It was that same section chief who received them. He took care of both Hongtashan cigarettes, and even arranged for them to be served by that worm. Finally, he asked Xing Baohua if he wanted to put up a signboard, saying he had connections in the GA Bureau.
Since the section chief is so enthusiastic, I'll get him a license plate. He doesn't seem to have a driver's license yet; I wonder if he can take the test.
When it's time to apply for the license plate, ask around. The section chief was very helpful and wrote a letter, telling Xing Baohua to go to the local area and find so-and-so.
When Xing Baohua saw the vehicle, he regretted his decision. It was a civilian version, like a bicycle, which anyone could buy with money. Several people in the factory rode these things, and he had seen quite a few on the main road.
It's incredibly loud when it starts up. You can hear it from two miles away. This thing is known as the Black Crow.
There was nothing he could do; Xing Baohua had already paid. They wouldn't let him see the car before, and now it's too late for regrets. Judging by the car's condition, it'll probably cost around a hundred yuan to repair.
The warehouse was piled high with miscellaneous items, and it took the two men a lot of effort to clear some of them before they could lift the car out. All the tires were flat. It was unclear whether they had been left out for too long and had lost their air pressure, or if the tires were simply worn out.
The car body was also covered in dust. The seat also had two cracks.
This is a piece of junk; it's probably worth only ten dollars as scrap metal.
The section chief, somehow obtaining a rag, kept whipping the dust off the car. This caused Xing Baohua to cough violently.
Two packs of cigarettes—that's some serious attitude. The section chief also noticed Xing Baohua's slight predicament and said with a smile, "Are you thinking about how to get them back?"
"Indeed, this is a problem. I was thinking of leaving the car here and finding a cart to help carry it back." Xing Baohua smiled awkwardly.
“If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t care. We’re all in the same system, so don’t worry. I’ll just give you a call and it’ll be taken care of. But do you want to take it back and fix it yourself or find someone to fix it?”
Hearing this, Xing Baohua immediately understood that this person wanted a one-stop shop for repairs. So he asked, "Boss, if you know anyone who can fix this, could you please introduce me to a repair shop? It would save me from searching everywhere for a place to fix my car."
“Perfect timing. I have a relative who works at the bus repair shop. I’ll give him a call and have him come over and get it done for you. You can negotiate the repair cost with him.”
Xing Baohua said politely, "Thank you for your trouble. Let's get together sometime."
After exchanging pleasantries, the section chief helped Xing Baohua push the car to the entrance of the municipal bureau and told him to wait there.
Xing Baohua stood on the curb, sometimes squatting and sometimes standing, waiting for nearly two hours before someone finally rode by on an empty handcart.
"So you're the one fixing cars! Come on, help me lift this car up. Wow, this car is pretty old, what year is it?" He said, glancing at the nameplate on the frame.
"A '69 model, wait, aren't those two inventory cars in the warehouse?" The visitor was a middle-aged man. After looking at the nameplate on the car, he seemed to remember something and asked Xing Baohua.
"I think so! What's wrong?" Xing Baohua asked curiously.
"Don't let the dirt fool you, it's been sitting around for a while. But the car is brand new. I know about this, it's not a big deal. If the tire's flat, just find an air hose and inflate it. If you're still worried, take it to a repair shop for a test, then you'll be at ease. This car is a great piece of equipment!"
"Alright, I'll listen to you, Master. What's your surname, Master?" At this moment, Xing Baohua was happy, all her previous regret gone. She had gotten a bargain!
"My surname is Chen. Where do you work, young man?"
The two walked and talked towards the city's bus repair shop. After Mr. Chen carefully inspected the vehicle, the sputtering sound finally started.
"The oil in the carburetor is old. I've cleaned the carburetor for you. Remember the oil-to-gasoline ratio: one liter of oil to 15 liters of gasoline. If you don't know the ratio, find a wine bottle, fill it with oil, and then fill the rest with gasoline." Master Chen guided him through cleaning the fuel system and refilling it with oil.
He also told Xing Baohua that there was a water tap for washing buses over there, so he could go and wash his car himself.
After finishing all that, Xing Baohua asked Master Chen for the fee, but he was too embarrassed to ask for more money and just gave her twenty yuan.
This is a skilled job, and the money comes quickly! Just cleaning a carburetor and filling up the tank costs twenty yuan, and you can't complain about it. But if someone asks for a hundred, you can't do anything about it. And you don't even have anywhere to get it repaired.
Before leaving, Xing Baohua specially bought a pack of cigarettes for Master Chen, thinking that he would ask him to fix his motorcycle if there were any problems in the future. After all, it's not easy to find a motorcycle repairman these days.
Xing Baohua rode the motorcycle, controlling the throttle with one hand and holding onto the middle of the handlebars with the other. Fortunately, he was large and had long arms. After getting used to the road for a while, he finally found his balance.
The "Black Crow" is actually a motorized bicycle. When it runs out of fuel, you can pedal it, it's a bit strenuous, but it's still better than pushing it.
This attracted quite a bit of attention along the way. Mainly because the sputtering sound was so loud that people turned to look in his direction.
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