Two rows of machines

搬家后，我第一次去楼下的自助洗衣店。

Bānjiā hòu, wǒ dì yī cì qù lóuxià de zìzhù xǐyīdiàn.

After moving, I visit the self-service laundrette downstairs for the first time.

我把衣服放进洗衣机，付了钱，屏幕上出现“三十分钟”。

Wǒ bǎ yīfu fàngjìn xǐyījī, fù le qián, píngmù shang chūxiàn “sānshí fēnzhōng”.

I put my clothes in a washing machine and pay. The screen shows “thirty minutes.”

半小时后，衣服洗好了，摸起来却还是湿的。

Bàn xiǎoshí hòu, yīfu xǐhǎo le, mō qǐlai què háishi shī de.

Half an hour later, the clothes are clean but still feel wet.

我正要再按一次开始，旁边的人赶紧拦住我：“你想再洗一遍吗？”

Wǒ zhèng yào zài àn yí cì kāishǐ, pángbiān de rén gǎnjǐn lánzhù wǒ: “Nǐ xiǎng zài xǐ yí biàn ma?”

I am about to press Start again when someone beside me stops me. “Do you want to wash them a second time?”

她指着另一排机器：“烘干在那边，要另外付钱。”

Tā zhǐzhe lìng yì pái jīqì: “Hōnggān zài nàbiān, yào lìngwài fù qián.”

She points to another row of machines. “The dryers are over there. You pay for those separately.”

晚上，我提着暖暖的衣服回家。手机里多了一张照片：两排机器，左边洗衣，右边烘干。

Wǎnshang, wǒ tízhe nuǎnnuǎn de yīfu huí jiā. Shǒujī li duō le yì zhāng zhàopiàn: liǎng pái jīqì, zuǒbian xǐ yī, yòubian hōnggān.

That evening, I carry warm clothes home. I have a new photo on my phone: two rows of machines, washing on the left, drying on the right.