National Tide 1980.

Chapter 114 Domestic Products

With the use of liquefied petroleum gas, life is suddenly much more convenient.

However, this is only one of Ning Weimin's measures to improve his living.

Soon, he bought another thing for himself, and with the help of Zhang Shihui, he pulled it back with a tricycle and moved it into the house.

It was the same surprise that made the eyes of the neighbors round.

It's just that this time, everyone didn't praise Ning Weimin, and almost all the feedback was negative.

what's up?

Because Ning Weimin bought a washing machine from a department store.

There is no doubt that now is the era when the home appliance industry is most enthusiastically sought after by the people.

Like early last year, a magazine called "Household Appliances" was published in Beijing.

In just over a year, the circulation of this magazine has risen from 20 to [-].

This can fully prove that it is an indisputable and undeniable fact that household appliances became the economic focus of this period and touched the excitement of residents' lives.

But you also have to know that in order to occupy the market of the Republic, Japanese companies, under the advertising of their army group, this craze swept across in one go, and the speed was too fast.

For a long time, the vast majority of Chinese people's vision of a wealthy life has been to accumulate bicycles, watches, sewing machines, and radios, which are "three turns and one sound".

Suddenly discovering such a new and good thing in life, joy is of course joy.

All of them felt that their eyes were opened and they had a better yearning for life.

But unfortunately, the level of consumption is more difficult to keep up.

Therefore, facing the "upstarts" that are more expensive than the luxury goods in the past, most people have to compare them even if they want to save money to buy appliances.

Needless to say, people's first choice must be TV sets and radio cassette players.

As for washing machines and refrigerators, they are too far away from people's lives.

Many people think that these two things consume electricity and are expensive, but they resist them. Not many people are willing to buy these two things back home.

If there is, then the motive is definitely not for use.

Most of it is to fully imitate the Western families in foreign TV dramas, and want to buy a complete set, just for showing off.

In particular, washing machines, in terms of the purchase sequence listed by the public value standard, are even lower than refrigerators.

Not for anything else, just because the principle that the public value standard always follows is whether it is substitutable, and whether it can make up for the shortcomings that are urgently needed in life.

Of course, TVs and radios are irreplaceable, and spiritual enjoyment is what Chinese people who have just lifted the ban are most lacking, so it appears to be extremely cost-effective.

As for the refrigeration function of the refrigerator, artificial ice is still needed to replace it, and laundry can even be done completely by manpower.

And these two things are not essential for poor families, so of course the cost performance is extremely low.

At the same time, it also reflects a cruel reality.

As a country whose industry has just started and the economy has just recovered, our labor is worthless.

From the perspective of the world, compared with the Western world, today's republic is essentially a large countryside.

So our entire country has to go through the pain of scissors.

While no one has ever said that explicitly, and probably not many people even realize it clearly, it is what it is.

Then it is understandable why the neighbors made such comments on Ning Weimin's move to buy a washing machine.

Most people obviously think that Ning Weimin has become lazy and hates work, and he no longer loves to work, which runs counter to traditional virtues.

Not only are people talking about him behind his back, he started to burn his bags, failed his studies, and compared himself with foreigners, he became a master who wasted money.

Aunt Bian even began to worry that he had committed a bourgeois ideology and would be completely corrupted.

In short, he can think of all the words that are on the line, and endowed his behavior of buying a washing machine with a lot of extra spiritual meaning.

This is also a common problem in this era. People always like to associate everything with political ideas and moral standards.

Even Kondo had an aversion to the washing machine, which was flashy.

So after Aunt Bian came to the door for a "secret discussion", the old man couldn't help but get angry and scolded Ning Weimin under the instigation.

"You have nowhere to spend your money? You still buy a washing machine. Who doesn't wash their clothes by hand? Why do you get this thing..."

"Besides, you can't even wash it by hand, so you can just throw it in the machine and poke it around, and it can be cleaned. It also consumes electricity and water, and the neighbors gossip for nothing..."

"Let me tell you, this is the crooked idea of ​​the little Japanese devils. You young people have no good intentions. Can you retreat?"

It should be said that Ning Weimin really didn't care about the discussions behind the neighbors' backstage, and he could even understand it.

After all, the spiritual level is not a level of people.

Just like you have tasted seafood, you must know that the taste of boiled prawns is different from that of boiled radish.

He knows the benefits of washing machines, and of course he can't talk to these families who have been dealing with washboard soap all year round.

Anyway, he didn't say it face to face, he couldn't hear what happened to love, so he just did his best and it was over.

But facing Kang Shude's interference, it was different.

He had to argue the truth clearly, otherwise how could this day stop?

There are only the two of them in this family, if the master and apprentice can't work together, then it's boring.

Besides, who is he for?To be scolded for this matter is to panic.

no!If the reason is not clear, it must be argued with reason.

