In 1917, at the end of January, just a few days after the New Year, the heavy snow finally stopped, and in the courtyard of the "Li Mansion", a few plum blossoms bloomed in the northeast corner, and the fragrance was full of the garden.

After a while, Li Li's tomb was revealed, a round earthen bag, a small stele, Uncle Fu stood up and said, "Master, it's cold, go back to the house and stay, you can see the young master upstairs."

Li Yu didn't squeak, as if no one was there, still staring at Li Li's stele.

A car stopped at the door of the "Li Mansion", and a man wearing a black trench coat, a black bowler hat, and a pair of black leather shoes got out of the car.

When he entered the house, a warm air greeted him, and Li Juan, who had just finished confinement, had a plump body, came closer, took off his black windbreaker for him, and put on a cyan cotton gown, which revealed his original appearance.

He is none other than He Qi.

"It's cold outside, Dad has been staying with the second brother, Uncle Fu can't call back, you go and persuade it." Li Juan whispered, glanced up, lowered his head again, tied the buttons of his long shirt, and continued: "The eldest brother sent a letter, saying that he wanted to come back to see the second brother, I asked, Dad didn't speak, I guess he didn't agree. Big brother hasn't been back for several years, and Dad sees him once less."

Thinking about his wife's words, He Qi couldn't help but look at the front yard, and through the blurred window, he vaguely saw an old figure standing under the plum blossom, nodding and saying, "Hmm! I see."

And he said, "Is Xiao Shu'er awake?"

Li Juan replied, "Mother Fu is breastfeeding."

He Qi thought for a while and said, "You ask Fu Ma to feed it later, and I'll go and persuade the old man to go back to the house first."

Li Wan smiled instantly.

He Qi turned around and took out a pack of "Hade Gate" from the pocket of the black windbreaker hanging on the hanger, which was the one that Brother Xun liked to smoke, and walked towards the front yard.

It was not easy to wipe too many foreign fires, He Qi wiped it many times before lighting one, and then used the lit cigarette to light three in succession, bent down, erected it in front of Li Li's tomb, and fixed it with a pile of snow.

Three cigarettes emitted scarlet sparks, white smoke curled up, the old man glanced back at the room, and saw that Li Juan did not follow, so he picked up a cigarette from the ground and smoked it while coughing.

"Can't you smoke a little better?" The old man was sneakily pumping, and at the same time burying the bad strength of "Hardgate".

"Smoking is bad for your health, good and bad."

"It's not a cigarette, it's a human sophistication."

"Oh! Looks like they know better than I do, and they're starting to smoke this."

The old man smiled happily, trembled and smoked half of it, suddenly threw the cigarette to the ground, and stepped on it, because Li Juan came, and when he saw He Qi smoking, he immediately complained.

"You smoke outside, why do you smoke when you get home? Xiao Shu'er is still young, she can't smell the smell of smoke, you smoke, Dad wants to smoke too, he is old, Dr. Tang said he can't smoke......

The old man seemed to be fine.

He Qi didn't poke it, so he snuffed out the cigarette.

Li Juan said: "Xiao Shu'er is crying, refusing to feed, making a lot of noise, you go and hug her."

Before He Qi could speak, he saw that the old man had already turned around and rushed into the house, and Xiao Shu'er was the lifeblood of the old man.

There was still a half-smoked cigarette left in the snow, and Li Juan whispered, "Doctor Tang said that smoking is not good, you didn't smoke before, smoke less." He also said, "Mr. Fang Cai Zhongpu asked someone to send a message, saying that he would invite you to dinner at noon tomorrow, but some people from the Huizhou Chamber of Commerce have already made an appointment at noon tomorrow, so you have an idea."

He Qi said: "The Huizhou Chamber of Commerce has been changed to the evening, and I will go to Mr. Zhongpu at noon tomorrow, the New Year has just passed, I am afraid that I will not be able to go home these days, you can push everything you can, on the evening of the eighth day of the new year, prepare at home, I want to invite the editor of the newspaper to come."

Li Xuan's expression froze: "Is it necessary?"

He Qi took a deep breath and said, "It's necessary."

Li Wan was stunned for a moment, and the ten tense fingers were tangled together.

has embarked on this road, and has no regrets about taking the medicine, He Qi hugged his uneasy wife in his arms and comforted, "Don't be afraid, there is me! It's going to be fine."

......

In the baby's room upstairs, the old man was holding Xiao Shu'er to breastfeed and drink, with a doting face, He Qi quietly walked in and whispered to Fu Ma, "Fu Ma, bring a few clean diapers."

Fu Ma understood, so she put the dirty diapers on the ground into the basket and went out, He Qi closed the door, walked to the old man, and looked at the peaceful daughter who was breastfeeding, with a fat face, and smiled.

"Dad, there's not enough firewood to burn." He Qi touched his daughter's little hand while talking, although the old man had handed over all the burdens in the past year, but like this, He Qi would still say it in advance.

The old man didn't make waves, turned around with Xiao Shu'er in his arms, walked to the window, and didn't let He Qi touch Xiao Shu'er's little hand.

"Lao Huang wants to be a peacemaker, and he privately wants to invite me, an old fellow, to play chess, saying that your chess is too high and you can't play. He doesn't want to think about it, you are a big country, and the Dongyi people can't do anything about you, so he can have a way to nest in the French Concession? The French Concession is in charge of the affairs of the French Concession, Zhabei, Nanshi, the county seat, the downtown area, Xujiahui and Yangshupu are not under the jurisdiction of the French Concession, this is the Chinese Concession. Huizhou Chamber of Commerce to build a factory in Shanghai, the municipal government welcomes, the people also support, Jiangwan is the seat of the city government, the county seat is the old city, the city god temple area, the south of the city lives in many people, are houses, Xuhui is a mud pond, can only be built in the Suzhou Creek around Zhabei factory. If the dock is not allowed to be touched, then it is close to the railway station, the transportation is convenient, this thing is reasonable and legal, someone has to stop it, bad rules, then it is no wonder to others."

"Jade white! If you smoke in the future, don't touch Xiao Shu'er, I don't smoke now, I don't see people, I don't go out, you can do other things by yourself, don't come to ask me in the future. I'm really old, I can't accept old age! In the past year, I have seen everything you have done, I am not as good as you, and Li Li is much worse than you, so I am relieved. The Huizhou Chamber of Commerce is doing a good job, you don't have to fight and kill, you can surrender without a fight, which is something I can't do in my life. I can't do it, and neither can the old guys."

"You play chess, I don't worry."

"The yard will definitely be built in Zhabei."

Under Dongting Lake, there are still two boats and seventeen lives, He Qi thinks of Li Li, who is half gone, and Li Li, who is gnawed by fish and shrimp, and a heart-piercing pain swells in his heart.

"Oh no! Milk! Ahh Sleep!" The old man hugged Xiao Shu'er and hummed a nursery rhyme, glancing at the two cigarettes in front of the tomb under the plum tree, which had been extinguished for a long time.

......