Story in A Song Series No. 003
History | 9:30
Night Shanghai, Night Shanghai,
You are a city that never sleeps.
Lights up, music sounds, singing and dancing.
Seeing her, smiling,
Who knows her inner bitterness.
Nightlife, all for the sake of food, clothing, shelter and travel.
Wine is not intoxicating, and everyone is drunk,
Hu Tianhu stomped on his youth.
……
If you say that the song that best represents the Republic of China, I think many people will vote for this one: "Night Shanghai". Countless period dramas, as long as there are old Shanghai's song hall dancers, there is always "Night Shanghai".
Released 72 years ago in 1947, "Night Shanghai" is an episode of the anti-war feature film "Sauvignon Blanc", sung by the golden voice singer Zhou Xuan. Once the song was released, it became popular all over the beach and is still regarded as a classic.
Where is Night Shanghai? It is not in the Wanguo Complex on the banks of the Huangpu River, but in the Paramount Gate at Jing'an Temple. Paramount, on the one hand, is the turmoil of war, on the other hand, drunk and dreaming of death, this is precisely the city of Shanghai, leaving a microcosm of that era.
Pictured: Paramount
Night Shanghai, great Shanghai, Shanghai from modern times to open the port, is doomed to be extraordinary. Later it became the "Paris of the East", the largest city in the Far East and the magic capital of the rich. Our story begins with "Night in Shanghai", starting with the bloody Paramount and 4 women...
01
"Boom, boom, boom..."
On a Sunday afternoon in the spring of 1941, gunshots rang out in front of The Park Entrance. A black Ford broke out into a fierce gunfight with the "Anglo-American Public Concession" patrol.
There were three people in the Ford car, two men and a woman, the woman was fashionably dressed, wiped with grease and powder, and was a noblewoman at first sight. Two men in crisp, well-trained suits, one bodyguard and one driver. Engaged were British police officer Jackson and dozens of his men.
How did the two sides fight? It turned out that this woman had a great deal of success, and she was the wife of Wu Sibao, deputy chief of the "No. 76" guard of the Wang Pseudo Secret Service Headquarters: She Aizhen.
"No. 76" is notorious in Shanghai Beach, and Wu Sibao is notorious for assassination and kidnapping. She Aizhen graduated from Shanghai Qixiu Girls' High School in her early years, and later entered the underworld, worshiping Ji Yunqing, the leader of the Qing gang, as her adoptive father, and was known as the "first female hooligan" on the beach.
The couple is arrogant and arrogant on weekdays, with no one in sight, and when they go out, the bodyguards hug each other, and no one dares to stop them. Before the accident that afternoon, She Aizhen was going to the Paramount barber shop she usually went to to do her hair.
Paramount is located at the junction of the "Anglo-American Public Concession" and the "Cross-border Road", opposite a patrol house with a checkpoint in front of the gate. She Aizhen often came here, and the checkpoint patrols also knew, no one dared to check her car, it was a symbolic gesture, and then the car was released. But today, She Aizhen encountered hard stubble, and the British patrol led Jackson.
Jackson did not eat her set, insisting that the bodyguard hand over the pistol before giving it, otherwise he would not be released. She Aizhen saw that the other party was soft and hard and did not eat, so she had to be soft and signaled to the bodyguard to hand over the pistol. But this bodyguard is also a stunned young man, and the teacher can't speak well, afraid of being in danger and not being able to explain to Wu Sibao, and always refuses to hand over the gun. The two sides came and went, stood up, drew their guns at each other, and swords were drawn.
Pictured: Indian patrolling the streets of old Shanghai
One of the indians on the patrol, I don't know if it was a new arrival who was scared of courage, or also a stunned head, the gun suddenly went off fire, She Aizhen's driver was injured, and a fierce exchange of fire broke out between the two sides. Dozens of patrols who rushed to hear the news surrounded She Aizhen's Ford car, firing a bullet, the car was full of holes, and the bodyguard and driver were beaten into a sieve.
Miraculously, She Aizhen curled up in the car with her head in her arms, and after some firefights, she was unharmed, and was carried out of the car by the patrols and locked up in the patrol house. Paramount is not far from "No. 76", the sound of gunfire alarmed the agents, the secret service headquarters dispatched 2 trucks, 2 heavy machine guns, dozens of agents loaded with live ammunition to reinforce.
Hearing that She Aizhen had been attacked and was imprisoned in the patrol room, "No. 76" was greatly annoyed, and quickly surrounded the Paramount patrol house, set up a posture, and put up a battle in the patrol room without letting anyone go. When Jackson saw this, he couldn't help but be frightened, knowing that things had gotten big, and hid in the patrol room and did not dare to come out.
In the end, the Japanese gendarmerie sent representatives to the "Anglo-American Public Concession" to negotiate, and only then did she Aizhen rescue her, and both sides withdrew.
