今年打算回去过年，虽然母亲每次都说轻装上阵，想想回去一趟，还是不能空手。家中的亲戚朋友还是要带点东西，所以从年前就开始注意商品信息，开始采购。
这个周六出门时，已经十点多了。地面是湿漉漉的积水，尚未下透的雨气变成黑云，乌压压地在天空上弥漫开来。我开着车朝一个方向走去，一上高速公路就发现情况不妙，五号高速水泄不通，车辆几乎原地不动。我只好临时改变主意，耐心地等待下一个出口，拐出去，径直往最近的Costco驶去。 大雨如注, Costco的加油站又是排成长龙,。等我加完油走进Costco，又是人头攒动。这座城市变得越来越拥挤了。后来下午还是去了一趟outlet， 十几二十分钟找不到parking位， 看来电子商务并没有击垮实物店啊。
周日早上，我拎着一盒网购来准备要退的护肤品来到了一个大mall，开始了长达三多小时的shopping。已经不记得上一次是什么时候来的(反正女儿这次回家她是自己来逛的)， 只是注意到这里有了一些大的变化。鼎泰丰饭店后面大面积的扩充，那家据说要排上好几个小时吃个饭的高档台湾连锁店一定是看到了商机和需求，在这个寸土寸金的mall里占据了这么多地盘，搞了自己专有的parking lot， 三个红红的中文字特别扎眼。这里的华人太多了，还有那些中国过来购物的，财大气粗，连门口的欢迎牌上，"欢迎光临"四个中文字出现了两次，一次简体，一次繁体，厕所休息处还放了一面很大的写着"2019恭喜发财"中文字的装饰画，里面排列了十二生肖的图片和每个生肖的解释。有钱到哪儿都是爷。
这些变化是细微的，永远不变的是它的富丽堂皇，光鲜亮丽。每家店门口考究的装潢，诱人的广告模特，醒目的打折提示，时时刻刻在拨动着人欲望的弦。这是一座欲望之城，penthouse, 人的欲望就是被这些眼花缭乱的装饰和产品激活的，随之而来的可能就是口袋里哗哗倒出的银子声。
我走进了Nordstrom，又走出了MK, 拎着大包小包从一家又一家商店门口走过。 走过Rolex表店时，一向淡定的我犹豫了片刻，一念之间也竟然一只脚踏入。 就在另一只脚准备跟进时，不自觉地又来了个急刹车。我这样的装束穿着运动鞋逛mall的，与这家店太不合时宜了，哪怕是看热闹，也不要进去浪费时间了。奢侈品是属于奢侈之人的。
渐渐地，觉得手上拎的包包重重的，走在有点闷热的mall里，身上也微微出汗了。我准备打到回府了，但方向感极差的我居然在bloomingdale店里转了两圈找不到通往parking lot的出口，后来才知道出口是在二楼。当我终于走出迷宫，如释重负地打开重重的玻璃门时，雨后清新的空气扑面而来，外面阳光灿灿，蓝天白云。
上车二十分钟高速后是一个熟悉的出口。远远看见出口处的山坡上有一丝丝绿意。被几场冬雨唤醒的小草，在阳光的温暖下，急不可待地冒出头来了。春天快到了！望着眼前这座久违了的山峦，一座曾经每周六我们常常涉足的地方，我的眼眶突然间湿润了。那些日子、那些欢笑已经远离，唯有记忆在心里搅起片片涟漪……
Raindrops pattered against the rooftop. They dropped to the ground, bounced and splattered. The tree branches on the road sides were bending down heavily, now that the leaves were saturated with water. As a matter of fact, everything in the open air looked soaked after five days’ rain in a row. The parched land was finally relieved.
Last weekend saw my shopping spree as I was preparing for the trip to China. Around 10 am in the morning last Saturday, I was heading to an outlet, hoping that it is an early bird that gets the parking spot. When I entered the highway, the rain started pouring. The cars, stuck on the congested highway, were not moving. I changed my mind and crawled out of freeway in the next exit. Habitually, I went to the nearby Costco, to fill the gas first. The line was long, even in such a bad weather. I waited patiently inside the car with the radio on, watching the windshield wiping off the water from the blurring window. When it was my turn, I had to tiptoe onto the flooded ground, careful not to wet my Nike shoes. Then, I joined the crowd at Costco, looking here and there in search of right gifts.
I went back home for a simple lunch and a short nap before I resumed my morning attempt to an outlet. It was almost 4 pm. The sky was cleared a little bit; the parking lot was fully packed as in a typical weekend day. I circled around, waited for more than ten minutes before I finally got a parking space.
The shopping was continued on Sunday morning, when I drove to a mall to return a skin care product ordered online, and picked up an online order that was delivered to a store. It is a huge modern mall, largest in CA, full of high-end luxury stores. Ultra luxury brands such as Rolex, LV, Chloe and even Porsche Design shop can be found among them. Now, after the end of the holiday season comes the annual sales. The showy window displays were punctuated by eye-catching discount notices at the store entrances, wooing customers in for good deals. I passed by some stores, went in and out some others. Entrapped in this jungle-like maze, I felt a bit lost, lost in thought about the pleasure money can bring to people, and lost physically in direction. This is a world beyond me. Had it not been for the gifts, I would have enjoyed staying at home.
Getting out of the mall, I was greeted by the crisp air, warm sunlight and blue sky. Twenty minutes’ drive on the freeway led me to a familiar exit, ahead of which lie the rolling valleys. Tears suddenly swelled to my eyes when I saw the greenish color emerge from the sprawling barren tops. It is the recent rain that brought life back to the valley,a place we frequented every week for hiking in the past, a place that holds so dear to my heart.
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