booktalesy Chapter 14 Stockings, I'm so excited!
Chapter 14 Stockings, I'm so excited!
The Oriental Pearl Tower under the night sky is like a watercolor painting, captivating all who behold it.
The tower, illuminated by lights, exudes a captivating charm.
It brought a sense of peace and beauty.
Lin Wan was captivated by the beautiful night view of Shanghai. Hearing the laughter around her, a smile appeared on her pretty face.
As I strolled slowly to the riverbank, feeling the peace and happiness of this peaceful world, tears welled up in my eyes.
This is the story of a hero who sacrificed his life for the unification of the new China. He traveled to the present day and saw skyscrapers everywhere and laughter on the streets. He felt genuinely gratified.
Lin Wan stood by the river, letting the night breeze gently blow, quietly enjoying this rare moment of peace and prosperity.
They fought bravely and relentlessly against the Kuomintang reactionaries, all for the sake of one day establishing the prosperous era we enjoy today.
Now, having traveled through 76 years of time, I can personally feel how surrounded by towering buildings, people are living happy and peaceful lives.
All the sacrifices and efforts were worth it!
Chen Huai'an could clearly sense the girl's feelings beside him and silently protected her.
The two stood by the river, and it seemed as if the whole world had become quiet, with the passing pedestrians unable to disturb this rare tranquility.
Time passed by, and the number of pedestrians on the road gradually decreased.
Lin Wan's eyes gradually regained their former liveliness. With her small hands behind her back, she said sweetly, "It's getting late, let's go back."
"Okay." Chen Huai'an nodded, twisting his waist and legs as he slowly turned around.
Standing there quietly for two hours, anyone would have a sore back and legs after that.
Because of this little incident, it was almost 11 o'clock, and we missed the last bus.
However, I've already spent several thousand yuan today, so I don't care about a few dozen yuan for a taxi fare.
Chen Huai'an felt that as long as the girl beside him could enjoy a happy modern life, it was worth spending any amount of money!
Many people would never even have the chance to spend money on the sacrifices of those who gave their lives for the cause!
He's not spending money, he's giving him an opportunity!
Lin Wan sat in the quiet, smooth taxi, enjoying the scenery outside the window.
Although it was the same road we came by, the night was completely different from the day.
The city lights at night are bright, like stars illuminating the entire earth in the darkness.
The taxi came to a smooth stop at the entrance of the residential area.
Chen Huai'an paid the fare and then bought two cups with cartoon designs from the convenience store at the entrance.
One is used for washing up, and the other is used for drinking water.
I secretly bought sanitary napkins again, and they even thoughtfully separated them into daytime and nighttime uses.
After all, each time you travel through time, you have to stay for three days, waiting for the time-space system to cool down before you can travel through time again.
In case of special circumstances, it is natural to make preparations in advance.
He remembered seeing in a documentary that during the Republic of China era, the upper class and students studying abroad used more expensive sanitary napkins, but ordinary people still used traditional menstrual cloths.
Lin Wan is an international student and a high-income journalist, so she should be using sanitary napkins.
However, sanitary napkins were rather inconvenient to use back then because they didn't have adhesive backing and couldn't be secured.
When using it, you also need to use a safety pin or strap to secure it.
Most importantly, it is reusable rather than disposable.
Lin Wan was influenced by the mindset of men and women from a hundred years ago; she already felt awkward when a man and a woman were alone in a room together.
If I were to hang up the washed sanitary napkins again, wouldn't I be so embarrassed?
Even if you hang it in your bedroom, you'll still feel awkward.
Using disposable ones can also avoid embarrassment for everyone, right?
Chen Huai'an didn't mention it deliberately, but simply put it into the bag silently.
With her intelligence, I believe she will be able to determine the purpose and usage from the packaging instructions.
What color socks do you like?
Chen Huai'an picked up a pair of cartoon-patterned socks, which were quite suitable for girls and children.
Lin Wan took the cartoon-patterned socks, her big eyes lighting up; she was clearly charmed by the adorable design.
However, after a moment's thought, she put it back and chose two pairs of ordinary, unremarkable socks instead.
For those working on the covert front, being ordinary is the safest option.
A comrade once wore a mandarin jacket made of fine fabric, but the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics found a clue through a small torn piece of cloth, leading to his identity being exposed.
Therefore, when buying daily necessities, I habitually buy the inconspicuous ones.
Even if a journalist needs to wear fashionable clothes, they should still wear common, everyday clothing so that even if they are seen, no one can find out anything about it.
Lin Wan took a pair of socks from the shelf, and just as she was about to turn around, her eyes were drawn to a pair of beautifully packaged socks next to her.
"These...these are stockings?"
The beautifully designed guy in the picture immediately caught her eye.
For women in the Republic of China era, who could resist the temptation of a pair of stockings?
When stockings were first introduced, Shanghai department stores sold 7 pairs in a single day!
Moreover, each pair cost as much as 25 silver dollars, making them a symbol of upper-class noblewomen.
Although prices have decreased as production has increased, each pair still costs 15 silver dollars.
However, for ordinary female workers in yarn factories, who only earn 9 yuan a month after a hard month's work, it is still an expensive luxury.
Ordinary people save money by eating and scrimping, just to be able to buy a pair of stockings and keep up with the trend.
As a result, a repair industry has emerged on the streets.
If those expensive stockings get torn or run, people naturally won't throw them away, so they'll find a tailor on the street to mend them with thread.
Given Lin Wan's status and her frequent attendance at banquets, she naturally had several pairs of nylon stockings to show for herself.
Now that I see the more exquisite and beautiful stockings in the pictures, I immediately fell in love with them.
However, they still don't understand the value of the 10 yuan price tag.
He asked in a low voice, "Ten yuan a pair... how much does rice cost per kilogram these days?"
Prices differ between the two worlds, so using rice as a conversion is the most appropriate method for comparison.
Chen Huai'an thought for a moment: "The price varies depending on the place of origin. For example, rice from Northeast China costs 2.1 yuan per kilogram, and it can be even cheaper when wholesale."
Lin Wan counted on her fair fingers, calculating the purchasing power of 10 yuan.
"At a wholesale price of 2 yuan per jin, that means 5 jin of rice can be exchanged for a pair of stockings."
「民国38年的1银元折算金圆券是360万，一斤大米需要3角5分银角子。」
"One silver dollar can buy less than three catties of rice."
"A pair of nylon stockings costs 15 silver dollars in a department store, which is equivalent to 45 catties of rice."
"A nine-fold profit margin, and it can be completely dumped in a very short time."
"The transportation station is currently short of funds. If we can make money through the price difference, we can bribe the prison guards to rescue our arrested comrades!"
Lin Wan discovered that the profits from reselling were considerable, but a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes.
A distinguished French exchange student and a renowned journalist fluent in four languages is forced to engage in the shady dealings of a street vendor.
Just as I was struggling with this decision, a tempting voice came from beside me: "A pair of stockings only costs 4 yuan at the wholesale market."
That's a whopping 21 times the profit!
Zzzzz!
A glint of money flashed in Lin Wan's eyes: "Let's do it! Let's do the reselling business!"