Department stores set fixed prices; customers didn’t necessarily have to come to Whitaker Scarlett’s place to buy. If a store sold them for 19 dollars, Whitaker Scarlett would be scolded for daring to sell them for 20 dollars. Forget it; the style on her feet hadn’t yet become popular in Harborfield, and the wholesale price was also in the teens, so she should be able to sell them for about 10 dollars more in Harborfield.
Whitaker Scarlett only took sizes 36, 37, and 38, as most women wore shoes in these sizes.
Elizabeth kept an eye on the bag, afraid someone would snatch it away.
Whitaker Scarlett, with a firm attitude, picked out a complete set for Elizabeth. The sweaters, woolen coat, pants, and leather shoes would cost over a hundred dollars at wholesale prices. When had Elizabeth ever worn clothes worth over a hundred dollars? She only took a few tattered clothes when she left the Whitaker family!
It was still because Whitaker Scarlett made money selling eels that she bought fabric in Greenfield County and asked Amanda to help make clothes for Elizabeth.
Elizabeth hadn’t worn new clothes in seven or eight years, let alone such frequently new ones, and she waved her hands repeatedly:
“Mom has clothes to wear; didn’t we just make some?”
“That was for autumn; this is for winter!”
Whitaker Scarlett paid directly. Her mom didn’t have any decent clothes; the two cotton jackets she brought from the Whitaker family had been patched up repeatedly, and the cotton inside had turned black. Besides the woolen coat, Whitaker Scarlett still needed to buy Elizabeth two cotton jackets to alternate wearing.
Elizabeth couldn’t argue with Whitaker Scarlett.
If they were going to buy, then so be it; this was Whitaker Scarlett’s way of showing filial piety.
After hitting a wall, Whitaker Scarlett became more dutiful and sensible, making Elizabeth feel like she was living in a dream. She tugged at the new clothes she hadn’t taken off yet, thinking that if this were a dream, she hoped the heavens wouldn’t wake her up.
What did Whitaker Scarlett bring Elizabeth here for?
Did she really expect her mom to help move goods? She specifically brought Elizabeth to see the world, gain experience from traveling, buy some new clothes, and treat her to some delicious food from Sablewick. By the end of ’83, this was the highest standard of travel Whitaker Scarlett could offer her mom; she didn’t have the conditions for first-class flights or luxury cruises, and those weren’t even popular in the country yet.
She could afford the plane ticket, but where could she get a certificate from a county-level unit?
If she really took Elizabeth on a plane, it would scare this honest rural woman to death; they would take it step by step.
Since the procurement of cotton jackets hadn’t been confirmed yet, Whitaker Scarlett decided to stay an extra day in Sablewick. The next morning, she took Elizabeth out for dim sum.
People in Sablewick love to have dim sum.
In the past, it was the older folks who would carry birdcages, drinking tea and enjoying snacks while showing off their beloved birds. Nowadays, not many people keep birds, but the habit of having dim sum remains. However, there aren’t many young people who have dim sum on weekdays. Whitaker Scarlett stands out; she orders several famous snacks for Elizabeth to try.
Elizabeth has lived for so many years and has never eaten in a restaurant.
Even when she married Chris back in the day, they didn’t hold a banquet. She remembers it was 1963, and life at home was tough. Her brother William was worried about how to support his two younger sisters, so he asked a matchmaker to find Elizabeth a partner. The matchmaker said the Whitaker family had three sons, all strong laborers, and marrying into the family would surely mean she wouldn’t go hungry.
At that time, the land was collective, and everyone had to work to earn points. The eldest son of the Whitaker family was already married, and with five strong laborers at home, wasn’t their life better than others? However, Elizabeth clearly remembers that the so-called “not going hungry” meant that for the two days before the wedding, they had noodles, and by the third day, it was replaced with noodle soup and sweet potato porridge.
Marriage meant moving from Wellwater village to Larkspur Village.
When Whitaker Scarlett was born, she was a girl, and Grandma was not pleased. Chris was disappointed too, and no one wanted to hold a full-month celebration.
During the confinement period, William somehow managed to get a chicken and brought it over. Elizabeth received two chicken wings, but she never found out who got the rest. In the Whitaker family, she never had a proper meal; Grandma was in charge, and she wouldn’t give this daughter-in-law, who couldn’t bear children, any good food.
Ironically, the most complete and sumptuous meal Elizabeth ever had was when she divorced Chris. William was overjoyed and treated several villagers to a feast… Elizabeth still remembers clearly what dishes Amanda made. That was also a banquet organized by the villagers themselves, unlike the restaurant where they were having dim sum today, which made Elizabeth feel uneasy.
The noodle soup she had in Greenfield County and the chicken and noodles in Harborfield were all from small stalls and shops.
The restaurant Whitaker Scarlett brought her to was too grand, and Elizabeth was afraid of being laughed at… She was relieved that she wore the new clothes Whitaker Scarlett bought for her last night; otherwise, she would have embarrassed Scarlett today.
Exquisite dim sum quickly filled the table.
“Mom, try this crab .”
“Steamed pork ribs.”
