On the busy urban streets, cars shuttle around as if they were wearing suits and ties, and electric vehicles flash past like agile little mice. At this moment, a red gasoline three-wheeled mobility scooter makes its appearance with a “putt-putt-putt” sound. It is like a passionate street artist, instantly becoming the focus of everyone’s attention.

This red color is incredibly eye-catching, as if a piece torn from the sun has been draped over the vehicle. Wherever it goes, the air seems to be ignited, and the surrounding vehicles pale in comparison. It is truly a “street star” that shines with its own light.

The old man riding the scooter wears a bright red baseball cap of the same color, which matches the vehicle perfectly. He looks like a character stepped out of a vintage movie. The old man is dressed in a blue work uniform that has been washed a bit faded, and he wears a pair of Jiefang shoes stained with mud. He sits firmly in the driver’s seat, with an air of someone driving a supercar. Every time the old man starts the vehicle, the engine is like a rooster woken up from its sleep. First, it “coughs” a few times with its throat, and then it starts to crow merrily with a “putt-putt-putt” sound. The sound is so loud that it seems to be declaring to the whole world, “I’m about to set off!” This noise is simply like a “bugle call” in the quiet residential area, causing the neighbors to open their windows and peek out. The old man waves his hand proudly, as if saying, “Sorry, everyone. You’ve got another free preview of the opening song of my ‘exclusive concert’.”

When the vehicle is moving, the red body sparkles in the sunlight, just like a burning flame leaping on the street. When passing by the vegetable market, the aunties selling vegetables light up their eyes. “Wow, this red tricycle is so festive. It’s even more eye-catching than the red couplets I put up during the Spring Festival!” While praising it, the aunties enthusiastically promote the freshest vegetables to the old man. The old man, while picking the vegetables, chats with the aunties about daily life. Soon, the cargo box is filled with all kinds of vegetables, like a small mobile vegetable market.

Once, I was fortunate enough to ride on the old man’s red tricycle. As soon as I sat on it, I felt like I was going to embark on a crazy adventure. Along the way, the wind blew wildly in my face. I held the handlebars tightly, fearing that I would be blown away. When passing through a bumpy road, the vehicle was like a small boat sailing on the rough sea, swaying from side to side. Suddenly, a big pothole appeared in front of us. Before I could react, the vehicle flew up with a “whoosh” sound. I felt like my heart was about to jump out of my throat. After landing, the old man laughed heartily, “How about it? This ‘flying man’ experience is exciting, isn’t it? This is the unique ‘premium service’ of my little red tricycle!”

When we arrived at the destination, parking was a piece of cake. While cars were still arguing fiercely in the parking lot to find a parking space, our little red tricycle simply pulled over to the side of the road, locked the vehicle, and we could just leave with a pat on our butts. However, sometimes there are some small misunderstandings. Once, the old man parked the vehicle and went to do something. When he came back, he couldn’t find the vehicle no matter how hard he looked. We searched all around, and finally found it sandwiched between two bicycles, with only the red front of the vehicle showing, like a shy little girl hiding in the corner. The old man said with a mixture of amusement and annoyance, “You little rascal, you’re playing hide-and-seek with me. Just wait, I’ll teach you a lesson!”

This red gasoline three-wheeled mobility scooter, although it doesn’t have the luxury of a high-end car or the lightness of an electric vehicle, in its own unique way, it has brought endless joy to the old man’s life and also brought a lot of different kinds of fun to us passers-by. Next time, when you see that dazzling red color “putt-putt-putt” passing by on the street, don’t forget to give it and the old man on the vehicle a smile, because they are adding a unique touch of color and laughter to this city in the most down-to-earth way.