Chapter 214: The Flower and Bird Market
“Vroom, vroom, vroom!!”
Lin Heng twisted the throttle wildly, and the sidecar motorcycle sped down the street. The cold wind hit his face as he raced forward at high speed.
This type of motorcycle was originally used by the military. It was only in recent years, with dostic developnt, that it beca available to the general public.
Pedestrians on the street were curious about the motorcycle, turning their heads to watch it go by, their eyes filled with intrigue.
Lin Heng felt a bit like a rebellious youth making a racket on the streets, and he had to admit, it was quite exhilarating.
Before he knew it, Lin Heng had been riding for over ten minutes without stopping. Mr. Zhao couldn’t help but remind him, “Isn’t that far enough?”
“Just a little longer, I want to see if there are any issues,” Lin Heng replied with a smile.
Hearing this, Mr. Zhao could only keep quiet. After all, he couldn’t deny soone a test ride.
After about twenty minutes, Lin Heng returned and expressed his desire to test the other two motorcycles as well.
“You’ve already wasted quite a bit of my fuel, and you still want to test more?” Mr. Zhao said, exasperated.
“Compared to the price of a motorcycle, this is nothing,” Lin Heng said dismissively, shaking his head.
Mr. Zhao shrugged, “That’s true. Go ahead and test them.”
Lin Heng had just ridden the army green one, so he switched to the black one.
He rode for another ten minutes, even stopping by to see Xiulan, explaining that he was testing the motorcycle.
After an hour of test riding, Lin Heng, relying on his years of experience, determined that the most reliable one was the original army green painted motorcycle.
The other two, although painted black and looking cooler, had clearly undergone major engine repairs. The poorly handled screw marks were evident.
The army green one, however, showed no signs of its engine screws being tampered with. It had only had its chain and so heavily worn parts replaced. The engine’s roar was more normal.
Given the dostic repair technology of the ti, Lin Heng was confident in his judgnt.
Looking at the shifty-eyed Mr. Zhao, Lin Heng said, “Two thousand eight, and I’ll take this one. At that price, you’ll make more from this sale than several others.”
Mr. Zhao shook his head, “Two thousand nine, any lower and I won’t even cover the transport costs.”
“How is that possible…”
They haggled for a while. A typical young person would have bought it already, but Lin Heng patiently bargained, unfazed by the idea of losing face.
Having been through so much, he didn’t see any sha in negotiating for a better deal.
“Alright, alright, I can’t argue with you. We’ll do it your way.”
In the end, Mr. Zhao was worn down by Lin Heng and agreed.
The motorcycle was finally settled at a price of two thousand nine, but it included fifty liters of gasoline, three motorcycle helts, and a basic set of tire repair tools and wrenches.
Mr. Zhao also promised to handle all the paperwork and registration, with a three-year warranty.
After everything was settled, Mr. Zhao went to draft the purchase contract, while Lin Heng took another look at the army green sidecar motorcycle.
It had a 750CC engine, weighed 350 kilograms, and featured a horizontally opposed twin-cylinder air-cooled engine with a maximum horsepower of 24 and a top speed of 100 kiloters per hour.
Although it was second-hand, compared to his previous Xingfu with 250 horsepower, it was worth taking so risks.
Once the purchase contract was ready, Lin Heng reviewed it, signed, and stamped his fingerprint, then called Xiulan over.
“We’re buying this one.”
Lin Heng handed the keys to Xiulan with a smile.
Xiulan looked at the army green motorcycle. Though she wasn’t fond of the color, she nodded and said, “Alright.”
In the finance office, she took out the money, confird the amount, and placed it on the table.
After counting the money, Mr. Zhao issued Lin Heng an invoice, smiling as he said, “Now, this motorcycle is yours.”
Lin Heng nodded, and as they left, he helped Xiulan put on a helt. “Let’s go for a ride.”
The registration and such could be picked up next ti.
With their helts on and everything packed, Lin Heng started the motorcycle and slowly drove out.
Once on the road, he added so throttle, and they sped off quickly.
After a loop around the city, they stopped at a scenic spot. Lin Heng turned and asked with a smile, “How does it feel?”
“It’s great, really fast,” Xiulan replied with a smile, then added, “It’s just the color is a bit off. Why didn’t you buy the black one?”
Lin Heng explained with a smile, “Because this one is the best in quality. The other two weren’t as good. If you want it red, we can repaint it ourselves another day or have soone do it.”
He did have so doubts about the motorcycle’s origins, but since he bought it from a legitimate store with an invoice and contract, any issues wouldn’t be his concern.
