Dating (Part 2)
Meng Songying explained earnestly, "No, I only have a watch and a bicycle, which are convenient for checking the time and traveling back and forth between home and the factory."
So it's not about the "three turns and one sound" (referring to a set of three-turn watches and a radio), nor is it about forced marriage.
Wang Shuitao was just teasing him. After thinking for a moment, she also thought it was necessary to buy a bicycle. Riding two wheels would save more than half the time compared to walking back.
Moreover, after being relieved of her heavy burden, she became much more financially secure.
"Okay, let's go take a look. You can help me choose some too."
Meng Songying raised her foot.
"I'll have to pay for the bicycle myself."
Meng Songying stopped.
He stared longingly at the peach, clearly wanting to pay, but acting like a child begging for candy.
Unfortunately, the interval between skill uses was too short, and Wang Shuitao developed resistance: "You're disobeying me?"
Three seconds later, slow footsteps sounded from behind.
Along with it came that familiar voice: "Be good."
There was a sense of reluctance in it.
Wang Shuitao ignored him and took out a slice of biscuits from the brown paper package, about a dozen pieces, and handed them to the lady behind the counter: "Comrade, do you still have bicycles here?"
The aunt took the cookie, then withdrew her hand, and when she lifted it again, the cookie had vanished without a trace.
"Yes, come with me to the warehouse. They're just sitting here collecting dust, and people keep touching them, which has scratched the paint on the cars. We'd have to report it as damage, and the foreman almost made me pay for it. By the way, I'll show you over there. You can look at them, but you can't touch them. I can't afford to pay for that with my salary."
Wang Shuitao hesitated, wondering what if it was broken if she touched it.
The auntie glanced back at her, still remembering the cookies from earlier: "You really can't touch them, I really can't afford to pay for it, but don't worry, I know what's good and what's bad."
Wang Shuitao nodded.
The warehouse should be frequently opened, as there was no smell of dust.
Sunlight streamed in through the open roller shutter, dazzling the chrome trim on the handlebars. The woman rolled up her sleeves, wiped the grease from her palms, and began her introduction.
“The Phoenix brand women’s bicycles are the most beautiful,” the auntie said, tapping on a dark green bicycle with curved handlebars and a seat covered in dark green artificial leather with fine visible stitching along the edges.
"Look at this paint, it's been applied in multiple layers, so it won't easily peel off even in wind, rain, or sun. The frame is made of manganese steel, which is lightweight yet sturdy, making it easy for girls to ride. The wheel spokes are thickened, so it's stable even when carrying heavy loads. The only downside is that the handlebars are a bit slow to turn because of their large radius, and they can wobble easily if you turn too fast."
Most people want a 28-inch bicycle, but today it's rare to see someone wanting a women's bicycle, so the auntie explained it to them in extra detail.
Wang Shuitao's gaze slid to the Forever brand bicycle next to her. The bicycle was dark blue, with a less curved handlebar than the Phoenix, a flatter seat, and the word "Forever" printed in silver on its body.
The auntie continued to introduce the bike: "The Forever brand has a thinner frame tube and a chain with sealed bearings, making it easy to pedal and quieter. However, the paint is a bit thin, so it's easy to get scratched and leave marks. You have to be careful with it. It's a bit cheaper than Phoenix, but since you mentioned you're going to the countryside, it's not really suitable. This bike needs to be taken good care of."
Besides these two, there's another Flying Pigeon brand bike in the corner, military green, with handlebars that stand quite upright, and a small, simple spring pad on the back seat.
Auntie: "The Flying Pigeon's frame has even and solid welds, and the tires are thickened, so it can run on rural dirt roads. The only downside is that the handlebars aren't very flexible, so your back gets a little tired after riding for a long time, but it's very durable. Look at this back seat, it has springs, so it's comfortable to carry someone. A lot of young men buy this, saying they can give their girlfriends a ride."
Wang Shuitao looked over curiously.
