activa-t Chapter 10 The Lifeline of the Poor
Chapter 10 The Lifeline of the Poor
"Dad, I didn't say you couldn't pull the cart."
Lu Cheng smiled, and that confident smile calmed Lu Laogen down a bit.
"We don't drive rented cars, and we don't work like slaves for others."
Lu Cheng turned around and pointed in the direction of the alley entrance.
"Walk."
"Where to?" Lu Laogen asked, looking bewildered.
Lu Cheng patted his waist, where there was a bulge, the sound of ocean waves colliding.
"Go to Xisi Archway."
"Let's buy a car!"
……
Xisi Archway.
This area was a bustling place in Beiping (Beijing), and also a gathering place for rickshaw dealerships.
Unlike the chaotic overpass, this place has a "high-class" feel to it.
The rickshaws parked on the roadside were all high-end models.
The paint is shiny, the brass parts are dazzling, and some cars are even equipped with the kind of pneumatic tires that foreigners use, making no noise at all when they run.
Lu Laogen followed behind Lu Cheng, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.
When he usually drives his cart through this area, he always walks along the edge, afraid of scratching some sir's car and not being able to afford to pay for it.
Today, however, his son led him in, swaggering in without any regard for others.
"Chengzi, are we...are we really going to buy it?"
Lu Laogen stared at the brand-new rickshaw displayed in the shop window by the roadside, his eyes practically popping out of his head, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
That car is really beautiful.
The brass headlights, the maroon body, and the spring-loaded seats look so soft.
If you were to pull it while running, wouldn't that be incredibly exhilarating?
But his heart was bleeding too.
This new car must cost at least a hundred yuan, right?
That was the money he could save by pulling a cart his whole life without eating or drinking.
"Buy, and buy the best."
Lu Cheng stopped without stopping, directly in front of the largest car dealership – Renhe Car Dealership.
This car dealership is the first of its kind in Beiping.
It's said that the boss has some connections with the Japanese, and the parts he imports are all high-quality.
As soon as you enter, a wave of heat hits you.
The hall was spacious and bright, with more than a dozen sample cars on display, all spotless.
Behind the counter, a shop assistant wearing a melon-shaped hat and a long gown was fiddling with an abacus.
Hearing the noise, the waiter raised his eyelids and glanced at the old man and the young man.
Lu Cheng's clothes were old but clean, while Lu Laogen was dressed like a typical laborer, with a slightly hunched back and a black cloth strap tied to his trouser leg for wiping sweat.
The light in the man's eyes vanished instantly; it was the indifference born of his accustomed experience with the poor.
"Rent a car in the backyard, find Wang San to handle the formalities."
The shop assistant lowered his head and continued working on the abacus, his tone tinged with impatience.
"The deposit is ten yuan, and the monthly fee is fifteen yuan. That's an old car. If you want to rent a slightly newer one, the deposit is twenty yuan."
Lu Laogen instinctively headed towards the backyard, it was just a habit.
"Who said we were going to rent a car?"
Lu Cheng stood in the center of the hall, his voice not loud, but it had a penetrating power.
The waiter paused, then looked up again, this time with a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"Not renting a car? Are you here to get it repaired?"
"We only repair cars that we've sold ourselves; we don't take unlicensed cars from outside."
Lu Cheng ignored his sarcastic remarks and walked straight to the rickshaw surrounded by red silk in the middle of the hall.
This car is the store's prized possession.
The frame is made of high-quality elm wood, which is soaked in oil and baked, making it both light and tough.
The wheels are genuine British Dunlop rubber tires.
The most amazing thing was the carriage, which was modeled after a Western horse-drawn carriage, with genuine leather upholstery and shock-absorbing leaf springs.
This cart is smooth to ride in, a pleasure to sit in, and a status symbol to pull.
When Lu Laogen looked at the car, the light in his eyes was even brighter than when he saw his own mother.
He reached out his hand shakily, wanting to touch the gleaming mudguard, but pulled it back halfway and rubbed it against his clothes.
It's too expensive; I'm afraid I'll get it dirty.
"How much does this car cost?"
Lu Cheng reached out and slapped the leather seat cushion directly.
