen cape from her daughter’s wardrobe and draped it over her. Underneath, she wore a soft and warm white cashmere sweater, paired with black leather shoes on her feet.

Qinqin stood in front of the dressing mirror, twirled happily, then quickly ran out of the room. She looked up at Father Meng, who was adjusting the radio in the living room, and asked, “Grandpa, has little uncle woken up yet?”

As a medical student with a heavy academic workload, Meng Zhongyan always slept in on weekends when he came home. Qinqin worried that he might have overslept today as well.

Father Meng chuckled at his granddaughter and said, “Our little Qinqin is truly radiant today. Your uncle is in the study.”

Just as he finished speaking, Meng Zhongyan walked out of the study, holding an old-fashioned camera. “Dad, I’m borrowing your antique camera today.”

Father Meng nodded and said, “Take plenty of pictures of Qinqin. Later, you can ask Uncle Zhang to develop them—his photos always turn out nice.”

Mother Meng handed a military satchel to her youngest son and reminded him, “There’s hot water, biscuits, and a handkerchief in the bag. Remember to give Qinqin water, don’t just focus on playing. And when she gets tired, wipe her sweat—otherwise, she’ll catch a cold from the wind…”

“Mm, mm, got it,” Meng Zhongyan nodded, slung the satchel over his shoulder, picked Qinqin up, and headed out. “We’re off!”

Seeing them rush out, Mother Meng quickly asked, “Aren’t you having breakfast first?”

“I’ll take Qinqin for some soup dumplings,” he said as his voice trailed off, already disappearing at the door.

Coming out of the alley, they crossed a street and turned a corner to reach a long-established restaurant. Meng Zhongyan ordered a basket of soup dumplings, a bowl of small wontons, and asked the server for an extra bowl.

During this era, all stores were state-owned, and the restaurant staff had notoriously bad attitudes. Customers often got scolded, but since food was scarce, people had no choice but to endure it.

If people from a few decades later saw this, they’d probably exclaim: “The world has turned upside down!”

However, today was different. The waiter took one look at the well-dressed, handsome young man and the adorable little girl with her bright eyes and delicate features and, for once, actually smiled.

A bowl of small wontons cost 1.5 cents, and a basket of soup dumplings cost 3.5 cents. Their breakfast totaled 5 cents.

Meng Zhongyan scooped four or five wontons into the extra bowl to cool. The little girl was small and couldn’t eat much.

Then, he placed a soup dumpling on Qinqin’s small dish and reminded her, “Be careful, it’s hot.”

The little girl nodded confidently, puffing out her chest. “Grandma brought me here last time and taught me how to eat them. I’m an expert at eating soup dumplings now!”

Sitting on a high chair, she leaned forward toward her dish, carefully took a tiny bite of the dumpling’s thin, translucent skin, and slowly sipped the hot soup inside. A delicious, savory sweetness spread across her mouth.

Qinqin squinted her eyes in delight, savoring the taste. Meng Zhongyan chuckled at this little foodie.

After breakfast, they took the tram to the zoo.

Giraffes, chimpanzees, elephants, lions… all the animals she had only seen in picture books were now right in front of her. Xia Qinqin was so amazed that she couldn’t close her mouth. One moment, she wanted to touch the giraffe’s neck, the next, she was screaming in fright at the chimpanzees.

All these lively and precious moments were captured one by one by the camera, becoming part of Xia Qinqin’s childhood album—treasured memories of her growing up.

While the uncle and niece were having fun at the zoo, on the other side, Meng Yufei and her mother finished breakfast and headed out shopping.

Haishi’s No.1 Department Store was located in the city’s busiest district. It wasn’t just the largest department store in Haishi but also the first state-owned retail enterprise established after the founding of the country. Several decades ago, this shopping mall had already been equipped with elevators and heating and cooling systems.

As a native of Haishi, Meng Yufei had been coming here since childhood—so many times that she had lost count. Many of the salesclerks in the store were old acquaintances of hers.

