Chapter 26: Buying Two Bicycles
Sheng Wanze trailed behind the two distinguished women of the household, his arms laden with shopping bags of various sizes.
At the hardware counter, there were two styles of bicycles on display. One was the classic “28-bar” model, featuring a high, horizontal top tube. Its tall frame made it sturdy but generally more suitable for men. The other was a 26-inch model with a slanted top tube, designed to be easily ridden by both men and women.
“How much for this bicycle?” Mother Sheng asked.
The sales clerk glanced up from her knitting. Seeing that Mother Sheng and Wanyan were dressed neatly and carried themselves well, she immediately put on a patient smile.
“One hundred and ten yuan, plus one industrial bicycle coupon per unit.”
Mother Sheng nodded decisively. “We’ll take two.”
The clerk paused, convinced she had misheard. “How many… did you say you wanted?”
“I said I want two!”
Without another word, Mother Sheng pulled out a thick wad of cash and two precious bicycle coupons, slapping them onto the glass counter. The clerk hurriedly dropped her yarn and reached for her receipt book, terrified the wealthy customer might suddenly change her mind.
“Which style would you prefer?” the clerk asked, her tone noticeably sweeter and more respectful.
Mother Sheng pointed to the 26-inch slanted-bar model. “We’ll take two of this one.”
“Both the same model?”
“That’s right.”
“Excellent, please wait a moment. I’ll head to the warehouse and have someone bring them out for you.”
The clerk rushed off to fetch the inventory. Once the brand-new bicycles were rolled out, Mother Sheng and Sheng Wanyan carefully inspected the frames, tires, and chains to ensure everything was perfect before handing over the payment.
The clerk counted the cash twice, verifying there were no mistakes, and locked it safely in the cash drawer.
Sheng Wanyan and her mother proudly wheeled their shiny new bicycles out of the cooperative.
Watching the backs of the two women—who were completely blinded by their new toys—Sheng Wanze let out a long sigh. He turned back to the hardware counter and quickly purchased two heavy-duty chain locks.
It wasn’t until Sheng Wanze jogged out and physically locked the heavy chains around the bicycle frames that the mother-daughter duo finally realized they had completely forgotten to buy locks for their massive new investments.
Neither of them said a word. Even if questioned, they would never admit such an oversight.
They loaded their smaller groceries into the front baskets of the bicycles, leaving the heavier items for Sheng Wanze to carry.
When they arrived back at the tube-shaped building and parked the gleaming bicycles downstairs, a crowd of neighborhood aunties swarmed them almost instantly.
Seeing the incoming mob, Sheng Wanze wisely decided to retreat. He sprinted upstairs, dropped the groceries inside the apartment, and immediately fled the compound on Gu Tingxiao’s borrowed bike.
“Oh my goodness! The Sheng family bought two bicycles at once!”
“Heavens above! Isn’t this far too extravagant?”
“The Sheng family is full of state workers. Isn’t it normal for them to afford two bicycles?”
“It’s true what they say: comparing yourself to others will just make you angry.”
The aunties crowded around, running their hands over the polished chrome handlebars and leather seats, the jealousy in their eyes practically overflowing.
“Mother Sheng, why on earth did you buy two?” one of them couldn’t help but ask. In an era with virtually no entertainment, prying into neighborhood gossip was the ultimate pastime.
“My daughter and I both need them for our commutes,” Mother Sheng replied casually, looping the heavy chain lock through the wheels.
“But surely you don’t need two. What a waste of good money!” Mother Li muttered from the back of the crowd. She stared at the identical bicycles, unable to hide the bitter envy twisting her features.
Mother Sheng had zero tolerance for her and didn’t hesitate to deliver a sarcastic counterattack.
“There are two of us going to work, aren’t there? Is there a problem with buying two bicycles? It didn’t cost your family a single cent. If you have the energy to stand here making snide remarks, why don’t you go nag your sons to buy you one?”
Mother Sheng rubbed salt directly into the wound. Everyone knew Mother Li’s sons could barely afford to feed their own households, let alone drop over a hundred yuan on a luxury item.
Despite the sting, Mother Li refused to lose face in front of the crowd. She bit the bullet and shot back, “What did I say that was wrong? Buying two is just a reckless waste!”
“If you think so, then let the neighbors judge for themselves,” Mother Sheng said, raising her voice slightly. “I have a son and a daughter. This bicycle I’m riding now? When my Yan’er gets married, it will go with her as part of her dowry. I just bought it in advance so she can use it for her daily commute. As long as we maintain it well, what’s the difference between this and a brand-new one down the line? She’s riding it to work to contribute to the motherland! Aren’t we killing two birds with one stone and optimizing our resources?”
