After leaving the grocery car dealership, the wealthy young Shen Mo grabbed Hua’s father, who was about to head to another used car dealership across the street, and led him straight to a more upscale and well-decorated 4S shop next door.
“The cars here look expensive at first glance,” Hua’s father frowned.
“Yeah, should we go look at some used cars instead?” Hua’s mother thought the Great Wall pickup was quite nice.
“Our daughter isn’t short of money now!” Hua Jie declared, thumping her chest confidently and pulling her dad towards the 4S store.
Shen Mo glanced at the girl’s chest being vigorously patted by Hua Jie; her forcefulness spared no one, not even herself…
Turning his gaze, he looked up at the courtyard of the 4S shop, filled with sleek, shiny sedans that even tempted him.
A woman in the store was wiping the rearview mirror of a car with a cloth. Seeing people approach, she immediately greeted them with a warm smile:
“Hello, what kind of car are you looking to buy?”
Another male salesperson in the store, using his long legs to his advantage, quickly approached, almost shoulder to shoulder with the woman, and didn’t miss a beat in speaking:
“How about a sedan for the family?”
Shen Mo finally felt relieved; this was the kind of attitude he expected.
A smile also appeared on Hua’s father’s face, calming the irritable mood he had earlier.
…
Half an hour later, the family of four exited the dealership, laughing and chatting with the two car salespeople. The parents took a taxi on the highway and left, while the two children headed straight to the KFC across the street for ice cream.
The male and female salespeople stood at the door, watching the family leave, rubbing their hands together in anticipation.
Next door, Xie Lili leaned on the iron railing, cracking sunflower seeds and laughing as she asked:
“What happened? They stayed in your store so long before leaving? Did you talk yourself hoarse introducing cars? How come they didn’t drive one away?”
Although they were competitors, the salespeople were all workers and sometimes gathered together to gossip and dine.
Xie Lili couldn’t help but tease the two salespeople across the street.
She thought she was smart, knowing at a glance that the family couldn’t afford a car, quickly sending them away to save the effort of serving them, ending up busy for nothing.
The two on the other side, however, spent a whole half hour accompanying them, and still let them leave empty-handed.
Now aren’t you the fools? Ha!
“Don’t talk nonsense, they’re buying our 220,000-yuan model, the jewel of our pickups, they just went to get the money,” the male salesperson immediately puffed out his chest, boasting.
“Don’t talk nonsense, they are going to buy our 220,000 yuan model, the gem among pickups, they’ve gone to get the money,” the male salesperson immediately puffed out his chest, boasting.
“Give me a break, tone down your bragging a bit, will you? Did you drink too much this morning? Buying your 220,000 yuan Ford pickup? They couldn’t even afford the 190,000 yuan Nissan pickup,” Xie Lili said, spitting out a sunflower seed shell with a scoff:
“They didn’t want to buy, just pretended to go get money and ran off.”
“Watch, they won’t come back.”
“You two might as well turn into stone waiting for customers who can’t afford cars.”
“Cut the crap, stop farting around, you’re not going to explode,” the male salesperson retorted angrily, not mincing his words.
Despite his tough talk, he couldn’t help but feel a bit doubtful inside.
He turned to look at the female salesperson, and they exchanged a nervous and uncertain glance.
Could it be that Xie Lili’s curses might actually come true?
For the next half-hour, the two salespeople in the 4S shop were thirsty and anxious.
Damn it… All that effort for nothing, and to top it off, mocked thoroughly by Xie Lili. It was infuriating.
…
But half an hour later, the Hua family returned.
Like Bai Suzhen rescuing Xu Xian from the underworld, Sun Wukong saving Tang Sanzang from the White Bone Cave, and Taishi Ci meeting Sun Ce at exactly noon—they lived up to expectations, promised and delivered.
Money in one hand and goods in the other, Hua’s father’s palms were hot as he gripped the car keys and sat in the driver’s seat.
After a successful test drive, the family got into the car, everyone buckled up, ready for the journey.
Old Hua hit the road for the first time, but he was not at all intimidated.
Just like in his youth, daring to ride a motorcycle without knowing how, his boiling youthful heart knew no fear.
With sunglasses on and foot on the gas, he was ready to take on the world!
Beep beep!
