Walking out of the restaurant, Wang Yi said, still savoring the taste
"First time eating Western food, and it's actually pretty tasty. The pastries and bread were the best part; the beef and stuff were just average."
Huang Zhong added with a satisfied look
"Yeah, I reckon so too. The pastries and bread were really good. As for that stewed beef and fish, I reckon they aren't even as tasty as the stuff Big Brother makes."
In reality, in the eyes of Wang An, Mu Xueli, and Wang Li, while the dishes in the Western restaurant were made very well and were indeed tasty, they weren't actually that different from a normal restaurant.
As for the pastries and bread, they were just okay; the pastries simply had more cream, and the bread simply had more butter. Essentially, there wasn't much of a difference.
Wang An looked at these two half-grown boys of the same age and similar tastes and said
"You like the pastries and bread? Then before we head home tomorrow, let's buy plenty for the house, hahaha."
Returning to the car, Mu Xueli took the initiative to ask Wang An
"Brother-in-law, let's go look at the motorcycles now. I heard there are several different types; can we check them all out one by one?"
Wang An checked his watch and saw it was only 2 PM, so he nodded
"Let's go then. Let's try to decide which kind of motorcycle to buy today, so we can just pay the money and hand over the coupons to take them tomorrow."
After saying that, Wang An added
"You guys just wait here by the car. I'll go find someone to ask where to buy motorcycles."
As he spoke, Wang An walked toward the roadside.
Wang An actually knew where the motorcycle shops were, but it had been so long that he couldn't remember clearly.
Walking to the roadside, Wang An quickly flagged down a man riding a Xingfu 250. Because the man was bundled up so tightly, Wang An couldn't tell if he was a "big brother" or an "old uncle."
Wang An asked bluntly
"Big brother, excuse me, could you tell me where the places that sell motorcycles are?"
Being stopped, the man was initially quite unhappy, but seeing that Wang An spoke politely, he didn't mind and said
"Follow this road straight, turn right after three intersections, and there's a State-run Store No. 11. The place that sells motorcycles is right next to it. Motorcycles and bicycles used to be inside the state-run stores, but later it became too crowded, so the motorcycles got their own dedicated shop."
Just as Wang An nodded to say thank you, the helpful man spoke again
"There's another place over in the far west. That's where they sell imported and used motorcycles—Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, and the like are all over there."
Once the man finished giving the directions, Wang An had already pulled out his cigarettes. Handing one to the kind-hearted man, he said
"Thanks a lot, big brother. We've come up from the county town below, and we can't find our way around here, hehehe..."
The older man took the cigarette, gave Wang An more detailed directions on how to get there, and then rode away.
Wang An returned to the car and gave a grand wave to the four younger brothers waiting by the vehicle, saying very generously
"Get in, let's go."
Hearing Wang An's words, everyone cheered as they climbed in. At that moment, to an outsider, they looked like a band of bandits descending from the mountains.
A crowd of bewildered passersby all turned their gaze toward them.
Noticing the suspicious looks from the pedestrians, Wang An's face flushed, and he couldn't help but tell the group
"What's with all the shouting? What's there to shout about? Everyone shut your mouths."
After Wang An spoke, the others didn't mind and climbed into the car to settle into their seats.
Wang An started the car and drove toward the shop next to the state-run store.
Upon arriving at the shop, the group filed out and walked inside.
It must be said that this state-run shop dedicated to selling motorcycles was quite large in area, though there weren't many motorcycles inside—only a few dozen.
Aside from seven or eight sidecars, the most common were the Xingfu 250 motorcycles.
Of course, there were some imported motorcycles, but they were few in number.
Wang An's eyes swept across the room, spotting a Suzuki A100, a Honda CB125S, a Jialing Honda JH70, as well as the Suzuki K50 and Honda Cub underbone models.
When he saw the Jialing Honda JH70, Wang An couldn't help but take a second look. In his memory, this bike was only developed last year and became popular in '85; he hadn't expected it to be on sale in early '83.
While there weren't many bikes, the shop was packed with people. Some came with their whole families, some as couples, and many were people who couldn't afford a motorcycle but loved to join the crowd to watch and critique them.
It was no exaggeration to say that in an era where ordinary people wanted cars but couldn't afford or obtain them, motorcycles were absolutely the royalty of luxury goods.
