The literary era since 1979

Chapter 25 The most handsome guy in the whole alley

After a while, the two men came back pushing the cart with more tools in their hands.

After all, some of the acquired bicycles cannot be sold, so the valuable parts are dismantled and sold.

Therefore, the car repair tools in the trust store are basically complete.

"This seat... this chain..."

Xiao Liu took a pen and paper and wrote down the numbers and prices of the accessories he took.

He took off his heavy coat, rolled up his sleeves, and skillfully disassembled and reassembled the bicycle, replacing the seat, bell, and chain...

"Yanzi, where did you learn this skill of repairing cars?"

Looking at the bicycle that was being refurbished bit by bit, Fang Hong couldn't help but marvel.

"Apply some oil to the chain and paint the peeling parts, and it will be almost done." Fangyan answered the question irrelevantly, "How is it, sister, how is this car? Does it look 90% new?"

"Yes... too much..."

Without waiting for Fang Hong to speak, Xiao Liu was so shocked that he stammered.

"If I sell this car back to you, is it worth 160 yuan?"

Dialect is spoken in a joking tone.

“You’re going to sell it back to us!”

Xiao Liu's eyes lit up.

"Just kidding, I want to sell these disassembled parts. There's no use keeping them. Can you take a look at them and see how much they are worth?"

Fangyan pointed to a pile of scattered accessories on the ground. Although they were shabby, the Trust Store never turned away anyone. As long as the price was cheap enough, no matter how rotten the items were, they would accept them and there would be people willing to buy them.

"I can take it, but can you do me a favor?"

Xiao Liu took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

"Hey, Xiangshan!"

Fang Yan saw the Yanjing Xiangshan, a Grade B cigarette, and said, "Look, my hands are so dirty, I can't even take the cigarette."

Xiao Liu said anxiously: "I'll get you a basin of water."

"Don't worry, tell me what you want me to help you with."

Fangyan narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are you repairing the bicycle?"

"You guessed it right! Hey, to be honest, I've always wanted to buy a Phoenix or Forever, but I don't have enough coupons or money."

Xiao Liu embarrassedly wanted to help him repair one as well.

"I've seen the Phoenix here. It has a lot of problems. It's not worth spending a lot of money to repair it. But there is a Forever 13 that is okay."

Fang Yan smiled and said, "How about this, I'll tell you the parts you need, and when you have both the car and the parts, I'll come back here some other day when I have time to help you fix the car."

"That would be great!"

Xiao Liu thanked him repeatedly and ran to get him some water.

"See, sister, he's going to thank us!"

Fangyan pursed his lips.

"What the hell! Put on your coat quickly, or you'll catch a cold!"

Fang Hong cursed with a smile, staring at the bicycle. Although it was refurbished, it looked like it had only been used for a few months. Not only did she save the precious bicycle ticket, but she also saved money.

"How's it going, sis? Not bad, right?"

Fangyan put on his coat.

"Yanzi, this second-hand car doesn't look second-hand. How about this, give me this one, and you take the ticket and buy a new one?"

Fang Hong touched the handlebars and couldn't let go.

"Sister, you are scolding me."

Fang Yan said, "I used your ticket to buy a first-hand bike, and you rode a second-hand bike to work. What if people in the alley or the factory found out? People who don't know would think that our mother favors boys over girls and has feudal ideas. Just think about it, how can we live in the alley in the future!"

"Hush, you can't just say that!"

When Fang Hong heard the word "feudal", she was startled.

"So, this ticket can only be used by you."

"But...but..."

"Don't say buts. Think about it, sister. I just started working and I got a brand new Phoenix. It's better than anyone else's in the publishing house, even better than my boss's. It's so ostentatious. What will others think?"

Fang Yan smiled and said, "Second-hand, just right."

Fang Hong was speechless for a moment. She looked at her brother who looked calm, then touched the bicycle ticket in her pocket, feeling torn.

………………

"Ding-ling, ding-ling, ding-ling~"

A clear and pleasant bell rang at the door of the trust store.

