My parents got Arthur' s Family Laundromat (洗衣店) from my grandfather. It was a true family business. My father, my mother and my aunt were responsible for different jobs. Emy retired (退休的) grandfather helps with the cleaning now and then.
My father said that the most important machine in the Laundromat wasn' t the washing machine. It was the coffee pot by the door. The coffee was free and almost every cwould have a cup and chat with my family while waiting for their clean clothes. In the hours aschool or on weekends, it wasmy job to keep the coffee pot full. At least ten times each day, I would clean up the wet coffee grounds (咖啡渣), weigh 40 g of coffee beans, fill the pot with water, and turn on the coffee machine. It was sucha bjob that I could have done it in my sleep.
I remember complaining one busy day. " Wdo we have to give away coffee? We' re a Laundromat, not a coffee shop! " I said angrily. My father was surprised at my attitude. At once he swhat he was doing to talk to me. With a patient but serious expression on his fhe spoke:
" Son, people choose our laundromat bwe serve them like friends. We offer them a cup of coffee. We chat with them, laugh with them and connect with them. People don' t just need a pto clean their clothes. They need friendship. That is why your job is the most important job in the laundromat.
My father' s words had the expected efect. From then on, I do the job more c. After all, I had the most important job in the laundromat.
