60s: I have a store

Chapter 622 Practice
At this moment, Wangfujing may not have the dazzling lights of later generations, nor the rows of high-end brand stores, nor the glittering light reflected from glass curtain walls, but it possesses a unique liveliness and authenticity belonging to this era.

The gray-blue brick houses lined the street, with red-painted signs on the wooden doors.

State-run grocery stores

Xinhua Bookstore

Watch repair shop

The lettering is clearly visible.

Occasionally, vendors push flatbed carts along the roadside, piled high with bright red candied hawthorns or freshly roasted chestnuts, their sweet aroma mingling with the lively atmosphere of the marketplace.

"Look at that shop's glass display case, they have some newly arrived Dacron fabric." Zhou Yimin pointed to a fabric shop on the street corner, where several aunties were picking out fabrics, and the salesperson was gesturing with a ruler.

Zhang Yan looked in the direction he pointed, her eyes sparkling: "That light blue one is really pretty, it would definitely make your skin look fairer if it were made into a shirt."

The two chatted as they walked, talking about everything from the street vendors' calls to interesting things at school. Occasionally, a bicycle would jingle as it passed by, creating a gust of wind that made Zhang Yan's braids sway gently.

As Zhang Yan passed by a stationery store, she was drawn to the Hero brand fountain pen in the window. She stood there for a while and whispered, "Our class monitor has one like this. It writes so smoothly."

Zhou Yimin kept it in mind and smiled as he pulled her forward, saying, "There are even more fun things ahead."

Not far away, a three-story department store suddenly appeared before our eyes.

The beige exterior walls are clean and tidy, and above the main entrance hangs a wooden sign that reads "Wangfujing Department Store," with large red characters that are particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.

People came and went in a constant stream, and customers carrying net bags or cloth bags all had satisfied smiles on their faces.

“This is the largest department store in Wangfujing,” Zhou Yimin said, stopping in his tracks and turning to Zhang Yan.

"This place has the most complete selection of goods in Beijing, from small items like needles and thread to large items like bicycles and sewing machines. You can find almost anything you want to buy here."

Zhang Yan looked up at the department store, her eyes widening at the brand-new bicycles, neatly folded clothes, and gleaming aluminum lunchboxes displayed in the glass windows.

"Shall we go in and take a look?" She tugged at Zhou Yimin's sleeve, her voice full of anticipation.

Zhou Yimin smiled and nodded, raising his hand to tidy her bangs that had been ruffled by the wind: "Come on, let's go inside and pick something out for you."

Zhang Yan didn't think much of it, treating it as just a casual stroll, and skipped along with him towards the gate.

As soon as I stepped into the department store, a warm and cozy atmosphere enveloped me, a blend of the scents of face cream and fabric. The crisp voice of a salesperson greeted me: "Comrade, what would you like to buy?"

"The enamel mugs here are the newest styles that just arrived!" The lively and welcoming atmosphere made her instantly forget the heartache she felt at Donglaishun earlier, and her heart was filled with the joy of shopping in a department store.

Zhou Yimin led Zhang Yan on a leisurely stroll through the market. The shelves were filled with all sorts of goods, from daily necessities to knitwear, from hardware and electrical appliances to children's toys—everything was available.

Although it wasn't Zhang Yan's first time visiting a department store, the dazzling array of goods still overwhelmed her. She would point at the brightly colored fabrics and marvel at them, and then stare at the toys in the glass display case in a daze, slowing her pace considerably.

Seeing her curious expression, Zhou Yimin smiled and patiently watched with her without urging her.

After browsing for a while, he remembered the purpose of his visit, but instead of heading directly to the bicycle section, he led Zhang Yan to the clothing section.

"Brother Yimin, what are we doing here?" Zhang Yan asked, puzzled.

"Pick an outfit for you, your uncle and aunt, and Zhang Lu each," Zhou Yimin said with a smile.

Zhang Yan was taken aback for a moment, then quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need, I have plenty of clothes, no need to buy new ones."

“Listen to me, look at this outfit you’re wearing. It looks like you’ve worn it for a long time. It’s time to get some new clothes.” Zhou Yimin said, walking over to the rack of ready-made clothes.

Zhang Yan looked at the clothes she was wearing and realized that she couldn't go against Zhou Yimin's wishes, so she had no choice but to follow him to the clothing store.

The sales clerks here wore uniform blue uniforms, and when they saw them coming, they immediately showed a warm smile, unlike the sales clerks in the supply and marketing cooperative, who were extremely arrogant and made people feel like they owed them a fortune.

"Comrade, what would you like to see? We just received a batch of new autumn clothes, some suitable for young girls and some for older people," a slightly older female sales clerk approached and asked in a friendly tone.

Zhou Yimin nodded: "We want to pick out a few outfits for our family members, can you give us some recommendations?"

