PFC Chapter 488 Buying a Car
Chapter 488 Buying a Car
After listening to Wang Ergou's words, Li Xiangyang dusted off his hands and decided to take immediate action.
The two got on their bicycles and sped off along the newly built road toward the county town.
A gentle spring breeze caresses the face, wildflowers along the roadside have begun to bloom, and the air is filled with the scent of earth and grass.
Along the way, Li Xiangyang kept thinking about buying a car.
A truck is a significant investment for them now, but it is also a necessary condition for expanding their mountain produce business.
"Ergou, what's the specific situation with that car?" Li Xiangyang asked while pressing the pedal.
"It's a Jiefang CA10 model from the late 1950s, secondhand, originally used by the county supply and marketing cooperative," Wang Ergou replied, panting. "I heard the vehicle is in decent condition, just about seven or eight years old. But people say it's very well maintained, and the engine hasn't had any major repairs."
Li Xiangyang nodded: "How much is it?"
"They initially asked for 2800, but I think I can negotiate it down a bit more."
"Well, we'll check the car's actual condition when we get there."
Two hours later, they arrived at a small courtyard on the outskirts of the county town.
The gate to the courtyard was half open, and inside were several trucks of different models, some of which looked brand new, while others had clearly been through the test of time.
A man in his early fifties wearing a baseball cap came out to greet us: "You're here to look at cars, right? My surname is Liu. Are you the two we were talking about yesterday?"
"Yes, my name is Li Xiangyang, and this is Wang Ergou." Li Xiangyang extended his hand and shook hands with Boss Liu.
"The truck is over there, come with me." Boss Liu pointed to a dark green truck in the corner of the yard.
Li Xiangyang walked around the car, carefully inspecting its body.
Although some of the paint has faded, the overall appearance is still intact, with no obvious rust or dents.
He opened the car door, climbed into the driver's seat, and observed the interior. The steering wheel, clutch, and brake pads all looked relatively new.
"The car is well-maintained," Mr. Liu explained. "The engine is original, never been refurbished. The tires were replaced last year, and the chassis is very sturdy."
Li Xiangyang bent down, looked under the truck, and then inspected the cargo bed.
"Can you start it and let me see?" Li Xiangyang asked.
"Of course." Boss Liu took out the key, climbed into the driver's seat, inserted the key and turned it. The car started with a roar.
The engine sounded good, very powerful. Li Xiangyang signaled to Boss Liu to turn off the engine, then lifted the hood and carefully inspected the components inside.
"How's it going, Xiangyang?" Wang Ergou leaned over and asked in a low voice.
"The car is in decent condition, but 2800 is definitely too expensive," Li Xiangyang replied softly. "The current market price for a used car of this model is just over 2000."
"Shall we chop some up?"
Li Xiangyang nodded and turned to Boss Liu: "Boss Liu, the car is indeed well-maintained, but it's still an old car, seven or eight years old. How about this, 2000 yuan, we'll drive it away now."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Liu's eyes widened immediately: "Wow, this is too cheap! It's a Jiefang brand, the engine is very durable! I'd be losing money if it were less than 2600!"
"Mr. Liu, you've used this car for so many years, how can you talk about losing money?" Li Xiangyang shook his head with a smile. "Besides, the responsibility system has just been implemented in rural areas, and everyone doesn't have much cash on hand. 2000 is already my limit."
"That won't do!" Boss Liu waved his hand. "2500, not a penny less!"
Li Xiangyang walked to the front of the car and pointed to a dent on the front bumper: "Look here, it's clearly from a collision. And this headlight, the cover is cracked, it needs to be replaced. And look inside the car, the floor is warped. Repairing all of this will cost a lot of money."
Mr. Liu scratched his head: "This...this is just a minor problem, nothing serious."
“What’s a minor issue for you is a big deal for us,” Li Xiangyang said firmly. “2100 is the highest price I can offer. If it’s suitable, we’ll pay you now; if not, we’ll look at other cars.”
Boss Liu hesitated for a moment, glanced at Li Xiangyang's serious expression, then at Wang Ergou who was eager to try his luck, and finally sighed: "Alright, seeing that you're from the countryside and it's not easy for you either, 2200, it's yours."
Li Xiangyang smiled: "2150, how about that?"
Boss Liu shook his head and chuckled, "You're quite the bargainer! Alright, 2150 it is. I'll add some gas so you can drive back."
“It’s a deal!” Li Xiangyang extended his hand and shook hands with Boss Liu again.
Over the next period of time, the two completed the transfer procedures with Boss Liu, paid the money, and Boss Liu even filled up half a tank of gas for them and taught Li Xiangyang some basic driving skills and precautions.
"You've driven before?" Boss Liu was somewhat surprised as he watched Li Xiangyang skillfully operate the clutch and gear shift.
"I've seen people drive tractors at the agricultural machinery station a few times; it's pretty much the same principle," Li Xiangyang replied casually.
In fact, in his previous life he was already proficient in driving all kinds of vehicles, so this old truck was a piece of cake for him.
"Get in the car, Er Gou." Li Xiangyang started the car and called to Wang Er Gou, "We need to get back to the village before dark."
Wang Ergou excitedly jumped into the passenger seat and waved goodbye to Boss Liu.
"Brother Xiangyang, we're sure to become celebrities in the village now that we're back!" Wang Ergou said excitedly.
Li Xiangyang smiled without saying a word, focusing on driving the vehicle.
He knew this was just the first step on their entrepreneurial journey. There was still a long way to go.
As dusk fell, the truck drove into the entrance of Xiaoliang Village. From afar, a commotion could be heard.
"The car is here! The car is here!"
Someone shouted, and suddenly a large crowd gathered at the village entrance, all craning their necks to look towards the road.
As the dark green Liberation truck slowly drove into the village, a gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd.
"It really is the car that Li Xiangyang bought!"
"Wow, this car must cost several thousand yuan, right?"
"I didn't realize Li Xiangyang was so capable!"
Hearing the villagers' chatter, Wang Ergou's face lit up with joy, while Li Xiangyang remained calm and slowly drove the car to the threshing ground at the west end of the village.
As soon as the car came to a stop, a group of children surrounded it, excitedly touching the car body and pointing at the headlights and wheels.
Captain Zheng, Li Daqiang, and others also rushed over, praising the car.
"Xiangyang, well done! Our village has really made something of itself now, we even have a car!" Captain Zheng patted Li Xiangyang on the shoulder, looking very proud.
Li Daqiang touched the car body and exclaimed in amazement, "Such a big car, it must carry a lot of things!"
"Yes, the truck bed is big enough to hold a lot of mountain produce," Li Xiangyang nodded. "In the future, we can expand our purchasing area to even more distant villages."
Zhang Weiping excitedly squeezed into the crowd: "Brother Xiangyang, teach me how to drive!"
"Let's build the shed first, and then talk about other things once the mountain produce business is on track," Li Xiangyang said with a smile, refusing the offer.