Chapter 39: Buying a Bicycle and a Watch

After eating, Wang Shuning took Goudan and Mingming home. As they turned a corner at the intersection, she saw a familiar face—He Weiyuan, Zhao Leyi’s boyfriend.

As they passed each other, He Weiyuan’s gaze swept over Wang Shuning from head to toe, as if he wanted to strip her clothes off, making her very uncomfortable.

Wang Shuning frowned and quickened her pace, feeling a chilling gaze on her back. She felt like she was being targeted by a wild wolf.

“Sister Shuning!” Goudan was almost pulled down.

Wang Shuning stopped, seeing the two children’s flushed faces and panting breaths. “Sorry, I walked too fast.”

The houses in the village were so close together; He Zhuzhu lived right next door; nothing should happen.

Wang Shuning dismissed her worries. She had watched too many suspense dramas and was overthinking; there weren’t that many accidents in the world.

Back home, Wang Shuning went to her space to harvest. Tomorrow, she would go to town to see if there were any bicycles for sale. If not, she’d have to go to the county.

Three hundred meters from He Pingping’s house,

Zhang Meili glared at Qin Chuming, furious. She wanted to slap him three times. “You talk so much! You clearly came to see Guo Jingyi and used me as a shield. Who do you think I am, Zhang Meili?”

This was the third time Qin Chuming had visited Zhang Meili under the guise of visiting a fellow villager. But every time, he ended up talking to Guo Jingyi, completely ignoring Zhang Meili. This time, she couldn’t take it anymore.

Moreover, every time Qin Chuming came, Guo Jingyi was very uncomfortable, making Zhang Meili feel humiliated and resentful. Why didn’t Qin Chuming like her but liked Guo Jingyi?

Qin Chuming widened his eyes in protest. “Which eye did you see me coming to see Guo Jingyi with?”

Zhang Meili’s pupils narrowed, and she pointed at her eyes with scissors, spitting on Qin Chuming’s face. “Both of my eyes saw it! Get out! Don’t come to see me again. I don’t want to say a word to you, you jerk!”

Qin Chuming looked at Zhang Meili’s resolute back as she left, feeling disbelief. Compared to Guo Jingyi, who was a good cook and beautiful with gentle features, Zhang Meili was only slightly better-looking than an ordinary village girl. She was outspoken and not at all ladylike. He should be grateful that he even glanced at her, yet she dared to lose her temper. Such a woman was unsuitable to marry and bring home. If they argued more intensely, she might even resort to violence.

Chaoyang County,

Song Qian heard the door open and rushed from the room to the entrance, her eyes full of anticipation. “How is it? Did you collect everything?”

Song Wen grinned. “How could I not? The price was even two cents higher than we agreed upon.”

Song Qian grabbed Song Wen’s wrist and pulled him into the room, locking the door. “Quickly take out the money and let me count it.”

Song Wen was sweating. “Mom, counting money is such a hassle. It’s exactly 900 yuan; no need to count.”

It wasn’t that Song Wen didn’t like counting money, but every time he did, his mother would take half, claiming she was saving it for his marriage, but his future wife was still nowhere in sight.

In the end, Song’s mother took 500 yuan of the 900 yuan. “We earned 350 yuan in two days—enough for two or three months’ work.”

Song Wen was eager. “Mom, go to the North City black market in two days and keep an eye on things. If that dark girl comes again, we must keep an eye on her. If someone else snatches her, we’ll lose big time.”

Song Qian nodded vigorously. From tomorrow, she wouldn’t go anywhere else. She would stay at the North City black market and absolutely wouldn’t let anyone steal her big business.

“Don’t call her ‘dark girl.’ She’ll be unhappy if she hears you.”

Song Wen mumbled, “But she is dark!”

The next day, Wang Shuning went to the state-run department store in town. She didn’t see any bicycles.

As she passed a fabric store, Wang Juan, who was about to take the substandard fabrics back to the warehouse, saw her. “Wang Shuning!”

Wang Shuning looked at her. “So you work at the fabric store.”

“Are you buying fabric? The store received a lot of new goods yesterday, and they haven’t been put out yet. If you’re buying fabric, I can show you,” Wang Juan said enthusiastically.

Wang Shuning shook her head. “I don’t know how to sew clothes; I only buy ready-made clothes. Do you know where they sell bicycles in the mall?”

Wang Juan looked at her seriously. “Our town’s state-run department store doesn’t usually sell bicycles. If you want to buy one, you have to register at the window and wait for them to ship it from the county.”

“I see.” That meant she had to come again. If she went to the county to buy one, it was already late; there would be no ox-cart, so she’d have to walk.

Wang Shuning went to the window to inquire about buying a bicycle. She was told that it would take three days to ship the goods, and they only had bicycles, not watches.

So she decided to go directly to the county. It wasn’t noon yet. If she bought a bicycle, she could ride it back in the afternoon, and it wouldn’t be too late.

At the state-run department store in the county, several brand-new bicycles were on display, each costing 160 yuan, plus a 3-yuan pump.

Seeing her pushing a new bicycle, the salesperson at the watch counter opened the window and took out the watch Wang Shuning wanted.

It was a women’s watch with a small dial and a brown leather strap. It was pretty, and she bought it for 120 yuan.

Wang Shuning paid and rode her bicycle home. Only two days had passed since her transaction with Song Qian; she didn’t want to go see her so soon.

Song Qian waited at the North City black market all day but didn’t see her. She carried pork ribs home to cook. They had been eating meat for two days, and the whole family had gained weight.

A bicycle bell rang, and Song Qian stopped to make way. A new black bicycle sped past, sparkling under the sunlight.

Song Qian looked at Wang Shuning riding away, not recognizing her. She only thought the girl was fair-skinned, and her family must be well-off to afford a bicycle. She would be a good daughter-in-law. Whose daughter was she? Unfortunately, she disappeared quickly.

Dafeng Village entrance,

Aunt Dajiao, chatting and preparing to go home to cook, saw Wang Shuning speeding past on her bicycle, her eyes wide as eggs. Was that a new bicycle? Did she buy it?

From the village entrance to her home, Wang Shuning felt at least fifty pairs of eyes on her. Goudan and Mingming, who were playing in the yard, were stunned to see the bicycle, especially since Wang Shuning was riding it.

“Sister, it’s a bicycle! I see a bicycle!” Goudan jumped up and shouted.

Mingming nodded happily. No one in the village had bought a bicycle. They knew about them because the village chief’s daughter rode one home for the New Year, so many children would gather outside He Haiming’s yard on the second day of the New Year. They couldn’t ride, but just looking at it made them happy.

Hearing Goudan’s voice, He Zhuzhu came out of the kitchen. Seeing Wang Shuning park her bicycle in the yard, she stammered, “You… bought it?”