Mother Sheng’s logic hit the crowd like a lightning bolt.
Why hadn’t they thought of that?!
If a family bought a bicycle for daily use now, they could simply pass it down as a premium dowry item when their daughter married! It saved a massive amount of money, prevented resource waste, and still provided immense face for the family. As long as it was well-maintained, what groom’s family would complain about receiving such an expensive, highly sought-after item?
It was the ultimate two-for-one strategy! Why hadn’t they ever considered such a brilliant loophole?
It seemed the Sheng family truly was sharp-witted; no wonder their entire household had managed to secure state jobs.
“Mother Sheng is absolutely right! Think of how much money that saves in the long run!”
“Exactly! A bicycle is a major asset; who cares if it has a few miles on it when it’s passed down?”
“The Sheng family really knows how to plan ahead!”
Hearing the crowd instantly side with her rival, Mother Li’s face turned an ugly shade of purple. It was always like this; the Sheng family somehow always managed to suppress her household in every conceivable way.
“Well, you still didn’t need to buy two,” Mother Li spat stubbornly. “You don’t have two daughters.”
Mother Sheng let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. The surrounding aunties looked at Mother Li with blatant disgust. Was the woman’s brain defective?
“Is my son not a person?” Mother Sheng demanded. “Am I not a person? Is my husband not a person? Will my future daughter-in-law not be a person? Do you think the rest of us just float to work on clouds?”
What a monumental idiot. Mother Sheng genuinely feared that if she kept talking to the woman, her own IQ might drop from the exposure.
Sensing the tension, another neighbor quickly changed the subject. “Speaking of your son, did Xiaoze really find a partner?”
“Yes!” another auntie chimed in eagerly. “The day he came back, he told us he had a girlfriend. Is it true?”
The crowd leaned in, dying of curiosity. Several of them had been holding out hope for their own daughters and wanted to know if they still had a chance.
“It’s true. In fact, we’re formally settling the engagement tomorrow,” Mother Sheng announced. She figured there was no point in hiding it; when the future in-laws arrived tomorrow, the entire building would see them anyway.
“Oh my goodness! Is it really happening?”
“Where is she from? Is she a factory worker?”
Mother Sheng waved them off. “That’s her private business. I’m not going to gossip about my future daughter-in-law’s affairs.” She had no intention of turning the girl’s prestigious background into cheap fodder for neighborhood chatter.
Mother Li rolled her eyes. “If you won’t say, she’s probably just some country girl from the village.”
Mother Sheng couldn’t even be bothered to respond. She grabbed her groceries and headed upstairs. Tomorrow, when the girl’s high-ranking family arrived in their military jeep, the truth would speak for itself. She decided to let the Li family enjoy their delusional superiority for one more night; the shock tomorrow would be all the sweeter.
Sheng Wanyan stifled a laugh and hurried after her. Her mother truly could be ruthless when she wanted to be.
Back inside the apartment, Mother Sheng put the dry goods away while Sheng Wanyan headed into the kitchen to process the pile of pig offal.
When she unwrapped it, the entire family wrinkled their noses in disgust. The stench was overpowering.
Fortunately, the kitchen was somewhat isolated from the living area. Sheng Wanyan pulled out a bag of cornstarch, dumped a generous amount over the raw offal, and began vigorously kneading and scrubbing the meat.
The harder she rubbed, the stronger the initial smell became. Luckily, at this hour, every household in the building was cooking dinner, and the combined aromas of dozens of kitchens helped mask the stench from the neighbors.
Sheng Wanyan scrubbed relentlessly for half an hour until the offal was finally squeaky clean.
Mother Sheng tentatively stepped into the kitchen, sniffing the air. To her surprise, the foul, metallic stench of the pig offal had completely vanished. Her curiosity was piqued.
“Is this stuff actually going to be edible?” she asked, still looking slightly doubtful.
“Absolutely,” Sheng Wanyan promised, rinsing the meat and beginning to chop the intestines into uniform pieces. “It tastes incredible when you stir-fry it with heavy chili peppers.”
“How did you get rid of that awful smell?”
“You just vigorously scrub it with raw starch for a while, then let it soak,” Sheng Wanyan explained. “The starch binds to the impurities and pulls the odor right out.”
Hearing this, Mother Sheng paused her vegetable washing and immediately went to check the pantry to see exactly how much of their precious starch her daughter had just used.
