Up:
I used to take the school bus home every day in primary school. The bus driver always made stops to let us buy snacks. One time we stopped at a little shop where a green floral Tupperware water bottle enthralled me. I bought it for 50 yuan (7.2 USD) and excitedly told the tale to my parents. My parents scolded my naivety: “How dumb of you to be so happy after getting scammed. Others can buy a meal for 15, while you spend 50 on a stupid plastic cup. It’s so unethical for that shopowner to scam kids!” I was very sad and felt a bit regretful. My dad said he would get beaten up if he did something like this when he was little and told me the story of the “5 Yuan Shirt.”

Down:
Dad was thrilled, but nervous, to see the ocean for the first time on a family trip to Beidaihe at 15 years old. They were housed in farmers’ cottages where six people slept in a room based on gender. Dad didn’t know to shower after swimming in the ocean. He felt so itchy that he couldn’t sleep at night. The next day he went to a local market where he saw a yellow tank top with “Beidaihe” written on it. Dad loved it so much that he bought it for 5 yuan (0.72USD) and wore it home. Grandpa was enraged and violently scolded Dad in public, saying others bought the shirt for only 4 yuan. At the time, my grandparents made about 100 yuan (14.5 USD) per month.