Chapter 21: Shanghai Port

Apart from the incident with the aunt evading the fare, nothing much happened until dawn, and thus, Shuxin’s first night shift passed.

Up to noon today, the train did not stop at any station, so naturally, no passengers would be boarding or disembarking. Sister Lamei told her to hurry to the dining car to buy some breakfast and then take a nap in the rest area.

Shuxin did not delay, taking her meal box to the dining car. The offerings today were good, with millet porridge and buns. Shuxin handed her ticket to the man serving food and ordered a bowl of porridge along with two buns. Shuxin was not going to skimp on her stomach; she had the means to eat a bit more now and wouldn’t be stingy.

Finding a place to sit, she took out her homemade meat sauce and spread it on the buns. Compared to the meat buns, it was just as good—perhaps even better. After all, it was homemade, and the taste was assured. One could tell just by looking at the person sitting next to her, who was salivating from the aroma.

After quickly finishing her meal and cleaning her meal box, she returned to the carriage and fell asleep. She woke up before the train approached the station and chatted for a while with Sister Lamei before the train slowly came to a stop. This time, it was a major station, and they were scheduled to stop for thirty minutes. Shuxin and Zhou Lamei worked together, with one checking tickets at the door and the other assisting passengers inside the train.

A few days later, the train will soon reach its destination, where temporary accommodations are available for them. Of course, if you have money and aren’t used to dormitory living, you could stay at a guesthouse outside. However, the current folks were reluctant to spend money on a guesthouse when there was a place to stay.

For Shuxin, the food and accommodations on the train posed no problems, but the only annoyance was the lack of a place to shower. Eventually, unable to endure it any longer, she secretly snuck into the restroom and washed up in the space. Now that they were about to reach the final station, she finally had the time to take a shower openly.

Last night, it was Sister Lamei’s night shift. After handing over her duties when they arrived, she hurried off to catch some sleep. For Shuxin, who had an “extra life,” she didn’t feel that working the night shift was hard. However, an ordinary person like Zhou Lamei could hardly cope.

After discussing, they decided that one of them would take the first half of the night and the other the second half, alternating between shifts, and they would divide the allowance equally. Shuxin agreed, as working through the night or half of it didn’t matter much to her; it was just a bit of a hassle.

When she reached the temporary dormitory and dropped off her things, Shuxin planned to take a stroll outside. The final station was the renowned Shanghai Port, a place that would become even more famous in the future, and it was already bustling, rivaling any other city, perhaps only compared to the capital.

As she walked along, the streets were teeming with people. In her hometown, it was rare to see anyone dressed in bright clothes, but here it was common, with lively girls curling their hair and using mousse.

Passing by the Shanghai Port dock, many boats were coming and going—cargo ships, passenger boats, and fishing boats—showing a bustling scene that seemed entirely unexpected given that this was the 1960s, a time marked by historical upheavals.

On the train, Shuxin also passed through various cities of different sizes, some flourishing and others lagging. But what remained unchanged was that glimmer of hope in the eyes of ordinary people.

At that moment, she began to understand why the country had gone through such upheaval. While it was certainly harmful, there was also a positive side. For the wealthy and the powerful, this turmoil was a calamity; but for those at the bottom, it brought no detriment and could even be beneficial. Sure, some unscrupulous individuals took advantage of the turmoil and harmed others, yet the state might have used this as an opportunity to eliminate some threats. For ordinary people, as long as they were careful in their speech and actions, the upheaval brought little impact on their lives.

Perhaps some could only see the superficial effects of the chaos, not understanding the significance behind it, and while Shuxin sighed internally, she showed no outward signs of her thoughts.

Unintentionally arriving at the fish market, she discovered that the market was filled with fresh river and sea seafood of various kinds. Shuxin felt weak at the sight and picked up whatever caught her eye. Although she didn’t eat seafood herself, she could bring some home for her family to try. She also needed to take a little something for the Huang family.

Shuxin had a generally accepting attitude towards food, but when it came to seafood, she was quite adamant about avoiding it. She was allergic to seafood; though it wasn’t life-threatening, it did cause hives all over her body whenever she ate it.

Remembering that her hometown, Yang County, didn’t have any large lakes, making seafood quite a valuable commodity, she bought a little extra while no one was paying attention and snuck it into her space in a quieter corner.

Leaving the dock, Shuxin wandered along the road, not missing out on the pastry shops and fabric stores in the alleys. She recalled a saying she had seen before, “The best things are in inconspicuous alleys, and the best eats are in humble diners.” In the post-apocalyptic days, when there was nothing to eat and she couldn’t find anything in county town, now in this big city of Shanghai, wasn’t it the right time to put that into practice?

Seeing her come out satisfied, it was clear that Shuxin had collected quite a few goodies. She was holding one or two bags, while the rest were stored in her space. Thankfully, there were no surveillance cameras around; otherwise, her space would have been discovered easily.

She headed to the most famous department store, the First Department Store, which indeed lived up to its name. It had ten floors and a large area. The items inside were categorized, with each floor selling different goods. The lower levels had affordable daily necessities, while the upper floors offered bicycles, watches, jewelry, and various imported goods and luxury items.

After strolling around, she sighed as she covered her wallet in a corner. In Yang County, she thought of herself as relatively wealthy, having saved up over a hundred yuan over the years. But after just one circle in the First Department Store, she instantly felt like a poor person.

With her limited money, she could only browse the lower levels; she also checked out the upper floors, but her wallet grew emptier. However, on the flip side, if people in Shanghai had money, it would be easier for her to make money here. With her space as a backing and her good physical strength, she wasn’t afraid of encountering any shady dealings.

But that was a slow process. She would let things unfold naturally this time, getting accustomed to the environment and examining the market trends in Shanghai before taking her next steps.

This was her first time working, and she hadn’t even received her salary yet, so it was best not to overdo it. After a while, she would buy some rare items when no one would find it strange.

She selected some items for herself and gifts for her family, also considering her romantic interest, and spent over a hundred yuan in total. Walking out of the department store, Shuxin lamented how quickly money was spent!

Thinking about her romantic interest, she wondered if he would adapt to rural life with his delicate demeanor. However, during that time, she would have her two brothers and her cousin help out, so there shouldn’t be any significant issues. It was just that the girl Zhao Li was a ticking time bomb.

Next time she returned, she would ask Luo Yue from her family to keep an eye on Zhao Li to ensure she didn’t cause trouble for her brother. Given his cunning, it shouldn’t be a problem.

When she returned to the dormitory that evening, Sister Lamei was also awake. Seeing Shuxin come back with bags, she asked where she had been, and Shuxin did not hide it.

“What? Really? Seafood is that cheap? And that department store is really as big as you said?”

Sister Lamei exclaimed as she spoke, insisting that Shuxin take her there once, and Shuxin agreed. They planned to check out the surroundings tomorrow to see if they could find any work.

After washing up in the bathroom, Shuxin climbed into bed. It had been about seven or eight days since she started working, and while her body wasn’t tired, her mind was. She thought about sleeping deeply that night, realizing how many people had slept on the dormitory sheets, and how they carried some odor. Next time, she would bring her own bedding and maybe even block out the smell.