Chapter 25 Ambitious
Lu Xiang bought all the duck necks from the old man at once, planning to go back and braise some duck to sell.
But it's too much trouble to walk here every day. It would be much better if I had a bicycle.
There is also a 28-inch bicycle in the supply and marketing cooperative, it is blue and very conspicuous when placed there.
Lu Xiang looked at it several times.
This bicycle is the treasure of the supply and marketing cooperative.
Many people come here and are stunned by such advanced things as bicycle radios.
Fu Qinhui called Lu Xiang to the back and seemed to see her love for bicycles. He said, "I have a bicycle ticket here. I'll save up and buy it for you."
Bicycle tickets were rare and precious these days. One of his tickets could be exchanged for five kilograms of pork and five kilograms of soybean oil, but he didn't exchange it. He kept it in his hand because he needed to save money to buy a bicycle.
Lu Xiang hesitated for a moment. "How much is the bike?" She had spent quite a bit today and still had over ninety yuan left. A bike could last her eight to ten years, so it was a worthwhile investment.
Fu Qinhui said: "Three hundred."
Lu Xiang was shocked by the prices. Twenty years later, with the rapid economic development, a bicycle only costs more than two hundred yuan. How could it be so expensive when the money was so valuable in the 1980s?
But Lu Xiang soon realized that bicycles were scarce, and given the current technological limitations, many parts still required skilled craftsmen to assemble. Buying a large bicycle like this, which could be used by the whole family, meant there would be no shortage of bicycles. Of the more than 100 households in Dayu Village, fewer than five owned bicycles.
It’s similar to private cars in later generations. No wonder so many people buy it even at such a high price.
Lu Xiang's face fell a little, the difference in money was too big.
Only after getting married did Lu Xiang realize that Fu Qinhui gave the family fifteen yuan a month, keeping only five. Fifteen yuan was a lot. Because of this, her brother and sister-in-law had no problem with Lu Xiang not working in the fields. Otherwise, they would have been unhappy if she had relied solely on them for support.
Lu Xiang thought about it and decided that the matter of making money should be left to her.
She tricked Fu Qinhui and said, "How about this, I'll bring some braised duck over to sell, and you can help me push the cart and move things. When I make money, I'll buy you popsicles."
These days, popsicles are two cents each, refreshing and thirst-quenching. Red bean ice cream is five cents, and a cube of fresh milk is only ten cents. Lu Xiang was referring to the cheapest one.
Fu Qinhui said: "You are quite stingy."
Lu Xiang disagreed with this and said, "Think about it. One popsicle a day, that's 20 cents in ten days, and 60 cents a month. Who in the world can afford to buy popsicles every day?" She kept promising Fu Qinhui.
If Fu Qinhui didn't agree to her, she really wouldn't be able to bring the braised duck here to sell by herself.
Fu Qinhui twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "Okay."
Lu Xiang's eyes suddenly lit up.
Fu Qinhui said, "Lift your feet up, I'll apply some medicine for you." He found the hydrogen peroxide and cotton swabs from somewhere.
Lu Xiang was stunned, then a little embarrassed. Although they were married, they had never had any physical contact. "I'll do it myself."
Fu Qinhui said in a slightly heavier tone: "You can't reach it." He always had a sense of righteousness, and he was even more calm than Lu Xiang about helping Lu Xiang apply the medicine.
In the office, the director had already gone out to discuss something with the supplier, leaving only the two of them.
Lu Xiang thought for a moment and took off her shoes and socks. Sure enough, she had formed a blister on her foot from the journey. The blister burst and she looked miserable.
Fu Qinhui bent down and gently wiped the bloodstains with a cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide has a disinfecting function, but every time it touches your feet, it will cause a lot of bubbles and a scratchy pain.
Lu Xiang took a breath of cold air.
Fu Qinhui heard her voice and moved more gently. He applied medicine to the entire ruptured blister. "I borrowed a bicycle from the director. You sit in the back."
When Lu Xiang heard that she didn't have to walk home by herself at night, her mood became more cheerful and she praised him, "You are really capable!"
Fu Qinhui wasn't used to someone as passionate and straightforward as Lu Xiang, and his ears felt a little hot, but he remained serious as he said, "I'm going to work."
Lu Xiang's injured foot was still hanging there, and she didn't wander around. She asked Fu Qinhui for a pen and a piece of paper, and she started writing.
Lu Xiang wrote very seriously. When Fu Qinhui finished his work, he saw Lu Xiang was still writing.
Fu Qinhui asked, "What are you writing?"
Lu Xiang smiled and said, "Calculate the cost of the duck neck." The seasoning, the expenses. Duck necks shrink after being cooked. If you sell them too high, no one will buy them. If you sell them too low, you won't make any money. She'll have to recalculate based on the income here.
Fu Qinhui stood up and went out. He said something to the director outside, then came back to Lu Xiang and said, "Let's go back."
Lu Xiang said, "It's only noon."
Fu Qinhui said: "I asked for leave."
Lu Xiang said "oh" and immediately put the order for duck necks into her pocket. Then she put on her shoes and socks, and Fu Qinhui came over to help her.
Lu Xiang's tongue became swollen when he held her arm, and she stammered to him, "No, I can do it myself."
Fu Qinhui said, "Let's go."
Lu Xiang knew how popular Fu Qinhui was with women in the supply and marketing cooperative. If it weren't for that long-faced woman who kept provoking her, she wouldn't have exploded.
If anyone saw this, they'd think she was showing off. I swear to God, that's definitely not the case.
Then Lu Xiang walked out of the supply and marketing cooperative with her neck shrunk, and Fu Qinhui helped her get the seasonings and other things she had bought.
Holding her with one hand, Fu Qinhui then pushed the black bicycle out, stepped onto it with his long legs, and parked it steadily. The object was hanging on the handlebars.
After Lu Xiang got on the back seat, she put her arms around Fu Qinhui's waist, which was quite thin.
Fu Qinhui was a little stiff when Lu Xiang hugged him. He rode his bicycle with Lu Xiang on his back.
Lu Xiang finally felt comfortable. The wind blew across her cheeks, soft and gentle.
After a while, Fu Qinhui stiffened again. He felt Lu Xiang's face against his back.
Lu Xiang got up too early and fell asleep on Fu Qinhui's back while sitting in the car.
…
When they got home, Fu Qinhui parked the car at Fu's house. Lu Xiang was hugged tightly in his arms, and his even breathing could be heard from behind him.
Fu Qinhui was helpless and patted Lu Xiang gently: "We're here."
Lu Xiang finally woke up from her drowsiness. After taking a good look at the surroundings, she immediately jumped off Fu Qinhui's seat. She was so anxious that she felt pain in her foot when she landed on the ground.
After Fu Qinhui parked his bike, he asked, "Why are you so careless?"
The neighbors outside saw it, and the two people standing opposite his door asked, "Where is this bicycle from?"
Fu Qinhui said: "It was borrowed from the unit in charge."
The neighbor said "oh" and laughed: "You newlyweds are still very loving." Although she had several children after getting married, she had never been taken home by her husband in a car, or even hugged by his waist, which was quite embarrassing.
The two of them blushed at the teasing looks from their neighbors.
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