Chapter 1508: The 100th Building

After the adults finished eating and came back, some watched TV, others played cards, while their children ran around the house making a racket.

Outside, the cold wind howled; inside, the room was warm and lively.

On their first night staying in Magu, Ye Ye Chengyang and Ye Chenghu were too excited to sleep, their spirits high all day, especially since they had seen snow that evening.

No matter how much Lin Lin Xiuqing urged them to sleep, the two boys stayed glued to the window, staring at the swirling snow outside.

Occasionally, they breathed on the glass and smeared it with their fingers, never taking their eyes off the window.

They just wanted to see if snow would pile up on the ground—whether tomorrow they could touch snowflakes and build snowmen and have snowball fights like in their textbooks.

The grass in the courtyard was now faintly white; from just after five until now at ten, a thin layer of snow had accumulated.

"Mama, can we go out and bring back a bucket of snow? There's snow on the grass already," Ye Chenghu said eagerly.

Ye Ye Chengyang also pleaded, "Let us go out and get some snow—we'll come right back!"

"It's freezing outside, and it's almost time to sleep. Why go out? There's barely any snow. Wait until tomorrow morning when you wake up—you'll have more to collect then."

"We'll just go out for a little while…"

"I want to go too!" Ye Ye Xiaoxi shouted.

They had been begging to go out for a long time, but the temperature was low, it was still snowing, and crucially, there were two little ones—after dinner, all their cheeks and noses had turned red from the cold, so Lin Lin Xiuqing had kept a close eye on them and refused to let them go out into the wind.

"Don't go. It's too cold. Wait until tomorrow morning when more snow has piled up. What's the point of going out now?"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi tugged at her clothes, pouting, "Mama, just for a little while…"

"There's barely any snow at all…"

The children surrounded her, pleading, but she wouldn't budge—mainly because the snow on the grass was just a thin white dusting, far too little to make going out worthwhile.

This wasn't home—it was already several degrees below zero, and even inside they felt cold, let alone outside.

"Hmph, I'll go find Dad."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi scampered over to their card table.

"Dad~" she said, tugging on Ye Yaodong's arm and shaking it.

"What is it? Go ask your mom," he said, busy playing cards.

"I want to go outside and bring back some snow."

"Go go go…"

"Yay, great! Mama, Dad said yes! Dad said 'go go go!' Brother, come on…"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi happily went to find a bucket.

Lin Lin Xiuqing marched over, frowning. "Go where? It's still snowing outside, and it's freezing! There's barely any snow on the grass. It's time to sleep. If you bring snow in, how late will you be playing?"

"It's fine. We don't have school anyway. Sleep a little later, wake up a little later—we're not in a hurry."

"Some of them already have runny noses. If they catch a cold, it'll be a hassle—Lunar New Year's coming soon."

Ye Yaodong looked up at her. "Then you go out and get it for them. Or I'll go. Otherwise, they won't be able to sleep."

All four children glared at Lin Lin Xiuqing, protesting together.

"If you don't get it for us, I won't sleep."

"I won't sleep either!"

"Me neither!"

Lin Lin Xiuqing raised her hand, pretending to swing a slap at them.

Ye Ye Chengyang quickly ducked behind Ye Chenghu; Ye Ye Xiaoxi hurriedly hid behind him too; and Pei Yu, seeing this, also hid behind Ye Ye Xiaoxi…

Ye Chenghu: "???"

The four little ones lined up like a train, from tallest to shortest, and Ye Chenghu hadn't even realized he'd become the locomotive.

He stared dumbfounded at his mother's hovering hand, then at the line of kids clinging to him, frantically trying to dodge and pull at the hands behind him.

"What are you doing? Get off! Don't hide behind me!"

"No…"

As soon as Ye Chenghu moved, the three behind him swayed like a snake's tail.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi laughed, "Eagle catches chicks—Brother's the hen…"

"Chicken your head."

Lin Lin Xiuqing glared at them, then went to the kitchen and brought out a soup bowl.

"Mama…"

"Shut up and don't whine. I'll go get it for you. You stay put. When I bring the snow back, you go straight upstairs and sleep."

All four nodded vigorously, their agreement unusually synchronized.

Ye Ye Chengyang finally let go.

Now it was Ye Chenghu's turn to be pursued.

He dashed after Ye Ye Chengyang, who yelped and scrambled wildly around the room; Ye Ye Xiaoxi and Pei Yu laughed and chased after them too.

Laughter filled the house.

Lin Lin Xiuqing stepped outside and poked at the grass—there was hardly any. She looked around and finally spotted a little snow on the stone table, stone benches, and swing, and gathered it up.

