Silly Zhu's Moving: The Old Neighbor's Nightmare

Early in the morning, as the alarm clock rang, Sha Zhu opened his sleepy eyes, saw that it was already seven o'clock in the morning, and went to the lakeside to clean himself up.

After wiping his face with a towel, he finally felt fully awake. Sha Zhu used his mental powers to observe the space outside.

This place is secluded, and there's hardly anyone around. Once outside the space, you can see some elderly people doing their morning exercises in the distance.

Sha Zhu walked out of the park; the air in Beijing was exceptionally fresh in the early morning.

After passing through the narrow alley, we arrived at Qianmen Street. The shops on both sides of the street had already opened for business, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and shouting filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere.

Sha Zhu took a deep breath. The air was filled with the aroma of various foods: fried dough sticks, soy milk, jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes), large meat buns, and the mouthwatering aroma of roast duck.

He strolled along the street, his eyes occasionally wandering between the various shops.

Qianmen Street in Beijing in the 50s was a very famous commercial street in Beijing. It is located on the central axis of the city, starting from Qianmen Moon Bay in the north and ending at Tianqiao intersection in the south, with a total length of about 845 meters.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties and the Republic of China period, Qianmen Street was called Zhengyangmen Street. It was officially renamed Qianmen Street in 1965.

In the early 1950s, there were over 800 privately owned businesses in the Qianmen area.

The streets are lined with restaurants such as Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant, Bianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant, Huixianju Fried Liver Restaurant, Yongantang Pharmacy, Black Monkey Hat Shop, Duyichu Shaomai Restaurant, Zhengyanglou Restaurant, Ruishengxiang, Jiulongzhai Fresh Fruit Shop, and Zhengmingzhai Pastry Shop.

On the west side of Luxi and Xili Street were Yongzenghe Money Exchange, Ruifuxiang Silk and Cloth Shop, Tianhuizhai Snuff Shop, Tongrentang Pharmacy, Liubiju Pickles Shop, Yitiaolong Mutton Restaurant, Dabeizhao Photo Studio, and Qinglinchun Tea Shop.

The area includes numerous shops such as Tong San Yi Fruit and Seafood Shop, Li Li Restaurant, Tian Cheng Zhai Pastry Shop, Lao Zheng Xing Restaurant, Pulande Laundry and Dyeing Shop, Yi Zhao Cotton Textile Department Store, and Qianmen Hardware Store.

He walked to the front of the Da Bei Photo Studio and saw all kinds of cameras and photos displayed inside through the window.

Shazhu recalled what he looked like before his rebirth. Back then, although he was a homebody, he dreamed of one day traveling around the world.

Sha Zhu carried the small basket containing his crime tools on his back as he walked and shopped, buying whatever he could fit in the basket.

Anyway, if I don't spend this money, I won't be able to exchange it when the currency is reformed.

I have too much money, and I can't even explain its source. I'll just keep a few thousand as a reserve. Forget gold and jewelry. I have tens of thousands in cash alone; I can't possibly spend it all. As for a camera, I'll just bring in a film set.

"Pack five portions of braised pork hock for me," the waiter asked, "Young man, why are you buying so many?"

"Oh, could you please hurry up a bit? The adults at home need to entertain guests," Sha Zhu said.

"Okay, sure, young man, just a moment. It'll be ready soon. Everything's ready to serve," the waiter said quickly.

"Next to Liubiju, 'Hey, can you pack ten servings of pickles for me?'" Shazhu said.

"Hey buddy, give me two portions of each of these pastries." "Hey buddy, pack five portions of each of these fruits for me."

"Hey buddy, give me five pairs of these old Beijing cloth shoes, and five pairs of the size up. And five pairs of these small ones too."

"Yes, a six or seven-year-old girl, five more pairs, one size larger." The shop assistant was dumbfounded. "Are you sure you want both sizes?"

"Yes, hurry up, my cousin can't wear them all. Don't worry, she definitely won't return them."

"Please pack ten skewers of candied hawthorn for me." "Please give me ten large meat buns." "Boss, please give me two bottles of chrysanthemum white wine, two bottles of Moutai, and two bottles of Fenjiu." "Okay, young man, please wait a moment," the boss said quickly.

