In recent years, the concept of "bottom-level writing" has received widespread attention, from "I Deliver Couriers in Beijing" to "My Mother Cleans", more and more voices of ordinary working people have been written and seen by the public. And Spades, the author of the book "I Rent in Shanghai", has also done many different careers. At the age of 35, he started working as a taxi driver in Shanghai.
Taxi drivers are like bystanders in the city, witnessing the stories of all kinds of people in the city, and Spades listens to them, experiences them, and writes about them from the driver's seat. Recording the stories of ordinary people by ordinary people may be a meaning in itself.
The source of this article is "I Open a Rental in Shanghai", transferred from the WeChat official account of Phoenix Reading. The subheadings are prepared by the editors of Phoenix.com, and the content has been deleted due to space limitations.
Taxi drivers, have heard the secrets of many people
Text | spade
Source | "I Rent in Shanghai"
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01
"Why do you think Shanghai is like this?"
At about 10 o'clock in the evening, I sent a few young foreigners to the Bund. They don't speak Chinese, but it just so happens that "The Bund" I know. From 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., it is the time when it is difficult to take a taxi on the Bund. As soon as the foreigner got out of the car, several groups of people rushed over. A couple with a northeastern accent with long legs, an advantage, and courageously move forward, gaining the upper hand and getting into the car.
They were going to the night market on Tongbei Road, which was said to be number one in Shanghai. I've never heard of such a statement, and I don't remember how lively the night market was on Tongbei Road, but not picking passengers and refusing to take is the basic professional ethics of taxi drivers, so set off for Tongbei Road.
On the way, I told them my doubts. The man said, "Go and take a look, it's not far anyway, it's a matter of stepping on the accelerator." ”
Then, the Northeast couple began to complain, saying that the lights in Lujiazui went out too early, and there was nothing to see at this time. Indeed, the decorative lights on the Lujiazui skyscraper opposite the Bund gradually decrease as the night gets deeper and deeper, and the time to go out is earlier during the off-season.
They asked, "What else is there to do in Shanghai besides the Bund?" ”
I said, "The City God Temple and Yu Garden are also must-sees. ”
The man said, "I was there before I came to the Bund." What else? ”
I said, "Disneyland, Science Museum, Tianzifang...... By the way, there are also safari parks. Disney is just right now, there are fewer people, and there is no need to queue. ”
The woman said, "Husband, then we'll go to Disney tomorrow." ”
The man said, "That's good." Hey, master, isn't Shanghai known as the city that never sleeps? Why are there so few people at night? Guangzhou is crowded with people at night. ”
I pondered, "Maybe it's a different climate?" Isn't it cold now? So there are fewer people at night. Most of the time in Guangzhou, the weather is hot and the nights are cool, so people come out at night to move. ”
The man said: "Yes, it may also be that people in Shanghai are too stressed and have little time for entertainment." ”
When I arrived at Tongbei Road, I didn't find any night market, only two or three restaurants scattered there.
The man wondered: "It is said that it is ranked first on the Internet, how can it not be?" The first place is Tongbei Road Night Market, and the second place is Dingxi Road Night Market. ”
I said, "I know there are a lot of restaurants on Dingxi Road. ”
The man said, "I'll search for a closer one, and we'll look for it." ”
So, he used his mobile phone to search for "×× seafood", there were several restaurants, and he chose one more than a kilometer away.
Follow the navigation, and when you get to the location on the map, you find that there is no such store, it may be that the restaurant has closed down and is closed. It seems that the information on the map is somewhat outdated.
The woman was a little annoyed at this time and said, "Husband, why don't we go back?" Guangzhou is full of food stalls, why do you say Shanghai is like this? ”
The man was not reconciled, and searched another store, but it was not far away, so let me go there and have a look.
We took Zhoujiazui Road and went from Hongkou to Yangpu. Zhoujiazui Road is a famous turning road, with countless small bends. The North Cross Pass was also built in the direction of this road, and some sections of the road were being renovated and fenced off. Another feature of this area is that there are low-rise and dilapidated houses on both sides of the road, and there is no greenery. Anyway, the street view is not very pretty.
The man muttered, "Is there a lack of trees on the side of the road?" Is that all the way in Shanghai? ”
I said, "No, Yangpu, Jing'an, Changning, many places are lush. There are also many trees in Pudong, and the greenery is very good, especially in Lujiazui. ”
The woman said: "Shanghai is so disappointing, far worse than Guangzhou!" Are there no night markets in Shanghai? Guangzhou is full of night markets and food stalls, which are lively and fun. ”
I said, "If you want to talk about open-air food stalls, there really aren't any in Shanghai, at least I haven't seen them." There are a lot of restaurants. Shanghai's population is basically concentrated in the outer ring, or even in the middle ring, which is relatively compact, and every inch of land is expensive. ”
The man said, "I asked a friend how Shanghai was, and he said that's it, you'll know when you come." I kind of know it today, it's not very good. ”
I have some understanding, they want to find the kind of night market that is full of open-air food stalls, then Shanghai will probably disappoint them.