“I heard that Qiongzhou has summer all year round, so you should bring plenty of short-sleeved shirts,” Mother Meng said as she picked out two white Dacron shirts, two plaid ones, and a striped sailor shirt.

The clothes she chose were all in muted colors, and the pants were mostly black long trousers. She advised her daughter, “Since you’ll be at a military base, it’s better to dress modestly.”

After some thought, she still picked out two dresses. “But wearing skirts occasionally should be fine.”

Meng Yufei said, “Mom, you don’t have to buy so much. I have enough clothes. If I really need more, I can buy them there.”

But Mother Meng disagreed. “You’re going to an island. Even if there are stores, do you think the styles and fabrics will be as good as what we have here?”

After saying this, she pulled her daughter over to the children’s clothing section and picked out several outfits for Qinqin as well. Seeing the growing pile of shopping bags, Meng Yufei quickly stopped her. “Mom, that’s enough! You’re going to use up all the family’s fabric ration coupons at this rate.”

Mother Meng waved it off. “I’m just a retired old lady—who’s there for me to wear new clothes for? Your father and your brother are both men, two sets of clothes per season are more than enough. The fabric coupons are meant for you and Qinqin. You’re going so far away, and who knows how long you’ll be staying there.”

Meng Yufei held onto her mother’s arm. “Oh, come on, I’ll bring Qinqin back to visit you often.”

Mother Meng sighed. “The journey is so long—you’ll have to take both the train and the bus. You’ve been weak since childhood, and Qinqin is still so little. How can you both handle such a tiring trip? Your father and I only want you to be safe. Whether you come back or not, that doesn’t matter.”

Then, she lowered her voice and asked, “Feifei, now that you’re moving to Junshan, do you plan on having another child?”

Her daughter and son-in-law had been married for years but only had Qinqin, mainly because they had barely spent time together. Now that they were finally going to reunite, it would be natural for them to have another child. But when she thought of the island’s medical conditions and the fact that her daughter had no family around, Mother Meng felt uneasy.

While touching the fabric of the children’s clothes in her hands, Meng Yufei softly replied, “I don’t plan on having another.”

In an era without family planning policies, such a statement was rather shocking. However, Mother Meng wasn’t surprised at all. She understood her daughter well—Feifei might seem quiet and delicate on the outside, but deep down, she had always been a bit unconventional.

She didn’t bother trying to persuade her and simply asked, “What about Junshan? Won’t he mind?”

Meng Yufei curled her lips into a faint smile. “I told him before we got married that my health wasn’t great and that I might not be able to have children. He said he didn’t mind, which is why we got married. Later, when we had Qinqin, he already felt like it was the greatest blessing in his life—why would he have any other thoughts?”

Mother Meng continued, “But what if, after a few years, he changes his mind? When he sees his colleagues and friends all having multiple kids while he only has one daughter, it’s natural that he might start thinking differently.”

Meng Yufei laughed. “Why should I care what he thinks? If he wants another child, I’ll just divorce him. He can find someone else to have kids with.”

Most mothers would scold their daughters for speaking so carelessly, but after thinking it over, Mother Meng actually nodded. “Just make sure you bring Qinqin back with you if that happens.”

Swinging the shopping bag filled with children’s clothes, Meng Yufei reassured her, “Don’t worry. Qinqin wouldn’t want to leave her doting grandma. We’ve bought everything—let’s go home.”

But Mother Meng raised an eyebrow. “We haven’t bought shoes yet. Children’s feet grow fast—give it a few months, and her shoes will be too small. No, we need to get her two bigger pairs just in case.” With that, she headed toward the shoe counter, leaving Meng Yufei with no choice but to follow, carrying all the shopping bags.

At the Zoo Entrance.

Xia Qinqin stood in front of a soda stand, hands on her hips, staring up at Meng Zhongyan with wide eyes, refusing to budge.

There was no way to win against this little girl. Shaking his head in surrender, Meng Zhongyan pulled out twenty cents and bought a bottle of orange soda.

