Like dance halls, coffee shops also sprung up in the 1920s.
In recent years, there has even been a trend of developing inland. Many cafes have opened in Changsha and Wuhan. As for Shanghai, known as the "Little Paris of the East", there are many cafes, which has become the favorite place for young intellectuals.
like.
The first preparatory meeting of the Left-wing Writers Alliance was held at the Gongcai Cafe on Sichuan Road in Hongkou, where a large number of left-wing writers often gathered, including Lu Xun, Rou Shi, Xia Yan, Pan Hannian, Feng Xuefeng, Feng Naichao and others.
If the Shanghai Party Headquarters of the Kuomintang wanted to arrest a left-wing writer, they could just go to the Gong Coffee Cafe and catch them all.
At the beginning, in Lu Xun's mind, coffeehouses represented a kind of "property class" indulgence, and the lifestyle they symbolized was contrary to the proletarian revolutionary literature advocated by left-wing writers. Lu Xun was very repulsive to coffeehouses.
, but after being dragged to drink coffee several times, he often went to the cafe to sit.
Cafes seem to represent modernity and romance, as well as the advanced culture of Western civilization. Whether they are the petty bourgeoisie, progressive youth, or revolutionary writers, as long as they have money, they all like to come here to kill time.
The place where Zhou Hexuan met Ruan Lingyu this time was the Balkan Cafe on Xiafei Road, which was run by Tsarist Russian nobles who had fled to China. Many of the waitresses inside were Belarusian beauties.
As soon as Zhou Hexuan entered the store and sat down, a clerk came over and said, "Sir, do you have a waitress you know well?"
"No." Zhou Hexuan said.
The clerk asked again: "Do you prefer Chinese waitresses or Russian waitresses? I can recommend some for you."
Zhou Hexuan smiled and said: "Whatever."
"Different waitresses charge different prices. What level do you want?" the clerk continued to ask.
"Anything is fine." Zhou Hexuan said.
"Then I will recommend you a first-class waitress, Miss Tatiana from Russia. She was the fourth place in Shanghai's 'Coffee Queen' election last year." After the clerk finished speaking, he left.
There was a joke during the Republic of China: When you go to a cafe, you don’t drink coffee, you drink the waitress.
These waitresses are all beauties. For example, Hu Ping, a left-wing female star during the Republic of China, was a coffee waitress in Changsha. Sometimes there are even "Coffee Queen" elections held to rank the beautiful waitresses in major cafes in a city.
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Soon a Russian girl came over, wearing something similar to a maid outfit, and said with a smile: "Sir, what do you need?"
Zhou Hexuan said: "Wait a minute, I have friends who haven't arrived yet."
"Okay, you can ring the bell on the table if necessary." The Russian girl stepped back respectfully.
Not long after, Ruan Lingyu finally appeared and said sheepishly: "Mr. Zhou, I'm really sorry, I was delayed because of something."
Zhou Hexuan smiled and said: "You are not late, I was here early."
Zhou Hexuan rang the bell and ordered two cups of coffee and some sweets. The Russian waitress came over with coffee and food, introduced them in detail, and then helped the guests add sugar, but Zhou Hexuan sent them away.
Ruan Lingyu said with some embarrassment: "Mr. Zhou, please don't take some of my mother's words seriously. She always says some incomprehensible things."
"I understand," Zhou Hexuan asked while drinking coffee, "What are your plans in the future?"
"What other plans can I have to continue making movies to support my family?" Ruan Lingyu smiled bitterly.
Zhou Hexuan said: "Are you going to support Zhang Damin for the rest of your life?"
Ruan Lingyu shook her head and said: "I don't know. He is usually very good to me and considerate of me, but occasionally he goes crazy. Especially after the onset of opium addiction, he seems to be a completely different person. Sometimes I hate him, and sometimes I pity him.
, I still like him sometimes, I don’t know why.”
Yes, this is a patient with Stockholm syndrome.
Zhou Hexuan felt that he was a little redundant. It was Zhou Yu who wanted to fight Huang Gai. One of them was willing to fight, and the other was willing to suffer.
Unfortunately, Ruan Lingyu couldn't stand it any longer and chose to commit suicide.
"Have you never thought about severing ties with him?" Zhou Hexuan asked.
Ruan Lingyu lowered her head and said: "I have thought about it, but he threatened me, saying that he would bring out evidence that my mother had stolen things, and also describe the process of my relationship with him in court, including... the details of doing that kind of thing. I
He is a star, and if he does that, my future life will be completely ruined."
"How shameless." Zhou Hexuan sneered.
Ruan Lingyu was silent for a long time, seemed to have made a decision, and suddenly asked: "Mr. Zhou, can you really get rid of him?"
"It's difficult. As long as this kind of person spends all his money, he will come back to haunt you when he is desperate. Promises and agreements have no effect on him." Zhou Hexuan said.
"What should we do?" Ruan Lingyu was a little panicked. Her Stockholm Syndrome was not yet terminal, so she asked for help, "Mr. Zhou, you have to help me."
Zhou Hexuan said: "There are two ways. First, let him evaporate from the world, tie up stones and throw him into the Huangpu River; second, make a plan and let him go to jail, preferably ten to eight years."
"How can this, this, this... be done?" Ruan Lingyu was obviously frightened.
Zhou Hexuan smiled and said: "It depends on your choice. If you want to be entangled with him for the rest of your life, you can continue to live like this. Anyway, sooner or later, he will ruin your family and even force you to commit suicide. You have to do it for you
My mother is thinking, can she bear this kind of torture?"
Ruan Lingyu was speechless for a moment, and then said after a long time: "I want to think about it."
Zhou Hexuan continued: "Let's think about it from another angle. Zhang Damin is already useless. Sooner or later he will die on the street. If he is sent to jail, he will not smoke opium, have no chance to gamble, and have no chance to have sex with women. After a few years, we will say
Maybe he can even change his ways."
After hearing this, Ruan Lingyu's eyes suddenly lit up and she said, "Then let him go to jail! Yes, go to jail. This is the only good way."
"Smart." Zhou Hexuan snapped his fingers.
Ruan Lingyu became cheerful after being able to solve the troubles that had plagued her for many years. She smiled sincerely and said: "Mr. Zhou, thank you."
"It's a small matter," Zhou Hexuan ordered, "Don't give him money these days so that I can set up a trap."
Ruan Lingyu said helplessly: "I don't have much money left. If I don't start working on movies, I won't be able to cover my living expenses next month."
"If you have any difficulties, you can come to me." Zhou Hexuan said.
"Thank you," Ruan Lingyu said with a smile, "Mr. Zhou, you are such a kind person. You are worthy of being a great scholar."
Can someone who sets up a trap to put someone in jail be a good person?
Of course, you can't do this kind of thing yourself, you have to find professionals to plan it, and Du Yuesheng is the best candidate.
Zhou Hexuan has been to Shanghai several times, but he has not visited Du Yuesheng at the dock yet. This time he can take the opportunity to contact Du Yuesheng. If he has a good relationship with Lao Du, at least there will be no personal danger in Shanghai, which is a good choice.
The "chamber pot" used.
Nowadays, even the Shanghai Party Headquarters of the Kuomintang has asked Du Yuesheng to take care of many dirty and bad things.