Xia Heping's gaze fell on the red silk scarf around his wife's neck: "Did Qingqing buy this scarf for you?"

Zhang Hongyan stretched out her feet with a smug look: "And there are little leather shoes too, how do they look?"

Dog Egg also imitated his mother's action and stretched out his foot: "I have one too, Dad. Isn't it especially good-looking? Everyone in Beijing wears these shoes."

"It's alright," Xia Heping said sourly.

Why does my daughter only buy gifts for her wife and son, but he, as the father, gets nothing?

His return immediately drew criticism from Zhang Hongyan and Gou Dan.

Xia Qingqing looked at Xia Heping with amusement and said, "Dad, you don't need to be envious. How could I forget you?"

She pulled a pair of men's leather shoes out of her bag: "Dad, these are leather shoes I bought for you. Try them on and see if they fit."

Xia Heping held the leather shoes without moving: "These leather shoes must be expensive. What would a rough guy like me wear? Qingqing, you should return them later."

That's what he said, but Xia Heping was reluctant to let go of the leather shoes, holding them carefully, afraid that his rough hands would damage the leather.

“We can’t return them, Dad, why don’t you try them on? This is a token of your daughter’s affection,” Xia Qingqing said, pulling Xia Heping down to sit and insisting that he change into the leather shoes.

Xia Heping couldn't refuse, so he could only agree: "I'll try it after I wash my feet."

Xia Heping quickly returned after washing his feet, and made sure to change into a clean pair of socks before daring to put on his new leather shoes.

Wearing leather shoes, Xia Heping seemed to straighten up all of a sudden.

"Dad, take a few steps and see if they fit," Xia Qingqing urged.

Xia Heping was a little hesitant when he took his first step, afraid of damaging his new shoes. But as he felt the comfort under his feet, a happy smile spread across his dark face.

"Suitable, very suitable."

He never imagined that he, a peasant, would have the chance to wear leather shoes in his lifetime.

Xia Qingqing glanced at them and they were indeed about the same size. She always bought a size larger in case they didn't fit properly. If they were a little bigger, she could use insoles; if they were too small, she really couldn't wear them.

After walking a few steps, Xia Heping immediately changed out of his leather shoes. He couldn't bear to wear them until they got dirty, and he wanted to save them for his daughter's wedding.

After putting the shoes away, Xia Heping finally had the mind to ask his daughter whose bicycle was in the yard.

"Oh, I almost forgot, the bicycle is a second-hand one I bought from a friend," Xia Qingqing slapped her forehead. She had been so busy chatting with her family since she got back that she had forgotten to mention where the bicycle came from.

At first, she thought about bringing back a watch, but then she realized that a bicycle would be more practical than a watch.

She could certainly bring back both the watch and the bicycle, but both are expensive items. On the one hand, she was afraid of scaring her parents, and on the other hand, she didn't want to be too conspicuous. Many eyes were on her family now, and the source of her money couldn't be investigated, so it was better not to take the risk.

"You bought it? How much did you pay for it?" Xia Heping's voice suddenly rose, and he asked excitedly.

He couldn't believe that the bicycle actually belonged to his family; his long-held dream had come true.

Xia Qingqing nodded honestly: "Yes, it's not expensive, only 70 yuan."

Xia Heping glanced at the bicycle, which was otherwise in good condition except for some paint chipping, and thought the price was indeed not expensive. A brand new bicycle would cost 150 yuan, and the key point was that a bicycle ticket was required.

Even Zhang Hongyan, looking at the bicycle, didn't say that Xia Qingqing was wasting money: "Not bad, the price is indeed acceptable. Our family will have bicycles from now on."

Thinking this way, she felt a little proud. There were very few families in the entire brigade that owned bicycles; they were all very well-off.

Then, with some concern, she asked, "Qingqing, do you still have money to spend? If you're out of money, just tell Mom. Mom has some here."

"Yes, I receive a stipend from school, so I don't need to spend any money myself. I have a small appetite, and I can even save some money every month," Xia Qingqing said with a smile.

Xia Qingqing noticed that Xia Heping's eyes were glued to the bicycle and he couldn't bear to look away, so she offered to let him give it a try.

"Can I do it? I don't know how," Xia Heping said with some worry. He had never ridden a bicycle before, mainly because he didn't have one to ride. He never dared to borrow other people's bicycles, for fear of breaking them and not being able to afford to pay for the damage.

"No problem, riding a bicycle is very simple," Xia Qingqing got up and demonstrated it to him, explaining some tips for riding a bicycle.

At first, Xia Heping was a little scared, so Xia Qingqing helped him hold the back seat and led him through a few laps.

"Look, honey, I've learned to ride a bike!" Xia Heping shouted to Zhang Hongyan as he rode his bicycle wobblingly.

Zhang Hongyan watched with trepidation: "Be careful, don't break the bicycle."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Xia Heping's car body veered to the side after the wheel hit a small stone.

"Dad, are you alright?" Xia Qingqing was startled and quickly ran over to help him up.

Zhang Hongyan quickly went to check if the bicycle had been damaged, which made Xia Qingqing both amused and exasperated: "Mom, bicycles don't break that easily."

"I was so worried! This cost 70 yuan!" Zhang Hongyan said, glaring at Xia Heping. "You can't even concentrate on riding a bike. You deserve to fall."

Xia Heping gave his wife a simple smile, then continued practicing.

After about an hour of practice, Xia Heping was already riding very well.

"Dad, can you give me a ride? I want to ride on a bicycle too!" Gou Dan shouted excitedly as he chased after the bicycle.

This is his family's bicycle. He's already planned that his dad will take him to school on this bicycle, and he'll wear the new sneakers his sister bought him. Then he'll be the coolest kid around.

——

For several days in a row, Xia Heping would practice driving in front of his house whenever he had free time.

Everyone initially guessed that Xia Qingqing must have borrowed the car, since it didn't look like a new car.

As a result, seeing Xia Heping riding it for several days in a row, some people couldn't resist their curiosity.

"Hey, whose bicycle are you riding?"

Xia Heping smiled憨厚ly at the person asking the question: "It was bought by my family. It's just a used car that someone else had discarded."

The man's eyes practically popped out of their sockets: "You bought it? How much did you pay for it? Where did you buy it?"

"It cost 70 yuan. My Qingqing bought it from a friend. He got a new car and replaced the old one."

The man examined the bicycle closely and found that it was completely undamaged, except for some paint chipping. He thought 70 yuan was a good deal.

"Hey, Qingqing, can you still get a used car like this? I want to buy one too."

His sons are all of marriageable age. If the family had a bicycle like this, it would be easier for them to find wives.

Xia Heping was surprised that he would bring this up, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Well, this one was just a coincidence. I'll ask Qingqing to help me ask around when I have the chance."