Reborn in 1977

Chapter 54: Lending and Returning

Who has a problem?

Definitely not Chen Fan!

It's entered into the production team's ledger, there's a requisition procedure, and Team Leader Yang and others helped sign and certify it. What's there to be afraid of?

Only a fool would refuse such a good deal to get so many things without making a mistake.

Chen Fan signed the ledger and, by the way, cleared the debt for the white rice he borrowed last time. He happily saw Team Leader Yang and the others out of the courtyard gate, bolted the door, turned around, and returned to the room, grinning foolishly at the pile of stuff.

It wasn't easy. When he arrived, he was penniless and couldn't even get a meal. Only a few days have passed, and he has so much extra wealth. So, it is said that knowledge is wealth, and there is a reason for that.

Jiang Lili stood at the door, her eyes filled with happiness, and whispered, "Chen Fan, do you need any help?"

Chen Fan turned around to look at her and smiled, "I couldn't ask for more. I really don't know how to handle this by myself."

Mainly because he was unfamiliar with some things and needed someone to guide him.

Jiang Lili walked in, first picked up the kerosene lantern, and said softly, "Light this lamp first. This is much brighter than a kerosene lamp, so you can see more clearly. It just uses a little more oil, but not much."

Chen Fan nodded repeatedly, "Okay."

At this time, there was only a glimmer of light left outside, and it would be completely dark in less than five minutes. It was time to light the lamp.

But how do you use this kerosene lantern?

He picked up the kerosene lantern, looked left and right, but couldn't find a place to open the glass cover.

Jiang Lili looked at him curiously as he fiddled with the kerosene lantern, "Have you never used this before?"

Chen Fan looked back at her and smiled awkwardly, "Ah."

He had used kerosene lamps, but this was indeed the first time he had used a kerosene lantern. He had only seen it a few times when he was a child.

Jiang Lili pointed to the bottom cover, "You have to pour kerosene in here first."

Then she unscrewed the lid of the oil jug, picked up the kerosene bottle, poured a little into it, and then turned an iron wire ring. A white, flat cotton wick slowly emerged from the lamp holder.

Jiang Lili pointed to a piece of iron sheet and said, "Press here."

Chen Fan pinched the iron sheet and pressed it down gently. Hey, the lampshade actually rose?

How amazing!

Jiang Lili had already picked up a match from the table, struck it, and reached in from the bottom of the lampshade to light the wick.

When she let go, Chen Fan loosened his finger, and the lampshade fell down, firmly covering the light.

He looked at the kerosene lantern with surprise on his face, "That's quite interesting."

Jiang Lili suddenly chuckled, then quickly covered her mouth.

Chen Fan looked back at her and smiled, "Do you think it's funny that I look like I've never seen the world?"

Jiang Lili's pretty face turned red immediately, and she waved her hands repeatedly to deny it, "No, no."

Chen Fan straightened up and smiled, "It's okay, 'To know when you know, and to know when you do not know, that is knowledge.' If you don't know how to use it, you don't know how to use it. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

After a pause, he smiled and asked, "Then let me ask you one, do you know who invented the kerosene lantern, and where did it come from?"

Jiang Lili looked dazed, "Ah?"

Then she shook her head gently, looking at him with curiosity, "I don't know, where did it come from?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "It is no longer possible to verify who invented the kerosene lantern. Although oil lamps appeared in our country a long time ago, this kerosene lantern was introduced from the United States."

"Oh? Really?"

Jiang Lili widened her eyes, her face full of disbelief, "I thought it had always been around in ancient times."

Chen Fan walked to the chair next to him and sat down, motioning for her to sit down too, and then continued, "Think about it, the lampshade of this kerosene lantern is made of glass, and modern industrialized flat glass was born at the end of the 19th century, and various practical glass products only appeared at the beginning of this century. The biggest feature of the kerosene lantern is the glass lampshade. Only industrialized cheap glass can allow the kerosene lantern to enter thousands of households. Do you think it could have existed in ancient times?"

