Chapter 71: Once the Yao family bows their heads, they are completely nailed to the spot by schistosomiasis...
"Now that you've made some money, let's go get something good to eat."
With a rate of three yuan per thousand words and a weekly contribution of ten thousand words, even if calculated based on four weeks in a month, Yao Xiaoyu would still receive one hundred and twenty yuan, which is something truly worth celebrating.
Tao Xiaoxiao followed Yao Xiaoyu with her eyes half-closed. Because her face was expressionless, people who saw her thought that this girl hadn't been born with a good appearance, having a pair of beady green eyes. In fact, Tao Xiaoxiao had already fallen asleep and was acting as Yao Xiaoyu's human form and pet entirely on instinct.
Yao Xiaoyu didn't care. Tao Xiaoxiao knew how to turn corners and go up and down stairs when she was with her, so she didn't need to put in much effort. She could relax a bit. As long as she was useful when there was real danger, that would be fine. Besides, apart from the occasional protective function, Tao Xiaoxiao was actually just a shield for Yao Xiaoyu to spend money when she went out. Her biggest role was to play the role of a little glutton who could make Yao Xiaoyu order a table full of dishes without wasting food.
"Find a nearby restaurant, one that tastes good."
Yao Xiaoyu negotiated the price with the rickshaw driver, and the two got into the rickshaw. Tao Xiaoxiao tilted her head and fell asleep. Yao Xiaoyu looked at the crowd outside and wondered what kind of food they could eat today.
People from all over come to Shanghai to make a living, and dishes from all over the world come together. The only difference is whether it is in a restaurant or a small stall in a corner. Yao Xiaoyu usually prefers to try the big restaurants, but occasionally she also wants to try some blind boxes.
About half an hour later.
The rickshaw driver, who had taken a detour, stopped in front of a small shop, respectfully asked the two girls to get out, and ran off with bruises under his eyes, not even asking for the extra money he had offered. Yao Xiaoyu watched the rickshaw disappear around the corner, glanced at Tao Xiaoxiao who had returned to a half-asleep state, and sighed in confusion.
Did she and Tao Xiaoxiao look completely unfamiliar with Shanghai, or were they easy to bully? Why did they charge extra for each car they hit, and then extra for each other? She thought it wasn't easy for people trying to make a living and tried to guide them in the right direction, but that only made them more arrogant. They insisted on waking Tao Xiaoxiao up and using some physical means before they would actually take them to their destination.
Why can't you just get paid for doing the work? Why do you have to get beaten up and do all that work for free?
...
What would you like to eat?
The shop was small, but well-lit and clean. A girl with braided hair, dressed in light-colored clothes, waited with a smile for Yao Xiaoyu to order.
"Bring four or five of your restaurant's signature dishes, just make sure you don't use the same ingredients twice."
This kind of initiative by restaurants is not uncommon nowadays. The young woman simply asked about dietary restrictions before helping to finalize the menu.
"Pearl meatballs, steamed chicken with rice flour, fish offal and tofu, and soup with bean curd strips are all served. This is a complimentary spiced dried tofu."
The girl brought out the last dish and sat down on a chair next to the counter to rest. Tao Xiaoxiao dozed off on the table. Yao Xiaoyu used serving chopsticks to pick up each dish one by one. The taste was not bad, but the soup with bean curd was particularly good. The bean curd seemed to have no particular difference, but you could tell it tasted like it was from Hubei as soon as you tasted it.
Fish offal tofu was also delicious, but since it wasn't cooked over a high flame, the carefully selected fish offal was somewhat wasted. Yao Xiaoyu casually picked it up and ate a couple of bites before turning her chopsticks to the tofu.
Yao Xiaoyu filled her stomach with some regret and then woke Tao Xiaoxiao up to eat.
...
By the time they got home, it was already getting dark. When the Yao family saw Tao Xiaoxiao and Yao Xiaoyu come in, they stopped talking. Everyone had a similar expression in their eyes. Yao Xiaoyu knew what they wanted to ask, so she didn't keep them in suspense.
"It's all settled. The new book will be serialized in Novel Daily next month."
Yao Jia breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Yao Xiaoyu with a hint of hesitation. This time, Yao Xiaoyu pretended not to see it. She knew that Yao Jia wanted to get the copying job back, but why should she give him a way out?
She lives and works independently, without relying on the Yao family for anything. Yet the Yao family takes the money she pays every month and the money she earns from copying books. Even after their falling out, they still want to act like feudal elders in front of her. What a joke!
Don't say that she also lives in the Yao family's house, and that copying saves her trouble—this house only costs six yuan a month to rent, and ten yuan is enough for her to rent a house with electricity and running water in a Shikumen. As for copying, not to mention that the editorial department already has this kind of free service, one silver dollar for every ten thousand words, as long as the handwriting is clear and neat, there are plenty of people outside who can do it!
Either bow your head voluntarily, or find yourself a job copying books; don't expect her to beg them for money!
"If there's nothing else, I'll go upstairs first."
No one spoke, and Yao Xiaoyu wasn't in a hurry. She had already submitted the manuscript of her new book to the editorial department of the Novel Daily, so there was no problem with copying it. However, the Yao family was in trouble. Yao Tianrui had started school this month, and the whole family had lost six yuan in income, not to mention having to subsidize some of it.
The market for copying books is currently oversaturated, and Yao Ping'an isn't very competitive. Zhou Chunhua hasn't fully grasped the sharp decline in her income yet, but when the accounts are tallied at the end of the month... the family still has over 580 yuan in debt. Yao Tianrui has gone to school, so they'll have to pay off a lot more.
