Chapter 231: The Shock of His In-Laws

After Xiao Xia deposited the money safely, Lin Heng told her two related little stories.

She still decided to sleep hugging her own money.

Once he coaxed her to sleep, Lin Heng stretched his arms and climbed into bed to rest.

He felt inexplicably tired today, though he couldn’t figure out why.

“Need a massage?”

Xiulan noticed Lin Heng’s unusual fatigue and came over, blinking as she asked.

Although phrased as a question, her hands were already moving.

“Thanks, dear wife,” Lin Heng grinned, lying down comfortably on the bed.

Xiulan smiled but said nothing, gently massaging his entire body twice over with delicate, tender technique.

Lin Heng immediately felt much of his exhaustion fade away and chuckled, “Let’s rest now.”

“Okay.”

Xiulan combed her hair back and loosely tied it up with a hair tie, then lay down beside Lin Heng.

In the blink of an eye, it was early morning the next day. Lin Heng rose early, not rushing into his usual exercise but instead strolling around to clear his mind.

It was only seven o’clock; the sky had just brightened. He stepped out through the courtyard gate, and Xiong Ba followed him out to run and play—despite having grown into a large dog, it remained as cheerful and playful as ever.

As soon as he stepped outside the gate, he spotted his father, who was carrying a bundle of straw to feed the ox. In his memory, his father never slept in.

“Dad, you’re up so early?”

Lin Heng walked over with a smile.

“Habit,” Father Lin replied casually.

After feeding the family’s big yellow ox, he turned and added, “I asked someone yesterday—they said the snow on the road to Baima Village has already melted. You and Xiulan should be able to visit her parents’ place.”

“Got it,” Lin Heng nodded. The sky today was a clear azure, and it looked like the sun would come out—there was no need to worry about snow anymore.

“Dad, after a while, I’ll take you fishing for crucian carp in the river,” Lin Heng said with a grin.

“Sure thing. Last time we fished for catfish was pretty fun,” Father Lin nodded.

He used to think fishing was boring, but after that successful catch, he’d grown fond of the experience.

After chatting briefly, Lin Heng wandered off to other parts of the yard before returning to his room for exercise.

Xiulan joined him. By the time they finished their workout, the sun had just peeked over the mountaintop across the Shiban River. Golden rays shone forth, though the angle was still too low for them to bask directly in its warmth.

Still, the air already carried a hint of warmth. Ice and snow on the trees began melting, and droplets started falling from the eaves.

“The wintersweet seems about to bloom.”

Xiulan pointed to the two yellow wintersweet shrubs planted beside the stream near the fish pond. Their large flower buds appeared to be slowly unfurling.

“We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to enjoy them,” Lin Heng nodded. Wintersweet flowers stayed open for a long time—there was no fear of missing them.

“Then I’ll go pack up. Let’s head out.”

Xiulan nodded and turned back toward the house.

Once everything was packed, Lin Heng loaded the gifts onto the vehicle and drove it onto the road.

After informing his parents and receiving their reminders, Lin Heng and Xiulan put on their helmets and got on the motorcycle. Many villagers were already up and about; some outsiders who saw Lin Heng’s sidecar motorcycle gaped in astonishment.

Yesterday, they had been proudly showing off their bicycles, motorcycles, or wristwatches in the village, thinking the locals had never seen such things. Now they felt deeply embarrassed—if only they’d known the village already had something like this, they wouldn’t have bragged at all.

Lin Heng, of course, knew nothing of this. He helped Xiulan settle into the side seat. Xiao Xia sat nestled in her mother’s arms, wrapped snugly in a small blanket and wearing a scarf—Lin Heng was determined not to let her catch a chill.

Both Xiulan and Lin Heng wore helmets and scarves, bundled up tightly.

Even so, as Lin Heng started the engine and sped forward, they could still feel the cold wind sneaking into their collars.

Their body heat seemed instantly stolen by the icy gusts, forcing Lin Heng to slow down a bit more.

The snow on the road hadn’t melted yet—if it were a two-wheeled vehicle, travel would’ve been impossible. But the three-wheeled sidecar offered far better stability, so moving slowly posed no issue.

By the time they reached Baima Village, this problem vanished—the sunlight had already reached the road, and the thin layer of ice and snow melted quickly.

With the sun now warming their bodies, riding became much less frigid.

On the Huangtan River side, there was hardly any snow left at all—the low-lying terrain couldn’t hold onto it.

As they traveled onward, Xiao Xia kept popping her head out from Xiulan’s arms to look at the scenery outside, repeatedly asking how much farther they had to go.

In forty minutes, Lin Heng had already arrived at the border between Nanping County and Lushui County. If not for the slippery road, he could’ve made it in half an hour.

A little farther ahead lay the small river where Lin Heng had hunted rabbits last time. He stopped the vehicle there—the river, too, had shrunk in the winter cold.

“Daddy, where are we?” Xiao Xia peeked out from her mother’s arms, her big eyes curiously scanning the surroundings.

“The place where I shot rabbits last time—don’t you remember?” Lin Heng said as he took off his hat.

