On the way home, Chen Zikun deliberately said: "I want to buy a bicycle, miss, are you interested in going together?"

  "Great, great!" Lin Wenjing immediately cheered and accompanied Chen Zikun into the market. She went from store to store, clearly having done her research on various bicycle brands and their characteristics, familiar with them like the back of her hand.

  The bicycles in the Dong'an Market were much cheaper than those sold in the shops on Dongjiaominxiang, and they had a wide range of brands to choose from, including British Raleigh, German Adler, American Norton, Japanese Sakura, with prices ranging from high to low. In the end, Chen Zikun chose a Swiss-made Alpa bicycle under Lin Wenjing's suggestion.

  "Sir, your taste is absolutely right." The shop assistant stretched out his thumb in praise. "Swiss goods are even more solid than German goods. Think about it, they're originally from making clocks and watches, so making bicycles is a piece of cake for them. Such a good bike, transported across the ocean from Europe, and we only charge you 201 dollars. What else can you ask for?"

  Chen Zikun looked at the car with a critical eye, clicking his tongue repeatedly: "The handlebars are a bit crooked, one of the spokes is missing, and there's some rust here."

  "Hey, it's like this, not crooked, and the tire track can't be less, it's not rust, it's just a mud spot, wipe it off and it's gone."

  The vendor was very astute and knew that the person who disliked the goods was the real buyer. After a lot of smooth talking and guarantees, Chen Zikun finally bought this Alpina bicycle for 200 yuan.

  The buddy helped to inflate the tire, wiped the whole car up and down, and even gave a section of valve core. He politely sent the two customers out: "You two slow down."

  Pushing the bicycle out of the shop, Chen Zikun asked Lin Wenjing: "Do you know how to ride?"

  "I won't, how about you?"

  "I won't either."

  The two of them looked at each other in surprise, then burst out laughing. Lin Wenjing laughed so hard she was doubled over, pointing at Chen Zikun and saying: "Uncle, you're not going to buy a car again, are you?"

  Chen Zikun smiled for a while, then suddenly felt that Lin Wenjing's smile was quite good-looking, so he stopped and looked at her smiling face with great interest. Lin Wenjing seemed to feel Uncle's fiery gaze, hurriedly stopped laughing, and asked: "Then what should we do? You won't push me back home, will you?"

  "No one is born knowing how to ride a bicycle, it can be learned, watch me," said Chen Zikun as he mounted the 26-inch wheeled bicycle. He was tall and had long legs, so when he sat on the bike, his feet could touch the ground. With one push of his legs, the bicycle slid forward, moving in a sinuous, snake-like motion, and after circling around once, it seemed like no big deal at all.

  Chen Zikun stopped the car in front of Lin Wenjing and asked, "Do you want me to teach you?"

  "Hmm..." Lin Wenjing bit her lip and thought for a long time, but still couldn't resist the temptation of riding a bike, nodded in agreement, "Okay."

  Then the two of them found a quiet alley, Chen Zikun helped Lin Wenjing ride a bicycle, guarding and guiding her on the side. Lin Wenjing was clever and learned quickly, but she was too timid and only dared to ride on roads with no people, and Chen Zikun had to follow behind her, protecting her.

  "Uncle, you mustn't give up." Lin Wenjing muttered repeatedly.

  "Don't let go, I've got you." Chen Zikun's voice kept echoing behind her, giving Lin Wenjing great confidence and a sense of security. The crooked path straightened out before them.

  "I can ride a bicycle now!" Lin Wenjing exclaimed with joy, but when she turned her head back, Chen Zikun had already let go and was standing far away.

  "Believe in yourself and you will definitely succeed." Chen Zikun said with a smile.

  Lin Wenjing stopped the car and nodded vigorously: "Got it."

  The big bell on the Western-style church struck five o'clock and Lin Wenjing hastily said: "I have to hurry back home."

  Chen Zikun took over the bicycle and said, "I'll see you off."

  Lin Wenjing tilted her head and thought for a moment, vaguely feeling that something was not quite right. However, she often took Uncle Ah's rickshaw, and this time it was just a bicycle instead, so there shouldn't be any problem, she thought to herself. Therefore, she still got on the back seat of the bicycle with a smile.

  "Let's go." Chen Zikong kicked off, and the bicycle sped through the empty alley, scaring Lin Wenjing into grabbing his clothes: "Too fast, it's scary to death."

  "Be afraid and hold onto my waist." Chen Zikong said.

  Lin Wenjing didn't dare to hug his waist, only tightly grasping the back of his clothes, but this still attracted countless pedestrians' attention. Some older people couldn't help but lament: "Corrupting public morals!"

  Back at the Lin's residence on Dashilan Street, Chen Zikun stopped his bicycle and let Lin Wenjing get off first. Then he got off too, propped up the bike and said with a smile: "Miss Lin, I'm giving you this bike."

  "Give it to me? No, no, it's too expensive." Lin Wenjing hastily waved her hand.

  "Is it that you don't dare to want it or you just don't want it?" Chen Zikong continued to ask with a smile.

  "It is... I dare not." Lin Wenjing said in a low voice, fiddling with her hem.

  "Why not dare?"

  "Uncle, why must you insist on giving me a bicycle?"

  "Because you said you wanted one, I'll find a way to get it for you."

  Lin Wenjing fell silent, although she was innocent and naive, but not a foolish girl, at this moment she had already fully understood that the pen, roasted duck, bonfire party tickets, and even the mysterious Mr. from the six countries restaurant, all came from Chen Zikun's hand.

