A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Ah Cheng was overjoyed when he heard this and wanted to kneel down. Gui Er saw so many people on the street and quickly stopped him, saying, "Don't do that on the street. It will attract attention. It's better to keep a low profile."

On the day of the charity dinner, Guier specially wore a better dress and came to the big restaurant that Chen Zhongyu mentioned.

Only then did she realize that this charity dinner was not organized by Chen Zhongyu and his newspaper alone, but was jointly organized by various sectors in Hong Kong.

A red silk banner reading "Together to Face the National Crisis" hung in the hall. Against the wall stood a half-foot-high podium covered with deep purple velvet, upon which sat a rosewood armchair. The backs of the chairs were draped with bright yellow satin covers embroidered with the four black characters "Return Our Homeland." On either side of the walls hung several ink landscape paintings, and next to them hung wooden plaques bearing anti-Japanese slogans: "Those who have money should contribute money, those who have strength should contribute strength" and "Every inch of our land is stained with blood." The vibrant ink strokes formed a wonderful echo with the elegant elegance of the ancient paintings.

Waiters, dressed in crisp white uniforms and starched bow ties, shuttled among the guests, carrying trays filled with champagne flutes and porcelain plates of delicate dim sum, mostly Cantonese-style snacks like shrimp dumplings, siu mai, and egg tarts.

The wealthy people present were wearing expensive suits or silk gowns. Some wore Zhongshan suits, but not many.

Most of the celebrities and wives wore cheongsams or Western-style gowns. Gui'er's outfit was custom-made at Yunxianglou back in Jiangcheng. The fabric was expensive, the workmanship intricate, and it featured beading, embroidery, and gold and silver thread. Adding to her natural beauty, even without jewelry, others thought she was the daughter of a wealthy family. Although she looked unfamiliar, they all nodded politely. Other newspaper employees would check for invitations when entering, but she let them in directly.

Gui'er walked around the venue and didn't see Chen Chongyu. She was wondering, although she was asked to come and take a look and then write a report, she didn't know any of the people who came to the charity dinner. At least she needed a list of names.

At this time, a young man in his twenties, wearing a half-worn suit and with slicked-back hair, walked up to her and said, "Are you the one Editor-in-Chief Chen sent here to write the press release?"

Gui'er looked at him and didn't know whether she should say yes or no?

The young man introduced himself with a smile, "My name is Liu Shaolin, and I'm a photojournalist for the newspaper. I saw you come to see Editor-in-Chief Chen before." As he spoke, he shook the camera on his chest.

Guier remembered that when she went to find Chen Zhongyu for the first time, she didn't know where Chen Zhongyu was sitting. Someone happened to call him, and that person was Liu Shaolin in front of her.

Gui'er didn't know the details of this Liu Shaolin, and now that Chen Zhongyu was away, she became more alert and said with a smile, "So it's reporter Liu. I was worried. I don't know anyone at this conference. Could you please give me some guidance so I can prepare the information when I get back?"

Liu Shaolin said with some surprise, "I thought you were someone in their circle, so Editor-in-Chief Chen sent you here. You know, this is a lucrative position. You can come to this venue and see the world. And they are all rich men. Female reporters might be able to meet some rich men. If they can climb up the social ladder, they can fly to the top and become a phoenix. Several female reporters in our newspaper said they would like to come, but Director Chen didn't approve. He said there is no need to worry about such trivial matters. Working as a newspaper means reporting on major social events."

As he spoke, he looked Gui'er up and down, as if he was guessing her identity through her clothes and appearance.

Guier smiled and said, "My family does have some business, but I wanted to gain some experience, so I came to the newspaper to work part-time." She didn't want to sound too poor. There were too many people in this world who flattered the powerful and looked down on the weak. In this era, if a young girl came from a poor family but had an outstanding appearance, it would be a crime to possess a treasure.

"Guier, why are you here too?" A familiar voice came from behind.

Guier turned around and saw Sha Lili and her husband. Sha Lili had dressed up specially and looked like a graceful and elegant young woman.

"Lily, brother-in-law, you're here too. I work part-time at a newspaper and was assigned to write a report today."

Sha Lili saw Liu Shaolin standing next to Guier again. Her eyes rolled and she said with a smile, "Oh, so this is how you write a report with your colleagues. Then, reporter, please take a few more photos." Then she took her husband's hand, put on a graceful and elegant expression, and let Liu Shaolin take pictures.

Liu Shaolin was also very considerate and picked up the camera to take several photos.

After seeing him finish taking the photo, Sha Lili said with satisfaction, "Well, you guys are busy, we won't disturb you." Then she took her husband's hand and went to greet the wealthy people in the venue.

Gui'er looked around and saw that most people should have arrived, but she still didn't see Chen Zhongyu. She asked Liu Shaolin, "Isn't the editor-in-chief coming?"

"He's the deputy editor-in-chief. He was stopped by the editor-in-chief just before he left. He said he had a meeting and we don't know when he'll be able to get here. Let's get started first."

Gui Er had no choice but to smile and say to him, "Then I'd like to ask you to introduce me to the wealthy people attending the meeting, otherwise I won't know who is who."

Liu Shaolin said with a smile, "You really have grown up in seclusion, unknown to the world!" Then he introduced her: "The one with the silver badge with the words 'Resist Japan and Save the Nation' on his collar is Mr. Zhou, the real estate tycoon. He is talking with Mr. Li, the shipping merchant. The one wearing the moon-white cheongsam is Mrs. Zhang, the banker's wife. The one over there wearing a navy dress with tiny rhinestones on the hem is Miss Lin. Her father is a comprador for a foreign company. She is very enthusiastic about charity, but she already has a fiancé. The one wearing a double-breasted silk shirt with a jade pendant around her waist, who is stuffing a stack of banknotes into the donation box, is Mr. Wang, an overseas Chinese businessman. He is also one of the initiators of this charity gala and is particularly enthusiastic about raising funds for the Anti-Japanese War and Save the Nation. And the foreign girl over there wearing a puffy skirt with a ruby ​​hairpin in her golden hair is Susan, the wife of the manager of a British company..."

There were too many people attending the meeting, and Guier couldn't remember them all, so she could only silently write down a few of the main ones.

The atmosphere was quite lively, with guests toasting to each other. On stage, a Cantonese opera star sang a cappella from "Resist the Enemy and Save the Nation," the melodies stirring. A newspaper editor recounted the tragic events of the Battle of Shanghai, drawing thunderous applause from the audience.

During the fundraising session, wealthy businessmen raised signs to compete for donations, and gold bars and silver dollars were piled in front of the stage; the women took off the gold bracelets on their wrists and the pearl necklaces around their necks and put them into the donation box; even the waiters at the hotel squeezed forward and stuffed change into the bamboo tube. Foreign reporters raised their cameras, focusing the lenses on those faces full of anxiety and determination.