Chapter 215: Returning Ho, Everyone’s Shock
“Can we bring the goldfish back from so far away and still keep them alive?”
Xiulan was a bit worried when she heard Lin Heng talking about buying goldfish.
“In winter, it’s possible,” Lin Heng nodded. During winter, even without oxygenation, fish are less active and don’t need as much oxygen.
“Let’s go take a look,” Xiulan said as she walked toward the stalls selling fish ahead.
In those days, the variety of ornantal fish in the country was quite limited. Most were the plump goldfish, round like egg-shaped goldfish. There were also the ones with particularly large eyes, like dragon-eye goldfish. The colors and types of koi were not as varied as they would be in later years. Fish like golden dragons, silver dragons, fortune fish, or zebra guppies weren’t available at all. After all, most people couldn’t even afford enough to eat, let alone have the leisure for ornantal fish.
Lin Heng was just casually browsing. Since they were already there and he had a fish pond at ho, buying a few fish seed like a good idea.
“How much are these goldfish?”
Xiulan pointed at a few goldfish in the water, their bodies silver-white with blood-red foreheads, and asked.
The woman selling the fish smiled and explained, “These are Palace Red-Headed goldfish, an old breed, twenty cents each.”
Xiulan was slightly taken aback by the price and moved on to the next stall without saying more.
Lin Heng only glanced at them. Although these fish were quite rare, they didn’t appeal to his aesthetic sense. Whether it was the round egg-shaped goldfish or the big-eyed ones, he wasn’t particularly fond of them.
After walking a bit further, Xiulan stopped at a stall selling beautiful koi. They were slender and looked graceful as they swam. However, there were only two colors available: red and red-and-white.
“How much for one of these?” Xiulan asked curiously, reaching out to touch them.
“Twenty-centiter ones are twenty cents each, ten-centiter ones are ten cents each, and the three to four-centiter ones are five for ten cents. If you buy a lot, I’ll throw in so Ornantal Lotus for free.”
The old man selling the fish pointed to three boxes of goldfish and then to so small lotus roots, which were evidently from so ornantal lotus flowers.
“These are not bad. Should we buy these?” Xiulan looked up at Lin Heng and asked.
“Sure,” Lin Heng agreed without hesitation.
Xiulan thought for a mont and then said crisply, “I’ll take five of the twenty-centiter ones, ten of the ten-centiter ones, and twenty-five of the three to four-centiter ones.”
Hearing that she was buying so many, the old man grinned widely. “Alright, that cos to two yuan and fifty cents in total. Here’s a plastic bag for you to pack them yourself, and I’ll give you three small lotus roots.”
“Okay.”
Xiulan was quite pleased, picking out the fish like a little girl.
Lin Heng looked around and bought two plastic buckets from a nearby fish stall. Plastic bags were fine for walking around the city, but not for mountain roads.
Once the fish were packed, Lin Heng also bought a few Ornantal Lotus roots and two pots of wintersweet.
They packed everything into the sidecar of the motorcycle, secured it with ropes, and left the flower and fish market.
Lin Heng drove the motorcycle while Xiulan sat behind him, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist, her body pressed closely against his.
Lin Heng, who had longed for this feeling, found it incredibly comfortable. He just loved this sensation.
Xiulan hid her face against Lin Heng’s broad back, feeling a strong sense of security. Their small ho was becoming more prosperous and warm.
“Let’s buy so things for Dad and the others,” Lin Heng said as he drove.
“Alright,” Xiulan agreed with a nod.
They wandered around Taibai City a bit more. Xiulan hadn’t explored the city much before, so Lin Heng gave her a little tour, introducing various places.
During their outing, they bought a set of winter clothes each for his parents and Caiyun, as well as for themselves. Lin Heng also ordered a custom Zhongshan Suit.
Additionally, they bought so milk and formula for their daughter, Xiao Xia, along with so miscellaneous daily necessities.
In total, they spent two hundred yuan, which wasn’t much for Lin Heng now.
For the Zhongshan Suit, since it was custom-made, they only paid a ten-yuan deposit, with the remaining forty yet to be paid.
“Ti to head ho!”
With everything settled, Lin Heng looked at the setting sun in the west and cheered as he mounted the motorcycle.
“Okay!”
Xiulan quickly got on and hugged him tightly.
As the motorcycle engine roared to life, they rode toward ho, accompanied by the mountain breeze and the setting sun.
Although the road back was all dirt, it was relatively smooth. Wearing helts and gloves, they could endure the cold mountain wind.
The winter mountains and forests were dull and gray, with little to see. Both of them were eager to get ho quickly, where it would be warm.
