In the center of the station square, there was a tall decorative fountain. The part that rose in the middle resembled a lotus flower in full bloom.
Chen Lan circled the fountain curiously and took a closer look. She then realized the tall object wasn't a lotus flower but a fruiting aglaonema, with seven red aglaonema fruits inside. Chen Lan felt this should symbolize everlasting youth and abundant harvest.
The base of the aglaonema was surrounded by patterns of sorghum and wheat ears. Chen Lan thought it should symbolize a good harvest of grain. At the very top of the aglaonema, there was a spout that continuously sprayed water. In the pool below, fourteen large bronze carp were also spraying water upwards.
Chen Lan didn't know the specific meaning behind the fountain's construction. She only heard people taking photos and commemorating their visit next to the fountain say it was specially built to welcome a certain royal prince to Changchun.
Chen Lan, carrying a military backpack, exited the train station square with the crowd. For the moment, she didn't know where to go. Since she had no particular destination, Chen Lan decided to wander around aimlessly.
Indeed, Changchun's urban greening was quite good. Everywhere she looked, the streets were lined with lush trees. It was still early, so there weren't many pedestrians or vehicles on the street. The most common vehicles on the road were public buses, followed by bicycles. Sudana Novel Network.
Chen Lan walked and looked around, planning to find a state-run restaurant for breakfast. Soon, she saw a state-run restaurant near the station. Chen Lan queued up and used six fen and two liang of national grain ration coupons to buy two fried dough sticks. She then queued up again to collect them. She had initially wanted to buy a bowl of soy milk, but thinking she would have to queue again, she gave up.
To be honest, food in state-run restaurants during this period was very cheap. Mantou was only three fen each, two fried dough sticks were only six fen, and flower rolls were only five fen each. Even stir-fried pork slices were only seventy fen a plate.
After queuing to get her fried dough sticks, she found that the fried dough sticks of this era were large and generous in portion. The only drawback was the constant queuing, which was a bit unbearable.
Chen Lan wrapped the two fried dough sticks in oil paper, eating as she walked. She had no specific destination and was simply letting her feet lead her, going wherever they took her. After all, she had come out specifically for a leisurely trip this time!
In fact, the road Chen Lan was walking on from the station square was a major commercial street in Changchun, named Da Ma Road.
Indeed, this street was very bustling and lively. There were many state-run establishments on both sides of the road, including department stores selling daily necessities, shoes, and clothing, as well as state-run hotels, photo studios, barbershops, and restaurants.
Chen Lan walked and looked, buying something or two whenever she saw something she hadn't seen or eaten before.
It was nearing the Mid-Autumn Festival. Chen Lan thought that since she was in Changchun, she wanted to see if she could buy Changchun's most famous "Ding Feng Zhen" ti jiang mooncakes.
In her previous life, Chen Lan had heard people mention that Changchun's "Ding Feng Zhen" pastry shop was a century-old establishment. The character "Ding" represented prosperity that would last for ten thousand generations; "Feng" symbolized a bountiful harvest; and "Zhen" was self-explanatory, naturally representing a business philosophy of integrity, genuine quality, and honest dealings with all customers.
With such a business philosophy, the renowned "Ding Feng Zhen" had spread throughout every street and alley of the Spring City.
"Ding Feng Zhen" was most famous for its ti jiang mooncakes. These old-fashioned mooncakes had soft crusts and a long shelf life. The traditional five-nut mooncake was the most famous.
In her previous life, Chen Lan had ordered and tasted these "Ding Feng Zhen" mooncakes online. She found the taste to be quite good. With one bite, the oil from the filling blended with the aroma of the ingredients into the mooncake crust, a rich fragrance of melon seeds mixed with a faint sweetness of preserved fruits filled her mouth, creating a mellow and sweet Mid-Autumn flavor.
Chen Lan wondered if the most authentic "Ding Feng Zhen" pastries from this era would be even more delicious.
She asked a passing elderly woman and learned that the "Ding Feng Zhen" pastry shop was not far ahead, at the intersection of Da Ma Road and Si Ma Road.
After thanking the woman, Chen Lan quickly found the "Ding Feng Zhen" pastry shop in the direction indicated.
The pastry shop was very busy, with customers coming and going. From afar, Chen Lan could smell the sweet aroma of pastries in the air.
The shop offered a variety of pastries such as cao zi gao, lao lu guo zi, jiao yan bing, ma ti su, he tao su, jiang mi tiao, and kai kou xiao. There were also flaky five-nut mooncakes and white sugar-filled mooncakes, truly a collection of northern and southern delicacies, all exquisite and complete in variety, befitting its renowned name.
Chen Lan queued for a long time before it was finally her turn. She immediately took out her national grain ration coupons and a few "Big Black Stone" coins and began to select items, ordering a total of four or five types.
However, the sales assistant didn't move and simply said, "Comrade, where are your pastry coupons?"
Chen Lan was stunned. She had never expected that besides grain coupons, one would also need pastry coupons to buy pastries.
Chen Lan immediately smiled and started to plead her case: "Comrade, you see, I'm here in Changchun on a business trip from out of town. I don't have Changchun's pastry coupons. I'd like to take some 'Ding Feng Zhen' pastries home for my mother and mother-in-law to try. Could you possibly make an exception? I can pay with grain coupons or money at a higher price. What do you think?"
The sales assistant nodded and replied, "Yes, comrade, but I must tell you, it will be much more expensive without pastry coupons. Are you sure you still want to buy?"
Chen Lan nodded affirmatively and replied, "Yes, I do. It's rare to have a chance to come to Changchun on a business trip. I must bring something back for the elders and children at home! Thank you! Comrade, please help me pack two jin of each of the five items I just ordered."
After thanking the sales assistant, Chen Lan walked out of "Ding Feng Zhen" carrying ten jin of pastries. She didn't know where to go for a while and decided to continue walking by intuition.
As she walked, Chen Lan noticed someone following her. It was an elderly woman who had been following her since she left the "Ding Feng Zhen" pastry shop. At first, Chen Lan didn't pay much attention, as the person was elderly, and Chen Lan assumed they were just going in the same direction. However, when Chen Lan turned a corner, the woman also turned. Chen Lan deliberately turned into an alley, and the woman followed her into the alley.
At this point, Chen Lan became somewhat curious. So, she stopped walking and turned around, waiting for the elderly woman to approach. Chen Lan wanted to ask her why she was following her.