Literary Heroes of the Republic of China

When Mu Qiong got up from the bed, his arms felt sore and sore, probably because he injured his muscles while carrying water yesterday.

He carried half a bucket of water yesterday, and even injured his arm, his body...

Of course, he was already very satisfied. In his previous life, he couldn't do such a job as carrying water.

Mu Qiong got up helplessly, and as soon as he got dressed, the door was opened. Mu Changyu, who was two years younger than him, came in with a bucket full of water, looking effortless at all.

Mu Changyu also saw Mu Qiong and showed a big smile: "Brother, the water is here, let's wash your face!"

As she spoke, she poured the water in the bucket into a wooden basin, and gave Mu Qiong another towel.

"Thank you." Mu Qiong wiped his face with a towel in cold water, and he became sober all of a sudden, and after he finished washing his face, Mu Changyu changed the water and washed his face clean.

The breakfast is still batter, not even a bit of chopped green onion, after all chopped green onion costs money.

Mu Qiong ate his share and said to Zhu Wanwan, "Mother, I'll go out and have a look."

"En." Zhu Wanwan agreed, and took out three more copper coins to Mu Qiong: "Qioner, if you are hungry, buy something to eat."

After finishing speaking, she added a little guiltily: "The clothes I brought a few days ago haven't been sent to anyone yet, mother has no money recently..."

In the past in Suzhou, she and her daughter stayed at home all day without seeing any money, but when her son wanted to go out, his father-in-law always gave him money, and he gave a lot. Her son never had to worry about what he wanted to eat and drink at that time. money.

But now... They even have to spend money to buy firewood for boiling water, and there are still many things missing at home...

She was thinking about next month's rent and winter clothes, how dare she spend them carelessly?

Fortunately, her son recovered from his illness, otherwise...she was already considering whether to remarry.

Mu Qiong thought for a while and took the money.

With the state of the house, he wouldn't spend the money carelessly, but it's good to keep it just in case.

The value of various commodities in the Republic of China was quite different from that in modern times, but if it is barely converted, the value of a copper dollar at this time is roughly equivalent to the three yuan before Mu Qiong crossed.

Based on this conversion, the purchasing power of a piece of ocean at this time is roughly equivalent to the four hundred yuan he had before crossing. Of course, this is in places like Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin. In the countryside, the purchasing power of silver dollars is much stronger.

As for everyone's income... According to the original owner's previous memories in Beijing, at this time, the shop hired a shopkeeper who could write and count, and his monthly salary was between eight and ten yuan, while ordinary workers only had three or four yuan a month. , Shanghai should be similar.

The price of goods at this time is quite high compared to everyone’s income, but because people generally don’t spend money on enjoyment at this time, they only buy the necessities of life, so ordinary families in big cities spend two yuan a month, not counting rent. The money has been able to live well.

Zhu Wanwan gave him three copper coins, almost ten yuan, enough for him to eat outside.

Putting the three copper coins into his pocket, Mu Qiong walked out of the gate of Yao's house.

At this time, Shanghai had not yet established a city, and it was called Shanghai County, and the Yao family's house was located in the southeast of Shanghai County, near the Huangpu River, and a little far away from the concession.

Going out is an alley paved with bluestone slabs. It is still early at this time, and many people's toilets have been opened and placed at the door. There are also some children chasing and playing in the alley, which looks messy.

After coming out of the alley, Mu Qiong saw a small river and a road built along the river.

The road is not wide, and it is also paved with bluestone slabs. There are also some people who open their doors along the street to sell some things, but they sell very little, and most of them are small things like needles, threads, or fried beans and tea. recruitment.

Mu Qiong didn't stop much, and walked directly to the nearby pier.

There is a sand shipyard over there, and it is said that there is also a market.

In the vicinity, the Sha Shipyard is the place where workers are most needed, and the wages of the workers there are also high. Not to mention the starting point of four yuan a month, it also includes food and housing.But the workers in the sand shipyard do all physical work, and his current body must not be able to bear it, and they will not want him, so he will not consider it.

Mu Qiong plans to find a shop to work.

In his previous life, he practiced calligraphy in addition to studying, and he has the memory of Mu Changqiong. At this time, he knows all the characters and can write them. In addition, he can do simple arithmetic, and he can also speak English and French...

He knows a lot, and it shouldn't be hard to find a job.

There are indeed many shops near the pier, and there are many people coming and going, which is very lively.

On the side of the road, there are people selling meat buns, and others are selling sesame seed fried dough sticks, fermented glutinous rice balls, wontons, soy milk and bean curd, etc., emitting bursts of fragrance.

As Mu Qiong walked all the way, he just felt that these things that he would never miss before seemed extremely delicious, which made him salivate uncontrollably...

He spent some time thinking about it, so he figured out the prices of these things.

Big meat buns cost one copper dollar, wontons cost one copper dollar, and sesame seed cakes plus a deep-fried dough stick is also one copper dollar. If you only buy deep-fried dough sticks, you can buy three for one copper dollar.

It's getting late, but the rich people in Shanghai get up late, so there are still many servants or women at home who come to buy breakfast, and there are many people standing in front of the deep-fried dough sticks stand waiting for the deep-fried dough sticks to come out of the pan.

