Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 504 Moving House
The captain was indeed very easy to talk to, and at his suggestion, Zhang Wenliang booked an entire third-class cabin.

The three-class cabin for six people was given to four of them. The remaining two beds were used to store luggage and gifts, and the other empty spaces were used to put a few baskets and three pairs of sheep, so as not to affect other passengers.

You may have to pay an additional sanitation fee when you disembark.

Although it was a waste of two tickets, it was much better than not being able to board the ship or go to the fifth-class cabin on the lower deck.

After sending Zhang Wenliang and the other three onto the ship and settling them in, Chen Fan and Anquan disembarked.

Stepping off the dock, Anquan looked around. "The Bund isn't far ahead. There are many high-rise buildings from the Republican era there, and they're lit up at night. Compared to the mountain and water scenery, it has a unique charm. Many people from other places visit it when they come to Shanghai. Shall we go and have a look?"

(Panoramic view of the Bund in 78)
Chen Fan glanced back at the sailboats on the Huangpu River, wondering how Shanghai still had such old relics, while nodding in agreement, "Sure."

He then pointed to the guesthouse allocation office and said, "I'll go see if there are any suitable guesthouses available for allocation."

After saying that, he walked over there.

Anquan, standing beside him, asked in bewilderment, "Isn't the Health Bureau's guesthouse quite nice? Why aren't you staying there anymore?"

Chen Fan glanced back at him and smiled, "I'm not going to the Health Bureau on business. Three days there is already more than enough. If there's a suitable guesthouse, it's better to move out."

Anquan nodded thoughtfully, then said, "That's true. Favors become worthless when you owe them too many times. You're going to stay in Shanghai for another ten days or so, and it's really not appropriate to stay there all the time. Even if you're a celebrity, you'll probably be looked down upon if you stay too long."

There was no one at the distribution window at that moment. Chen Fan walked over and saw an older woman sitting inside, which gave him a sense of what was going on.

Fortunately, most of these office staff positions are held by women; if it were a man, he would have to rely on luck.

He took out a few White Rabbit milk candies from the Health Bureau's guesthouse and handed them in. After putting the candies down, he also handed in his letter of introduction and work ID.

Chen Fan bent down and said softly in fluent Shanghainese, "Hello, ma'am, do you have any guesthouses available?"

The woman was engrossed in reading a copy of "Shanghai Literature and Art" magazine, her face showing a hint of indignation. So much so that when she caught a glimpse of someone approaching out of the corner of her eye, she didn't even turn her head.

He was slightly taken aback when he first saw a few White Rabbit candies on the table and then a Writers Association membership card.

Temporarily setting aside her anger, she turned her head and saw a handsome face. She was stunned for a moment, but the next second, a warm smile appeared on her face. "Yes, yes."

As she spoke, she took Chen Fan's letter of introduction and work permit and opened them. "Chen Fan? A member of the Jiangnan Provincial Branch of the Writers Association. Wow, he was born in 60 and is only 18 years old. He's so young."

He then turned to Chen Fan with a smile, without even glancing at the letter of introduction, and said, "I've worked here for so many years, and I've never seen such a young and great writer as you. You're staying at the guesthouse, right? Wait a minute, let me show you."

After saying that, he didn't look at the property register on the table, but instead took out another much thinner booklet from the drawer and began to search carefully.

Only then did An Quan have a chance to ask the question that had been on his mind, "You can speak Shanghainese?"

Chen Fan turned to him and smiled, "I know a little bit, I learned it these past two days."

Anquan's expression gradually became uncontrollable. His eyes were fixed on him, and after several seconds, he finally uttered two words, "Beast!"

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. He wanted to explain, but then thought better of it, figuring it would be hard for him to understand something that he could learn so quickly.

At this moment, the woman inside the window looked up and said to Chen Fan in a friendly manner, "Where are you going to do your business? I have guesthouse rooms in various districts such as Huangpu, Jing'an, Luwan, Xuhui, and Changning. I can arrange one that is close to where you need to go."

Anquan leaned against the outer wall next to the window and couldn't help but roll his eyes when he heard this. When did the guesthouse staff become so easy to talk to? You can even choose?

Chen Fan blinked, smiled slightly, and said, "Thank you for your help. It's fine to go from here to the vicinity of East China Textile Institute."

The older sister's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Oh, the Textile Institute? That's a top university! Did you get into that school? That's amazing!"

Chen Fan chuckled. "You've misunderstood. I have other business to attend to."

The older sister said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions. She looked at the brochure again and said, "Then you'll have more options. Hotels like Hengshan Hotel and Jing'an Hotel are for foreign guests and have very good facilities. However, the facilities are a bit old, especially Hengshan Hotel. The bathtub in the room is a bit yellowed. I suggest you don't choose it."

Chen Fan was speechless. "If you don't recommend me to choose them, then why did you say that?"

The older woman continued without looking up, "The Jinjiang Hotel and Yan'an Hotel are not bad. They are both hotels catering to foreign guests. Although they are a bit old, they are slightly better than the Hengshan Hotel. It's just that the room rates are a bit expensive."