Off we go!!
Car-owner Daddy Hua is heading home!!!
Xie Lili, who had just seen Hua’s father and his family return, was gripping her sunflower seeds, eyes glued to the 4S shop.
When Hua’s father drove out—
“…” The sunflower seeds fell to the ground.
He really bought it?
He could actually afford it?
There was also a gem of a car in her shop. If only…
The two salespeople, smiling and briskly walking shoulder to shoulder to bid farewell to Hua’s father’s family all the way to the gate, were overjoyed.
Turning to see Xie Lili, the female salesperson immediately said with a laugh:
“Ah, with the commission from this sale, we can have a great New Year!”
The male salesperson responded with a smile:
“Exactly, pocket full of earnings! Wow, counting those 220,000 yuan made my fingers go soft. But…”
He brought his fingers to his nose and took a deep sniff:
“Ah~ the smell of money, truly fragrant!”
“!” Xie Lili, sour in her mouth with irritation, said:
“Are you two performing a sketch? Pah!”
…
…
With a four-wheeled vehicle, Daddy Hua was nearly taking flight, the little pickup zipping along. He was a bit cautious when he first hit the road, but after a few kilometers, he learned to ‘fly.’
Fortunately, as they approached Jinsong City, he had had his fill of flying along the vast northern roads and soon settled down to reduce speed as they entered the city.
The hearts of everyone in the car finally dropped back into their chests.
To celebrate the purchase of the car and to calm the excitement of spending 220,000 yuan, the family decided to eat at the Iron Pot Stew Courtyard on the edge of the city—a feast of iron pot stewed goose—
Using delicious food to soothe the pain (and thrill) of money flowing like water.
Hua’s father’s parking was a bit off; Hua Jie got out of the car and directed him for a while with “back, back, back, stop, stop, stop, turn the wheel left, back, back, back,” until he finally parked safely.
After parking and locking the car, Shen Mo looked out over the spacious courtyard. The north is vast with sparse population, and parking spaces aren’t costly; you can park almost anywhere. Yet, Hua’s father insisted on parallel parking here—was he unable to control his desire to show off his skills?
Is driving really that fun? Too bad he was only fifteen…
Hua’s father strode in and ordered a goose. The owner grabbed the goose by the neck to prepare it fresh, killing and cooking it on the spot. Absolute freshness.
He also ordered some side dishes—stir-fried pork slices, fried shrimp chips, and a “big harvest” platter… one of each!
“The lady can order whatever she wants, this meal is on dad,” Hua’s father turned around and said with a smile.
Hua Jie had strongly supported her dad in buying the car, contributing a substantial 120,000 yuan herself.
“Dad’s ordered everything I wanted, but let’s add some green beans, eggplant, and black bean sauce to the pot,” Hua Jie ordered three side dishes in a row.
“What about Shen Mo? What would you like to eat? Don’t be shy, just tell uncle,” Hua’s father was still a bit excited from driving.
“…I’d like to eat yellow croaker,” Shen Mo loved fish.
“Alright, add a plate of fried yellow croaker,” Hua’s father then turned to his wife:
“And you? What would Hua’s mother like?”
“That’s enough, I love everything,” Hua’s mother quickly stopped her husband’s unrestrained spending.
Hua’s father patted his wife on the arm, then ordered a bottle of fresh corn juice, a bottle of blueberry juice, and a bottle of frozen pear juice before finally sitting down with his wife, kid, and someone else’s son.
The big stove was fired up, the pot rack as wide as an arm’s length.
After the goose was chopped up, it was briefly cooked in a pressure cooker, then transferred to a big pot.
Together with the various side dishes, they covered it with a large wooden lid and let it stew vigorously.
The four of them nibbled on fried yellow croaker and sipped corn juice;
munched on fried shrimp chips while drinking fruit juice…
Over half an hour later, the goose was finally cooked. As they lifted the lid, steam billowed out, filling the air with delicious scents.
Shen Mo and Hua Jie each took a goose leg, while Hua’s parents each grabbed a wing, happily munching away.
After eating until their faces were covered in sweat, they took sips of the icy pear juice, which was refreshingly cooling and utterly satisfying.
