Anti-Japanese national hatred and family enmity

  "Sir, do you want a rickshaw?" Zhao Chuanfu carried the suitcase and walked to his son's side, smiled at him and then led the way out. The three of them followed closely behind. During their conversation just now, the people on the dock had already dispersed in all directions. Zhao Yidian was still a bit shy when she saw her brother, but when she saw Xingzi, she didn't feel strange at all. It seemed like they had known each other for a long time. She held Xingzi's hand and kept asking questions, of course, most of them were about Xingzi's outfit from head to toe. Maybe this was the reason why girls are born to love beauty.

  "Go, go, go, my old man won't ride your broken rickshaws!" The four of them had just walked out of the dock when several yellow cab drivers who hadn't gotten any business rushed over. However, they were immediately pulled away by a tall and sturdy young man.

  "Xiao Si, how dare you speak like that! I apologize to all of you! Young people these days don't know their manners, please forgive him!" Zhao Chuanfu scolded Xiao Si while bowing his head in apology to the cart driver.

  "Master..." was scolded by Zhao Chuanfu, and Xiao Si felt embarrassed and lowered his head to avoid his gaze, shifting his eyes to Zhao Zhibang.

  "Xiao Si, it's been years since we last met, why are you being so polite all of a sudden?" Zhao Zhibang said with a smile as he looked at Xiao Si. They had grown up together since childhood, and their families were close, making them closer than biological brothers. Zhao Zhibang was three years older than Xiao Si, and they had always referred to each other as brothers.

  Xingzi gave Xiao Si a slight bow without saying a word, just nodding her head in greeting. Only Zhao Yidian made a face at him, with an expression of schadenfreude.

  A group of people arrived at the side of Zhao's car, Xiao Si quickly took over the suitcase from Zhao Chuanfu and put it in the trunk, then opened the door to welcome Zhangzi and others into the car, while Zhao Chuanfu sat in the front passenger seat.

  From Tianjin to Beijing, it usually takes more than 3 hours. I don't know if Zhao Chuanfu was embarrassed because of the arrival of Xingzi, and he didn't know what to say, so he kept criticizing Xiao Si all the way. He would criticize him for not treating the driver well, and then say that he drove too fast. It wasn't until Xingzi and Zhao Zhibang fell asleep in the back seat due to fatigue that he stopped.

  Zhao Chuanfu's home was a traditional courtyard house in Beiliuyehutong, which had been the Zhao family's ancestral property for many years. In its heyday, the "Four Treasures Escort Agency" founded by Zhao Chuanfu's great-grandfather, Zhao Qihua, was renowned for its excellent martial arts skills and reputation, making it one of the four major escort agencies in Beijing. Even some government officials at that time had dealings with them. However, after the invasion of foreign powers, the traditional way of doing business by carrying goods on shoulders and pushing carts, accompanied by a person wielding a large knife to guard against robbers, became a thing of the past. By the time Zhao Chuanfu's father, Zhao Liandeng, took over, the escort agency was forced to close down, and from then on, the Zhao family's fortunes declined day by day. Eventually, they had to pawn their ancestral property just to make ends meet, including this very courtyard house, which was eventually mortgaged to someone else. It was precisely because of this that Zhao Liandeng always believed he was responsible for the downfall of the Zhao family, and so he died in despair when Zhao Chuanfu was only five years old, leaving behind a young orphan and his widowed mother.

  Perhaps it was because of his mother's influence when he was young, after Zhao Chuanfu grew up, the Zhao family became rich again with his name, and what he did was the antique business. Later, because 'Japan' was making trouble in Northeast China, he invested to buy back this ancestral house in Beiping.

  Because Zhao Chuanfu kept instructing Xiao Si in the car, what was originally a 3-hour drive took nearly 5 hours. When the car turned into Liu Ye Hutong, Zhao Zhibang and Xingzi were also woken up by Zhao Yidian. At the entrance of the courtyard in front, a middle-aged woman wearing a cheongsam was excitedly waving at the slowly approaching car. Next to her, a 15- or 16-year-old girl in a plaid shirt quickly turned around and ran out to open the gate.

  Zhibang saw the car drive into the yard, and the woman also hurriedly followed.

  "Mom, I'm back! I've missed you so much!" As soon as the car entered the courtyard and before it even came to a complete stop, Zhao Zhibang jumped out of the car and swept his mother into a tight hug, shouting loudly as if trying to make up for all the years of longing.

  "Come, come, let mother take a good look... how did you become so thin?" Li Yu'e held her son's face, tears streaming down as she smiled and carefully examined every inch of him.

  "Hehe, I haven't lost weight, I can eat a lot now! But mom, you're still so young and beautiful!" Zhao Yidian was always filled with reverence for her father Zhao Zhibang since she was little, never daring to joke around with him. On the other hand, little 'daughter' Zhao Yidian could be playful with him. However, with their mother, they seemed more like friends aside from their parent-child relationship.

  "Hehe, you little scamp is still so slick and cunning, I wonder if any girl will be willing to marry you in the future!" As she spoke, she reached out to pinch her son's ear.

  "Mother, look who's here?" Zhao Zhibang and his mother were playfully bickering, and Zhao Chuanfu chuckled and shook his head. In fact, he also hoped to be as close to his son in his heart. At this time, Zhao Yidian pulled Xingzi over to the two of them.

  "Auntie!" Although she felt a bit embarrassed, Kyoko still stepped forward and proactively greeted Li Yu'e.

  "Ah, okay, okay... Haha... Zhibang, you kid, didn't even tell your mom ahead of time..." Li Yu'e was startled by Xingzi's sudden appearance, but when she saw Xingzi's face turn bright red, she also knew what was going on.

  "Hehe, didn't I want to give you a surprise? This is Xingzi!"

  "Oh, Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Xiangzi girl, come on, hurry up and go inside, go inside..." Li Yu'e listened to her son's words and became even more convinced of her thoughts. She took the opportunity to glance at Xiangzi several times. With big eyes and fair skin, from her dress and demeanor, it was clear that this girl was not from an ordinary family. Which mother wouldn't want their son to find a beautiful and gentle daughter-in-law? Li Yu'e truly liked Xiangzi from the bottom of her heart.

  "Oh, wow! Mom... what delicious dish are you making? I could smell the aroma from the doorway!" Zhao Zhibang had just walked in when a pungent aroma wafted up to greet him.

  "You really have a dog nose... Zhao Zhibang's back, Li 'Yu' E pulled the apricot hand and smiled to say."

  "It's roasted duck, ah! It smells so good, I've been dreaming of eating our northern-style roasted duck... I have to try it quickly!" As he spoke, he casually threw the coat in his hand onto the sofa by the door and rushed straight into the dining hall. By the time Li Yujiao was about to speak, he had already grabbed a piece and put it in his mouth.

  "Hey kid, what's with the grabbing... Ah, apricot... You sit down and rest for a bit first... You must be starving after sitting in the car for so long. I'll go get the dishes ready and we can eat soon!" As she spoke, she walked into the kitchen with a smile, and as she passed by the dining table, Zhao Zhibang's hand was slapped away from the plate for the second time.