Jiang Lili's eyes were full of amazement, "So that's how it is."

Then she asked curiously, "Then who invented the kerosene lantern?"

Chen Fan shook his head, "There is no record of who invented the kerosene lantern, but the reason why the kerosene lantern is called a kerosene lantern is because it was originally hung on the roof of a carriage, or on the back of a horse, for lighting, and the earliest people to use the kerosene lantern in this way were the American Western cowboys.

Later, the kerosene lantern was brought to Shanghai by American businessmen. At first, those who bought kerosene lanterns were fishermen fishing in Shanghai and the surrounding areas. They found that this kind of lamp was hung on fishing boats, was not exposed to rain, could not be blown out by the wind, and the light was much brighter than lanterns, which was very convenient for fishing at night. This is how it spread at once. Some outsiders did not know why, but only knew that this was a lamp hung on fishing boats, so they named it boat lamp or mast lamp."

Jiang Lili looked at him in amazement, then looked at the kerosene lantern, "So a small kerosene lantern has so many stories?"

Chen Fan stood up with a smile and said, "There are many more good stories. If you want to hear them, I will tell you when I have time. Now I have to ask you to help me sort things out."

Jiang Lili's pretty face was flushed, and she quickly stood up to prepare to work. She sorted the things while saying,

"Some educated youths like kerosene lanterns, but not kerosene lamps. Because kerosene lanterns are brighter than kerosene lamps, and there is no black smoke. The smoke is blocked by the lampshade above, so there is no strong kerosene smell. It's a pity that kerosene lanterns are much more expensive than kerosene lamps, and you need lamp coupons, which are very difficult to buy."

Chen Fan looked at her and asked strangely, "Didn't you get kerosene lanterns?"

Jiang Lili shook her head gently, "No, we only have one kerosene lamp, and it's not for everyone. It's one per room, there are no more."

Chen Fan raised his eyebrows and looked back at the supplies spread out on the empty bed. He had just heard from the warehouse manager Huang that they were distributed according to the educated youth standard, and thought that the educated youths were given these things.

Then he asked, "What are the things that the educated youths get?"

Jiang Lili looked at it, took one and said one, "A single mosquito net, a bed sheet, a set of quilt covers, two cotton quilts, two towels, toothbrushes and toothpaste are one each, an enamel cup, an aluminum lunch box, a spoon, two enamel basins, a thermos, a bar of soap, a spring lock, um, that's all."

Then she turned to look at him, "In addition, there is a kerosene lamp, but it is not for everyone, it is one per room, there are no more."

Chen Fan looked at the things next to him again, and there was still a 9-foot-long piece of blue cotton cloth, two sets of unlined clothes, two pairs of shorts, two pairs of rubber-soled shoes, a kettle, a flashlight, three size 1 batteries, a kerosene lantern, and a pound of kerosene.

In addition, there was also an extra set of towels, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

It seems that he was given a high standard.

Forget it, who cares, anyway, as long as the source is right, there is nothing to be afraid of.

Chen Fan stood still, and Jiang Lili neatly helped him put things away, while saying,

"The toothbrushes, toothpaste and towels can be put away first and saved for later use."

Chen Fan quickly said, "Wait, take two towels, a toothbrush and a toothpaste, I have to return these to you."

Looking at Jiang Lili, who was a little embarrassed, Chen Fan smiled and said, "Lending and returning makes it easier to borrow again. What if I run out one day? I'll have to borrow from you."

Jiang Lili's face was still a little hesitant, "But what I lent you was tooth powder, and toothpaste is much more expensive than tooth powder."

Chen Fan laughed, "Just treat it as if I'm saving it with you. When I run out, I'll borrow it from you again."

Jiang Lili nodded lightly, "Okay."

The shy look, as if she was not the creditor, but the debtor.