Siheyuan: I am a big capitalist after the founding of the People's Republic of China

The next day, early in the morning, Uncle Qi and Gou Zi brought two covered carriages, the wheels of which were car wheels. Li Zihang and his family, with their bags and small bags, got on the carriages, Gou Zi and Uncle Qi drove the carriages, heading to Lijiazhuang in the eastern suburbs of the countryside at a steady speed.

Li Zihang and Xiao Yushui were very excited as it was their first time riding in a horse carriage.

As the carriage moved forward, the old city wall of the old city of Sijiu was torn down in some places. The bricks of the city wall were also taken home by the masses. Once you pass through Chaoyang Gate, you are officially out of the city. At this time, the outside of the city is called the countryside.

The old brick road on the main road was not so bumpy, but when you get off the main road and onto the country road, you will find that the dirt road is full of potholes because of the snowy weather and the dirt is frozen and hardened after the weather clears up.

They didn't even vomit. They were in no mood to enjoy the scenery. Grandma couldn't stand it anymore, so she asked Uncle Qi, who was driving the car, to stop and take a breath.

After getting off the cart, grandma held onto the shaft and gasped for breath. Aunt Qi took out the kettle and poured a cup of hot water for grandma to drink to calm her stomach. Li Zihang also held grandma and patted her back.

After she recovered, grandma complained to the old man: "Don't fix the carriage for me next time. Who can stand this bumpy road?"

The old man said helplessly, "I know. Just bear with it. It's less than 50 miles in total. It will be over if you bear with it. I'll ask Xiao Qi to drive slower. We'll be at the village by noon at the latest."

Grandma: "If they don't get shaken to death, they will freeze to death. You should wrap up the children tightly for me. Don't go back to the village, or the children will get sick."

Aunt Seven: "Don't worry, Auntie. The children are wrapped up tightly, so they won't be cold."

The little rain also joined in: "Grandma, it's not cold, I'm warm."

When grandma saw Xiao Yushui’s red face from the cold, she said unhappily, “You’re not cold. Look at your face, it’s frozen like that. Your nose is almost running into your mouth.”

Xiao Yushui wiped her nose with her sleeve. Grandma looked at her and rolled her eyes. Then she continued on her way.

Farmland was on both sides of the road, covered with snow to form a white ocean. Rows of poplar trees were planted beside the wider ridges and ditches, all withered leaves, leaving only intertwined branches. Occasionally, there was a bird's nest on a branch.

Driving along the dirt road in the countryside, we sometimes pass through villages. There are only a few blue brick and tile houses, most of them are mud houses, and occasionally there are a few families with smoke coming out of the roofs. The blue smoke floating in the white world is unique.

Occasionally, I would meet a few pedestrians on the road. They all wore thick cotton jackets, wrapped towels around their heads, put their hands into their sleeves, bent their waists, and walked carefully on the grass on the roadside that had been trampled by people before them.

After a bumpy ride, the carriage finally arrived at its destination before noon.

The sun in the sky was not warm at all. In this cold winter when even the breath could produce white mist, everyone was already frozen, with cold hands and feet.

At the entrance to Zhuangzi Road, there is a wooden archway with carved figures and three large gilded characters on it: Lijiazhuang.

This memorial archway was also erected by the old man when he purchased this land to settle his clansmen.

Compared with other villages, Lijiazhuang has houses in the east and west, which is well planned.

Following the main bluestone road of the village, you will enter the village archway and see houses built on both sides of the road. The entire village was built according to this plan.

The carriage stopped at the door of a large blue brick and tile house with a wall.

After Aunt Qi carried Xiao Yushui down, she took out the key and opened the door. Then several people entered the house.

Li Zihang knew this house. Every time the old man brought him back to the village, he would stay here.

This is the house of Li Zihang's family in the village. Before Uncle Qi's family moved to the city, the old man let Uncle Qi's family live here and look after the house for the old man.

Of course, Uncle Qi's family also had their own house. But there were too many brothers. It was too crowded to live in two houses. So the old man asked them to live here.

