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

At the entrance of Wangfujing Donglaishun, three people had just parked their bicycles. Next to the entrance pillar, an old man wearing a ragged cotton jacket, with messy gray hair and beard, was leaning against the pillar, mumbling something. He looked at the guests in the room with envy and a bit of disgust. He muttered, "That chopstick of mutton is wasted again. He is such a fool. Oh, the tripe needs to be cooked up and down, how can it be boiled in one pot? It's so frustrating."

When the old man passed by this man, he listened to what he said and looked at him suspiciously.

I found this person looked familiar, but I couldn't remember where he was, so I went up to him to check his background.

The old man bowed to the man and said, "Excuse me, old man. I think you look very familiar. May I know your name?"

The man looked at the old man, who looked rich and well-dressed, and said with some suspicion, "I dare not address you as a noble man. People who know me call me Ke Wu. It's strange, but you look familiar to me."

When the old man heard that this person was called Ke Wu, he was struck by lightning. He was stunned for a moment and asked tentatively: "Ke Family of the Imperial Household Department of the former Qing Dynasty, Master Ke Wu?"

Ke Wu, it has been a long time since anyone called him, the title of Master Ke Wu of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and he was also absent-minded for a moment. So he asked tentatively: "Your Excellency is..."

Old man: "I am Li Xianmin, from Sijiu City, former young manager of Tianshun Commercial Bank. Fifth Master, have you forgotten?"

Ke Wu, who is already more than 60 years old, slapped his forehead and said in shame: "It turned out to be you! Look at my memory. You are still as charming as ever."

The old man also said with deep emotion: "I didn't expect to meet you here again. Uncle Wu, let's go inside and eat and chat. Please come in!" After saying that, he made a gesture to invite Ke Wu.

Seeing the old man being so polite, Ke Wu straightened his back instantly. He put on a masterly attitude and strode into the restaurant.

In the Donglaishun lobby, several people found an empty seat at a table and sat down.

The old man said to Ke Wu, "Master Wu, what would you like to eat?"

Ke Wu: "What can you eat at Dong Lai Shun? Mutton."

Old man: "Come on~ buddy, take the order."

At this time, a waiter came forward and asked what they wanted to eat.

The old man: "There are four of us, so let's cut 5 pounds of shabu-shabu mutton, 5 plates of tripe, and then have crab shadow vegetable wonton chicken, and mushroom emperor vegetable. It's cold in this weather, so let's warm up with pepper abalone and deer tendon soup. Then we'll have mushroom king lobster balls, thick-cut lamb shoulders, and by the way, give me the traditional clear chicken soup for the base."

Then he said to Ke Wu: "Master Wu, what would you like to drink?"

Ke Wu listened to the old man reading out the dishes smoothly, squinting his eyes and tapping his legs, as if he had returned to the glorious days of the Qing Dynasty. Hearing the old man's question, he said, "You are old now, you should drink some Huadiao wine."

The old man: "Then give me another jar of aged Huadiao."

Ke Wu, who was standing next to him, did not forget to instruct the waiter, "The Huadiao wine should be warm. The mutton should be fatty and lean. Remember to cut it thinner."

The waiter who was taking the order said politely: "Come on, look at your attitude, you gentlemen, I can tell you are experienced gourmets just by hearing the names of the dishes. I'll arrange it right away. Please wait a moment. I'll make you a pot of hot tea."

To be honest, at this moment Li Zihang truly experienced the style and attitude of the Eight Banners descendants of the Qing Dynasty.

Ke Wu asked the old man about the identities of Gou Zi and Li Zihang next to him: "Master Li, these two are your son and grandson."

The old man introduced Gou Zi and Li Zihang to each other: "This one is my descendant, and the one next to him is my young grandson."

Following the old man's introduction, Gou Zi and Li Zihang stood up and politely greeted Ke Wu.

Old man: "Fifth Master! We haven't seen each other for more than 30 years! Why do you look like this now?"

Ke Wu sighed and said, "Alas, I am ashamed to say this. I have been down and out since the 5th year of the Republic of China. I didn't expect that someone would still remember me, Ke Wu."

Old man: "What do you mean?"

Ke Wu: "In the fifth year of the Republic of China, my father participated in the event of protecting the throne. Later, Yuan Shikai stepped down and my family was ransacked by the revolutionary army. I was also implicated and stayed in prison for another year. When I came out, I had nothing."

The old man: "Then how did you get through these years?"

Ke Wu sighed and said, "How did I get through this? I just got through it like a ghost. After I got out of prison, my family was kicked out and we rented a shabby yard. To make a living, I rented a rickshaw. That's how I made a living."

The old man sighed and said, "Thinking back to the days when you were so glorious, Fifth Master, you have fallen to this state now."

