A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Chapter 1 Camel Xiangzi
Mottled and moldy wooden walls and a ceiling with light shining through.

A stiff, cold wooden bed, a worn-out quilt that smelled musty, and a small space.

When Chen Guangliang woke up, he looked at everything in front of him and felt unfamiliar.

Immediately, his brain was impacted and integrated by another wave of memories.

a long time.

He still could not accept the fact that he had become a member of the lower class in Zhabei District, Shanghai (1927).

But no matter how he pinched his thighs or slapped himself, it still felt so real.

The environment before him made him feel sad - why couldn't he travel to a better environment and have a better background?

Given his current social status, not to mention whether he could survive the Anti-Japanese War, even surviving in the Shanghai market in the 1920s and 1930s was a problem.

Warlords rule the world and gangsters are in power.

In his previous life, Chen Guangliang lived a carefree life, had a car and a house, and lived a bourgeois life; in his spare time, he would read books, look up information, and watch TV dramas, so he had a certain understanding of this era.

However, this "understanding" not only did not make him happy and think that he could become a tycoon in the Shanghai Stock Exchange, but instead he felt pessimistic and worried about his life and future.

"Guangliang, are you awake? Hurry up and get dressed. I'll take you to Boss Wang's to rent a car later."

"Right away, second uncle."

Chen Guangliang responded instinctively.

Only then did he remember that today was his first day as a 'rickshaw puller'.

Chen Guangliang is from Ningbo. Because he was a big eater since he was young, his parents raised him until he was thirteen years old and then sent him to Shanghai to live with his second uncle.

His second uncle was also just a rickshaw driver, so he initially introduced him to work as a helper in a small restaurant run by a fellow villager. At the age of fifteen, he transferred to a restaurant run by an Australian immigrant as an apprentice in the kitchen.

He always envied his second uncle who pulled a rickshaw. The more he worked, the more he earned, so he kept pestering his second uncle to join the industry.

He just turned seventeen this year, so his second uncle agreed to his request.

"Second Uncle"

"Well, hurry up and go."

Chen Guangliang packed up simply and hurried out to meet his second uncle Yang Qingshan.

He also happened to see the environment they were in. This was a shanty town in Fangua Lane, Zhabei District. The houses were basically made of wood, bamboo, and mud for walls, and straw for roofs. Many of them were even the kind of "rolling dragon" type of crude "human"-shaped buildings.

Even so, the land here was owned by someone else, and they had to pay around 80 cents a month in "land rent" to build their shacks there. There was no water or electricity, and the stench was far from over, making the conditions far worse than what would later be called "slums."

Without any time to think, I followed my second uncle out of the shantytown.

"You've been following me for a month to get to know this business, but today is your first time pulling a rickshaw. Remember what I say—in this business, strength is a plus, but you also need brains."

"I remember, Second Uncle."

My second uncle, Yang Qingshan, was a 35-year-old middle-aged man. His long years of hard labor had made him look more than 40. His thin face, dark skin, and yellow teeth perfectly embodied the image of a rickshaw driver of that era.

In fact, the income of a rickshaw puller is not as good as that of a female textile worker in Shanghai. His monthly income fluctuates around ten yuan, and some people cannot even earn enough to cover their living expenses (10 yuan/month).

But there is no way around it. This job doesn't require much brainpower, the entry threshold is low, and you can attract customers with a little strength, so it is one of the easiest professions for poor people to enter.

Yang Qingshan was a qualified elder, tirelessly teaching his nephew along the way: "You're lucky, actually. There was a big commotion in Shanghai this month, many people were killed, and everyone was in a panic, so there was a temporary vacancy among rickshaw pullers. I just happened to introduce you to Boss Wang, and he immediately agreed to let you try. Otherwise, this industry is very difficult to break into!"

Chen Guangliang nodded aside. He naturally knew that a big event had happened this month. The "three big gangsters" officially attached themselves to the bald man, but the price they paid was that their hands were stained with the blood of many workers.

After a brisk fifteen minutes.

Yang Qingshan brought Chen Guangliang to a house with a yard. Although it was not a Western-style house, it looked like the residence of a rich person.

Arrived at the door.

The second uncle looked at the 'Wang Residence' with envy and continued to introduce it to his nephew: "Boss Wang's business is huge. He owns over a hundred rickshaws, all of which have received the 'Big Note' and can operate freely in the concession. He also has two hundred rickshaw drivers under him, most of whom are from Zhejiang."

