My girlfriend is from 1949

Chapter 61 The Crowds Are Surge, and It's Going Balling

At this moment, a huge crowd of people has gathered outside the No. 1 Department Store, numbering over a thousand!

Groups of two or three acquaintances chatted amongst themselves, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

"Manman, our location isn't very good, do you think we can get a ticket?"

"Yes, I heard that only five thousand pairs were sold today."

"Hmph, we'll definitely get it!"

Three young women in their early twenties, dressed in high-slit cheongsams, with stylish perms and sexy outfits, stood near the entrance, their faces showing worry.

They were only ten meters from the gate, which was already considered a pretty good spot in the queue.

As soon as the store opens, people rush in to grab a bargain.

They even hired people to queue up last night to get this spot.

With this determined attitude, they're determined to get their hands on the stockings today, no matter what.

Especially the girl named Manman, whose gaze was firm and who seemed determined to win.

His fists were clenched tightly, and his eyes seemed to be filled with intense fighting spirit!

He gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "I must buy it. I absolutely cannot lose to Li Nana!"

The other two women also showed resentment when they heard Li Nana's name.

"She's stolen the spotlight these past few days; even my regular customers are going to see her!"

"Did you see that arrogance in her? She acts like nobody can compare to her!"

"Hmph, so what if she's wearing stockings!"

"I heard she paid 30 silver dollars for it; she got ripped off!"

"It's only 15 yuan at the department store now, she's so angry!"

"Once we get our hands on some core-spun stockings, let's see how arrogant she can be then!"

"..."

The three of them had an indignant discussion and expressed strong dissatisfaction with a girl named Nana.

From their conversation, it was clear that they were dancers at a nightclub.

According to records, the number of female dancers recorded during the Republic of China period was as high as 20,000.

These are just the nightclubs of a certain size, which already have 20,000 dancers.

If you include those low-class street-side dance halls with high foot traffic, the number of people would be even greater!

It's legal for dancers to dance with customers; they all need to be registered.

Unlike now, there's nowhere to even find a place to do swabbing anymore...

The last time, the three wealthy businessmen sold two thousand pairs of stockings, some of which were bought by nightclubs.

Being able to run a nightclub means you're a powerful person in Shanghai, with gang support behind you.

Otherwise, it simply cannot be opened!

In 1949, there were more than 400 gangs of all sizes in Shanghai.

These gangs need to make money and have business to support their members.

Opening a dance hall is naturally one of the essential projects; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many nightclubs and dance halls.

The owners of those big nightclubs had connections everywhere, and after receiving the news, they immediately realized the value of core-spun stockings in their nightclubs.

They immediately used their connections to snap up some, and then sold them to their dancers to attract customers.

The dancer named Nana and the other three worked as dancers in the same small nightclub.

As their boss, they shouldn't have been qualified to have access to stockings right away.

But Nana has a good friend who works as a dancer at the Paramount Ballroom and has even bought several pairs of stockings.

So during one of their conversations, Nana persistently persuaded Nana to buy her a pair at a high price.

It was precisely because she wore these sheer stockings that accentuated the beautiful lines of her legs that she immediately became the focus of attention that night.

Even her regular customers, who were originally other dancers, started sending her dance tickets.

I jumped all night long, and even my stockings started pilling!

Even so, business continued to be good, and they quickly made back their initial investment in the stockings.

It's important to know that popular dancers earn a considerable income.

I usually rent high-end apartments, the kind that even come with a telephone!

In extravagant dens like the Paramount Ballroom, top-tier dancers could earn five to eight thousand silver dollars a month—an income that was truly terrifying!

Although Nana works in a small dance hall, the business is good and the income is high.

So they made back the cost of the stockings in just two days, and any money earned after that was pure profit.

She stole business from the other dancers, which is tantamount to cutting off their source of income. It's no wonder she attracted jealousy.

I was immediately excited when I heard that the same sexy stockings were being sold today, and that there were only 5,000 pairs available.

The three were very confident that as long as they wore equally sexy stockings, they would definitely not be inferior to Nana.

The customers who were previously lured away will all come back!

For these dancers, stockings are not just a symbol of sexiness and beauty, but also a tool for making money.

That's why they went all out, spending money to hire people to start queuing up last night, just to grab a good spot.

Unfortunately, the allure of the stockings was too great, and the better spots in front were still taken by others.

Today's scene is even grander than the first time nylon stockings were introduced, when 70,000 pairs were sold in a single day!

The crowds were huge; as far as the eye could see, there were heads everywhere!

Only in such a scene of massive crowds can the surging waves be associated with the throngs of people.

Fortunately, the department store had increased its security personnel in advance, and even the police station had been fully deployed to maintain order, which prevented a chaotic incident.

Knock knock knock~.

As the clock tower chimed, the tightly closed doors of the department store slowly opened.

Originally, a middle-aged man wearing a white shirt and with his hair neatly combed, who looked like a high-ranking executive at the department store, wanted to come out and say a few words.

But he had barely stepped out, and before he could even speak, he was engulfed by the surging crowd.

The crowd began to surge inside, with those in front speeding up and running towards the stocking counter on the second floor.

Besides buying them early, it also helps avoid being trampled by the ever-growing crowds that follow.

Despite the large crowds, thanks to thorough preparations made beforehand, there was no stampede.

Manman and her two companions followed the crowd, desperately rushing towards the second floor.

When I arrived at the counter, there were already quite a few people gathered in front of me.

At this moment, she didn't care about being a lady and squeezed into the crowd with the silver coins in her hand.

After struggling to push aside a woman in her forties with his elbow, he successfully reached the counter.

Waving silver coins, he shouted, "A pair of black ones, a pair of red ones!"

Finally, the silver dollars were taken away, and two pairs of stockings in plastic bags were grabbed.

It wasn't just the stockings that were expensive; even two small plastic bags were rare items during the Republic of China era.

So they sold for 15 silver dollars a pair, but they also came with a plastic bag, making them far more cost-effective than nylon stockings.

This is one of the reasons why nylon stockings are crushed and unable to resist.

"Phew! Great, I finally got one!"

Manman held the stockings in her hands and struggled to squeeze out of the department store before finally letting out a long breath.

Although her carefully styled hair was now a mess, a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

Her situation is not an isolated case; other girls are still experiencing the same thing repeatedly in the three major department stores!