The winter snow makes the roads muddy, pedestrians walk slowly, people accidentally fall to the ground, and children take out skis and wear fur hats to play skiing on the snow-covered river. The sky is gray, and it seems that the next blizzard is coming.

Li Guolou was wearing a black trench coat and a top hat standing outside the yamen, he was an outlier of the yamen of the criminal department, and everyone knew him. The cold wind struck, Li Guolou coolly raised the collar, the coat was not buttoned, and the open placket looked like a handsome guy. An undercurrent is surging in the criminal department, this is the dress of a fake foreign devil, which is respected by more and more people. As long as there is a little money, the officials and officials began to slowly learn Li Guolou's dress. There were more and more people in black coats, and Li Guolou looked at a colleague who had entered the yamen.

Ran was angry and said, "Ai bald, why are you wearing my clothes." ”

Ai Hai fled into the door and said casually: "Sleep in my bed, I wear your clothes as a matter of course." He had disappeared in the doorway as he spoke.

Li Guolou scolded a Beijing scolding in his mouth, the white-eyed wolf who couldn't be raised was living a good life next to him, but he still pushed him to a situation where he could never recover. Now he doesn't dare to go back to Hongchang Hutong, Wang Kuaizui also begged him for help to find his disappeared wife Honggu, he promised Wang Kuaizui on his lips, not to mention how uncomfortable the taste in his heart was, Wang Cub's crying face felt that he was not a human being.

Li Guolou is also reflecting on himself, how many people have his appearance changed and has he changed the world? It's not so great. But everything around him changes with his pace, will he be in control of the future? Li Guolou was a little lost, he was afraid to see the end.

The wind lifted the snow on the ground, and the people on the street walked with their heads down, Li Guolou pressed his top hat very low, and looked down at the road towards Dongyuan Alley. Thinking of Chen Xiangfang, Li Guolou's heart was filled with warmth, and the sweetness of love made him smile on his face. Li Guolou quickened his pace, and a child bumped into him.

"I'm sorry!" The child said urgently.

Li Guolou didn't let the child slip away, grabbed the child's collar, lifted the child into the air, and said angrily: "If you don't learn well at such a young age, who is your eldest brother." While speaking, Li Guolou took back the waist bag that was stolen by the child.

The thief-eyed child cried and begged for mercy: "Uncle, spare me, I haven't eaten for a day." ”

Some of the people on the road stopped to look at the scene in front of them, some were scolding the child, and some asked Li Guolou to spare the thief.

Although Li Guolou knew that children were lying, such children were members of theft gangs, and when they were children, they were petty thieves, as long as they were not beaten and disabled, they would one day become big thieves. But today, the child did not succeed in stealing the money bag, and was caught, and he would be beaten by the eldest brother when he went back, and these adults who control the children's lives and hide behind them are the worst bad people. Li Guolou has made up his mind that he will not give face to the beggars, he must arrest this kind of bad guy and put him in a dirty prison.

Li Guolou put down the child, took out ten copper coins from his waist bag and handed them to the child, saying, "You go, leave it to your boss, if you want to learn well, don't mix in the thief's den." Ever seen those beggars crawling on the streets? The reason why they can only climb is because they were caught in prison and wore wooden dogs, and their legs were useless. You don't want to live like this for the rest of your life, don't be a thief. ”

(The wooden dog is a kind of torture instrument in the Manchu Qing Dynasty, specially designed to deal with thieves, as long as it is worn for two years, people will not walk normally, this kind of torture tool is still used in the early years of the Republic of China.) ）

Li Guolou left after speaking, whether this kid could understand it or not? There must be a member of the thief next to him, Li Guolou glanced around the people around, as if to warn those who were not peaceful, he would not let them go.

There was a humane on the side: "I know him, the fake foreign devil is a person in the yamen, little hairy boy, you meet him and count it as your good life, and you will be killed by other officials." ”

The child ran with his head down and disappeared into the street quickly, and his fate would change when he met Li Guolou.

"Xiaolou!" A familiar voice came, and Li Jingluo ran over with a smile at the door of the Anhui Township Hall.

"Uncle Li, what a coincidence!" Li Guolou hurried up to catch up, but he didn't expect to meet Li Jingluo here.

"Xiaolou is really a coincidence, I was just about to go to you, your brother sent a telegram."

Li Guolou looked at Li Jingluo suspiciously, there must be something unspeakable to hide from him, and said with a smile: "Uncle Li, you told my brother about me?" ”

Li Jing said with a straight face: "How can I not say it, the store is about to open, can I still pretend to be deaf and dumb?" ”

Li Guolou lowered his head and smirked in shame, there was no time for him to be high-profile in front of his elders.

Li Jingluo took out the telegram from his pocket, handed it to Li Guolou, and said: "Your brother, your sister and your brother-in-law are coming to Beijing for the New Year, and I have important news to tell you." ”

Li Guolou shuddered, the telegram fell on the snow, and said hurriedly: "Ah! Why didn't they send me a telegram? ”

Li Jingluo looked at Li Guolou with dissatisfaction, and said, "I'm not the same as you." ”

The flustered movements show how scared Li Guolou is of his brother and sister coming to Beijing, and his heart is like hanging fifteen buckets to carry water in a well, up and down, scared, flustered, and looking forward to the warmth of his family. I couldn't help but be tied up by my relatives, I missed my brothers and sisters, and I was supposed to go back to my hometown for the New Year, but because there was a woman in love in Beijing, I didn't go back to Hefei, Anhui. Now it's okay, the whole family will be reunited in Beijing.