Ke Wu waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about the past. It's been more than 30 years. If you hadn't mentioned it today, I would have forgotten it."

The old man said apologetically, "I'm sorry you came, is the old lady still alive?"

Ke Wu: "My mother has been gone for more than ten years. It's a pity that she didn't even have a proper coffin to rest in before she passed away. It's all my fault for being such an unfilial son. I won't talk about the sad things in the past."

Old man: "Yes, yes, yes... Let's not talk about the unhappy things. How do you make a living now?"

Ke Wu: "Let's just pull a rickshaw."

Old man: "So you are at the door today~"

Ke Wu: "Oh~ I'm not greedy anymore. I passed by the entrance of Donglaishun today. I wanted to smell the food and enjoy the view. I didn't expect to see this group of people who don't know how to eat. I got angry and complained a few words. I didn't expect to meet you."

Old man: "Fifth Master, I heard that after this year, all cities will stop pulling rickshaws. What are your plans for the future?"

Ke Wu: "I don't have any plans. I'll just take it one step at a time. I'll live one day at a time. Anyway, I've had my share of good and bad times in my life, and it's all worth it. I'm a bachelor, I don't have any ties. One day I'll die, and that'll be all."

Old man: "I remember that when you were in your prime, you helped many people. Now that you are like this, no one will repay you."

Ke Wu: "Alas, people are not as honest as they used to be. When my family was in trouble, no one dared to help me, fearing that I would implicate them. Only Xiu Er, who was humiliated by me once, sold his house and gave me a bag of silver."

The old man: "Xiu Er? So you got the money, but didn't you think about turning your life around?"

Ke Wu: "You said, what else can I do besides eating, drinking and having fun? After getting the money, I turned around and acted like the old way. It didn't take long for me to squander all the money."

As they chatted, the dishes were served. The old man clinked glasses with Ke Wu. Ke Wu, who had a bite of the mutton hotpot, said, "This Dong Lai Shun is getting less and less sophisticated. The seasoning of this mutton hotpot is to fool the Japanese!"

When the old man heard what Ke Wu said, he quickly explained: "Master Wu, it's still you! This donkey won't fall down. Then again, you still think this is the Qing Dynasty! It's nothing like before."

After listening to what the old man said, Ke Wu also felt a little emotional: "That's reasonable. But I feel uncomfortable. Since we have spent money, we should spend it comfortably."

Then he called the waiter over and said, "Bring me another plate of sweet garlic, and a seasoning dish with chives, sesame oil, and minced garlic. Add another raw egg, and stir it a few more times. Also, add more chopped coriander and green onions. Don't forget the chili sauce."

Waiter: "Come on, sir! I'll be right there. Enjoy your meal."

After saying this, Ke Wu said smugly: "If you put it back there and did this to me, I would have slapped you in the face a long time ago."

The old man whispered to the side: "Fifth Master, please tone down your attitude. It's a different era now, take it easy."

Seeing the old man like this, Ke Wu felt embarrassed and said, "Look, I just met you and you still remember me. Please save my face. I forgot who I am when I showed off. Don't worry, I just wanted to show off because Master Li has given me the honor."

Old man: "Fifth Master, I still remember the first time I met you. Thank you for helping me out that year."

Ke Wu: "Master Li, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten it long ago. Besides, I helped you out that year, which was a small matter for me at that time. Didn't you visit me with gifts afterwards? You even held banquets for me several times."

The old man said: "It's a small matter for you, but if you didn't help me, I would have been beaten."

Ke Wu: "Master Li, don't worry about it. It's just an old story."

The old man: "You were in trouble that year. I asked about you. You know, I was young at that time and couldn't speak. I couldn't help you. I was very sorry. Later, I was sent out of town to do business. When I returned to Beijing a few years later, I couldn't find your whereabouts. In addition, there was chaos and war at that time, so I thought you were gone..."

Ke Wu listened to the old man's words and paused for a while before speaking: "It's not your fault. Whoever got involved in my family's incident would be in trouble. It's not something that ordinary people can ask for."

Old man: "Fifth Master, if you would do me the honor, please come to my place. I will find you a job that will at least provide you with food and clothing. Just consider it as my way of repaying you for your many help to me in the past."

Ke Wu was a little excited when he heard that the old man was going to assign him a job. In fact, he had been down and out for so many years and had already let go of himself.

Ke Wu stood up and bowed to the old man: "Thank you, thank you for your care, Master Li. I will be able to work tomorrow."

The old man quickly stood up and helped Ke Wu up.

After drinking for another two hours, the old man asked Gou Zi to take Ke Wu back to his residence, and then took Li Zihang back home.