Xu Mingxuan saw that Chen Lan didn't immediately answer his question, and he didn't mind. He continued to talk to himself with a smile, "Lan'er, I guess! You didn't tell me about the Jiefang truck in advance, were you planning to surprise me? But I really like this surprise."
Xu Mingxuan had been through many storms and was a well-traveled person. After speaking, he calmly and quickly walked forward, opened the door of the old Jiefang truck, and sat in the driver's seat. He skillfully adjusted the various buttons on the dashboard. He then carefully checked the performance of the ignition switch, clutch, brake, and other components.
Immediately after, Xu Mingxuan tinkered with it a few times and was about to start the engine. Chen Lan immediately stopped him, seeing his actions, "Brother Mingxuan, don't be in such a hurry to start the engine. Let's carefully check each part, switch, and instrument panel on the car first. It won't be too late to test drive it then." Sudan Fiction Network
Hearing Chen Lan's words, Xu Mingxuan stopped what he was doing and meticulously inspected the car again, both inside and out.
After speaking to Xu Mingxuan, Chen Lan walked around the old Jiefang truck herself. She couldn't help but laugh. The used car dealer was really putting in the effort. To prevent her from returning the car due to dissatisfaction, they had really gone the extra mile. Although the exterior of this old Jiefang truck was exactly the same as the Soviet GAZ-150, with no major changes; from the tires to the fuel tank, everything had been replaced with new parts. The steering wheel was also brand new, and even the foot brake was gleaming. They had truly replaced everything they could.
Chen Lan then climbed into the car and carefully inspected the driver's cabin. Now, Chen Lan was even more satisfied with the service attitude of this store. The car, inside and out, completely met all the requirements Chen Lan had proposed. No national characters were found anywhere visible on the car, inside or out. The only characters were a set of Arabic numerals on the dashboard.
However, speaking of which, the design of the driver's cabin of cars from this era was too simple! Besides the oversized steering wheel, the extremely simple mechanical dashboard, and a few essential gear shifts, clutch, accelerator, and brake, there was nothing else.
The functions of cars in this era truly embodied the country's promotion of "carry more, run fast." Therefore, cars of this period were purely tools for transportation, with no consideration for the driver's experience or comfort.
However, over the past few decades, this simple Jiefang truck had made significant contributions to the country's development.
Finally, after Chen Lan had thoroughly inspected the old Jiefang truck inside and out and found no problems, as soon as she got out of the car, Xu Mingxuan impatiently turned the key and stepped on the accelerator to start the engine. With just one turn of the key, the engine ignited and started.
Xu Mingxuan couldn't help but exclaim again, "My heavens, this car is amazing! It started just like that with one turn?" Amidst Xu Mingxuan's exclamation, the car was already honking and moving.
Chen Lan stood at the foot of the mountain waiting for Xu Mingxuan to indulge his desire for driving for a while. After he drove the car back, the couple, before the two Elder Changs arrived, quickly climbed into the back of the truck to take out the goods they were going to exchange with Madam's farm today. Xu Mingxuan bent over and helped them pack.
Chen Lan then prepared another batch of goods separately and placed them on the other side of the truck bed. Chen Lan pointed to this pile of goods and explained, "Brother Mingxuan, this pile is what I prepared in advance to exchange at Aunt Chang Sanmei's farm later! Otherwise, it would be too difficult for me to take it out in front of them under everyone's watchful eyes. It wouldn't be worth it to make another trip to deliver it to them."
Xu Mingxuan didn't look up, continuing to busy himself with his work, only grunting in response to Chen Lan.
Chen Lan looked up at Xu Mingxuan, who was helping to pack, and continued, "Brother Mingxuan, before we set off with Andrei, we must resolve the grain issue in the next two days. Otherwise, by the time the farm's grain is reported, we'll be too late."
Xu Mingxuan nodded and grunted again, then said, "Lan'er, now that we have a car, don't worry. The car runs very fast, and we'll definitely make it in time. When we go to Madam's farm later, I'll arrange the schedule with the village chief to try to complete all the farms in two days. However, Lan'er, it will be a tough couple of days for you!"
Chen Lan waved her hand dismissively, "It's fine! Brother Mingxuan, don't worry, I can endure it! For the sake of grain, I'd even risk my life."
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered the matter of her name and said, "Brother Mingxuan, your Russian name is Nikolai. I've also chosen a Russian name for myself, Mira; it means bringing grain home. What do you think?"
Xu Mingxuan looked up at Chen Lan and asked with a smile, "Lan'er, do you know what Mira means in Russian?"
Chen Lan replied, "I don't know. I just picked this name casually! I thought it sounded nice and was easy to remember. Brother Mingxuan, do you know what this name means in Russia?"
Xu Mingxuan smiled and said, "Lan'er, your name is well chosen. Mira means peace in Russian; it also means miracle and diligence. It also carries the meaning of glory."
Chen Lan never expected that the two characters she casually chose would have such complex meanings and so many interpretations! So she asked, "Brother Mingxuan, what does the name Nikolai, which you chose for yourself, mean?"
Xu Mingxuan lowered his head, constantly organizing the goods, and replied, "Nikolai in Russian means victory of the people. What do you think, Lan'er, isn't this name quite fitting!"
Chen Lan immediately flatteringly complimented, "Victory of the people, Brother Mingxuan, this name is a perfect match for you, it's incredibly suitable! You've been a soldier for so many years, it was almost a life-and-death struggle, wasn't it all for the victory of the people?"
Xu Mingxuan was very pleased with Chen Lan's words, so he looked up at Chen Lan and said, "Lan'er, you have such a sweet tongue, you're such a flatterer! Our son inherited your genes and is also a little flatterer."
Chen Lan retorted defensively, "What's wrong with our son taking after me?"
Xu Mingxuan realized he had said the wrong thing and immediately tried to remedy it with a smile, "A sweet tongue is good! A sweet tongue is likable. Lan'er, I like that you have a sweet tongue and know how to handle things."
Chen Lan's face suddenly turned bright red at Xu Mingxuan's words, making her feel a little embarrassed.