In 1992, a small village owner became the richest man in the village by owning a car.

Chapter 29 The Four-Wheeled Vehicle Arrived Home (Combined Chapter)
Before long, the sound of a tractor "putt-putt-putt" came from outside. The people inside stopped playing mahjong, and the women who were busy in the kitchen on the heated kang all stopped what they were doing and looked outside.

"It's Daqiangzi back! Open the door quickly!" Someone among the women shouted first.

Grandpa Han was a quick and efficient man. He had just carried two bundles of firewood back from outside and closed the door behind him. However, as soon as he entered the house, his eldest son unexpectedly drove back in the four-wheeled vehicle he had just bought.

He rushed out again to open the door for his eldest son.

He loved his eldest son the most in his life. Because his eldest son gave birth to a girl, the Han family couldn't hold their heads high in the village for a while. But after Han Guoqiang was born, Grandpa Han finally smiled again.

For many years, no one in Gouwazi Village could afford a four-wheeled vehicle. When the surrounding people saw that Old Han's eldest son had driven back a four-wheeled vehicle, they immediately opened their doors and stood in their courtyards to look at Old Han's house.

The women in the house, along with the men and women of all ages who were chatting and playing mahjong, filed out again, making an even bigger commotion than when they had greeted the car earlier.

Nothing more than that; Han Guoqiang's farming has yielded better results than everyone else in the village these past two years, which is also inseparable from the two people working at the grain depot.

Liu Liguo and Han Guofeng went out to greet him at the same time. Their elder brother (brother-in-law) was doing well these days and could be considered a major grain producer in the surrounding villages. They didn't really help him much; at most, they would let him know when prices were high.

Now only Yu Dawei and Han Jingfan were left in the room. Originally, Yu Dawei planned to go out and greet them himself, while his wife could stay on the kang (a heated brick bed).

But Han Jingfan thought about her older brother's temper and still insisted on getting out of bed to accompany Yu Dawei. The two of them dressed and stood in the courtyard, watching the four-wheeled vehicle drive in through the gate.

"Put-put-put-put." Han Guoqiang stepped on the gas pedal of the four-wheeled vehicle and drove it to the middle of the yard, stopping it next to the car.

Everyone gathered around, praising Grandpa Han for his good fortune while gazing at the nearly brand-new red four-wheeled vehicle. No one would believe they weren't envious.

Yu Dawei stood beside his wife, listening to the engine's sound. His brows furrowed slightly, and he glanced between the water tank and the engine a few times, but he didn't say anything.

It's best not to say anything that might spoil the mood during the Lunar New Year.

“Brother-in-law, this car is really good. It’s almost like a new one.” Liu Liguo handed his brother-in-law a cigarette as he got out of the car. “You really got a great deal. You bought a new car for the price of a used car.”

"Haha, what a coincidence, I just happened to run into this car when it was up for sale." Han Guoqiang, who was not tall, smiled and waved to everyone, "Come in, everyone, let's chat inside."

A group of people entered the house one after another, and Han Guoqiang took the initiative to chat with the second brother and the eldest brother-in-law, creating an exceptionally warm atmosphere.

Yu Dawei and his wife, on the other hand, were left to the side, ignored by everyone.

"Dawei, let's go home after we finish eating." Han Jingfan looked at the bustling group of people and for a moment felt that a sentence in a book was very true, absolutely true.

There's no place like home.

"Okay." Yu Dawei smiled faintly and helped his wife into the house.

As dishes were served one by one, the men began to go into the kitchen to help, while the women started stuffing lucky money into the children's pockets.

Giving a child ten yuan is considered a large sum of money. Even someone as concerned about his image as Liu Liguo only asked his wife to give each child ten yuan.

Firstly, it's not good to give too much money to my own two children. Secondly, no matter how much money I give as New Year's money, it ultimately goes into the adults' pockets, so it's not very meaningful.

Yu Dawei's family also gave each of the children ten yuan, whether it was Han Lizhi from the eldest brother's family, Han Xue from the second brother's family, or the two children from the eldest sister's family.

They were overjoyed the moment they received the money.

Yu Dawei thought to himself, "You little brats can only be happy for now. Once the money is taken away, you'll probably be crying your eyes out on the ground."

During the meal, the men sat at one table and the women at another, and everyone toasted and drank, creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere.

However, neither Yu Dawei at the men's table nor Han Jingfan at the women's table seemed to be the main character or a supporting character; at most, they were just passersby.

No one noticed when the two finished their meal and left the table.

Actually, everyone knows perfectly well that Yu Dawei and his wife are living the worst lives among these people. Once, Han Guoqiang passed by Han Jingfan's house, glanced at the house that looked like it could collapse at any moment, and hurriedly left, because he couldn't bear the shame.

