People in the Republic of China era began to rise from industry.

Shanghai, the old county town.

Compared to the prosperity of the concession, the old county town on the other side of the Xuzhou River appeared much more dilapidated.

Especially late at night, apart from a few main streets with streetlights, most other places are pitch black.

Fortunately, Jing Zhizhong had taken advantage of his position to install a small motor and a light on his second-hand bicycle, which cost only 28 yuan.

Although it only illuminates a small patch of yellow light, it's better than nothing, at least it prevents me from riding into a ditch.

It was late at night and all was quiet.

The bicycle clanged and rattled as it traveled along the bumpy stone road.

He didn't know if it disturbed his sleep.

But the ensuing barking is probably something that both people and dogs find repulsive.

We walked through the streets and alleys until we finally arrived at our lodgings at the foot of the old city wall.

A large, crowded courtyard.

Living in Shanghai is not easy.

In the safer concessions, land was incredibly expensive; a decent house could cost nearly ten yuan a month in rent.

Therefore, most of the people who came to Shanghai to make a living lived in the old county town on the south bank of the Xuzhou River.

You need to have a stable income to rent a place to live.

Otherwise, they would have to sleep outdoors and find a place to spend the night on their own.

This large courtyard housed more than a dozen families.

Jing Zhizhong's family of nine rented a three-room house.

The parents and several older children lived in separate rooms.

The remaining room was for the couple and their infant daughter.

In the dead of night, the messy courtyard was completely silent.

Jing Zhizhong, who got off the car at the alley entrance, still made some noises despite pushing the car carefully.

Then the light in my room came on.

He smiled knowingly, and his previously unsteady steps became more grounded.

Young Master Lin still acts with the same decisive and efficient style.

After the pay rise, the textile factory's accountant was immediately instructed to prepare a new contract.

Annual salary of 20,000, plus bonuses.

Moreover, the start time is calculated from half a month ago.

As for the first 20%, it will be sent to him tomorrow.

The moment Jing Zhizhong finished signing the document with trembling hands, he was completely stunned.

He didn't even hear clearly what Lin Yi said to him when he left.

All I remember is that he said he would get himself a car tomorrow and that I should find a newspaper to print my business cards.

The reason he came home so late today was simply because he had been sitting alone for a long time, and it took him a while to process this 'huge change' before he mustered up the energy to go home.

Why are you up so late again?

His wife, who came out of the door, complained, but had already picked up his briefcase hanging on the handlebars.

In the dim light, her faded floral dress was wrinkle-free, clearly indicating that she was still awake and waiting for him to come home, just like always.

As for not turning on the lights... my wife has always been frugal, and she even urges the children to finish their schoolwork before dark.

Jing Zhizhong smiled but did not explain.

He hadn't figured out how to tell his wife about his raise.

If the price only goes up to eighty dollars, he would probably buy some snacks and pork and happily share the good news with his family.

But even he was stunned by the number 20,000, a number he never dared to even dream of.

If you were to say it rashly at this point, it might not be a pleasant surprise, but rather a shock.

The two entered the house, and his wife deftly helped him take off his somewhat worn suit jacket, carefully tidied it up, and then hung it up.

Jing Zhizhong walked to the bedside, looked at his little daughter who was sleeping soundly with a rosy face, and smiled as he reached out his rough hand to stroke her.

Seeing her daughter's twitching little nose, she immediately broke into a doting smile.

Meanwhile, his wife had already set the dinner that was cooking in the pot onto the small table.

A bowl of plain porridge, three steamed buns, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.

Although simple, this is the daily routine of Jing Zhizhong's family.

He earns a salary of over forty yuan a month.

But there are nine mouths to feed in the family.

Besides food and lodging, the three older children go to school.

My father also has lung disease and needs daily medication, which adds up to a significant expense.

So life remained tight.

This is the result of his wife and mother earning five or six yuan a month by pasting matchboxes for a nearby match factory.

Jing Zhizhong sat down on a small stool, eating his steamed bun with gusto while pondering how to bring it up with his wife.

Before he could even think it through, his wife delivered some bad news with a worried expression.

"I went to the match factory to deliver boxes today, and they said that they are going to reduce production for a while, so they don't have many boxes to make for the time being."

"Why are you suddenly reducing production when everything was going well?"

"You don't understand this."

With a steamed bun in his mouth, Jing Zhizhong muttered an explanation: "Now the market is full of foreign goods. More than half of the textile factories in Shanghai alone have stopped production."

"So many workers have lost their income, what can they do if they don't live frugally?"

"You seem to know a lot."

His wife gave him a disapproving look and said, "But the problem is, what will our family do without the business of pasting matchboxes?"

"The eldest son has been saying he wants to buy a fountain pen for the past few days, and Dad will need to get his medicine ready in a few days."

"Money is needed everywhere."

Jing Zhizhong chuckled, but before he could even speak, his wife scolded him.

"Still laughing."

"Didn't you say a few days ago that your employer might give you a raise? But so many textile factories have stopped operating, your employer is probably not doing well either, how could they possibly give you a raise?"

"You're the one saying this. Do you think you know more about this than I do?"

Jing Zhizhong said with some pride, putting down his chopsticks, "It's just right that it doesn't burn the matchbox."

"These next few days, you should stay home and pack your belongings. We'll move in a few days."

He had decided not to disclose the specific amount of his salary increase.

If we simply move the family to the concession, his wife will surely understand what's going on.

Just give her a random number, and she can stay home and take care of her family without worry.

Sure enough, when she heard that they were moving, the wife was stunned for a moment, and then she realized what was going on.

"Did you get a raise?"

"Ah."

"How much has it increased?"

"There are quite a lot. From now on, when people see you, they'll all have to call you Mrs. Jing."

"You never say anything serious. How can I be Mrs. Jing with my appearance?"

"Hehe, then I'll show you what real indecency is."

"What are you doing... child... turn off the light."

After a night of spring breezes, the next day, Jing Zhizhong, dressed in an old suit, acted swiftly and decisively, finalizing the equipment purchase.

Even the matter of jointly establishing an electric motor factory with Shanghai University has made some progress...