60s: I have a store

Chapter 623 Questioned

When Zhang Yan jumped off the bicycle, she stumbled as soon as her feet touched the ground, but she didn't have time to steady herself. She turned around to look at Zhou Yimin, her eyes shining like stars with water, her cheeks flushed with excitement: "Brother Yimin! I really rode steadily! I didn't wobble at all during that last lap!"

She was still panting as she spoke, her bangs damp with sweat and clinging to her full forehead, but they couldn't hide the joy in her eyes.

Sunlight streamed through the old locust tree at the entrance of the alley, casting a small, shimmering patch of light on the tip of her nose. She raised her hand to wipe away the sweat, her fingertips brushing against her cheek, leaving a faint white mark.

Zhou Yimin walked over and helped her straighten the crooked handlebars. His fingertips touched the residual warmth on the seat, and the corners of his mouth curved even wider: "I can see that. Those pedaling strokes just now were quite even and solid, much more stable than at the beginning."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yan couldn't help but smile, her gaze falling on the sky-blue car. She gently tapped the car bell with her fingers, and the crisp "ding-a-ling" sound echoed through the quiet alley.

She suddenly hopped on the bike, pushed off, and started riding again. This time, she didn't need Zhou Yimin's help. Although the bike was still swaying slightly, it steadily glided forward along the alley.

"Look, look!" she shouted back at Zhou Yimin, her voice carrying a hint of pride and a touch of smugness.

"He can walk without assistance!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the handlebars suddenly veered off course. She gasped and gripped the handlebars tightly, but the bike wobbled twice before regaining its balance.

Just as Zhou Yimin was about to step forward, he saw that she had already adjusted herself, turned around and made a face at him, and kicked her feet even more enthusiastically.

Her laughter echoed as the bicycle weaved back and forth through the alleyways.

The sunlight stretched her shadow long, sometimes overlapping with the shadow of the bicycle, and sometimes leaping lightly with the movement of the bicycle.

Zhou Yimin leaned against the old locust tree and watched as she rode to the end of the alley, carefully braked, got off, and then jogged back, the beads of sweat on her forehead glistening in the light.

"Are you tired?" He handed over the water bottle.

Zhang Yan took the bicycle and gulped down two mouthfuls. She wiped her mouth and looked at him with bright eyes: "Not tired! Brother Yimin, this bicycle is really easy to ride."

She looked down and touched the bike seat, then suddenly looked up at him as if she remembered something: "Once I've practiced enough, I can ride the bike to pick Zhang Lu up from school and take her to the park."

As Zhou Yimin watched her chatter away, making plans, his heart felt filled with warmth and contentment.

A breeze carried the fresh scent of locust leaves, mingling with the faint smell of soap in her hair. He suddenly realized that his trip to Wangfujing today had been truly worthwhile.

Seeing that Zhang Yan could already ride steadily for a while, Zhou Yimin had a good idea of ​​what was going on.

He glanced at the sky, then felt the certificate in his pocket, and said, "Yanzi, I have to ride my motorcycle later, so it's not convenient for me to ride with you. The police station isn't far from here, so you can ride over and get it stamped yourself, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yan shook her head vigorously, her face instantly showing anxiety: "Brother Yimin, I can't do it!"

She had just learned to ride a bike. She was fine practicing in the alley, but when it came to riding on the road, she had no confidence at all. Just thinking about the pedestrians and vehicles she might encounter on the road made her hands and feet go weak.

"Don't worry, there aren't many cars on the road to the police station. Ride slowly, it'll be fine." Zhou Yimin walked to her side, patted her shoulder, his tone gentle yet firm.

"You practiced really well just now. Believe in yourself, you can definitely do it. I'll be right behind you, it won't be a problem."

Zhang Yan was still somewhat hesitant, her fingers gripping the handlebars tightly until her knuckles turned white.

"Look, you picked out this bicycle yourself. It's so beautiful, don't you want to ride it and show off a bit?"

Zhou Yimin teased her on purpose, adding, "Besides, I'm watching from behind. If anything happens, I'll be right there for you. Don't worry."

Listening to Zhou Yimin's words, Zhang Yan's fear was gradually replaced by a strange courage.

She took a deep breath, looked up at Zhou Yimin's encouraging eyes, bit her lip, and nodded gently: "Then... then I'll give it a try."

"That's right." Zhou Yimin smiled and helped her put the certificate into the bicycle basket, then gave her some instructions.

"Watch your surroundings carefully. Don't panic. If you really can't make it, just stop. I'll be right behind you."

Zhang Yan hummed in agreement, got back on her bicycle, pushed off the ground a couple of times, and the bike slowly glided away.