Snapped!
This made the guy's eyelids twitch.
"Hey, hey, hey, that hand, that hand!"
The waiter got impatient, crawled out from behind the counter, and ran over with a look of disgust on his face.
"This is brand new German goods, the leather is imported calfskin. Can you afford to pay for it if you damage it?"
"Go away, stop causing trouble. Is this car for people like you to look after?"
"This motorcycle is called 'Speedy Legs,' and it costs 120 yuan in cash, no bargaining!"
The man quoted an astronomical figure, hoping to scare the two poor bastards away with that amount of money.
One hundred and twenty yuan!
When Lu Laogen heard the number, his legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground.
At present, one dollar can buy forty catties of good rice.
One hundred and twenty yuan, how much rice could you buy with that? That's a mountain of gold!
"Chengzi, let's go... let's go."
Lu Laogen tugged at Lu Cheng's sleeve, his voice trembling.
"This is too expensive. This isn't a carriage for people to pull; it's for the emperor!"
"Just buy a second-hand one, even one that costs only a few dozen yuan will do."
The waiter chuckled, crossed his arms, and gave me a "I knew it" look.
"The old man is a sensible man. Turn left when you go out, there's a secondhand shop there, they have repaired broken-down cars, you can take them for thirty or forty yuan."
Lu Cheng didn't move.
Seeing his father's humble appearance, the anger in his heart flared up again.
But he held it in.
Because now, he has the confidence to control the situation.
"One hundred and twenty?"
Lu Cheng smiled coldly and reached into his robes.
The waiter was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"I bought it. Remember to open your eyes wider next time."
The voice just fell.
Crash—!!!
Lu Cheng threw the cloth bundle he had been carrying onto the leather seat of the luxury car.
The bag wasn't tied tightly.
With this throw, dozens of gleaming white "Yuan Shikai dollars" tumbled out like an avalanche, covering the entire seat.
Quiet.
A deathly silence.
The guy's face, which had just been full of disdain, froze instantly, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg.
He'd worked at the dealership for five or six years and had never seen anyone buy a car so extravagantly.
Just throw cash at it!
How could this be considered poor and hardworking?
This is clearly a young master from some family traveling incognito, or a big shot who has just struck it rich.
"Sir, this gentleman..."
The waiter's back bent instantly, and the smile on his face bloomed brighter than a chrysanthemum. The speed at which he changed his expression was faster than a Sichuan opera.
"Look at my foul mouth, I deserve a beating, I deserve a beating!"
As he spoke, he actually gave himself a light slap.
"You want to take this one? Oh my, you have a sharp eye! There are only a handful of these in all of Beiping, and it's a perfect match for your status!"
Lu Laogen stood to the side, looking at the pile of money, and then at the clerk who had been arrogant just moments before but was now bowing and scraping.
He felt like he was dreaming.
Did you really buy it?
Is this 120 yuan "speed bike" really theirs?
"Dad, give it a try."
Lu Cheng ignored the waiter and turned to his father, speaking gently.
"Go up and pull it a couple of times, see if it's easy to handle."
Lu Laogen walked over, trembling.
He dared not touch the carriage, but carefully gripped the two handlebars that were polished smooth as jade.
This handshake.
It's like a general wielding a precious sword, or a knight-errant grasping a long spear.
A sense of security spread from my palm throughout my body.
light.
It's so light.
This car is ingeniously designed and has an excellent balance.
Lu Laogen simply lifted it slightly, and the car seemed to float up on its own.
They took a step forward.
The wheels turned silently, with only the soft rustling of the rubber tires pressing against the ground.
Compared to that heavy, creaking, dilapidated rental car, this was like pushing a cloud!
"Chengzi, this...this..."
Lu Laogen was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes.
"This is so easy! I don't even need to use any force!"
Lu Cheng smiled and said calmly to the still-dazed waiter.
"Complete the formalities and write the vehicle deed."
"Write my father's name, Lu Laogen."
At this moment, Lu Cheng's aura was even stronger than that of Master Jin.
That's the confidence that comes from strength, the domineering aura of being able to control one's own destiny.