Rebirth in the leisurely life of the red age

In the 1960s, Hong Kong Island, as Western developed countries were undergoing industrial restructuring and needed to transfer labor-intensive industries to developing countries and regions, coupled with the outbreak of the Annan War, and even counting forward, until the 1950s The outbreak of the Goryeo War brought huge demand, and Hong Kong Island, an excellent and peaceful port at the forefront, experienced several waves of good news. The economy and society developed rapidly, becoming the richest, most economically developed and highest living standard in the world. one of the regions.

In the ten years from the 1950s to the 1960s, the number of factories on Hong Kong Island increased from 1,478 to 1,032, the number of workers increased from 80,000 to 370,000, and countless tycoons rose from Among them, he made his fortune in finance, textiles, shipping, entertainment, newspapers, toys, wigs, and clothing, and then became the leader in various industries.

Hong Kong Island in the 1960s was an era of chaos, black and white, and disorder. The number of crimes committed by the Hong Kong Island Police every year exceeded 100,000. Every year, the number of crimes recorded and closed was twice in the middle and at the end of the year. There was always a queue outside the police station. A team of hundreds of people, these are the people who make a living by scapegoating.

At that time, except for the aborigines of the New Territories, no one called themselves Hong Kong people, but Chaozhou people, Shunde people, Huzhou people, and F Jian people. There was one chamber of commerce in each place, and there was a prefix for each place. When you needed to stand out, there was often no need to go to the police. , but when the prefix comes out, people value loyalty and keep their promises.

In Hong Kong in the 1960s, it was still an era where poverty was frowned upon but prostitution was frowned upon. Parents would rather marry their daughters off to rich men as concubines than marry off their daughters to poor boys.

Hong Kong Island still implements the "Qing Law", and polygamy will continue for several years...

Even ordinary citizens, as long as they have this intention, there are many people who have two wives nowadays, especially the women who fled from the north. They have no one to live with. In order to survive, they can only choose to marry a local man as a concubine...

After coming out of the Hong Kong Municipal Government Building, Li Yuan didn't feel that the air was particularly sweet. The smell of car exhaust that he had not seen for a long time, the aroma of food coming from the street food stalls, and the densely packed high-rise buildings and the endless flow of cars all made him... It feels like it was a second-tier city in the previous life...

I am used to the days when buying a box of matches requires a ticket. After spending half a month coming here from Sijiu City, I always have the illusion that time and space have changed.

If it weren't for the young girls on the street wearing miniskirts and perming their hair high with a lot of hair spray, which is the so-called "cloud outfit", the men would wear colorful Hawaiian shirts with hair spray on their heads. The hair cream was combed into an ironed "grease outfit", and Li Yuan even wondered if he was wearing it again...

He lowered his head and glanced at the new Hong Kong ID card he held in his left hand, which had the three characters Li Aiguo written on it. He glanced at the map on his right hand again, and Li Yuan walked west.

In these days, people who have escaped will actually be deported.

Unless you can run to the city, running to the city is a victory. Not only will you not be deported, but you will be sent all the way to the city hall to help you get your ID card quickly.

An industrialized city has a population of only over one million, which is naturally far from enough and needs to be replenished.

The refugees on the northern continent are the best supply places.

As for why they are still being deported...

Because if we don’t add a guardrail, the population of Hong Kong Island will not be more than two million now, and even five million will not be able to stop it...

Those who stay are either fast runners or smart people, which can be regarded as improving and optimizing the quality of "immigration".

By the way, the official language of Hong Kong Island is English, and the upper class is proud to communicate in Mandarin, and has a mysterious admiration for the magical city of Dashenghai.

Cantonese... is regarded as a relatively popular language in rural areas of the New Territories.

For example, tycoons such as Shaw Run Run, Jin Yong, and Chow Wenhuai who will influence the Chinese cultural circle for many years will live in Hong Kong Island until they die, and they are still not proficient in Cantonese...

This phenomenon continued until the late seventies...

According to the map, Li Yuan found a Chow Sang Sang gold store on D'Aguilar Street in Central.

This gold shop, which has been opened in Guangdong Province for three or four years, would not be a gangster and cause so many troubles...

Fortunately, because at the beginning of this year the British government decided to remove the pound from the gold standard in order to control the trade deficit, the price of gold rose sharply, from US$8 to US$15 per gram.

The exchange rate of the Hong Kong dollar against the US dollar in the 1960s was about 5.65, that is, one gram of gold was equivalent to 84.75 Hong Kong dollars.

