Chapter 107: The Washing Machine

“Sister Jiang, this is for you. I’m not sure what scent you like, so just make do with this!” After coming out, the tricycle had already left; it was the delivery vehicle from the Friendship Store. You just give them the address, no need to follow along. Hong Tao approached Ms. Jiang and handed her a bottle of perfume.

“You child, I can't accept such an expensive gift from you. If you want to thank me, just design a nice hairstyle for me next time,” Ms. Jiang said, surprised that this boy even understood such subtleties, and she fumbled to return the bottle to Hong Tao.

“Whether you accept it or not is up to you. What good would it do me? I can’t exactly spray perfume to school. None of my family would dare waste such expensive stuff. So please keep it. It’s not really a gift, just a token of gratitude. Without your help, the young ladies in my shop and my parents would still be washing clothes in cold water during winter. Consider it my way of expressing thanks on their behalf.” Hong Tao held Ms. Jiang’s hand, reasoning with her sincerely; in short, he just wanted her to accept it.

In the end, Ms. Jiang couldn’t refuse, so she took the perfume. Then she and Hong Tao took a ride back to the salon. Coincidentally, two of her colleagues were there for haircuts, and they started chatting together. The tricycle delivering the washing machine arrived a while later. Hong Tao only asked the driver to unload one unit, then he himself hopped onto the tricycle to continue the journey to his grandmother’s house with the washing machine.

In 1980, washing machines were still quite novel; many people didn’t even know clothes could be cleaned by a machine. When Hong Tao arrived at his grandmother’s home with the large cardboard box, which looked high-end but was covered in foreign letters, it immediately drew a crowd outside the courtyard. Everyone was curious about what was inside.

“What is it? A washing machine?” Grandfather circled the large box several times but didn’t dare touch it.

“Old brother, I saw this on TV. Apparently, you put clothes in and it cleans them. Isn’t that right, Xiao Tao?” Grandpa Zhang next door was more attentive to television, and in that era, commercials were just starting to appear and weren’t yet scorned. Some well-made ads became popular topics, such as the Toyota slogan: “Where there’s a road at the mountain’s foot, there’s a Toyota car!”

“That’s right, it’s a washing machine. Uncle, pull out the power strip from inside; let’s test it!” People naturally love to show off; hiding something good is no fun. As long as it didn’t cause trouble, Hong Tao was happy to enjoy the envious gazes.

“Heh… just the box alone would fetch fifty cents. This cardboard is really thick...” Some nosy aunties didn’t know what a washing machine was but recognized the value of the box.

“Xiao Tao, how much did this thing cost? Does it really work?” Some people were already intrigued.

“What brand is it? What do these letters say?” The more educated were reading the packaging carefully.

“This is called Sanyo, cost over 400 yuan, bought with foreign exchange coupons at the Friendship Store. Whether it works, let’s give it a try!” Hong Tao answered casually while helping his grandfather unpack, fielding questions from the crowd.

“Four hundred plus? That’s not cheap. Just for washing clothes? Then why marry a wife at all?” Grandpa Tai from the back courtyard was old-fashioned and didn’t understand why one would spend money on this if there was a wife to do the laundry.

“I should be the one washing for you! You’re just a lost cause, always drinking. One day you’re going to drink yourself to death!” Grandma Tai was displeased at her husband’s words. Some things could be done, but not said in public; everyone deserved a little dignity.

“You’re the one being unreasonable! A wife cooks, washes, and cares for the kids. What else can she do? Men work outside to support the family; why can’t I say that?” Grandpa Tai, likely drunk again, was arguing with his wife right there in the yard. The whole alley was used to their daily bickering, which often escalated to shoving.

“Uncle, go get the hose and connect it to the tap. Oh, and sir, don’t forget about you—please come inside for some water first.” Hong Tao ignored the quarrel. He was directing his uncle on setting up the machine and then noticed the delivery man from the Friendship Store was still around, so he quickly invited him inside.

