"Hahaha smoking Hatamen cigarettes has made me a pile". Wordplay on the old proverb 身发财发,量大福大 "A fatter body increases the capacity for good fortune". Hahajing (哈哈镜), literally haha mirror, is also the Chinese word for a distorting mirror.
“Mr. Yuan,” she said, “would you like to come over to my table and have a cigarette?” “I would be honoured to. Please have one of my cigarettes.” “No, thanks. I only smoke Craven A.” “Why Craven A?” “Because I love their gentle smell.” We walked to her table and sat down. “From now on I shall call you Craven A,” I said jokingly. “Be careful. Black cats are harbingers of bad luck.” She pointed at the little black cat depicted on the lid of my red cigarette case....
The My Dear, or Měilì (美丽牌) cigarettes brand by Hwa Ching Tobacco (华成烟草股份有限公司) was famous for its advertisements depicting modern Chinese girls, often alone and frequently assertive, exhibiting an individuality and independence missing from the traditional pictorial genre. A Chinese version of the Mae West-style no-nonsense female - the epitome of the modern Shanghai lass.