Chapter 26: Buying a Car and Tailoring Clothes

The spring breeze was mild and the scenery bright; the sun shone brilliantly.

Compared to previous days, the temperature in the capital had warmed up quite a bit, as spring was finally approaching. In the afternoon, the Dengshikou Primary School was exceptionally quiet and serene, and the sunlight felt warm as it fell upon Cheng Kaiyan. Standing by the office window, which was decorated with celadon flower pots, Cheng Kaiyan looked out.

A cold wind whistling from the north of the city brushed through the dense grove on campus, sending yellowing maple leaves drifting across the grounds. The Western-style architecture of the teaching and office buildings, bathed in a mixture of dappled sunlight and tree shadows, exuded the quaint atmosphere of a century-old history. Dengshikou Primary School was a renowned establishment in Beijing with a hundred-year heritage, designated as a key primary school in the city shortly after the founding of the People's Republic. Founded in 1864 by the American Congregational Church and originally named the "Yuying" School (an all-boys institution), it enjoyed a high reputation in the capital and was the preferred choice for the children of officials and merchants. In 1952, it was nationalized and became a public school, with its primary division renamed Dengshikou Primary School.

For the students, it was a fine school; for the teachers, it was a good place to work. At the very least, there was no need to worry about the massive layoffs that would come over a decade later.

Inside the office, Xu Yuxiu held her chopsticks and ate her boxed lunch with gentle, measured movements. Her habit of chewing slowly and carefully was something Cheng Kaiyan often observed in his mother. Her unhurried, impeccable grace and gentleness could not be summarized simply as "well-bred." It was clearly the result of receiving the finest etiquette education from a young age. Cheng Kaiyan suddenly felt curious about his maternal family. In his memories, Xu Yuxiu had always taught him by example since he was a child, but she had never spoken much about her own family. Her words were always fragmentary, and he could sense a deliberate concealment in her tone. After all, a five-thousand-yuan piano was not something an average family could afford.

"What are you thinking about?"

Xu Yuxiu used a white handkerchief to meticulously wipe her mouth, and as she tilted her head, she caught her son staring at her in a daze.

"Nothing. If you're finished, let's go home," Cheng Kaiyan shook his head.

"No."

"???"

"We're going to buy a bicycle first. I don't feel like walking back... take these."

His mother stood up and began packing her things. As a teacher, there wasn't much to bring home daily—mostly lesson plans and notebooks. As for the lunchbox, briefcase, and coats, she left them all for Cheng Kaiyan to carry.

The two walked one after the other along the school streets, heading toward the Wangfujing Department Store. Cheng Kaiyan looked around as he followed. Although he had been reborn for several months, he had not yet carefully observed the streets of the capital. Walking through the streets and alleys with his mother, the glaring sunlight, the fragmented tree shadows, the oil-stained manhole covers, the asphalt roads, and the signs on either side of the street gave Cheng Kaiyan a sense of familiarity, as if he were strolling through a city from his later life. Yet, the gray cement houses and cement roads were filled with the unique temperament of this era.

"The New Year is almost here. I was thinking of making a few sets of clothes for the two of us to wear for the holiday, so we can look decent when we go to pay our New Year calls. What do you think?" his mother's gentle voice drifted from ahead.

"That sounds fine. Let's go look after we buy the bike," Cheng Kaiyan replied. For the past few days, he had been wearing a military overcoat because most of the clothes in his closet were sized for a fifteen or sixteen-year-old, and he was now six feet tall. It wasn't that he couldn't wear them, but they left his ankles and wrists exposed, being short at both ends. No one had ever accompanied him shopping or bought him clothes before. Consequently, Cheng Kaiyan had mastered some tailoring skills himself; making a pair of trousers or a jacket was no challenge. As for more complex items like dresses, he had made those too and even sold them online. To survive, an orphan had to pick up various life skills—except for cooking.