"No... old man, how do you hear that the wind is the rain. Whoever said that shouldn't be you?"

"Other people's homes are other people's homes, and ours is ours, so it can be the same. The biggest difference is that there are women in other homes, but in ours, you and I are all gentlemen."

"Who does the laundry in our family? It's not me. Let's not talk about quilts and mattresses. We just change these clothes every week and rush to the rest day, but I have always been there. From eight o'clock in the morning to two or three o'clock in the afternoon."

"It's winter again, rubbing with a washboard is too painful. Washing once, not the whole arm hurts, but the back hurts. My hands can be frozen into carrots. Now I'm afraid of rest days."

Not to mention, after Ning Weimin complained, Kang Shude also realized that he no longer hurts his back while standing and talking.

The old man blushed, his tone softened a lot, and he made a suggestion.

"This...that's true. How about...in the future, we'll change the wash?"

But it was immediately rejected by Ning Weimin.

"Pull it down. You don't love me, but I love you. Soaking your hands in cold water in winter is so cold that you can tear yourself apart. I, a young man, can't bear this crime. Can you bear it?"

"Let me also tell you that other people think this thing is flashy, but in our house, this thing is more affordable than any electrical appliance."

"Yes, when it comes to washing clothes, this thing may not be as clean as human hands. Rubbing it so loudly may ruin the clothes."

"But having said that, isn't this just a matter of spending two dollars in exchange for less suffering. I would rather wash it twice more and spend more money to buy a few more sets of clothes than suffer this crime again."

Kang Shude pondered again, and his attitude wavered a bit.

"You're right, but... but the electricity and water meters are shared. After a long time, the electricity and water will be wasted. Neighbors..."

Ning Weimin couldn't help laughing.

"Old man, what's the matter with you? Isn't this the same as when I was raising fish last year. The big deal is that I will pay for water and electricity in the future."

"Let me tell you, in fact, don't care too much about other people's opinions on this matter. Because to put it bluntly, we are just like the grandpa and grandson riding a donkey in that story. In the eyes of others, no matter what we do is wrong. Yes. No one can understand our embarrassment."

"We're done without disturbing others. How can you please everyone? If we all think about what others think, we can't make it through ourselves?"

"I still put it here, sooner or later the neighbors will have to change their minds, just like the liquefied petroleum gas thing."

The old man sighed at this moment, and finally said the last bit of grudge.

"Then if you buy this thing, the money will be earned by the Japanese. I...I'm not happy at all. Tell you, I didn't even wear Japanese cloth in the past, you...you let me use it Japanese washing machine?"

Ning Weimin never expected that Kang Shude would have the consciousness to boycott Japanese products.

Perhaps this is the unique emotional persistence of people who have experienced the War of Resistance Against Japan.

"Yo, it seems that you hate little devils. According to what you mean, you don't want to watch the Japanese color TV for free?"

The old man responded decisively.

"I don't want to watch it. I can't control other people. I can still be my own master. If I want to watch it, I'll just look at the domestic ones. Black and white ones are better than Japanese color ones, and they're cheaper."

"Okay, I convince you. But you are really wrong. Because this is not a devil's product, but our domestic product."

"what?"

"If you don't believe me, come and have a look. This brand is Brand II single-cylinder three-speed washing machine. It is made in our capital."

Ning Weimin pointed at the trademark of the washing machine with one hand and introduced it in detail complacently.

"Because no one recognizes it, the retail price in the market has dropped from the original 290 yuan. I bought it for 230 yuan. The Japanese ones are [-] less. Tell me, should I count as supporting domestic products? ? If we don’t buy it, won’t the factory suffer even more?”

Now, Kang Shude has completely untied the knot in his heart.

Even surprised, quite happy.

"Oh, I didn't even notice it. What? We made it ourselves? It doesn't look any worse than Japanese stuff. The appearance, the paint, it's so beautiful, and it's so cheap? Well, not bad..."

Look, how can I say it, it's my own child.

When he heard that it was something from the capital, the old man's position changed completely.

Ning Weimin was even more alert now, and lighted a cigarette carelessly.

"How is it? You feel better too?"

"Let me tell you, let's be more objective. You are not as good as me in washing clothes, and I am not as good as girls, that's all."

"Let's spend some money, bid farewell to the era of hand-pocket laundry, and move towards a new level of life."

"Unless you get a wife back, I will admit that this washing machine is useless to us..."

What is getting carried away?

It was good at first, but just this last sentence almost made Kang Shude fall back in anger.

So he slapped him across the face and gave the kid a crutch.

And Ning Weimin was still smoking happily.

It was photographed while sucking in.

Hey, let's not talk about the pain, followed by a good cough.

This kid came out with snot and tears.

In short, even though they are all subtle, even though they are subtle, the lives of the families in the No. 2 courtyard of Fan'er Hutong have indeed undergone new changes little by little because of Ning Weimin...

(End of this chapter)