Time Travel: Female Cannon Fodder of the Republic of China

Xia Yu: "What should we do then?"

Ai Shutong touched her chin and groaned, "I want to go and see the newspaper offices in Shanghai!"

Xia Yu: "But it's not safe for you to go out now."

Ai Shutong stood up and said, "Go to the department store and buy me some cosmetics. I'll dress up and I guarantee no one will recognize me!"

After hearing this, Xia Yu said with embarrassment: "Mrs. Li said that those who go to department stores are all spendthrifts. The things there are very expensive."

Ai Shutong; “…”

"Uncle Li has already paid me the rent for the building in South City for the past year or so. It's a full two thousand dollars!"

Xia Yu: "But the gatekeepers all have black faces, I'm scared..."

Ai Shutong: "You are talking about Indians, right?"

"Don't look at them, just go in!"

Xia Yu still shook her head: "No, no, I don't know anything about cosmetics, I can't buy them."

"I'll spend a lot of money then, and if I buy the wrong thing, I'll be guilty."

Ai Shutong: "It's okay. I won't blame you if you bought the wrong one."

Xia Yu was about to cry, "Miss, I really can't do it..."

Seeing that she looked as if the sky had fallen, Ai Shutong stopped forcing her.

Turned around and asked Li Zhong for help.

Go through the foyer and knock on the east door.

Unexpectedly, it was Li Chunrong who opened the door for Ai Shutong.

This was the second time Ai Shutong saw her. Ever since she saw her feet last time, she seemed to have been avoiding Ai Shutong.

Li Chunrong nodded uncomfortably to Ai Shutong and invited her in.

She smiled back and went in to see Li Zhong answering the phone.

Seeing that it was her, Li Zhong said “hmm” twice into the phone and hung up: “Miss, I was just about to go look for you!”

"There's a call from Lilac Garden. Madam Ina invites you to have French food."

Ai Shutong looked at him in confusion, "Where is Lilac Garden? Who is Madam Ina?"

Li Zhong patiently explained it to her.

Only then did Ai Shutong know that Li Maili had a mistress hidden in the French Concession.

Her first reaction was, why do men of this era have concubines?!

The second reaction was that Li Maili’s concubine invited me to dinner, should I go?

She said carefully, "Master's wife, do you know Lady Ina?"

Li Zhong nodded and said, "My wife is the most virtuous. She was the one who bought all the betrothal gifts when we married Lady Ina."

Ai Shutong: “Oh?!”

"I'm going to have dinner at Madam Ina's, what gift should I bring?"

Li Zhong: "Mrs. Ina likes wine the most."

Ai Shutong took the opportunity to say, "Then I'll go to the department store and buy her a bottle of wine."

Li Zhong: "For your safety, I'll buy it for you."

Ai Shutong saw that she couldn't get around it, so she said, "I've been in Shanghai for several months, but I haven't been here yet. I want to go out for a walk."

Li Zhong also knew that she had received a modern education, and it was not easy to keep her confined in the house for more than four months.

"Excuse me Miss, wait a moment. I'm going to make a phone call."

Li Zhong came to the phone,

"I'm Li Zhong. Is the master here?"

After a moment, he added, "Sir, the young lady wants to go to the department store to buy wine for Madam Ina."

"Okay, I know."

He hung up the phone and said to Ai Shutong: "The master said that he will send someone to take you to the department store tomorrow."

Ai Shutong jumped up happily, "Yeah! That's great."

Li Chunrong watched her jumping and shouting, his face full of envy.

Ai Shutong noticed and asked, "Where's Aunt Li?"

Li Zhong said nothing, looking at his daughter with encouragement. Li Chunrong whispered, "Tomorrow is Sunday, my brother will be back, and mother is out buying vegetables and meat."

Ai Shutong politely invited her, "Do you want to come over to my place?"

Li Chunrong shook his head slightly, "No."

Ai Shutong was being polite originally. She knew that Li Chunrong didn't want to have much contact with her, so she took the opportunity to say goodbye and left.

Early the next morning, a Ford car stopped in front of the building.

Ai Shutong, who had already dressed up, walked out happily with Xia Yu.

At this time, a tall Belarusian bodyguard came down from the passenger seat, helped her open the back door, and made a gesture of invitation.

Ai Shutong said in Russian, "Thank you."

The Belarusian bodyguard's eyes widened instantly, "Can you speak Russian?"

Ai Shutong nodded, "Yes, please give me more advice."

But it was obvious that the Belarusian bodyguard was a man of few words. He didn't speak again until they arrived at the department store.

Ai Shutong really wanted to practice speaking with him, but seeing that he looked like he didn't want to be approached, she didn't feel comfortable enough to speak.

After getting off the car, Ai Shutong saw a six-story department store with two Indian receptionists standing on both sides of the gate.

The Belarusian bodyguard and the driver escorted Ai Shutong and Xia Yu to the door, and the Indian receptionist respectfully opened the door for them.

Ai Shutong winked at Xia Yu, and after they entered, she whispered in her ear, "Next time, come by yourself and just come in without looking around!"

But Xia Yu said, "Forget it! Miss, if I hadn't followed you, they would have stopped me with the way I'm dressed!"

"If you don't believe it, look!"

Ai Shutong followed her gaze and saw a gentleman in plain clothes being stopped outside the door.

She was not like other time-traveling women who stepped forward to help others.

She glanced at the fashionable and expensive counters inside and thought that the things here were indeed expensive and not necessities.

If she was short of money, she would definitely not come here to spend money.

Xia Yu: "Miss, where are we going?"

Ai Shutong: "We're shopping! Of course we can't miss any of them!"

The counters on the first floor mostly sold jewelry and watches. She went forward to take a look. There were watches worth more than ten thousand yuan, a huge phoenix crown, and a diamond ring as big as rock candy. They were so shiny and she loved them.

Ai Shutong, who had two thousand yuan in her bag, suddenly felt so poor...

After going up to the second floor, Ai Shutong's mentality improved a lot.

She took the initiative to go to a cosmetics counter.

The counter is managed by a guy in his twenties.

Looking around, there are only male sales clerks here, and no female sales clerks at all.

She often read in newspapers that women should liberate their minds and not depend on men.

It sounds good, but people can see that the industry does not provide any employment opportunities for women.

Women can only do dirty and tiring work in secret, such as cleaning and laundry.

Like prostitutes...

Shanghai's Shikumen and lilongs are full of cheap prostitutes.

High-end prostitutes are often found in dance halls and clubs.

Ai Shutong stood in front of the counter, and the counter clerk immediately bent down and greeted her with a smile: "Miss, what do you need?"

Ai Shutong: "I want the cosmetics used by movie actresses. Can you recommend some to me?"

The salesperson immediately smiled politely and said, "How about this Max Factor yellow rouge? All the female stars use it."