I became a son-in-law in the United States

Chapter 23 Prohibition

After breakfast, the morning sunlight poured down, bathing the entire courtyard in a bright glow.

The brother-in-law then got up lazily, ate some milk and bread, and then came over to Luther.

"Luther, do you have time today?"

Luther nodded.

Of course there is time, and plenty of it.

There's been no reply from Europe yet, and Jia is also overwhelmed with preparing her final paper. Even though she's married, she still wants to study, and reads a lot of books.

There's no way around it, Wellesley is just that strict. If you happen to have an old lady who's about to retire, the students' lives are truly miserable.

Even last night, Jia stayed up until midnight before going to sleep; her final paper was just too annoying.

"Alright, since you have time today, and I told you before, I'm going to take you out for some fun, how about it?"

"What does it mean to have a good time?" Luther asked, quite curious.

In later generations, for a rich kid like Daniel, having a good time meant much more, but Luther really didn't understand the situation in the 20s.

But seeing his brother-in-law's excited expression, he knew that things weren't that simple.

The brother-in-law looked around, too lazy to explain, and simply told Benson to drive the car over, then pulled Luther into the car.

"We'll talk on the way," he said.

"All right."

Although Luther wasn't exactly a playboy, it wouldn't hurt to learn more about him now that he's in this era.

Regardless, my brother-in-law is a Harvard graduate, and the fact that he's doing well in Boston means he must have some skills.

For Luther at this point, his identity after traveling back in time is more like that of a tourist, looking around and exploring, focusing on experiences and observations, believing that seeing more is never a bad thing.

"Luther, you're my brother-in-law, so that makes you my brother too. Today I'm taking you to meet my other brothers!"

"The other brothers?"

"Yes, it's the fraternity. I'm the founder." Daniel said with a proud look.

Hearing this, Luther finally understood.

A fraternity, as the name suggests, is a small group spontaneously organized by college students. They play and have fun together, are as close as brothers, and stand together through thick and thin.

In this day and age, the word "fraternity" means much more to college students than just a club; it's more like a label of elite status, a vast network of connections, and even carries a certain strange mystique.

It's not surprising that his brother-in-law, a Harvard graduate, would join some strange fraternity, and old Joseph nodded in approval.

Because the brothers in the fraternity come from similar family backgrounds, they often exchange information and help each other out; in short, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Soon, the brother-in-law drove through Boston and arrived at a street not far from Harvard University.

This street is called Paradise Avenue. It has existed for over a hundred years and was one of the earliest gathering places for the old money, witnessing the prosperity of Boston.

After parking the car, the brother-in-law looked around to make sure there were no Prohibition police or detectives nearby before nodding to Luther and saying:

"Come with me."

The two walked to one street corner, and the brother-in-law scanned the area warily again. They walked to another street corner and finally turned into a narrow alley that could only accommodate one carriage.

The alley was lined with old brick walls, with dark green moss growing at the base, and a damp, musty smell in the air.

A few minutes later, Daniel stopped in front of an inconspicuous black iron gate. There were no signs or markings on the gate, not even a house number.

At first glance, it looks like an abandoned old warehouse.

He raised his hand and knocked on the iron gate three times, then paused, and then knocked twice more.

A moment later, a small metal window panel on the door clicked open, revealing a pair of wary eyes.

"Who?"

"Which way does the Atlantic wind blow?" Daniel asked in a low voice, speaking with practiced ease.

Upon hearing this, the eyes behind the tin window sized him up and down for a few seconds. Seeing that it was Daniel, they relaxed their guard slightly and replied in a muffled voice, "Blow towards the lighthouse."

The iron gate creaked open from the inside.

Luther was slightly taken aback by the two men's antics, as if his eyes had been opened.

Behind the door was a narrow, wine-red velvet corridor, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. Faded gold-framed mirrors hung on both sides of the corridor, their surfaces mottled but still reflecting two tall figures under the dim yellow light.

At the end was another teak door, which I pushed open, and a whiff of alcohol, smoke, and jazz music rushed out.

At this point, Luther finally realized that this was an underground bar.

In Boston, there are countless places like this.

Since the Prohibition Act of 1920, the pubs that once stood on the streets disappeared overnight, replaced by these secret hideouts hidden in the back doors of flower shops, the basements of barbershops, and even next to funeral homes.

Anyone with a bit of connections knows where to find fun.

Putting aside other things, it is said that in Boston alone, there were hundreds of such underground bars at the height of Prohibition.

The police weren't unaware; someone had simply given them advance notice, or perhaps they simply didn't want to know.

And the famous Prohibition in the United States is quite interesting.

Initially, the Americans implemented Prohibition for two reasons: firstly, the United States is a religious country and has always opposed drinking; secondly, domestic violence has been frequent in recent years, with men often beating their wives when drunk.

Furthermore, the private business owners and factory owners at the time were happy to see this happen, as the workers could work more if they drank less, and in the end, they themselves would benefit.

In addition, alcohol is widely regarded as a breeding ground for crime, so as a result, prohibition was eventually introduced.

When the policy was first implemented, it was supported across the United States, and everyone applauded the prohibition. Indeed, there was a period when no one drank alcohol in American society, and the social atmosphere was once very clean.

But as time went on, people began to feel something was wrong. Why were more and more people drinking alcohol even though the ban was in place?

The reasons are not complicated. Firstly, the urban population is increasing, and after get off work, people gather together and have nothing to do except drink.

Secondly, the prohibition of alcohol fostered gangs, allowing them to make a fortune. These gangs always found a way to get their hands on alcohol while also getting the police on them.

Third, since the alcohol ban was implemented, the government was surprised to find that husbands seemed to be beating their wives even more severely.

Finally, the high cost of law enforcement is due to the fact that many police officers are also involved in this business.

This is called the long-term abuse of laws.

Any policy will loosen over time, and gaps may even appear at the policy level.

Looking back now, the prohibition law had been in effect for seven years, and it was truly a waste of time.

Nothing can stop the American people's passion for alcohol, and Daniel and his fraternity are one of them.

Once inside, Luther realized that although the bar wasn't large, its grandeur was in no way inferior to any high-end club on the ground floor.

A row of dark green glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the light intentionally dimmed, barely enough to make out each other's faces, yet creating just the right amount of ambiguity.

Against the wall is a row of dark brown leather booths, the leather worn smooth and shiny, with a row of brass rivets on the armrests.

The bar counter is made from a single piece of walnut wood, about seven or eight meters long, and its surface is so polished that it reflects your image.

Behind the bar, whiskey, gin, and rum were neatly arranged on the liquor cabinet.

Boston, under Prohibition, never lacked alcohol, and imported alcohol was plentiful.

Many Irish gangs made their fortunes through this, and it's said that old Joseph also did this business before retiring after making his money.

In a corner not far away, a small band was playing, the sounds of their instruments drifting over, languid yet with a touch of arrogance.

Daniel knew the way well and quickly arrived at a bookshelf.

Push aside the bookshelf, and behind it is a hidden door. Go through the door and you will enter the drinking area.