Chapter 40: A Day of Shopping

8 o’clock on Sunday morning, Nanya Island Pier

The first ferry leaving the island slowly opened its cabin doors, lowered the gangway, and extended a long wooden plank to connect to the dock.

Held in Xia Junshan’s arms, Xia Qinqin excitedly pointed at the ferry and said, “Mom, look! The boat’s door is opening!”

Xia Junshan smiled. “That’s right, the door is open. Let’s get on board!”

Since it was the weekend, many people were heading to the city, including several children accompanying their parents. Once on board, they ran around the cabin in small groups.

Because they had left early, the family of three was near the front of the boarding line and were lucky enough to get seats by the window. With the morning sea breeze blowing in, the ride felt particularly comfortable.

As the ferry moved forward, Nanya Island grew smaller and smaller in the distance, while an endless stretch of deep blue ocean spread out before them.

Xia Qinqin leaned against the window, pointing at a few seagulls flying low over the water. She called out, “Hello, little birds! We meet again!”

One of the seagulls seemed to respond, flying toward the ferry. Xia Qinqin gasped in surprise. “Wow, did you hear me? Are you coming to play with me?”

As she spoke, she stretched out her hand, leaning half her body out of the window. Xia Junshan, who was holding her tightly, quickly pulled her back.

Meng Yufei’s voice turned stern. “Qinqin, sit properly! Do not lean out of the window!”

Hearing her mother’s serious tone, Xia Qinqin immediately retracted her hand and, feeling wronged, murmured, “Oh…”

Xia Junshan gently patted her head and explained, “Mom is just worried about your safety. If you lean out too far, you might fall into the sea. Then you wouldn’t be able to see Mom and Dad anymore.”

Upon hearing that, Xia Qinqin panicked and quickly said, “I don’t want to leave Mom and Dad! Wuwu… I…” Her voice wavered with emotion, and her big eyes filled with tears.

Xia Junshan panicked as well and hurriedly reassured her in a soft voice, “That’s not what I meant… Dad was just saying if—it’s not real…”

Meng Yufei patted her daughter’s back gently and said in a soothing voice, “Mom and Dad will never leave Qinqin. No matter where you go, we will always find you.”

Xia Junshan nodded quickly. “Yes! Mom and Dad will always be with you—forever.”

Xia Qinqin turned to Meng Yufei and sniffled. “Mom, I was wrong. I just wanted to talk to the little bird. I didn’t mean to do it.” She reached out her arms, asking for a hug.

Meng Yufei took her into her arms and kissed her on the cheek. “I know. Just remember, no matter what you do, your safety always comes first, okay?”

“Mm-hmm, I got it.”

Meng Yufei then pointed outside at the seagulls and softly said, “Look, they love flying outside. They don’t like being in the cabin. Let’s just watch them from here, okay?”

“Okay~”

Seeing his daughter’s smile return, Xia Junshan let out a sigh of relief. Raising a child was really no easy task—one careless word from an adult could unintentionally hurt a child’s feelings.

After over an hour, the ferry arrived at the port in Qiongzhou City. Passengers lined up to disembark.

At the dock, there was a bus heading into the city. The family of three walked to the bus stop, where an empty bus was waiting since this was the starting station.

Sitting by the bus door was the ticket seller. Seeing them board, he asked, “Where to?”

In this era, bus fares were not standardized, different distances had different prices. The driver alone couldn’t handle everything, so every bus had a ticket seller on board.

Xia Junshan replied, “To the city center station.”

“Three cents per person, no ticket needed for children.”

Meng Yufei handed over a dime, and the ticket seller gave her four cents in change, tearing off two tickets and handing them to her. He also reminded them, “Once more people get on, remember to hold the child.”

The bus stopped and started along the way, swaying for half an hour before finally reaching Qiongzhou City Center. The family of three got off.

Qiongzhou City, located at the southernmost tip of China, wasn’t as prosperous as a major coastal metropolis, but it had well-developed infrastructure. Walking through its streets, one could feel the distinct charm of a seaside city.

Although Xia Junshan had only been to the city twice, he had memorized the streets of the city center and confidently led his wife and daughter to Fangyuan Restaurant for breakfast.

In the morning, the family had only eaten a few biscuits to stave off hunger. After the ferry ride from the island, they had nearly used up all their energy.

Fangyuan’s building still retained its century-old appearance. The entrance was a traditional wooden structure with an old-fashioned charm, and above it hung a plaque with the words “Fangyuan State-Owned Restaurant”—clearly written by a later generation.