Xiao Xia thought for a moment, then cheered, “I remember! We got a really big rabbit last time!!”

“Exactly. We’ll be at your grandma’s house soon.”

“Have some biscuits. The hot water I brought hasn’t cooled yet.”

Xiulan had already removed her helmet and now pulled out a squirrel-skin water pouch from inside her coat. When hot, the pouch could warm the body; now that it had cooled to a comfortable temperature, it was perfect for drinking.

She then reached beside the seat and pulled out a pack of biscuits. They hadn’t eaten breakfast, and they’d likely arrive just in time for lunch, so they needed to fill their stomachs now.

Lin Heng took a couple of bites of biscuit and accepted the water pouch for a sip. The squirrel skin had undergone multiple processing steps like degreasing, so the water inside carried no strange odor whatsoever.

After finishing their snack, the three sat on a rock to bask in the sunlight for a while. Xiao Xia couldn’t sit still—she kept picking up small pebbles and tossing them into the river, giggling gleefully every time ripples splashed outward.

After resting a bit, Lin Heng checked his watch—it was already nine o’clock. They got back on the motorcycle and continued toward Baisha Township’s Liulin Village.

……

……

Meanwhile, in Liulin Village, things were already bustling. Many relatives visiting for the New Year had begun arriving.

Numerous villagers came out to sunbathe and play cards. Chen Changxia, Xiulan’s father, had just finished breakfast and was sweeping up the leftover firecracker casings in front of his house.

Vroom! Vroom!

The roar of a motorcycle echoed in the distance. Moments later, a small black motorcycle zoomed past—it was clearly another family’s visiting relative, coming to pay New Year’s greetings.

Soon after, Chen Changxia heard laughter and chatter behind him. Motorcycles were rare sights, so he couldn’t help but glance twice. Besides motorcycles, many others arrived on bicycles.

Classic “Twenty-Eight Bar” models rang their bells with crisp, clear chimes audible from far away. Typically carrying two people, these cyclists rode through the village with proud, beaming faces. In this era, even a single bicycle was an undeniable symbol of wealth—riding one brought prestige wherever you went.

“Huh. Never realized it before, but turns out there are quite a few well-off relatives in this village,” Chen Changxia mused aloud.

His neighbor next door was also sweeping up firecracker debris. Hearing this, he chuckled, “Your son-in-law isn’t bad either—he’s got that horse-drawn cart, right? Why hasn’t he come to pay you New Year’s respects yet?”

Chen Changxia glanced at his neighbor, Fang Xingbing. Yesterday, Fang’s daughter had visited on a bicycle, leaving him overjoyed.

“It’s far away—even a round trip on a bicycle isn’t easy. Plus, it snowed yesterday. Probably won’t come back,” Chen Changxia replied dismissively.

“Hey, bicycles are fast! You’ve never ridden one, so you don’t know—you barely need to pedal and it zooms ahead,” Fang Xingbing immediately grew animated at the mention of bicycles.

As they swept and chatted, Fang nearly claimed bicycles were better than motorcycles. Chen Changxia didn’t want to hear it and hurried his sweeping.

Vroom! Vroom!!

Just as he was about to finish, another motorcycle roar suddenly sounded. Looking up, he saw an unfamiliar sidecar motorcycle slowly approaching from afar. The riders looked strangely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place them at first.

“Dad, Happy New Year!” Lin Heng called out with a grin.

Only upon hearing Lin Heng’s voice did Chen Changxia finally recognize his son-in-law.

“Ah! Happy New Year, happy New Year!” Chen Changxia quickly responded with a smile, tossing his broom aside.

Beside him, Fang Xingbing stood dumbfounded, his sweeping halted mid-motion. He even rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

What was going on? Hadn’t Chen Changxia’s son-in-law been driving a horse-drawn cart before? How did he suddenly get this kind of motorcycle?

Though Fang had never seen a sidecar motorcycle before, one look told him it was far more expensive than an ordinary bike. Switching to such a fine vehicle in just half a year? Fang seriously suspected it was borrowed.

“Dad, Happy New Year.”

“Grandpa, Happy New Year!”

Xiulan stepped off the vehicle, holding Xiao Xia, and greeted them with a smile.

“Happy New Year!” Chen Changxia nodded cheerfully, then couldn’t help pointing at the sidecar motorcycle and asking, “What kind of vehicle is this? I’ve never seen one before.”

He actually wanted to ask if it was borrowed, but couldn’t bring himself to say it in front of others. After all, the vehicle clearly wasn’t cheap—even with a procurement station, there was no way they could afford it in such a short time.

Lin Heng instantly understood his father-in-law’s unspoken question and smiled, “It’s a sidecar motorcycle. I made some money in the second half of the year and bought it for transportation.”

So it really was bought! Hearing this, Chen Changxia was genuinely startled—his son-in-law was impressive indeed.

“Xiulan, Lin Heng—you’re here! Hurry inside!” At that moment, Xiulan’s mother, Wang Zhi, stepped out of the house and quickly ushered them in upon seeing the three of them.

