When Lu Zilin returned to the door, he heard the child's cry. The cry was utterly a howl of angry defiance and despair, which shook the whole house. This gave him a ray of hurt and a sense of life; The desolate and decadent atmosphere of the courtyard with the gatehouse demolished was diluted by the childish cry full of life. He couldn't keep the slow and loose pace that he had been walking since he came home from prison, so he hurriedly got up and ran into the upper room, took his grandson from Lu He's arms, and coaxed his grandson with an instinctive tenderness. The grandson refused all the gentle and affectionate words, refused the grandmother and refused the slightest trace of the grandfather's warm approach, but just mustered up all his strength to cry and howl "Mom-". The old couple had no choice but to exchange their grandson for their grandson, and the grandson of the dead father and the mother left will start his life without a father and mother from today. Lu Zilin looked at his grandson's eyes in a daze crying, and suddenly even hugged his grandson and Lu He and cried together: "My poor grandson ......" Lu He had already burst into tears, and now he couldn't help crying loudly. The grandson gradually slowed down his crying amid the cries of the two old men, and finally stopped helplessly, just choking.

Then the relationship between the elderly and the children of the next generation began to be close and close, from shallow to deep, from stiff to natural. When Lu Zilin was standing, he put his grandson on his neck upside down, and when he lay down, he pulled his grandson to ride on his stomach, recalling the nursery rhymes in his memory and teaching them to his grandson one by one. Sometimes the grandson is having a good time and suddenly asks, "Where's Mom?" Lu Zilin said seriously and casually: "Your mother is a sea beast and jumped into the sea." The grandson gradually showed his attachment and trust to his grandfather and grandmother, and Lu Zilin said to Lu He: "Look at the eyes of this broken bear, it is really the breed of the Lu family, and it is not even a trace of fake." Lu He glanced at Lu Zilin, then kissed his grandson's deep sunken eyes with long eyelashes, and muttered, "I don't listen to your grandfather's nonsense." Lu Zilin turned around to go out, and his grandson pounced on him and asked his grandfather to lead him to play. Lu Zilin coaxed the child and said: "Ye is not going to go shopping, he can't lead you, he is doing serious things, and he will go to my baby - I want to eat steamed buns!"

Lu Zilin walked into the Bailu Joint Insurance Office. Because it used to be too familiar here, now it seems strange. He walked straight to the door of Tian Fuxian's office, pushed open the door panel reservedly, stopped, and saw Tian Fuxian bowing his head and writing something on the table. Tian Fuxian raised his bright head, and a ray of surprise flashed through his big eyes, and then he smiled: "Brother Zilin, I know that you are back." Lu Zilin responded angrily: "Count my fate, I can still come to see you." Tian Fuxian hurriedly apologized: "I want to see you every day, but I don't go every day." This stubble is not good for the hand, and it really makes people tidy!" Lu Zilin said in a weird manner: "Of course, my brother is busy with official business!" Tian Fuxian smiled without mind, and pulled Lu Zilin, who was standing at the door, into the inner room: "If you have something to say, you can say it." What are you going to do when you come back?" Lu Zilin said in a tone: "Now that my family is broken, people are dead, and my family property is sold out, what else can I do?" It's good to have a bowl of thin grits mixed in the morning and evening!" Tian Fuxian said: "Before you came back, I dug the nest for you to stand on. I want to use you, you can give me as much as you can. Lu Zilin's heart moved, and he immediately replied: "What can I do with this type of turtle brain!" Tian Fuxian said: "You just come to the joint insurance office and help my brother." Lu Zilin didn't say anything......

Lu Zilin's walk into the joint insurance office today can be said to be a bad one. From the first day he was thrown into the cell, the first thing that came to mind was Tian Fuxian, who could save him, as long as Tian Fuxian went out to Yue Weishan to die, he would definitely be able to go home in less than half a month. He squatted for two years and eight months before he wiped out his expectations for Tian Fuxian. When he came back, he learned that half of all the belongings were given to the bribe-taker by the Lu He family through Tian Fuxian...... This becomes an account of conscience that cannot be speculated and verified. He smiled bitterly and said to Lu He's family: "You stuff the yellow and white goods to this and that, but it's better to stuff all the yellow goods to Tian Fuxian." Tian Fuxian went to Yue Weishan and said a word, maybe it was more than the provincial chairman to say ten words!" Lu Zilin came to Tian Fuxian today to see how he spoke; If he says it, he will say it; If he doesn't say it well, he is ready to play a scoundrel, and he would rather play a scoundrel than pretend to be pitiful and beg Tian Fuxian; Tian Fuxian is enough buddy brother, and Lu Zilin is also a brother and brother; If Tian Fuxian doesn't pay attention to righteousness, Lu Zilin will play a dead dog scoundrel, and he will let him see and understand. Looking at Tian Fuxian's sincere actions, Lu Zilin gave up the idea of playing a scoundrel and pretending to be a dead dog, and began to pay attention to his words: "Ah! I don't want to be an official anymore, I don't want to jump in front of people anymore......" Tian Fuxian took out a red silk bag from the drawer and solemnly put it in front of Lu Zilin: "You go, my brother and sister are stupid, you want me to stuff black food for others, and stuff it for me." I didn't answer, she didn't believe it. Okay, I'm done with Zhao today. Lu Zilin grabbed it with his hand, touched the red silk bag with both white and yellow goods, and jumped onto the table in front of Tian Fuxian: "Brother, didn't you underestimate me?" Tian Fuxian said calmly and plainly: "If I want your black food, will I still have the face to see you?" Take it back, and I'll save a little bit of your possessions." Lu Zilin began to regret the villain's opinion he had when he entered the door just now, and was glad that he didn't pretend to be a dead dog as a scoundrel. Tian Fuxian said: "You can come tomorrow!" I'm too busy to handle it, and I need someone to help!" Lu Zilin nodded and agreed, and naturally thought of the little grandson, who asked for white buns for Sun Wa to eat.