Dengshikou was not far from Wangfujing, and they arrived in about ten minutes. Since it was New Year's Day, the midday crowd was quite large. At a glance, numerous time-honored shops were packed along the street. The People's Bank of China on the north side of Wangfujing provided savings services to citizens even on Sundays. At the gate of the People's Daily, the central authoritative media outlet, there were soldiers standing guard with rifles. Cheng Kaiyan remembered visiting the Lisheng Sports Store as a child; they sold hunting rifles—Squirrel-brand single-barreled shotguns for 198 yuan. The Tongshenghe shoe store was where many officials had their footwear custom-made. The Wangfujing Engraving Service Department attracted not only common folk but many Japanese customers as well; at that time, almost everyone had a personal seal. Whether for work or sending letters, one could simply press the seal, and it carried the same legal weight as a signature. The Beijing Art Gallery sold works by famous masters like Qi Baishi, Wu Zuoren, and Huang Binhong. In the future, any one of those pieces would be worth millions. Traditional Chinese painting was inexpensive at this time; that very year, an oil painting titled "Father" would be created, and this piece of realist art would sell for just over two hundred yuan. Oil paintings were valuable, even more profitable than writing novels.

"Luo Lizhong? He's at university in Sichuan. What a pity I can't buy it!"

Mother and son arrived at the Department Store to buy a bicycle. The sign at the top of the building read "Beijing Department Store" in large red letters. It was a new facility built after the founding of the People's Republic. The first floor sold daily necessities and household appliances; the second floor featured leather shoes, hats, and stationery; the third floor housed fabrics and ready-to-wear clothing.

"Comrade shop assistant, may I ask if you still have any bicycles?" Xu Yuxiu entered the bicycle sales department. Several young couples were there testing out bikes. Many people were getting married for the New Year, and since the bicycle was one of the "three major items" for a wedding, many girls made it a condition of marriage—no bike, no wedding.

"Do you have a coupon? If you don't have a coupon, move along," the female shop assistant squinted at them, looking impatient.

"Why would I be here if I didn't?" Xu Yuxiu crossed her arms, frowning.

The shop assistant, who had been ready to snap at them, took a closer look and spotted the young man in the military uniform standing behind Xu Yuxiu. They were clearly together. She was instantly startled. Good heavens! He must be over six feet tall! If he were to throw a punch... *Hiss!*

Thinking of this, the shop assistant hurriedly put on a smile. "You should have said so earlier! Come, come, which brand do you want? We can handle the registration and license plates right here."

"The Forever brand."

Xu Yuxiu took out a dozen ten-yuan bills from her purse, along with a folded bicycle coupon. The process of buying the bike, getting it registered, and obtaining the license took less than half an hour. In the middle of it, a pair of newlyweds approached them stealthily and asked, "Comrade, do you have any extra coupons? You know how hard they are to get... If you're willing, you can sell me the coupon for ten yuan."

"No, no. Go ask someone else," Cheng Kaiyan said, shaking his head as he pushed the bike. He was joking—ten yuan? People would pay twenty for one.

After leaving the department store, Cheng Kaiyan felt like he was riding on the wind. They stopped at a tailor shop to order two new outfits for the New Year and bought two bolts of cloth to make clothes at home.

*Ring-ring!*

The sound of the bell echoed through the alleyway, and with a gust of wind, they entered the courtyard.

"Oh! Yuxiu, you bought a bicycle? It's so shiny, it must be brand new, right?" Wang Cuihua, with her booming voice, hurried over.

Old Lady Zhao, who was eating in the kitchen, heard this too. She squatted on the red bricks of the kitchen floor, gnawing on a steamed bun and rice porridge, watching them with envy and jealousy. Zhao Ruixue also looked on with envy; if she had a bicycle, she could go home every day. She turned and asked, "Mom, when are we going to buy a bicycle? Didn't I give you all my subsidies? Must be nearly a hundred by now, right?"

Old Lady Zhao remained silent, keeping her head down as she ate. Finally, she muttered, "What's so great about that? Isn't it just a bicycle? Cheng Kaiyan doesn't even have a job, what use does he have for a bike?"

Zhao Ruixue shook her head, thinking it best not to mention that Cheng Kaiyan was working as a teaching assistant at Beijing Normal University, lest she irritate her mother into an illness. Unaccountably, Zhao Ruixue suddenly thought of something Song Jianchun had said a few days ago... She sighed, "Time and fate..."