The bell of Phoenix brand bicycle is different from that of other brands of bicycles. Other brands have plate bells that only ring once when pressed.

The Phoenix brand is a tornado bell that can spin several times when pressed.

The bursts of ringing instantly attracted the attention of passers-by.

Phoenix brand is so cool!

"Sister, come on, I'll take you back."

Fangyan patted the rear seat and just sat down sideways when he shouted "Let's go", pedaled the pedals and rode out.

"Yanzi, you're riding the wrong way. Home is over there!"

"Sister, I have to go to the police station to get a license plate for my car before I get off work."

Fangyan rang the clear bell on his bike and rode very fast.

When we arrived at the police station, we went straight to the bicycle management team. The front gate cleared the way and we were unobstructed. We processed the bicycle's license and put up a license plate. Then they stamped the bicycle's frame and handlebars.

License, stamp and license plate are three essential items.

Otherwise, you will be very nervous when driving on the road, just like driving without a license, and you may be stopped by police for car checks at any time.

And you need a receipt to pay the bicycle tax.

"Please keep your certificate safe and don't leave it lying around."

Fang Hong gave two particularly careful instructions.

"Sister, don't worry."

Fangyan put the certificate in his pocket and carried her forward.

"Wrong, wrong direction again, this way!"

Fang Hong pointed in the opposite direction.

"Sister, that's right. I'll stop by the post office."

Dialects riding on the road.

"Why are you going to the post office? Another money order?"

Fang Hong was very curious.

"No, I'm going to buy some stamps. The newspaper a few days ago said that there is a zodiac stamp called the Monkey Stamp." Fangyan grinned.

The first Chinese zodiac stamp in China, the Monkey Stamp, was issued on February 1980, 2, but no one was interested in it.

Although the hobby of stamp collecting has been popular since the 1950s and 1960s, it was discontinued during its heyday and has only slowly shown signs of recovery in recent years. However, the Monkey Stamp has not aroused collector's interest.

The key lies in the price.

Although the face value of one coin is 8 cents, there are 80 coins in one edition, and one edition costs 6 yuan. At that time, Moutai was only 4 yuan.

It was not until later that news came out that the postal department planned to issue a set of stamps for the twelve zodiac animals that the Monkey Stamps became popular.

不用等到21世纪，单单85年、86年，一枚就从8分涨到了30块，暴涨近400倍。

In my previous life, I was also a collector and bought several sets. I also treasured a stamp with the words "The Whole Country is Red".

"Yanzi, you bought so many stamps, can you use them?"

Fang Hong looked at the 3rd edition Monkey Stamps in her arms and couldn't help but think of the post office employee who was so moved that he cried and regarded him as his savior.

I begged to buy a few more copies, luckily I stopped myself.

"Sister, this is not for use."

Fangyan smiled and said, "I am collecting stamps."

"Stamp collecting?"

Fang Hong curled her lips, "Why do you develop this weird habit of spending money like some people, and buy three editions at a time?"

"I only have one copy, the remaining two copies are for you and my little sister."

Speaking in dialect while riding.

"What do Yan Zi and I need this for? You should keep it for yourself." Fang Hong scolded, "You have money but nowhere to spend it. Now you have spent all your royalties, right?"

"There are still some left."

Fangyan smiled and said that it was thanks to the subsidy given by "Yenching Literature and Art" during the revision period that he received, otherwise, the second-hand Phoenix bicycle plus the 3rd edition monkey stamps would have completely emptied his pockets.

"Be frugal, okay? If you want to spend lavishly, wait until you earn a salary." Fang Hong reminded him tirelessly.

Fang Yan smiled and said, "I won't buy too many, just three copies. When you and my younger sister get married, you can each get one copy as part of your dowry."

"What marriage, what dowry? You are so bold to make fun of your sister. You deserve to be beaten!"

Fang Hong punched him on the back a few times in embarrassment and anger.