Pictured: She Aizhen in her later years
But that's the end of the matter, far from over. Afterwards, Wu Sibao and She Aizhen felt that they were humiliated this time, so they secretly instructed the "No. 76" agents to assassinate 3 patrols involved in the gun battle in 2 months, and the British police officer Jackson resigned in fright and ran back to his hometown in The United Kingdom took refuge.
After this assassination, the "Public Concession" was finally forced to agree, and "No. 76" could bring a gun into the concession without inspection, and the matter was finally brought to an end.
Paramount is both a place of red wine and drunkenness, but also a transit station for that war-torn era: a battlefield without smoke and smoke. The thrill here never stops...
02
On February 25, 1940, the year before the gun battle in the Concession. Outside the street, the spring is cold and steep, and the pedestrians are in a hurry, but inside the Paramount Gate, the guests are like clouds, and the song and swallow are spoken.
Suddenly, three more gunshots rang out, and a dancer fell in a pool of blood, and after the gunman committed the attack, disappeared into the chaotic crowd. This dancer is Chen Manli, the most popular paramount and also quite famous on the beach.
Pictured: Shanghai Beach Ballroom
Chen Manli, a native of Wuhu, Anhui Province, was born in Hanmen, and when he was young, he traveled east with his parents to Japan, and his father shaved his head to make a living. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, she returned to Shanghai, because of her beautiful figure and good looks, she was introduced to Paramount as a dancer, and since then she has been in the limelight and has become a pillar of Paramount, which has haunted the dreams of countless men.
Chen Manli was later embraced by Liu Hanzhi, the fourth son of Liu Bingzhang, a fellow anhui compatriot and general of the Huai Army. Liu Hanzhi is 30 years older than Chen Manli, and at first he could say everything he had to Chen Manli, but after he caught up with it, he could not withstand the temptation and still lingered in Paramount, so that Chen Manli was heartbroken and returned to his old business.
Chen Manli, who entered the palace for the second time, soon suffered a tragic incident. In the early hours of the morning this night, Chen Manli chatted with two guests surnamed Chen and Peng, and the three sat on the sofa next to the dance floor on the first floor. While we were chatting feverishly, suddenly, a man in a suit swooped in from the left side of the music station to the three people.
The man in the suit pulled out a pistol and fired three shots at Chen Manli, one in the neck, one in the shoulder, and the last in the abdomen, and two guests were also injured by stray bullets. Chen Manli was rushed to the Red Cross Hospital, and eventually died of his injuries, and the guest surnamed Peng was also rescued.
Chen Manli was killed, sensationalizing the beach, who dared to attack her at Paramount? There are three theories of the rumors:
One said that Chen Manli had refused to dance with a certain Japanese officer and was assassinated by this officer; the other said that Chen Manli was a hidden agent of the military command, and because the military command assassinated Qian Yunlong, the confidential secretary of "No. 76," two hours ago, as a retaliation, the "No. 76" agent assassinated Chen Manli; another said that Chen Manli had been in cahoots with Wang Pseudo", an important member of the "No. 76", and was "hoeed and raped" by the military command.
However, the reason is still unknown, Chen Manli's assassination case has also become a suspense case on the beach, leaving the world with unlimited reverie.
Paramount is the business card of Shanghai Beach, and countless celebrities have lingered here. Zhang Xueliang was a regular visitor, Chennault and Chen Xiangmei were engaged here, and Chaplin visited Shanghai and also came here. It is not only assassination, drunken dream death, but also a status symbol, and naturally it is indispensable to the marriage of the rich.
Pictured: Chaplin during her visit to Shanghai with Mei Lanfang
03
Also in 1940, a sensational marriage was held in Shanghai Beach, the man was Sheng Yuyou, the grandson of Sheng Xuanhuai, the richest man in modern Shanghai, and the woman was Ren Zhifang, the palm pearl of the Yixing Ren family. One is the rich three generations, and the other is the famous family after the show, which is destined to be a topical marriage of the giants.
On that day, the Sheng family chartered the entire Paramount Gate, the wedding was held for three days and three nights, and those who came to congratulate were either rich or expensive, and the high friends were full of seats. Almost all the reporters in Shanghai went out, and the road in front of the Baile Gate was crowded with crowds of people flocking to see the liveliness.
Ren Zhifang, dressed in a gorgeous wedding dress, dragged from the gate to the center of the dance floor, watching the lively crowd, I don't know how many people will sleep all night.
The rich marriage of Sheng Yuyou and Ren Zhifang is like a fairy tale, male talent and female appearance. But they do not have the dispute between the rich mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the gossip drama, there is no jealousy of the small three and four, the husband and wife support each other, the love is added, even if the giant is broken, the husband and wife still do not give up, until the mountain rises again, achieving a good story.
Photo: Sheng Yuyou and Ren Zhifang wedding photos
When Sheng Yuyou was 9 years old, he disposed of a million inheritances from his grandfather Sheng Xuanhuai, but his father Sheng Enyi was the leading loser in modern times, losing his own family property and playing with the idea of his son's family property, Sheng Yuyou broke his heart for this father who could not support the wall.