They stopped by a canal to change the water for the koi. Inevitably, one or two died, but most were doing well, thanks to the large plastic buckets Lin Heng had used.
By 5:30 in the afternoon, just as the sun was about to disappear, they returned to Huangtan Town. The sound of the motorcycle drew the attention of many, and when they saw the unfamiliar sidecar motorcycle, they were visibly surprised.
“What kind of motorcycle is that? It looks so strange.”
“I know, the Japanese soldiers used to ride these.”
“Nonsense, these are made by us now, and our People’s Liberation Army uses them too.”
“This is much more expensive than a regular motorcycle. Lin Heng must be doing well.”
People watched Lin Heng ride the motorcycle and talked among themselves. Regardless of what they said, their expressions of envy were unmistakable.
In this era, owning sothing like this is a symbol of wealth. Just seeing this vehicle would make anyone’s words soften a bit.
As the motorcycle pulled up in front of the shop, Wang Zhou, who was sitting inside by the fire, looked astonished. “Brother Lin, did you just buy this three-wheeled motorcycle?”
The motorcycle exuded a heavy, commanding presence, full of chanical charm. Any man would fall in love with it at first sight.
“Yes, but it’s second-hand,” Lin Heng replied with a slight smile.
Hearing Lin Heng ntion it was second-hand, the onlookers outside nodded knowingly. They thought the motorcycle looked a bit unusual, and now they understood—it was second-hand.
“Even second-hand, it must have cost a few thousand, right?”
Wang Zhou walked over, touching and inspecting it, drooling with envy.
“It’s not that expensive, just three thousand. You can sit on it and give it a try.”
Lin Heng said this as he pulled Xiulan over to the fire to warm up. Both of them were freezing.
Imdiately, there was a collective gasp from outside, leaving people speechless.
What do you an, just three thousand? A family earns only two to three hundred a year, so even at three hundred, it would take ten years to save up.
Wang Zhou was stunned. “Oh my god, even second-hand, it’s three thousand.”
So people were skeptical, whispering, “Three thousand for second-hand? Could he have been scamd?”
“Exactly, it’s more expensive than a new ‘Happiness’ motorcycle from the town’s grain station. Is it really worth that much?”
Lin Heng ignored these doubts, not intending to explain. Even if he did, they wouldn’t believe him.
“Of course it’s worth it. Do you even know what this is? It’s built for war, with more horsepower than a regular tractor. Haven’t you heard of the Japanese motorcycle brigades back in the day?”
Old Man Gao, who had just returned from picking vegetables, heard the discussion and responded with a cold laugh.
Soone doubted, “Is it really that impressive? How did Lin Heng get his hands on military equipnt?”
Old Man Gao didn’t even glance at the person, but walked over to take a look, smiling as he said, “It’s indeed a Changjiang 750. I’ve seen it in newspapers before, but this is my first ti seeing it in person.”
He then turned to Lin Heng and asked, “Has it been released for civilian use now?”
Lin Heng nodded with a smile. “Yes, it’s now available for civilian use.”
Industrial products from this era were known for their durability. A motorcycle like this could last for decades without any issues.
“Let have a go at it later,” Old Man Gao said with a smile.
“Sure,” Lin Heng agreed without any objection.
After hearing Old Man Gao’s explanation, the onlookers understood. Even second-hand, it was more expensive than a regular motorcycle because it was once military-grade.
ntioning military use imdiately convinced everyone of its reliability.
After warming up, Lin Heng took Old Man Gao for a couple of laps. After the ride, Old Man Gao remarked that it would be perfect if there was a machine gun on the sidecar.
In a hurry to get ho, Lin Heng turned to Wang Zhou and said, “Wang Zhou, help by riding the horse to my place. Stay the night, and head back tomorrow.”
If it weren’t for Hongzao still being in Huangtan Town, Lin Heng would have gone straight back to Red Maple Village.
“Alright.”
Wang Zhou readily agreed, happy for the chance to visit Liu Cihua in Red Maple Village.
After changing his clothes, he attempted to ride the horse twice but failed, so he had to lead it to Red Maple Village.
Lin Heng didn’t wait for him, speeding off on the motorcycle with Xiulan, disappearing in a flash.
They flew down the road, reaching ho in under fifteen minutes.
The villagers, seeing Lin Heng return with a sidecar motorcycle, were increasingly curious.
“Did Lin Heng buy a vehicle?”
“Definitely, didn’t you see him drive it back himself?”
“It looks like a three-wheeler, probably not cheap.”