Xiulan nodded, “I see. Green is fine then. No need to go through the trouble of changing it.”
“Let’s continue exploring the city.”
Lin Heng suggested with a smile.
“Okay!”
They drove around the city twice, discovering two motorcycle repair shops. Lin Heng inquired about repainting, planning to co back when he had ti.
Repainting wasn’t expensive, just ten bucks, and if it didn’t take so long, Lin Heng would have done it right away.
The army green wasn’t the most appealing, but changing it to black or red would look much cooler.
Driving along, they soon arrived at Taibai City’s flower and bird market, a place bustling with all sorts of animal hatchlings for sale.
Lin Heng rode into the market on his sidecar motorcycle, drawing the attention of countless onlookers. It wasn’t that he was showing off intentionally; he simply had items on the bike that were too easy to steal if left unattended.
“Young man, how much did that motorcycle cost you?” an elderly man selling puppies curiously asked.
Lin Heng smiled slightly. “A few thousand yuan.”
“You’re quite well-off! Interested in buying a German Shepherd?” The old man sighed, assuming Lin Heng was so rich kid, and then cheerfully recomnded his puppies.
The puppies were indeed beautiful, but they were nothing compared to Xiong Ba when he was young.
“I’ll think about it,” Lin Heng shook his head, not particularly interested in the dogs for now.
As he ventured deeper into the market, the array of flowers, birds, fish, and insects dazzled him. At this ti, there were no foreign breeds of cats and dogs, only local varieties.
Cats included breeds like the Li Hua, Jianzhou, and orange cats, with various colors, while dogs were more diverse, commonly featuring breeds like the Five Black Dogs, Chow Chows, German Shepherds, and Five Red Dogs.
In those days, people mainly bought dogs for guarding hos, with few keeping them as pets. Practicality was valued above all.
Birds were the most abundant, with many rare species, as there were no conservation efforts in place yet.
Lin Heng and Xiulan occasionally stopped to pet a puppy or admire a kitten, enjoying this new experience.
“Is this a Five Red Dog?” Lin Heng asked curiously, looking at several puppies with light yellow fur. These puppies were adorable, with red mouths, noses, eyelids, paws, and anuses.
The seller, a woman in her thirties or forties, glanced enviously at Lin Heng’s motorcycle and smiled. “Yes, these are Five Red Dogs. They’re excellent watchdogs and bring prosperity.”
In those days, owning a motorcycle was akin to having a rcedes in 2010. It was sothing that drew envy wherever you went, with girls on the street casting flirtatious glances, hoping for a ride.
Lin Heng’s rugged, chanical sidecar motorcycle was impossible to ignore, much like driving a rcedes G-Class.
He looked at the puppies and then at the adult dogs, noting that they were too small to be suitable mates for Xiong Ba.
As they continued, Xiulan suddenly tugged at his arm. “Look at that dog.”
Lin Heng turned and was surprised to see a renowned hunting dog, a Xigou.
“That’s a fine dog, a famous hunting breed,” Lin Heng remarked, admiring the sleek, black dog with its glossy, fine fur and long, slender body. Despite its seemingly frail appearance, those in the know understood that this breed was incredibly fast and excellent for hunting.
Though its size made it unsuitable for breeding with Xiong Ba, Lin Heng still wanted to buy one. He needed dogs for both Red Maple Mountain and his ho.
“How much for one of these puppies?” Lin Heng asked.
“Purebred Xigou, ten yuan each,” the seller replied, his gaze inevitably lingering on Lin Heng’s motorcycle.
Lin Heng examined the puppies, knowing that in rural areas, assessing a dog started with its paws. A dog with extra, unconnected toes was considered flawed and usually not purchased. Next, he checked the nose and mouth for completeness, avoiding those with split noses or misaligned jaws.
After ensuring the puppy’s health, the seller picked up the largest one and recomnded it. “This one’s the best. It’s the biggest and would be excellent for guarding or hunting.”
Xiulan agreed that the puppy looked sturdy and turned to Lin Heng for his opinion.
Lin Heng glanced at the puppy and casually remarked, “This one’s a fool. It’s big, but it’ll be useless. Don’t try to fool us, boss.”
“Young man, don’t speak carelessly if you don’t know dogs,” the seller, with a bushy beard, laughed with a hint of nace.
Lin Heng petted the puppy, glanced around, and confidently said, “This puppy tucks its tail when picked up. Everyone knows that’s a sign of fear. No matter how big it is, a bad temperant makes it useless. You think we’re easy to deceive because we’re young?”
His words amused the surrounding sellers.