“Alright,” Lin Heng nodded and parked the vehicle right outside the courtyard gate.

His in-laws’ courtyard had a stone staircase, so the motorcycle couldn’t enter—it had to stay outside.

Chen Changxia looked at Lin Heng and offered, “Should I help you carry it inside? Leaving it out here isn’t safe.”

Lin Heng waved dismissively, “It’s fine, Dad. Besides, this thing weighs over three hundred kilograms—we couldn’t lift it even if we tried.”

As he spoke, he unloaded the gifts from the vehicle and walked into the house with Chen Changxia.

Outside, Fang Xingbing still stared at the motorcycle in disbelief. Other villagers had also noticed the unusual sidecar and cast curious glances its way; many children even ran over to gawk from a distance.

News of the sidecar motorcycle quickly spread through the village. Countless people came to take a curious look—this novel contraption held immense appeal.

Debates even erupted over whether it was bought, rented, or borrowed.

Inside the courtyard, Wang Zhi asked curiously, “Is this the new vehicle you and Xiulan bought?”

“Yes, we bought it right before the New Year,” Xiulan nodded, then asked in return, “Where are my brothers? Did they all go out visiting relatives?”

“Yes, they’ve all gone to pay New Year visits. Right now, there’s only your dad and me in the house,” Wang Zhi nodded and said.

Entering the main hall, Lin Heng placed the gifts on the cabinet. Xiulan looked at her parents and reminded them, “These are all for you. Eating them will be good for your health.”

“You coming in person is enough—why bring gifts?” Wang Zhi chided gently.

“But when we leave, you always insist on giving Xiao Xia a red envelope, don’t you?” Xiulan smiled.

The elderly couple laughed heartily, saying this time they’d definitely give Xiao Xia a big red envelope. After exchanging a few more words, Wang Zhi, hurried off to the kitchen to start preparing lunch, leaving Father Chen to chat with the two of them.

During their casual conversation, Lin Heng honestly told his father-in-law the actual price of the sidecar motorcycle and clarified that it was, in fact, a secondhand vehicle. He had never been the type to pretend to be wealthier than he was.

Besides, even if they found out, no one would look down on him—after all, even as a used vehicle, it was still worth three thousand yuan. They’d be shocked, yes, but they’d also admire Lin Heng’s honesty.

After chatting for a while, Chen Changxia suddenly chuckled and said, “I heard there’s a temple fair in Baisha Township today. It’s really lively—would you like to go take a look?”

“Sure! We’re not hungry yet anyway. We can go for a stroll and come back for lunch. Let’s bring Mom along too.”

Lin Heng nodded with a smile. It was obvious his father-in-law wanted to ride his motorcycle out for some fun, and he certainly wasn’t going to be so tactless as to refuse.

Besides, visiting a temple fair was far more enjoyable than just sitting idly indoors.

“Can so many people really fit on it?” Chen Changxia asked curiously.

“If we squeeze in a bit, we’ll all fit,” Lin Heng nodded.

“I’ll go call Mom,” Xiulan quickly stood up. Her mother hadn’t been to a temple fair in years, and she really wanted to take her along for some fun this time.

When Wang Zhi heard they were going to the temple fair, she was eager to go but hesitated, worrying about wasting fuel money and making excuses. Xiulan simply grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room to change clothes.

Once the elderly couple was ready, the five of them headed out together.

Outside the door, many children and adults were standing at a distance, gazing curiously at Lin Heng’s sidecar motorcycle. When they saw the group come out, someone called out, “Chen Changxia, where are you off to?”

Chen Changxia gave a simple, good-natured laugh and replied, “My son-in-law’s taking us to check out the temple fair in Baisha Township.”

“So many people? Can that vehicle really handle it?” someone asked curiously.

“It can,” Chen Changxia nodded confidently.

Lin Heng turned the motorcycle around, helping his in-laws squeeze into the sidecar seat. Xiulan sat behind him, with Xiao Xia nestled snugly between them. Once everyone was settled, he started the engine and drove off amid the envious stares of the gathered children and adults.

“This sidecar is amazing—it can actually carry five people!”

“I bet it could fit two more!”

“Chen Changxia really hit the jackpot—having such an impressive son-in-law!”

As the sidecar motorcycle pulled away, the crowd murmured in admiration before heading home. Many children excitedly declared that when they grew up, they’d buy themselves a cool sidecar motorcycle just like that one.

The roads in Lushui County were very flat, so Lin Heng drove fast. His in-laws sat with expressions of both astonishment and delight—they’d never even ridden a regular motorcycle before, let alone a sidecar motorcycle.

“This feels really great! It’s so fast even with all five of us on board,” Chen Changxia laughed heartily. Today had truly been a treat, and now he’d have plenty to brag about back in the village.

Lin Heng smiled and said, “This bike’s engine could handle ten more people if needed—it’s got more horsepower than an average tractor.”

Seeing his in-laws so happy made him happy too. After all, wasn’t this exactly why he worked so hard—to bring moments like these to the people he cared about?

(End of Chapter)