"Um"

The license plates obtained in the Chinese district of Shanghai are called "small notes", and these rickshaws are not allowed to enter the concession.

Only rickshaw licenses issued by the concessions, also known as "big notes", can enter the concessions. Of course, there are also many illegal rickshaws on the road!

Apart from the "red-headed Indians" in the Jinling Road area who relentlessly chase rickshaws, the situation in other places is relatively better.

When we walked into Wang’s house, we saw people already queuing up to rent cars.

"Hello, Boss Wang. This is my nephew, Chen Guangliang, whom I told you about. He's here to rent a car today too."

Boss Wang's name is 'Wang Chengyun'. He is white and plump, with a friendly smile on his face.

But don't underestimate him. The more than 200 rickshaw pullers under his command are his power, and it's not wrong to say that they are a gang.

He glanced at Chen Guangliang and said, "You're right. Your nephew has the build of a cart puller. He looks very strong."

Chen Guangliang bowed slightly and said, "Greetings, Boss Wang!"

Wang Chengyun nodded in satisfaction, then said bluntly, "Ten yuan deposit, fifty cents for ten hours' rent, do you have it with you?"

Chen Guangliang took out a cloth bag and placed almost all of his assets on the table in front of Wang Chengyun.

"Please click"

After following my second uncle for a while, I also learned about the rickshaw charges:

The charge is eight cents (1 yuan) for every half mile or less (1.61 mile equals 0.08 kilometers); if calculated by time, it is fifty cents per hour, and twenty-five cents for every half hour or less thereafter.

This is the charging standard issued by the "Municipal Council" of the concession.

This means that a rickshaw puller must earn at least 85 cents every ten hours to ensure basic survival (enough to eat), which means he must pull about eleven short trips to earn enough living expenses.

Eleven short trips, not to mention whether we can receive so many orders in a day, even eleven and a half miles, which is almost eight kilometers of carrying a load, is also a very physically demanding job.

Also, there are few rickshaws in Shanghai (nearly 5) but many rickshaw pullers (over ), so the competition is fierce.

Furthermore, rickshaw pullers have a low status and are often subjected to extortion by hooligans and police officers, as well as difficult customers who refuse to pay.
In short, it's not easy to get into any industry.

"Vehicle 6062 must be delivered before p.m. Every hour of delay costs ten cents."

Wang Chengyun handed Chen Guangliang a sign and gave him some advice.

"Yes, Boss Wang."

"Work hard, and you won't have any problem eating!"

Chen Guangliang took the license plate, and then someone checked the license plate where the car was parked.

When he got his rickshaw, his expression changed slightly.

The rickshaw given to him looked only 60% new.

Not to mention the possibility of the car breaking down, many customers would sit in the car after looking at it, which would put him at a disadvantage today.

It is obvious that Wang Chengyun did it on purpose, giving the novice a bad car.

"It's not a big problem," Yang Qingshan said soothingly, "If you work hard, earning a lot of money won't be a problem."

Chen Guangliang asked, "Uncle, does the night shift earn more?"

Shanghai is known as the city that never sleeps, and there are so many people who go there to seek pleasure at night, so Chen Guangliang asked this question.

"You might be able to earn more, but the security is not good at night."

Chen Guangliang didn't think so. He was not afraid at all, because if he didn't make money well, he might still die miserably at the hands of the Japanese in the future.

"In a while, you and I can rent a day from Boss Wang and take turns driving. This way, we can save two hours and avoid wasting time on the road. How about I work the night shift and you work the day shift?"

The rental fee is only 40 cents at night and 90 cents per day.

"You're quite active now. Let's see how long you can hold out. If you want, we'll do as you wish."

Pulling a rickshaw is physically demanding work. Yang Qingshan believed that his nephew's current enthusiasm was just a passing one, and that he would be lucky if he could earn enough to support himself later. If he worked harder and saved a little, it wouldn't be difficult for him to find a wife in the future. After all, his nephew was both handsome and healthy.

Chen Guangliang was full of enthusiasm at this time. Although he had just traveled for an hour, he still adhered to the principle of "making the best of it" and in order to survive in the future, he had to work hard no matter what.

(End of this chapter)