Amidst the laughter, the afterglow of the setting sun shines on the smooth road.

"Ding-ling, ding-ling~"

On the way back to Nanluoguxiang, Fangyan rode a bicycle, but he went into the entrance of the alley. The brother and sister got off the bicycle and walked home.

It's just like a fisherman who has to walk home after catching a fish.

The crisp bell and the eye-catching logo caught the attention of neighbors, and he immediately became the coolest guy in the entire alley.

"Hey, Yanzi, you bought a bicycle? What brand?"

"Phoenix brand? Is it Phoenix brand?"

"Where did you get the Phoenix?!"

"Ever since your novel was published, you've been like a cow chasing a bull, so awesome! Your sister has so many advanced things but doesn't even have a car, but you got one first, and it's a Phoenix brand!"

"Who said my sister doesn't have one? She will soon have one, also a Phoenix brand." Fangyan replied to the neighbor.

In an instant, the alley exploded.

The Fang family suddenly needs two Phoenix brand bicycles. Is this robbing a supply and marketing cooperative or robbing a department store?
Facing the neighbors' pointing and talking, Fang Yan looked at them sideways and said, "Sister, look, now you have no choice but to buy the Phoenix brand."

"Yanzi, don't mobilize the masses."

"No matter how I mobilize the masses, they have sharp eyes."

"Still poor!"

Fang Hong shook her head and laughed.

The brother and sister returned to the yard talking and laughing, and the bicycle pushed by Fangyan immediately caught the sight of Su Ya and Liu Jianjun.

"Yanzi, did you buy a bicycle?"

Liu Jianjun's heart skipped a beat. When he saw the Phoenix brand logo, his face changed drastically and the corners of his eyebrows and mouth twitched constantly.

"Sister Hong, this car is not given to you by the factory..."

Su Ya looked at Fang Hong, then at Fang Yan, with complicated eyes.

Fang Hong smiled and said, "No, this car was bought second-hand by Yanzi from a trust store."

Su Ya was surprised and said, "Second-hand? No way, I can't tell at all."

"Don't believe it? Look at the paint here, and here."

Fangyan parked the car and locked it. "How can a new car be scratched like this?"

Liu Jianjun felt sad. A second-hand Phoenix is ​​still a Phoenix!
Fang Yan talked about the whole process of buying the car. Yang Xia, Liu Dongfang, Wang Meili and others came over to listen.

"Yanzi, where did you learn to repair cars?"

Not only Su Ya, but everyone present wanted to ask this question.

The dialect is related to queue-jumping. In fact, everyone who has lived through this era treats bicycles like they treat their ancestors.

"How much is this second-hand one?"

Yang Xia, Zhao Hongmei and other parents said the same thing.

As soon as Fangyan quoted the price, everyone was tempted. Although it was not much different from the Phoenix brand half-set chain, the key was that no tickets or industrial coupons were required.

"That's fine, but my dad said that when I get into college, he'll buy me a brand new Phoenix or Forever, right?"

Liu Jianjun straightened his chest and looked at his parents.

Seeing that Liu Dongfang and Wang Meili were trying hard to save face, Fang Yan did not expose them. He turned to look at Su Ya who was touching the handlebars in a daze.

"What about you?"

"I?"

Su Ya took her hands off the handlebars and said, "When I need the bike, I'll come find you."

"sure!"

Before Fang Yan could speak, Fang Hong agreed, "When the time comes, just go find Yan Zi. He can repair any bicycle!"

"Of course, who else can I find if not him?"

Su Ya smiled generously.

Looking at how happy they were, Liu Jianjun felt like an outsider while they were a family.

Suddenly, the image of Su Ya sitting on the back of Fangyan's bicycle with her arms around his waist flashed through his mind inexplicably, and his heart trembled.

Do not! ! !
impossible! Absolutely impossible!
　I will continue to recommend it tomorrow, and Fang Xiaojiang will make further progress in the literary world.

　　Please collect, read and invest. orz.

(End of this chapter)