Upon entering, the family of three found a seat by the window. On the east wall, rows of wooden plaques hung with the names of various dishes written on them.

After browsing for a while, they ordered crystal shrimp dumplings, coconut milk layered cake, and barbecued pork buns. They also got a bowl of red bean double-skin milk for Xia Qinqin.

This meal wasn’t cheap—it cost one yuan, five jiao, and three cents, plus half a jin of grain coupons and two liang of meat coupons.

Since it was rare for them to eat out, and both Xia Junshan and Meng Yufei had stable salaries, they didn’t mind the expense too much.

The dim sum was served in small bamboo steamers. Meng Yufei pointed at the steamer holding the crystal shrimp dumplings and said to her daughter, “Qinqin, this is the shrimp dumpling Auntie Zhang told you about.”

She picked one up with her chopsticks and brought it to Xia Qinqin’s mouth, smiling. “Try it and see if it’s good.”

Xia Qinqin eagerly took a big bite. The outer layer of the dumpling skin was soft and chewy. As she bit into it, the savory broth inside burst into her mouth, mixing with the springy shrimp filling.

“Mmm! It’s delicious~ Auntie Zhang was right!”

Xia Junshan scooped up a spoonful of double-skin milk and grinned. “Try this, too. I heard it’s made with fresh buffalo milk from here.”

In those days, transportation was inconvenient, and places without dairy farms rarely had access to milk.

Xia Qinqin leaned over and took a bite, her eyes lighting up. “This milk is both soft and firm—so yummy!”

The “soft” referred to the smooth texture of the double-skin milk, while the “firm” was in comparison to liquid milk.

Xia Junshan scooped another spoonful and said, “If you like it, have some more. It’s nutritious—it’ll help you grow taller.”

“Wow! Qinqin wants to grow tall!”

After finishing their morning tea, they walked outside. Right across the street stood a ten-story department store—a towering presence in the 1960s city center of Qiongzhou.

The package from Haishi hadn’t arrived yet, so Meng Yufei planned to buy a few pieces of clothing first. Oh, and two pairs of shoes—she had only been rotating between two or three pairs these past few days.

The first floor mainly sold groceries, clothing was on the second floor, and the third floor was for appliances and general merchandise.

Xia Junshan suggested, “Let’s go to the third floor first, buy the radio, then head down to the second floor for clothes, and finally get groceries on the first floor. That way, we can go in order—it’ll be more convenient.”

Meng Yufei nodded. “Alright, let’s go to the third floor first.”

The radio coupon Xia Junshan had was exchanged using the family’s sewing machine coupon. In those days, the highest standard for a wedding was the “Three Turns and One Sound”—a bicycle, a wristwatch, a sewing machine, and a radio.

These four items were highly sought after—not only were they expensive, but the coupons for them were also hard to obtain. A family that could afford all four at once had to be both wealthy and well-connected. For most households, managing to get one or two was already quite impressive.

Among these four, a bicycle was usually the first choice because it was the most practical. Next came the wristwatch and sewing machine, and the radio was the last priority since it wasn’t as essential.

Because of this, exchanging a sewing machine coupon for a radio coupon was relatively easy for Xia Junshan.

The family of three arrived at the third-floor counter. In this era, most department stores didn’t allow customers to browse and pick their own goods.

Shoppers would walk up to a long, waist-high wooden counter and tell the salesperson behind it what they wanted. The salesperson would then fetch the item from the shelves behind them.

If they were lucky and encountered a friendly salesperson, they might be allowed to see a few options before choosing. But if the salesperson was indifferent, they wouldn’t bother—they might not even care if you bought anything at all.

After all, their wages weren’t affected by how much they sold. This was especially true for salespeople handling high-demand items. As long as they had coupons, they could sell everything, so they never had to worry about not making sales.

“We’d like to buy a radio,” Xia Junshan told the salesperson.

Xia Qinqin placed both hands on the counter, tiptoeing with all her might so she could peek over. Copying her father’s words, she also said, “We’d like to buy a radio.”

Xia Junshan looked down at his daughter’s determined little effort and chuckled before picking her up into his arms. With a higher view, Xia Qinqin’s eyes widened as she eagerly observed the items displayed on the shelves.

The salesperson noticed Xia Junshan’s military uniform and the refined clothing of Meng Yufei and Xia Qinqin. He immediately knew they could afford the purchase—unlike some people who came every day just to look without buying. Those were the most frustrating customers.

“Alright, wait a moment.”

