Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 40 Car Delivery (Please continue reading)

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Chengpeng became the focus of the entire room.

Even though he was dressed simply and looked somewhat travel-worn, everyone looked at him with envy.

In a sense, a bicycle is also a symbol of a man's status.

If Wang Chengpeng were to ride this bicycle around the village, he would definitely be the coolest guy in the village.

Some people even whispered immediately, "You really wouldn't guess that this comrade is a rich man."

"Don't let his plain clothes fool you, he bought the newest and best bicycle in the area right away."

A person next to him quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, I've been begging my family for months, but they still won't let me buy this bicycle."

"What are you guys doing saving so much money? You're not even as generous as a young comrade."

"..."

Faced with Wang Chengpeng's extravagant purchase of a bicycle, the salesperson showed little enthusiasm and mechanically quoted the price:
"The bicycle costs 170 yuan, and you can add 10 yuan if you want the front basket."

The reason for this was that at the time, sales clerks' wages were paid according to the national wage standards.

The salary is mainly determined based on factors such as years of service and job type. The salary is fixed and income is not based on sales performance commissions.

In addition, due to insufficient production capacity, people are begging to buy goods from stores, rather than the other party insisting on selling to them.

Having already spent 170 yuan, Wang Chengpeng naturally wouldn't skimp on the remaining 10 yuan and opted for the full package.

Before long, the deluxe Forever 28 bicycle was pushed in front of Wang Chengpeng and became his ride.

Only after leaving the state-run department store did Wang Zidong seem to wake up from a dream, and say:
"Pengzi, you actually bought this big guy?"

"One hundred and eighty yuan! That's one hundred and eighty yuan!"

Since you've already bought it, there's no such thing as returning it in this day and age.

Wang Zidong immediately started circling the Forever 28-inch bicycle as if he had discovered a new treasure.

Ring the bicycle bell and listen to its clear and melodious sound.

He gently touched the car seat, as tenderly as if he were caressing a lover's skin.

A quick tap on the high-carbon steel frame perfectly illustrates what it means to be irresistible.

Finally, Wang Zidong said with deep feeling, "Pengzi, you really didn't make a mistake buying this bicycle, it's totally worth it!"

"If I had the money, I would definitely buy one."

"Alright, let's go back. If we ride fast, we can still make it home in time to cook dinner."

Regarding Wang Zidong's suggestion to return, Wang Chengpeng shook his head and said:

“I can’t just go back like that. I need to go to the vehicle management office to register first.”

"I remember there's a vehicle management office nearby, we can just go there."

Buying a bicycle in that era was not much different from buying a car in later generations; not only did you have to register and get a license plate, you also had to apply for a bicycle license.

This not only makes management easier, but also serves as a theft prevention measure.

If you were to ride a bicycle of unknown origin on the road, you could easily be arrested and taken to the police station.

"Registration?" Wang Zidong looked at Wang Chengpeng with great surprise and said:
"Pengzi, are you serious? You really bought this bicycle for yourself?"

While unlocking the bicycle, Wang Chengpeng said, "Why didn't I tell you I bought it for myself? Why didn't you believe me?" "Didn't you want to ride this bicycle? Well, you can ride it first and have your fun."

"It's just a transportation job anyway, so it doesn't matter which bicycle I ride."

"If you need to use it at any time, feel free to borrow it from me. I'll lend it to you as long as I'm not using it."

Wang Chengpeng had naturally heard Wang Zidong's earlier mutterings, but the reason he didn't make a promise on the spot was that he wasn't sure if he wanted to buy the bicycle.

Now that I've bought it, and considering that Prince Dong often lends me bicycles, I should fulfill his little wish.

However, faced with such temptation, Wang Zidong resolutely refused, saying:

"I'll borrow it from you if I need it in the future, but this is my first time using a new bike, so you should ride it yourself."

After saying that, he pushed Wang Chengpeng aside, got on his bicycle, and sped off towards the vehicle management office.

Wang Chengpeng didn't mince words. There was plenty of time in the future, so there was no need to rush. He immediately got on his bicycle and chased after them.

I have to say, the bicycle I just bought is really easy to ride. Not only is it effortless to ride, but it's also incredibly fast.

In addition, Wang Chengpeng bought the top-of-the-line model, making him incredibly eye-catching on the road and attracting frequent glances and envious comments from passersby.

The vehicle registration process was quite simple. After verifying Wang Chengpeng's purchase invoice and household registration information, the staff at the vehicle management office began filling out the vehicle registration form.

After Wang Chengpeng paid the registration and management fees for the bicycle, he stamped the bicycle with a steel seal, issued the bicycle license plate and bicycle driving certificate, and the bicycle registration was considered complete.

Since there weren't many people buying bicycles, the process was quite quick. Before long, Wang Chengpeng received his own photo and driving license.

He finally owned his first bicycle.

Inspired by this, the atmosphere on their way home became much more cheerful, and they arrived at the Hetian scrap metal recycling station in less than two hours.

Unlike when I arrived, the already cramped storefront of the scrap metal collection station was now occupied by a large truck, making it almost impossible to see what was inside.

Two workers were working hard to unload something on top, and you could vaguely see the shadows of some books and a radio.

Wang Chengpeng was quite familiar with the Hetian scrap metal recycling station and wasn't timid. After asking Wang Zidong to watch over the bicycle, he went inside.

As soon as he entered, Wang Chengpeng saw Ji Yongyue seemingly counting something with someone, and immediately greeted him warmly.

Upon hearing Wang Chengpeng's voice, Ji Yongyue disregarded his work and stood up to greet him, saying:
“Brother Wang, Xiao Zhuang said you came this morning, but unfortunately, I was busy at the time.”

"Please sit down for a while. My business here will be finished soon. We can discuss our business later."

Wang Chengpeng nodded and said, "Brother Ji, you can go ahead and do what you need to do."

"By the way, could I borrow your power outlet for a moment? I have an appliance I'd like to try out."

In this era, using electricity is also a matter of caution. If you accidentally cause a short circuit, you'll be in real trouble.

Ji Yongyue, however, seemed to have remembered something and said nonchalantly, "Brother Wang, you don't need to notify me if you want to test the power. You can just go and use it directly."

"Don't be so polite in the future. I'll take responsibility for anything that happens."

Hearing Ji Yongyue say that, Wang Chengpeng was also somewhat moved.

Although their acquaintance stemmed from an exchange of interests, Ji Yongyue had nothing but praise for him and truly deserved the title of "Brother Ji".

Returning to where he had put his things, Wang Chengpeng looked down and noticed slight signs of disturbance, as if someone had lifted the newspaper covering it.

(End of this chapter)