"Wife, come try it, I'll hold the back seat for you!"
After paying, having the mechanic tighten all the chains, oil them, and secure the chain guard screws, Chen Yang patted the seat and motioned for Shen Xue to give it a go.
"I... I don't know how."
Shen Xue blushed. She had never ridden a bicycle in her life.
"It's alright, don't be scared. Come on, just hold the handlebars. I'll hold the seat for you, and then pedal."
"I won't fall, right?"
Chen Yang beckoned to Shen Xue. He still needed to get the invoice from the bike shop and take it to the police station to get it registered.
Back then, a bicycle was a significant purchase, no less of a hassle than buying a car in later times. It had to be registered at the police station, and a bicycle driver's license issued before it could be ridden on the road. S.D. Novel Network.
"Mama, you can do it! (ง•̀_•́)ง"
The little child waved her hands, cheering Shen Xue on. Chen Hao, on the other hand, was eager to get on the back seat.
"Silly boy, Dad will help Mom practice first. Once Mom learns, I'll take you."
Shen Xue still didn't know how to ride, and Chen Yang dared not let her carry the child.
Under his encouragement, Shen Xue cautiously gripped the handlebars and sat on the seat.
But she was so nervous that she only half-sat on the seat, then stepped on a pedal.
The bicycle wobbled and moved forward a step, scaring her so much that her hands trembled, ready to jump off at any moment.
"It's okay, don't be afraid, I'm holding you."
Chen Yang sat on the back cushion. The mechanic had thoughtfully added a sponge pad to the back seat, with a small piece of cloth sewn on, making it a bit less uncomfortable.
With his long legs supporting from behind, Shen Xue wouldn't fall over, at least.
"Don't move, I'm scared."
Shen Xue's palms instantly started to sweat. Seeing people ride bicycles so effortlessly on the road, why did it feel like the bike was about to tip over for her?
"Riding a bicycle is all about balance. As long as you maintain your balance, the bike won't fall."
"Besides, it's a 26-inch bike, and your feet can reach the ground. If you feel like you're going to fall, just stop pedaling and put your feet down."
Watching Shen Xue, whose face had turned pale with fear, Chen Yang couldn't help but smile wryly.
But he remembered his own first time learning to ride a bicycle and realized he hadn't been much better than Shen Xue.
Even though he knew he wouldn't fall if he put his feet down, it was like learning to swim. Even in shallow water, waist-deep, some people would still flail and struggle to stand up.
Riding a bicycle was similar. Even with feet that could touch the ground, one would still fall.
Most people learned to ride a bicycle by falling.
Of course, there were a few geniuses who learned to ride in a few laps without falling.
But looking at his wife, it seemed she had a long way to go.
After the mechanic finished the invoice, Shen Xue circled around at the entrance. Many people on the road looked at her with envy.
In those days, owning a bicycle, especially a permanent brand one, was no less prestigious than owning a Mercedes-Benz or BMW in later times.
Moreover, it was a 26-inch Permanent brand bicycle for women, which was something any woman would envy.
Back then, most bicycles were ridden by men, and women riding bicycles were rare. Unlike the late 1980s and 1990s, when bicycles became less expensive, and women's bicycles gradually became more common.
At that time, nine out of ten bicycles on the road were 28-inch frames ridden by men.
Shen Xue's pale yellow Permanent brand 26-inch bicycle immediately became the center of attention on the street, with countless young women and wives looking on with envy.
"Mom, I want to marry a man who can buy me a bicycle too."
"Yeah, if my man bought me a bicycle, I'd have two more sons for him. He'd be over the moon."
Shen Xue often overheard women passing by whispering to each other as they looked at her. She felt a thrill of happiness.
In this life, she was determined to treat Chen Yang well.
A man as good as Chen Yang was hard to find, even with a lantern.
"Let's go get the license plate."
"If we keep being stared at, we'll be mistaken for performing monkeys."
Chen Yang patted Shen Xue's shoulder from behind. Being watched by so many people was a bit awkward.
"Then you ride it, and I'll hold the children."
They returned to the bike shop and took the invoice from the mechanic.
Chen Yang offered the man a cigarette.
"Master, do you have a seat? Can you fit one on the crossbar? Otherwise, the child won't have a place to sit."
Chen Yang wasn't sure if child seats that attached to the frame had been invented yet. It would be tiring for Shen Xue to hold both children in the back.
"You're quite clever, wanting to install a seat. Look, this is woven from rattan. I'll wrap some cloth around it for you, make it firm, and your little one will sit tight."
"This seat costs one yuan. Do you want it installed?"
Hearing Chen Yang mention a seat, the mechanic's eyes lit up. This wasn't a service offered by the shop; it was his personal side business. Installing one for a customer and earning a yuan wasn't a small sum.
This seat was also his wife's idea. Their eldest son always complained that sitting on the crossbar was uncomfortable. His wife's family were wicker craftsmen, so she asked her father to weave a rattan chair. He then attached it to the crossbar, and it was indeed much more comfortable.
The 26-inch bike had a sloping top tube, making it even harder to carry a passenger. Adding a seat on it would perfectly compensate for the drawback compared to a 28-inch bike with a larger top tube.
"Alright, please install it securely. The child is growing every day, don't let it break in a couple of uses."
Chen Yang paid one yuan for the seat to be installed in the front. This made things much easier.
One child in the front, and Shen Xue holding the other in the back. Their family of four, fully loaded.
"Yay, yay! Yanyan wants to sit in the front!"
"Daddy, hold Yanyan."
The little girl immediately beamed upon hearing this.
She remembered when she and Chen Yang went into the city, seeing other children sitting on bicycles being taken for rides by their parents, looking so spirited.
Daddy had told Yanyan then that Daddy would also buy a bicycle to take Yanyan for rides. Daddy was so amazing.
"Okay, you sit in the front."
Pinching the little girl's nose, Chen Yang picked her up.
In a short while, the mechanic had tied the small rattan chair to the triangular area of the frame. Chen Yang tested it, and it was very sturdy, unlikely to fall off.
The mechanic indeed had some skills. The rattan chair fit perfectly and didn't interfere with pedaling.
Chen Mengyan was placed in the small rattan chair in the front, while Shen Xue, holding Chen Hao, sat in the back.
Chen Yang rang the bell, its clear chime ringing out, and the bicycle slowly moved forward.
To be honest, the last time Chen Yang rode a bicycle was decades ago. Later, when he was doing business, he had a driver for all his journeys, and he didn't even need to drive himself.
At first, it was a bit wobbly. Chen Yang was afraid of falling and losing face.
But after a couple of laps, the feeling returned.
This was strange. As long as you had learned to ride a bicycle, no matter how much time had passed, once you got on one, even if you felt a bit rusty at first, you would quickly get the hang of it.
But if you hadn't learned, it was highly likely you'd fall.
The little girl in the front hummed with excitement, looking absolutely thrilled.
A small bicycle, carrying a family of four, was a true reflection of the era.