As the five of them walked among the various brands, Mu Xueli, Wang Li, and Wang Yi were completely dazzled. They felt every motorcycle looked great and had no idea which brand they should buy.
Consequently, after looking around, Wang Yi smartly asked Wang An
"Big brother, which motorcycle do you think is good?"
This was the same question Mu Xueli and Wang Li wanted to ask. Mainly, although they greatly envied others riding motorcycles, they only had a bit of hearsay knowledge and were completely ignorant of the pros and cons.
Of course, it wasn't just them; over 99.9% of people in this era didn't understand. Most people who bought motorcycles just followed the crowd and bought whatever others said was good.
So after Wang Yi asked, Mu Xueli and Wang Li immediately looked toward Wang An.
The principle these two always followed was to stick with Wang An and learn from him; whatever Wang An did, they did, and whatever Wang An bought, they bought.
There was no need to ask or understand; as long as they listened to Wang An, they couldn't go wrong.
Hearing his own younger brother's inquiry and noticing the looks from Wang Li and Mu Xueli, Wang An asked the three of them with a smile
"That one over there, the most common one, the Xingfu 250—what do you reckon of it?"
Wang An asked this because he noticed the three of them had been staring at the Xingfu 250 the whole time. Clearly, the Xingfu 250 was their first choice.
After Wang An asked, the three of them nodded almost simultaneously.
Wang An smiled and said
"The Xingfu 250 was made over 20 years ago as a copy of the Czech 250. It has plenty of horsepower, the largest fuel tank, and can still run even with four or five people on it. When it runs, it roars; it's indeed quite good."
As soon as Wang An finished, the eyes of Mu Xueli and the others lit up.
However, Wang An shifted his tone and continued
"The thing is, that bike weighs over 270 jin. If you run out of gas or it breaks down, someone without a strong build can't push it very far. And while they say it burns 3 liters per 100 kilometers, in reality, you need almost 5 liters to get by.
In winter, trying to start it is a real pain. If it fires up after 10 kicks, you're lucky. While riding, your whole body shivers along with it, and the vibration makes your backside go numb. Mainly, shifting gears is a struggle—every bike shifts differently, and the clutch might just refuse to disengage. You have to figure out its temperament. Plus, the brakes aren't great..."
And so, Wang An listed all the flaws of the Xingfu 250.
In his previous life, when he was dealing in goods, he had ridden this bike quite a bit. Every time he did, he had to be on edge.
Because this bike could break down in the middle of the road whenever it felt like it, which was enough to drive a person crazy.
The key was that the parts were made of iron rather than steel, making them particularly prone to damage.
Although it was indeed a classic of the era and a memory for people of this time, with a very high market share, Wang An didn't have the slightest bit of interest in it.
The purpose of buying a car was for enjoyment, not for frustration.
Sure enough, after Wang An finished, the light in the three of them's eyes immediately dimmed.
Ignoring their expressions, Wang An continued
"This Suzuki A100 is also a handful. The engine is too delicate. Starting it in winter is similar to the 250—a real pain. The fuel consumption isn't much different from the 250; it's just as thirsty. The key is that back home, after you kick-start it, you have to warm up the engine for twenty minutes or so, otherwise, it won't move an inch.
The most annoying part is that if you ride it for a long distance, you have to stop and rest frequently, otherwise, it'll overheat. If you keep riding, you might even seize the cylinder..."
In this manner, Wang An critiqued every brand of motorcycle in the shop, focusing primarily on their shortcomings.
After Wang An finished, the three considered it for a long time before turning their gaze toward the Honda 125 and the Jialing Honda JH70.
It had to be admitted that when comparing the available motorcycles, these two models were indeed the most suitable for the low temperatures of the Northeast.
However, the price difference between these two was quite stark.
Because the Jialing 70 had just been developed and was just starting to be sold, the price was relatively cheap at 2,880 yuan, the same price as the imported Suzuki A100.
The Honda 125 was also imported, but its price was as high as 7,500 yuan.
The Xingfu 250 was the cheapest, requiring only 2,680 yuan.
The two underbones were also imports, so they weren't cheap. The Cub looked like a bicycle with only one seat and couldn't carry a passenger, yet it cost 2,100 yuan.