At first, she rode very slowly, and the bike wobbled a bit, like a fledgling bird just learning to fly. Every sway made her heart tighten and her palms sweat.

Zhou Yimin started his motorcycle and followed at a leisurely pace, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Seeing that she was riding unsteadily, he shouted, "Hold the handlebars steady! Look ahead!"

Hearing Zhou Yimin's voice, Zhang Yan felt reassured and adjusted her posture, gradually finding her rhythm.

Although it still wobbles occasionally, she always manages to adjust quickly, and the car becomes more and more stable.

Sunlight shone on her, and a breeze brushed her cheeks, carrying a slight coolness, but it couldn't dispel the focus on her face.

She rode her new bicycle slowly ahead, with Zhou Yimin and his motorcycle behind her, like a solid support that filled her with courage.

As they approached the police station, Zhang Yan slowly stopped the car, looked back at Zhou Yimin, and smiled. The smile contained tension, excitement, and the joy of success.

Zhou Yimin stopped his motorcycle, set up the kickstand, and quickly walked over to Zhang Yan to help her steady her bicycle: "You're pretty good. You rode very steadily the whole way."

Zhang Yan smiled sheepishly, took the certificate out of the bicycle basket, and handed it to him.

Zhou Yimin took the certificate, then pushed his bicycle and said to Zhang Yan, "Wait here, I'll go in and get it stamped."

"Let me go in with you," Zhang Yan said quickly. It was her first time at a police station, and she was a little curious and wanted to see the procedures.

Zhou Yimin nodded: "Okay, just follow me."

The two pushed their bicycles into the police station. The police station's courtyard wasn't large, with several neatly arranged bungalows, and a sign that read "Serve the People" hanging at the entrance.

Zhou Yimin was clearly not a first-timer; he walked familiarly toward the easternmost office, even smiling and nodding to the police officer on duty at the door.

"Brother Wang, busy?" Zhou Yimin pushed open the office door and entered. Inside sat a middle-aged man in a police uniform, looking down at documents.

The policeman, addressed as Brother Wang, looked up, saw Zhou Yimin, and put down his pen with a smile: "Oh, it's Yimin. What brings you here today?"

"I just bought a bicycle, I'm here to get it stamped." Zhou Yimin handed over the certificate and the relevant receipts for the bicycle.

Brother Wang took it and looked at it, then looked up at the bicycle by the door and said to Zhang Yan with a smile, "This bicycle is quite nice. You have good taste, young lady."

Zhang Yan blushed and lowered her head in embarrassment.

Without saying anything more, Brother Wang picked up the stamp and slapped it onto the certificate, the red stamp clear and conspicuous. He then registered the relevant information in the register next to him, all within a few minutes.

"Alright, all stamped. Keep it safe." Brother Wang handed the certificate back to Zhou Yimin.

"Thanks, Brother Wang." Zhou Yimin took the certificate, carefully folded it and put it in his pocket. He exchanged a few more pleasantries with Brother Wang before pushing his bicycle and taking Zhang Yan out of the office.

From entering to exiting, it took less than fifteen minutes, and the whole process went very smoothly.

Zhang Yan followed behind Zhou Yimin, secretly admiring him. Yimin really knew everything and was efficient in handling matters.

Zhou Yimin pushed the bicycle into the yard and said to Zhang Yan, "Alright, the stamp is done. Now this bicycle is completely yours."

Looking at the stamped bicycle, Zhang Yan felt a sweet warmth in her heart and nodded vigorously.

Zhou Yimin spoke again: "Yanzi, then ride the bicycle back. There shouldn't be any problem this time?"

Having just walked from the department store to the police station, Zhang Yan felt much more confident and her self-assurance had increased significantly.

She raised her chin, waved her hand, and said in a light tone, "No problem, Brother Yimin, don't worry!"

After saying that, she skillfully mounted her bicycle, pushed off the ground twice, and the bicycle glided steadily forward.

Just like when they went to the police station, Zhang Yan led the way on her bicycle, while Zhou Yimin followed behind on his motorcycle at a leisurely pace.

It's quite a distance from the police station to Zhang Yan's home.

The two continued on their journey, and before they knew it, it had become completely dark.

Fortunately, when buying the bicycle, Zhou Yimin specifically asked the salesperson to install a light. Now, when he turned it on, a beam of light, not too bright but bright enough, illuminated the road ahead.

The headlights of Zhou Yimin's motorcycle were also on, creating an even stronger beam of light behind him.

Although Zhang Yan's visibility was somewhat limited by the darkness, she rode very steadily, slowing down in advance and gradually adjusting her direction when encountering intersections or pedestrians.

Occasionally, the road surface would be uneven, causing the car to sway, but she could quickly regain her balance.

