Chapter 40: A Village Sensation

Wang Shuning nodded with a smile. “I went to town to pick up a letter today. My mom mailed me a bicycle coupon, so I went to the county to buy one. Isn’t it pretty?”

Wang Shuning wasn’t wearing the watch; the bicycle was eye-catching enough. She could simply take the watch out of her space to check the time.

He Zhuzhu, Goudan , and Mingming nodded in unison. “Pretty.”

Goudan  ran to the bicycle, reaching out to touch the seat. “Sister Shuning, can you take me for a ride?”

Wang Shuning readily agreed. “Of course. You can sit in the back.”

Mingming immediately shouted, “Me! Me!”

Modern bicycles had a bar in front for children, but Wang Shuning worried she wasn’t skilled enough to carry two children. “You can take turns sitting behind.”

He Zhuzhu quickly scolded, “It’s a new bicycle. What if it gets scratched? The village is so small; you two can just walk.”

Wang Shuning put up the kickstand, holding the handlebars and helping Goudan  onto the bicycle. “Bicycles are for riding. Scratches and repairs are common. If it breaks easily, I’ll go to the county to find the department store. Goudan , get on. I’ll take you for a ride, then I’ll pick up Mingming.”

Goudan  climbed onto the back seat, hugging Wang Shuning’s waist tightly. The early winter wind was already biting.

Goudan , sitting on the back seat, waved to his playmates who were running over. “Erliang, look! I’m on a bicycle!” His tone was boastful but mostly excited.

After one ride, Wang Shuning went back to pick up He Guoyue. After two rides, the news that the newly arrived educated youth, Wang Shuning, had bought a bicycle had spread throughout Dafeng Village.

At dinner, they could still hear conversations outside. Many people came to He Zhuzhu’s house today.

He Zhuzhu’s throat was dry; she drank three glasses of water in a row.

He Zhuzhu reminded, “Zhiqing Ning, remember to lock the bicycle in your room. It’s so expensive; don’t let others ride it and damage it.”

This bicycle was worth more than their house. People couldn’t move the house, but one person could lift a bicycle. No matter how honest the villagers were, there were always a few troublemakers who were lazy and loafed around—a few bad apples spoiling the bunch.

“I know. I’ll lock it in my room when I’m not home.”

Zhang Meili heard that Wang Shuning had bought a bicycle and exclaimed, “It seems that Shuning’s family is even richer than Lü Beichu’s.”

Guo Jingyi, sitting at the table marking dates on a calendar in the newspaper, said, “They’re probably not as rich as Beichu’s family, but she’s favored at home. When I talk to Beichu, I feel like his family is somewhat matriarchal.”

Zhang Meili was shocked. “I’ve only heard of patriarchal families. My mother is a little like that. Matriarchal? Lü Beichu is really unlucky.”

Guo Jingyi raised her eyebrows. She thought it was good. She couldn’t stand patriarchal families. She was a skilled cook and wasn’t afraid of not making money. If she and Lü Beichu really got together, she wouldn’t need her family’s support, as long as Lü Beichu wasn’t a mama’s boy.

Zhang Meili put the washed dishes and chopsticks under the stove. “There aren’t any bicycles in the village. The only transportation to town is the ox-cart, or we have to walk. It’s good that Shuning bought a bicycle; if we have an emergency, we can borrow it.”

Guo Jingyi agreed. Even if their relationship wasn’t very good, if there was an emergency, Wang Shuning would lend it to them.

Zhang Meili looked at the circled dates on the table. “You’ve taken on two more banquets? How’s the food?”

Guo Jingyi replied, “The food is good, but you probably can’t go. They’re all in Zhongzhou Village.”

To reach Zhongzhou Village through the paddy fields, Guo Jingyi had to walk for almost an hour. Most importantly, Zhang Meili didn’t know anyone there, and they weren’t from the same village. Even if she gave a gift to attend the banquet, it would be embarrassing.

Zhang Meili sighed. “Forget it. It’s too far. I’ll go to the mountain to dig winter bamboo shoots instead.”

The next morning, Wang Shuning, covered with a quilt and sunbathing in the yard while eating melon seeds, heard someone calling her. She sat up and saw Village Chief He Haiming entering.

Wang Shuning lifted the quilt and moved the high stool beside her. “Hello, Village Chief. Aunt Zhu took Goudan  and Mingming to the mountain.”

He Haiming walked over. “I’m not here for He Zhuzhu; I’m here for you.”

Wang Shuning raised her eyebrows, stood up, and took a small stool from behind the kitchen stove for He Haiming. “Village Chief, is there something you need?”

He Haiming looked at her kindly. “Nothing much. It’s the slack season, and you’ve been in the village for a while. Are you adapting well?”

Through the open door, he could see the back wheel of the new bicycle. Unexpectedly, the educated youths who arrived in the second half of the year were all extraordinary. Lü Beichu’s family was rich; his father was a factory director. Guo Jingyi was a good cook and had taken on many banquets these days; people from other villages were inviting her.

The most low-key was the one in front of him. She quietly rode her bicycle back, and even his family couldn’t get a bicycle coupon. Who would have thought that the first bicycle in Dafeng Village would be ridden back by an outsider? It was quite unexpected.

Wang Shuning grabbed some melon seeds and peanuts for He Haiming. “I’m adapting well. The villagers are nice, especially Aunt Zhu’s family. They take good care of me.”

He Haiming said contentedly, “You’re all from the city, and this is your first year. You can’t go home for the New Year, but you can go back next year. If you feel lonely during New Year’s Eve dinner, come to Uncle Haiming’s house.”

Wang Shuning politely refused. “It won’t be lonely. Goudan  and Mingming are very talkative; it’ll be lively.”

He Haiming then went to Guo Jingyi’s house for a while before going to Lü Beichu’s. Zhao Heping still couldn’t get out of bed. The two men’s room was the messiest; a wooden bucket in the corner was full of dirty clothes. Fortunately, it was winter, and the clothes wouldn’t rot. In summer, it would be smelly.

Lü Beichu came back with fish and met the village chief. He thought about giving him some fish but didn’t say anything. He had two fish—one for himself and one for Jingyi.

He Haiming saw the fish’s tail still moving. “Caught in the river?”

Lü Beichu nodded. He fished when several villagers were around; it wasn’t a secret. “I used a fishing rod.”

“The fish in the river are very clever. Many people use fishing nets and don’t catch such big ones. Your fishing skills are good,” He Haiming said. He had also fished when he was young, sitting by the river all day without catching a single fish. Making a fishing rod took him half a day.

After He Haiming left, Lü Beichu asked, “Why did the village chief come?” If there was nothing, village cadres generally wouldn’t visit; they didn’t even go to the educated youth’s quarters very often.