booktalesy Chapter 1 The Repair Shop's Dilemma, The Wang Family's Future
Chapter 1 The Repair Shop's Dilemma, The Wang Family's Future
"Ah Yang, you can't handle this bicycle. Let's wait until your dad gets back. Come and have some tea first."
"Thank you, Mom, but I've finished fixing it."
Wang Yang patted his bottom and got up from beside the bicycle.
The owner of the bicycle fell into the ditch, causing the bicycle to be severely deformed and many parts to be scattered all over the ground.
Now the bicycle frame has been straightened, and even the potholes on the beam have been knocked back.
Wang Yang has been reborn. As a master mechanic who has repaired bicycles for decades, repairing this kind of bicycle is child's play for him.
"What? You fixed it?"
Looking at the repaired bicycle, Li Xiulian was incredulous.
Even for a seasoned mechanic like Wang Jiande, who has been repairing cars for ten years, it would take him an afternoon to do this job.
Li Xiulian never expected that this usually carefree and irresponsible young man could fix it so easily with just a few tinkering steps.
She walked around the bicycle twice and was surprised to find that it actually looked quite decent. She looked her son up and down with great interest.
"If you help out with the family's car repairs in the future, you might actually make a name for yourself!"
"Mom, there's no future in repairing bicycles."
Wang Yang, however, looked at his mother with clear eyes.
Wang Yang has been reborn and now knows the future of the auto repair industry.
In 1992, car repair shops were everywhere.
On Guangchun'an Street, among the hundred or so shops along the street, there are several car repair shops.
Just today, a new auto repair shop opened diagonally opposite Wang's Auto Repair Shop.
Zhang's Auto Repair Shop is not only larger and more impressive, but the owner also comes from a state-owned enterprise background, giving him access to low-priced parts.
In the area of replacing car parts, Wang's Auto Repair Shop will have no competitive advantage.
Replacing bicycle parts is the most profitable job for repair shops.
After that, Wang's auto repair shop could only survive by relying on regular customers and tire repair business.
The bicycle industry is in decline, and even if you move to another place and avoid Zhang's repair shop, it's only a temporary solution.
So in the previous life, the Wang family moved away.
In the new location, there were no regular customers, and bicycles were being replaced by motorcycles, so the repair shop was losing money for several years in a row.
It wasn't until Wang Jiande and Wang Gang learned motorcycle repair skills that they were able to barely keep up with the times.
Those years when they didn't earn money were precisely the years when the Wang family needed money the most.
Wang Gang's younger brother, Wang Wen, needs a large sum of money to get into university.
Li Xiulian's illness accumulated over time, and without money for treatment, it became a chronic condition.
In the end, Wang Wen did not pursue his dream, but chose to help his family instead of going to university.
Li Xiulian suffered from illness and died young because she did not receive timely medical treatment.
"Ah Yang is right, we can't stay here anymore."
Wang Gang's father, Wang Jiande, spoke in a clear, crisp voice that reached the ears of the mother and son.
"Why not renew? Are you abandoning the shop? Ah Yang needs to get married, and Ah Wen needs to go to school; both require money!"
Li Xiulian pointed at Wang Jiande's nose and retorted.
This shop has many regular customers and is the livelihood of the family.
"Mother, don't worry, have some tea first, and listen to what Father has to say."
Wang Yang poured two glasses of herbal tea and handed them to the two of them.
"These days, a small bearing can sell for twenty yuan."
In 1992, the market was saturated, and the prices of bicycles from the three major brands did not exceed 200 yuan, but the prices of accessories had increased.
"Even so, there are still people who are desperate to squeeze in."
"Zhang Mazi, who just opened a shop across the street, knows some people and got a bunch of cheap parts. His prices for car repairs and tire patching are much lower than ours."
Wang Jiande was full of complaints and in low spirits.
If you try to compete on price with Zhang's auto repair shop, you'll lose money on repairs.
Under these circumstances, Wang Jiande began to consider retiring and wanted to start over in another place.
"A new place, where I know nobody..."
Li Xiulian was naturally aware of the implications.
The Wang family's income mainly came from the car repair shop, while Li Xiulian's small clothing mending stall accounted for a smaller portion.
If they stay, the repair shop's income will be drastically reduced, making it difficult to meet the Wang family's future needs.
Moving away means having to rebuild a customer base all over again, which might not be better than staying.
Staying means there's no future, but moving around seems like a way to survive.
"We can't move. If we stay, we can still make some money by repairing tires and running the tailor shop. But if we move, the future will be too uncertain and too unpredictable."
Just as Wang Jiande and Li Xiulian remained silent, Wang Yang spoke up loudly.
Having been given a second chance at life, Wang Yang is determined to prevent the tragedy from happening again.
"What do you know, kid? Go get me the heavy pliers. Let's finish today's work before the homeowner arrives."
Wang Jiande waved his hand, still treating Wang Yang like a child.
But life goes on, and after venting, it's time to get back to work.
"You mean this car? I've finished fixing it."
Wang Yang pushed a bicycle out of the inner room; it was the very bicycle he had just repaired.
"Really? Don't bluff me, it's a tough nut to crack. The customer needs it urgently, and it has to be fixed before evening."
After repairing bicycles for ten years, Wang Jiande still couldn't guarantee that he could fix one before evening.
Wang Jiande was gone for two hours and simply couldn't believe that Wang Yang could fix the car in that short time.
"See this brand?" Wang Yang pointed to the metal panel on the front of the vehicle. "Phoenix brand."
"Or you can ask your mother."
"It's from A-Yang Xiu. I was just about to tell you..."
Li Xiulian spoke up affirmatively.
If Li Xiulian hadn't been listening to the repair sounds the whole time, she wouldn't have believed that Wang Yang could fix the car in such a short time.
"This...this is really true? My son is a car repair genius?"
Upon hearing Li Xiulian's words, Wang Jiande stepped forward to examine the repair marks.
Wang Jiande could hardly believe his eyes, but finally confirmed that it was the severely damaged car.
Wang Yang was able to solve the problem that was giving Wang Jiande a headache in such a short time.
My son is a car repair genius!
"Ah Yang, what did you just say? Why aren't you moving?"
After the initial shock, Wang Jiande stopped treating Wang Yang like a child and began to consider Wang Yang's proposal.
"Staying here means I can still make some money, but moving away might not guarantee the same."
"But it's not enough..."
"It's okay, I'll earn it."
Wang Yang met his father's gaze and said firmly.
With the Southern Tour just concluded, market vitality is about to be activated, presenting countless opportunities.
Having been given a second chance at life, Wang Yang not only knows the future trends, but also possesses exceptional auto repair skills.
Privately modified vehicles, new energy vehicles, intelligent driving...
Countless opportunities to make a fortune were beckoning to Wang Yang.
Right now, there is a promising opportunity.
With bicycles reaching saturation and motorcycles poised to enter the market, privately modified motorcycles have quietly taken center stage.
"You make money? But even with the best skills, it's hard to earn much money repairing bicycles..."
Wang Jiande's brow furrowed again; the future of bicycle repair looked bleak.
Although Wang Yang's skills surprised him, the bicycle market was in decline, and even the best skills were of no use.
"Who said I was going to fix bicycles? I told you, there's no future in that!"
"So what do you want to do?"
"I want to make my own motorcycles."