A large yellow croaker weighs ten taels, about 312.5 grams, which is 26,484 Hong Kong dollars.

What is the current concept of prices in Hong Kong Island?

A Repulse Bay mansion was worth about one billion in later generations, but now it is worth 980,000 Hong Kong dollars.

A 1,600-square-foot unit in Mid-Levels will become an old property in a few decades. It can still be sold for more than 20 million, but it is now worth 100,000 Hong Kong dollars.

An ordinary property costs 10,000 to 20,000 Hong Kong dollars.

A Prince brand car is worth 12,000 Hong Kong dollars.

The pork chop buns in the tea restaurant cost eight cents each, and one penny is equal to ten cents.

The tram fare is six cents, and for six cents you can have a bowl of pig blood porridge.

The salary of an ordinary clerk is two hundred yuan.

In other words, as long as he sells two large yellow croakers, Li Yuan can immediately live the life of a middle-class citizen in Hong Kong Island.

So don’t think that Hong Kong Island is full of gold and everyone is getting rich. After all, there are still many poor people.

In the wooden house area on Jialinbian Road, there are many families living in wooden houses of 20 square meters.

Li Yuan sold twenty large yellow croakers in exchange for five stacks of large golden bulls with a face value of one thousand Hong Kong dollars.

The gold store manager's eyes showed a very complicated look.

With his current salary, it would take him almost 40 to 50 years to earn so much money...

Perhaps at a certain moment, he had the idea of ​​​​taking advantage of others.

But looking at the calm smile on Li Yuan's face, he gave up the idea.

When doing business on Hong Kong Island, especially dry gold shop business, if you have poor eyesight, you will not be able to do it for a long time.

At least in his opinion, this person from the north is not someone to be trifled with...

After smiling and nodding with the gold store manager and the clerk, Li Yuan walked out of the gold store. Then he entered a street clothing store. In this era, there were no clothing stores in Hong Kong. The poor people bought the fabrics and made the clothes themselves. Rich people go to Western clothing stores to ask tailors to tailor their clothes, while the more sophisticated wealthy Chinese go to Shenghai and spend a lot of money to hire experienced tailors to make custom-made clothes for their family.

Of course, starting from the year before last, it won’t work...

"No ready-made clothes? Can I add ten yuan?"

Li Yuan asked with a smile.

After a moment of embarrassment, the boss agreed: "Okay, even if I get scolded, I will still help others! Handsome, you can find my suit store just after entering Hong Kong Island, it shows that you have a good sense. Hollywood Stars from all over the world are asking me to make their suits! Hey, do you know me?"

he asked, pointing to the picture hanging on the wall.

Li Yuan took a look, um, a photo with Marlon Brando, awesome!

Li Yuan asked: "Dare you ask the boss's name?"

The boss said: "My name is Zhang Huohai. I come from eastern Guangdong. I used to be one of the largest landowners in Guangdong Province! Most of the money I earned over the years was sent back to the mainland and given to my father to save. Because I think the Chinese will not bully the Chinese, at least they are much better than the British capitalists, right? As a result, chaos broke out in the north, my father was beaten to death, and all the family property was confiscated. Now everything has to start again, alas."

Li Yuan was silent for a moment, it turned out to be him...

I shouldn’t have known, but who made Li Yuan love listening to Leslie Cheung’s songs in his previous life?

This is Leslie Cheung’s father...

Li Yuan asked: "Then you recognize that I am from mainland China, and are you still willing to take care of me?"

Zhang Huohai smiled bitterly and said: "It's not my dad who you beat to death. What's the point of hating you? Hey, handsome boy, these are just a few suits. You can choose which one you like."

Li Yuan chose a black suit. He has a well-proportioned figure and has been practicing martial arts for many years. His body shape does not appear thin and weak, but it is not exaggerated either. In short, it is very in line with the aesthetics of the Chinese cultural circle.

After Zhang Huohai praised him, Li Yuan paid the money and asked, "Boss, do you know where this is?"

Li Yuan took out a photo in his hand.

Zhang Huohai saw it, smiled, and said: "You really asked the right person. This is Jardine's Hill. I just came back from measuring clothes there. A house here costs at least two to three hundred thousand." . But I don’t know which one specifically. You can find a rickshaw and ask there. In order to compete with trams for business, there are 1,700 rickshaws in Hong Kong. It costs 5 cents to go to Hong Kong and Kowloon. It’s cheap. Very good. They know better than me who are the rich families in Hong Kong and Kowloon. But it’s hard to say. Last year’s stock market crash in Hong Kong caused many wealthy families to lose everything and become poor... By the way, there is a leather shoe shop next door. Buy a pair and put them on.”

