I can travel back and forth in 1986

Chapter 39 The Glorious Scenery of Zhang Village

September 7, 1986, Beichuan Department Store.

"Youngest, we've almost packed everything. Can we go back now?"

As Zhang Dequan loaded meat, wine, canned fruit, candy, and other items into the tricycle, he asked Zhang Beichuan, who had just entered the backyard.

"Third Brother, is everything packed?"

"It's all packed, just waiting for you to set off." Zhang Dequan said with a smile.

Zhang Beichuan nodded, his smile unchanged, and stepped forward to pull Zhang Dequan outside.

"Come on, Third Brother, I'll show you something good."

"Good stuff? What good stuff?" Zhang Dequan, who was being dragged out of the store, was completely confused.

Lan Baojun, who works in the store, is showing Baoqiang and Baohong, the two brothers, the products and how to sell them to different customers.

But as soon as Zhang Dequan stepped out of Beichuan Department Store, his gaze was immediately drawn to the old-fashioned bicycle locked to the side of the store.

The gleaming black frame shimmered with a metallic sheen in the sunlight, and the bells on the handlebars sparkled silver.

"This...this is?" Zhang Dequan's throat was a little dry. He took a few steps to the car, reaching out to touch it but afraid of getting it dirty, his hand hovering in mid-air. "Where did this car come from?"

Seeing the light in his grandfather's eyes, Zhang Beichuan was even happier.

The tricycle parked in the backyard and the old-fashioned bicycle in front of him were both things he brought back from 2026.

In 1986, a 28-inch motorcycle cost 180 yuan and required a ticket to buy. Adding a tricycle cost 280 yuan, the total cost was 460 yuan.

Zhang Beichuan could afford 460 yuan and could also find someone to buy the tickets; but in 2026, the two cars together cost 1,200 yuan.

The price seems to have doubled, but the 460 yuan from 1986 could be exchanged for gold or vintage wine, and brought back to 2026 for tens of thousands of yuan. Naturally, it's more worthwhile to buy in 2026.

"How is it? Do you like it?"

"I like it..." Zhang Dequan said instinctively, then suddenly turned his head, "You bought it?"

"Yeah, I just bought it." Zhang Beichuan took out his keys, squatted down to unlock the chain lock, and said with a smile, "Third Brother, why don't you give it a try?"

"How much...how much will this cost?"

"One hundred and eighty, plus a ticket." Zhang Beichuan said casually, as if he had just bought a two-cent flatbread.

Zhang Dequan opened his mouth, wanting to say something about "not spending money recklessly," but looking at the imposing old-fashioned bicycle in front of him, he swallowed his words back.

He had lived half his life and dreamed of owning his own bicycle.

No more than five households in the village own bicycles. Every time he sees someone riding by with the jingling of their bicycle, he stares at their back for a long time.

Now that the car was right in front of him, Zhang Dequan couldn't resist giving it a try.

"Okay, I'll give it a try."

"By the way, Third Brother, can you ride?" Zhang Beichuan suddenly remembered this.

Many people in later generations will not know how to ride a bicycle, let alone in 1986 when many families could not afford one.

Riding a Forever 28-inch motorcycle back to the village is like driving a BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Audi back to your rural hometown in 2026 – it's a grand affair.

"I can ride, I can ride. When Shi Liang from our village bought a bike, I borrowed it and spent a morning learning."

After Zhang Dequan finished speaking, he couldn't wait to try it out.

Standing at the door, Zhang Beichuan watched as his grandfather pushed the bicycle forward, slid his left foot onto the pedal, and naturally sat down on it, which delighted him.

Hearing the commotion of the two people talking outside, Lan Baojun also ran out to take a look.

"That car is really impressive!"

Zhang Beichuan smiled and handed Lan Baojun a cigarette. The two smoked while watching Zhang Dequan drive away.

After watching for a while, a guest arrived. Lan Baojun threw away the cigarette butt in his hand and turned to get busy.

Riding his brand-new old-fashioned bicycle, Zhang Dequan seemed to straighten his back considerably, and rode around with a smug look on his face.

"Hey, this car is really nice!"

Zhang Dequan, who got out of the car, pushed it in front of Zhang Beichuan, intending to return it to him.

"Alright then, Third Brother, you can ride this bike for now."

"Let me ride?" Zhang Dequan pointed to himself, looking at him in disbelief.

This car was originally bought by Zhang Beichuan for his grandfather. If he were to offer it to him as a gift, the old man would definitely not agree.

"Third Brother, have you forgotten? I need to go to the city soon to test the waters for seafood sales. It's all so much trouble to transport it from the village to the city by my tricycle!"

"That's why I bought this car. Once I figure out the market situation in the city, I'll have to trouble my third brother to go back to the village in the afternoon to help me carry eels and stuff. I can go directly from the county to the city, which will save me a lot of walking."