The salesperson took a radio from the central shelf behind the counter, placed it in front of them, and said, “Here, this is a Panda-brand radio, manufactured in Jingzhou.”

Xia Junshan said, “I’d like to test it first.”

The salesperson asked, “Do you know how to use it?”—implying he didn’t want it to get damaged.

Xia Junshan nodded, set his daughter down, and picked up the radio. Opening the back cover, he said, “Please insert the batteries. We need to make sure it works before buying. Otherwise, if it doesn’t, we’d have to come back and exchange it.”

Seeing that Xia Junshan knew his way around a radio, the salesperson took out four size D batteries from under the counter and handed them over. “When the radio isn’t in use, make sure to remove the batteries.”

Xia Junshan installed the batteries, flipped the switch, and adjusted the knobs. After a moment, sound came through the speaker.

The salesperson said, “It’s working, right?”

Xia Junshan nodded and asked, “How much?”

The salesperson reached out and said, “Let me see the coupon first.”

Meng Yufei took the radio coupon out of her bag and placed it on the counter. “Here.”

The salesperson carefully examined the coupon, nodded, and said, “This radio costs 120 yuan.”

That was equivalent to three to four months’ wages for an average worker. Buying a radio in this era was considered a major household purchase.

The price was about what Meng Yufei had expected. The Meng family’s radio was a German import, which had cost over 300 yuan at the time.

In comparison, domestically produced radios were much cheaper.

After paying and taking the radio, Meng Yufei noticed a neighboring counter selling Chinese chess sets and walked over to buy one.

Xia Junshan said, “You like playing Chinese chess? You should’ve told me earlier—I have a set in my office. I’ll bring it home for you another day.”

After paying for the chess set, Meng Yufei replied, “You keep a chess set in your office—does that mean you occasionally play with your superiors and comrades?”

Xia Junshan nodded.

Meng Yufei continued, “Then if you bring it home, you won’t have one to play with at work. Let’s buy an extra set for home. We can teach Qinqin when we have time.”

“Alright, my chess skills are decent. I’ll teach her when I get the chance. We can also play against each other sometime.”

Carrying the radio and chess set, the family of three went downstairs to the second floor to buy clothes.

Meng Yufei first bought two sets of short-sleeved shirts and shorts for Xia Qinqin. The temperature had been rising daily, reaching nearly 30°C during the day—it was time to wear short sleeves.

For herself, she bought two short-sleeved tops and a pair of black wide-leg pants. For Xia Junshan, she got two undershirts, a blue shirt, and a white shirt.

Xia Junshan said, “I don’t need them. The clothes issued by the military are enough for me.”

In this era, soldiers liked wearing their uniforms when going out, and workers liked wearing their work clothes—it was a symbol of their identity.

Meng Yufei said, “You should switch things up sometimes. You can’t always wear military-issued clothes.”

She also bought a set of pure cotton summer pajamas for each of them, as well as a four-piece bedding set. Sewing everything herself would have been more cost-effective, but she didn’t have the time, nor was she skilled with needlework, so she had to spend extra money instead.

Fortunately, she had brought enough fabric coupons today. The salespeople in the clothing section were much friendlier than the ones upstairs, enthusiastically packaging everything together to make it easier to carry.

In an era without plastic bags, packing was a skill—an essential one for every salesperson. Some department stores even held packing competitions to see who could wrap items the fastest and most conveniently.

Although the salesperson packed everything well, there were still a lot of items, making them difficult to carry. At that moment, Xia Junshan took out a folded woven sack from his military satchel.

He unfolded it and placed the clothes and bedding inside, carefully setting the radio on top. The fabric provided a cushion, preventing it from getting damaged.

Throwing the sack over his shoulder, Xia Junshan said, “Let’s go. We still need to buy shoes, right?”

Meng Yufei smiled and said, “How did you think of bringing that bag? It’s so convenient—we don’t have to carry multiple bags in our hands.”

“Back in the countryside, we used to carry woven bamboo baskets when going to the market. The other day, I saw someone using one of these sacks for carrying things, and I thought it was really handy, so I got one to keep at home.”

This bag was made of plastic. China had only started producing plastic a few years ago, so it was still uncommon.

They then went to the shoe counter. They bought a pair of white sneakers with green soles for Xia Qinqin, which cost 8.2 yuan. A pair of Liberation shoes for 4 yuan. They also got a pair of blue cloth shoes, which were cheaper at 2.5 yuan.

In this era, shoe prices varied by size. Meng Yufei’s white sneakers cost 9.1 yuan, while Xia Junshan’s pair cost 10.2 yuan.

