As for the source of the washing machine and microwave oven, Shang Shuji didn’t keep people in suspense.
He explained to Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu, who were equally curious, “There is no washing machine here. Washing clothes should be done by hand, but to be honest, I have never done washing clothes before. I will have to figure out how to use the washing machine later.”
”So when I went out just now, the washing machine was on my shopping list. But the shops in the village don’t sell home appliances. I originally planned to have one delivered temporarily, but after I inquired about washing machines, the shop owner gave me a suggestion.”
“There was a family in this village whose children worked away from home, leaving their elderly parents behind. The children were considerate of their parents, so they bought them some home appliances. However, the parents thought that the washing machine was too wasteful of water and electricity, so after the washing machine was delivered to their home in the first half of the year, they didn’t even open the packaging. They only showed it to relatives when they visited to show them how filial their children were.”
With the shop owner’s enthusiastic help, Shang Shuji went to the family’s house and asked if he could buy their washing machine for double the price.
The parents happily agreed and asked Shang Shuji if he wanted a microwave and oven, saying they would be delivered to his home along with the washing machine. They said their child had bought them together during a promotional event, but they had never used them. They indicated that if Shang Shuji wanted them, the original price would be fine.
Shang Shuji figured the oven wouldn’t be necessary, so he only asked for a microwave. After paying, the family called their neighbors to help Shang Shuji deliver the items.
Shang Shuji originally wanted to buy some more vegetables from their house, but since they had been charged double for the washing machine, the parents were already a little embarrassed, so they warmly offered to waive the cost of the vegetables.
He immediately went to the vegetable garden next to the house and picked a lot of vegetables, as well as the scallions planted in the yard. He also pulled a bunch of chili peppers and garlic hanging on the eaves of the kitchen. He also took out a whole piece of cured meat that had been smoked during last year’s Spring Festival, put it in a large bag, and stuffed it all into Shang Shuji’s hands.
There was also rice that they grew themselves, which had already been husked and was originally intended for their own consumption. However, after learning that Shang Shuji needed to buy more rice, the parents packed a large bag for him. While packing the rice, they remembered that they also had some honey sent back by relatives, and gave Shang Shuji a small jar of that as well.
Two large woven bags, filled with a dazzling array of items, with “XX Feed” written on the outside, were carried back by Shang Shuji, who found the experience quite novel.
After hearing about Shang Shuji’s “business” trip, Xuan Zhixia asked curiously, “Didn’t you only bring two hundred yuan with you?”
Shang Shuji seemed to have heard a very naive question and asked in bewilderment, “Can’t you use your mobile payment here?”
Thanks to the widespread availability of the internet, the parents who did business with Shang Shuji had smartphones and would often use WeChat to video chat with their children who were not at home. So, although they didn’t use it often in the village, they knew how mobile payments worked.
More importantly, Shang Shuji’s demeanor and speech did not suggest that he was someone who needed to make a living by deception, and he was also accompanied by a cameraman filming him at the time.
The villagers generally knew that a “TV station” was coming to film a program in the village. So the family readily agreed to the mobile payment transaction, not worried that Shang Shuji was a fraudster with an unknown background.
Xuan Zhixia was still puzzled: “…If you buy things with your own money, won’t the production team consider it a violation?”
Shang Shuji smiled faintly: “Which rule from the production team says I can’t use my own money?”
Without this rule, there is naturally no question of violating it.
Xuan Zhixia raised an eyebrow slightly.
The program’s rules were that guests were not allowed to bring their own food to stay in the village, and they had to cook their own meals for the seven days they stayed in the village. They were also given ten red envelopes as living expenses.
The house arranged by the production team was equipped with daily necessities such as tissues, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, shower gel, and towels; the only thing lacking was food.
Therefore, Shang Shuji believes that even if the production team wants to say that “the right to interpret the rules belongs to the production team,” they can only say that for meals, they can only use the ten red envelopes of living expenses given by the production team and cannot use other money.
As for other aspects, at least for now, the program’s rules do not address them.
To prevent the production team from confiscating the ingredients they brought back under the pretext that “these are free gifts with the purchase of home appliances,” Shang Shuji specially took five ten-yuan bills from the two hundred yuan he had taken out and left them at the family’s house.
In that sense, it can be considered a purchase, just at a lower price. But since it’s a mutually agreeable transaction, it’s acceptable.
However, the production team did not send anyone to negotiate with Shang Shuji.
Firstly, the rules do have loopholes—but the production team didn’t expect that either. Generally, a variety show provides a special living allowance, so wouldn’t the guests just assume that they can only spend that amount of money?
Moreover, in this village, apart from buying some food, the only other thing they want to do is spend money. Originally, they had nowhere to spend their money. Who would have thought that Shang Shuji would go to the villagers’ homes to buy electrical appliances, and that they would happen to have some for sale!
Secondly, no one dared to bargain with Shang Shuji, so they simply left it as it was, since the production team didn’t handle the guests’ money anyway.
The viewers in the live stream were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
[Hahaha, the real domineering CEO! He can flip a washing machine with one hand and microwave it with the other!]
[To be honest, Mr. Shang bought just the right amount of these two appliances! He’ll need them both!]
[I just don’t know how to handle the ending.]
[I’m stunned! Who goes on a variety show to buy home appliances?!]
[My attention is still on what Boss Shang just said: he doesn’t know how to do laundry, he’s never even used a washing machine before, sob sob sob]
[There are so many rich people, why can’t I be one more?]
[Mr. Shang, interested in throwing money around for fun? Tell me before you do it, I’ll go pick it up…]
Xuan Zhixia had boiled water in the rice cooker earlier, and it was almost time for it to boil. He remembered this and got up to go into the kitchen.
Shang Shuji also came to the kitchen and saw Xuan Zhixia unplugging the rice cooker. He asked him, “Did you cook rice? Where did you get the rice?”
”No, I just boiled some water to drink because I’m thirsty,” Xuan Zhixia said.
As he spoke, he opened the lid of the rice cooker, carefully avoiding being touched by the rising steam, allowing the boiling water inside to cool down quickly by exposing it to air.
Watching Xuan Zhixia’s cautious actions, although it wasn’t the same thing, Shang Shuji inexplicably thought of the dream he had earlier.
In his dream, Xuan Zhixia was also thirsty. He fumbled in the dark to get water, looking weak and frail, quite pitiful.
”I bought a few bottles of mineral water from the store. They’re in the outer bag. Go get them yourself,” Shang Shuji said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Xuan Zhixia’s lips curled up slightly, and he instantly felt that Shang Shuji was a very meticulous and kind person.
After being stared at by Xuan Zhixia for a couple more seconds, Shang Shuji frowned slightly: “What kind of look is that?”
Like a cat that’s just arrived at home and isn’t familiar with its surroundings yet, it reluctantly gives its human companion a “you’re not bad” look out of consideration for the cat food, rather than being obedient and well-behaved.