After Li Yuan thanked him, he said goodbye and went out.

I'm not in a hurry to look for him. I can't find him this way. I'm afraid I've recruited Sir first.

First, I called a rickshaw and went to the nearest real estate agency to prepare to buy a house, which was in Jardine's Lookout...

Then he asked the rickshaw driver: "Brother, I heard that housing prices on Hong Kong Island have dropped a lot?"

The rickshaw driver said: "Can we not lower the price? Last year, the price was the most severe. A house worth 20,000 yuan was sold for 10,000 yuan. When we were in the most panic, we even got 8,000 yuan."

Li Yuan asked curiously: "What are you afraid of?"

The rickshaw driver laughed angrily and said, "What are you afraid of? There will be nuclear bomb explosions and hydrogen bomb explosions in the north of you. Wow, the poor can't even afford to wear pants, can't even eat enough to eat, and you still do this. This The chaos has been like this for several years. Are you afraid of anyone?

I don’t have any money paper, and if I had money paper, I would have run away long ago. It doesn't matter if you die, but the cub at home is still young, how can you bear it? Especially last year, due to your influence, some people went crazy on Hong Kong Island. There were grenades everywhere in Hong Kong and Kowloon, and many people died. Are you afraid?

What are you doing in the north? You are so crazy. You are harming both others and yourself..."

After Li Yuan was silent for a while, he said sincerely: "Excuse me, has the price of the villa in Jardine's Hill been reduced? I'm going to buy one. Do you have any suggestions?"

"..."

The rickshaw driver was so angry that he wanted to throw this guy away and kick him back to the mainland. But in order to survive, he still had to endure this bad guy. He said: "Wow, so rich? It only takes five minutes from Jardine's Hill to Causeway Bay. The youngest is three years old." More than a thousand square feet, even if the price is reduced, it will cost more than 200,000 yuan, can you do that?"

Li Yuan said thoughtfully: "More than two hundred thousand, that's okay. If I pay today, can I get a house today?"

The rickshaw driver didn't want to talk anymore. He scolded this bastard from the north with all the curse words he had learned since he was two years old!

Pu, your mother-in-law took a rickshaw to buy a villa. You are the only street kid in Hong Kong and Kowloon!

…

"Our company provides four villas in Jardine's Lookout, each with its own garden, swimming pool and garage."

"House No. 1 has the largest practical area. It is three stories high and is in French style both inside and outside."

"The lobby is connected to the garden, with an area of ​​approximately 1,472 square feet, and green trees outside. It is very suitable for guests who value privacy."

“The rooftop is 1,085 square feet and can be used to hold various gatherings. You can enjoy the view of Victoria Harbor. It’s very beautiful!”

"The previous owner had only renovated the house for half a year, but before he could move in, he had to sell out because of the stock market crash..."

At the agency, a girl wearing a business suit introduced Li Yuan very kindly.

With her good looks, she would still be willing to talk for a while even if it wasn't for selling her house. The only pity is her mainland accent.

The rickshaw driver who was brought in by Li Yuanxu with "an extra five cents" at a huge profit was cursing in his heart: Hong Kong Island women have no shame, how can they do this to a street kid from Mainland China!

Li Yuan said in a negotiating tone: "Brother, this villa is very nice."

The rickshaw driver didn't know what to say for a moment, so he nodded perfunctorily: "Of course it's not bad. No matter how good it is, you have to have money to buy it."

Pu, your mother, it was embarrassing to be kicked out all of a sudden. Look at the people around you, they all look at them like monkeys.

Please, not friends!

Li Yuan looked at the sales lady and said, "Miss, if I pay today, can I complete the check-in procedures today?"

The sales lady's smile was a little forced, but she still nodded and said: "Okay sir, all the decorations inside are new, and our company will send people to clean it every week. If you want to buy it, we will also provide bedding. .”

Li Yuan pointed to House No. 1 and asked, "How much does this building cost?"

The sales lady finally got to the point. She looked at Li Yuan's face that was even more handsome than a movie star, and said in a gentle tone so as not to hurt her pride: "The owner of House No. 1 is paying 380,000 yuan." , after discounts, the minimum price is 320,000 yuan... But House No. 4 is also very good, although it is smaller, it only costs 220,000 yuan."

