Chapter 25: The Little Troublemaker of the Seventies (25)

Liu Suisui’s trip to the city was primarily to buy books, with a secondary goal of taking a little break for herself. Otherwise, she felt she might go mad if she had to keep working in the fields like an ox, day in and day out, regardless of the weather.

Because of this, she had no real intention of buying anything when she arrived at the department store; she was just browsing, not shopping.

"How much for this bike?"

Li Xiangyang walked up to the bicycle counter, looked at the brand-new bicycle inside, and asked directly.

The salesclerk glanced up at him and said in a dismissive tone, "One bicycle voucher and one hundred and eighty yuan."

She didn't think this man in front of her could afford a bicycle. His attire clearly indicated he wasn't from a wealthy family. Moreover, people often came to ask about the price of bicycles, only to walk away once they heard the cost. After so much experience, she felt her judgment of character was spot-on.

"Do you have a women's model?"

"The three we received this month were all men's models. Two have already been sold, and this is the last one. Buy it if you want, otherwise don't cause trouble." The salesclerk rolled her eyes.

Li Xiangyang wasn't annoyed; a simple eye-roll was nothing. He had endured far worse than that in the past.

"Then I'll take this one."

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and produced the bicycle voucher along with one hundred and eighty yuan.

Now it was the salesclerk's turn to be surprised. She hadn't expected this man to actually be able to afford it. Instantly, her attitude shifted significantly.

"The bicycle needs to be stamped with a serial number before it can be ridden on the road. Remember to go get that done," she reminded him.

This serial number acted like a license plate. If the bike were ever stolen, it could be tracked down using that number. Furthermore, any bike without this stamp would be considered acquired through illicit private trade.

"I understand. Thank you."

When Liu Suisui finished her rounds and returned to meet him, she saw him pushing a "28-inch heavy-duty" bicycle toward her.

"Wow! You actually bought a bike? Does that make you a car owner now?"

She curiously stepped forward to inspect it. The bicycle was brand new, fresh from the factory, with only a thin layer of dust on the tires. She had never ridden one of these old-fashioned heavy-duty bikes before.

Li Xiangyang pushed the bike toward her. "Want to try?"

He could see she was quite interested.

"No need, the seat is way too high." She was afraid she wouldn't even be able to get on, and even if she did, her short legs wouldn't reach the pedals.

007 had told her that it had scanned her body and noted there was still room for growth, provided she had proper nutrition. But for now, she was just a petite girl standing at exactly 1.5 meters tall.

The seat of this 28-inch bike was so high that she would look ridiculous trying to ride it.

"It's fine, I can lower the seat for you."

"No, really, it's fine. I don't have much interest in cycling. Is there anything else you need to buy? If not, let's go find a guesthouse."

"I need to take the bike to get the serial number stamped. Do you want to come along?"

"Sure!"

The two of them headed toward the vehicle registration office.

As they neared their destination, Liu Suisui felt a discomfort in her stomach. She wondered if it was because she had eaten too well, and her digestive system couldn't handle the influx of nutrition. Regardless, she was starting to feel quite unwell.

"Li Xiangyang, you go ahead. I have something I need to take care of."

"Are you okay? Maybe you should take care of your business first; the bike can be registered later." Seeing the change in her expression, he became immediately anxious, fearing something was wrong.

Liu Suisui waved her hands dismissively. "No, no, it's just a personal matter. It's nothing serious, go ahead."

Li Xiangyang looked at her skeptically, only to notice her awkwardly clutching her stomach. It seemed...

"Ahem, alright then. I'll go ahead and come find you in a bit."

"Okay, go on."

Once he was gone, Liu Suisui hurried to find a public restroom.

Public toilets in this era were scarce and built in a very rudimentary fashion. Even from a distance, one could smell the various foul odors wafting out. The latrines at the educated youth site were the same; she had to mentally prepare herself every time she went in. If she didn't go in, she'd have an accident in her pants; going in was just a form of mental torture.

She couldn't exactly just squat in the fields, could she?

After a brief internal struggle, she gritted her teeth and stepped inside. The stench was overwhelming, hitting her right in the senses, and the hygiene was appalling. The wooden planks separating the stalls had dark, yellowed stains that looked quite grotesque.

It was much filthier than the latrines at the youth site.

"Ugh!"

Unable to take it any longer, Liu Suisui bolted back out.

She ran a short distance away and stood against a wall, dry-heaving. After a while, she felt like her lunch might come up. Fortunately, it didn't, or else the mess on the ground would have been another disaster.

After resting for a good while, her stomach finally felt a bit better, and the dull ache subsided.

She remembered the way she had come and prepared to go find Li Xiangyang. She never wanted to visit a public restroom like that again. If she ever bought a house, she would make sure the bathroom was high-class and clean, so it wouldn't have to be this foul.

"Young lady, little girl, could you help me? I fell down, and I can't get back up. Oh, it hurts so much."

As she was walking, she heard someone calling out to her.

Liu Suisui looked over. An elderly woman with a kind face, wearing thin clothes and possessing a bloated figure, was sitting on the ground, unable to stand. Vegetables were scattered all around her; it looked as if she had just finished shopping and had accidentally tripped.

Was this... a scam?

But there was no one else around.

Liu Suisui scratched her head, feeling a bit conflicted as she brought her modern-day sensibilities into this setting. There wasn't really a concept of "scamming" here yet, and the old lady looked quite kind.

With that thought, she hurried over and helped her up.

"Grandma, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself anywhere? Do you need to go to the hospital to get checked out?"

"Oh, my old bones are usually quite sturdy, no need for a hospital. It's just my tailbone; it hurts so much." The old woman's voice was filled with pain.

She bent down, trying to pick up the vegetables on the ground.

Liu Suisui stepped in first. "Let me help you pick them up. You're at such an advanced age, and you're still out doing the grocery shopping?"

"What can I do? My little grandson needs to eat, I can't let him go hungry. By the way, young lady, could I trouble you for one thing?"

"What is it? Tell me."

"You see, I just fell, and my body is in a lot of pain; I can't really walk well. Could you help me home? My house is just ahead, not far. Would you be kind and do a good deed?"

"Of course!" Liu Suisui agreed without thinking. The old lady looked pitiful, and it was just a short walk; there was no reason to refuse such a simple favor.

"You're such a good girl!"

"Hehe, it's nothing, just on the way."

For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was a little strange.