B5SB -Chapter 156 The Washing Machine Arrives

After returning home, Gu Yihan parked her bicycle and, turning around, saw Grandma Gu bustling back and forth between the kitchen and the living room.

Thinking of what Qiao Shuhui had said, she couldn’t help but smile softly.

She quickly walked over, took the plate from Grandma Gu’s hands, and said with concern,
“Grandma, go rest on the sofa in your room for a while. You’ve been busy all day.”

Grandma Gu wasn’t one to be overly polite. Knowing her granddaughter cared about her, she smiled and said, “Alright, Grandma will go rest.”

Just as Gu Yihan stepped into the kitchen, Lu Huailin’s voice rang out from outside.

“Wife! Wife!”

She walked out and looked at him pushing the door open, saying unhappily, “Why are you yelling like that? Calling souls or something?”

Lu Huailin hurried over, lowered his head, and kissed her on the cheek.

Smiling, he explained, “The truck delivering the washing machine is at the entrance of the family compound. I asked Battalion Commander Shi to help. I’m going to get the voucher.”

Gu Yihan quickly grabbed his arm. “You asked him to help—are you keeping him for dinner?”

“I asked. He’s not staying. His wife is pregnant, so he needs to go back and accompany her.”

After saying that, Lu Huailin turned and went into the bedroom to get the voucher.

Gu Yihan froze for a moment. She wondered whether Zhao Ju had fully recovered. She hadn’t expected her to be so easily pregnant.

Carrying the pot into the living room, she placed it on the dining table. When she turned around, she saw Lu Huailin holding the voucher and heading straight out.

Grandma Gu, sitting on the sofa, asked in confusion, “It’s almost time to eat. Why did Xiao Lu go out again?”

Gu Yihan replied, “He’ll be back soon. He went to pick up the washing machine.”

Grandma Gu didn’t hear clearly. “What machine?”

Patiently, Gu Yihan explained, “A washing machine. It washes clothes. In the future, you won’t have to wash clothes by hand anymore.”

Grandma Gu had never seen or heard of such a thing and couldn’t imagine it. She muttered softly, “Chickens can wash clothes now?”

Gu Yihan couldn’t help laughing.

After thinking for a moment, she took Grandma Gu’s hand and led her toward the courtyard gate. “Grandma, I’ll show you this ‘chicken’ that can wash clothes.”

“Smack!”

The sound of a slap rang out.

“You useless hen that can’t even lay eggs! You eat so much, yet you can’t even wash a bowl without dropping it. How stupid can you be?”

The sharp voice reached the ears of Grandma Gu and Gu Yihan as they stepped out of the courtyard.

Gu Yihan listened for a while but didn’t hear Lan Cao arguing back.

Grandma Gu whispered in her ear, “You’re not home every day, so you don’t know. That family’s mother-in-law scolds her daughter-in-law every day. Sigh, families that curse each other every day end up cursing away all their good fortune.”

Gu Yihan smiled but didn’t respond.

Lan Cao wasn’t exactly meek either. She probably lacked confidence because of her difficulty getting pregnant. Once she became pregnant, things would surely change.

The two stood at the gate, watching Lu Huailin and Battalion Commander Shi in the distance.

“Creak.”

The door to Deputy Battalion Commander Wang’s courtyard opened, and his mother walked out, curiously looking at them.

“What did your family buy? It’s so big.”

Gu Yihan glanced at Lan Cao standing at the gate. She looked much thinner, and her washed-out clothes were badly wrinkled.

Grandma Gu glanced back at Wang’s mother. She didn’t like her much, since her family was always noisy. She replied perfunctorily, “You’ll see soon enough.”

Lu Huailin and Battalion Commander Shi carried the large washing machine together. Many wives in the compound noticed and gathered to chat.

“Commander Lu really dotes on his wife. He’s willing to spend money on a washing machine.”

Sister-in-law Li glanced at Li Xia beside her and snorted. She truly regretted letting her sister-in-law come to the army.

She meddled in everything, as if the whole family had to listen to her.

“You’re so unlucky. Otherwise, you’d be the one married to Commander Lu.”

Li Xia ignored her. Of course she wanted to marry someone well-off, but Commander Lu hadn’t liked her anyway.

Seeing her not respond, Sister-in-law Li grew angrier.

She sneered at Battalion Commander Wen’s wife, Wang Erya, “See that? That’s what it means to cherish your wife. Not like those people who throw themselves at men—whose husbands…”

Before she could finish, Commander Wen’s mother hurried over and slapped her.

She scolded her harshly, “Did you eat our rice? You shameless thing! You yourself were a child bride, yet you look down on others!”

Sister-in-law Li covered her face, stunned. She hadn’t expected her to be so rough.

Li Xia suppressed her laughter and quickly grabbed Sister-in-law Li’s arm so she couldn’t fight back.

With an apologetic face, she said to Wang Erni, “Sister Wang, I’m sorry. My sister-in-law doesn’t know how to speak properly.”

Wang Erni supported her mother-in-law and smiled. “I’m sorry too. My mother-in-law can’t stand seeing me bullied.”

…

In the courtyard, Gu Yihan had no idea that their washing machine had caused conflicts in the compound.

Many military wives went home and asked their husbands to buy one too, only to be scolded for being wasteful and not knowing how to live frugally.

After setting up the washing machine, Lu Huailin tested the switch. It started normally.

When he was done, he called Battalion Commander Shi over to wash his hands.

Grandma Gu circled the machine once, gently touching it. She looked up and asked, “This thing really washes clothes?”

Looking at the semi-automatic machine, Gu Yihan frowned. She had forgotten that at this time, people had to manually pour water into it.

“Grandma, from now on, save up the laundry and wait until I’m back to wash it,” she said worriedly.

Grandma Gu was old. If she twisted her waist while carrying water, it would be serious.

But Grandma Gu was fascinated by the big machine and didn’t really hear her. She just replied,
“Alright, I know.”

Seeing her perfunctory attitude, Gu Yihan couldn’t help smiling.

“Sister-in-law.”

Shi suddenly spoke, startling Gu Yihan.

She turned around. “Battalion Commander Shi?”

He scratched his head awkwardly. “Sister-in-law, Zhao Ju swapped jobs with someone from your textile factory.”

Swapped jobs?

Gu Yihan was shocked. Zhao Ju had worked at the post office—a job with good retirement benefits and security. Why would she give it up?

Keeping her expression calm, Gu Yihan asked, “Why did she want to change?”

Shi replied cheerfully, “She’s pregnant. The post office is too far from home. For the child’s sake, she exchanged jobs with a cadre from your factory.”

Gu Yihan: “…”

She didn’t know what to say. When layoffs came in the future, would Zhao Ju regret this decision?

She glanced at Shi, who was grinning from ear to ear. “Congratulations, Battalion Commander.”

He said happily, “Zhao Ju is very happy to work at the textile factory. She said that with you there, she won’t feel lonely.”

After saying that, he checked his watch. It was getting late.

Worried that Zhao Ju was waiting anxiously at home, he said goodbye to Gu Yihan and hurried off.