Chapter 15 Department Store

This was the first time He Caiwei had ridden on a bus that moved so slowly.

This bus doesn't go very fast, and it has windows but no glass. There's also a balcony-like area at the very back of the bus.

The vehicle was very long, even longer than a regular bus today. If it were connected to power lines, it would resemble an old-style tram in Shanghai.

This bus runs from the outskirts of the city to the city center, so it carries elderly people, children, chickens, ducks, and geese, and the food is, needless to say, delicious.

He Yuping, holding her daughter, chose a spot furthest from the chickens, ducks, and geese to sit down. The mother and daughter looked at the scenery outside the street and felt the air of freedom.

The bus took half an hour to reach Pingcheng Department Store. He Caiwei was like a country bumpkin visiting the Grand View Garden, looking at the tall department store with great curiosity.

This department store has three floors. The first floor sells vegetables, meat, eggs, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. Because the place is spacious, each counter occupies a large area.

The second floor was where the candy, snacks, and daily necessities were located: White Rabbit milk candy, chocolate, milk powder, and malted milk powder. He Caiwei suddenly noticed something strange; it looked like a baby bottle, but its nipple was flat and a slightly yellowish color.

The baby bottle was made of glass, and it had the words "Peace Dove" and a red peace dove printed on it. This wasn't the era of ration coupons; you could buy whatever you wanted as long as you had money.

They had just seen someone selling bamboo baskets downstairs, so they bought one large and one small. Now the mother and daughter were each carrying a basket, strolling leisurely down the stairs. They planned to start their shopping from the third floor.

The third floor sells clothing, shoes, socks, cosmetics, bicycles, sewing machines, radios, and watches—all luxuries for that era. Several counters also sell health supplements such as ginseng, bird's nest, deer antler, and snow frog oil.

He Caiwei was pleasantly surprised to find that the medicinal herbs she had found in her scumbag father's secret room were all available here, and at a much higher price.

Just like these bird's nests, simply ten pieces arranged in an exquisite box, lined with a piece of fine-looking silk. This one box alone costs one hundred and sixty silver dollars, which is almost the price of a large courtyard.

He Yuping bought a wool coat in her own size, and when she saw the same style, she bought one for her daughter as well. She also bought a pair of small leather shoes, two pairs of thin socks, two towels, two water cups with lids, toothpaste and toothbrush, and an enamel basin for each of them. In no time, she filled both baskets.

There was no other way. When they went downstairs to buy oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, they bought a basket. When the mother and daughter finally got home, they realized they had forgotten to buy rice and flour, so they couldn't eat anymore.

"Oh, never mind, let's rest for a while, change our clothes, and eat out. I'll take you to Mingqulou later. The head chef there is excellent. It used to be a Qu family business, but it was later handed over to the government. I don't know if it's still the same chef. He was a descendant of the imperial chef whom Old Master Qu hired at great expense. His cooking skills are superb, especially his dim sum and soup dishes." He Yuping suddenly missed that taste.

"Descendants of the Imperial Chefs? I've never eaten there before, I have to try it." In her previous life, she had heard that many restaurants claiming to be descendants of the Imperial Chefs were really expensive, and with her orphan's spending habits, she couldn't even afford the seating fee.

Now that she has the opportunity to taste the food made by the descendants of a real imperial chef, she certainly won't miss it.

Because she was going to a restaurant, He Yuping changed her clothes again, but the same thing happened on her face, making it impossible to recognize her original appearance.

This time she looked like a wealthy lady, wearing one of the elegant dresses her daughter had packed for her from the Qu family, and carrying a small white handbag with one of them.

He Caiwei was also given a makeover and transformed back into that exquisite and beautiful little princess. At that moment, He Caiwei felt that if her mother lived in modern times, she would definitely be a high-end makeup artist. She could create any kind of makeup look, and she was even using the same makeup kits that she had originally taken from her dressing table. It was simply amazing.

The mother and daughter had just stepped out of the door and onto the street when a rickshaw pulled up and asked them where they were going and if they needed a ride.

"To Mingqu Restaurant," He Yuping said, and then led He Caiwei into the rickshaw. It was He Caiwei's first time riding in a rickshaw, and she found it very novel.

It was quite a distance from where they were staying to Mingqu Tower, and it took them about 40 minutes by rickshaw to get there.

He Caiwei saw her mother take a silver dollar from a small white bag and give it directly to the rickshaw driver. The driver seemed to be asking for change, but her mother pulled her inside and didn't wait for the driver to give her change.

"Hello, madam, how many people are in your party? Do you have a reservation?" The waitress, dressed in a light blue cheongsam, was very elegant and had excellent service.

"We don't have a reservation. It's just the two of us, mother and daughter. Just find us a quiet place." After saying that, He Yuping took He Caiwei's hand and followed the waiter.

The clattering sound of high heels contrasted sharply with the quiet restaurant lobby.

The main hall had more than twenty tables, all of which were now full. A waiter led the mother and daughter to a small private room, the smallest in the restaurant, just the right size for them to eat.

"Weiwei, what would you like to eat? The chefs here make excellent cabbage in broth, and the pigeon soup is also very good. Waiter, is the same head chef still cooking?" He Yuping suddenly remembered this question while ordering.

"Yes, Madam, it's still Chef Gao. I guarantee it will taste just as good. Please feel free to order." As soon as the waiter heard the lady's question, he immediately knew she was a regular customer, otherwise he wouldn't have asked that question.

The chef was the same one, but the restaurant owner had changed. However, this didn't affect their wages, so they didn't bother to inquire further.

"Alright, one serving of cabbage in broth, one serving of pigeon soup, two bowls of green rice, one serving of braised pork, two servings of osmanthus cake, one baked cake, two puddings, one roast chicken, and one roast pigeon. You can order the takeout later. Bring the food out first." He Yuping was relieved to hear that it was the same chef.

The thought of cooking dinner made her feel a little listless. She had been busy all day and didn't want to cook, so she packed up the leftovers for dinner. The mother and daughter finished all the packed food, so they didn't need to cook dinner and could eat their fill.

"Yes, madam, please wait a moment. The food will be served shortly." The waiter bowed and then left.

The food served in restaurants like this is quite small. A serving of pigeon soup is just two small, delicate bowls, and two bowls of pecan rice. That's just two small bowls of rice, which adds up to less than two ounces of rice.

Two dishes, a soup, and two bowls of rice were enough to satisfy the mother and daughter. After the food was packed up, He Caiwei realized that the meal, including the food they packed, had cost them eight silver dollars. It was quite expensive; ten meals like that would cost the price of a small courtyard house.