Yao Xiaoyu returned to her room and happily began writing. Yao Ping'an watched his second daughter's retreating figure, ultimately unable to overcome his inner turmoil.
...
A chill settled over Shanghai as a rumor began to circulate quietly through the streets and alleys. It finally broke out after the West Sound Daily published a letter from Miss Catherine—schistosomiasis, also known as the "big belly disease," originated from poisoned snails in Japan!
No matter the time, people always pay more attention to their health. Rumors slipped under pharmacy doors, first from the scraps of newspapers tucked in with flowers, then from foreign newspapers, suddenly made the once-not-so-serious ailment of large bellies a household name. Everyone talked about people around them who had it, and debated whether the disease was truly related to the Japanese.
"Of course it's relevant!"
Just as Sheng Laoqi brought his host to the restaurant and came over to rest, clutching the pounds in his hand, he overheard the conversation and immediately expressed his opinion. The coachmen then quieted down, wanting to hear what insightful opinions Sheng Laoqi had.
Sheng Laoqi was an idol among the rickshaw pullers. In the rickshaw circle, those with rickshaws had a higher status than those without, those with monthly contracts were better off than those who picked up individual passengers, and those who picked up foreigners were better off than those who picked up Chinese. There were occasional exceptions, but that was generally the rule.
The twenty-something Sheng Laoqi not only owned his own brand-new and beautiful rickshaw, but also spoke foreign languages. He had even secured a monthly contract with the British, making him the pinnacle of the elite and a figure of authority. As a result, the rickshaw drivers were happy to listen to him.
Do you know what this is?
Sheng Laoqi took a newspaper out of his pocket, unfolded it with a rustling sound, and seeing everyone shaking their heads, he smiled smugly:
“The West Voice, a newspaper that writes about foreigners, is where Miss Catherine’s letters were sent.”
There are many serialized novels in newspapers nowadays, but that doesn't stop people from believing that the things in the newspapers are true. Moreover, Yao Xiaoyu writes her novels in the form of letters, which adds even more authenticity.
“The foreigner’s letter was published in the newspaper, so how could he lie?”
Sheng Laoqi's wide-soled blue cloth shoes seemed to be stepping on the driver's chest. He believed in Westerners without any bottom line. Their red and yellow hair, blue and green eyes, all shone brightly in his eyes, making them seem exceptionally superior.
He didn't know many Chinese characters, but he had heard others read Miss Catherine's letter, and the distorted tone was exactly the same as what Sheng Laoqi had heard. So he immediately believed these words—sincere and kind foreign ladies are willing to write letters in Chinese in order to reveal the truth, how could this letter be fake?
"How could something published by foreigners in the newspapers be false? The 'big belly disease' must have been caused by the Japanese!"
This argument wouldn't even be credible in later generations, but it's extremely persuasive now. The rickshaw pullers nodded in sudden realization, and under Sheng Laoqi's authority, this conclusion quickly spread throughout the rickshaw community, then down layer by layer.
This is why Yao Xiaoyu insisted on using the guise of a foreigner—matches were useful and cheap, foreign cloth was inexpensive and sturdy, and even on the black market, foreign guns and cannons had a better reputation than domestic products. Of course, the words of foreigners carried more weight than those of Chinese people.
It's laughable, but it's true. It will take decades until the Battle of Yalu River for China to realize that the Chinese people are no less capable than any other nation, and then decades later, in a great catastrophe, the beacon of civilization will be kicked off its pedestal.
Those unfamiliar with history, reading the deeply moving letter in the West Voice newspaper despite its rambling language, already began to believe its contents to some extent. Once the conclusion that Oncomelania snails were one of the hosts of schistosomiasis was reached, the fact that the Japanese were the culprits was already a foregone conclusion.
The snail incident is true, the history of Japan learning from China is true, it's true that they are now acting as dogs for foreigners, and the pregnancy disease is also true, so it's certainly true that they are the murderers!
The letter, consisting of nine truths and one lie, definitively confirmed the fact that Japan had poisoned the animals!
Those who don't know history believe that Japan would commit poisoning, but what about those who do know history?
"Japan is a nation that fears power but not virtue. It is three parts human and seven parts demon. When China was powerful, it groveled like a dog, but now it is a vicious dog that devours its master!"
"Japan sent envoys to Tang China during the Tang Dynasty, Japanese pirates plagued the coast during the Ming Dynasty, and the First Sino-Japanese War led to the annexation of Liaodong. Their ambition for the land where we grow flowers has never ceased, and they are determined to destroy our country and exterminate our race!"
...
Those who are unaware of history believe that Japan would use poison, while those who are aware of history are even more convinced of Japan's wolfish ambitions and inhumanity. Chinese people think that Japan is ruthless, and after seeing the tragic state of the "big belly disease," foreigners, thinking of Miss Catherine's letters and David and Smith's reports on Pulmonary filariasis and toxoplasmosis, also have a much lower opinion of Japan.
The rise and fall of a nation is as natural as the ebb and flow of the tides. But defeating a nation fair and square is different from attacking it with inhumane schemes. Although the opium dealers did not think they were wrong, they could not stand others using the same methods against them, especially when the other party was just their lackey.
On the land where flowers grow, Miss Catherine's letters traveled over mountains and valleys; on cruise ships on the water, letters translated into foreign languages sailed across oceans, spreading the stories of Japan far and wide...
Gradually, Japanese people living in other countries found their lives becoming more difficult, and Miss Catherine of the West Voice newspaper quietly appeared on Japan's wanted list.
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