“Make sure you don’t tell your grandma you had soda today, or she won’t let me off,” he warned as he stuck a straw into the bottle and bent down to hand it to Xia Qinqin.

“Mm-hmm.” Xia Qinqin nodded eagerly, her eyes fixed on the soda in her uncle’s hand. The moment he passed it to her, she grabbed it with both hands and immediately took a big sip, wrapping her mouth around the straw.

The icy-cold, sweet soda flowed into her mouth through the straw. After taking a long sip, she let go of the straw, opened her little mouth, and sighed in delight, “Ah~ so good!”

Watching her drink half the bottle in one go, Meng Zhongyan quickly took the rest from her and patted her small belly. “That’s enough. If you drink too much, your tummy will hurt tonight.”

The little girl frowned unhappily, her pretty brows knitting together. Worried she might throw a tantrum, Meng Zhongyan quickly tilted his head back and finished the rest of the soda in one gulp. Then he handed the empty bottle back to the vendor, shrugged, and said, “All gone.”

“Hmph.” Xia Qinqin huffed in annoyance and protested, “Uncle, you’re a grown-up! How could you snatch something from a little kid?”

Meng Zhongyan tugged lightly at her little braid, half amused and half exasperated. “You little rascal, did you forget who bought the soda for you?”

Xia Qinqin pouted and turned her head away, clearly still sulking.

With a helpless sigh, Meng Zhongyan said, “It’s getting late. We should hurry home, or your grandma will scold me.” Squatting down, he opened his arms. “Our little Qinqin played all day—aren’t you tired? Let Uncle carry you home, okay?”

After thinking for a moment, Xia Qinqin reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Alright then.”

Smiling, Meng Zhongyan picked her up and carried her home.

When they arrived downstairs, they ran into Mother Meng and Meng Yufei, who were just returning from shopping. Seeing them carrying large shopping bags, Meng Zhongyan grinned and said, “Mom, are you moving the entire department store home?”

Mother Meng huffed, “Can’t you see what’s going on? Hurry up and help.”

“Coming, coming.” Meng Zhongyan quickly stepped forward and took the bags from their hands.

Xia Qinqin eagerly volunteered, “Grandma, I want to help too!”

Mother Meng took out a paper bag, which contained a large tin box filled with imported chocolates bought from the Friendship Store with foreign exchange coupons. Handing it to her, she said, “Then Qinqin can help by holding this. It’s chocolate.”

“Wow~” Xia Qinqin cheered as she took the bag, then tilted her head and asked, “Grandma, can I bring a few chocolates to kindergarten tomorrow? I want to give them to my friends.”

Mother Meng smiled. “Of course you can. This is a gift from Grandma, so you can do whatever you want with it.”

Overjoyed, Xia Qinqin skipped up the stairs with the bag. Once home, she dashed straight to the far end of the living room, where there was a staircase leading up to a half-height attic.

At only five years old, she didn’t even need to stoop after climbing up.

The north side of the attic was used by the Meng family for storage, while the south side, near a small window, had been specially set aside as Xia Qinqin’s play area. Mother Meng had laid down a thick carpet on the wooden floor, with toys and a few picture books neatly arranged on it.

Beside them sat a small wooden chest, custom-made by Father Meng. It had a cleverly designed combination lock—Xia Qinqin’s treasure box—where she kept her “precious” belongings.

Colorful glass marbles, favorite picture books, beloved toys, and her favorite snacks…

Since chocolate was her latest favorite treat, it definitely needed to be hidden away properly.

After coming down from the attic, she saw Mother Meng and Meng Yufei tidying up the day’s purchases. Spotting her, Meng Yufei reminded, “Qinqin, do you remember what Mommy said? You can’t eat more than three chocolates a day, or you’ll get cavities.”

Thinking of Sister Lily downstairs and her missing front teeth, Xia Qinqin got so scared that she quickly covered her mouth with both hands and nodded repeatedly.

She definitely didn’t want to lose her teeth!