novellhall Chapter 128 One washing machine equals one year's salary
Chapter 128 One washing machine equals one year's salary
"What is this thing?"
Many people in the residential compound had never seen a washing machine before, and when Wenrou had someone bring in such a large item, they all looked on with curiosity and confusion.
"Is that a washing machine? I've seen it on TV; they say it can automatically wash clothes. Is that true?"
"I've seen it before, it really is a washing machine. Where did Huo Tuan's wife buy it?"
"If we had this, wouldn't we be able to wash clothes without using our hands? Wouldn't that make things so much easier? Especially for thick winter clothes, sheets, and duvet covers, this would be perfect for washing them."
At this moment, everyone stared wide-eyed as Wenrou carried the washing machine back home.
Although that's what they said, it was the first time anyone in the family compound had ever seen such a thing, and they couldn't believe that such a small machine could wash clothes for them.
"Xiaorou, what did you bring back?" Aunt Zhao asked, looking at the washing machine that Wenrou had brought back.
"Auntie, this is a washing machine. From now on, you won't have to wash clothes by hand anymore; you can just use this," Wenrou explained to Aunt Zhao.
"What? A washing machine? You're saying this thing can wash clothes? Will it even get them clean? I'd better just wash them by hand." Aunt Zhao clearly didn't believe it.
She's lived most of her life and still doesn't know what can replace hand washing clothes.
Seeing her disbelief, Wenrou smiled and said, "Then I'll demonstrate for you in a bit, and we'll see if it can really get clean."
In her previous life, she bought a washing machine for the Zhou family several years later, never expecting that she would be able to use it now.
Moreover, Lu Ming said that this washing machine is a double-bar model, which can not only wash but also spin dry.
Wenrou quickly went inside, reconnected the power cord, and then brought over some dirty clothes and laundry detergent.
She saves the water she uses to wash her face, which she can then use to wash clothes, and finally rinse them with clean water.
Lu Ming said that the laundry detergent should be dissolved in hot water first, then poured into the washing machine, and finally the dirty clothes should be put in. Then turn the knob twice.
Wenrou put the clothes in as he instructed, then turned the knob, and she heard the washing machine start running.
Not only was Aunt Zhao curious, but everyone else in the compound also wanted to see if the washing machine could really clean the clothes.
Hearing the commotion, Peng Xiaowan also came over.
"Xiaorou, I heard you bought a washing machine? Is it true?"
When Wenrou saw Peng Xiaowan arrive, she pointed out the place where the washing machine was.
"It wasn't really bought; it was a used washing machine that I got from someone else. I just had it repaired."
Upon hearing this, Peng Xiaowan went forward to investigate out of curiosity.
"I heard on the news that a washing machine like this is almost worth a year's salary for me."
Peng Xiaowan's words were like a bomb to the others.
"What?! A year's salary?" Aunt Zhao was so shocked she couldn't speak.
Wenrou was secretly relieved, thanking Lu Ming for this.
If you asked her to spend six or seven hundred yuan to buy a washing machine, she would be a little reluctant.
According to Lu Ming, this washing machine was recycled at the price of scrap metal, so it only cost him a little over twenty yuan.
Although Aunt Feng and the others pretended to wash clothes at the door, their ears were not idle.
Hearing that Wenrou had spent six or seven hundred yuan on a washing machine, she was so jealous that she almost tore the clothes in her hands.
"Where did Wenrou get so much money? No wonder she didn't grow mushrooms this time. Does she have other ways to make money?" Sun Mei walked towards Aunt Feng, her words laced with sarcasm.
It's no wonder they felt resentful; they worked themselves to the bone for over half a month and only earned a little over thirty yuan.
I originally wanted to make a fortune by growing mushrooms, but I almost didn't even recoup my investment.
How could Wenrou afford a washing machine so easily, even though she didn't do anything?
Comparing people can really make you angry.
"If only we had followed Wenrou back then, it's too late to say anything now, considering how we treated her back then," Sun Mei sighed.
Aunt Feng was filled with regret, so much so that she was heartbroken.
More than half an hour later, the washing machine finally stopped. Wenrou rinsed the clothes again and put them in the spin dryer.
Soon, as the spin dryer accelerated its operation, the clothes were almost completely dried by the time it stopped.