Shen Mo glanced at Hua Jie as she chewed, her cheeks puffing up adorably, and thought: In a family like this, it’s quite an achievement that she maintains her figure.
Eating delicious food day in and day out was simply irresistible.
When she was about eighty percent full, Hua Jie gulped down a bellyful of juice to make room for more and got up to use the restroom.
In this era, this kind of unique, slightly secluded iron pot stew yard still used outdoor dry toilets.
Fortunately, it didn’t smell bad in the winter. Hua Jie wrapped herself in her down jacket and hurried outside.
After relieving herself, with her buttocks chilled, she quickly pulled up her pants and adjusted her clothing, only feeling relieved when warmth enveloped her again.
Stepping out of the toilet, she heard a strange noise nearby, seemingly coming from the bushes next to her. Instinctively, she looked in that direction.
The yard was designed for easy vehicle access and wasn’t fully enclosed, having a semi-surround structure.
Because of a row of bushes next to the toilets, there was no wooden fence.
Turning her head, Hua Jie locked eyes with two glowing spots and shuddered, realizing only then that they were human eyes.
Before she could even catch her breath, the figure stretched out his arms—
The man was clutching a military coat; as he spread his arms, the coat opened wide, revealing that he wore nothing underneath.
A skinny old man’s body and the terrifying darkness…
“Ah!” Hua Jie screamed instinctively, turning her head in disgust and backing away.
Instead of being scared off by her scream, the man seemed invigorated by it, shaking his body even more proudly.
What rotten luck to encounter such a creep!
Hua Jie’s mind raced to devise a strategy. Although she wanted to bravely give him the finger and hurl a few insults, she was worried about being attacked.
The distance from the toilets to the restaurant was significant, and it was dark all around. She feared he might suddenly charge at her.
Gritting her teeth, she didn’t utter a word, instinctively retreating and then turning to run.
Just as she took a step, she saw a dark figure approaching at high speed from behind.
Could the pervert have an accomplice?
Was it not just a simple scare?
She might have to fight for her life if it came to it, determined not to let these people drag her into the bushes.
As this thought crossed her mind, she prepared to run around them, but the approaching shadow was moving incredibly fast. In her frightened state, she suddenly recognized the face of the newcomer.
It was Shen Mo.
Her fear immediately subsided, and she slowed down, realizing her legs were weak from fright, her body covered in cold sweat, her ears buzzing with each throb, clearly hearing her own heartbeat.
Reaching out her arms, she tried to grab Shen Mo, seeking his support as her body felt weak.
However, Shen Mo did not rush to her aid immediately; instead, he sprinted towards the pervert by the bushes.
Upon reaching the bushes, the young man didn’t hesitate to launch a powerful kick. The villain, unable to react as swiftly as the agile youth, received a merciless kick to the stomach and groaned as he fell to the ground.
Even then, the villain, undeterred, tried to fend off Shen Mo while his eyes continued to sweep over Hua Jie.
With fury in his eyes, Shen Mo couldn’t help but curse out loud, showing no mercy as he aimed another brutal kick at the assailant’s vulnerable spot.
Finally realizing the gravity of the situation, the pervert alternately cursed and apologized, his actions showing a bizarre split.
He curled up, finally using his military coat for protection.
But Shen Mo did not cease his attack; he bent down and hammered at the pervert’s head with heavy blows, his fists pounding like hammers.
His feet were not idle either, striking relentless kicks whenever the pervert’s guard faltered.
The pervert stopped retorting, crying out in agony as he curled up and tried to retreat into the bushes, begging for mercy.
Yet Shen Mo seemed frenzied, continuing his relentless assault.
The branches of the bushes scratched his cheeks, and his knuckles were smeared with blood, yet he kept raining down blows like a torrential storm.
Hua Jie began to fear that Shen Mo might kill the man, and she felt compelled to step forward and try to grab his hand.
“He’s going to die because of you.”
Even though Shen Mo was well-versed in human anatomy, Hua Jie wasn’t sure if he still had any rationality left at this moment.
The pervert’s life was not a pity to lose, but if it implicated Shen Mo, that would be a grave sin.
Seeing that Shen Mo was unresponsive to her words, the girl suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and urgently calling out his name:
“Shen Mo, Shen Mo…”
The young man’s body stiffened, and his actions finally slowed down.