Chrysanthemum White is one of the signature wines of old Beijing. It was once the imperial wine enjoyed by the emperor and later spread to the common people. Renhe Restaurant in Haidian Town used to specialize in selling this wine.

Lotus-shaped Baijiu originated during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. It was made by incorporating the stamens of white lotus flowers produced in Kunming Lake on Longevity Hill into the liquor.

Emperor Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty once praised it as the "crown of wines," and the recipe later spread among the common people. Leaving the wine shop, I was a little tired from walking around.

Sha Zhu continued on his way and arrived at Qinglinchun Tea Shop. The shop assistants were roasting tea, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air.

He couldn't resist going inside and ordering a cup of jasmine tea. Sitting on a small stool by the shop entrance, Sha Zhu slowly savored the tea's sweetness.

Looking at the crowds coming and going on the street, and feeling the changes of this era, I was filled with a myriad of emotions.

After finishing his tea, Sha Zhu went to Bianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant. The roast duck there was a specialty of Beijing, but he had never tried it before.

Today, since I'm passing by, I have to try it. Stepping into the shop, Sha Zhu was immediately drawn to the golden, glistening roast duck.

I ordered a roast duck and two to go. I watched as the chef skillfully sliced ​​the duck meat, added scallions, cucumber strips, and sweet bean sauce, and then rolled it up in a thin pancake.

Sha Zhu took a bite, and the taste made him feel like he was flying.

After eating and drinking his fill, Sha Zhu strolled around the streets. The streets were filled with the shouts of oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages, and the strange sight of rickshaws and bicycles running side by side, allowing him to feel the new atmosphere of this era of transition.

I walked into a fabric shop, touched the smooth fabrics, and thought about how, despite the many limitations of this era, many people still believe in being activists, striving to contribute, and that being poor is a source of pride.

But there are always some people who distort the facts and can't stand seeing others doing well, but that's also a characteristic of this era.

They are generally impoverished. If you eat meat more often in a short period of time, you will attract envious and jealous looks from those poor people.

If you're not careful, you'll be labeled a heartless landlord or capitalist.

Although the fundamental differences exist, it doesn't stop others from secretly saying things like, "Why is it that my family eats cornbread, pickled vegetables, and corn porridge every day, while his family eats meat every day?"

We are all working-class people and their families, so why should your family be better off than mine?

These are the occasional pests that appear among ordinary people at the bottom of society.

For example, Jia Zhangshi, why doesn't she send me some of the good food you eat? She's incompetent, lazy, unreasonable, doesn't work, and is jealous of others who are doing better than her.

Especially given the current housing shortage in Beijing, migrant workers are all waiting for welfare housing allocations, making it even less desirable for ordinary Beijing residents to build their own houses.

The houses will all be allocated in the future, so why would anyone waste money building their own?

Therefore, people who rented houses and those waiting for housing allocation all lived together. It was common for a courtyard to house ten or more families.

Due to the housing shortage, it is common for two or three generations of a family to live in one room.

On average, during this period, the living space for each person was only three or four square meters, and everyone lived together in cramped conditions.

Within two years of the founding of the country, construction projects and factory establishments in various places required large sums of money for equipment procurement, and the government did not have the funds at that time.

Therefore, people are encouraged to build their own houses. Due to war and destruction, many houses in Beijing have collapsed and become uninhabitable, requiring repair.

But ordinary people don't have much money in their pockets. Especially after entering the factory and receiving free housing, people are even less willing to build their own houses.

Sha Zhu, lost in thought, bought ten feet of fabric to make underwear. It wouldn't be noticeable when worn underneath. Ten feet of ordinary fabric, enough for two ordinary garments of the same style and color.

Buy a little at a time, store it up, and use it slowly later. If you don't buy more now, you'll be dreaming of buying fabric after the public-private partnership ends in a few years.

At that time, cloth coupons would be needed. If a large family wanted to buy cloth to make clothes, they would have to find someone to exchange for enough cloth coupons before they could make a new outfit.

Often, families with two or three children only make one set of clothes for the eldest child, and the eldest child's clothes are worn out.

When it gets old and too small, it's passed on to the second child. When the second child's clothes get too small, they're passed on to the third child. Patches are sewn onto the clothes.

In the countryside, many families share the same set of clothes. Whoever leaves the house has the right to use the clothes, which is sad to think about.