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

Dongzhimen Railway Station is the starting point of Li Zihang and his group's journey.

Inside Dongzhimen, all kinds of donkey carts, horse carts, and tricycles lined up waiting for work. Inside the city wall was also bustling with people selling stewed buns, bean juice, sesame cakes, and big bowls of tea. There were countless snacks. People carried straw sticks and sold candied haws.

They would call out to the shoe shiners, cigarette sellers, soap sellers, and hair cream sellers. Whenever they saw someone, they would approach them and ask if they wanted their merchandise. There were also people soliciting for accommodation.

The travelers were exhausted, and outside the city was a vast expanse of yellow land. The pedestrians were also dusty and covered in dust. It was not easy to travel far these days.

Even Li Zihang's journey back to Jiangnan to trace his ancestral roots was extremely difficult.

First take a train from Sijiucheng to Tianjin, then take a ship to Shanghai. From Shanghai, take a bus to Suzhou. Maybe you will have to take a bullock cart.

It takes nine turns and eighteen bends, crosses the ocean, and crosses mountains and rivers.

Li Zihang walked through the city gate and looked at the ancient and magnificent Arrow Tower and Wengcheng. He couldn't help but feel a little sorry.

The city wall of Sijiucheng is a unique cultural symbol in Chinese history. It has witnessed the historical vicissitudes of the Ming and Qing dynasties and the rise and fall of emperors and generals.

The architectural specifications of the arrow tower are actually to connect two city gate arrow towers vertically, with double eaves and hip roofs, gray tube tiles with green glazed tiles, and fortress-like buildings.

There are five hanging beasts on the ridge. The corner arrow tower is located on a city platform with a height of 40 meters and a base length of meters.

The building is built along the outer edge of the city platform. There are arrow windows on both sides of the arrow tower, one row under the upper eaves and three rows under the double eaves. There are 1 holes in each row on the front side, a total of 3 holes on the two sides; there are 14 holes in each row on the side side, a total of 112 holes on the two sides. There are a total of 4 holes in the whole building.

The ancient city wall towers into the sky, majestic and imposing, like a natural barrier. Looking from a distance, the city wall looks like a giant dragon running through the entire city, with an indescribable shock.

What a pity, what a pity~

Li Zihang, without having to carry his luggage, just took his camera and started taking photos. He wanted to leave the imprint of this era in his photos forever.

"Grandson, stop taking pictures. Let's go. Don't miss the train."

"Got it, grandma. I'll take another picture. Wait for me~"

This time, Li Zihang and his family of three, plus two followers, went to their ancestral home in Jiangnan.

When she left, Xiao Yushui looked at her grandparents with tears in her eyes. It took a long time to comfort her.

It was really not appropriate to bring her along on this trip back to my hometown. Otherwise, grandma would have brought Yu Shui with her.

Inside the train station, he looked at the old-fashioned waiting room with curiosity. It was more vivid than the scenes in movies and TV series. After all, he experienced it in person.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the roar of the train, emitting white smoke, came slowly like a monster.

This kind of train was the first time he had seen one. No matter how backward the green train was in his previous life, it would probably be the best now. There was no comparison.

The old man bought two tickets for the premium box, and there were only eight boxes in one carriage.

The box is fully equipped with 2 beds, a fixed table and chairs.

Sitting in the box, Li Zihang was interested in everything at first, but after a few minutes, he became bored.

Slow, too slow, very slow. According to his own estimate, the train was traveling at a maximum of 60 kilometers per hour.

The train rumbled along the way, making a lot of noise, which made his head hurt.

Looking out the window, he saw farmland and bare forests everywhere. He fell asleep after looking at the boring scenery for a while.

"Grandson, wake up~ We've arrived."

Grandma patted Li Zihang's face gently.

Li Zihang was woken up, groggy, rubbing his eyes, and looking at his grandmother in confusion.

"My dear grandson, you fell asleep as soon as you got in the car. You didn't wake up during the whole journey."

"Grandma will give it to you. Wipe your face and wake yourself up. We'll be in Tianjin soon."

"Grandma, what time is it?"

The old man interrupted at this time: "It's almost twelve o'clock. When we get to the station, let's find a place to eat first. You guys pack your things. Don't forget anything."

Li Zihang calculated the time. Wow, the distance from Sijiucheng to Tianjin is more than 160 kilometers. It took more than four hours to take the train.

