Zhao Jingsong ran in the dark. Outside the printing factory was a dirt road. The place was desolate, with no houses around. In the distance, he could vaguely see a row of bungalows with faint lights shining from their windows.
Zhao Jingsong could only use that row of bungalows as a lighthouse and ran towards it.
There are people wherever there are lights; this is the only person he can find to ask for help!
In those days, not every household had a television; it was considered very good if one family in a large area of single-story houses had one.
If a family in a hutong has a television, everyone in the hutong will be excited.
In the evenings, everyone in the alley would bring their small stools to watch TV at the homes of those who had televisions.
Unfortunately, each household has limited room size, so there's simply not enough room for many people.
Some people put their TVs in their own yards, where the yards are spacious and more neighbors can watch TV.
When Zhao Jingsong ran over, he saw a house bustling with activity inside and out.
The sound of a television set came from the yard of that family. Children were sitting on the wall of the yard, and many people were watching and discussing the plot.
Zhao Jingsong looked at the people sitting on the wall watching TV. His small eyes blinked. He was absolutely accurate when it came to judging people!
He quickly locked onto a target: a shirtless man with tattoos on his arms and chest. Although he was a boy, his hair was quite long, giving him the look of a hoodlum.
He walked over and said in a low voice, "Hey buddy, watching TV here?"
Erliuzi turned around and glanced at Zhao Jingsong; he didn't recognize the man.
That's strange, why is this person talking to him?
He turned back and ignored Zhao Jingsong.
Zhao Jingsong continued, "Brother, do you have a car? Any kind of car will do!"
Erliuzi turned around and said impatiently, "Who has one of those? A bicycle costs more than 130 yuan, I don't have one!"
Zhao Jingsong's mind went blank for a moment. He was talking about bicycles?
He wanted to ask about cars, but it seemed that even a bicycle wasn't something everyone could afford easily.
He had heard his grandson tell him about the situation here; the local people were very poor, earning only about 50 yuan a month.
It seems the situation is worse than he imagined!
Bicycles aren't something you can just buy anytime, and yet so many people are crowding together to watch the TV!
He said to Erliuzi, "Hey...brother, don't laugh at me, but I took the wrong bus today and missed the last bus back."
I want to go back now, but I can't. If you could help me get a bicycle, I'd give you this one!
As he spoke, he slid off one gold ring after another from his little finger.
This ring weighs at least ten grams, and at the current market price of over 40 yuan per gram, it should be worth at least 400 yuan.
Erliuzi turned around and saw the ring Zhao Jingsong was holding.
A gold ring!
He doesn't have this thing; he can't afford it!
But if you give this person a bicycle, he will give him a gold ring!
His eyes darted around, as if this was the most worthwhile thing he had ever done in his life!
He jumped down from the wall and said to Zhao Jingsong in a low voice, "I got you a bicycle, but you rode it away. How am I supposed to get it back?"
"How about this, I'll borrow a bicycle to take you home, and you give me the gold ring in return!"
Hehe! He really praised himself for his intelligence!
In this way, he won't lose the bicycle, and he can even earn a gold ring!
Zhao Jingsong nodded and said, "Okay, that works too! Who are you going to borrow a bicycle from?"
Erliuzi said, "Go straight along this road, and when you reach the exit, wait for me by the wall. I'll ride my bicycle to find you in a bit!"
Zhao Jingsong obediently walked forward; the street ended at the highway.
He stood at the base of the wall waiting for Erliuzi. He looked at the several large rings on his hand, and this ring was the smallest of them all. The other rings were much heavier than this small ring, and they were all set with gemstones!
His biggest regret now is why he didn't wear all of his fingers?
If that were the case, he could exchange the ring for more things.
He reached into his pocket and found a few bills inside.
He took it out and counted it; it was about $50.
Unfortunately, he didn't know where to exchange US dollars, as he couldn't spend them here.
Erliuzi circled the wall once. The television in this house attracted people from all the surrounding villages and shops. Some even rode bicycles over to watch the TV.
He strolled around for a while and spotted a bicycle. It was a classic 28-inch bicycle that was incredibly fast to ride; it was the kind of bike a man would ride.
Men are generally more careless, unlike women who are usually quite close to their bicycles.
He quietly picked up half a brick from under the wall and walked towards the bicycle.
He smashed the brick hard against the bicycle lock, and the lock snapped open with a loud crack.
He hopped on his bicycle and sped off, his eyes gleaming with greed. He was sure he'd earn a gold ring in no time! Haha!
Wearing a gold ring on his hand, he could brag about it to his buddies for a whole year!
Just as Zhao Jingsong was calculating his assets, he saw Erliuzi riding his bicycle over.
Erliuzi waved to Zhao Jingsong, "Get in the car quickly!"
Zhao Jingsong ran over and sat on the back of the bicycle.
Erliuzi pedaled his bicycle quickly, glancing back every now and then to see if anyone was chasing after him.
It seems that TV series is quite captivating; no one has discovered that he stole the bicycle yet!
Zhao Jingsong watched Erliuzi's movements, then chuckled and said, "You stole this bicycle, didn't you? Are you afraid the owner will come after you?"
Zhao Jingsong exposed Erliuzi's little secret.
He said angrily, "What theft?! What theft! Stop talking nonsense!"
This bicycle belongs to my buddy; I borrowed it from him!
Zhao Jingsong said, "Your buddy can't find his keys, right? You've smashed this car lock!"
Erliuzi's lips twitched violently. He said, "It's borrowed! I'll drop you off where you are, then ride the bike back. What's wrong with that? It's none of your business!"
Zhao Jingsong said, "Don't misunderstand, I didn't mean to interfere with you, this is fine!"
"As long as we have a good working relationship, I'll go where I want to go, and you can make your money, right?"
Erliuzi asked, "Where do you want to go? Tell me quickly!"
Zhao Jingsong said, "Go to the city center! I have an address here, take a look."
Erliuzi said impatiently, "How could I read? I've never been to school. Read it to me!"
Zhao Jingsong read the address to Erliuzi. This address was given to him by his grandson in a letter a long time ago.
Of course, this money was for his grandson...
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