After Xia Enruo finished cooking and eating with Gu Shaoxuan, she carried her bamboo basket and went to the street.

After getting off the bus at the ancient city wall in the south of the city, go around the gate, and the Bianqiang Market is on the right-hand side along the base of the city wall.

The low wooden buildings on both sides of the bluestone road are at least a hundred years old. The road winds eastward and you can't see the end of it. The vendors on both sides are bustling with people.

This was the first time Xia Enruo had ever seen a black market like this.

She looked left and right along the path. The ground was covered with dark blue cloth, on which were placed various porcelain and bronze Buddha statues that she couldn't name.

In her previous life, she had only seen such a scene at the Panjiayuan Market in Beijing, so it seemed quite familiar now.

She walked eastward along the stone-paved road, where there were very few second-hand appliances. Occasionally, she would see a few second-hand tape recorders, radios, and antiques displayed together for sale.

Xia Enruo walked around for a while and got thirsty. She went to a small shop next door and bought a bottle of soda for 30 cents. Don't be fooled by the cheap price of the soda. It was in a glass bottle and would have cost at least 10 yuan in her previous life.

She sat on the stone bench, watching the passersby. This secondhand washing machine was really hard to find; she had walked around for ages without seeing one.

The shop owner saw Xia Enruo sitting in front of the door for a while, then came out and asked:

"Young lady, are you here at the market looking at antiques?"

Xia Enruo turned around and said with a smile:

"Brother, I came here to buy used home appliances, not to look at antiques. But I've been looking for a long time and still can't find them."

The boss immediately understood the purpose of the visit.

"Hey girl. What kind of used appliances are you looking to buy? We do have some on this street, but they're all small items."

"I want to buy a used washing machine, do you know where I can buy one?"

The boss could tell at a glance that the girl was from out of town.

"Girl. I can tell you're not from around here. You'd have to go to a scrap yard to buy a used washing machine, and even then, you might not find one. This street might only sell a few radios at most."

After hearing this, Xia Enruo realized why she hadn't seen a single one after walking around for so long. It seemed she had come to the wrong place. Gu Shaoxuan was in the army every day, so it seemed he wasn't very familiar with the market.

"Brother, where is that scrap metal collection station? Could you tell me?"

"Just walk east along the road along the wall, and take a bus for two stops at the intersection. There's a sign there that says 'Yongning City Waste Recycling Station'."

Xia Enru thanked the boss, finished her soda, and hurriedly set off, as the sun would probably be setting soon if she stayed any longer.

She arrived at the bus stop and waited for ages, but no bus came.

An elderly man riding a bicycle passed by and called out to her:

"Girl, don't wait anymore, the bus broke down halfway. It'll probably be a long time before the next one comes."

Hey! What a bad day! Nothing seems to go right.

Seeing that there was no hope for today, Xia Enruo was about to head home when someone called her name from behind.

She turned around and saw that it was Wu Shaojun.

"Sister, what are you doing here?"

Wu Shaojun ran over to greet him.

Xia Enruo's hope was rekindled. The young general's appearance was perfectly timed; now she could go.

"I'm heading to the scrap metal yard. Shaojun, what are you doing here?"

"I just dropped my boss off at home and came here to sell a radio. I thought the person behind me looked like an older sister, and it turns out they really are?"

Wu Shaojun's words left Xia Enru with some doubts. Selling radios? Wasn't it supposed to be buying radios?

"Brother, you mean selling a radio? Not buying one?"

"Yes, sis. Sometimes I collect a few broken radios, repair them, and then sell them here to the stall owners to earn some money for cigarettes and alcohol."

"Shaojun, I didn't know you had this skill. You're truly a hidden talent."

It was the first time Wu Shaojun had been praised by Xia Enruo, and he was a little shy, scratching his head.

“I learned soldering and electrical repair from a master at the entrance of the alley for several years when I was young, and I also like to tinker with these electronic components.”

After hearing Shao Jun's explanation, Xia Enruo felt a surge of admiration. She knew that skilled workers would be in high demand everywhere.

"Shaojun, are you done with your work? I want to go to the scrap yard to buy a used washing machine. Can you give me a ride?"

Xia Enruo placed all her hopes on Wu Shaojun today, otherwise she would have to leave empty-handed.

"Sis, you've come at just the right time. I just finished my business inside and came out. If it had been a few minutes earlier, we probably wouldn't have run into each other."

Wu Shaojun took Xia Enruo to the Yongning scrap metal recycling station. He was a local and familiar with the area.

The two went inside and explained their purpose to the owner of the scrap metal recycling station.

"You said you want to buy a used washing machine? All I have here are broken junk, not the used washing machine you're looking for."

When Xia Enruo heard that they were all broken, she was determined to go and take a look.

"Brother, where is that broken washing machine? Can I take a look?"

"They're all piled up inside. If you want to see them, just go around inside and look for yourself."

Xia Enruo led Wu Shaojun around the pile of scrap. Several old-fashioned green washing machines were placed side by side, covered with dust and mud, indicating that they had been there for a long time.

She touched and examined the machine for a long time, but the outer casing was fine and she couldn't see anything broken.

"Boss, what's wrong with this machine? Why can't it be used?"

Xia Enruo couldn't understand why she was watching so well; she thought something was wrong.

"These three units don't get powered on, while the other four get powered on but won't turn on."

Wu Shaojun opened the back cover and rummaged around inside for a while. He had loved tinkering with electrical appliances since he was a child, and had also learned from a master craftsman at the entrance of the alley for several years, so he was quite proficient. If Wu Meixia hadn't thought that this line of work was really a dead-end job, and hadn't used her connections to get him a job in a leather factory, he might be a master craftsman now.

He looked at several washing machines and found that two of them could be used with just a little repair. However, the scrap collector and the previous buyer didn't know this and sold them as junk. He didn't show any joy in front of the boss, but quietly told Xia Enruo when the boss was attending to other customers.

Xia Enruo almost jumped for joy when she heard this. She had really met the right person today. Not only could he drive, but he could also repair home appliances. He had really helped her a lot.

She found the owner and asked about the price of the two washing machines.

The boss said:

"You can't use it even if you buy it, so why ask about it!"

Xia Enru thought to herself that the shop owner probably could fix it, so the price probably wouldn't be too high.

“Brother. I have a washing machine at home that is just like these two. It works, but a few buttons and small parts are broken and I can’t find replacements. I happen to see that the two missing parts on these two washing machines are intact. I was thinking of taking them home, taking them apart, and patching them up for my washing machine.”

Wu Shaojun suppressed a laugh. This Sister Enruo was really good at making up stories; she even made him believe her.

"Hmm... 5 yuan a unit. If it were usable, I wouldn't sell it to you for 100 yuan."