The children were delighted with their small bowl of snow—they were satisfied, as this much was enough for each of them to roll one small snowball.

Now they were content, playing as they slowly headed back to their room—sleep was out of the question.

Only after they'd played enough and the snow melted would they finally be willing to sleep.

Lin Lin Xiuqing and Ye Yaodong had laid out sleeping mats on the floor, but Ye Yaodong hadn't come up yet, so she slept in the bed with Pei Yu and Ye Ye Xiaoxi.

After they finished playing cards, Ah Guang came over and carried the sleeping Pei Yu back to the room.

The couple no longer needed to sleep on the floor.

The next day, everyone slept until nearly noon. In winter, whether adult or child, everyone was a struggle to wake up—only Lin Lin Xiuqing rose earliest.

The children had already played in the snow last night, fulfilling a wish, so they didn't wake before dawn today to play in it again.

But they had another surprise waiting after they woke up—last night's snow had fallen all night and hadn't melted by noon; the moment they woke, they yanked open the curtains and burst into loud exclamations.

They rushed outside to play in the snow as soon as they dressed, leaving only Ye Yaodong still tightly bundled in his quilt.

Lin Lin Xiuqing urged him, "Hurry up, it's already noon—time to get up and eat. Also wake your friend; only Ah Guang's up already."

Ye Yaodong pulled the quilt tighter around himself. "Let me lie here a little longer."

Lin Lin Xiuqing left him for now and went to attend to the children who had run outside; some were playing and weren't hungry, so she waited until everyone was up before calling Ye Yaodong.

By the time the whole group headed out, it was already lunchtime.

The children worried the snow would melt by the time they returned, so they filled every bucket and large bowl at home with snow, planning to play with it that evening.

The First Department Store stood on the bustling Nanjing East Road Pedestrian Street and was one of the largest and most fully stocked state-run department stores in our country at the time.

The building retained the Art Deco style of the Da Xin Company from the 1930s, with a square, dignified exterior, beige walls accented by vertical lines, and a distinctive clock tower atop its roof.

Inside, it featured an open square-shaped layout, with a central atrium surrounded by vintage glass counters, wide and heavy staircases, and polished wooden handrails.

The aisles between counters were narrow, with goods densely displayed on glass cases or open shelves, and sales clerks often had stacks of unopened cardboard boxes behind them.

The floors were terrazzo or mosaic tile; in summer, ceiling fans provided ventilation, while in winter the space felt slightly chilly, and broadcasts looped promotional messages or light music.

Cash registers were clustered in the corners of each floor; customers had to first obtain a ticket, then queue to pay, and finally collect their goods using a stamped receipt—a cumbersome but orderly process.

The current environment of this department store represented the final glory of the planned economy.

Lin Lin Xiuqing, like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden, had already been awed by Shanghai's architecture during the car ride over.

When she reached the entrance of the First Department Store, she was even more astonished—and once inside, she was utterly dazzled.

The first floor featured scarce goods and domestic products: Shanghai-brand watches, Forever and Phoenix bicycles, Butterfly sewing machines, and more.

Some cosmetics counters displayed Ya Shuang, Bai Que Ling in iron tins, Snow Cream, and other items.

He had no shortage of watches, bicycles, sewing machines, or small appliances; the only major appliance missing was a refrigerator.

But they didn't need one now—they didn't live in Shanghai, so buying one would just sit idle; back home, there was no need to buy it here, and he worried about electrical load issues.

So as soon as they entered, he took one child in each hand, led Lin Lin Xiuqing toward the cosmetics section.

Bai Que Ling—a classic domestic brand that would stand firm for decades to come.

He had visited here several times before, each time wanting to buy something, but he thought: Lin Lin Xiuqing would be arriving soon—better to save it for her to choose herself.

Lin Lin Xiuqing now had money, plenty of it, and was willing to spend freely, especially since the items were cheap.

"Pick whatever you want—anything you don't have, buy it all and take it home."

Lin Lin Xiuqing smiled broadly. "I have plenty of things I don't have—how could I buy everything?"

"Buy whatever you like. A while back, my mother and the others came up and went on a shopping spree—everything they saw, they wanted to buy."

"I'll just pick a few things. Buying too much would be wasteful—I won't use it all."

"Wasteful? Give some to your mother, your two sisters-in-law, and your niece—each of them can have a set of Bai Que Ling."

"That's true…"

Lin Lin Xiuqing carefully selected around the counter, mentally counting heads: how many sets would she need?

She wasn't short on money now; this rare trip to Shanghai meant she absolutely had to bring gifts home for her family.

