Shanghai Memories: The Fading Memory of Alleys

Author: Xipo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Soy milk is a common dish in food stalls, but it is not as readily available as flatbread and oil sticks. If you want to eat soy milk, you must do so early. Generally, it is still possible to get some by 7 a.m., but after that, it sells out. If you don’t mind a slightly rough throat, there might still be some high-protein soy milk residue at the bottom of the bucket. Bakeries rely on specialized soy milk suppliers for their soy milk, and the bakeries are only responsible for diluting it into sweet or savory versions. Sweet soy milk is made by adding sugar to the plain version, while savory soy milk is more complex, containing items like oil sticks, shrimp skin, seaweed, and chili oil. Plain soy milk is worth three points, sweet soy milk four points, and savory soy milk five points, with clear distinctions. Most people are not reluctant to enjoy the savory version, which can be seen as the choice of the affluent. The difference between plain and savory soy milk is only two points, yet many people cannot afford it. Nostalgia is an inevitable part of a person’s life, and it has nothing to do with concepts, quality, knowledge, or anything else. If others’ nostalgia is tinged with a sense of relief and happiness, the author’s nostalgia is more about denying the past—the irrational years of the past. May readers be able to see that.