  "But... Uncle, why are you so good to me?" Lin Wenjing lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's.

  Chen Zikun scratched his ears and cheeks, opened his mouth but couldn't speak, in front of the girl he loved, all his grandeur and bravery had vanished.

  Just as they were at a loss for what to do, Zhang Bo came out and saw the two of them standing at the door. He was surprised and asked: "Why don't you come in?"

  Chen Zikong hastily said: "I still have something to attend to, see you later." After finishing speaking, he ran off in a hurry.

  "What's wrong with this kid?" Zhang Bona muttered, looking at the bicycle again, "Miss, what about this bike?"

  "Zhang Bo, help me carry it to the courtyard, will you?" Lin Wenjing said, and looked at Chen Zikun's fleeing back, feeling a sense of satisfaction in her heart.

  Zhang Bohelped to carry the bicycle into the yard, and Aunt Mei saw Lin Wenjing bring out a brand new foreign bicycle from somewhere, suddenly getting angry, but at this time some colleagues from the Ministry of Education were visiting Lin Zhimin, so she didn't dare to make a scene.

  When the colleagues left, Mrs. Lin blew up and fiercely questioned Lin Wenjing, where did she get the bicycle from? Lin Wenjing naturally replied honestly that it was a gift from someone else. Mrs. Lin didn't believe her at all, and sneered: "How ridiculous! A bike worth hundreds of yuan, why wouldn't anyone give one to me?"

  "Tell me, Lin Zhimin, is it true that you spent money to buy her things? She's already ill and still wasting money like this. It seems she really doesn't want to live anymore! Alright, I'll take Wenlong back to Shanghai with me, and the two of you can just be together then."

  Lin Zhimin lay in bed, trying his best to explain, but his wife refused to listen, causing a commotion at home that lasted until the wee hours of the morning.

  The bicycle stood alone in the courtyard, with no one daring to touch it. Lin Wenjing hid in the west wing of the house, crying silently under the solitary lamp, while the sound of scolding from the main house still lingered in her ears.

  ……

  Chen Zikun didn't return to the car factory, but instead sneaked to the vicinity of the Beijing Police Detention Center, found a secluded spot and crouched down. At around 7 o'clock, his target finally appeared - a prison guard wearing black uniform came out of the detention center, humming a tune as he walked away. Chen Zikun picked up a brick from the ground and followed him, quickly catching up and hitting him on the head with the brick.

  This is not the kind of red brick used by foreigners to build houses, but a genuine and valuable big green brick. It's probably from before the Qianlong era, it's so heavy that one brick can crush a rat.

  However, Chen Zikun still held back his strength and only knocked the prison guard unconscious. He quickly searched the guard's body and took a Hamilton silver pocket watch, several large coins, some loose bills and copper coins, and then left the guard behind, hailed a rickshaw at the entrance of the alley, and headed straight to Liu Shu Hutong.

  Arrived at Dazayuan, Baoqing was squatting at the door and saw Chen Zikun get off the car. He immediately jumped up and shouted: "He's back! He's back!"

  As soon as I entered the courtyard, my nose was filled with the aroma of wine and dishes. It turned out that Old Zhao's family had set up a banquet to celebrate his son's recovery from illness, and at the same time to thank the elderly gentlemen for their help. Uncle Xue was also invited to sit at the table, but the main seat was empty.

  "Save the big bowl for you." The wife of the sea brought over a plate of cold mixed eel slices, smiling and saying.

  "I don't dare to sit, let's ask Uncle Zhao or Uncle Xue to sit instead." In this situation, Chen Zikun never took the lead, saying he didn't want to sit in the first place, but in the end, let Dahai sit down. Chen Zikun sat beside him, and during the opening of the banquet, he pulled out his silver pocket watch: "Dahai brother, take it."

  Zhao Dahai's eyes were quick and his hands were fast, he took over the pocket watch, glanced at it, and saw that it was indeed his own, and immediately laughed: "You really are something."

  Chen Zikong smiled and everyone tacitly understood.

  The men sat at the table, drinking and toasting non-stop. The women were busy in the kitchen, cooking and serving dishes, filled with joy and harmony.

  After three rounds of drinking, the dog started to get naughty, crawling back and forth under the table, suddenly poked out, fiddling with Chen Zikun's Peking University badge on his chest, asking: "Uncle, what is this?"

  "This is the emblem of Peking University, President Cai Yuanpei personally gave it to Uncle."

  Everyone was shocked, and Xiao Shunzi stared with wide eyes and asked: "Da Kunzi, don't scare me, when did you become a university student?"

  Chen Zikun said: "Not yet, but soon, Principal Cai asked me to apply for Peking University."

  Everyone gasped in surprise, and when the dish was served, Xing'er heard that Chen Zikong was going to attend Peking University. Suddenly, she became disheartened. Others were dignified university students, while she not only couldn't read or write but also had bound feet. It seemed that giving up on her aspirations would be better.

  Zhao Dahan said, "I was worried that I couldn't find a knowledgeable person to give my son a school name. Looking at Dog Remnant who is about to start reading soon, why don't you help your nephew come up with a school name?"

  Chen Zikun thought for a moment and said, "In order to commemorate the feelings between us brothers, let's call him Ming. However, a single character is not easy to read, so let's add another character from my name, Zi Ming, how about that?"

  "Zhao Ziming, yes, this name is good, easy to pronounce, and has a strong masculine tone." Zhao Dahi nodded in approval, and several old men also thought so.

  Zhao Dahi called his son over and said: "Gouru, from now on you will be called Zhao Ziming, remember this, your uncle helped you get this name."