Chapter 48: Eyes Light Up

Chapter 48: Eyes Light Up

The twenty-seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

At eight o'clock in the morning, after breakfast, Deng Shirong let his younger daughter sit on the horizontal bar in front of the bicycle. He stepped forward on the bicycle pedal with his left foot, and as the bicycle surged forward, he swung his right leg over the back seat.

At that moment, his eldest daughter, Deng Yunzhen, quickly caught up and nimbly sat sideways on the back seat of the bicycle.

The 28-inch bicycle, carrying the father and his two daughters, slowly made its way toward Dragon Lake Market.

To get from Thatchfield Village to Dragon Lake Market, they had to pass through Double Prosperity Market and ride nearly ten kilometers of winding, uneven mountain roads to reach the county-level main road from Bobai to Dragon Lake. From there, it was another ten kilometers to reach Dragon Lake Market.

The county-level main road from Bobai to Dragon Lake was completed in 1956.

As the saying goes, "If you want to get rich, build roads first." This is truly a wise statement. Since the road from Bobai to Dragon Lake was built, Dragon Lake's business has flourished, the number of shops has gradually increased, and the town has undergone significant changes in just a few years.

Originally, Dragon Lake Town had only two main streets forming a "T" shape—one running east-west, about two meters wide, and the other running north-south, about two meters wide and less than 100 meters long. There were also two small streets with few shops.

Now, Dragon Lake Market has widened and extended the original streets, forming a wedge-shaped circular main street with a total of eight streets, large and small. The number of people attending the market on market days has soared to over 25,000, compared to the less than 1,000 people at Double Prosperity Market. The difference is staggering—the two are simply not in the same league.

When Deng Shirong and his daughters arrived at Dragon Lake Market, it was just past nine o'clock, but the place was already bustling with people.

Fortunately, there were no cars in the countryside at that time, and the number of trucks and buses was minimal. You might not see one pass by in half an hour. There were no motorcycles or electric vehicles either. Aside from a few bicycles, most people walked, so there was no traffic congestion like in later generations.

This was the first time Deng Yunzhen and Deng Yunzhu had visited Dragon Lake Market.

Deng Yunzhen was slightly better off. A few days ago, when she had taken her younger brother Deng Yunheng to school, she had at least been to Pine Mountain Market. Pine Mountain Market was also located on the county-level main road from Bobai to Dragon Lake. Although it wasn't as prosperous as Dragon Lake Market, it still attracted over 8,000 people on market days, far surpassing the tiny Double Prosperity Market.

So, Deng Yunzhen had some experience and wasn't too surprised by the bustling Dragon Lake Market.

But Deng Yunzhu was different. She had only been to Double Prosperity Market a few times in her life. She had thought Double Prosperity Market was crowded enough, with people everywhere.

Now, seeing the bustling scene of Dragon Lake Market, she was stunned. It was only then that she realized how vast the difference was between one market town and another.

Seeing his younger daughter's stunned expression, Deng Shirong felt both amused and a little sad. He reached out and patted her head, saying, "Among the nearby communes, Dragon Lake Commune is indeed prosperous, but it's still far behind the big cities. When your second brother gets into university next year, I'll take you all out to see the world when I take him to school."

Deng Yunzhu exclaimed, "Dad, are you serious?"

Deng Yunzhen also looked surprised. Going to a big city to see the world was something she had never dared to dream of before. If she really had the chance to go out and see the world, she could at least brag about it in the village for three years when she returned.

Deng Shirong smiled. "Of course, I'm serious. But it depends on your second brother working hard and getting into university."

Hearing this, the two sisters exchanged glances and silently made a decision. When Yunheng (their second brother) returned, they would make sure he studied hard and never slacked off. If he got into university, they could follow him to the big city to see the world. If he failed, then all their hopes would be dashed.

"Alright, let's not talk too much. I'll find a place to park the bike first, and then we'll go for a good walk."

After saying this, Deng Shirong pushed his bicycle to a noodle stall and parked it. He greeted the owner, then went shopping with his two daughters without a worry.

The rural people of this era were simple and honest. Although petty theft was rare, no one dared to steal something as valuable as a bicycle, even if it was left unlocked on the roadside.

Shopping is a girl's nature. Besides, it was the first time Deng Yunzhen and her sister had visited Dragon Lake Market. Everything was new to them, and they explored every street from beginning to end, even the alleys.

Deng Shirong didn't rush them. He followed along while observing the people coming and going. Although most of the market-goers wore patched clothes, they were in high spirits, their eyes filled with hope for the future.

Because there were so many people, it took the father and his two daughters an hour and a half to explore all eight streets, big and small.

The weather was still quite hot. Deng Shirong wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and said, "Ah Zhen, Ah Zhu, we've almost finished shopping. Let's go have a bowl of noodles first, then buy some fabric and snacks before heading home."

Although it wasn't yet 11 o'clock, they had eaten early in the morning, and the plain porridge they had was easy to digest. After riding the bike for over an hour and walking around the market for an hour and a half, they were genuinely hungry.

Deng Yunzhu nodded and smiled. "Let's go eat noodles. I haven't had noodles in a long time. Just thinking about it makes me crave them."

Although Deng Yunzhen had eaten a large bowl of noodles at Pine Mountain Market a few days ago, noodles were so delicious that she could eat them every day without getting tired of them. Now that a few days had passed, she was also craving them.

So, the father and his two daughters returned to the noodle stall where the bicycle was parked and ordered three bowls of noodles at twenty cents each.

In this era, noodles at twenty cents a bowl were considered quite luxurious. Most people only ate noodles at five cents a bowl, and some even opted for vegetarian noodles at two or three cents. Those willing to spend more than ten cents on noodles were considered relatively well-off.

When three bowls of noodles topped with pork liver and lean meat were served, the father and his two daughters picked up their chopsticks and began eating.

Just as Deng Shirong was sweating profusely while eating, a pleasant female voice called out, "Boss, three bowls of noodles, five cents each."

Deng Shirong looked in the direction of the voice and saw three young girls, all around eighteen or nineteen years old, standing in front of the noodle stall.

The girl on the left was the tallest, standing about 1.63 meters, but unfortunately, her appearance was rather plain.

The girl on the right was the shortest, around 1.58 meters tall, but her looks were decent. If she knew how to apply makeup like girls in later generations, she would probably turn heads on the street.

The girl in the middle, however, made Deng Shirong's eyes light up instantly.

(End of this chapter)