Zhang Beichuan had already prepared this explanation. In addition, he had noticed that his grandfather liked to sit alone in the backyard in the evenings after finishing his business, enjoying the cool air and lost in thought.

Others might not know why, but he knew it all too well.

Grandpa and Grandma had a very good relationship all their lives. They were basically inseparable for decades after they got married. Suddenly being separated from them, the old man will inevitably miss his grandma.

Zhang Beichuan's excuse of having his grandfather return to the village to carry eels was just that—an excuse. This way, the old man could go back to see his grandmother, Lan Xiuying, every day and wouldn't be so worried about her all the time.

"That's true... But isn't it a bit too extravagant to use such a nice bicycle to carry eels?" Zhang Dequan said with some heartache.

Zhang Beichuan laughed, "Third Brother, isn't a bicycle just a tool to save people effort and trouble? Are you going to lock it up there and let it gather dust every day?"

"What you say makes sense!"

"Alright, let's not stand here any longer, let's hurry back, otherwise the midday sun will make our scalps tingle!"

"Yes, yes, yes." Zhang Dequan nodded vigorously, then, seeing Zhang Beichuan walking inside, he quickly called out to him, "Youngest brother, how about we load the things onto the bicycle and ride it back?"

Zhang Beichuan thought about it and realized that he wouldn't need many eels this time, and it would be too much trouble to ride a tricycle.

"Okay, let's do it this way!"

So the two brothers packed meat and other things from the backyard into a bamboo basket and hung it on the back of the old-fashioned bicycle.

"Third Brother, why don't you ride it?"

Zhang Dequan hesitated for a few seconds, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of the new car and nodded.

"Baojun, I'm leaving the shop to you. If anything happens, call me at the Shihe Village Committee. This trip will take a few days." Zhang Beichuan said to the three people who were looking at the strange sight at the door.

"Don't worry!" Lan Baojun waved with a smile, "Drive carefully!"

As the bicycle left Jiefang Road and turned onto the dirt road leading out of the city, Zhang Dequan pedaled with great enthusiasm, even with a passenger on the back.

The September wind blows in my face, carrying the fresh scent of rice.

Sitting on the back seat, Zhang Beichuan recalled his childhood, when his grandfather would ride the bicycle in front while he sat on the back, going back to the village to collect vegetables to sell in town.

Whenever Grandpa came across a convenience store on the way, he would always stop the car and buy himself a one-yuan pack of Fumanduo instant noodles to satisfy his craving.

He remembers that in 05, there was a winter when cabbage was particularly cheap.

The father and son went back to the village and collected a bicycle full of cabbages, earning only three to five yuan, but the grandfather still insisted on buying him a pack of instant noodles without fail.

Even after many years, Zhang Beichuan still complains about his childhood self whenever he thinks about this incident, wondering why he was so greedy.

Now, sitting on the back of a bicycle again, a long-lost joy appeared on his face, as if he had returned to his childhood.

The brand-new 28-inch motorcycle traveled on the country dirt road, making a slight bumpy sound as the wheels rolled over potholes.

Zhang Dequan gripped the handlebars, his back ramrod straight, and a smile he couldn't hide from his lips.

"Ring ring—"

As he passed the first field, Zhang Dequan deliberately rang his bicycle bell.

Several villagers who were resting by the edge of the field looked up when they heard the sound, and their eyes widened immediately.

"Hey! Dequan!" A dark-skinned middle-aged man stood up and exclaimed in surprise, "This is... the bicycle you bought?"

Zhang Dequan slowed down the car, put his feet on the ground to stop, and looked proud and smug.

"No, my brother bought it for me to ride."

Sitting in the back seat, Zhang Beichuan felt happy seeing his grandfather like this.

For rural people, bicycles are not only a means of transportation, but also a symbol of status.

"That's not bad either, this bike is really impressive!" the middle-aged man exclaimed. "There are only a few bicycles in our village! The only ones we have are these!"

"That's right!" Zhang Dequan's eyes narrowed as he looked at the thumbs-up he gave him. "Alright, let's go back first, we'll talk again another day!"

"Third Brother, why are you so happy?" Zhang Beichuan asked with a smile from the back seat.

"Happy, of course I'm happy!" Zhang Dequan glanced back at him, then quickly looked at the road. "Youngest brother, do you remember? When I was young, my biggest wish was to have a bicycle. Back then, when I saw the commune secretary riding his bike through the village, I was so envious..."

As he spoke, his voice choked with emotion.

"After I got married, life became tight, and that thought gradually faded away."

Zhang Beichuan felt a pang of sadness as he listened.

He knew that his grandfather's generation had suffered a lot when they were young, from the three years of hardship to the era of the collective economy and the early days of reform and opening up. Every obstacle was difficult to overcome.

"Third Brother, things will get better and better from now on," Zhang Beichuan said softly.

"Um!"