The car sped towards the provincial city, with the first car driven by Xiao Zhou, carrying Mr. Lin, Lin Lishan, Zhang Guoqing, and Xi Zi.
At this moment, Xi Zi put on a serious face, feigning calmness. Apart from his curious eyes darting around, his whole small body was tense. Zhang Guoqing glanced at him amusingly and didn’t point it out, figuring that in a little while, as time passed, his nervousness would relax. A child who can be aware of their demeanor is truly growing up. Criticizing him in front of others would damage his self-esteem.
Xiao Zhou, driving the car, looked in the rearview mirror and advised, "Sir, please rest for a while; it will take more than two hours to reach the provincial city without entering the county town."
"Hmm, you just focus on driving and be safe. We’re not in a hurry."
The cars didn’t stop along the way and drove directly to the provincial military district guesthouse. As they got out and went inside, before Xiao Zhou could arrange the rooms, several soldiers came from afar, already informed of Mr. Lin’s arrival, to escort him and the others upstairs to their room.
After everyone entered the room, Lin Lishan, impatient with their small talk, noticed the time was still early. She quietly told Mr. Lin that she wanted to take the child out for a walk. Having received permission, she quickly left with Xi Zi.
After exiting the guesthouse lobby, Lin Lishan held Xi Zi’s small hand, got in the car, and drove towards the provincial city. Along the way, she asked two pedestrians and easily found Friendship Mall.
The provincial Friendship Mall just planned its opening at the end of last year, supplying only overseas Chinese or those with overseas remittance coupons for entry. It’s said that the variety of goods inside is abundant, and the three-story building is very noticeable among provincial city architecture. No wonder people pointed it out easily when asked.
Lin Lishan parked the car and walked with Xi Zi towards the mall entrance. Two security personnel stood at the spacious entrance, gently reminding them that those not of overseas Chinese origin or without remittance coupons cannot enter.
Lin Lishan, having shopped at the Friendship Mall in Beijing, knew this rule. She casually showed the remittance coupon and walked straight in. The items here were indeed more exquisite than at the supply and marketing cooperative, with much more variety, and the service attitude was significantly better.
Lin Lishan softly asked Xi Zi for his opinion, "Shall we start looking from the first floor? You pick what you like, and Grandma will buy it for you. You can also see what younger siblings might like."
Xi Zi, with wide eyes, curiously observed the many products around. He shook his head at her words, "Grandma, you buy what you want. I’m just here to learn and didn’t plan on buying anything. You go ahead and look, I won’t wander off."
Lin Lishan patted his head, holding his small hand, aware that the Zhang family took great care in educating their children. She didn’t ask further, planning to check out all three floors of products first.
The spacious first floor was entirely dedicated to selling auxiliary foods and some fine grains. The counters formed a loop, circling around just right for a complete view.
In the auxiliary food section, rows of glass counters displayed various colors and shapes of hard and soft candies, colorfully arranged in glass jars.
There were also pastries with regular and exquisite packaging, gift boxes wrapped in red paper neatly placed inside the counters, with prices carefully labeled on each one.
The two rows of counters against the wall at the innermost part displayed bagged and canned milk powders, both domestic and imported. There were also some canned malt extract and canned brown sugar.
Not far from the staircase to the second floor, there was a long counter with foreign goods opposite. Some foreign baguettes and black bread, in various forms, were placed in bamboo baskets. The right side of the counter had high shelves displaying a variety of flavored chocolates. The assortment was quite complete. From Lin Lishan’s perspective, it imitated foreign displays.
After making a round, Lin Lishan had a general sense of it. Friendship Malls in various provinces were similar, prioritizing supplies to overseas Chinese, earning foreign exchange. Such a setup was very advanced. Thinking of the grand hotels in SH, and recalling meals costing half a month’s wage of an average worker, it wasn’t surprising to see such displays here. The disparity between rich and poor has existed since ancient times. The purge only targeted notable capitalists and landlords, while many hidden wealthy figures remained.
Just like overseas Chinese, possessing vast assets abroad, while consumption levels at home were very low — these individuals were hidden millionaires. Nowadays, having a relative who is an overseas Chinese means a household doesn’t lack money or supplies, far surpassing the standard of living of residents reliant on rationed supplies. Thinking that most overseas Chinese escaped with domestic assets during national hardships, and now with the country’s stability, they are given preferential treatment upon return, Lin Lishan felt a deep sense of disdain.