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

Chapter 89 Preparing the Dowry
Four days!

Thanks to Wang Chengpeng's efforts, it took him another four days to finally repair a tape recorder.

As the cassette tape reel turned, melodious singing voices emanated from the tape recorder's speakers:

"Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves..."

"The Liuyang River bends and turns several times..."

It must be said that the songs that were made into cassette tapes in this era were all very good.

Although the missing magnetic strips make these songs incomplete, they can still bring joy to people.

The same applies to blank cassette tapes, since they are one of the few things in this era that can record sound.

Recording your own songs and the joyful laughter of your family brings a happiness that no other device can provide.

Just as Wang Chengpeng had predicted, Liu Chunhua's eyes were filled with undisguised delight when she heard her favorite song, and she even hummed it unconsciously.

Then she felt something was wrong and said, "Son, you're getting married soon, why are you wasting money on these flashy but impractical things?"

"Can I return it? If so, I'll return it right away."

Even though this tape recorder doesn't look brand new, it certainly won't be cheap.

Shaking his head slightly, Wang Chengpeng said helplessly, "This can't be returned, especially since it's something Yanran wanted."

“When I visited her last time, she said she wanted a radio so she could listen to music.”

If it weren't for using Liu Yanran as a front, Wang Chengpeng really wouldn't have been able to buy so many nice things to improve his family's living conditions.

If the marriage proposal fails, these things will still have to be kept for household expenses.

At least with Wang Chengpeng's help and persuasion, they didn't end up being sold secondhand.

Upon hearing that it was Liu Yanran's request, Liu Chunhua was somewhat surprised, but after glancing at Wang Chengpeng, she ultimately kept quiet.

Although she felt that Liu Yanran's request was a bit too much, even a pampered young lady shouldn't make such demands.

However, Wang Chengpeng was fond of the marriage, and the marriage had already reached a point where it was inevitable.

In the end, she didn't intend to undermine Wang Chengpeng at this time.

After Liu Yanran enters the family, I will help discipline my son properly, at least to get rid of his extravagant spending habit.

Seemingly sensing the awkward atmosphere, Wang Tieshan quickly changed the subject:
"Son, you don't know, recently something has happened in the village, people have started planting sugar beets, and on a large scale."

"Beets don't keep well and taste very ordinary. If you plant so many, it would be a waste if you couldn't eat them all or sell them. I don't know what Wang Fucheng is thinking."

"The production plan at the beginning of the year will affect the entire Wangjia Village's harvest this year!"

Wang Tieshan had asked the right person. Wang Chengpeng was probably one of the very few people in the village who knew the truth, and he immediately smiled and comforted him:
"Dad, don't worry about things unnecessarily."

"Uncle Fucheng must have his reasons for doing that. Maybe he'll give you a big surprise at the end of the year."

Shaking his head slightly, Wang Tieshan said, "I'm not the kind of person who would stick his neck out."

"I heard that some people in the village have expressed their opinions on Wang Fucheng's decision, and this matter may be difficult to handle."

"But that has nothing to do with us. We just need to work honestly and diligently to earn work points."

Listening to the melodious songs and chatting about some family matters, the family finished dinner in a harmonious and happy way.

While evenings might be a time of rest for others, they are the busiest time for Wang Chengpeng. The successful repair of the first tape recorder also signifies a significant improvement in his tape recorder repair skills, qualifying him to repair tape recorders with complex problems.

Sure enough, it took Wang Chengpeng another night to piece together the necessary funds and repair the second tape recorder.

Unfortunately, the speaker on this tape recorder had some problems, and the sound quality was only barely acceptable.

But no problem, the next step is just a simple matter of replacing the speaker, which any repairman can do, so Wang Chengpeng doesn't need to do it himself.

After finishing all this, Wang Chengpeng packed the things up and put them on his bicycle before finally resting.

Looking out the window at the bright moon on the horizon, Wang Chengpeng thought to himself that it was time to go to the city again to prepare the betrothal gifts needed for the engagement.

Considering that there were many and varied items to buy, Wang Chengpeng had already chartered an oxcart, ready to deliver the betrothal gifts the next day.

……

The next morning, after delivering the items to the scrap metal recycling station, Wang Chengpeng hurriedly went to Shanghe City.

The dowry the Liu family wanted was no ordinary item; it was something that might not even be available in town.

Phoenix brand bicycle, Butterfly brand sewing machine, Shanghai brand watch, Sony radio, and a second-hand tape recorder.

Adding in the miscellaneous wedding supplies, even though Wang Chengpeng had been frequently traveling to Hetian Town recently and had earned several hundred yuan, his wallet quickly emptied after this shopping spree.

However, the thought of decorating his home with these things in the future made Wang Chengpeng much happier.

Although the oxcart is slow, it will never be late.

Wang Chengpeng had already bought everything by the time the cattle herder arrived.

With the help of Wang Zidong and Hu Jianshe, all sorts of things were quickly loaded onto an oxcart.

Under the skilled control of the oxcart driver, the oxcart soon started moving slowly, carrying its load of goods little by little towards Wangjia Village.

It must be said that while oxcarts are convenient, the smell is quite strong.

It's just that everyone has gotten used to the smell; otherwise, they might not have been able to get used to the smell on the oxcart.

Buying so many things at once was naturally very conspicuous, and many ill-intentioned eyes were fixed on the oxcart.

However, upon seeing the three young men protecting them, these people wisely chose to retreat.

Those skilled in robbing look down on these things, while those without such skills dare not commit crimes under the watchful eyes of several people. Although the journey is long, it is generally peaceful.

Those who occasionally followed him eventually only stayed a short distance before leaving.

However, this situation changed after the oxcart arrived at Wangjia Village. Many onlookers gathered around, wanting to see what the group was up to and why they had caused such a commotion.

Especially when passing the village entrance, Aunt He, always eager for a good chat, immediately surrounded them.

The moment Aunt He saw clearly what was on the oxcart, she exclaimed in surprise:
"Let me see what's in the car. Oh my, this is incredible!"

"Phoenix brand bicycles, Butterfly brand sewing machines, Shanghai brand watches, Sony radios—they're all famous brands."

"Not only that, there's also a second-hand tape recorder here. That's quite a generous gesture, really a generous gesture!"

"I never imagined that the Tieshan family was so powerful. They really went all out to find a wife for their son."

"If I had known, I should have told Cheng Peng about my Guiyan back then. Wouldn't I be able to use these things however I wanted?"

(End of this chapter)