After saying that, I thought it was funny. Even the vast majority of Hong Kong residents couldn't afford 220,000 yuan.

Li Yuan turned back to look at the rickshaw driver. Before he could speak, the rickshaw driver laughed angrily and said, "No need to ask anymore. If you really have money and believe that you guys from the north won't come over, then just buy it! It's already so cheap!" By the way, just call me Ah Sheng. Although I just met you, I think you are very interesting."

The last sentence is obviously explaining to everyone...

Li Yuan nodded upon hearing this, then unbuttoned his suit, revealing a... liberation bag inside.

Even the sales lady laughed... It was really... a surprise!

This thing is very eye-catching in Hong Kong Island.

The agency employees around who had been watching the joke for a long time burst into laughter because their business was idle.

The sales lady was devastated and felt that she would become a joke among her colleagues in the next two years.

Then I saw Li Yuan take out a stack of large golden bulls from the liberation bag, and then take out another stack of large golden bulls, and then take out another stack of large golden bulls...

There was silence.

The surprise in the sales lady's eyes almost overwhelmed Li Yuan, while the rickshaw driver's eyes almost exploded.

Damn it, your grandma, did you rush into the street just after robbing a bank?

The staff who had been watching the joke for a long time were all speechless.

They get commissions from selling houses, especially villas. If they don't open for three years, they will wait for three years after opening.

If I had known this person was serious, I shouldn't have pretended not to see him when he and the rickshaw driver first entered...

Seeing the manager walking over, for fear of being robbed of the order, the sales lady didn't even care about her beauty. With trembling hands, she started to complete the procedures for Li Yuan as quickly as possible.

…

Forty minutes later.

The rickshaw driver said to Li Yuan with a wry smile: "Brother, don't play with me? Someone wants to drive you to see a house, but you insist on letting them go first and take my rickshaw by yourself?!"

Li Yuan didn't answer and asked: "Ah Sheng, do you know where there is a pharmacy on Hong Kong Island that specializes in Jianweixiaoshi pills?"

Ah Sheng smiled helplessly and said: "Of course it's the Dragon Tiger Hall in Prince Edward Road West! Wow, is there anyone on Hong Kong Island who doesn't know about children's Jianweixiaoshi pills? My son doesn't eat well, so just give him one. The effect is very good La!"

Li Yuan smiled and said: "Then let's go around and have a look... Do you know the origin of this pharmacy?"

Asheng ran and said with a smile: "How could you not know? All the children in Hong Kong know it. The little fairy from Longhutang came from the mainland. He was hungry and had no food to eat. He took out the ancestral recipe and sold it to children to strengthen their stomach. Xiaoshi Pills. In the past few years, the radio stations all over the street were playing that song. Boss, I will sing it to you...

I walked through the Little Zhoutian, reciting incantations and pinching my fingers. I was a little immortal who attained Taoism at Longhu Mountain... I paid homage to Sanqingzu and left Longhu Mountain. I traveled south and north on the small path, practicing in Between heaven and earth, I came to the precious land, and my belly was crying. I am here to tell divination, sell medicine, and earn a living based on my ability. I am troublesome...

Oops, I don’t sing well, but my son sings very well! "

Li Yuan smiled and said, "What you sing is not good."

Ah Sheng: "..."

Then they stopped talking, and Li Yuan glanced at the streets of Hong Kong Island in the 1960s. It was a completely different scenery.

Everywhere you can see a woman wearing a beautiful cheongsam paired with glass stockings and brightly colored high-heeled leather shoes, or a homemade floral jacket with a narrow waist and narrow sleeves, a Tang suit with skirt-like trousers, a pair of bare jade feet and high heels. The wooden clogs painted with gold and red paint are full of charm and pleasing to the eye...

Separated by the Baoan River, there are two distinct worlds.

If this kind of dress appeared in mainland China, it would take a minute to pick off a yin and yang hairstyle and then drag it out on the street.

Li Yuan's heart was not as trembling as those mainlanders who first arrived in Hong Kong after witnessing all this, as if they were opening their eyes to see the world for the first time.

Because half a century later, the development of first-tier cities in mainland China is no longer much inferior to here.

However, it would be a lie to say that I was not touched at all...

"Boss, the Dragon Tiger Hall is just ahead. It's right there, on the left side of the street!"

When Asheng's voice came, Li Yuan came back to his senses and turned his eyes to the left side of the street. On a small gatehouse, there was a plaque with the words "Dragon and Tiger Hall" engraved on it.

He whispered: "Stop it."

…