Chapter 86: Chapter 86: It's rare to go shopping
Feng Yiping only realised now that there had actually been quite a lot of change in the year since his parents had gone to the provincial capital. Judging by their plans, they had some business acumen, and at least didn't have the 'small-farmer mentality' that so many people talked about. They were still very enterprising.
No wonder they say that it is the times that make heroes. If they had stayed in their hometown, my parents would probably have remained the same as they were, working hard all their lives. When they were young, they could harvest a large barn of grain a year, but when they grew old, they could no longer tend the land, and could only harvest a small barn of grain a year.
This kind of change is very encouraging, and it is exactly what he wants.
Feng Zhenchang and Mei Qiuping were also going to buy some gifts and find an excuse to go to the furniture factory to see Lao Cai on a rainy day. Unexpectedly, on the third day after Feng Yiping returned, Cai Hong and Mei Yiliang came again, both of them riding a bicycle.
Cai Hong greeted them and swung the bicycle in front of Feng Yiping, 'What do you think? Do you like it?'
It was a blue mountain bike, very beautiful, but that was about it. Like a motorcycle, Feng Yiping, a country bumpkin, knew nothing about these things.
He never knew how to ride a bike.
Like many rural villages in the mountains, when he was young, the village didn't even have a road, so who would buy a bike?
It would just become a vehicle for people to ride. When he was in middle school, the road was finally built to the village, but at that time, his family was worried about his living expenses every month, so there was no spare money to buy a bike.
As for the villagers, at that time all the young people went out to work, and the remaining ones were the '386199' army that stayed behind. It was just a short distance, but to get there, everyone walked to the main road and took a ride.
In fact, there were probably only a handful of bicycles in the whole village.
So now, when he saw the bicycle, Feng Yiping could only say 'beautiful'.
Cai Hong had wanted to see Feng Yiping's expression of sheer delight and then brag about herself, but she found that her expectations had been dashed, just like her brother Cai Lei's.
Mei Yiliang chimed in, 'My master knew you wanted a bicycle and asked Cai Hong to buy it for you. It was made in a Taiwanese factory in Shenzhen. Not many students in the provincial capital ride this kind of bicycle.'
Oh, so it was bought for yourself, that's a different matter. You will need a bike after school starts. Although I don't understand it, it looks much nicer than the old-fashioned bikes I'm used to seeing.
'Thank you, sister, I really like it!'
'I'm glad you like it. Here, try it.' Cai Hong handed him the bike.
'I...can't,' now it was Feng Yiping's turn to look embarrassed. Like swimming, this was one of his few weaknesses.
Feng Zhanchang asked Mei Yiliang, 'Why did your master give a present to Yiping?'
'My master likes Yiping more, saying that he is smart and has ideas,' said Mei Yiliang.
'How much does this bike cost?' asked Mei Qiuping.
'A few hundred yuan,'
'A few hundred?'
'More than 500 yuan.'
Mei Qiuping immediately felt uncomfortable, 'We can't accept such an expensive gift, let Cai Hong ride it, she rides it very well.'
Feng Zhenchang also said, 'Yiping came back and told us, and asked your master to help find a store. We were planning to buy some things and visit your master one day, so how can we still accept such a heavy thing?'
'It's fine, the master said he is on good terms with Yiping, and since we bought it, you can just accept it!'
Cai Hong shouted from over there, 'Mei Yiliang, come quickly, Yiping still can't ride it.'
She was holding the frame behind him, while Feng Yiping pedaled carefully and nervously, wobbling as he went along the road.
'There was a red one that was very pretty, but your uncle said you didn't like showiness, so you chose the blue one.'
'It's fine, auntie, I like them both.'
As for the colour, he was like a bud about to bloom, pink and tender, able to match any colour, it didn't matter.
After riding for a while, Feng Yiping felt much more relaxed and at ease. It's just about balance, what's so difficult about it?
He encountered a small pothole on the road, and the bike leaned to the left. Easy, just turn it right. He leaned towards the right with his thighs clamped together, as he had learned from experience.
To create a resultant force in the middle, you have to apply force in the opposite direction. He was smug in his thoughts, not having forgotten all the physics he had learned, and that it was now being put to use. Before he could finish thinking, the bike and its rider crashed to the ground with a loud crash from the left, and even Cai Hong, who was helping him, could not hold it up.
It didn't hurt, but he was a little dazed. Was it because I didn't apply enough force or didn't hold the bike at the right angle?
The three of them hurried over, and Mei Qiuping helped him up. 'Where did you fall?'
'It's nothing, sister. Who hasn't fallen a few times when learning to ride a bike? It'll get better after a few falls,' Mei Yiliang said, and went over to help pick up the bike. 'Let me see where you fell.'
Feng Yiping had scraped his knee, and it still hurt a little. Hearing his brother-in-law say that, he was even more angry. It was just that day in the park that he stole the limelight from you, and you still remember it!
Cai Hong laughed and gave him a little tap on the shoulder, 'Behave yourself. You teach Yiping, I'm not strong enough.'
People were still passing by on the road next to them, and at that moment, two girls passing by were looking over and smiling. Feng Yiping's face felt hot, "No, it's better to go to the factory to learn some day, it's not convenient here." It's better not to be here, especially in front of those female college students, right?
'That's good, the factory has a big yard, you can go there and hang out for a few more days,' Cai Hong said.