"Okay, look at this blue khaki top. It's thick and durable, perfect for the elders in the family. And this floral dress, the colors are bright and the style is trendy. It would look great on a young girl." The saleswoman said as she skillfully took down the clothes and handed them to them for a closer look, her attitude very attentive.

Seeing the sales clerk's enthusiasm, Zhang Yan's initial nervousness dissipated, and she began to carefully select items with Zhou Yimin.

The saleswoman handed me a floral dress with a light pink base, adorned with tiny white daisies, and a light purple trim around the neckline.

Zhang Yan reached out and touched it; the fabric was soft cotton thread and felt warm against her skin.

She compared herself to the full-length mirror next to the shelf. The hem of the skirt was just past her knees, the perfect length. In the mirror, her cheeks were slightly flushed and her eyes were bright.

"This one looks good," Zhou Yimin said sincerely, looking at it from the side.

Zhang Yan smiled, her fingers gently pinching the hem of her skirt, and whispered, "This one will do."

Her voice carried a hint of embarrassment, but couldn't hide her joy.

After choosing her own clothes, she turned around and began to carefully select clothes for her family.

His gaze swept across the shelf and landed on a dark gray Zhongshan suit. He reached out, took it down, and examined it: "This one would suit my dad. He wears it to work; it's durable and formal."

Zhang Yan remembered that Zhang Jianshe always wore that old, faded Zhongshan suit, with frayed edges on the cuffs.

The saleswoman leaned over and said, "Young lady, you have a good eye for fashion. This Zhongshan suit is made of twill fabric, which is crisp and durable. Many experienced tailors love to wear it."

Zhang Yan nodded, then wandered around the women's clothing section and picked out a navy blue khaki jacket with simple auspicious patterns embroidered on the lapel: "My mom likes simple colors, she'll definitely like this one, and it'll be convenient to wear over a cotton-padded coat in winter."

She remembered that Aunt Zhang always said that navy blue makes one look healthier, and that the cuffs of that old jacket at home had been patched twice.

Finally, she picked up a light yellow cotton-padded jacket with a soft camel hair lining: "Zhang Lu has been saying she wants a new cotton-padded jacket for a long time. This color is bright, and she will definitely look good in it."

There was a red button sewn on the cotton-padded jacket, like a little cherry. She imagined Zhang Lu jumping around in it and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Is everything ready?" Zhou Yimin asked.

Zhang Yan counted the clothes in her arms and nodded emphatically: "Yes, I have clothes for Dad, Mom, and Zhang Lu."

The sales clerk deftly folded the clothes, wrapped them in brown paper, and tied them with hemp rope: "It's fourteen yuan and eighty cents in total, plus five feet of cloth coupons."

Zhou Yimin took out the money and handed it over, while Zhang Yan muttered to herself, "Actually, you don't need to buy such good stuff..." Carrying the bundled clothes, the two turned and left the clothing section.

Zhou Yimin walked straight towards the other side of the department store, where bicycles were displayed, which was his most important purpose for coming out today.

Zhang Yan was pulled forward by him. Looking at the bicycles displayed around them, she wondered to herself and asked in a low voice, "Brother Yimin, what are we doing here?"

Zhou Yimin turned his head, a gentle smile on his face, and explained in a light tone, "I'll buy you a bicycle."

"What?" Zhang Yan stopped abruptly, shaking her head as if her tail had been stepped on.

"Brother Yimin, no! This won't do! The bicycle is too valuable, I can't accept it."

She could barely accept the clothes, but the bicycle was different. She knew in her heart that a bicycle would cost at least one or two hundred yuan, which was equivalent to almost a year's salary for an ordinary worker.

If she really accepted it, not only would her parents say something to her, but she herself would feel guilty.

Zhou Yimin stopped and looked at her flushed face, patiently advising, "It's alright, just keep it. It's so inconvenient for you to take the bus to and from school; having a bicycle will save you a lot of trouble."

“That won’t do either,” Zhang Yan said firmly, pushing the bag of clothes in her hand toward Zhou Yimin.

"This has already cost you a lot of money, you really can't keep the bicycle."

Without waiting for a reply, Zhou Yimin grabbed her wrist again, his grip light but firm: "Don't think too much, just take a look and see which one you like."

After saying that, he pulled her to the bicycle sales area.

Several bicycles were neatly arranged on the shelf, including dark green Forever brand bicycles and black Flying Pigeon brand bicycles, their frames gleaming under the lights.

When the salesperson saw them coming, he greeted them warmly: "Comrades, are you looking to buy a bicycle? All the ones here are brand names, and the quality is absolutely top-notch."

Looking into Zhou Yimin's determined eyes, Zhang Yan knew she couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she blushed and slowly walked to the bicycles to choose one.

Zhou Yimin smiled and said, "Take your time, pick one you like, after all, you'll be riding it every day from now on."