The aunt explained, "This isn't a women's bicycle; it's just a bit smaller, which also makes it cheaper. Look at the color, military green—lots of people like it. Women can ride it too, and it looks really good on them, you know, dashing and heroic, right?"
Meng Songying curled up the corners of her mouth slightly, as if she could already see the scene her aunt had described. Her eyes were also bright as she stared at the car, her hand itching to take out her money.
Wang Shuitao also liked the car, so she placed an order for it.
The auntie removed the straps from the car body; the car cost 165 yuan.
Meng Songying paid for both the industrial vouchers and the money, since Wang Shuitao hadn't planned to buy a bicycle and only had ten yuan in her pocket.
I'll return it to him when I get back.
Today was a date, and neither of them planned to ruin their plans because of a bicycle. Nowadays, bicycles need to be stamped and registered. After handing both bags of cookies to the aunt,
The auntie patted her chest and guaranteed that she would come back in three days to pick it up, and even prepared the stamp and tag as a guarantee.
"Gurgle—"
Wang Shuitao rubbed her stomach: "It's almost lunchtime. How about we go to the state-run restaurant? I don't want to eat cookies anymore."
"Let's go."
Jiang Manyun wasn't in the shop; she had gone to work as a temporary worker. Zhang Fengzhi wasn't there either, but there was a new young girl who had come in.
The state-run restaurant hadn't actually opened yet; it was only because of their friendship that Chef Zheng let the two of them in first.
Wang Shuitao looked around and asked, "Where is Zhang Fengzhi?"
You see, she sees herself as a fighting cock, and it would be bad if she were hiding in the kitchen. Not to mention the practically impossible act of poisoning, even just having her spit in the food would be unbearable.
Aunt Zhou came over and sat down: "Oh, don't even mention it. Chef Zheng discovered that she was always secretly inquiring about the Revolutionary Committee. Our little temple can't keep such a big shot like her, so Chef Zheng discussed transferring her away."
Wang Shuitao and Meng Songying exchanged a glance, both of them somewhat sensitive to the "Revolutionary Committee".
Could it have been aimed at those two as well, but it failed halfway through?
After Chef Zheng finished cooking, he brought the dishes out himself and first asked Aunt Zhou to help the new girl tidy up, as it was almost time to open the door.
After sending her away, he explained, "It was Manyun. She found out that she wanted to report you two. Tell me, this young girl is quite bold. Does she think she can control the Revolutionary Committee? Getting involved with them will get you in big trouble. I know her father, and I told him that she's staying at home under her parents' control. They won't let her out unless she's properly disciplined, otherwise the whole family will be implicated. So I've replaced her here. It's just washing vegetables and serving dishes; anyone can do that."
He leaned closer and whispered, "It's that woman from the provincial capital who talked to you in this shop last time and then went back to the factory with you. She's the one who instigated this. You should know what's going on."
The sugar factory is keeping the news tightly under wraps, and Chef Zheng hasn't heard a word about it yet.
Meng Songying was a man of few words, and Wang Shuitao didn't say much either, only thanking Chef Zheng for the reminder.
Once all the dishes were served, the state-run restaurant opened its doors for official business.
A huge crowd rushed in, quickly engulfing the two people in the corner, and the shop became very noisy.
The door of the state-run restaurant creaked as it was pushed open, and several people brought in a pungent smell of sweat as they lifted the curtain, causing those nearby to mutter and curse.
However, Wang Shuitao and Meng Songying were sitting far away and couldn't smell it.
A woman, clutching a blue cloth handkerchief and holding two crumpled grain coupons, walked in with two children to order food, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Chef Zheng, wearing a white coat, was tapping an aluminum dish with an iron ladle behind the counter: "The braised pork will have to wait, but the stir-fried vegetables are ready right away."
The woman gently placed the food coupons on the counter: "Three large steamed buns and a bowl of egg drop soup, please."
The child's fingers twisted the patch on his clothes. Then the three of them found a wooden table by the window and sat down; a thin layer of oil had accumulated in the dents of the tabletop.
