New Year's Gift for My Parents

While Wu Xiaozhong was showing his parents the car, the salesperson who had been checking the order information returned.

"Hello, sir. I've checked your car order details. The top-trim Jiuzhou Mini you ordered is here. Let me show you."

As he spoke, the salesperson gestured for them to follow and led Wu Xiaozhong's family toward one of the Jiuzhou Minis.

It was a yellow car. Its exterior was almost identical to most of the surrounding vehicles, with only minor differences in the details.

It looked even better!

The high-trim version adopted the exterior design of the Wuling Hongguang Mini Macaron edition, making it more refined than the standard version.

Pressing the car key, the car doors unlocked automatically. This was quite advanced for 2008!

After all, most inexpensive cars back then still required a key to open and close the doors, and many low-trim models even had hand-crank windows!

Inheriting the advantages of domestic cars, it cost just over 30,000 yuan, with all the features loaded!

The salesperson opened the car door and, at the same time, took out a configuration list, confirming with the group.

"The specific powertrain configuration for the Jiuzhou Mini high-trim version you ordered is:"

"A Chaowei 96v, 150AH lead-acid battery with a range of about 190 kilometers, which takes about twelve hours to fully charge. Doctor's 6kw permanent magnet synchronous motor with a top speed of 45 km/h, and a high-standard sine wave controller."

"Basic parameter configuration includes MacPherson independent suspension in the front, multi-link non-independent suspension in the rear, front and rear disc brakes, driver and passenger airbags, and rear parking radar."

"Automatic windows, dual-frequency air conditioning, remote central locking, four Sony speakers throughout the car, ultra-bright xenon headlights..."

After a long string of introductions about the car model, the salesperson handed the configuration list to Wu Xiaozhong.

"Sir, you can check this configuration list carefully to see if there are any issues. If everything is fine, you can then pay the remaining balance to take the car."

As Wu Xiaozhong took the configuration list, the salesperson added, "Our cars have an in-factory mileage of less than one kilometer. They were parked here after being manufactured. Your car just came off the production line yesterday."

"I'll be right here. If you have any objections, please tell me."

Having completed his duties, the salesperson stepped aside to wait, leaving Wu Xiaozhong's family to inspect the vehicle.

Wu Xiaozhong smiled at his parents, whose attention had long been captured by the small car.

"Alright, now it's our turn. Let's check if there are any problems with this car, including any collisions or incorrect configurations."

"Okay, if there are no issues, we can try driving it later."

His parents, eager, got into the car from the driver and passenger seats respectively.

His father ran his hand over the steering wheel, clearly delighted. "It's great! Is this real leather?"

"It's said to be high-grade PU leather, with excellent quality."

Even though it wasn't real leather, his father seemed very satisfied and said with a smile, "Mm, very good. I'll buy a steering wheel cover at the auto parts store when I have time!"

His father: "It only cost a little over 30,000 yuan, but the details are much better than I expected. You can tell from the details that it's better than cars like the Chery QQ that your Uncle Wang bought. It's worth the money!"

Wu Xiaozhong, who had researched cars for a while, agreed wholeheartedly. "Right? I think it's good too. They all use the same manufacturing process as cars. Except for the engine and gearbox, they have everything else a car has. The high-trim version even comes with two airbags!"

"The seats are also good, quite soft. Much better than Old Li's car!"

"This is the highest configuration version we have."

His mother didn't understand cars as well as the two men and could only offer her own opinions after experiencing it.

"Well, although it's not as good as your son's car and it's much smaller, it's still much better than riding on the back of a motorcycle."

Wu Xiaozhong explained, "If it's just the two of you, Mom and Dad, Mom, you can adjust the passenger seat as far back as possible, and the space will be much larger."

As he spoke, he went to the passenger side and showed his mother how to adjust the seat position.

"There's a lever here. As long as you pull it up, the seat can be adjusted forward and backward. If you have friends riding with you, move it forward a bit to give more space to the rear. When you two are driving out for groceries, adjust it further back for a more comfortable ride."

After a brief experience, under Wu Xiaozhong's guidance, the family tested all the car's functions to ensure they were working properly.

Brake lights, xenon lights, interior reading lights, turn signals, dashboard display, etc.

Whether the car's surface had any collisions or dents, whether the car's audio system was operating normally, and so on.

The whole family worked together, spending over an hour. Except for the features that could only be checked while driving and the airbags that would only function in a collision, everything else on the car was inspected.

Confirming that there were no issues, Wu Xiaozhong found the salesperson again. The next step was to pay and take the car.

This step was also quite simple. The office building was not far away and housed the finance department of Jiuzhou Auto. Payment by card or cash was acceptable.

Unlike regular cars that require vehicle purchase tax and license plate registration, the Jiuzhou Mini only required payment and a VAT invoice from the company to take the car away.

It took about ten minutes for Wu Xiaozhong to complete everything under the salesperson's guidance.

After getting their car, they didn't rush off. Although the driving practice area was already quite crowded, they still needed to practice.

Holding the car keys, Wu Xiaozhong returned to the Jiuzhou Mini he had purchased and opened the driver's side door.

"Dad, I'll drive it to the empty lot nearby first so you can try it out a bit. Once you're a little more familiar with it, we'll head into the practice driving area next door."

His dad nodded. "Okay, that's a sensible plan. I'll listen to you!"

Wu Xiaozhong got into the car, and his parents sat beside him.

As he started the vehicle, Wu Xiaozhong said to the two elders, "Even though there are quite a few cars inside, it's also a place to practice your driving skills. Afterward, you won't have any problems driving in places with more people and traffic.

Plus, our car is small, so it'll be very agile to drive, and it won't be difficult to learn. It's very suitable for beginners."

His parents nodded in unison. "Mm-hmm!"

Without rushing to start the car, Wu Xiaozhong continued, "Also, there's a resting area for students where coaches will teach you about common driving issues."

"You can park the car there to charge. During breaks, listen more to the coaches' driving experience."

"There's also a large screen there showing common traffic situations and driving regulations explained by the coaches. I think you two should watch it more."

His parents nodded again in unison. "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!"

"Safe driving is the most important thing. Your safety must be taken seriously."

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!"

Wu Xiaozhong thought for a moment and said, "Oh, right. I have a USB drive in the car. We can ask the coach to help us copy some materials later. We can watch them at home when we have free time."

"They should offer suggestions later and give every Jiuzhou Mini owner a teaching USB drive. This factory seems serious about developing its products."

"We can practice until around 4 PM today. We'll take a two-hour break for lunch to charge, which should replenish the electricity used this morning.

Plus, our car has a decent range, enough to cover the 100-kilometer journey between the two cities.

Dad, you can do it! When we head back this afternoon, I'll lead the way, and you just follow me. We'll take the old road home!"

"Okay, okay, okay!"