A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 122 Understanding the Living Conditions of the Lower Class

Gui'er was completely confused. Zhao Ruyu probably didn't have anyone to talk to, so she didn't have any reason to be on guard against a child like Gui'er, so she explained everything to her.

It turns out that dance halls in Shanghai make money from dancers by buying dance tickets and taking out tickets. Men go to dance halls to find dancers to dance with, and they have to give them a dance ticket after each dance. If they want to take the dancers out, they also have to give them a take-out ticket. Customers buy dance tickets and take-out tickets at high prices, and then the dance hall pays half of the price based on the tickets handed in by the dancers. The dancers then have to split the profits with the foreman, who is also the head waiter, which is about a 50-50 split. At this point, most of the money has been deducted.

Therefore, many dancers actually rely on tips and gifts from wealthy customers as their main income, and white-collar workers are those who dress up beautifully but have little money. They want to say a few nice words to coax dancers to dance with them for free. However, some white-collar workers are gangsters, and dancers dare not offend them, so they have to accompany them occasionally.

Since Zhao Ruyu was married, she rarely took guests out, and her income from dancing alone was indeed not high.

She said to Gui'er, "My sisters all called me aloof and looked down on them, but Brother Zhuzi used to not let me take any guests with him. Now that he's short of money, he doesn't care anymore."

Guier felt that Zhao Ruyi didn't want to accompany the guests, so she said, "Sister Ruyi, I think if you want to be taken out, then go out. If you don't want to, then don't go out. It's okay."

Zhao Ruyu touched Gui'er's head and said, "As expected, she has been educated. She speaks differently. My daughter Niuniu is three years old this year. I want to earn more money so that she can go to school. When she grows up, I want her to be a clerk and she won't have to work like me anymore."

Guier comforted her and said, "It will definitely work."

As the two were talking, Zhuzi suddenly pushed the door open again, lunch box in hand. He said to Zhao Ruyu, "I see patrolmen and soldiers are stationed outside checking for people. Our boss also said he wants to find someone. You two should stop messing around at noon and have some wontons. I see we have a cucumber. You can make some sweet and sour cucumber salad."

Zhao Ruyu said, "Okay, it's a mess outside, so you should be careful when you're out there."

Zhuzi said, "I understand," then turned and left.

It seemed that the couple still had feelings for each other. Gui Er felt embarrassed to eat for free, so she took out a dozen copper coins from her pocket and said to Zhao Ruyu, "Sister Ruyu, this is my meal money."

Zhao Ruyu saw the copper coins and laughed. He said, "How much can a little kid like you eat? We can still afford this."

So he got up and went to a corner cabinet, took out a cucumber, and started making sweet and sour cucumber salad. After it was done, he divided the wontons in the lunch box into two bowls, one for each person.

The wontons paired with sweet and sour cucumbers were surprisingly delicious. After finishing her meal, Guier was bored, so she walked to the window and looked at the people downstairs. At this time, she found that the people who were originally hanging around in the alley doing nothing seemed to have disappeared, so she hurriedly told Zhao Ruyu.

Zhao Ruyi walked over, took a look, and said, "Oh, the more chaotic it is, the more work they have. Leave them alone and let's stay here for now. By the way, who are the people in your family?"

Gui'er hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'm actually an adopted daughter. I came to Shanghai with my family to celebrate the New Year. Today I came with my brother to watch the musical, and I didn't expect something like this to happen."

Zhao Ruyi was stunned for a moment and said, "Will they come to find you?"

Guier said, "I don't know about the other people in the family, but my brother will definitely look for them."

As we were chatting, we suddenly heard the door of the room next to us open, and then we heard people talking.

"Oh my, it's so chaotic outside today. There are police and gangs. It's scary."

"So, are you still going to work this afternoon?"

"Yes, yes, I didn't ask for leave when I got off work, so if I don't go in the afternoon, it will be counted as my absence.

Zhao Ruyu also heard it, and quickly got up, opened the door and asked, "Mr. Chen, Mrs. Chen, you are back. What's the situation outside now?"

Gui'er followed him to the door and saw a couple. The man was wearing a gray gown, looking very refined and elegant, and wearing a pair of black-framed glasses. The woman was wearing a homespun cheongsam and had curly hair, but not as delicate as Zhao Ruyu's. When they saw Zhao Ruyu, they smiled and said, "Miss Zhao, you're back. You don't have to go to work today. Oh, is this your child?"

Zhao Ruyi quickly asked, "How are things outside now, kid without friends?"

Gui'er saw the woman push the man into the door first, then turned around and said to Zhao Ruyu with a smile, "It's still very messy. I don't mind it, I'm in the office anyway, but my husband's newspaper actually wants him to go for an interview. That's so dangerous."

At this time, the man who had already entered the room turned around and said, "Don't talk too much. Come in and eat quickly. You have to go to work later."

The woman turned to Zhao Ruyu and said with a smile, "See you later, Miss Zhao."

Guier could see that the couple actually had some contempt for Zhao Ruyu.

But Zhao Ruyi didn't care. She said to Gui Er'er, "I didn't expect this to be so serious. I'm afraid I won't be able to go to class these two days. Who would go dancing when there's so much chaos outside?"

Gui'er comforted her, "Don't worry, Sister Ruyi, it will eventually pass. What kind of work do that couple do?"

"Oh, you mean Mr. Chen and Mrs. Chen? Mr. Chen is an editor at a newspaper, and Mrs. Chen seems to be a clerk in some company, typing documents. I don't really understand."

Seeing that the couple's clothes were not as good as Zhao Ruyi's, Gui'er said, "Why does it seem to me that his family's situation is not as good as yours?"

Zhao Ruyu smiled and said, "Mr. Chen, Mrs. Chen, your monthly salary is only twelve or thirteen yuan. The rent alone is ten yuan a month, which takes up most of your salary. Their children are in the countryside, and they have to send money back every month. Then the few yuan left are for the couple to use. How can there be much money left?"

At this point, she sighed and said, "I earn a little more than them, but they still may not look down on me. Besides, these clothes are necessary for this line of work. If you are dressed in shabby clothes, who will hire you?"

Guier nodded in understanding.

In the evening, Zhuzi bought some buns and the three of them ate together. After they finished eating, they left. Guier asked curiously, "Did I disturb you by being here? I'm causing Brother Zhuzi to not be here."

Zhao Ruyu quickly said, "Don't worry about him. I told others that I am not married yet, otherwise the big class would not accept me."

Gui'er suddenly realized that it was no wonder that Mr. and Mrs. Chen called her Miss Zhao, and that Mr. Jin was also so inappropriate towards her. To outsiders, Zhuzi was just Zhao Ruyu's mistress.

That night, Gui'er stayed at Zhao Ruyu's place, thinking of looking for a rickshaw or calling Song Xichen the next day.

The next morning, just as Gui'er and Zhao Ruyu got up, Zhuzi came, took the lunch box and ran away. After a while, he came back with a lunch box of plain noodles and bought a newspaper.

Zhao Ruyu took out bowls and shared the noodles while asking, "Was yesterday's incident reported in the newspaper?"

Zhuzi looked at her and hugged her while saying, "It's done, it's done. Let me tell you, in addition to the three people I mentioned to you yesterday, Chen Manli is also dead."

"What Chen Manli? The popular dancer?"

"Yes, when she ran to the door, someone pointed a gun at her chest and shot her dead on the spot."

"Oh, this is horrible."

"Oh, and Miss Rong, the daughter of the textile tycoon, was kidnapped on her way home."

Gui'er's heart skipped a beat when she heard this.