Two men in overalls at the next table were arguing about their wages, spitting everywhere.
The woman took a small cloth bag from her purse, opened it to reveal two pieces of fruit candy: "Eat these."
Each child was given a piece.
The dishes were served quickly at the table next to us. They were steaming hot when they were brought out. The braised pork lay trembling on the plate, not very big, about ten pieces in a plate, mostly lean with little fat. Every leaf of the stir-fried greens was coated with oil.
The two men were feasting at the table.
The women and children at this table were happily munching on steamed buns, enjoying the aroma of meat from next door, while scallions floated in their egg drop soup.
Sunlight streamed obliquely through the window, casting bright patches on the corner of the table.
Chef Zheng called out from behind the counter, "Next!"
The noise drowned out the conversation between Wang Shuitao and Meng Songying.
Wang Shuitao swallowed the food in her mouth and asked, "Have we offended Wang Sirou? Or is the provincial capital planning to use this kind of method against us?"
Because Wang Sirou had inquired about the production process of the liqueur-filled candy, Wang Shuitao had always thought that the recent events were due to this. She was truly puzzled. Hadn't the provincial capital already given up? Foreign exchange was good, but the amount was small. Was it really necessary to use such a powerful weapon as the Revolutionary Committee?
In this county, everyone has an unspoken understanding: they may fight and contend, but the Revolutionary Committee is not allowed to interfere.
Is the atmosphere different in the provincial capital?
In the past few days, Meng Songying has not only been collecting industrial vouchers, but also inquiring about news.
Wang Sirou had made a guarantee to her father, and Wang Enxuan didn't expect anything from the woman who was leaving home for the first time. He just felt that no one could resist the temptation of coming from the county to the provincial capital.
Meng Songying had always refused to come, but Wang Shuitao, a girl from the countryside, was so ambitious that she would definitely want to come.
Wang Enxuan said a few words, which could be considered as a way to salvage some of the face he had lost over the years due to the technical personnel escaping from his care.
After all, he wanted to be the factory director, and the most important question from others was whether Wang Enxuan could get along well with the technicians.
Based on the information she had gathered, Meng Songying roughly deduced the plans of the Wang family father and daughter, and explained everything to Wang Shuitao.
It's not about the technology and the product itself, but about the people who master the technology and the people who launch the product.
...
Wang Shuitao was shocked: "Is this a tactic for recruiting people? Is that right?"
She repeated, "Is that right?!"
Meng Songying: "Catching fish is not as good as catching fishermen."
But they were all arrests.
Wang Shuitao rubbed her arms and sneered, "What fisherman? I think you're a pelican. Whoever wants to be an animal can be one, but I'm a human being!"
The wind outside the window rustled the leaves, and the dappled sunlight reflected in her eyes, flickering like a cluster of scorching flames.
Meng Songying's breathing became slightly labored, and his heart pounded violently in his chest. He subconsciously curled his fingers into a fist, and the dull pain in his palms relieved some of the fuzzy itch on his left chest.
The woman and her child cleared the table, finished their bowl of soup, and left the state-run restaurant after putting the bowl away.
The seats that had just been vacated were still warm, and the people who squeezed in immediately set their sights on them, plopped down, and saved seats for their companions who were going to order.
Wang Shuitao and Meng Songying also got up and left, slowly strolling to the movie theater.
Perhaps a movie had just finished, and the crowd was thronging out.
The hand-painted poster on the door is changed every seven days and has faded a bit. The five large characters are very eye-catching: "The Story of Liubao".
Clearly, movies nowadays have extremely long theatrical runs.
Even after watching the movie, people were still caught up in the emotions, and amidst the cacophony of voices, someone softly hummed a song:
The bright sunshine of the ninth day of the ninth lunar month is here!
I, your eighteen-year-old brother, told Xiao Yinglian.
This journey involves crossing mountains and seas.
He's been gone for three or two years, and hasn't returned...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
