Chapter Seventy-Eight: Shopping

To have the opportunity to go on a blind date with the girl he secretly admired in high school, Zhang Wei naturally did not refuse. Nor did he show any signs of eagerness; he simply agreed calmly, letting things take their course. Even if the date had not been Tan Jingya, for the sake of his mother and Aunt Han, Zhang Wei would not have declined. This was the proper etiquette expected from the man’s side.

Zhang Wei’s blind date was a major event for the Zhang family. Zhang Jianguo, Li Huilan, and Zhang Song were even more invested in it than Zhang Wei himself. The next day, they took Zhang Wei to the mall to buy clothes, determined to present him in his best form for the occasion.

Zhang Wei used to be the quintessential paycheck-to-paycheck worker, with no spare money for clothes. Every time he returned from the capital, he looked scruffy and unkempt. His parents always dragged him to the mall to buy new clothes, so he would not appear too shabby.

Yet, upon arriving at the mall this time, they discovered that Zhang Wei’s current attire was more sophisticated than even the most expensive clothes on display. Only then did his parents realize their son was no longer the low-paid worker who couldn’t afford to buy clothes.

Still, since they were already at the mall, they couldn’t leave empty-handed. The four of them wandered about, as usual. In the past, it was always his parents buying clothes for Zhang Wei. As an adult, independent son, Zhang Wei always felt a sense of guilt, unease, and inferiority about this.

This time, Zhang Wei was determined to repay his parents. He planned to use his own earned money to buy gifts for his parents and younger brother. He had come prepared, carrying a backpack stuffed with tens of thousands of yuan.

The first thing Zhang Wei set his sights on was a massage chair. This high-end massage chair could be tried out, and his mother suffered from back pain. Every time she came to the mall, she would try the massage chair, but because it was so expensive, she always hesitated to buy it.

The salesperson responsible for the massage chairs was a girl of about twenty. She was already familiar with Zhang Wei’s mother, who often came to try the chair but could not afford to buy it. Despite this, the girl never complained, always serving with diligence, and Zhang Wei was quite grateful for her attitude.

“Aunt Li, it’s been a while since you’ve visited. I’m not busy now, why don’t you come and try the massage again?” the salesgirl greeted warmly, showing not the slightest trace of disdain.

“Wei Fang, I hope I’m not bothering your work,” Li Huilan replied. She had been running about with her husband over house matters these past days, and her back pain had flared up again. She did indeed wish to sit and enjoy the massage.

“Not at all. Consider it free publicity for me, attracting more customers,” Wei Fang laughed.

“Miss Wei, do you have new stock of these massage chairs? I’d like to buy one for my mother,” Zhang Wei asked, patting the chair.

“Sir, this massage chair is fully automated and very expensive,” Wei Fang replied with a smile.

Wei Fang, familiar with Li Huilan’s situation, knew their family’s finances were average and doubted they could afford such a costly chair. She worried Zhang Wei was unaware of the price, so she kindly reminded him.

“I know the price. Isn’t it marked at eighteen thousand yuan?” Zhang Wei answered with a smile, understanding her concern.

“Zhang Wei, this is too expensive…” Li Huilan wanted to persuade him not to buy the chair, but remembering how often she had tried it, and how Wei Fang had always welcomed her, she felt embarrassed to say more.

“Mom, it’s just a small expense,” Zhang Wei replied firmly, urging, “Miss Wei, I want to buy this type of massage chair. Please help me with the purchase.”

This was the first time in his life Zhang Wei bought something for his mother. For her health and comfort, he would not hesitate even if it cost hundreds of thousands.

“Alright… very well,” Wei Fang inhaled deeply. Selling this massage chair would earn her a commission larger than her monthly salary, and she could hardly conceal her excitement.

Buying the massage chair was only the beginning. Zhang Wei proceeded to buy several items for his father, mother, and younger brother—furniture, clothes, accessories, phones—spending all the tens of thousands he had brought.

Not only did Zhang Wei feel no regret after spending the money, he felt a sense of accomplishment and an increased desire to earn more. To him, making money was for the sake of giving his family a better life. The ability to earn must be matched by the wisdom to spend; otherwise, a man who merely hoards bank balances is nothing but a pauper.

After their shopping spree, the Zhang family returned home in high spirits, though Zhang Song had a small complaint: “Big brother, didn’t you say you’d buy me a Fruit phone? Why did it turn out to be a Nokia instead?”

“I did say I’d get you a Fruit phone, but didn’t you insist you didn’t want my ‘counterfeit,’ and wanted a Nokia ‘official model’ instead?” Zhang Wei replied.

“You misled me! How was I supposed to know you’d suddenly become so wealthy?” Zhang Song looked at the bulky Nokia in his hand, then at the slim and refined Fruit phone in Zhang Wei’s, his face full of grievance.

“Enough! You’re just a student; what do you need such a fancy phone for? When you graduate, I’ll buy you a Fruit phone,” Zhang Wei promised.

“You said it! No backing out!” Zhang Song waved his right fist energetically, his earlier complaints vanishing.

These days, Nokia was already a high-end brand, while Fruit phones remained rare—a symbol of status. Zhang Song’s eagerness for a Fruit phone was understandable; it could even boost his chances with girls.

The next day was the scheduled day for Zhang Wei’s blind date. After lunch, Zhang Wei carefully groomed himself and, together with his mother, brought fruit, seeds, and peanuts to Aunt Han’s home.

Aunt Han, whom Zhang Wei referred to, was Li Huilan’s colleague and lived in the same neighborhood, albeit in a different building. When she saw Zhang Wei and Li Huilan arrive, she warmly welcomed them inside.

The two families were quite familiar, seeing each other often. Chatting naturally, they waited for the girl to arrive. But an hour passed, and the appointed time had come and gone; the girl had neither appeared nor called.

Aunt Han wanted to call and urge her several times, but Li Huilan stopped her. Glancing at the clock, Aunt Han muttered, “Tan Xiaomei really has no sense of time; I’ll call her and hurry her up.”

“Don’t be anxious, let’s wait a bit longer,” Li Huilan advised, showing no impatience. She feared calling to rush the girl would leave a bad impression. Besides, she had nothing urgent that afternoon; waiting was a sign of respect.

Zhang Wei’s expression remained unchanged, but inside he felt a twinge of displeasure. He was someone with a strong sense of time, and for someone to be late without a call left a poor impression—or perhaps she simply didn’t care about the date.

Just then, as the three were lost in their own thoughts, the doorbell rang. Zhang Wei, as the younger guest, offered, “Aunt Han, let me get the door.”

“Go ahead,” Aunt Han nodded, silently praising his thoughtfulness; opening the door himself could leave a good impression.

Zhang Wei’s mother tidied her hair and cleared the peanut shells from the table, standing up to greet the guest as a sign of respect.

This was Zhang Wei’s first blind date, and he couldn’t help feeling nervous. He took a deep breath, walked to the door, and opened it. A figure appeared before him, and Zhang Wei stood frozen in place…