At this point, she seemed to realize something, turned to look at Chen Fan, and smiled, "Writer Chen, do you live alone, or with other people? What's the reimbursement rate?"

Anquan leaned against the wall, rolled her eyes, silently took out a cigarette and lit it. So she hadn't even seen me here all this time?!
Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly as he suppressed a laugh and said, "I need two rooms, and it's okay if the room rate is a bit higher."

These days there are price regulations, so how expensive can it get?

Upon hearing this, the older woman smiled and said, "If it's calculated by berth, the bed fee at both the Jinjiang Hotel and the Yan'an Hotel is 2.8 yuan per bed per day..."

(Shanghai Jinjiang Hotel bill: In 65, the cost of a dormitory bed was 2.85 yuan, and the price has remained basically unchanged since then.)
Upon hearing this, the security guard standing nearby couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

Good heavens! The guesthouse in Nanhu Commune was 5 cents, in Gufeng County it was 7 cents, and Yunhu was about the same price. In Shanghai, although it was a bit more expensive, it was only one yuan per bed. But the Jinjiang Hotel charged two yuan and eighty cents for a bed. No wonder it's a long-established high-end hotel, it's ridiculously expensive!

He thought it was too expensive, and Chen Fan thought his older sister was too talkative. After finally listening to her finish, he quickly asked, "Sister, I want two single rooms. Do you have any left? How much do they cost?"

"A single room? Let me see."

The eldest sister then pretended to look at the booklet.

Actually, all this data is in her head; she just has nothing to do right now and wants to chat a bit more.

After a two-second pause, she said, "Single rooms are still available, but they're a bit expensive, 8 yuan a night."

She turned to look at Chen Fan, "There are only two of you, are you sure you want two single rooms?"

Chen Fan nodded repeatedly, "Yes, thank you so much, sister."

"Okay, I'll give you a letter of introduction."

She then took Chen Fan's work ID and the letter of introduction from Lujiawan, and copied down the information on them.

Although she found it strange that her workplace was a production team, she didn't ask too many questions. As long as the person was right, that was fine. If she were to be so particular, how could she possibly handle receiving so many people every day?
As for the other person who came looking for a room with the same letter of introduction one day, she had absolutely no recollection of it.

After filling out the form in no time, he picked up the official seal and stamped it with a snap. Then he handed it to Chen Fan and said with a smile, "You know where the Jinjiang Hotel is, right? Don't you know there are taxis nearby? Just walk that way and you'll see a three-wheeled car."

Holding the letter of introduction, Chen Fan suddenly felt tears welling up in his eyes. "Thank you, sister, you're so kind."

Then he pulled a handful of White Rabbit candies from his pocket and handed them over, saying, "Thanks."

Then she waved and left. The older sister put the candy in the drawer and replied with a smile, "You're welcome, come again next time."

As soon as Chen Fan left, the next person immediately leaned out the window, excitedly handing over the letter of introduction, "Comrade, I need to stay at the guesthouse, for three people."

The older woman glanced at him and said, "It's break time now. Wait until 5 o'clock."

After saying that, he slammed the window shut, pulled the curtains shut, peeled a candy, and continued reading. "The Ferryman is really well written. This Chen Dong must be a newcomer; I've never seen him before. I wonder who's older, him or Chen Fan?"

Outside the window, the young man who had almost gotten his finger caught in the window looked bewildered. He turned to look at Chen Fan, who hadn't gone far, and muttered to himself, "Did I forget to bring him some candy?"

……

Holding the letter of introduction, Chen Fan was quite spirited. "Let's go, let's experience the charm of Shanghai's No. 1 Hotel!"

At its peak, the old Jinjiang Hotel was not only the number one hotel in Shanghai, but also the first state guesthouse of New China. I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to stay there permanently!
Anquan, however, looked distressed and said, "My God, a room that costs 8 yuan a night, and you just book it like that? And you want two rooms? What do you need two rooms for? You can just book one twin room. I think you should just book one room. I can sleep on the floor. Anyway, I heard that the rooms in Jinjiang Hotel are all carpeted, so you don't need to put down a mattress. You can just add a quilt."

Chen Fan patted him on the shoulder, "Relax, relax, I'll pay for your room. When you're rich, you can treat me to something nice later."

The main reason is that he doesn't like sleeping in the same room with other gay men.

Well, not just any woman.

Anquan still had a bitter face. "You young comrade are no good. You're so young and you're already indulging in pleasure. How can you do revolutionary work?"

Chen Fan said, "If you can't even understand that, it's no wonder you can't save money."

Security, "Hey, you can explain it like that?"

The two chatted and laughed as they strolled along the Bund. Wherever there were shops, they used their secure tickets to make purchases.

It wasn't until it was completely dark that I found a taxi and returned to the Health Bureau Guesthouse. After packing my things, I checked out at the front desk, asked the receptionist to convey my gratitude to the bureau leaders, and then turned around, picked up my luggage, and took a car to the Jinjiang Hotel.