Although the gambler's father repeatedly asked for money, Sheng Yuyou's family was rich after all, and Ren Zhifang had no worries about food and clothing. In the 1950s, Sheng Yuyu knew that his ancestors had earned a disgraceful family property, but fortunately donated all his wealth, and after settling his wife and children in his mother's house, he went to Nanyang to start a second business.
In the 1960s, Sheng Yuyu immigrated to Japan and took Ren Zhifang over, and the couple started from the lowest breakfast restaurant, fried fritters, sold buns, got up early and went dark, and worked hard all the way. Due to the active mind, the breakfast restaurant was soon enlarged, and branches were opened successively, and then the New Asia Hotel was established, ranking among the leaders in the Japanese catering industry and accumulating hundreds of millions of dollars again.
When he was young, the spring breeze was triumphant, and Sheng Yuyu married Ren Zhifang and shared the glory and wealth with his wife. After middle age, ren zhifang and Sheng Yuyou shared happiness and hardship, worked together to help her husband climb the mountain and make a comeback. In their later years, the husband and wife respected each other as guests, like gods and goddesses. This is the real marriage of the rich!
Photo: Ren Zhifang
Baimen Le witnessed the marriage of Sheng Yuyou and Ren Zhifang, and witnessed the ups and downs of a modern woman. She is the owner of Paramount, the aunt of Sheng Yuyou, and the famous "Miss Sheng Qi" on the beach.
04
In the 1960s and 1970s, in the streets of Shanghai, people always saw an old lady, dressed in a particularly exquisite way, sitting on a chair in front of the door, elegantly smoking a cigar.
Passing pedestrians, it is inevitable to look at it a few times, and someone whispered: "Presumably, which lady of the fallen nobility is this?" ”
"She was Miss Sheng Qi, who was on the beach." "Oh, no wonder."
In her later years, even if she did not have the status of a rich family, she still maintained elegance, calmness and decency in the last years of her life.
Pictured: The Sheng family sisters
Sheng Aiyi is Sheng Xuanhuai's most beloved daughter, playing small clever, well-informed, beautiful and born, Shanghai beach boys, stepping through the threshold of the Sheng family, still failed to win the first thousand gold in Shanghai.
In her lifetime, Sheng Aiyi only cared for one man, he was Song Ziwen. When Song Ziwen was a poor boy, he once made an English secretary for Sheng Aiyi's fourth brother Sheng Enyi, and was overwhelmed by Sheng Aiyi. After launching a fierce attack on her, Sheng Aiyi was moved by a man for the first time, that is, Song Ziwen.
Helplessly, the disparity between the two families was too large, and the Sheng family collectively opposed it. In 1923, Mr. Sun went south to Guangzhou and urged Song Ziwen to go to preside over the affairs together, and Song Ziwen was overjoyed and hoped to take Sheng Aiyi with him. However, after Sheng Aiyi struggled for a long time, she still could not rest assured of her mother and failed to make the trip.
Before leaving, Sheng Aiyi handed Song Ziwen a handful of gold leaves (gold gifts given by high society, more elegant than using banknotes), leaving words: "You can go with confidence, I will wait for you to come back." This goodbye is 7 years later in 1930. The lover who had been waiting so hard for Sheng Ai had finally returned, but Song Ziwen had already had a new love, and he and his wife Zhang Leyi were in and out of pairs.
Photo: Sheng Aiyi
Shan Menghai vowed to end up empty, and sheng ai Yi was seriously ill. Even if she is heartbroken, her innate pride makes Sheng Aiyi reluctant to appear in front of others. When someone mentioned Song Ziwen, she always pretended to be angry and said, "He still owes me a handful of gold leaves and has not returned it." ”
In 1932, Sheng Aiyi married Mrs. Zhuang's nephew Zhuang Zhujiu with regrets, and has never had anything to do with Song Ziwen ever since.
Sheng Aiyi left to the gossip media, not only the love-hate relationship with Song Ziwen, she was also the first woman in modern times to legally fight for her family inheritance, which caused a sensation and finally won the lawsuit and received 500,000 yuan.
Also in 1932, Sheng Aiyi and Huzhou in Huzhou in the shanghai three generations of Gu Liancheng, jointly invested 700,000 taels of silver, purchased the Jing'an Temple to build Paramount Hall, and named it "Paramount Gate" in harmonic sounds. Since then, Paramount has become the "first music house of the East" with the same name as Broadway in New York, and has also become synonymous with drunken dreams and deaths in the turbulent years of old Shanghai. However, due to poor management, Sheng Aiyi changed hands of Paramount after the Yi.
Today's Paramount is no longer synonymous with the glitz of Shanghai Beach, but the melody of "Night Shanghai", which was born more than 70 years ago, still lingers in the ears from time to time, as if pulling people back to the turbulent but rich story era.