Chapter Twenty-Nine: Buying a Bicycle

Chen Liang, having found out where his sister-in-law’s office was, walked straight over and knocked on the door. At the sound of “Come in,” he opened the door and entered.

Seeing his sister-in-law working, he called out, “Sister-in-law.”

The moment she heard the voice of her younger brother-in-law, she lifted her head, and sure enough, there stood Chen Liang before her.

She quickly got up to greet him, motioned for him to sit, and only then asked what had brought him to her.

Chen Liang took out a bicycle coupon and handed it to her with a grin. “Sister-in-law, I managed to get a bicycle coupon. I’d like to buy a ladies’ bicycle for Xiaoyu, so I came to ask for your help.”

“Of course, little brother! You even managed to get a bicycle coupon!” She was inwardly amazed—her brother-in-law was proving himself more and more capable.

However, she added, “You want to buy a ladies’ bicycle? Isn’t the kindergarten quite close to home? Why not get a 28-inch roadster instead? Then you could ride it to pick Xiaoyu up from work, wouldn’t that be more convenient?” The thought of her brother-in-law cycling his wife to and from work every day struck her as wonderfully romantic, and she couldn’t help but suggest it.

Chen Liang chuckled, “Sister-in-law, your information is outdated! I helped Xiaoyu get a new job—she’s working at the city library now!” He hadn’t told the family about Xiaoyu’s job change, so his sister-in-law had assumed she was still at the kindergarten.

His words truly startled her—good heavens, the city library! How had her brother-in-law managed that?

Still, her own job was quite respectable, so she just felt a pang of envy.

The city library was a fair distance from Chen Liang’s home, so he remained firm in his decision to buy his wife a ladies’ bicycle.

In these days, most families bought bicycles for their practicality, regardless of gender, and the 28-inch roadster was the go-to choice—so sturdy even Africans in later years would still use it.

So when his sister-in-law went to collect the bike with the coupon, she drew envious looks from everyone. To see two sisters-in-law each with a ladies’ bicycle, people praised the Chen family’s two sons for their devotion to their wives. To marry into the Chen family was truly a stroke of luck!

Such compliments made his sister-in-law’s heart bloom with delight—she couldn’t have been more pleased!

But when she saw her best friend, she reined in her pride a little.

At that moment, Liu Siyuan, with a cold and scowling face, simply couldn’t fathom why she had lost out to Xiaoyu, who looked as if she were half-foreign!

If Chen Liang had been there, he would have scoffed at her—how could a mere pair of A’s hope to challenge a double king and a bomb? Even Liang Jingru wouldn’t dare give you that kind of courage!

A seasoned man like Chen Liang was long past caring about appearances. Besides, Xiaoyu was no less attractive than the matchstick-thin Liu Siyuan, so what could she possibly compete with? Just stubbornness?

His sister-in-law quickly filled out a purchase invoice at the counter and hurried back; if she kept showing off, she worried her friend would be driven to envy.

“Little brother, here’s the invoice for a Phoenix ladies’ bicycle. The original price is two hundred and one, but I got the employee discount and saved thirty yuan!” It certainly helped to have connections—in no time at all, she’d saved him the equivalent of an ordinary month’s wage. Chen Liang himself didn’t care much about the money, but it was a nice perk.

After receiving the receipt from her, Chen Liang now only needed to pay at the counter and pick up the Phoenix bicycle.

“All right, sister-in-law, I’ll go pick up the bike. Here, have this apple—I’m off!” Chen Liang pulled a big apple from his satchel and handed it to her before hurrying away. After getting the bicycle, he’d have to take it to the police station for engraving—there were still more tasks ahead.

When he reached the bicycle counter, Liu Siyuan was nowhere to be seen; otherwise, he might have teased her: “I’m the man you’ll never have!” Likely, Liu Siyuan had felt too awkward to face him and had hidden away.

After paying, he picked up the new bike and took it to the police station for engraving. A man nearly six-foot-three, riding a petite ladies’ bicycle, Chen Liang was a comical sight on the street.

At the police station, he paid a one-yuan fee for a license plate and registration, then tipped the engraver twenty cents. With two heavy blows, the man stamped serial numbers into the bike frame. Finally, Chen Liang paid a one-year road tax of one yuan and eighty cents, and the process was complete.

By the time he finished, it was getting late, so he hopped on his brand-new bicycle and went to pick up Xiaoyu from work.

Arriving early, he smoked a cigarette while waiting for his beloved. He hadn't even finished it when Xiaoyu appeared.

Flicking away his cigarette, Chen Liang straightened his clothes, made sure he looked presentable, and in full view of the library staff, strode up to Xiaoyu.

Seeing someone about to pull some romantic stunt, the library staff paused to watch.

“Excuse me, comrade, may I ask you for directions?” Chen Liang said, his voice full of deep feeling.

“Huh?” Xiaoyu was utterly bewildered by his antics.

“Tell me, how do I find my way into your heart?” Chen Liang shamelessly borrowed a cheesy pickup line from the future.

“Oh!” Xiaoyu, completely flustered, blushed crimson and lowered her head.

Chen Liang was behaving like a rascal, and the unmarried young men at the library could barely restrain themselves, ready to teach this insolent fellow a lesson.

After all, this new colleague was strikingly beautiful and, rumor had it, had powerful connections. On her first day, she’d been assigned a cushy job by the director—just tallying the number of books borrowed each day.

It was basically no work at all; she only needed to pop by the window before leaving and jot down a number. Quite a few men were eyeing her, hoping for both fortune and romance.

Since it was her first day and no one really knew her yet, none had dared to make a move. Otherwise, Xiaoyu would have been pestered by suitors daily.

“Hey there, young man, you should choose better moments for your romantic displays! This is hardly the place!” Old Mr. Lu, watching the scene, thought to himself that even at his age, he couldn’t escape being force-fed such public displays of affection.

“Old man, what are you doing here?” Chen Liang was a bit miffed at having his confession interrupted—and even more so upon seeing it was Old Mr. Lu.

“Now listen here, if I don’t go home after work, am I supposed to live at the library?” Old Mr. Lu gestured at him.

Grass—a plant.

Even after work, he never missed a chance to bum a cigarette, but Chen Liang still took out a pack of Hua Zi and handed it over. “This is my last pack—if you want more, you’re out of luck!”