The old man introduced the history of Tianjin Railway Station to him as they walked.

Tianjin Railway Station was first built in the 1886th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1888) and officially opened to traffic in the 1955th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign (69). By , it had a history of years.

The original site of Tianjin Station was built in "Wangdao Village".

In the 1949th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty, the station was moved to the "Laolongtou" on the bank of the Haihe River, and was renamed "Laolongtou Railway Station". After , it was renamed Jinmen Station.

In 1950, Tianjin Station underwent its first expansion after the founding of New China.

The old Gothic station building has a chimney, and the ticket office and waiting area are on the first and second floors respectively. There are two platforms, an overpass, and four lanes, one of which is a dedicated line for the coal briquette factory.

The old man sighed and said, "That's where I sent you away, Second Master, Third Master."

"We have been apart for so many years, I don't know if we will be together again in this life."

When the old man was feeling sad, a middle-aged man in a suit and glasses trotted over.

"Master, you and Madam, take a rest."

After saying this, his two followers took over the luggage of Li Zihang's family.

The old man looked the man up and down and said, "Shou Shan, I didn't expect that you haven't changed after so many years. How is your father?"

(Shou Shan) Before the founding of the People's Republic of China. The son of the head of the business in Tianjin, Li family. He is also an old servant of the Li family. His ancestors for three generations have been living with the Li family.

"Reply, old master. My father has not been in good health in the past two years. His legs and feet are not convenient anymore."

"Otherwise I'll come to take over your job. It won't be my turn. Even so, my father still insisted on coming here."

"Your father is only a few years older than me. How come his health has broken down before he's even 70?"

"Old Master, you see this is not the place to talk. Please move. The banquet is ready for you and the old lady."

"Look, why don't we go to the restaurant first and talk while we eat."

"My father and a group of uncles are waiting in the restaurant."

Shou Shan spoke in a very low voice, asking the old man to go to the restaurant for dinner in a low voice.

Old man: "Okay, let's go."

After exiting the station, the car that had been prepared long ago stopped in front of the old man. Then the family got in the car. The car started and set off for the restaurant.

The car drove on the road in the suburbs of Tianjin, and the scenery along the way also opened Li Zihang's eyes. The closer he got to the city, the more prosperous it became.

The countryside and suburbs of this era all seem to be the same. Large tracts of farmland, low-rise houses, and farmers who always wear patched clothes and have pale faces.

Their life was hard, but compared to the past, it was much better. At least they were no longer bullied. They no longer had to worry about their personal safety, and there were no Japanese devils or dogs bullying them.

At least I have my own land and can be the master of my own house. Life has hope.

The closer you get to the city center, the more Western-style buildings you will see. Tianjin was once a concession for many foreign countries due to historical reasons. Various Western-style buildings are flourishing.

Pedestrians, bicycles, cars, trams and buses on the streets make the whole city look lively.

The car stopped at the entrance of Shunde Hotel. It is a purely Western-style gatehouse building. It still retains the style of the classic architecture of the sun never sets and the characteristics of the rural country architecture of the Middle Ages in Europe.

The restaurant is also decorated in a late 19th century, purely Western style.

During this period, only the rich or the noble could consume in Shunde Restaurant. Ordinary people could not enter at all.

The hotel greeters and waiters did not stop Li Zihang, a kid who was taking photos with his camera, but instead introduced him to the history of the hotel.

"In the early days, Shunde was a three-story building with a Western European rustic atmosphere. It was the leader of Tianjin's Western-style buildings at the time and also became the most luxurious hotel at the time. In 1924, a four-story building of about 2500 square meters was expanded on this basis. The hotel also introduced Western management methods."

“The hotel introduced the earliest generator in 1888. The hotel’s telephone, chandelier and elevator are all the most advanced facilities today.”

"There are countless celebrities who have stayed in the hotel. The last emperor, the empress, the young marshal and others have all lived here for a long time. The piano that Miss Zhao Si and Mrs. Meiling played is still in the lobby. Yuan Datou, Mr. Xu Shichang, Mr. Zhongshan, and Mr. Lan Fang have all stayed in the hotel."

“The hotel has welcomed many famous foreign friends throughout history.”

When Li Zihang heard this, he took a photo of his grandparents next to the piano in the hall, thinking of the mentality of visiting this place.

He also asked his servants to take a picture of his family of three with a camera.