The others weren't interested in cosmetics; they'd already accompanied their wives, and now they were drawn to electronics and small appliances, so as soon as they entered, everyone split up to browse separately.

Occasionally, one could spot individuals in suits carrying briefcases, or trendy youths with curled hair testing mousse at the cosmetics counters.

Sales clerks sat behind counters, calculating bills with abacuses, growing impatient with customers who asked repeatedly.

Nearby, patrol officers in white uniforms and red armbands patrolled stairwells to prevent queue-jumping or theft—uh… and to prohibit insulting or assaulting customers…

Locals mostly wore gray-blue work uniforms or polyester shirts, carrying nylon mesh bags while carefully comparing price tags; out-of-town tourists carried backpacks printed with "Shanghai," jostling at counters to buy "Shanghai-made" goods.

While Lin Lin Xiuqing shopped, Ye Yaodong kept watch over the three children, glancing around and answering their endless questions.

Though the children grew impatient and eager to run and explore, they were kept tightly supervised—no one dared wander off, so they could only stare everywhere and urge Lin Lin Xiuqing on.

Lin Lin Xiuqing, pressured by their urging, didn't dare linger.

"Don't worry about them—just look at what you want. If you haven't seen everything carefully, that's fine—keep looking. I'll watch them, no problem. Otherwise, who knows when we'll come again?"

She nodded. "It's fine—I've just finished selecting. Even if I hadn't finished, I couldn't leave. This trip is rare—I must buy everything I wanted, and send gifts to relatives and friends."

"Alright, keep looking. This place has several floors—bigger and more fully stocked than our provincial capital's department store. You could spend all day and still not finish."

The second floor featured wool coats, down jackets, cold-weather garments, cashmere sweaters, and Hui Li shoes—all popular, along with a few imported items: a small number of Japanese electronic watches or Hong Kong-made folding umbrellas.

This was also their main focus.

Lin Lin Xiuqing stood transfixed before the beautiful coats and brightly colored down jackets.

"They're so beautiful—so many styles! We've never seen coats like these back home…"

Ye Yaodong spoke up. "These are cold-weather garments."

The outer layer is thick nylon fabric, preventing water and wind from seeping through—first prioritize windproofing, then warmth, using insulating films and polyester for insulation.

This style must have just become popular this year; they really hadn't seen anything like it back home. Shanghai truly lived up to its status as a major city—every trend arrived here first.

Lightweight and warm, nylon fabric could be dyed in vivid, bright colors.

Lin Lin Xiuqing touched the light, fluffy cold-weather garment, hesitating.

Ye Yaodong waved his hand. "Buy it. There are down jackets here too—get two for yourself, and two more for your mother and sisters-in-law."

"How much will that cost? These must be expensive…"

"What's to fear? Can't we afford them? Buy what you want—lots of it. We're leaving by boat in a few days anyway; no need to carry it yourself—it'll come along with us."

Ye Yaodong ran his hand over the down jacket, feeling the faint lumps inside, and when he held it to his nose, he caught a faint duck-feather scent.

These were called duck-down jackets, but the technology wasn't mature—they couldn't yet extract just the down as filling; the jackets were stuffed with whole duck feathers.

He then pointed to the wool coats over there. "Get yourself two of those too!"

Lin Lin Xiuqing gave him a reproachful look. "How many could I wear? You want me to buy two of these, two of those—I spend all day among seafood and fish—why wear anything so fancy?"

"Dress nicer, and you'll feel good too. Besides, the New Year is almost here—one outfit a day would be fine. You've worked hard all year, of course you should treat yourself a little."

"Too expensive. This woolen coat is the most expensive—one piece costs over a hundred."

"It's only a little over a hundred, what's there to fear? Buy it."

Wearing a woolen coat looks expensive and impressive, and everyone knows it's pricey. On the body it doesn't look bulky like a padded cold-proof jacket or a down jacket.

She was still wearing a cotton-padded jacket that was half-new, half-old. All year round, at most she'd make herself a new outfit only for weddings or the New Year; normally she only had two or three pieces to rotate through.

Ye Yaodong calling this one buy, that one buy—his generosity made her laugh outright.

"Go ahead and buy. If you don't, once we're back you'll keep nagging about it non-stop, you'll keep thinking about it."

Lin Lin Xiuqing said with a smile, "You even know that?"

"Of course! My mother was exactly like that a few days ago. She couldn't bear to buy it, I said I'd pay, and she still couldn't bear it. Then once we got back she nagged non-stop, drove me half mad. The next day she went back again, compared and compared, and only then bought two pieces."

