Chapter 218 : Eating from Both Sides?
Chapter 218: Eating from Both Sides?
There was no helping it—those with money were the real bosses. Since it was clear who was paying, Salesman Xiao Ma began planning how to win Lin Mo over.
However, Lin Mo only mentioned that he didn’t want a Magotan. Everything else, he said, should be decided by his father, Old Lin.
“I don’t understand cars. You can talk to my dad,” he said—almost making Salesman Xiao Ma cough up blood.
Were these father and son just here to mess with him? He just wanted to sell a car—what was his crime?
Luckily, after stating that one condition, Lin Mo stayed quiet. He went to the lounge area and sat on the sofa.
As for checking the cars, that was left to his dad. After all, even if the salesman talked about engine specs or horsepower, Lin Mo wouldn’t understand a word of it.
The only things he could judge were whether the car interior looked nice and if the center console screen was big enough. Everything else was like listening to Professor Mu’s class—whatever entered the left ear went straight out the right.
Meanwhile, Comrade Old Lin and Salesman Xiao Ma got into a heated discussion, asking about every configuration in detail.
In the end, Comrade Old Lin picked a Passat. It looked pretty similar to the Magotan—at least to Lin Mo, the two cars looked nearly identical. He didn’t get involved, though. As long as it wasn’t called “Magotan,” he didn’t care much about the rest.
Then came the bargaining stage, which neither father nor son was particularly skilled at. Although Old Lin knew a bit about cars, he didn’t understand the tricks behind pricing.
Fortunately, after decades of working in this small county, Old Lin had a few friends. He made a few calls and asked one to come over.
Lin Mo didn’t know what the man did—he only knew his father told him to call the man “Uncle Liu.”
Soon, Uncle Liu, who was about the same age as his dad, made another phone call. Before long, the 4S shop’s manager came out.
At first, Lin Mo thought Uncle Liu had called the manager directly. But after asking around, he learned that Uncle Liu had actually called the owner of the dealership.
Good grief—this was like peeling an onion, one layer under another.
That’s the difference between a small county and a big city. In small counties, relationships and favors mattered more; in big cities, everything was simpler and more direct—it was all about benefits.
In small counties, having money didn’t guarantee things would get done—but without connections, nothing could get done at all.
With Uncle Liu’s connection, the car price quickly dropped. The Passat 380 wasn’t the lowest trim, and with discounts, the total came to 155,000 yuan. Not bad.
Lin Mo paid happily, and the car was officially his. The rest—registration and paperwork—Old Lin could handle himself.
After filling up the tank at a nearby gas station, Lin Mo followed his dad to the vehicle administration office. Thanks to Uncle Liu, the whole process went smoothly, and they got the temporary license plate that same day.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was afternoon.
“Come on, Old Liu, let’s go eat together,” Old Lin said—after all, Uncle Liu had helped a lot.
“Forget it, next time. Don’t you have your 4 p.m. shift today? You’ll leave halfway through dinner—what’s the point?” Uncle Liu waved him off.
Old Lin thought about it and realized he was right. “Fair enough. I’m off tomorrow, though. We must have a meal together then!”
This time, Uncle Liu didn’t refuse. He said his goodbyes and drove off—it was obvious the two were old friends.
“Heh heh, son, how about you drive this car home so I can test it out?” his dad said, rubbing his hands together and smiling.
Lin Mo rolled his eyes. “If you’re not afraid I’ll crash your car, sure. But let me warn you—I can barely drive a stick!”
Old Lin: “…”
“Forget it then. But your dad’s worked hard today, so…” He offered Lin Mo a cigarette again.
Lin Mo: →_→
“Spit it out, what is it? Stop handing me cigarettes. Every time you do, I feel like you’re about to make me the head of the family or something!”
He had already noticed his dad was acting weird earlier that morning after coming back from the market with his mom. He hadn’t said anything, but now it was clear—he had to address it.
“Cough, cough, it’s nothing big. You know your dad’s broke—your mom doesn’t give me much allowance. But since Uncle Liu helped us so much today, I should at least treat him to dinner,” Old Lin said awkwardly.
Asking his son for pocket money did feel a little upside-down, but hey—times had changed. His son was rich now. What was wrong with a father spending a little of his son’s money?
Lin Mo made an “OK” sign. “Got it.”
He immediately transferred 1,000 yuan to his dad’s account. He knew the situation at home well—his dad’s salary card was with his mom. He really didn’t have much cash. Even the 130-yuan registration fee earlier had been paid by Lin Mo.
“Good man! But let’s make this clear—don’t tell your mom about this. It’s not easy for your dad to save a bit of private money,” Old Lin said with a grin, patting his son on the shoulder.
As a man, Lin Mo fully sympathized with his old man. He wouldn’t rat him out over something this small.
Then, the two Volkswagens drove home one after the other.
Technically, Old Lin could have driven straight to work, but this was a golden opportunity to show off in front of his wife—no way he’d miss that.
After parking inside their community, the father and son went upstairs, full of excitement. But before they could say anything, Lin Mo’s mom, Zhou Min, shot up from the sofa, phone in one hand and a clothes hanger in the other.
“Lin~Mo!” she shouted angrily.
Lin Mo’s heart skipped a beat. Crap. Busted!
Sure enough, the next second, Zhou Min raised her phone and shouted, “Tell me—what did you do yesterday? What happened to your grandparents’ graves? Your uncle just called me about it! If you don’t explain this clearly today, I—”
No matter how capable her son was, this was serious—he had to be taught a lesson.
She marched toward him, hanger raised—but froze midair.
Lin Mo was holding up the car key like it was an imperial pardon.
“What’s that?” she asked.
Lin Mo grinned. “Congratulations, Mom—you now have your own car! No more taking the bus!”
Two minutes later, downstairs, Mrs. Zhou was sitting in the driver’s seat of her new car, unable to hide her joy.
“This… this is mine?” Zhou Min still couldn’t believe it.
A son buying his mom a car or a house—she had only dreamed of that before. She’d never thought it would actually happen.
After all, given their family’s situation, she had always assumed she’d be the one helping her son buy a car and house someday for his marriage.
“Of course! You’ve worked so hard all these years. Now that your son’s earning a bit of money—though not much—it’s only right I show my respect,” Lin Mo said quickly, trying to stir her motherly affection and escape a beating.
It worked perfectly. Her eyes turned red with emotion.
At that moment, Old Lin suddenly spoke up. “Honey, when we bought the car, Old Liu helped a lot. Otherwise, the price would’ve been much higher. I thought we should invite him to dinner to thank him—what do you think?”
Zhou Min waved her hand. “Of course! Invite him! I’ll give you 500 yuan, and if that’s not enough, tell me!”
Old Lin: “Got it!”
Lin Mo: “???”
Good grief, you thick-browed old fox—so you’re eating from both sides now?