Cheng Tianyuan was taken aback. Hastily tossing the dishcloth and bowl aside, he rushed outside. Xue Ling, quick to act, washed her hands and followed him out.
They saw a slightly overweight man and another tall, imposing man standing outside their yard, a bicycle parked behind them. The yard was dark, making it hard for Xue Ling to see clearly, so she hurried back inside to pull the cord of the lamp.
The next moment, a small red light illuminated the yard outside.
Cheng Tianyuan called out, “Ah Min, what brings you here? Come in, please, make yourself comfortable!”
The slightly overweight man was Chen Min, Cheng Tianyuan’s colleague whom Xue Ling had met before. She knew him to be a simple and honest man of 27, a local from Rongcheng who hadn’t settled down due to his modest family circumstances.
Xue Ling greeted them warmly, “It’s windy outside. Please come in and make yourselves comfortable.”
Chen Min, with a shy smile, declined, “No need… I heard you moved here. The place is quite nice and easy to find. I won’t bother you by coming in.”
His tall companion looked a bit rough with a stubbly beard, giving off an intimidating aura. He also declined with a low voice, “No need.”
Cheng Tianyuan nodded slightly and then turned to Chen Min, “What’s up? You need something?”
Chen Min cleared his throat and with an awkward smile, pointed to his tall companion, “This is my cousin, everyone calls him ‘Ah Hu.’ Recently, my aunt fell ill, and it cost a lot to treat her. This morning, she fell ill again and needs surgery. I’ve lent all my savings to my cousin, but it’s still not enough. They can’t wait, and my cousin plans to sell his new bicycle to raise some money for the medical expenses. I remembered you were looking to buy a bike, so I brought him over.”
Cheng Tianyuan nodded in understanding and glanced at the bicycle behind Ah Hu. Xue Ling also looked over and saw that the bicycle was quite new, its metal wires gleaming under the light.
Ah Hu, appearing embarrassed and gruff, said, “Ah Yuan, right? I often hear my cousin mention you. I’m just a simple man and don’t know much about fancy words. Since you’re looking to buy a bike, maybe you could consider mine? It would really help me out.”
He gestured towards the bike, “I bought it brand new for 230 yuan. I’ve taken good care of it, treating it like a wife, wiping it down every day. It’s as good as new. My mother’s very ill, and the doctors are pressing for the surgery fee, which is over a hundred… I have no choice but to sell my bike.”
Chen Min added softly, “My cousin is very devoted to our aunt. He said the hospital needs 150 yuan. He’s willing to sell the bike for just that.”
Cheng Tianyuan, a man of loyalty and filial piety, was about to agree but remembered he had promised Xue Ling they would buy a new one and hesitated.
“I need to discuss this with my wife.”
Chen Min quickly agreed, “Of course, of course!”
Turning to Xue Ling, Cheng Tianyuan knew she preferred a new bike and hesitated on how to persuade her. To his surprise, Xue Ling readily agreed.
“Let’s do it. The bike looks quite new, and I don’t mind. More importantly, we can help someone in need. They wouldn’t sell it for so much less if it wasn’t urgent.”
Cheng Tianyuan, pleasantly surprised by her response and touched by her kindness, smiled widely, “Could I… borrow a hundred yuan from you? I’ll pay you back once I get my salary.”
“No!” Xue Ling laughed softly, “I’ll cover it. You’ve got your hands full taking care of me!”
Blushing slightly, Cheng Tianyuan nodded in agreement.
Xue Ling then went inside to retrieve her sling bag, pulled out her recently received salary, and counted out fifteen ten-yuan notes. After a moment’s thought, she took out an extra ten-yuan note and hurried back outside.
Approaching Ah Hu, she said, “It’s good to help friends in need. Here’s 150 yuan, please count it. And here’s an extra ten yuan as a small token for your mother to buy some nourishment.”
Ah Hu was initially reluctant to accept the extra money but eventually took it, deeply moved and grateful.
“Thank you! I don’t know how to express my gratitude… If you ever need anything in Rongcheng, just let Ah Min know, and I’ll be there right away! Ah Yuan, from today on, we’re brothers!”
Cheng Tianyuan warmly patted his shoulder and called to Xue Ling, “Wife, bring out two cups of hot water.”
Xue Ling quickly fetched the water, and as the two men drank, tired and hungry from their journey, they expressed their profound gratitude before finally departing with a wave and a heartfelt thanks.
After inspecting the bike and finding it nearly as good as new, Cheng Tianyuan took Xue Ling for a short ride around the street, delighting in their new purchase.
With an early start the next day, Xue Ling drank her ginger water and went to bed early. Cheng Tianyuan locked up, checked the doors and windows, and then retired to his room, content with their day’s good deed and the new addition to their small family.
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