The Unparalleled Romance of Shanghai Women: Stein's Secret Life in Shanghai

Author: Wen Yuhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-09-01
Features: The extraordinary emotional experiences of a female writer and a female painter half a century ago. The figures of Stein, Ruolan, the tall woman, and "me" often appear in the overlapping and decomposition of film effects, and their relationships seem like a Montage with mismatched edits. The fate of the heroine is reflected through the unique experiences of the other two women, showcasing women's self-awareness and their profound detachment from the harsh reality of society.
Excerpt: One evening, as usual, I stepped out of the studio onto the street for a stroll. The stifling air from the day still hung over the city, thick and damp, as if I were immersed in a huge steam bath. I walked leisurely along Huaihai Road. Although it was evening, it was actually one of the busiest times of the day. The major shopping malls were crowded with people, and waves of cool air from the air conditioners blew out continuously. Huaihai Road remained as luxurious and grand as ever, no, I should say it had become even more opulent, completely turning into a street for the wealthy. This was evident from the deliberately crafted attire of the shoppers. The scent of expensive perfume seeped out from various cosmetics stores, filling the air, mingling with the fragrant flowers placed on the roadside and emitting a pungent aroma. I remembered in the popular Hong Kong TV series everyone loved, Shanghai, Ding Li dreamed of living on this very street. Back then, this road was called Xifeng Road, the most prosperous area in the French concession. Half a century has passed since then, yet the outline of old Xifeng Road remains clearly visible, and I could almost hear the waltz played from the old-fashioned gramophone. Unconsciously, I turned onto Fuzhou Road, and suddenly remembered this road, known as the Fourth Road in old Shanghai, was a famous cultural street. Many of the familiar deceased influential cultural figures of that time had once interacted with this road. Back then, row upon row of publishing houses, magazine companies, and writer's shops stood shoulder to shoulder, selling a variety of books, magazines, and translations. Lu Xun, Guo Moruo, Mao Dun, Ding Ling, and even the father of the once extremely popular literary figure Yao Wenjun—Yao Pengzi, a young and somewhat famous writer at the time—often frequented this road. Today, those low-rise old houses have mostly disappeared, and only a few that remain have long been replaced with new house numbers. At a newsstand, I bought a copy of the Xinmin Evening News. There was nothing of interest in the paper—some news about foreign investment in Pudong, anecdotes of laid-off workers actively seeking new jobs, or stories of taxi drivers being robbed. I folded the newspaper and threw it into the trash can. Suddenly, the corner of the newspaper caught my attention, and I picked it up again. It was on the fourth page, in the classified ads section, an advertisement for hiring a female painter:
Wanted: Young Female Painter
Requirements: Must understand Shanghai dialect and have a tolerant attitude toward the strange.
Applicants should bring their own works or samples.
Salary: 5,000 yuan per month.
Contact Address: No. 47 Jisifeng Road.
I almost burst out laughing. Jisifeng Road? If I remember correctly, that must have been a street in old Shanghai. Could the person who posted this ad still be living in Shanghai from the 1930s? I folded the newspaper and threw it back into the trash can.