Zhang Yan's gaze moved back and forth between several bicycles, her fingers lightly brushing over the seats and handlebars.

I originally wanted to pick a 28-inch bike, but Zhou Yimin scolded me: "Why pick a 28-inch one? A 26-inch bike is fine for a girl."

Hearing Zhou Yimin's "domineering" words, Zhang Lu felt a warmth in her heart.

The saleswoman listened with envy in her eyes. She had seen many couples buying bicycles, most of whom bought 28-inch models, saying that both men and women could ride them. It was rare to see a 26-inch model specifically chosen for a girl like this.

Soon, Zhang Yan's gaze fell on a sky-blue Flying Pigeon brand bicycle.

The bike was 26 inches, small and exquisite, with anti-slip plastic straps wrapped around the handlebars, making it look especially suitable for girls to ride. She turned to look at Zhou Yimin, her eyes questioning.

Seeing that she liked it, Zhou Yimin smiled and nodded: "This one is fine, it's quite nice."

The salesperson quickly stepped forward, pushed the bicycle off the shelf, and carefully inspected it: "Young lady, you have excellent taste. This is a new model, and it sells very well."

Zhou Yimin took out the bicycle ticket and money from his pocket and handed them to the salesperson.

The salesperson took the bicycle ticket, carefully checked its authenticity, examined the watermark under the light, and felt the paper. Only after confirming there were no problems did they begin to calculate the bill and collect the money.

After paying, the salesperson took out a receipt and carefully filled it out, which included the bicycle's brand, model, purchase date, and Zhou Yimin's name and address.

After filling it out, she handed the certificate to Zhou Yimin: "Comrade, this certificate is very important. Take it to the police station to get it stamped. With this stamp, if your bicycle is stolen in the future, you can report it to the police station and get it back more quickly."

Zhou Yimin took the certificate, carefully folded it and put it in his pocket, then said to Zhang Yan, "Let's go, let's ride our bicycles over to get it stamped."

Zhang Yan nodded, looking at the sky-blue bicycle, feeling both a little embarrassed and overjoyed.

After picking up their bicycles from the department store, the two pushed them into a quiet alley nearby.

Looking at the brand-new bicycle in front of her, Zhang Yan felt a little itchy but also a bit timid. She whispered, "Brother Yimin, I don't ride a bicycle very often, so my skills aren't very good."

Although there is a bicycle at home, it is mainly for Zhang Jianshe's use, and the others don't use it much, so they don't know how to use it.

Zhou Yimin had expected this, and patted the seat with a smile: "It's okay, I'm here. This is a good opportunity for you to practice and improve your skills."

He first steadied the bicycle, helped Zhang Yan straddle it, and then stood behind her, holding the seat with one hand and the handlebars with the other, and began to explain the precautions to her: "When riding, keep your eyes on the front, don't keep staring at the wheels. Hold the handlebars firmly, don't wobble, relax your body, the more tense you are, the easier it is to fall."

Zhang Yan listened attentively, nodded, and gripped the handlebars tightly with both hands, her palms sweating slightly.

“Okay, try pushing forward,” Zhou Yimin encouraged.

Zhang Yan took a deep breath and carefully stepped on the pedals, and the bicycle slowly moved forward.

But after taking only a couple of steps, the handlebars started wobbling from side to side, and the bike began to sway. She screamed in fright and cried out, "Yimin, I'm going to fall!"

Zhou Yimin reacted quickly, firmly stabilizing the bicycle seat and bringing it to a stop. He gently comforted her, "Don't be afraid, everyone is like this at first. Relax and try again."

Zhang Yan steadied herself, readjusted her posture, and tried again.

This time, she remembered Zhou Yimin's words, kept her eyes on the road ahead, and tried her best to keep the handlebars steady.

The bicycle slowly moved forward, still a bit wobbly, but much better than before.

Zhou Yimin followed closely behind the bicycle, his pace quickening as the bicycle moved, constantly keeping an eye on Zhang Yan's condition.

Seeing that her handlebars were starting to wobble again, he immediately reached out to steady her; noticing that her feet were about to touch the ground, he promptly reminded her, "Don't put your feet down, keep pedaling."

And so, under Zhou Yimin's watchful eye, Zhang Yan practiced lap after lap in the alley.

At first, she made frequent mistakes, either the handlebars wobbled badly or she forgot to pedal, but gradually she became more and more skilled and the bike became much more stable.

Zhou Yimin followed behind, watching her become more and more skilled, and breathed a sigh of relief, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turning upwards.

After riding a few more laps, Zhang Yan stopped her bike, turned around to look at Zhou Yimin, her eyes full of excitement: "Brother Yimin, I think I've learned it!"

Zhou Yimin smiled and nodded: "Great, but you still need to practice more. You'll get better once you're more skilled."

(End of this chapter)