Looking at Yu Dawei and Han Jingfan's simple clothes, especially Yu Dawei's outer garment under his military overcoat, which looked faded, the clothes were practically useless except for being clean.

With a bad reputation and mediocre attire, even relatives who weren't particularly close to her felt there was no point in striking up a conversation with her after just one glance.

Compared to Liu Liguo of the grain depot, compared to Han Guofeng, even compared to Han Guoqiang of the village, none of them lived a better life than this couple.

Yu Dawei and Han Jingfan left the table, and everyone drank and chatted together. They only felt that the seats were much more spacious, but they didn't notice anything else.

After a few drinks, Han Guoqiang started bragging about buying a car, especially praising how much better it was than the old four-wheeled vehicles in other villages! He was practically ready to give everyone a live demonstration.

Just as Yu Dawei and Han Jingfan were getting dressed and ready to leave, their mother-in-law suddenly called them back.

"Are you leaving already? Aren't you going to stay a little longer?" The mother-in-law looked at her son-in-law and daughter, feeling incredibly sorry for them. She knew the two of them had been neglected, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"No, let's head back while it's still warm at noon." Yu Dawei's face was full of smiles; he was very grateful to his mother-in-law.

Steam rose from the kitchen window, and after the mother-in-law quietly closed the door, she pulled out five hundred yuan from her pocket: "Take this money, you two. It's almost Chinese New Year, buy whatever you want to eat when you go home. My dear daughter, don't be stingy with your money, make sure you get enough nutrition."

"Mom, we can't accept this money. Please take it back." Han Jingfan declined, not wanting to take the money.

"Take it! It won't look good if someone sees it. Don't tear it." The mother-in-law's tone was firm as she insisted on stuffing the money into Han Jingfan's pocket. (Author's note: "Tear it" means to pull or tug at something repeatedly, often used when settling a bill, giving New Year's money, or giving gifts.)
"I dare not refuse such a gift from an elder." Yu Dawei looked at the mother and daughter struggling to the limit and finally couldn't help but say, "Xiao Fan, just take this money for now. When we have more money, we'll buy more supplements for our mother."

Han Jingfan had no choice but to compromise and accept it for the time being.

The two chatted with the mother-in-law for a few more minutes, mostly about taking care of their health and avoiding overexertion.

The mother-in-law was a kind-hearted woman. When she left, she secretly took ten catties of pork and a basket of eggs from the storeroom and put them on the sled. She kept muttering that she would definitely come to take care of Xiaofan during her postpartum period when she was about to give birth.

Perhaps in the old lady's heart, the mother-in-law of the Yu family still disliked her daughter. If she hadn't lent a helping hand to her daughter, who else would have helped her?

Watching her son-in-law and daughter's retreating figures, and thinking about all this, she felt a pang of sadness.

My daughter is so beautiful and honest, how come she's become the target of gossip among the crazy women in the village? She almost committed suicide by jumping into a well because of the villagers' idle chatter, but thankfully she saw it when she got up in the middle of the night.

She was terrified when she saw Xiao Fan, thin and small, lying on the edge of the well, as if he was about to jump in at any moment.

"Now that Dawei has changed his personality, Xiaofan should be able to enjoy a better life in the future. God bless her, my daughter really can't take any more hardship." She kept muttering to herself, secretly wiping away the tears that were flowing from her eyes.

When she returned to the courtyard, she saw a group of people surrounding her eldest son, and heard his drunken voice.

"Look closely, this truck is incredibly powerful above the accelerator! The truck bed is packed with people, let me show you!" Han Guoqiang waved his hand, picked up the starter crank, aimed it at the crank, and cranked it round and round to start the truck.

Everyone else got excited, and fueled by the alcohol, they all climbed up from the ground into the truck bed, eager to see just how powerful the truck really was.

Even Grandpa Han followed him into the truck bed, gripping the front railing with both hands, watching expectantly as his eldest son showed off the truck.

“With this truck, my brother-in-law will have an incredibly easy time growing corn and such. You, my father-in-law, will be able to enjoy a life of comfort from now on.” Liu Liguo stood in the truck bed, his right hand resting on the railing, explaining the importance of the four-wheeled vehicle to his father-in-law.

The Korean guy next to him nodded in agreement: "Now other villages all have tractors. They can not only dig the ground, but also carry people and load things. Brother, you got a good deal on this second-hand vehicle."

“Dad, they’re right. With this car, it will be much more convenient for our family to go to the market than for other families.” Zhang Fengyi, Han Guoqiang’s wife, also spoke up with a smile. This was one of the few happy days she had spent at Han Guoqiang’s house.

The people around him also praised Han Guoqiang for being capable and able to accumulate wealth, and finally the conversation turned to praising Liu Liguo, the high-ranking official in charge of the grain depot.