Lu Zilin came to work in the joint insurance office with high momentum. However, he did not come the next day as Tian Fuxian said, but postponed it for two days. In the past two days, Lu Zilin went to Xi'an, the provincial capital, and bought an authentic Ningxia Jiudao curved leather jacket, a real fox tail collar, and a pair of gold-plated hard-legged stone glasses and a black tweed top hat. His original outfit was sent to the pawn shop by the Lu He clan. Lu Zilin's outfit suddenly changed the unlucky appearance of the sloppy life in prison for two years, and became energetic. When Lu Zilin went to the joint insurance office, he passed through Bailu Town and happened to bump into Bai Jiaxuan. Bai Jiaxuan was coming out of Mr. Leng's Chinese medicine hall on crutches, raised his face and asked, "Zilin, what are you doing wearing such pomp?" Lu Zilin was reserved: "Director Tian dragged me to the United to work for him, I can't refuse!" Bai Jiaxuan looked at Lu Zilin's distant back and said, "The official meal is eating Xiangka!"

Bai Jiaxuan runs the family more carefully than ever. In the first year of the Great Expedition, he asked Xiaowu to hide in the mountains to run a traditional Chinese medicine purchasing shop, not to avoid being conscripted, but to avoid the messengers of the chief and the chief of security. Later events turned out to fully confirm his prediction. The first chief and the chief A became angry rats in the bellows, and the neighbors of the village and their own clan scolded them for harming people face to face, and they were reprimanded by the Bao Ding of the Joint Insurance Institute and even beaten with willow sticks. A stubble of strong men and a stubble of taxes are sent down, and the first to flee are often the chiefs and chiefs of each village...... Finally, the phenomenon of going door-to-door in all villages to take turns as the head of the first and the chief of the first is generally practiced. Bai Jiaxuan was interested in making a joke at that time: "In the whole of China, there are hundreds of officials, large and small, and only the first chief is a gentleman official who pushes back and forth." ”

Bai Jiaxuan paid the tax and gave another ding, and the third son Xiaoyi was the first strong man in the big conscription. He drove to Henan with the team to fight a battle, and he survived death and did not hurt a single hair, but only his fear and strangeness of war were defeated, and his deep-seated disgust for war suddenly developed in his heart. He saw so many dead people, their own and the enemy's corpses stacked on top of each other, and reminded him of the sheaves of wheat in the fields at the time of the harvest. His innate reluctance rushed from the bottom of his heart: What is this all about? The young man who has just grown up has not made a great effort, and he has settled the food account with a "quack" and falls! I don't want to settle other people's food accounts, so I don't want others to settle my food accounts. I don't want to be a sheave of wheat, and I don't want to turn others into a sheave of wheat, so I'd better go back and plant the crops and feed the livestock and tell the ox cart to trample on the gin. He took advantage of the darkness of the night to escape, and fled for nearly two months before returning to his hometown. He didn't go back to his original place, but found the eldest brother of the county security regiment, Xiaowen. Xiaowen asked his entourage to bring him a set of regimental clothes and told him to change into them. Xiaoyi said: "I can't eat this bowl of rice with a gun." Brother, find me another job!" Xiaowen said, "Then you go and feed the horses." Xiaoyi said, "It's a good job to feed the horses." I learned it with Uncle Sanbo since I was a child. Xiaoyi fed the horses in the security group for more than half a month, and was called home by his father who rushed to hear the news: "All the people in our family have become security groups?" When the next few stubble strong men were sent down, the first chief and the chief of the security guard walked around Bai Jiaxuan's gatehouse, which made Bai Jiaxuan puzzled, and deliberately stopped the chief in the village lane and asked, "How much will be sent to me this time?" The chief of security opened his eyes wide and said flatteringly: "Mr. Bai, why are you confused?" You are exempt. Bai Jiaxuan was really confused: "Exempt households?" The chief said, "Yes, yes! Lianshang specifically told me that you are exempt from taxation. Brother Xiaowen greeted Director Lian Ueda and said that he was a good man in the security corps. And the bunny baby...... His brother Heiwa and the Xiaowen brothers are also exempt from taxation in the same situation, you can call the rabbit baby to run away and hide, no one dares to hit the two of you......"

