The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 398 - 369 Meeting a Fellow Townsperson Abroad_1

Chapter 398: Chapter 369 Meeting a Fellow Townsperson Abroad_1

Upon reaching their destination, they drove directly to the best hotel in the area.

Having booked in advance, the hotel was fully prepared, and they were very satisfied.

The money was well spent, and the service was excellent!

They had set out at eight o’clock in the morning and it took a little over an hour to get here.

They decided to rest first and, after enjoying a delicious lunch, they would go out for a stroll.

Port Jervis is a small town with a population of less than ten thousand, less than a hundred miles from New York City.

Due to rising rents in New York City, many artists and shopkeepers have flocked to the town where they can rent remarkably affordable and spacious shops.

Now, visitors to the town can enjoy galleries of artists, exquisite antique shops, and taste delicious American dishes like stuffed pork chops and pumpkin stew.

The town is steeped in art, and people who come here always find something they like.

For instance, men may like the antiques, women the jewelry, and food lovers can savor many delicious foods, including signature dishes like stuffed pork chops and pumpkin stew.

The greatest feature here is the tranquility, the lack of crowds.

This is starkly different from the bustling New York.

Upon arriving, everyone’s mood is calm and thoughtful.

Appreciating art is done with care; when buying things, it’s a matter of following the true desires of the heart, not the noisy atmosphere that triggers impulsive shopping.

After a delicious lunch and a short rest, they applied sunscreen, donned sunhats, and set off to explore.

Qi Zhenghan, pushing Third Grandma Qi in her wheelchair, led the group as they chatted and laughed, pausing to admire anything that caught their fancy.

When they passed by a jewelry shop with a distinct Eastern flair, Third Grandma Qi said, "I’m fine just looking at those foreigners’ trinkets, I don’t understand the meaning behind them. You all can buy them if you like. Now, I want to browse the shops I like."

"Sure, Mom, what kind of jewelry do you like? We’ll buy some," Qi Shuliang said with a smile, eager to please and honor his mother.

"Buy or not, we’ll decide after looking. The most important thing is the joy of browsing," Third Grandma Qi said excitedly, the shop reminding her of the jewelry stores back in her own county town.

Entering the shop, they were not greeted by anyone; only pieces of jewelry locked behind glass doors.

There was only an older craftsman, busily polishing a piece of jewelry.

"Master, could you take out this step-shake for me to have a look?" Third Grandma Qi asked, eager to engage.

The old man looked up, glanced at Third Grandma Qi, and asked, "From the Mainland?"

"Yes!" Third Grandma Qi was startled, "You don’t sell to people from the Mainland?"

"Sell, of course, I sell," the old man chuckled, shedding his previous indifference, "I’ll get it for you now!"

The old man took out the exquisite gold step-shake and said, "This is an old craft, passed down from my ancestors."

"Your ancestors were quite talented?" Third Grandma Qi asked with a smile while examining the piece.

It was rare to come across someone who could speak Chinese, so she could have a personal conversation.

"Of course it’s impressive, my ancestors were master casters in the Imperial Household Department, and they even made jewelry for Empress Dowager Cixi," the old man said proudly. "Take a look around, and if you like something, I’ll give you a discount."

Third Grandma Qi turned the items over in her hand, checking the quality and the style.

"The craftsmanship is indeed good," Third Grandma Qi praised, "Let me take a look at those two golden hairpins."

The old man hurriedly handed over the hairpins. Third Grandma Qi tried them in her hair and looked at herself in the mirror, saying, "Not bad, not bad at all. I don’t want the step shake; give me four golden hairpins, one each with plum blossoms, chrysanthemums, lotuses, and peonies."

"Alright!" The old man was happy to see that the old lady knew her stuff, which was a change from Westerners who seemed to prefer diamonds over gold jewelry.

Third Grandma Qi bought four hairpins, one for herself and the remaining three for Anna, Qi Zhengmin, and He Tiantian.

She also picked out a jade pendant for each Qi Zhenghan and Qi Shuliang.

Since these were newly crafted, the cost of materials and labor along with a small profit wasn’t expensive.

After making her purchases, the old man quickly handed her his business card, saying, "Older sister, my surname is Qi, originally from Huai City of An Province. I came to the United States with my master to make money three decades ago, and I never thought I would not be able to return."

"Oh, you are originally from Huai City!" Third Grandma Qi exclaimed in surprise, "So you haven’t been back since you left?"

"No, it’s been almost forty years in just the blink of an eye," Old Man Qi said wistfully. "I read in the newspapers that the two countries have established relations now, but I just don’t know when I’ll be able to go back. I want to find my family back in my hometown!"

"Ah, that might be soon. Just wait a little longer, and I wish you a prosperous return to your hometown one day!" Third Grandma Qi said, feeling sympathy for Old Man Qi’s situation.

"Just hearing your accent makes me miss my hometown even more," Old Man Qi said, "Although I have married and had children here, integrated into this life, in the middle of the night, I still dream of my hometown. I wonder how my brothers and sisters are."

Third Grandma Qi knew the feeling of missing one’s family all too well and responded, "What’s your name? If you have plans, I can ask someone to help you look for them."

Old Man Qi had been waiting for this moment and quickly wrote down his name on the paper he took from the side, saying, "My name is Qi Da, my brother is Qi Tong, my younger brother is Qi Bin, and my sister is Qi Feie. We used to live at No. 56, Ginkgo Street in Huai City."

Third Grandma Qi took the piece of paper, saying, "Alright, I’ve got it. If there is any news, I will have someone send you a letter."

"Thank you so much, older sister," Qi Da said excitedly, "These items, though not much, I give them to you as a token of my gratitude for your help in finding my family."

"How could I accept that!" Third Grandma Qi objected, "I might not even be able to help you find them, so how can I accept such a significant gift? Old Brother Qi, just tell me how much it is, and I’ll pay you. If you don’t charge a bit more, I won’t take these items."

Helping Old Man Qi was out of compassion for his decades of separation from his family; she had endured such pain and empathized, without any desire to take his possessions.

"Older sister, these things don’t cost much..." Old Man Qi continued to insist, "Please just keep them."

"When I say no, I absolutely mean no," Third Grandma Qi declared, "Let’s go!"

Third Grandma Qi was very insistent.

"Alright, alright, can’t I just take the money?" Old Man Qi said reluctantly, putting on a pained expression, "It’s three hundred US dollars in total!"

Qi Shuliang raised an eyebrow; three hundred US dollars was probably just the cost of materials, as the old man didn’t charge for labor, which would typically be valued at at least five hundred US dollars.

"Son, is that sufficient?" Third Grandma Qi didn’t like to take advantage of others.

"That’s probably just for the materials," Qi Shuliang said softly, "Just add two hundred US dollars for the labor."

Upon hearing that, Third Grandma Qi laughed and said, "Then that’s settled! Let’s pay."