The county town had three driving schools, and the one Li Yuan and his group went to was the Chunlei Driving School in the city's west end. High school graduates could get a 20% discount if they registered with their student ID. The four of them signed up together, each paying 2,800 yuan for a C1 license. By registering in late June, they could get their licenses by the end of August.
At that time, driving schools, especially in small counties, were not strictly managed. Li Yuan simply handed over two cartons of Yuxi cigarettes and received special treatment from the instructor.
"Hey, Yuan, you really know how to handle things," Wang Shuai said. "Now the four of us have a car to ourselves. We can practice to our heart's content."
Wang Shuai and the others had gotten used to Li Yuan's generosity. If it were up to them, they probably would have been too embarrassed and a bit reluctant to hand over the cigarettes. Two cartons of Yuxi were four hundred yuan, after all.
