Chapter 8 The Moon Over the Old Days
The first floor of the house mainly consists of a living room, kitchen, and dining room, as well as a small bedroom, which was originally intended for the maids. The second floor has a master bedroom and a secondary bedroom, and judging from the decoration style of the secondary bedroom, it is intended for the children.
Therefore, there is no study on the second floor. Xie Ning plans to convert the second bedroom into a study, since she lives alone and doesn't need so many rooms.
There is a public restroom on the first floor, and the restroom on the second floor is inside the master bedroom. It is a nested design that combines the toilet, shower room, and dressing room into one unit.
It has to be said that this house suited Xie Ning's taste perfectly, but the price was too good to pass up, and half of Xie Ning's savings were immediately gone.
The main reason is that the price she needs to pay is far higher than the current value of the house, but there is nothing she can do about it. First, she has no connections, and buying a house in Shanghai at this time is not an easy thing. Second, the bank will inevitably take a cut of the deal.
So she could only throw money at it, spending it while feeling heartbroken.
There are ways to live whether you're poor or rich. If you have money, you should enjoy it. If you don't spend it on yourself, who will?
She didn't ask anyone to move some of the large pieces of furniture in the house, only to change some soft furnishings such as bed sheets, duvet covers, and tablecloths, keeping the house largely as it was before.
Driven by money, the handover of the building was quick. Xie Ning checked in as soon as his three-day hotel stay expired, but the place was cold and empty, with no food in sight.
Although Xie Ning doesn't plan to cook for herself, she still needs to prepare some basic ingredients.
After changing into a well-fitting suit and putting on shiny leather shoes, Xie Ning went out to find something to eat. She had bought two suits in the past two days to alternate between wearing. Her complexion had improved a lot, and with the addition of shoulder pads, she could still pull off the suit.
Seeing the three roses in the vase, Xie Ning's eyes lit up. Each rose cost a silver dollar, so she couldn't let them go to waste. Therefore, Xie Ning cut off a rose and pinned it to her breast pocket as a brooch.
The house was located quite far inside, so there were no rickshaws stopping there. Xie Ning walked for a while and then turned a corner before seeing people coming and going. He waved, and a rickshaw parked across the street came over.
Xie Ning's plan for today was to explore Shanghai. Therefore, apart from places to eat and buy groceries, he didn't have any other fixed destinations. As for familiarity with this area, no one but his driver would do.
For one cent, Xie Ning hired a rickshaw for a day.
"Take me wherever you think the food is good, no matter if it's expensive or cheap."
The driver draped his slightly yellowed handkerchief over his shoulder, his dark face beaming with smiles. He didn't have many customers, so he was lucky to have met one today. He could earn a dime, and after paying the rickshaw company, he would have six cents left. If the customer was generous enough to give him another cent or two, he could buy two ounces of pork to nourish his wife.
He works himself to the bone every month, but he only earns a dollar or two. His family of three can only afford thin porridge for every meal. Recently, his wife has become pregnant again, which makes him both happy and worried.
"If you want to eat, sir, you should go to Linfu Restaurant. The chef there is this one!" He gave a thumbs up, which made Xie Ning smile.
"Okay, let's go there then."
Our first stop was a restaurant. It was outside the concession area, but it looked lively, so the food must be good.
Just as Xie Ning lifted his foot to go inside, a gunshot rang out, startling him.
With a loud thud, a figure fell directly from the building and landed at Xie Ning's feet.
The crowd around screamed in fright, and Xie Ning was also startled by the sudden turn of events.
Just as she turned to dodge, the person who had fallen to the ground grabbed her ankle and stuffed something into his leather shoe.
Xie Ning: She really just wanted to eat a meal, a peaceful meal. She's been eating at the hotel these past few days, either Western or Chinese food, and the taste is just so-so.
The man didn't say anything, grabbed the feet of several other people beside him, stared at Xie Ning for a moment, and then closed his eyes completely.
Logically speaking, a person falling from the second floor should not die unless they land headfirst, but a large pool of bright red blood gushed out from their back, and the fatal wound was clearly a gunshot wound.
The people fighting upstairs also ran downstairs. Two men in black uniforms were carrying guns, and the people around them scattered and fled.
Xie Ning was the first one caught by that man. After he let go, Xie Ning quickly ran away and told the coachman to take him home as fast as he could!
Many people fled, so she didn't stand out among them.
The driver ran very fast, but when Xie Ning got off the carriage, he noticed that the driver's hands were shaking violently and his face was deathly pale, so he must have been frightened.
Are you alright?
Xie Ning told the driver to wait there, then she quickly ran into the house and brought out a cup of hot water and a hot meat pie, which she had bought earlier and stored in her spatial storage, but forgot to eat in the car.
"Have some water and calm down first." When she came out, the driver was slumped against the wall, his hands still trembling, his breathing rapid, and he was clearly short of breath.
"Thank you, sir."
The aroma of meat patties filled his nostrils, but Li Shan had no appetite for the food he usually couldn't afford. He only drank a sip of hot water.
But at least she came to her senses.
"Thank you, sir. You are a truly kind person."
On the way, he almost knocked Xie Ning off the bus several times, but Xie Ning not only didn't blame him, but also comforted and took care of him.
"It's alright, you were frightened today. Here's the fare, go back and get some rest." Xie Ning gave him two cents. Now she had no desire to go out anymore, and just hoped that those people in black uniforms, whether they were from the Blue Shirts Society or someone else, wouldn't trace it back to her.
The person who fell from the building grabbed many people's ankles, but only stuffed a note into her leather shoe. She didn't know why, and thought it best to stay put for the time being.
Xie Ning was filled with unease, and Li Shan's mood was no less, if not worse.
After paying Xie Ning for the ride, Li Shan went straight home. He lived near the textile factory. Because he had fled to Shanghai, he couldn't afford even the worst housing. Instead, he and other refugees gathered together and built shelters on the wasteland near the factory.
His house was a thatched hut built with bamboo, wood, and mud, which was considered a good house in such a remote and desolate area.
"Hey, father, why are you back so early today?" The speaker was Li Shan's wife, Xiuniang.
The two met while fleeing from war. At that time, Li Shan was with his younger brother and Xiu Niang was with her elderly mother. One was a poor bachelor who couldn't find a wife, and the other was a widow and her daughter with no one to rely on.
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