'I feel bad always troubling you like this. We'd also like to visit your father,' Feng Zhenchang said.
'Big brother and sister, why are you being so polite? My father would love for Yiping to stay at the factory for a few more days. You're welcome to come whenever you want!' Cai Hong took Mei Qiuping's hand and said, 'Mei Yiliang, there's a pharmacy up ahead. Go buy some iodine.'
Feng Zhenchang and Mei Qiuping did not wait for the rainy day. They had received such a heavy gift, and they did not want to delay any longer. The next morning, after buying almost all the buns they needed, they took Feng Yiping to the furniture factory.
Lao Cai was at the factory, smiling as he led them to the office. Cai Hong was even happier, and immediately went to the courtyard to teach Feng Yiping how to ride a bike. At this point, she would not say that she could not teach. Therefore, Feng Yiping always felt that she was just making an excuse to avoid going to work.
There really is nothing difficult about riding a bicycle. By the time his parents came out smiling, Feng Yiping was already riding very smoothly.
It seemed that Lao Cai had a good chat with them, and they were in a good mood.
Thinking that there were only a few days left in the summer vacation, Feng Zhenchang and the others also became generous for once, and simply stopped doing business in the afternoon! They were going to take Feng Yiping for a spin in the city centre.
When Cai Hong heard this, she immediately started to argue about going too, and Cai Hong agreed after some thought, and asked Mei Yiliang to accompany them. He had already helped Mei Yiliang contact a renovation team, and he would be leaving the factory next month, so it would not be as convenient to meet up with Cai Hong as it was now.
Feng Yiping really wasn't that interested in the city centre or the pedestrian street at the moment, and he would rather go for a walk along the river. But he still pretended to be very happy, because for his parents, who had always lived in the mountains, apart from the sea, they didn't really like seeing mountains and water, and they were still more attracted to modern things like tall buildings.
He didn't know that there were so many idle people there, and it seemed that no matter what time of day it was, the city centre of every big city was always teeming with people. The provincial capital was naturally no exception. The pedestrian street was packed with people, and at some landmark buildings, it was really a luxury to take a solo photo.
This area is the most prosperous and modern part of the provincial capital, with high-rises and shops lining the streets, overwhelming the senses. Although they have been in the provincial capital for more than a year, Feng Zhenchang and Mei Qiuping are here for the first time. They exclaim in admiration, eyes wide open, looking up at the surrounding high-rises, and exclaim, 'How high can these be!'
Mei Qiuping even said to Feng Zhenchang, 'Wait a minute, I'm getting dizzy.'
Just looking at the tall buildings in a circle in place like this can make you dizzy.
Mei Yiliang had probably told her to stay away from the shops, so Cai Hong didn't go shopping either, but walked with them all the way, holding Mei Qiuping's hand and introducing things to her.
Seeing the bronze sculptures along the roadside, Mei Qiuping couldn't wait to touch each one, especially those that reflected folk customs, such as the merchant carrying a load on his shoulders. She felt very close to them and even went to touch the fruit in the load.
Of course, there were many people doing the same thing, and the heads and bodies of each sculpture were bare, especially the heads, which were shiny from being touched.
Feng Zhenchang touched and touched, and asked Mei Yiliang, 'Are these all made of bronze?'
Mui Yee Leong wasn't sure either, 'I think so!'
'Gee, so much copper, how much would it be worth!'
There was nothing they could do, that was just the way it was now, practicality came first.
Seeing the fountain in the centre of the square, they volunteered to take a photo, so Fung Yat Ping went over and took a group photo with them. If memory serves, this was also the first photo of him and his parents.
They took a break by the flower beds in the square. Mei Yiliang went to the small shop next door and bought some soft drinks. Mei Qiuping and the others didn't want to drink them, so the two of them shared the bottle and he was told to return it.
Later, they came to the front of an ancient-style building. The two of them were originally very interested, but when they heard that there was a fee to go up, they immediately backed off. Feng Zhenchang also said, 'Why spend that kind of money? You can see it from the outside just the same.'
There was nothing they could do, so Feng Yiping accompanied the two of them as they slowly walked around the building. As for Cai Hong, she was really tired of just walking and looking around these places, without going into the shops, as he was familiar with them all. She just sat there resting, accompanied by Mei Yiliang.
As for Feng Zhenchang and the others, walking was no problem for them. They were in high spirits the whole time.
When it was past six o'clock, Mei Yiliang said, 'Why don't we just go eat?' They of course disagreed, but in the end Cai Hong stepped in and they agreed. As a result, after much deliberation, they agreed to just have some noodles.
Mei Qiuping even said to Cai Hong, 'My brother is good at everything, except he doesn't care about money. He's so generous with it, so you have to keep an eye on him in the future.'
Without having to accompany them on their simple walk, Cai Hong was much more energetic again. She said to Mei Yiliang, 'Did you hear that? My sister told me to keep an eye on you!'
After eating the noodles, Cai Hong and Mei Yiliang were going to go to the movies, and they even said that the five of them were going together. However, as soon as they heard about the ticket prices, they backed off.
Cai Hong knew that she couldn't persuade them, so she wanted to ask Feng Yiping to go with them. Feng Yiping, however, didn't want to be the fifth wheel to the car, so he took the bus back to where his parents were staying.
In fact, according to my parents, if they weren't unfamiliar with the area, they were prepared to walk back.