The villagers chatted as they walked over. Although surprised by Lin Heng’s purchase, they weren’t too shocked.
After all, he was from a Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household. If he could build a twenty-acre fish pond on Red Maple Mountain, buying a motorcycle was normal.
Father Lin, seeing Lin Heng drive the motorcycle back, couldn’t help but ask, “Lin Heng, did you buy this?”
Lin Heng hadn’t ntioned buying a vehicle when he left today.
“Yes, I just bought it today, but it’s second-hand.”
Lin Heng smiled and revved the engine, driving up the slope towards their yard.
Their yard originally had a wooden threshold, as houses of that era did, to prevent rats and pests, and because of the door structure. When laying the bluestone, Lin Heng had considered this and made the threshold removable. The thirty-ter slope leading to the door was also his doing.
Now, with the threshold removed, he could drive the motorcycle right into the yard. The villagers who had hoped to watch were disappointed and turned back.
Father Lin, helping out, curiously asked, “Second-hand, how much did it cost?”
“Three thousand!” Lin Heng grinned.
“Ah!!”
At those words, Father Lin nearly fell to the ground in shock.
“Why is a second-hand one still so expensive? You wouldn’t be trying to trick , would you?” Father Lin was skeptical. Although the vehicle looked imposing, three thousand for a used one seed unbelievable.
Lin Heng parked the vehicle and, while unloading, explained, “This used to be military-grade. A new one would cost at least five or six thousand…”
After Lin Heng’s explanation, Father Lin understood that the vehicle was once military and had more horsepower than a tractor, finally accepting the price.
But then another issue arose. “Didn’t you say you were short on money for fish farming next year? How co you bought sothing like this?”
It seed to Father Lin that Lin Heng was spending money more extravagantly, buying such a large item at once.
“Well, I’ve made a little extra money recently. Don’t worry about it, Dad. I’ll explain in a few days,” Lin Heng said with a smile.
“Alright then.”
Father Lin shrugged. Since it was already bought and with Lin Heng’s own money, there wasn’t much he could say.
He could only walk over to take a look. Aside from the high price, everything about the big guy was impressive and imposing.
Lin Heng and Xiulan first fetched a large basin of water to keep the koi fish in.
“It’s a pity, five of them died from the bumpy ride,” Xiulan said, shaking her head at the few dead koi in the basin.
“Fortunately, the ones that died were small,” Lin Heng said as he scooped out the koi and tossed them to Jinbao, who was curled up on a bench. Seeing the fish, Jinbao imdiately ran over and started eating them eagerly.
Originally, Lin Heng wanted to give a couple to Xiong Ba, but it was too busy excitedly circling the cage with two puppies inside to have any interest in the koi.
“Dad, Mom!”
Caiyun ca over with Xiao Xia from the old house. As soon as Xiao Xia entered, she ran over to them as if they had been apart for ages.
Xiulan hugged her for a mont before passing her to Lin Heng and turning to prepare the al.
Lin Heng handed her a pack of shrimp chips, and Xiao Xia imdiately climbed down from his arms to sit and eat.
Lin Heng: “…”
So all that fuss was just for food, huh?
“Second Brother, your vehicle is really cool,” Caiyun said, admiring Lin Heng’s vehicle. It was his first ti seeing such a tricycle.
“Of course,” Lin Heng replied with a slight smile. “Help feed the dogs.”
Together with Caiyun, they tied the puppies in the backyard and gave them so warm water, but no food for now.
“Caiyun, did you prepare all these vegetables?” Xiulan asked, pointing to the many vegetables in the kitchen.
Caiyun nodded. “Mom helped too. You said we were having hot pot tonight, so we got everything ready.”
“Perfect, I’m too tired to cook,” Xiulan smiled, beckoning Caiyun over. “Co help, and we’ll be eating soon.”
“Wow, that’s amazing!”
“What a big motorcycle!”
“Second Uncle is aweso, I really want to take a ride!”
Exclamations ca from outside, and Lin Heng imdiately knew his nephews had arrived, their loud voices giving them away.
He quickly went back to light the charcoal for the hot pot. Staying in the front yard would an endless questions, and he didn’t have the patience for that right now.
While Lin Heng was lighting the charcoal, Elder Brother Lin Yue’s scolding could be heard from the front yard, as the kids tried to crawl under the vehicle, which was quite alarming.
Before long, Elder Brother Lin Yue ca in, first giving high praise for Lin Heng’s new purchase, then smiling as he said, “Little brother, I found a great treasure today. Can you take a look?”
“What is it?” Lin Heng asked with a hint of curiosity.
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