"Wow, this washing machine really does a great job of washing clothes! It's even cleaner than hand washing!" Aunt Zhao exclaimed with delight when she saw that the dirty clothes from before were not only clean but also spun dry.
Clothes washed in the washing machine and hung on the clothesline outside will dry quickly in the wind.
"It really is! It's so clean." Peng Xiaowan was also shocked when she saw the result.
"Xiao Wan, bring any clothes you have over to wash from now on. That way we can save some water," Wenrou said to Peng Xiaowan.
"Wouldn't this be too much trouble?" Peng Xiaowan was afraid of causing trouble for others.
"What's the trouble? It doesn't require hand washing, and it doesn't matter how much water you use for an extra piece of clothing. It's settled then."
I bought this washing machine to make hand washing clothes easier. Once the water well is dug, it will be even more convenient.
Hearing Wenrou say this to Peng Xiaowan, Sun Mei, who was not far away, also started thinking about the washing machine.
"Huo Tuan's wife, could you lend me your washing machine when you're not using it?" She walked over with a fawning smile on her face.
He looked at her gently and chuckled softly, "Okay."
Upon hearing this, Sun Mei's face lit up with joy. "Really? I'm going to do laundry in a bit, so I won't be polite."
"One dollar per use, pay me and you can use it."
After speaking gently, she reached out her hand to Sun Mei.
"One yuan? Are you robbing me?" Sun Mei stared wide-eyed at Wenrou in disbelief.
"We're all neighbors in the same compound, how can you treat people like this? Besides, your washing machine is just sitting there after you've finished using it, what's wrong with letting others use it?" Sun Mei said matter-of-factly.
When Wenrou heard Sun Mei's tone of moral blackmail, her face also turned cold.
"Even if it's just sitting there, I bought it myself. You're so generous, why don't you buy one for everyone to use? Don't make it sound so good to take advantage of others."
Sun Mei's thoughts were exposed on the spot, and she felt embarrassed, so she had no choice but to turn around and leave.
Wenrou didn't forget to loudly address Aunt Zhao from behind Sun Mei, "Auntie, from now on, we won't lend our washing machine to anyone who comes to our house."
"Of course," Aunt Zhao replied.
After finishing the laundry, Wenrou moved the washing machine back inside.
Frustrated that the mushrooms they had painstakingly grown were not making any money, Shen Qingshuang went to find Technician Liang.
"Liang Xuejun, do you even know how to grow mushrooms? We followed your instructions exactly, and look, we didn't make any money, we almost lost money instead."
Even though they followed the same planting steps, the quality of their mushrooms was not as good as Sister Wang's.
Liang Xuejun was also completely confused. He had consulted experts from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences before he came, and they all said there was no problem.
But now, the quality of the mushrooms he grows is so much worse than others. What is the problem?
"I...I don't know either." Liang Xuejun was only focused on becoming a formal researcher at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and this time he realized that he had been too eager for quick success.
He pointed to the high-quality mushrooms Shen Qingshuang had brought and asked, "Who grew these mushrooms?"
"It was Sister Wang and the others who planted it according to the method taught by Professor Peng."
Liang Xuejun was actually reluctant to accept his failure, after all, he had done a lot of preparation for this project.
"Professor Peng? Is that the Professor Peng who was demoted?"
Having been at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences for so long, he must have heard about Professor Peng.
When he first heard about Professor Peng being demoted, he felt it was a pity that a professor had been demoted like that.
People at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences said he had an improper conduct, even his teachers said so, and everyone avoided him, afraid of being implicated as well.
Some even said that his academic work was fabricated, so Liang Xuejun held Professor Peng in contempt from the bottom of his heart.
But now, hearing that these mushrooms were actually related to Professor Peng, he couldn't quite accept it for a moment.
He had worked so hard and done so much research, yet he couldn't compare to a professor who had committed academic fraud and was demoted. This was a significant blow to him.
"Where does Professor Peng live now?" Liang Xuejun asked.
No matter what, he needs to figure out exactly where he went wrong.
His research project has failed this time, and there is no hope of him being promoted, but he will never give up.
"You're too late. Professor Peng has already returned to Beijing."
