He Tingjun didn't want to ask about his chin, nor did he want to delve into the truth of his words. He asked politely, "Captain Dong, why are you here?"

As he spoke, he took a step back, made room at the door, and invited him, "Come in and sit down?"

Dong Dingbang waved his hand. "No, I'm not going in. I came here just to ask you a few questions about the washing machine."

The news about the washing machine spread quickly, and Dong Dingbang found out about it, so He Tingjun was not surprised.

"What do you want to ask? Just ask."

"Where did you buy your washing machine? How much did it cost and the ticket?"

This was all public information, so He Tingjun didn't hide it from him and told him everything: "I bought it from the Shenyang Songling Electric Appliance Factory. The washing machine cost 260 yuan, and I used 26 industrial coupons. Because it was a large item, I had to ship it from Shenyang, and the shipping cost another 18 yuan. The total cost was 280 yuan."

"It's so expensive." Dong Dingbang clicked his tongue. "Is it really necessary to spend so much money on a washing machine just to wash a few pieces of clothes?"

According to his mother, instead of spending so much money to buy a machine, it would be better to give the money to her and let her wash the clothes.

Anyway, ever since he married Cui Xuezhi, she has been the one who washed every piece of clothes and pants in the house.

He Tingjun found it difficult to respond to this, after all, he had already bought the washing machine home, so he just smiled and said nothing.

Dong Dingbang realized that what he said was inappropriate. He touched his nose awkwardly and explained, "I'm not saying that buying a washing machine is bad. It's just that everyone has their own ideas."

"Well...what happened is this. My wife heard from Mrs. Huang next door the other day that your family bought a washing machine. She insisted on getting one and started crying. I was at my wit's end. So, when I get back home, I'll tell her that a washing machine is hard to come by and won't be available for a while. If she asks about you and your wife later, please cover up for me."

"I'm sorry, this is a matter between you and your wife. It's not our place to get involved." He Tingjun refused directly.

Dong Dingbang: "Brother, help me."

"Sorry, this is a matter of principle." He Tingjun shook his head.

"Actually, there's no need for you to come here. My husband and I don't have a good relationship with Comrade Cui. She probably won't bother talking to us."

Talking about a good relationship is usually just a polite way of saying it, but in reality the relationship is quite bad.

"Okay then." Dong Dingbang smiled awkwardly. "My wife doesn't have any bad intentions, she's just a little vain and likes to compare herself with others. When she sees someone else has a TV, she wants one too. Now that you have a washing machine, she wants one too. Actually, we don't need a washing machine at home. My mom washes all the clothes and never touches her hands. She never asked for a washing machine, so I don't know why she insisted on buying one. She doesn't know how expensive food and daily necessities are until she runs the household. In my opinion, there's really no need to spend these three hundred yuan."

"Just make your own decision, no need to tell me."

He Tingjun didn't know why Dong Dingbang suddenly told him this. He didn't want to know about this kind of family matter about the conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law at all.