"Hahaha, how do you know everything?"

"Buy it, buy it, hurry up and buy it."

If he bought it, he'd have peace of mind too—otherwise later he'd probably have to bring her back again to buy it.

"Too many…"

"You can wear them for several years, what's there to fear? When you don't want to wear them anymore, you can give them to my mother, or give them to your mother."

The husband and wife exchanged knowing looks—one aching at the cost, the other coaxing—and the three children watching them were speechless.

It was supposed to be taking them out to play, to wander, to shop, but in the end they just kept hovering around his mother, not letting them look around, so they could only follow along.

Ye Chenghu, tired of waiting, squatted down. "Dad, can you guys hurry up…"

"Tell your mother to hurry up and buy, once she buys we can go."

"Mom, hurry up and buy! Dad says he's paying, he doesn't want you to."

Lin Lin Xiuqing glared at him. "Your dad's money isn't my money?"

"He's the one paying, it doesn't have to come out of your pocket."

Ye Yaodong nodded. "Exactly. My money hasn't fallen into your pocket yet, you don't have to feel bad about it. Hurry up and buy, once you buy we can go check out the next stop."

"I don't know if they'll even let us try them on…"

"Just get the order written up and pay first, then try them on until you're happy."

Lin Lin Xiuqing was still feeling the pinch. If she bought two of each, it was too much. She agonized and agonized, hesitated and hesitated.

Ye Yaodong went straight to pay, sparing her the agonizing. Once the money was paid there was no refund, so she could only pick.

This way it could save some time too—otherwise for the ones she hadn't bought, later they might have to come back again.

Women—he still understood a little.

Both reluctant to spend and wanting to buy, agonizing and agonizing—until she got it in her hands she'd keep thinking about it.

Lin Lin Xiuqing knew he'd already paid, and her heart ached terribly.

"Mom, hurry up, we still want to go look at other things."

"Fine."

The second floor also had some sections with toys and ball sports equipment.

Only then were the three children satisfied, excitedly shrieking as they picked out what they liked.

The impatience from waiting earlier was soothed away.

"I'm carrying too much stuff in my hands, keep an eye on the kids."

"I know, I told you not to buy so much, but you just had to go pay right away."

Lin Lin Xiuqing was both happy and heart-aching, grumbling a couple of words out loud.

"We earned the money, when we should spend it we should spend it. Besides, what is this little bit of spending to us?"

Anyway, no one here could understand his dialect, so Ye Yaodong spoke without any reservations.

The third floor was the most crowded, because it was the home appliances section. "Big items" like Gold Star brand televisions, Double Deer refrigerators, washing machines, bedding, and so on were surrounded and queued up for by a crowd of locals.

Now that spending power had risen, those who could afford it would all arrange big items for the home as the New Year approached.

So much so that the third floor had the most people, and the line to buy was the longest, as if the things were free.

Too many people—they didn't linger on the third floor, and went straight on up to the top floor.

The top floor had a foreign exchange certificate counter, supplying imported chocolates, Marlboro cigarettes, and so on.

But they didn't have foreign exchange certificates; however, they could buy other things.

Because the New Year was approaching, there were also temporary counters set up here, piled high with malted milk powder, White Rabbit creamy candy, and other gift boxes, bundled with red string for sale.

This was the "luxury goods" palace of an era of material scarcity.

Lin Lin Xiuqing held back Ye Yaodong, who was itching to buy. "Don't buy yet, we have too much stuff in our hands, we won't be able to carry it all back. We're still going to be wandering around for several days anyway, other places should have them too—we'll buy them then."

Ye Yaodong's face was full of regret. "Are you sure you don't want to buy them all now?"

"We can't carry it all back, and there are three kids here too."

"Then forget it. Tomorrow I'll take you to a different place to browse, they'll have them too."

"Looks like you're getting addicted to shopping."

"I'm addicted to pulling out my wallet—spending money hand over fist feels too good!"

Lin Lin Xiuqing laughed and shook her head. "Isn't there a basement level one?"

"Basement level one sells enamel washbasins, thermoses, and other daily necessities. Want to browse?"

"Then forget it, there are plenty of shops back home, no need to haul them all this way. If we're going to buy, buy things they don't have back home."

"Mm, carrying all this stuff isn't easy to browse either. Anyway, we'll keep wandering around from here on out, we'll buy later."

"What about the others?"

"Don't worry about them. Once we're done buying we'll go downstairs and wait first. Those bachelors will definitely finish browsing faster than us."

?? My brain's turned to mush from writing, I'll write a bit more tomorrow

? (End of chapter)