The old man rubbed his hands and stamped his feet in the yard. Then he called Uncle Qi, who was tending the two horses, and said, "Xiao Qi, go and say hello to the elders. Tell them that I will go to pay my respects to them after lunch."

Uncle Qi blew on his frozen hands and said, "I understand, uncle."

Uncle Qi was about to leave when the old man stopped him and said, "By the way, when you come back, say hello to Li Laomo at the village head. Ask him to prepare a table of wine and food, and we can go to his shop for lunch."

After hearing what the old man said, Uncle Qi responded and went out.

In the central hall of the north room in the courtyard, Aunt Qi had already lit the stove. Feeling the temperature in the room rise a little, the women and children in the room slowly began to move around.

Grandma: "It's freezing cold, you kids, don't go out and wander around, especially Dewang and Decai, don't be like happy rabbits. We have things to do in the afternoon, don't be nowhere to be found when the time comes."

The two brothers who were warming themselves by the fire heard their great-grandmother mention them and responded, "I see. Then can we go to my eldest uncle and my third uncle's house?"

At this time, Aunt Qi took over the conversation: "I told you two not to run around. I'm worried about you two. If you want to go, go ahead. Just come back for lunch."

Little Yushui also wanted to go out with them, so she asked her grandmother, "Grandma, can I go out and play with Brother Dewang and the others?"

Grandma: "Girl," she turned around and said to Dewang Decai, "When you take your sister out to play, keep an eye on her. Don't run to the river too often. The river is flowing water, and the ice is thin in some places. Don't go on the ice for no reason."

Decai: "Got it, I'll keep an eye on the rain."

As they were talking, someone saw Li Zihang and his family returning to the village, and came in to say hello.

A middle-aged man, wearing a woolen coat, walked into the yard and bowed to the old man when he saw him: "Sir, good luck to you. I was wondering if the seventh brother and his family had returned. It turns out you are back too."

The old man looked at the man in front of him, waved his hand and said, "Come on, I just told Xiao Qi that I would go to your house at noon to pay my respects to the old men. You are here now. By the way, Zezi, are the old men in good health recently?"

Zezi: "Those old guys can eat and drink a lot. They are in good health. The day before yesterday, I was scolded by my grandfather."

Old man: "Let's go inside and talk. It's so cold."

Arriving at the north room, the old man was sitting on the main chair in the middle hall. When grandma saw the visitor, she did not stand up. She just said, "Zezi is here."

When Zezi saw her grandmother, she bowed again and said, "Good luck to you, Madam."

Aunt Seven saw the person coming and called out, "Brother Nineteen is here."

Then he called a few younger ones to call people.

Decai Dewang Li Zihang said in unison: "Hello, Uncle Nineteen."

Xiao Yushui also greeted Uncle Nineteen very much.

After Zezi saw the younger brothers politely praising the three brothers, he asked Aunt Seven in confusion, "Sister-in-law, when did you get a daughter? Why is there no movement at all?"

Grandma then said, "Don't talk nonsense, this is my adopted granddaughter."

Old man: "Don't stand there, sit down"

Juan went to make tea for Zezi.

"By the way, you just said that your old man scolded you, what's going on?"

Zezi: "This is all caused by a bunch of little brats in the village."

Old man: "Tell me"

Zezi: "Master! You know, it has been more than 20 years since our tribe moved here. All the young men back then have started families. Each one is more fertile than the other."

"Every household has three or five kids. The oldest is over ten years old, and the youngest is still breastfeeding. There are more than 60 households and several hundred people in the village. These kids account for one-third of the population. In the past, when there was chaos and war, those who had stutters were content to survive. They didn't dare to think about anything else."

"But now that the country is stable, a group of kids, in addition to helping with housework, hang around in the village all day, causing trouble. If you beat me up today, he'll beat me back tomorrow. They're always out of control, and sometimes a group of them even form gangs and fight with kids from neighboring villages. It's really a headache for us parents."

"Just the day before yesterday, I wanted to discuss with my father how to deal with those little brats. But I said the wrong thing and got scolded by the old man."