"Chug, tug, tug, tug!"

Han Guoqiang shook the car with all his might, and finally managed to get it moving!
He was also puzzled before buying it, because normally other people's four-wheeled vehicles are not so difficult to rock, but this one felt extremely tight.

The seller, however, said that the engine oil solidifies in winter, so it's understandable to use a little more force.

Without much thought, he paid over 20,000 yuan and drove back.

However, this four-wheeled vehicle was very powerful. When Han Guoqiang got on the vehicle and stepped on the accelerator a few times, the "putt-putt-putt" sound became stronger, louder, and faster!

Then, just as everyone was looking forward to the four-wheeled vehicle taking them for a spin, suddenly, with a "poof," the vehicle stalled.

Immediately, white steam and thick smoke billowed from the roof of the vehicle.

Everyone was stunned; for a moment, no one could react.

"What's going on? Is this car defective?"

"No way, the car looks pretty clean."

"Nothing much. Some nice cars sell for over 20,000 yuan, and they even come with such a big cargo bed."

Sitting on the vehicle seat, watching the four-wheeled vehicle belching smoke and steam, Han Guoqiang felt a sudden buzzing in his head and his whole body was instantly drenched in cold sweat.

He realized he had been tricked into buying the car.

All the previous pride vanished in an instant along with those two wisps of white smoke.

Han Guoqiang hurriedly jumped off the bus to check, still somewhat incredulous.

In rural areas, more than 20,000 yuan is like a lifeline; it represents the savings that the whole family has accumulated through hard work and perseverance.

If this car can be repaired, that's fine, but if it really can't be repaired, it's like buying a pile of scrap metal!
"Who knows how to repair farm machinery! Hurry up and take a look, or a small problem will turn into a big one!" someone in the truck bed shouted wisely.

Then, the people inside jumped off the vehicle and gathered around the area where smoke was coming from the front of the four-wheeled vehicle.

It's true that people enjoy gossiping, but this isn't something that only costs a dollar or two. If someone's family gets caught up in this, they'll be completely at a loss. Plus, since they're all close relatives, it's normal to feel some sympathy. (Author's note: "Completely at a loss" means not knowing what to do.)
Han Guoqiang opened the car roof, and besides a foul, burnt smell, he saw white smoke rising upwards in front of him.

Just when I was feeling disheartened, I heard someone shout this sentence.

For a moment, whether it was Han Guoqiang, the second-in-command Han Guofeng, or Liu Liguo, including Old Master Han, they all thought of one person—Yu Dawei!

Yu Dawei's father graduated from an agricultural machinery school back then. He not only drove and repaired vehicles for the production team, but also taught agricultural machinery to the young people in the production team!

Yu Dawei learned car repair from his father when he was young. Although he had some bad luck and his farm machinery was almost stolen, he became disheartened and stopped pursuing farm machinery repair.

But their skills are definitely there! Helping them figure out what's wrong with this four-wheeled vehicle is a piece of cake!
"Dawei! Brother-in-law! Are you home?" Han Guoqiang was sweating profusely with anxiety. He quickly ran to the window, peered inside, and cried out, "Come out quickly and help me see what's wrong with this car!"

"Yeah, brother-in-law, take a look at my brother's car. If we wait too long, it'll be hard to fix this problem." After all, Han Guofeng was family. As soon as he saw that his brother's car was broken, he got anxious and called around to help.

Everyone was stunned. Some people only knew that Yu Dawei was lazy and greedy, but they never expected that he could repair cars.

If I had known this beforehand, I would have been more polite when I spoke to them.

"Don't bother looking anymore, that couple finished eating and left." The old lady walked up to the eldest son, grabbed his ear, and said, "I told you you were always so smug! You bought a car, drank some stinky liquor, and you think you're so great, huh!"

"You still have the nerve to ask Dawei to fix your car! Since you came back, have you even given your sister and brother-in-law a second glance!" The old lady's chest heaved with anger; she was truly furious.

"And you too!" The old lady turned around and her gaze swept over the entire Han family. "You all dress so well, looking down on this and that! Don't you know your own worth? If you're so capable, why don't you go to the city and buy a house and a car?"

"I don't want to argue with you during the New Year." The old lady calmed down and let go of her eldest son's hand. "The car is broken, so it is. You were blind. If you can swallow your pride and go find your brother-in-law, then go ahead. Anyway, I don't care about this."

After saying that, the old lady turned and went into the house. She had been serving this whole family meals all this time, but she hadn't eaten a single bite yet.

Now I'm full of anger.

Outside in the courtyard, a group of people looked at each other in bewilderment, and the relatives went inside on their own initiative.

Only Old Master Han and a few others were left, standing helplessly in the courtyard.

(End of this chapter)