Shen Qingshuang frowned. She hadn't expected that Beijing would transfer a useless person to her, causing her to waste so much time. Not only had she not earned any money, but her relationship with Aunt Feng and the others had also soured.
She originally thought that she had made money with everyone and could give Wenrou a good beating, but she never expected to lose face so badly this time.
She simply couldn't swallow this insult.
She found it even more difficult to accept when she saw that Wenrou had earned enough money to buy a washing machine.
She was indignant. Why could Wenrou make money no matter what she did? She refused to believe that the bitch was always so lucky.
Thinking of this, Shen Qingshuang told Liang Xuejun about Wenrou's acquaintance with Professor Peng.
"If you want to know, you can ask her; she'll definitely know."
Upon hearing Shen Qingshuang's words, Liang Xuejun went to find Wenrou without saying a word.
Wenrou had just finished soothing her child and was about to take a nap when she heard a technician from Beijing looking for her.
She had heard of this technician Liang and had even seen him give lectures to people in the family compound.
The lectures were all theoretical knowledge copied directly from the textbook, without any practical application, so it's no wonder they failed.
However, she was curious about what this technician Liang wanted to see her about.
She opened the door and went out, where she saw Liang Xuejun standing outside.
"Is there something you need from Technician Liang?" Wenrou asked expressionlessly.
I heard that this technician Liang was an expert that Shen Qingshuang specially asked to find from the Beijing Academy of Agricultural Sciences. If the Academy of Agricultural Sciences is full of people like him, it's no wonder that Professor Peng was tricked and demoted.
"I heard you know Professor Peng. Did he leave anything behind when he left?" Liang Xuejun wanted to get some information out of Wenrou so he could take it back and maybe use it for his research.
"You want to ask me if Professor Peng passed on the core technology of mushroom cultivation to me, right?"
She looked at Liang Xuejun with gentle eyes and immediately saw through his thoughts.
This Liang Xuejun is not only incompetent, but also has impure intentions. He actually wanted to plagiarize Professor Peng's work.
Liang Xuejun heard from others that Wenrou was just a village woman from the countryside with little education, so he thought he could get information from her.
Unexpectedly, she saw through his thoughts with just one sentence.
His expression changed slightly. Looking at Wenrou, he continued, "I wanted to consult Professor Peng, but I heard that he has been exonerated and returned to Beijing, so I could only come to you. If you can provide the technology, it will be a contribution to the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. When I get back, I can help you apply for an award."
Wenrou felt even more sorry for Professor Peng when she heard him describe plagiarism in such a grand and respectable way.
He dedicated almost his entire life to agricultural research, yet some people still tried to frame him in an attempt to steal his research findings.
In his previous life, he waited for so long, until his death, but he never got to return to the Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
She hopes that Professor Peng's research results here will all be published this time, instead of being plagiarized by people like Liang Xuxuejun.
"A reward? What kind of reward?" Wenrou seemed quite interested in the reward he was talking about.
Liang Xuejun knew that women were short-sighted and that money was the only way to deal with them.
"It depends on your needs; it can be fame or money," Liang Xuejun said with a smile.
He knew he had made himself so clear that most people would have been able to guess what he meant.
As long as she hands over the item, my goal will be achieved.
"Money? How much would you give me if I gave you the stuff?" Wenrou still had a smile on her face, but the coldness in her eyes was getting deeper and deeper.
Liang Xuejun didn't notice the change in Wenrou's expression. He held up one hand and said, "Depending on your contribution, you can get a reward of up to one hundred yuan."
He thought to himself that it would probably take a country bumpkin two or three months to earn a hundred dollars, and he didn't believe that Wenrou wouldn't be moved by his words.
"It would certainly be quite tempting for most people, but do you think my family is short of money?"
Wenrou's words reminded Liang Xuejun. He looked inside and immediately saw the washing machine, television, and bicycle in Wenrou's house...
"this……"
Seeing that all the things that only the rich could afford were gathered in Wenrou's house, Liang Xuejun's expression changed immediately, and he was stunned on the spot.
Before he could react, Wenrou slammed the door shut.
After returning to her room, she wrote a letter to Professor Peng, telling him about Liang Xuejun's attempt to plagiarize his research findings.
I'm sure Professor Peng has a way to deal with people like that.