Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 27 Liu Yimin Takes Over the Car

Ruxian County has only one department store, also called the Department Store Building. Built in 73, it is the landmark building of the entire county. The three-story corner building became the best place for Ruxian residents to shop as soon as it was completed.

Some people like to wander around inside, just to see just how grand this department store really is.

At the main gate stood two pillars, each as thick as a person could hug. People came and went in front of the gate, and children in tattered clothes ran around on the steps, holding blackened wooden guns in their hands.

Liu Yimin rode ahead, the atmosphere extremely awkward, neither of them speaking. Finally, they arrived at the department store. Liu Yimin smiled and said, "Thank you, Sun. This is enough. I'll go up and buy the bicycle, then I'll go to the police station myself."

Sun Yihong hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Okay, I'll go back to the cultural center to find my grandfather first."

Stepping into the department store, a blast of cool air hit him. He wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling much more relaxed after entering alone. The department store had thick walls, and being on the ground floor, it felt very cool even without the air conditioning of later generations.

The store was filled with all sorts of goods; the first floor sold daily necessities, and the second floor sold larger items. Liu Yimin ran straight to the bicycle section on the second floor. Because he arrived late, he had to wait in line for a long time before finally getting to the front.

There were three Phoenix bicycles and two Flying Pigeon bicycles left in the counter. Liu Yimin inquired about the prices; the Phoenix and Flying Pigeon were priced ten yuan apart. The Phoenix was a 28-inch lightweight bicycle with a large chain case, considered a premium model, priced at one hundred and seventy-eight yuan.

"A bicycle ticket for a 28 Phoenix bicycle, comrade, please take a look." Liu Yimin handed the bicycle ticket from his satchel to the bicycle salesman. There was a crease in the middle of the ticket, which Liu Yimin had just folded.

After checking the package and confirming it was correct, the salesperson glanced at Liu Yimin with a puzzled look. The Phoenix 28-inch bicycle was the most sought-after item; the Commerce Bureau distributed tickets to various work units, and ordinary employees basically couldn't get a ticket for it.

The young man in front of me, so young yet able to get a train ticket, is clearly extraordinary.

"Comrade, is there a problem with my ticket?" Liu Yimin couldn't help but ask when he noticed the sales clerk staring at him.

"No problem, no problem. Sorry, sir, I was distracted just now. The total is one hundred and seventy-eight yuan," the sales clerk said apologetically.

Liu Yimin took out a stack of brand-new ten-yuan bills from his satchel, counted out eighteen bills, and handed them to the sales clerk: "One hundred and eighty yuan."

The "Great Unity" denomination is ten yuan, currently the highest denomination of the Renminbi. It gets its name from the image of people's representatives walking out of the Great Hall of the People printed on it.

"Comrade, the bicycle ticket is 178 yuan, I'll give you 180 yuan, and you'll get 2 yuan in change. Please wait a moment." The salesperson put the bicycle ticket and money together and filled out a receipt. After everything was settled, she clipped the receipt and money together to the metal clip above her head.

Then, with a sudden burst of strength, he flung the metal clip out, and it landed steadily in the center of the mall along the wire. Near the point where the clip landed was a round table, and in the center of the table sat several cashiers in blue uniforms.

They repeatedly removed the clips from the wire, checked the accounts, stamped the receipts, and kept a copy. They then clipped the change and receipts to the clips, flicked them, and the clips slid back down the wire to the sales clerk's hand. The sales clerk took the money and handed it to Liu Yimin.

This is wire checkout, where the cashier in the center is connected to the salesperson through countless wires.

Liu Yimin happily stroked his bicycle and exclaimed, "This new bike is really new!"

"How could the bike not be new? Comrade, could you please move aside? I need to pee. I'll leave as soon as I buy the bike. I've been queuing for hours!" The man behind him squeezed his thighs together, his feet moving anxiously, the money and tickets in his hands deformed from his grip.

Liu Yimin quickly stepped aside, gave the man an apologetic smile, and then carried the bicycle downstairs, pushing and lifting it. Bicycles not only served the same function as cars in later times, but they were also managed in the same way. Bicycles had to be registered with the police station and have license plates. To prevent theft, the license plate number was also hammered onto the handlebars.

It has a special name: "smashing the steel stamp." Once the steel stamp is smashed and a license plate is issued, it becomes a legitimate bicycle. Bicycles with smashed steel stamps also have to pay bicycle tax every year.

At the police station, the police officer checked Liu Yimin's documents and receipts, and asked with a smile, "Comrade, you're lucky to have managed to get a ticket to Phoenix."

"My workplace treats me well," Liu Yimin said fabricatedly.

"I'll register you now. Wait for me a moment, then go to the office to pay a processing fee of 15 cents. In a bit, bring the receipt to me to collect your license plate, and I'll stamp it for you."

Half an hour later, everything was completed. Liu Yimin's bicycle had a white sticker with red lettering on the back, which read "Ruxian County" in large characters, with the number "1818118" in the middle and "Made by Ruxian County Public Security Bureau" at the bottom.

I paid the bicycle tax again, which is 2.4 yuan per year. After paying, the staff will stamp a "Bicycle Tax Payment Certificate" on the tax record page at the back of the bicycle license.

"Alright, the formalities are complete. If you lose it, remember to report it to the police station. Having this stamp will make it much easier to find it." The police officer waved to Liu Yimin.

Liu Yimin rode his Phoenix bicycle swiftly through the streets and alleys of Ruxian County, and couldn't help but gently ring the bell. The crisp sound of the bell immediately attracted the attention of pedestrians on both sides.

He stared at the bicycle for a long time, then looked at the young man on it, and was taken aback. Wow! This young man is something else!

"A brand new Phoenix, I wonder when I'll get one!"

"Maybe in your next life, you'll need at least six months to survive without eating or drinking!"

The people at the cultural center had been waiting for Liu Yimin from morning till afternoon, each one as anxious as ants on a hot plate. Everyone wanted to hear what Liu Yimin's poetry was like. Old Zhang wished he could buy a bicycle himself, secretly thinking that he had brought out his ticket at a rather inopportune time.

Old Li, with his hands behind his back, asked anxiously, "What do you think of Yimin's poetry?"

"It's definitely well-written!"

"That's not necessarily true. Being able to write novels doesn't mean you can write poetry," someone retorted.

"Oh dear, why aren't they back yet? I didn't even have a proper lunch." Old Wang took a sip of tea, then spat the tea leaves back into the teacup with a "pui."

Only Old Sun seemed a bit distracted. Today, his granddaughter took Liu Yimin to buy a car, intending for the two of them to have more interaction. However, his granddaughter returned right after dropping him off. Did she not like his granddaughter?

Just as everyone was making wild guesses, the sound of a bicycle rang out in the yard.

Old Zhang jumped to his feet: "Yimin is back!"

(End of this chapter)