And so, in the darkness of the night, a blue bicycle appeared in front, followed closely by a motorcycle, their headlights piercing the darkness as they headed toward Zhang Yan's house.

After nearly half an hour of cycling, Zhang Yan and Zhou Yimin finally arrived at the entrance of Zhang Yan's courtyard house.

Zhang Yan got off the bicycle, her movements still a little clumsy, but she couldn't hide the excitement on her face.

As soon as she pushed open the gate of the courtyard house, she couldn't wait to share the good news with her family, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Mom! Zhang Lu! I'm back! I have some great news to tell you!"

The sound echoed in the quiet courtyard, quickly alerting the people inside.

The door to the main room creaked open, and Aunt Zhang poked her head out first, holding an enamel bowl. Seeing Zhang Yan at the gate, she smiled and said, "You're back? Are you hungry? There's still some rice left for you in the pot..."

Before she could finish speaking, her gaze fell on the sky-blue bicycle next to Zhang Yan, and her eyes widened in surprise: "Where...where did this bicycle come from?"

Zhang Jianshe, who was right behind him, came out of the inner room, still clutching a blueprint in his hand. He had obviously just returned from work and hadn't had a break yet.

He spotted the brand-new bicycle immediately, his brows furrowed instantly, his face darkened, and his tone became serious and unquestionable: "Yanzi, where did you get this bicycle?"

Back then, bicycles were a rarity, considered a major household item. They were not only expensive, but also required scarce bicycle tickets to purchase.

His daughter is still in college and has no income, so she can't afford to buy a bicycle, let alone get a bicycle ticket.

Zhang Yan was taken aback by her father's sudden question. The excitement on her face faded instantly, and her lips moved, but she didn't know how to answer for a moment.

She had originally planned to surprise her family, but she didn't expect her father to react this way, and she suddenly felt a little flustered.

Just then, Zhou Yimin pushed his motorcycle into the yard. Seeing this, he quickly stepped forward and said sincerely to Zhang Jianshe, "Uncle Zhang, this bicycle is for Yanzi. It's inconvenient for her to take the bus to and from school. Having a bicycle will save her a lot of trouble."

Zhang Jianshe turned to look at Zhou Yimin, his expression softening slightly, but still lingering with concern: "Yimin, this is unacceptable. How can Yanzi accept such an expensive gift from you? This is outrageous."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, clearly disagreeing with the matter.

Zhou Yimin was prepared and explained with a smile, "Uncle Zhang, please don't be so polite with me. Besides, it's not wrong to give your girlfriend a bicycle, is it?"

Zhang Yan was very happy to hear Zhou Yimin's "domineering" words.

Zhang Jianshe wanted to say something more, but Aunt Zhang tugged at his arm and whispered, "Yimin meant well. The child is sensible, so don't hold it against him."

Zhang Jianshe looked at Zhou Yimin's sincere eyes, then at his daughter who was standing to the side with her head down and a face full of grievance. In the end, he sighed and did not continue the topic. He simply nodded to Zhou Yimin and said, "Then... thank you very much, Yimin."

Standing behind Aunt Zhang, Zhang Lu could no longer contain herself; her eyes were glued to the bicycle, sparkling.

She was incredibly envious that her sister would receive a bicycle as a gift, and took advantage of the adults' conversation to...

She secretly ran to the bicycle, circled it repeatedly, and carefully touched the seat with her little hands, then touched the bell on the handlebars. The "ding-a-ling" sound rang out crisply in the yard.

"Sister, this car is so beautiful!" Zhang Lu looked up at him, her eyes full of longing.

"Can I go cycling with you sometime?"

Zhang Yan finally came to her senses. Seeing her sister's envious look, her grievances subsided a little. She nodded and smiled again: "Of course, I'll take you to the park after I practice some more."

The atmosphere in the courtyard gradually eased. Zhang Jianshe looked at the brand-new bicycle, then at Zhou Yimin, feeling a mix of emotions.

Zhou Yimin is indeed a sensible and reliable child, and he is sincere towards Yanzi. However, the gift is too expensive, which makes him feel a little guilty.

Zhou Yimin seemed to see through Zhang Jianshe's thoughts and smiled as he changed the subject: "Uncle Zhang, you just got back from work? Are you still busy with that research project?"

Zhang Jianshe's attention was indeed diverted, and he nodded: "Yes, we've reached a crucial stage, we need to hurry."

With that, the two walked toward the main room.

Aunt Zhang then pulled Zhang Yan aside and asked her all sorts of questions, inquiring about the origin of the bicycle and the fun things that happened during the day. Zhang Lu, on the other hand, continued to circle around the bicycle, occasionally letting out a happy exclamation.

(End of this chapter)