“Oh... no, no. I still have to make sure this machine works properly before I’m done. But from what I see, you’re quite capable, kid!” The delivery man smiled, explaining his duties. He found it odd because usually, buyers of such items were well-off families or those with overseas connections, but this alley and communal yard didn’t seem to fit that. The strangest was this boy who learned to operate the washing machine all by himself.

“Is it all hooked up? If so, turn on the water. Let’s wash my jacket first since it’s dirty!” After his uncle connected the water inlet, Hong Tao took off his coat and threw it into the washing tub. Then he scooped half a small plastic measuring cup of laundry detergent inside and turned the big dial on the panel to the water-fill setting.

At this time, washing machines weren’t fully automatic. They required manual operation. Typically, two large dials controlled the machine: one for selecting the working mode—filling water, washing, rinsing, spinning, draining—and the other for setting the timer. Washing and spinning happened in separate drums, so after washing, clothes had to be moved by hand to the spin drum.

“Splash...” As Hong Tao operated the machine, a stream of clear water gushed into the wash tub. The crowd held their breath, craning to see how the machine cleaned clothes.

“Woop... swish... woop... swish...” When the water reached the marked level, Hong Tao turned the dial to the washing mode.

The wash tub, already more than half full, began to rotate—first a few turns left, then abruptly stopping, then spinning right—creating a large vortex. The detergent dissolved, generating white foam on the surface. This old-style machine had no anti-tangling function, so multiple clothes often got tangled into a tight knot after washing, which one had to untangle manually. Still, it saved a lot of effort, especially in winter when nobody had to endure the cold water battle anymore.

“Oh wow... it’s spinning! Does that mean the clothes are being washed? No more hand scrubbing?” The onlookers marveled and immediately started debating whether the machine could clean clothes well.

Life was slower then. A washing machine could draw dozens of people to watch in the yard for half an hour, with some even running home to bring others to see this wonder. The street entrance was nearly blocked.

“There! That’s the wash done. Clothes come out half dry; just hang them to air for a while. But don’t put wool or knitwear in there—it’ll ruin them,” Hong Tao explained the process to his grandmother, who seemed unsure and didn’t dare touch the spinning machine, afraid of an electric shock.

“Xiao Tao, where did you buy this? Are there more?” By then, the question wasn’t whether it worked—the light-colored jacket Hong Tao wore was already hanging on the line, dirt gone, proving the machine’s effectiveness. People began asking about the washing machine.

“Well, the store’s guy is here. You can ask him; I’m not too sure. A friend helped me buy it. Uncle, let’s carry the machine inside.” Hong Tao had achieved his goal of showing off, and he didn’t want to risk angering others by revealing the machine wasn’t easily available to everyone. Better to leave the explanation to the delivery man.

“Grandpa, if my dad asks, just say you bought it. I bought one for the shop too, but they probably don’t know how to use it. I’ll teach them,” Hong Tao whispered in his grandfather’s ear while his grandmother and uncle were busy inspecting the machine.

“Hmm, that’s not a waste of money. Grandpa will back you up. Xiao Ming, go check with your second sister, see if she has laundry to do. Bring it all here, and show her the new washing machine,” Grandpa agreed and sent his son with instructions.

Taking advantage of the moment, Hong Tao slipped away with his uncle. The delivery worker was now surrounded by a crowd of housewives, and even two mouths wouldn’t be enough to answer all their questions. By the time he finished explaining the role of foreign exchange coupons, it would be dark.

“Hey! Why put the washing machine in the middle of the room? It’s such a nuisance.” Back at the shop, Hong Tao found the machine quietly occupying the center, with staff and customers politely walking around it.

P.S.: Thanks to the beloved readers, the book is finally ready for a strong push and release. It will be available at noon on Friday the 12th of this month. Friends who enjoy this book are welcome to show support by subscribing. Let’s make the numbers look good! Of course, the only thing I can give back is one thing: lots of extra chapters!