Landy | Blooming Cycling Diary

Landy

I've been at Blooming Cycling for over three months. I've met quite a lot of interesting people in the business, and I usually jot down notes casually. Today I'm sharing a few snippets from July and August with everyone.

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Pretty strong, huh?

Today I led a parent-child group, with more than twenty bikes of all sizes. While loading the bikes, I was carrying them up and down with the driver. He looked at me, smiled, and said, "You're quite strong for a woman!" After hearing that, I worked even harder, thinking to myself that indeed I am pretty strong.

Sitting in the passenger seat, the driver asked how old I was this year. I told him truthfully. He calculated and said, "So we're both born in the Year of the Horse, and I'm exactly one cycle older than you. People born in the Year of the Horse tend to be outgoing." We chatted about our work experiences and the recent economic downturn. He sighed about how he had unknowingly turned 50, and I said I never imagined I'd be approaching 40 in a few years either.

The driver left his contact information, saying we could reach out to him next time we needed a vehicle.

(View from the passenger seat of a Huolala truck)

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

A bike for young people

This afternoon, an older guest said she hadn't ridden a bike in a long time and wanted to try our mountain bike. She said in the city she only rides shared bikes, and her family worries about her safety and never lets her ride. Now that she's retired and out on her own, she definitely wants to try this "bike for young people."

After hearing that, I was a bit worried too, but I also really hoped she could ride freely for a while.

Just like teaching a kid to ride, I quickly taught her a few cycling essentials and accompanied her to practice on the road by the wheat field. Soon she was riding steadily. She was overjoyed and asked me to take some photos for her to send to her family, to show them "how amazing I am now."

I remembered the eight-year-old who learned to ride a bike in front of the shop last time. On the day he just learned, he told everyone he met, "I learned to ride a bike!"

Happiness is contagious.

(Practicing riding the "young people's" bike)

Thursday, August 1, 2024

A cup of Heytea

In the afternoon, a sweaty young man came in asking to borrow a bike. His bike had a flat tire, and he needed to deliver something to someone, saying he'd be back in about ten minutes. I heard from his accent that he was a local. After confirming with him, I said no problem, just leave a deposit and go. For a few minutes, we wouldn't charge.

But he ended up being gone for three hours. I worried several times that he might have taken the bike and fled. We hadn't added contact info in the rush, and my mind started playing out various movie plots. Finally, he came back and explained that he got delayed waiting for someone there. I said we'd need to charge a bit by the time then. He said no problem, and handed me a cup of Heytea, saying he bought it for me as thanks.

I was suddenly a bit at a loss, then quickly refunded his money. I said, "You buy me a drink, I'll treat you to a ride. Let's be friends. Welcome back anytime." He said, "Sure, I'll come cycling again next holiday."

(Tasted good)

Friday, August 2, 2024

Model parents

A pair of parents brought their two sons. The younger brother sat on a bike with a rear child seat ridden by their dad. The older brother was about five. I chose a 20-inch bike for him. When he got on, his toes just touched the ground, but he was a bit scared to ride and wanted to sit in the back seat like his younger brother.

His mother said he usually rides quite well but tends to be cautious. The father parked his bike and patiently guided him, practicing with him in the open space in front of the shop. The mother encouraged him softly, "See how happy he looks riding? He says he doesn't dare, but his face shows he's enjoying it!" and "See, you're riding a bit better than just now. Practice a little more and we can set off~" After a while, the whole family geared up and set off smoothly. They rode along the ecological corridor for more than twenty kilometers. When they returned, they said the experience was fantastic!

I wrote a cycling-themed card for the older brother, congratulating him on growing a bit more.

(Father and son from behind)

Friday, August 2, 2024

The grandfather who knows everything

A villager living nearby came to the shop to chat with me. He wore red skate shoes and talked in dialect about Marx, Engels, the troika, the market economy, the operation of the universe, etc. There were parts I didn't quite understand. He then wrote down Qi Baishi, Van Gogh, and a mathematical formula on paper.

Talking about our shop, he said business is hard these days. If you can afford the rent and keep the business going, that's about enough. Don't ask for too much; you need to hold on.

When leaving, he told me to exercise well, eat less meat and less rice, so as to stay healthy.

(What the grandfather wrote)

Saturday, August 3, 2024

Bold mom

In the morning, a mother and son came to the shop. The boy looked about sixteen or seventeen. He wanted to rent a road bike. He said he had ridden before, but not much, and today he wanted to try going a bit farther.

The boy didn't have a phone. He asked me to draw a simple map of the Erhai Lake loop. I also wrote the shop phone number on it, reminded him to wear his helmet, went over some cycling precautions, and gave him 20 yuan in cash. Then he set off.

During the trip, I messaged the mother to remind her to tell the boy not to ride outside the ecological corridor when she met him on the corridor. She replied that she hadn't met him yet, and if there was any problem, he would call her. The boy is usually independent, so she told me not to worry.

In the evening, the boy came back. He had actually completed the entire loop around Erhai Lake, and incidentally got two red arms.

(The simple map I drew for him)

(Mom's WeChat Moments post)

Later, I thought about it more carefully and really admired the boy's mother. She was bold enough to let go. I guessed such letting go must have been built up over time.