A few hundred meters from the hotel, I turned the wrong corner and immediately turned around and headed in the right direction. The woman was a little unhappy and said, "Master, don't go around!" ”
I was most annoyed by others saying that I was going around, but this time I could understand their feelings, and even heard their stomachs growling, so I only said lightly: "I didn't go around either." "After saying that, I realized that I also had a bit of a northeast accent. It is said that the Northeast dialect can lead people astray, and it seems to be true.
When I arrived at the store that the man searched, I saw an inconspicuous door, located at a deserted intersection. The woman sitting in the back row was on fire: "Husband, let's go back!" The fare is seventy, and I haven't found a place to eat! ”
The man wondered: "It is indeed said on the Internet that this store ranks first in a single category!" Master, how far are Changli Road and Dingxi Road from here? ”
I said, "It's going to be more than 10 kilometers." ”
The man said, "Then go back and don't eat!" ”
After walking back two intersections, the man said, "Finally, I will go to find another shop, and this is it, ×× charcoal grilling, less than two kilometers." ”
People are like this, the more things they can't get, the more they want to get them; The more you can't eat in your mouth, the more you want to eat; The more you can't find the bustling night market you want, the more you want to find it.
However, I had a faint premonition of uneasiness in my heart, which slowly spread from the heels to the top of my head.
On the way, the woman said: "In Guangzhou, when it comes to where there is a night market, the taxi driver knows it." Why is Shanghai like this, eating so improvised? During the day, the master didn't know, and the master didn't know much. ”
I thought to myself: Is the understanding of "night market" a little different in each city? The air was a little stagnant, and if there was music in the background at this moment, I think it must be a sad low violin sound.
With a faint rumbling of the stomach, we finally arrived at the hopeful "×× charcoal grill", with the words "×× Seafood" on the door. There are no alfresco seats, no bustling crowds, just dim alleys, dim signs, dim lighting, and an equally dim handful of diners.
The woman said angrily, "What a broken place! After visiting Disney tomorrow, we'll book a plane ticket back! ”
"I'll fuck it!" The man lowered his head and said weakly, and there was even a cry in his voice, "Go back to the hotel." Shanghai, it's too fucking a bully! ”
On the way back to the Bund Hotel, I always wanted to laugh, but after all, I had a work ethic, so I tried to hold it back. After eleven o'clock in the second half of the journey, it also passed fifteen kilometers, and the extra part plus the night fee and long-distance fee, the unit price was higher, reaching four yuan nine per kilometer, so the eight kilometers back to the hotel increased by nearly forty fares. When he got out of the car, the man reluctantly paid one hundred and twenty-six yuan.
I don't know if anything else happened that night, but I know very well that Shanghai, in the hearts of two out-of-town tourists, has collapsed into a pile of evil ruins.
Later, I checked, according to the standards of the Northeast couple, Shanghai did have a "night market": in the 90s of the 20th century, the Zhapu Road Night Market used to lead the way, and then disappeared completely with the urban transformation; After entering the new century, the lobster on Shouning Road became popular, but it was only on fire for a while; The Pengpu Night Market on Linfen Road is even brighter and crowded, but with the creation of a sanitary city, it has also disappeared into the long river of history.
The shortage of land resources and the development of urbanization have "driven" Shanghai's food stalls and roadside stalls into stores and shopping malls. There is no open-air place in Shanghai where countless colorful lantern stands can be set up and all kinds of delicacies full of fireworks can be gathered, so that people can relax in the bustling and even somewhat noisy atmosphere, and let the taste buds completely carnival. Only Dingxi Road, Changli Road, Banquan Road and other hotel-dense sections still show the tip of the iceberg of the once brilliant fireworks.
I wonder if the man and woman hadn't deliberately pursued the outdated "first" on the Internet, but went to Changli Road, Dingxi Road or somewhere else, would they have been less disappointed?
02
Lost something in a taxi
One Sunday morning, on Nanchang Road, a young woman was riding in a car. She said, "Master, can you wait for me?" I still have a computer or something that I didn't bring out. ”
I pointed to the camera in front of me and said, "Did you see that?" With the e-police, you have to be quick and you can't park in this place for more than three minutes, or you'll get a ticket. More than three minutes, I won't wait for you. ”
She said, "Okay, I'll do it as soon as possible." ”
She wasn't slow, and after a minute or two, she reappeared with a bunch of things, including a handbag and a computer bag, and sat in the back seat.
She was going to an express hotel a few hundred meters away. I hang