“Haha, the young man knows his dogs. Not bad, not bad.”
“Boss Liu, take your dog away and stop trying to scam people.”
“Young man, I have top-notch German Shepherds. Co take a look, I’ll give you a good price.”
The bearded seller felt embarrassed, having assud Lin Heng was a wealthy but naive custor, only to find he was knowledgeable.
Lin Heng wasn’t bothered. Having lived a long life in his past, he’d been through many scams, and these tricks wouldn’t work on him in this life.
Choosing a dog wasn’t just about size and health; temperant was crucial. Like choosing a partner, a pretty face with a bad temper was a waste. No one wanted soone who threw tantrums and broke things.
Nearby, so young won shopping were starry-eyed, finding Lin Heng’s combination of wealth and knowledge incredibly attractive, though they lanted that he already had a woman by his side.
Lin Heng selected another puppy from the Five Black Dogs, the second largest. This one was friendly and unafraid, even when its tail was played with.
Though not as large as the previous one, it had much better potential.
“I’ll take this one for five yuan,” Lin Heng said after playing with the puppy for a while.
“That’s not possible, at least eight bucks,” the shopkeeper shook his head repeatedly.
After so haggling, Lin Heng finally secured the deal for six bucks.
Xiulan watched with eyes full of admiration. Lin Heng was not only knowledgeable but also had better bargaining skills than him. Going out with him felt incredibly reassuring.
So of the nearby stall owners also witnessed Lin Heng’s skills, and their gazes turned respectful. This young man was not only wealthy but also quite capable.
“Young man, interested in buying more? I have a Qinglang Dog here, want to take a look?” a stall owner in the distance asked with a smile.
“A Qinglang Dog? Let see,” Lin Heng said, leading Xiulan over with curiosity.
The Qinglang Dog was sowhat similar to a German Shepherd but looked more like a wolf. Its fur and build were much more wolf-like.
The stall owner, an elderly man, introduced with a smile, “This Qinglang Dog won’t be smaller than a Greyhound when it grows up, reaching thirty to forty jin. It’s a cross between a local wolfdog and a wolf, very loyal yet fierce. Raising one would definitely make you look impressive.”
The old man had his hands tucked in his sleeves and gestured with his eyes towards a breeding male standing nearby. It was a large, gray wolfdog over seventy centiters tall at the shoulder, looking quite formidable.
Lin Heng had noticed the dog earlier but was delayed by the Greyhound.
He thought this dog would make a good match for Xiong Ba, who was also a wolfdog. Their offspring would surely be handso.
As for the old man’s claims, Lin Heng took them with a grain of salt. Even if it was a wolf hybrid, it would have been many generations ago.
The puppies were lively, yipping and playfully wrestling with each other.
Lin Heng picked up a female puppy to examine. Its size and temperant were indeed impressive.
“How old is it?” Lin Heng asked, looking up.
“Two and a half months old. For you, it’s 15,” the old man replied with a smile.
“Eight bucks, no more,” Lin Heng shook his head.
The old man, having witnessed Lin Heng’s bargaining prowess earlier, didn’t bother arguing further. “Nine bucks, and it’s yours.”
“Deal.”
Without further ado, Lin Heng picked the female puppy he thought was best and placed it in a cage with the Greyhound to take away.
“Are you selling the Chow Chow?” soone nearby asked.
“I’m not buying any more dogs,” Lin Heng shook his head. Two were enough.
However, he wasn’t planning to leave just yet. There was a stall selling goldfish, and he intended to buy two to take ho.
(End of Chapter)
— Translator’s Notes —
– Li Hua: A traditional Chinese cat breed, also known as the Dragon Li cat, characterized by its tabby pattern and believed to bring good luck.
– Jianzhou: A regional Chinese cat breed, often referring to short-haired dostic cats from the Jianzhou area, known for their adaptability and hunting skills.
– Five Black Dogs: A traditional Chinese dog breed, also known as Wulao Gou, entirely black in color and commonly used for guarding hos due to their alertness and loyalty.
– Five Red Dogs: A Chinese folk dog variety noted for having five red points (mouth, nose, eyelids, paws, and anus) on otherwise light fur; believed to bring prosperity and used as watchdogs.
– Xigou: A traditional Chinese hunting dog breed, also called the Xi dog or Chinese Short-haired Pointer, known for its speed, endurance, and use in hunting small ga.
– Qinglang Dog: A wolf-like Chinese dog breed, resembling a greyhound in size when mature, often a cross between local wolfdogs and wolves; valued for loyalty, fierceness, and guarding.
User Comments
0 comments from readers