Meng Yufei also bought a pair of Liberation shoes for both herself and Xia Junshan—one pair for 4.5 yuan and the other for 4.9 yuan.

Thinking about the shoes at home, she realized that aside from the ones issued by the military, Xia Junshan’s newest pair was the leather shoes they bought for their wedding. So, she pulled him over to buy another pair of leather shoes for 24 yuan.

“I don’t even wear them often. The leather shoes at home have only been worn twice. Wouldn’t buying another pair be a waste?”

“You’ll need them sooner or later. I’m managing the household money now, so I decide how we spend it.”

“…Alright then.”

Xia Junshan glanced at the women’s leather shoes on display and said to the salesperson, “Could you take that pair down for us to see?”

Meng Yufei looked at the heel and said, “Forget it. The roads on the island are better suited for sneakers and flats.”

Xia Junshan replied, “Didn’t you just say that it’s always good to have a pair for when you need them?”

Meng Yufei shook her head. “I really don’t need them. I bought this exact style two years ago. Once the package from Haishi arrives, I’ll have shoes to wear.”

Xia Junshan said, “Alright then, we’ll buy some next time we visit Haishi.” The city sold the latest styles from across the country.

After putting the shoes into the woven sack, Xia Junshan said, “Let’s buy a bed mosquito net. It’s getting hot, and mosquitoes will start coming out.”

Meng Yufei said, “Let’s get two—one for the other room as well.”

Xia Junshan paused for a second before nodding. “Alright, two it is.”

The mosquito nets were made of fine cotton gauze with a tight weave that effectively kept mosquitoes out. They were also reasonably priced—two nets cost 5 yuan.

The woven sack was now stuffed full. Meng Yufei said, “Good thing we didn’t plan on buying an electric fan today, or we wouldn’t be able to carry everything home.”

Xia Junshan said, “We don’t need a fan at night just yet. We’ll buy one next time. Besides, fans only require industrial coupons, and we have enough at home, so we don’t need to trade for them.”

For this shopping trip, aside from the radio coupon, they mainly used fabric coupons. More than half of their stored fabric coupons were gone in one go.

Xia Qinqin curiously poked the bag with her hand and asked, “Dad, isn’t it heavy to carry?”

Xia Junshan easily swung the sack onto his shoulder, grabbed the bag’s opening with one hand, and lifted Xia Qinqin with the other. He smiled and said, “This is nothing. Dad could carry both you and Mom and still run ten li.”

Xia Qinqin didn’t know how far ten li was, but she understood that her daddy could carry both her and her mom. She exclaimed, “Wow! Dad is amazing! You’re super strong!”

Xia Junshan lifted his daughter slightly and grinned. “How about we go buy some candy now?”

“Yes~!”

The family of three arrived at the first-floor grocery counter. The candies here were mainly coconut candy and fruit candy. They bought one jin of coconut candy for 0.7 yuan and one jin of fruit candy for 0.9 yuan.

The specialty snack here was pineapple cakes, priced at 1.2 yuan per jin. Meng Yufei bought two jin, packed into four small bags, each half a jin.

They also bought two jin of peach crisps, which were priced the same as at the supply and marketing cooperative—1 yuan per jin—and had them packed into four small portions as well.

Meng Yufei carried these items herself. Xia Junshan suggested, “Why don’t we just put them in the bag? If we press everything down, they should fit.”

Meng Yufei replied, “No need. If we put the food in, the flavors might mix.”

Seeing that she carried them with ease, Xia Junshan didn’t insist.

By noon, they had spent nearly 300 yuan. Even someone as used to spending freely as Meng Yufei couldn’t help but sigh, “Money really disappears fast.”

Xia Junshan chuckled. “It’s not like we shop like this every day. Besides, what’s the point of earning money if not to spend it? As long as we’re happy, it’s worth it.”

Meng Yufei smiled and said, “That’s true, it is fun.”

Xia Qinqin, sucking on the fruit candy given to her by the shop assistant, nodded along. “Qinqin is happy too~”

By the time they left the department store, it was already noon. Xia Junshan led them around a street corner and pointed to a two-story building. “This is the most famous state-owned restaurant in Qiongzhou. Let’s have lunch here.”

Meng Yufei nodded. “Alright.”

Xia Junshan asked the little girl in his arms, “How about we have sweet and sour pork ribs for lunch?”

“Yes!”

It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was bustling. In state-owned restaurants of this era, there were no waiters to greet customers at the entrance.