The Suzuki K50 could carry a passenger and looked quite sturdy, but its price reached 3,000 yuan, making it more expensive than the straight-frame Jialing 70 and Xingfu 250.
However, Wang An knew that in another two years, the price of the Jialing 70 would soar to around 4,500 yuan, and the Xingfu 250 would rise to over 4,000 yuan.
As for the Honda 125, the price would break through 10,000 yuan. Moreover, as people's understanding of motorcycles grew, they would become so sought after in state-run stores that they'd be nearly impossible to find.
As long as one could snag a bike, it could be flipped for 13,000 to 14,000, or even 14,000 to 15,000 yuan.
Even if one bought one now and rode it for two or three years, the second-hand price would exceed the current new car price.
It had to be admitted that the bike the Japanese made was truly impressive: low fuel consumption, plenty of horsepower, fast speed, low noise, comfortable suspension, low failure rate, and no oil leaks. For this time, it could be considered a top-tier product.
Of course, the Jialing Honda 70 of this era, being a motorcycle assembled domestically with imported original parts, was also excellent in all aspects.
Although it lacked the horsepower of the Honda 125 due to its smaller displacement, it was absolutely enough for daily showing off.
In Wang An's memory, the reputation of this bike was also quite good.
Not only was it extremely durable and rugged, but even if it broke, the cost of replacement parts was very low. Furthermore, the engine could go two or three years without an oil change, making maintenance costs very low.
Crucially, it was very fuel-efficient; riding on rural dirt roads, it only needed about 1.5 liters per 100 kilometers.
Considering the price, Mu Xueli, Wang Li, and Wang Yi finally all set their sights on the Jialing 70, another very classic motorcycle.
It wasn't that they couldn't afford the Honda 125, but that the Jialing 70 had better value for money.
Unlike the motorcycle market in China a few years later, which would be a hundred flowers blooming with various brands, the options available now were far too few.
Seeing the three of them circling the Jialing 70 incessantly, Wang An couldn't help but say
"It's already past 3 o'clock. Shall we go over there and look at the imported Yamahas and such?"
Wang Li and Mu Xueli didn't speak, but Wang Yi said
"If you ask me, let's not go. I reckon imported stuff is all expensive; looking is pointless. Let's just settle on this Jialing 70."
Perhaps because the Jialing 70 was a newly developed product and its price was higher than the Xingfu 250, there was no sixth person in the area where these bikes were placed besides Wang An's group of five.
Of course, the reason no one paid attention to the Jialing 70 was also because test rides were strictly forbidden when buying motorcycles at this time, so many people didn't dare buy them, fearing they would waste so much money.
After Wang Yi spoke, Mu Xueli and Wang Li also nodded. Mu Xueli added
"I say let's not go either. The more we look, the more dazzled we get. I reckon there's nothing more suitable than this bike."
Mu Xueli's words spoke directly to Wang Li's heart, and Wang Li echoed
"Yeah, I've decided to buy this one too. I won't go wandering over there."
Hearing the three of them, Wang An patted the seat of the Jialing 70 and said with a smile
"I also suggest you buy this bike. This thing is rugged as hell. I reckon if you don't crash or dent it, you won't even need to touch a single screw for three years. Just add gas and go."
Hearing Wang An's summary, the eyes of Mu Xueli, Wang Li, and Wang Yi grew even brighter as they looked at the motorcycle.
Then, Wang An said
"Alright then, we've seen the bikes. Let's head out. We'll just come back tomorrow, buy them, and load them onto the car, and that'll be that."
To be honest, it was only because inspections were strict at this time and motorcycles were very scarce commodities—and large amounts of industrial coupons weren't easy to come by—that Wang An didn't hoard a batch of Jialing 70s.
Because in just four months, around June or July, the price of this bike would start to rise. One could practically see the money being made, and it would be big money.
Thinking about how to operate such a scheme in his head, Wang An turned and led the way out.
From start to finish, not a single salesperson had come forward to ask Wang An and his group if they needed anything.
Salespeople at this time absolutely did not possess the four words "service consciousness."
Wang An and the others walked out of the motorcycle shop and turned a corner into State-run Store No. 11.
From the words "No. 11," one could tell how many state-run stores there were in Ice City.
And besides the state-run stores, Ice City also had many supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores of various sizes.