After leaving the department store, the two went to other places.
Shanghai was indeed a bustling metropolis. There were department stores selling everything from food to fashion, and even shops for yarn, medicine, and more. You name it, they had it, as long as you had the money and the coupons.
"Third Sister-in-law, look!"
As they walked, Gu Xingping suddenly tugged on Chen Lishu's sleeve and gestured for her to look to the right.
Chen Lishu followed her gaze, and her eyes lit up when she saw the words "Women's Supplies Store."
"Let's go in and take a look," she said, pulling Gu Xingping inside.
However, their expectations were met with disappointment.
Chen Lishu had come specifically for undergarments. To her dismay, the counter selling bras was less than four meters long, displaying only a few styles that were crudely made and stiffly designed, mimicking Soviet-style brassieres. Chen Lishu felt her own homemade ones were better.
But what she disdained, Gu Xingping admired.
At sixteen or seventeen, she was at an age of budding curiosity and shyness. She longed for such items but was too bashful to look directly.
"Third Sister-in-law, do you think I should buy one?" Gu Xingping whispered into Chen Lishu's ear after stealing several glances.
She had only ever worn homemade undershirts. In hot weather, when clothes were thin and might reveal too much, she used to bind her chest with cloth strips, which was stuffy and uncomfortable.
"Do you want to buy one?" Chen Lishu asked.
Gu Xingping nodded. "I don't know which one to choose."
Chen Lishu smiled and led her to the counter. She carefully examined the few styles on display, then picked one that seemed to be the right size. "Comrade, please let me see this one," she said to the saleswoman.
"Is it this one?" The saleswoman, as instructed, took down the bra Chen Lishu pointed to.
The moment Chen Lishu held it up to Gu Xingping's chest, the latter flinched like a startled rabbit, jumping away with her face flushed crimson. "Third, Third Sister-in-law, what are you doing?"
Chen Lishu was both amused and exasperated. "How will you know the right size if you don't try it on?"
"There are so many people here." She felt terribly embarrassed.
"We're all women, no need to be shy. Besides, you'd still be wearing your clothes," Chen Lishu said gently. "Once you try this on and know your size, you'll know which one to buy next time you see them."
Gu Xingping, hearing her words, forced herself to nod in agreement, suppressing her shyness.
After choosing for Gu Xingping, Chen Lishu thought of her younger sisters at home, especially Chen Liyuan, who was fifteen and also entering puberty. She picked a bra one size smaller than Gu Xingping's, keeping her sister's measurements in mind.
Not long after leaving the undergarment store, they spotted a crowd gathered in front of another shop.
Curiosity piqued, Chen Lishu and Gu Xingping quickened their pace. Upon inquiry, they learned that the place everyone was queuing for was a second-hand shop.
"Young lady, your accent suggests you're not from around here, are you?"
Seeing Chen Lishu nod, an elder aunt kindly explained, "Don't let the name fool you. This isn't just for used goods. They also have various clearance items. They're practical, affordable, and most importantly, they don't require coupons."
Chen Lishu and Gu Xingping found her explanation quite appealing. Since they had come all this way, they joined the queue despite the crowd.
Though the second-hand shop wasn't large, it offered a good variety of items. Besides collected used clothing, there were many household goods, mostly factory seconds.
Because coupons weren't needed, Chen Lishu bought a bath towel and a nicely woven sleeping mat. Gu Xingping also found two small items, and the two left the shop contentedly.
Their haul for the day was quite substantial. As they were preparing to take a bus back to the guesthouse, Chen Lishu noticed a Overseas Chinese Store not far ahead.
At that time, Overseas Chinese Stores were not yet open to the public. There were guards at the entrance, and only those with侨汇卡 (Qiaohui cards – remittance cards) were allowed entry.
Chen Lishu had never been inside before due to poor conditions in the past. Now that she saw it, she couldn't help but cast more than a few glances inside. Through the large glass display window, she saw an abundance of rare goods that were unavailable elsewhere.
"Comrade, do you need remittance coupons? I have a remittance card. If you're interested, we can discuss it further over there."
As Chen Lishu was looking, a man suddenly appeared from the side and approached them, whispering. Chen Lishu and Gu Xingping exchanged glances, then followed the man into a nearby alley.
"Remittance coupons and RMB are exchanged at a fixed rate. I can lend you my remittance card. If you find any goods you like, you can find me to exchange for remittance coupons. If you don't find anything suitable, you can rent the card; it's twenty cents for half an hour."
Upon hearing the man's proposal, Chen Lishu couldn't help but admire his business acumen. Finding his offer reasonable, she agreed.
With the remittance card in hand, Chen Lishu and Gu Xingping entered the Overseas Chinese Store together. The store had four floors, each selling different items, with each category sectioned off separately: a food section, a daily necessities section, a clothing section, and so on.
After browsing, the aunt and niece stopped in front of the shoe counter. Though small, the counter displayed many shoe styles unseen elsewhere. Chen Lishu fancied a pair of blue leather sandals with thin straps and wedge heels. Gu Xingping also chose a pair of black Mary Jane shoes. Neither pair was cheap, costing over forty yuan.
Chen Lishu then spotted a Plum Blossom brand all-steel mechanical men's watch in the watch section. Gu Xingdong's current watch was severely worn due to his work, and it was time for a replacement. However, upon inquiring about the price, she learned it cost over three hundred yuan. Still, seeing it as a rare opportunity, Chen Lishu decided to buy it along with the shoes.
Soon after, they went out to exchange remittance coupons with the man and then returned to purchase the shoes and the watch. Since they had too many items and were traveling to Beijing, they packed everything and had it mailed directly to Gu Xingdong for convenience.
After mailing the items, Chen Lishu called Gu Xingdong to inform him. Satisfied, the two returned to the guesthouse.
After dinner and a night's rest, the aunt and niece bought tickets the next day and set off for Beijing.
They stayed in Beijing for three more days. On the morning of the fourth day, they prepared to pack their belongings and buy tickets to return home. While checking out, the guesthouse receptionist was chatting with another woman, both knitting sweaters.
"Hey, did you hear? Guo Jiaping from our alley has been rehabilitated and is now planning to sell his house."
"Sell his house? Are they moving?"
"Don't you remember they used to live in a prince's mansion? Someone else has occupied that place now. To compensate them, the authorities allocated them a courtyard house in another location. With the children needing to get married and the younger ones needing to study, they need money, so they plan to sell the house they were allocated."
"That's a siheyuan (courtyard house), it probably won't be cheap, will it?"
"Exactly. I heard they're asking for five thousand yuan just for the house itself. People like us can only dream of affording it."
Chen Lishu overheard their conversation, and her mind began to wander.