Chapter 9: Chapter 5: Roadster Bicycle +1
The traffic in front of the factory’s main gate slowed to a crawl.
The customers at Wang the Fifth’s noodle stall all turned to look.
Wang the Fifth paused, noodles in hand. He stared in astonishment at Lin Zhiqiang shaking Zhou Yan’s hand, the smile on his face frozen.
The year before last, the silk factory imported foreign looms, and Lin Zhiqiang was transferred in as the vice director overseeing production and technology. Over the past two years, the factory’s output and efficiency had risen steadily, earning him a great deal of prestige.
"Zhou Yan saved Vice Director Lin’s niece? What’s going on?"
"I heard from my neighbor yesterday that some girl from the city fell into the water near White Waxtuo and almost drowned. A young guy pulled her out. Could that have been Zhou Yan?"
"White Waxtuo?! That place has deep, swift water with undercurrents! Every year, a few good swimmers drown there. Zhou Yan has some serious nerve!"
"Even though Zhou Yan’s food is awful, I never would’ve guessed he had such a strong sense of justice on top of being handsome!"
The workers muttered among themselves, in no hurry to clock in now that there was a spectacle to watch.
"Bullshit! That kid Zhou Yan can’t swim at all. How could he have jumped into White Waxtuo to save someone?" Wang the Fifth grumbled, though a seed of doubt had been planted in his mind.
He’d heard some gossip at his stall yesterday that Zhou Yan had come back completely soaked. He had assumed the kid had gotten depressed and tried to jump in the river. ’Who would’ve thought he’d actually saved Vice Director Lin’s niece?’
Zhou Yan was a little stunned as Lin Zhiqiang held his hand. He quickly recalled the girl who had fallen into the water yesterday. ’She’s really Vice Director Lin’s niece?’
’Those old ladies in the town’s rumor mill sure are well-informed.’
"You’re too kind. Anyone would have done the same in that situation," Zhou Yan said with a modest smile.
"This was much more than just lending a hand. I heard you can’t even swim, yet you jumped into the turbulent, dangerous waters of White Waxtuo without a second thought to save her. We will never forget this debt of saving her life." Lin Zhiqiang gripped Zhou Yan’s hand tightly, his face filled with gratitude.
Xia Yao was his wife’s sister’s daughter. She had come to Jiazhou with her teacher for a sketching trip and was taking the opportunity to visit relatives in Suji.
She said she was going to the river to paint yesterday morning but accidentally fell in. When word got back to the factory’s family quarters, he and his wife both felt their legs go weak.
She was the Xia Family’s only daughter. If something had actually happened to her, they would’ve had to jump into the Qingyi River to atone.
Zhou Yan hadn’t just saved Xia Yao. He had saved two families.
That’s why Lin Zhiqiang had started asking about his benefactor yesterday. He prepared a gift of gratitude and had Zhao Dong bring him to thank Zhou Yan first thing this morning.
"Is the young lady all right?" Zhou Yan asked with concern. ’When I saved her yesterday, I had just transmigrated. My mind was a complete fog; I only remember pulling her ashore.’
"Xia Yao is doing well. Your rescue was just in time, and she coughed up all the water she’d swallowed. But she’s still very shaken and not in good spirits. She can’t eat and is a bit weak. Once she’s had a couple of days to recover, I’ll be sure to bring her to thank you in person, Comrade Zhou Yan." Lin Zhiqiang looked relieved, but a hint of worry remained in his eyes.
"As long as she’s all right, that’s what matters. Let her get some rest. She must have been terrified yesterday."
Zhou Yan was genuinely happy to hear she was okay.
As a young man of ambition raised under the red flag, the thrill of being publicly praised for a heroic deed was just as good as finding money.
"Comrade Zhou Yan, to risk your own life to save another... that’s a noble quality, truly admirable!" Zhao Dong praised loudly, the admiration on his face completely genuine.
As a Jiazhou native, Zhao Dong had worked at the textile factory for over a decade. He’d go swimming in the river during the summer, but he would never dare to get in the water at White Waxtuo.
Zhou Yan’s decision to jump in and save her was reckless, to be sure, but that only made his noble character shine brighter.
"Zhou Yan can’t swim and he still dared to jump in the water to save someone! He’s so brave!"
"Now *that’s* what you call risking your life for someone else. I know I wouldn’t have the guts to do it."
"Too bad his cooking is so awful. Otherwise, I’d definitely eat at his restaurant all the time."
The female workers watched Zhou Yan, their eyes filled with admiration and approval.
Lin Zhiqiang also watched Zhou Yan with admiration. The young man was handsome and personable, with a bright, sunny air about him. He had the same flair Lin Zhiqiang himself had possessed in his youth. Moreover, he was modest and well-mannered, carrying himself with a poise that was neither servile nor arrogant. He was nothing like the factory Chefs, who always became so stiff and formal around him.
"Comrade Zhou Yan, this 28-inch roadster is a gift of gratitude I’ve prepared for you. Please, accept it." Lin Zhiqiang let go of Zhou Yan’s hand, gesturing toward a brand-new bicycle parked nearby, adorned with a red rosette.
A collective gasp went through the crowd.
A 28-inch roadster as a thank-you gift!
The onlookers’ gazes toward Zhou Yan were now tinged with envy.
The textile factory had been doing well for the past two years. A frontline worker could make 38.6 yuan a month, not including seniority pay and bonuses. Senior technicians and managers earned even more, so a good number of people had saved up enough to buy bicycles.
But a 28-inch roadster wasn’t cheap. It cost 150 yuan, and you needed a special bicycle coupon just to be able to buy one. On the black market, the price was over 300 yuan.
An ordinary worker would have to save for a year and a half to afford one.
"That bicycle... isn’t that the prize Vice Director Lin received for winning the Provincial Award for Technical Advancement a while back?"
"You’re right! Vice Director Lin is so generous."
"Zhou Yan risked his life for her. He deserves it!"
Zhou Yan’s eyes lit up at the sight of the 28-inch roadster, but he quickly shook his head. "This is too valuable. I can’t accept it."
"Comrade Zhou Yan, you saved the life of a young girl in the prime of her youth. There is nothing more precious than life." Lin Zhiqiang looked at Zhou Yan, his expression serious. "Have you heard the story of Zilu accepting the ox? This bicycle isn’t just to thank you; it’s to encourage others to perform good deeds as well."
Zhou Yan had, of course, heard the story of Zilu accepting the ox. With Vice Director Lin bringing up a classical allusion like that, refusing any further would just seem insincere. He nodded at once. "In that case, I’ll accept the bicycle. Thank you, Vice Director Lin."