You had to find a seat yourself, line up at the counter to order, and then pick up your food from the serving station.

People bustled back and forth in the dining hall, and impatient voices from the service counter rang out now and then, making the place seem noisy and chaotic.

Scanning the room, they spotted an empty table in the corner. The family of three walked over, and Xia Junshan set down their things. “I’ll go order. What do you want to eat?”

The restaurant’s menu was posted on the wall—not with wooden plaques like Fangyuan Restaurant, but simply written on a piece of paper and stuck up.

Sitting on her chair, Xia Qinqin leaned her upper body on the table and followed her parents’ gaze toward the menu. She recognized the characters for “pork ribs” and pointed excitedly. “Pork ribs! Dad, Qinqin wants to eat pork ribs!”

Xia Junshan smiled. “Alright, one order of Qinqin’s favorite sweet and sour pork ribs.”

Xia Qinqin grinned, revealing her little white teeth. “Thank you, Dad~”

Xia Junshan patted his daughter’s pigtails and turned to Meng Yufei. “What about you?”

Meng Yufei said, “Hmm… braised yellow croaker.”

Xia Junshan nodded. “The yellow croaker here is big. It’s one of their signature dishes, and it tastes great.”

Meng Yufei asked, “What about you? What do you want to eat?”

Xia Junshan replied, “Let’s order their signature white-cut chicken and add a vegetable and meatball soup.”

As he spoke, he patted his military satchel and said, “I brought food containers. If we can’t finish, we’ll pack it to take home.”

“Alright.” Meng Yufei nodded and took money and meal coupons from her bag, handing them to Xia Junshan.

Xia Junshan took them and went to line up at the counter, while Meng Yufei pulled out a handkerchief to wipe Xia Qinqin’s hands. Noticing that the scab on her hand was starting to peel at the edges, she gently touched it and asked, “Does it hurt?”

Xia Qinqin shook her head. “No, it just feels a little itchy.”

Meng Yufei said, “That means it’s almost healed. Try not to scratch it, okay?”

Xia Qinqin nodded. “Got it.”

After ordering, Xia Junshan returned with a receipt and brought over bowls and chopsticks for the three of them. He then went to pour hot water and scalded the utensils.

They waited for quite a while before the service window finally called out that their food was ready. Xia Junshan went to pick up the dishes. In state-owned restaurants of this era, portions were generous, focusing on affordability and value.

Xia Qinqin was thrilled to finally eat the sweet and sour pork ribs she had been craving. She gave a thumbs-up and praised, “Delicious! It tastes just like Grandma’s!”

Smiling, Xia Junshan picked up another piece for her. “Glad you like it. Eat more.” Then, he placed a piece of fish into Meng Yufei’s bowl and said, “Try the fish. See how it tastes.”

Meng Yufei took a bite, nodded, and said, “It’s really good. I didn’t expect the large yellow croaker to be just as tender as the smaller ones.”

Xia Junshan said, “I’ve heard their steamed bass is great too. We can try it next time.”

The family of three couldn’t finish all the food. Half of the large yellow croaker remained, as well as half of the sweet and sour pork ribs. The white-cut chicken, however, was completely eaten.

Besides the pork ribs, Xia Qinqin also had two small bowls of vegetable and meatball soup. Patting her round belly, she said, “I’m so full!”

Meng Yufei said, “Then just sit and rest for a while. We’ll leave once your dad and I finish eating.”

Since soup wasn’t easy to take home, Xia Junshan and Meng Yufei shared the leftover vegetables and meatballs, leaving behind the remaining broth.

Xia Junshan took out his food container and packed up the leftover dishes. “We can just get some vegetables and rice from the cafeteria for dinner.”

As they left the state-owned restaurant, Xia Junshan suggested, “Let’s go to a photo studio and take a family picture.”

Meng Yufei nodded. “Great idea! We haven’t taken a family photo together yet.”

The state-owned photo studio was nearby. The photographer, noticing that the family of three was quite good-looking, smiled and said, “What kind of background would you like? We have Haishi’s City God Temple, Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall…”

Photographers always enjoyed taking pictures of attractive customers, as the results would always turn out well. He enthusiastically recommended different backdrops available in the studio.

Meng Yufei asked, “Sir, can you take pictures outside? We’re from out of town and would love to capture a memory here.”

The photographer nodded and readily agreed. “Sure! I’ll use the imported German camera we just bought at the end of last year.”

In the spring of 1965, on the streets of Qiongzhou City, a family of three captured their first photograph together.