Mu Qiong swallowed, walked to a soy sauce shop next to him, and asked if he wanted to recruit workers.

The shopkeeper of the sauce garden shop refused him without hesitation.

Mu Qiong went to several other shops to inquire, but all of them were rejected without accident.

"Little brother of the Mu family, why are you here?" A voice sounded, Mu Qiong turned his head, and saw Zhao Chunjuan standing in front of the deep-fried dough sticks stand with a basket on his shoulders.

Most people these days are thin, and Zhao Chunjuan's plump figure is quite eye-catching. Although she is average-looking, the eyes of men who come and go all fall on her.

"I'm out looking for a job." Mu Qiong said.

Zhao Chunjuan gave Mu Qiong a sympathetic look: "You are looking for a job! How can it be so easy to find a job? Even if the shops here are short of people, they must find their own people to fill them. As for those factories... that's not good either. Jin, someone as skinny as you would definitely not want it."

"Sister Chunjuan, do you know where to recruit people?" Mu Qiong asked, he was not picky about work, he just hoped to find something to do as soon as possible so that the situation at home would improve quickly.

As for the future...he still plans to write and contribute articles to make money.

Of course, if he wants to make money by writing articles, he must first have money to buy paper and pens, newspapers and so on.

"How would I know!" Zhao Chunjuan said, "Actually, even if someone like you enters a shop to work, he can only be an apprentice... My younger brother works as an apprentice in a silk and satin shop. Helping the shopkeeper's house with work, only [-] cents a month, and shaved his head."

A dime is roughly equal to eleven copper dollars, and earning 22 copper dollars a month is definitely not what Mu Qiong wants.

"I went to school before, I can read and know a little English." Mu Qiong added.

Zhao Chunjuan's place of work is not far from here, so she often goes home and knows the situation of the three members of the Mu family very well.

She originally thought that the three members of the Mu family were farmers from the countryside, the kind who could not read a single character, but she did not expect Mu Qiong to be able to read... You know, she is illiterate, and her younger brother is also going to be an apprentice After that, he was instructed by the shopkeeper to recognize a few words and learn abacus.

Seeing Mu Qiong's expression, Zhao Chunjuan immediately changed, showing some admiration: "You can read? Can you speak English?!"

"My grandfather sent me to study in a new-style school before, and I went to middle school." Mu Qiong said.

"That's great! The tuition fee for one semester of middle school is more than ten yuan..." Zhao Chunjuan was a little emotional.She came to buy fried dough sticks, the two of them were talking, and it was her turn.

She turned her head and said to the vendor selling sesame seed cakes: "Give me five dried plum sesame seed cakes for one copper dollar, and fried dough sticks for three copper dollars. Boss, I bought so many things, you give me an extra fried dough stick Bar!"

Shaobing in Shanghai is made by wrapping dough with a little lard, then putting some dried plums or scallions, then rolling it into a noodle cake, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and finally baked in the stove. It is very fragrant, and it is especially delicious when served with fried dough sticks. .

Zhao Chunjuan asked for a lot of things, and the stall owner smiled at her, and he really gave her a fried dough stick that didn't look very good.

The deep-fried dough sticks are twisted together by two soft fried dough sticks. Zhao Chunjuan tore apart the sent fried dough sticks, gave one of the dough sticks to Mu Qiong, and stuffed the other into her mouth, saying: "You know so much, it's best Go to the Concession, you can find a job there!"

"Thank you, Sister Chunjuan." Mu Qiong thanked her.In fact, after seeing the situation here, he knew that he would definitely not be able to find a job here. Now that Zhao Chunjuan had heard about the concession, he immediately decided to take a look.

"You're welcome." Zhao Chunjuan said, "My husband and wife are about to wake up, and the porridge is still cooking on the stove over there, so I'll be leaving first."

Zhao Chunjuan left after speaking. It was not easy for her to be a servant, so she couldn't stay outside for too long.

Of course, compared to others, she was already living a very good life. She bought breakfast for the master's family and even asked the vendor to send a fried dough stick to eat by herself.

After Zhao Chunjuan left, Mu Qiong took the half fried dough stick and went into a nearby grocery store.

This grocery store sells a lot of things, most of which are food, including pickled vegetables, salted fish, and salted meat.

"How do you sell salted fish?" Mu Qiong asked.

"Small salted fish from Guangdong are two copper dollars a catty, and salmon fish from Japan are one copper dollar and one piece. This local pickled grass carp is the best. It is marinated in wine and costs five copper dollars a piece," said the owner of the grocery store. .

The so-called small salted fish from Guangdong, each about the size of a finger, is marinated and dried, and there are many per catty. As for the grass carp marinated in wine, although it is the most expensive, it is quite large, and it is indeed the most fragrant.

As for the salmon from Japan... Mu Qiong looked at the bright red fish and suddenly realized that it should be salmon.

In modern times, salmon is very expensive, but now this salted salmon can be bought for a copper dollar...

Mu Qiong bought a piece of salmon from Japan for a copper dollar, and at the same time understood why Mu Changyu said she wanted to eat salted fish—salted fish is definitely the cheapest meat dish here.