Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 1036 Unregistered Residents on Xita Street (Give a reward to the total)

Xiao Hong and the others discussed the menu for a moment and said, "One bowl of cold noodles each, medium size. And a few refreshing side dishes. Okay?" She looked up and asked the others.

Chen Hui said, "Get a few bottles of beer, you guys keep an eye on it."

Xiao Hong said, "Okay, that's settled then. One medium bowl each, red sausage, peanuts, mixed sea hare, kimchi, pork skin jelly, chilled liver, sliced ​​pork knuckle, anything else?"

Xia Maosheng said, "All cold? No way. Let's stir-fry a few, just a few, and also make a big pot of beef soup."

The waiter took back the menu and asked, "How many do you want to cook? The same for both tables?"

Xiao Hong said, "They're definitely all the same. Let's cook four or five dishes, with so many people."

Xia Maosheng said, "No red sausage or aspic, the rest is fine, bring it on. Do you have any warm beer?"

Chen Hui said, "How about we get some whitening? It's been a long time since we've had it done."

Xiao Wei said, "Let's take two bottles and share them. And bring a case of beer."

The waiter asked, "What kind of alcohol do you want? We have everything."

Chen Hui said, "If it's Laolongkou, then let's drink Laolongkou; if it's beer, then let's have Snow Beer, okay?"

Xiao Wei took money out of his bag and handed it to Xiao Hong.

Here, you pay for a ticket first, then go to the food window to collect your food with the ticket, similar to a large cafeteria. The tickets are small aluminum tags, red or blue, slightly smaller than half a cigarette pack.

Xiao Hong took the money to pay for the aluminum nameplates. She came back with two large stacks of nameplates and put them on the table, laughing and saying, "Eating here with so many people becomes a physical task. You men go get them; I can barely lift the nameplates."

After everyone finished their extra meal, chatting and laughing, it was almost 8:30. They discussed it and decided to just find a place to sing karaoke instead of taking a shower. These days, there aren't any nightclubs open 24 hours; they all close after 10 or 11 pm.

There were quite a few people on the street, in groups of three or five. The largest crowds were at the entrances of billiard clubs, arcades, video arcades, and dance halls, where people were either squatting or standing, smoking and talking. They were all young people in their teens and twenties, with cigarettes held at an angle and squinting at people. They all had an incredibly arrogant look on them, dressed impeccably, with their leather shoes polished to a shine, and sporting hairstyles like Andy Lau or buzz cuts.

When a girl walks by, she will be stared at by these people, who will whistle and laugh, and scold her.

Actually, in this era and season, girls in Northeast China are all bundled up like balls. No one dares to come out without a padded jacket, padded trousers, or an overcoat. You can't tell who's good or bad at all; it's just a bunch of nonsense.

Xiao Wei and his group attracted the attention of everyone on the roadside as soon as they arrived. There were about ten of them; the men were all wearing leather coats and high-top leather shoes, and the women were either in leather jackets or mink coats, all wearing knee-high leather boots. These kinds of boots, which would be commonplace in later years, were still a luxury item at that time.

Although most families could afford one in this era if they gritted their teeth, very few families were actually willing to buy one.

Moreover, there were two men in military uniforms on either side, sternly scrutinizing the people on the roadside; they were clearly bodyguards and thugs.

Little Hong looked up at the signboard, pointed to a shop across the street and said, "How about this one? Their signboard is the prettiest."

Everyone seemed unconcerned and crossed the street toward the karaoke bar. Chen Xiao sneered and said, "Xiao Wei, your wife really knows how to pick places. One day she'll find a pigsty, put up a sign, and drag you in."

Zhang Bing said, "No, wouldn't that make me an idiot?" Everyone laughed, and Xiao Hong angrily pinched Zhang Bing's cheek.

Upon entering, it was alright; the room was quite warm. There was a large hall, with the staircase leading upstairs directly opposite the entrance. To the right stood a row of girls dressed in traditional Korean clothing, and to the right was a bar counter. A bright crystal chandelier hung in the middle.

"Welcome." A row of girls bowed respectfully as the lobby manager, dressed in a suit, approached. "Hey, buddy, wanna come over and have some fun?"

Chen Hui asked, "Do you have any larger private rooms?"

The lobby manager smiled and said, "Yes, we do. You can have your shoes shined here, the private rooms are upstairs."

My shoes were covered in snow as I came in from outside. The stairs were marble, so it was easy to slip and fall. Actually, it wasn't that serious, but the service was very thoughtful and showed a high level of class.

Two girls were shining shoes. They sat on special little stools and used small brushes to carefully clean the soles of everyone's shoes, and then quietly asked if anyone wanted some shoe polish.

Professional shoe shiners were everywhere in Northeast China by 92. They were everywhere – in front of shopping malls, in underpasses, and along wide roadsides – in rows of them. A shine cost two or three yuan. Women's boots were a bit more expensive, five or eight yuan. Thigh-high boots cost twenty yuan.

There were just as many types of shoe polish as there are now, including polishing, coloring, softening, stain removal, creams, sprays, and powders—more than a dozen kinds in total.

In such high-end places, this is all free; in some places, you can even have your shoes shined while you're eating.

The two girls were kneeling on the ground, working hard. Xiao Hong felt a little sorry for them, so she took out her money and gave each of them two hundred yuan. The two girls were very surprised and immediately knelt down, bowed, and thanked her.

These girls are almost all runaways from the peninsula or were tricked into coming here. They have no identity or home and live in shops in Xita. There are at least a thousand men and women on this street. The men work as laborers and henchmen, while the women provide various services, including selling ginseng.

In fact, back in the 90s, there were countless undocumented immigrants in the peninsulas of Liaoning and Jilin provinces. Life there was so difficult; people couldn't even get enough to eat. For them, a place where they could sleep warmly and have enough to eat was paradise. They would do anything for that.

Trading a bag of rice for two wives is no joke.

Moreover, those who left would rather die than return. Some, for various reasons, were sent back in droves, their ears pierced with wire at the border, strung together, and then subjected to various forms of torture before being executed. This was considered treason.

However, such things are rare. Our policies towards people from the peninsula are very lenient. Generally, unless something major happens, we just pretend we don't see it and let them settle down here. After a few years, they get married and have household registration.

Because they speak the same language, they could blend into crowds without being noticed unless someone reported them. However, this also made them more united, and their fights for territory were more ruthless. Xita was a chaotic place in the 90s, with frequent clashes.

However, it's not as dark and dangerous as depicted in some novels. Ordinary people go about their lives as usual, and it doesn't involve them at all. Nobody is afraid of walking alone at night. As long as you don't provoke anyone, nobody will cause you trouble for no reason.

Ten years later, the number of unregistered residents began to decrease, and reforms began to be implemented there, so people were able to have enough to eat.

(End of this chapter)