"Xiaobin, so you really do know Yan Fei! I thought you were just bragging!" On the way to the county on a dilapidated Jeep, Xiao Wen said to Jiao Bing.
"What’s the big deal about knowing him? Last year we used to play by the river a lot! It’s just that he’s been so busy raising cows this year, we feel bad disturbing him..." Jiao Bing retorted with a scoff. Clearly, he was belittling his cousin’s shock at such a trivial matter.
"Hey, it’s just a kid who raises cows, look at you two, blowing his trumpet as if knowing him is some great feat. Don’t you think your big brother here, driving this car, is very cool?" A young man who was driving at the front interjected. And with that, he casually ran his hand through his slick, shiny hair.
"Oh please, Brother Hai, stop showing off! Without picking us up, would my uncle have let you drive the car? You just love to inflate your ego, don’t you?" Xiao Wen and her cousin appeared very close to each other, as she spoke without any regard for courtesy.
"Little girl, don’t get too full of yourself just because you’re taking the college entrance exam! See if I don’t laugh my ass off when you fail!" Brother Hai replied with a disgruntled face. "Xiaobin, you tell me, isn’t it cool the way your brother drives this car?"
"Cool!" Jiao Bing cooperated, giving a thumbs up in a lackey-like manner. "But Yan Fei also has a big motorcycle, it’s totally awesome, even bigger than your Jeep!"
That comment sure made things awkward! Xiao Wen immediately started laughing loudly, and even the other young man in the car burst into laughter.
Brother Hai, who had been quite pleased with himself, wasn’t so pleased anymore. "Can it be better than mine? I’m not boasting, but my Yahahaha 125 is quite rare in this county. What does a kid like you know? Motorcycles are all about the brand. I had to beg your uncle for months to buy this. Do you think buying a motorcycle is as cheap as buying cabbage?"
From Brother Hai’s words, it was clear that the relationship between Jiao Bing, Xiao Wen, and their relatives was quite convoluted. It turned out that Jiao Bing’s aunt was Xiao Wen’s aunt as well.
"Well, Brother Hai’s motorcycle brand is definitely top-notch!" At Brother Hai’s words, the other young man in the car immediately followed up with a quick praise. But his praise had a deeper motive. "I say, Brother Hai, you promised to let me drive for a while when we came here. Now it’s almost time to go back and you’re not even letting me touch it! I’ve been accompanying you since before dawn, haven’t I been a good sport?"
Perhaps Brother Hai felt a bit embarrassed, so he stopped the car and said, "Well, you better drive slowly. It’s not often that I take this car out..."
"Don’t worry! Don’t you know me? In the army, we’re used to driving big vehicles. This small car is a piece of cake." The young man switched seats with him, expertly shifted gears, and the car lurched forward.
"Ah......slow down a bit......" Xiao Wen cried out in surprise.
"Cool! Faster, faster, Brother Hai was driving like a tortoise crawling just now, it’s not thrilling at all!" exclaimed Jiao Bing.
"You little rascal, how dare you criticize me? I won’t take you out for fun next time!" threatened Brother Hai, before turning to console Xiao Wen. "Don’t worry, he’s professional at this, just look at his skilled hands. He was the one who taught me how to drive, you know!"
"Don’t worry, I guarantee both speed and safety." The young man driving also explained. "Don’t judge this car by its shabby appearance, it’s quite sturdy! There’s no one on the road now. I’ll show you guys the style of us motor soldiers!"
While speaking, he shifted gears, and the little Jeep roared, accelerating once again, hurtling down the deserted highway.
"Wow! Brother Hai, your master is really something. The car is about to fly..." Jiao Bing exclaimed excitedly.
"Hold tight, don’t move. With the car going this fast, everyone should stay still!" The young man driving urgently cautioned the excited Jiao Bing. "My car is going a bit fast now, so if you’re in my car, don’t move around...for goodness sake..."
Following his exclamation, a motorcycle roared past them, and in the blink of an eye, the road was left with nothing but a trail of dust.
Once the motorcycle was out of sight, the first thing the young man driving the car did was to look at his speedometer.
"Blast it...Who was driving that motorcycle? It seemed to be flying..." It was not until the motorcycle had disappeared from sight that Brother Hai cried out in astonishment. And he was not exaggerating. When the motorcycle passed them, it seemed to actually take flight when it hit a small bump, leaving the ground completely.
"Either they are prepared to die or they’re insane! Riding a motorcycle like that, any small stone could send them flying through the air, along with the bike as well!" The young man driving was cursing.
"Ah...that was Yan Fei...His wife was sitting behind him. Didn’t you see her waving at our sister Xiao Wen?" Jiao Bing responded after the other two were finished.
"I did notice someone waving and thought the clothes looked familiar! Has Xiao Xingxing gone mad? Letting Hero Yan drive the motorcycle that way..." Xiao Wen was both surprised and suddenly enlightened.
"He’s not exactly insane, but close enough! The damn road is so bad and we’re already driving so fast, I even thought our car had broken down! The speedometer was almost hitting ninety..." The young man who was driving was indeed shocked. No wonder he immediately checked the speedometer right after the motorcycle passed them!
Ninety kilometers per hour was indeed fast, given the era. First, the car wasn’t too reliable, and second, the road conditions were poor. This country road from the village to the county wasn’t even an asphalt road but was paved with stones similar to cobblestones. At this speed, the car shakes all over, and going any faster would send it crashing into a ditch.