The Old Jinjiang River consists of two parts: restaurants and residences. The residence building is the legendary "North Building," originally a 13-story building built by Chinachem Real Estate Company, a subsidiary of Sassoon & Co. It was completed in 1929 and was known as the "Thirteen-Story Building," which was famous in Shanghai at the time.

Due to its prime location and comprehensive amenities, it was highly sought after by many of Shanghai's elite at the time, making it one of the most prestigious high-end apartments in Shanghai.

Later, in 48, Dong Zhujun purchased the Huamao Apartments and merged it with Jinjiang Sichuan Restaurant and Jinjiang Tea House to create Jinjiang Hotel, which is still in normal operation to this day.

After the two finished the formalities and checked into their hotel room, Anquan remained silent.

He drew back the curtains and peered through the glass window at the hotel's vast lawn. "My goodness! Such a huge lawn! If they built houses on it, how many could they sell?!"

Chen Fan sat on the single sofa, glanced around the room, and nodded in satisfaction.

Although the room was almost half the size of the Health Bureau's guesthouse, the quality was completely different.

Thick natural fabric carpets, spacious soft beds, bedside telephones, and even high-end teas on the tea table—all these details reflect the sophistication of the old Jinjiang Hotel.

No wonder Shanghainese people always like to hold banquets here. Later, the TV series "Blossoms" also chose this place as a filming location that represents old Shanghai.

It is indeed unique.

The two of them hadn't eaten dinner outside, saving their stomachs to try the food at Jinjiang Hotel.

And the restaurants here serve authentic Sichuan cuisine, which is rare!

Now is not the future. Even in the 80s, there were not many restaurants in Shanghai serving cuisine from other regions. Almost all state-run restaurants' chefs mainly served local dishes, at most adding Jiangzhe and Huaiyang cuisine.

Moreover, it's a localized style, always adding sweet touches.

Older generations of locals use sugar to enhance color and flavor; without sugar, they always feel something is missing.

It wasn't until the 90s, especially with the large-scale development of Pudong and the influx of people from other parts of the country, that Shanghai's non-public commerce flourished. At that time, many people from other places came in to open restaurants, and local restaurants also began to change their practices and make their flavors more popular.

Even when local Shanghai cuisine became popular and a single meal could cost over 20 yuan, it had already deviated from the original local Shanghai cuisine. In the words of an old Shanghai chef, "it's a completely different taste."

Chen Fan wasn't interested in two flavors, or even three.

The two ordered several Sichuan dishes and a bottle of Shaoxing wine each, and started eating.

After a few rounds of drinks, Chen Fan finally asked, "Brother An, what kind of house are you looking to buy?"

Hearing this, Anquan slowed down his eating. After pausing for two seconds, he simply put down his chopsticks, took out a cigarette and offered one to someone, then lit one for himself, took a deep breath, exhaled a puff of smoke, and sighed, "What a worry."

Chen Fan lit a cigarette, looked up at him, and laughed, "What are you worried about? Do you still have the same worries you had when you first arrived in Lujiawan?"

Anquan smiled at him, then sighed, "It's different now. Back then, we all believed that 'man can conquer nature.' We thought it was just farming and working. As long as we were willing to put in the effort and endure hardship, we could definitely succeed."

He turned to look out the window, but unfortunately, apart from a few exterior lights from the hotel, everything around him was pitch black. He couldn't help but mutter, "Besides the Bund, all we can see are streetlights."

He then looked at Chen Fan and said, "Hey, let me tell you, do you know how much housing prices are in Shanghai right now?"

Chen Fan took a bite of food. "The other day, you said it was around 80 yuan per square meter?"

Anquan shook his head. "When buying a house, you don't talk about square meters; you calculate the entire unit."

He paused for a moment, then thought for a moment and said, "Calculating by area is also good; it explains things more clearly that way. To put it simply, depending on the location, apartment type, building age, layout, and so on, the price per square meter ranges from 40 to 100 yuan."

He put a cigarette in his mouth, spread his hands, and said, "Unfortunately, I want to live closer to the school and my parents' house, but the cheapest houses in this area are 60, and the slightly better ones are 80, or even 100."

Even the smallest apartment is over ten square meters, and a better suite is around 50 square meters. At a price of 100 yuan per square meter, that would cost 5000 yuan.

I can't afford a good house, and I don't want a bad one. Tell me, am I worried?!

Chen Fan held his wine glass, thought for a moment, and said, "Actually, it depends on how you look at a dilapidated house. If it's just the rooms that are a bit dilapidated, it might still be a good choice."

Anquan turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

Chen Fan laughed and said, "Buying a house is no different from buying other things. If you find it troublesome, of course it's more convenient to just buy ready-made clothes. But if your budget is limited, you can buy a piece of fabric and then ask a tailor to make the clothes. That will save you more than half the price. Think about it, doesn't that make sense?"

(End of this chapter)