Li Guolou walked into the Anhui Township Hall with Li Jingluo, and in the morning there were already people playing and singing in the teahouse, and a group of people of old and young who were enjoying themselves sang Peking Opera and performed their specialty.

Li Jingluo didn't take Li Guolou to the backyard, checked a corner seat to sit, and said, "I'll talk to you here, I still have something to go out later." ”

The little guy in the running hall poured tea and handed water, Li Guolou went out to drink tea for the first time in the morning, he had adapted to the comfortable life of the Qing Empire, and slowly boasted about the green leaves floating on the teacup, and a stream of heat warmed his heart. "What a tea! This water is quite exquisite, it is boiled in ice water. Li Guolou is like an old tea guest, tasting the Maofeng of Huangshan Mountain.

Li Jingluo smiled and said, "If you know the goods, I will give you a pound of tea later, a tribute in the palace." ”

Li Guolou shook his head and said: "Uncle Li is not right, we can't eat the tea trees that are tributed, and there are still grades in the Maofeng of Huangshan Mountain." ”

Li Jingluo said angrily: "Xiaolou, you have a bad brain to do fast fishing, do you have to find out the bottom of everything?" No wonder it's hard to go home, who did you offend? ”

Li Guolou smiled awkwardly and said, "Uncle Li's ears are really smart, I can't hide anything from you." It's not a big deal to catch the bad guys and offend the gangsters. Now I am nesting in my colleague's house, and it depends on how much money my family gives me to buy a house. ”

Li Jingluo sighed: "You, how much silver did the family spend on you, tens of thousands of taels." People only earn a few hundred taels in a lifetime, what do you say you learned by spending so much money at a young age? ”

Li Guolou hurriedly sat down and said: "Uncle Li, I am doing great things now, spending the silver, and doubling it back in the future, I will donate 1,000 taels of silver to your hall from next year, you are satisfied now." ”

Li Jing was slightly unmoved, and said, "Xiaolou, your brother's piece doesn't count." ”

Li Guolou refuted: "Uncle Li, this is wrong for you, our Li family is not divided, how can we divide two people to donate?" One thousand taels has been doubled, and you think I use the silver ticket as papyrus. ”

Li Jingluo couldn't hold it back, his beard trembled with laughter, stretched his eyebrows, and said, "Okay!" I believe it. Don't worry, I didn't say anything bad about you, I also want you to stay in the capital, how can I say that you and Xiaofang are not, I will say good things to you. ”

"Really!" Li Guolou showed a happy expression, it was better to be his uncle, and his elbow turned in.

Li Jingluo glanced at it and said: "Well, for the sake of your kid, you still have a conscience and haven't forgotten my uncle, unlike some people who call him kind, if he really asks him to pay for money, he will cry poor for me." People who don't want to help the villagers will never be able to rise and make a fortune, don't you say? ”

Li Guolou hurriedly nodded and agreed, people must have foresight, the power of the fellow townspeople association is all over the north and south of the river, and the employment of people in this era is sub-regional, there is no relationship with relatives, who dares to use you. Each industry is also controlled by people from different regions, and it takes a lot of effort to step into their threshold. Just like Li Guolou wants to do a ticket number business, you can't succeed without the help of Shanxi ticket numbers. As soon as people come to the run, they will let you die at one time, and the opportunity is to rely on the usual bit by bit accumulation, and Li Guolou is also accumulating connections.

Li Jingluo said with a smile: "Your brother has sent the money to the Shanghai Fellow Townsman Hall, let you buy a house, they are coming to live in a new home this time, now is a good time to buy a house, and the creditors are all in the landlord's house." You can't bargain in Xiaolou, wait for me to visit the good guests, and I will look for you in Baozhi's room at noon. ”

Li Guolou was both excited and nervous, scratching his head and saying, "Is it too late for Uncle Li to buy a house now?" I can't find anyone in the decoration. ”

Li Jingluo thought about it: "It's also a small building, and you can't live in it if you buy it, so let Xiaofang be happy." Let your brother and sister live here, and I'll take care of it. ”

"Then it's troublesome Uncle Li, I'll go to Baozhi's room." Li Guolou stood up excitedly and wanted to leave.

"Hey, I don't see if you don't take the tea." Li Jingluo rebuked in a reproachful tone, but the expression on his face was approving.

Li Guolou took the telegram and asked suspiciously: "Uncle Li, who is it that the telegram says that my old friend is here?" ”

Li Jingluo replied: "Your old friend, how do I know who it is? You're asking the wrong question. ”

Li Guolou was excited and a little suspicious, holding a bag of tea in his hand, and left the Anhui Fellow Townsman Hall. Behind him, Li Jing covered his mouth slightly, and looked at Li Guolou's back narrowly, snickering.