Monday, August 5, 2024

Spreading kindness

Last night, when I went out to throw away trash, I saw a grandma picking plastic bottles out of the dumpster. Since many guests leave empty drink bottles after cycling back, I placed a bag by the door and started collecting them.

In the afternoon, the grandma happened to take a bag. A small action spread kindness.

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Passion

Last night, after 9 PM, I received a phone call about a bike. The caller sounded quite urgent. He asked about the road bike model, and finally decided to come to the shop to try it. After a test ride, he felt some adjustments were needed to better suit his riding habits. But at that time, I wasn't very skilled in that area yet. When I was at a loss, he took matters into his own hands. I handed him tools from the side, watching him focus on adjusting the cables and tightening screws. Soon he had the bike tuned to his liking.

He looked young. I asked, and he had just turned thirteen. He usually loves riding bikes and enjoys studying them, so he knows some tuning tricks.

Seeing how serious he was, I was quite moved. I learned from him.

(A boy professional at bike tuning)

Saturday, August 10, 2024

The shop assistant sister

I received a good review, and the reviewer called me "shop assistant sister." I need to gradually get used to this title.

Sunday, August 11, 2024

The Huolala driver who couldn't sleep

Today I led a group from Xizhou to the Old Town and transported some bikes there. The scheduled departure with the Huolala driver was 7:50. Around 7:00, the driver called and asked if we could leave at 7:30 instead. I didn't think much of it and assumed he had deliveries coming up later, so I said no problem. Later, during the drive, I found out that the driver just couldn't sleep, so he wanted to get there earlier.

But I had wanted to sleep a bit more! Brother! I gave a bitter smile and sighed internally.

The scenery along the way was wonderful. The Cangshan Mountains were beautiful on the cloudy and rainy day. I was captivated by the view and chatted with the driver casually. He talked about the restricted vehicle entry times in Xizhou, saying some unpleasant things, and then recounted unfair things in his village. I wasn't surprised to hear it and continued enjoying the scenery.

(Scenery outside the window)

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Professionalism above all

Today I prepared bikes for a group. Yesterday afternoon, Laoshuai checked each bike in turn—tire pressure, gears, brakes, bottle cages, bells, front and rear wheels, etc. Our vehicle inspection is quite thorough. When the team leader came to pick up the bikes, he also checked each one and carefully inspected helmets, gloves, and other gear.

While one instructor was checking the bikes, another was explaining cycling rules in a stern tone. After the explanation, he had the students repeat several important rules. I said, "You check thoroughly." The coach said, "Yes, this is a safety matter."

I learned from them: safety first, professionalism above all.

Thursday, August 22, 2024

Case solved

Yesterday, a boy who rented a bike didn't return it on time, and I couldn't reach him on WeChat. We were almost about to call the police. Later, with the help of two friends, we conducted a thorough search and finally tracked him down.

It turned out he had accidentally lost his phone, and his father wouldn't let him go out because of that, so he couldn't return the bike. The important thing is he was safe. Last night, I dreamed he rode to Xishuangbanna and disappeared along the way. I woke up startled around 4 AM and couldn't get back to sleep.

But this "case" also reminded us to think about how to further optimize the bike rental process.

(On the way to solving the case)

Saturday, August 24, 2024

You really are a teacher

Today, a family of three rode from the Old Town shop to Xizhou. From our conversation, I learned that the child was about to enter third grade. Seeing him sweating profusely, I gave him a bottle of milk. When he drank it, he accidentally spilled some milk on the sofa and floor. His mother scolded him a bit. I quickly comforted, saying it was okay and would just wipe it up.

The mother asked him to get off the sofa and help. He was a bit reluctant. Then the father said, "See, the auntie is cleaning up what you spilled. Don't you feel a little guilty? Aren't you a bit embarrassed?" Meanwhile, the mother was also helping clean up.

When I went to rinse the mop, I heard the parents still talking to the child. I felt the child was a bit embarrassed and resistant. I said, "It's okay, we can handle it." I asked him if he had learned to mop at school and invited him to help mop together. At first he said he couldn't, but after a moment he said he was the one responsible for mopping at school. Then he got down and picked up the mop. I praised him, saying he mops well, and told him that milk helps clean the floor, and the floor was now a bit cleaner than before. At that, he mopped with even more enthusiasm.

The father next to me said, "As expected, she's a teacher." I straightened my back a bit more.

When saying goodbye, the boy waved at me twice. Friendship made.

(This boy is not that boy)

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Crab kung fu

Today a father brought his son over. They wanted to use the last days of summer vacation to practice cycling. The child had ridden a bit before, but after a fall, he didn't dare ride anymore. The father came on a motorcycle. I asked him to first take the bike back and then come back for the child.

While the father was delivering the bike, I spent a little time with the child. I taught him to ride, and he told me about what happened at school. He also performed crab kung fu for me. We had a nice chat.

Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, the child came back again, riding a bike with his father. He had learned to ride! The father told me he wanted to come specifically to tell me that his son had learned. That made me really happy.

I wrote him a card congratulating him on learning a new skill. On reflection, bikes really have a charm.

The above are some snippets from my daily life. Actually, I make notes every day. Looking back, I find they are mostly about people. It is these vivid individuals and these chance encounters that make my job at Blooming Cycling concrete and interesting.

Photos