Bai Jiaxuan was a little embarrassed at first, and the exempt household was undoubtedly relying on Xiaowen's power to obtain special protection, which would put him in a special position in front of his clan and even in the original place. He told Mr. Leng about this unexpected good thing: "It's still good to be an official!" If you have a son as an official in the court, Lao Tzu is exempt from levied - households. Mr. Leng said, "Why don't you do this?" Whether you pay it or not, it's all! No matter how much you pay, you still put the money in the pit! This bear country has become a bear......" These cold words calmed Bai Jiaxuan's mind. The next day, he summoned the people who had not fled to the ancestral hall: "Fathers and brothers! From today on, except for the first day of the new year to worship the ancestors, everything is looking for filial piety and martial arts. The truth does not need to be explained, I have no power to return to heaven in this chaotic world at present, so you can do it yourself......"

Xiaowen then bought the gatehouse and gatehouse of Lu Zilin's house. Bai Jiaxuan was firmly opposed to this matter. Bai Xiaowen found Mr. Leng: "Mr. Uncle, I sold this house to the Lu family through you as a middleman, and now I still need you to redeem it as a middleman." I will demolish the house that was demolished by the Lu family and bring it back...... You can see what I mean. Mr. Leng said heartily: "You will also have a good face!" There's a kind of wow, lad!"

Hyo-moon returned to Yuanshang from the security team to live for half a month, first negotiated to buy a house, and then persuaded his father to allow him to build a house on the original homestead. Bai Jiaxuan still insisted on his original idea: "If you want to buy a house, I can't stop you." Are you going to build a house...... I'm still the old saying, if you set up another Zhuang Ji and set up another door, the brothers will not be able to squeeze a gatehouse after all!" Bai Xiaowen completely revealed his train of thought: "Dad, your words are right!" The brothers crowded into a courtyard, and no one could stretch their hands or feet. I have to postpone the construction of another Zhuang Ji for two years, and I am too busy now, and when the world is peaceful, I plan to build a courtyard house with my heart, and I will tell the old man to return to his hometown to have a nest. This time, I insisted on buying the house I sold and rebuilding it, which was considered atonement for the sins of my ancestors. House, for you and Xiaowu Xiaoyi, I don't want it......"

It wasn't until Lu Zilin's three gatehouses and the beautiful gatehouse were moved to the foundation of the Bai family's house that the old pattern was re-erected, and the courtyard became an airtight courtyard with a complete circumference. Hyo-moon took the two sons born to his ex-wife. The younger son continued to go to school in the county seat, and the eldest son joined the security regiment as a regimental member. He and his young stepmother had an indelible hatred when they first met. He became a special regiment member in the security regiment who was more coaxing than the company platoon commander, gambling money in the county town to get women to smoke big cigarettes, stealing flour and guns from the security regiment in exchange for "bubbles", and then stealing the private collections of his father and stepmother. Bai Xiaowen only found out about his son's problem after being stolen from his furniture, and after a full beating, his son fled with a short gun. After the birth of this son, Xiaowen was in the midst of being like glue with Xiao'e, and he almost never hugged him. After the woman starved to death, her son was raised by his grandmother, and he was as strange as a passerby. After his son fled, Xiaowen didn't even look for him, and said to his colleagues lightly: "Maybe he will be the teacher when we meet again!"

Bai Jiaxuan was powerless to care about his grandson's affairs anymore. The courtyard house maintains a peaceful place in the chaotic Bailu Plain, not only the strong men are exempted, but all kinds of taxes are also exempted. In many villages, there were one or several such exempt households. Wealthy and powerful families have obtained exemption from taxation through various channels and means, which not only saves people and property losses, but also becomes a special glory. Bai Jiaxuan was very sober-minded, and said to Xiaoyi and Lusan's son Tuwa: "Exemption is a good thing and a blind thing, do you understand?" Sensei is arrogant in front of people! If you can save your life in this world, it will be done. He began to develop a habit of nostalgia, and he always recalled the past when he taught the children: "Is the old age bad? How many people starved to death? But that time has passed in just over a year. Is the plague that blooms at both ends bad? How many people died? But less than half a year has passed. Push it further, are the crow soldiers powerful? I still didn't stop on the original for a year! These calamities are nothing compared to the things of the world right now. You see, since that year's levy to the present, how many descendants in our village have gone out and never returned? The number of people who sell land and houses and close their homes is still increasing, and the worst thing is that there is no end in sight to this kind of life!" Xiaoyi consciously took responsibility at home, first, it was his turn when his brothers were not at home, and second, he had already married a wife and become an adult. The combination of his stubborn nature and upright temper not only embodies the traditional family style of the Bai family, but also inevitably goes to extremes and makes many things stiff. In this respect, he was inferior to neither Hyo-mu nor Hyo-wen, but he was absolutely shrewd in managing the affairs of crops and livestock. He often argued with his father over what to plant and what to plant, and the result often proved to be reasonable. He had a fatal flaw that he himself was not aware of, that is, his wife had not given birth to a baby for many years after marriage. Bai Jiaxuan has long been worried about this matter.