Chapter 399



399 Chapter 399 the old days

The anger that she had felt when PEI Yi disobeyed her and returned to the capital on his own accord, even changing the registration time for the school exercise, dissipated the moment she saw her grandson.

This was a child that he had raised by himself. Even if he was angry, he could not bear to be angry for too long.

“Do you want some tea? I’ll get Xiao Lin to make a pot.”

Old master PEI loved cigarettes, wine, and tea. These three were the most important things to him, and no one in the family was allowed to touch them.

After he got older, old lady PEI and his family members hoped that he would not touch cigarettes and alcohol anymore because of his health. He had more time to drink tea.

He usually kept the truly good tea and would not drink it unless it was important.

“Last time, I got a little bit of Da Hong Pao. There’s only this much, try it.” Old master PEI pinched his fingers and made a hand gesture. PEI Yi said, ”

“Grandpa, didn’t you hide some wine in your cabinet?”

Old master PEI was stunned.

After his health deteriorated, his family forbade him from drinking. However, old habits die hard. He took out a small space behind the cabinet in his study and filled it with a bottle of good wine. He would drink a little when no one was around.

PEI Yi had been doted on by him since he was young. His family did not know about his secret, but PEI Yi did.

When he heard that his grandson wanted to drink, old master PEI looked at him for a long time. He smiled, but his eyes were firm, and he did not seem to have any intention of changing his mind. In the past, no matter how old he was, he would always be like the child he used to hold in his hands. Thus, he made decisions for him and made decisions for him.

Now that she wanted to drink tea with him, he took the initiative to ask for wine. Was it because he wanted to express to her that he had already grown up?

Old master PEI smiled and turned around to get a glass of wine.

He pulled open a thick dictionary that had been dug out and took out a small box inside. There were two wine glasses in it, and each glass was just enough for two sips.

To make it easier for him to Hide the Wine glasses in the house, they were not big, small and exquisite, and he could hold them in his palm.

Old master PEI took out a glass of wine and went into the bathroom to wash it. He then took something and dried it with a pained expression. After hesitating for a long time, he finally rubbed his hands and took all the books from the bookshelf. Finally, he took out a wine bottle and said,

forty years ago, grandpa’s old friend gave it to me. I usually don’t want to touch it, and I won’t give it to anyone.

The bottle was tightly sealed with wax to prevent it from ‘running out’. The bottle was smooth and shiny, as if it had never been opened all these years.

The bottle’s appearance wasn’t shocking, and it even looked a little uncouth, but it was obvious that it was old.

Old master PEI hugged the bottle of wine and looked a little sad.”Grandpa’s old friend has been buried in the soil for a long time.”

He hardened his heart and melted the wax seal on the bottle. Before he could open the cork, the aroma of the wine wafted into PEI Yi’s nose.

Old master PEI seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. He hugged the bottle and said weakly, ”

“This wine bottle was a gift from your Grandpa Zhang. You might not know this person.”

He sighed, sat down, and opened the bottle. The wine had been left there for many years. The wine was amber in color, like honey. It was already a little thick, and the fragrance was overflowing.

at that time, the invaders invaded, and the country was in a precarious state. I was only twenty-three or twenty-four years old, just like you. At this point, old master PEI glanced at PEI Yi and pushed the 70% full glass in front of him.

“Ah Yi, you can’t imagine that scene.”

Old master PEI smiled and sat down on the other side of the sofa slowly. He was talking to his grandson face to face.

now that you’re all grown up, I don’t want to talk to you about school or the drill. I want to talk to you about something else.

He raised his leg and reached out to touch the short box on the sofa. There was a box of cigars inside. He took one out and sniffed it.

“Do you know how Grandpa married grandma?”

PEI Yi shook his head. He only knew that his grandmother was from Shanghai and was born into a prestigious family with many relatives. When he was young, his grandmother’s family members would always like him very much whenever he went back to Shanghai.

To be able to marry old lady PEI, who was from an extraordinary family background, old master PEI, who was particular about his family background, naturally would not be from a low family background. In fact, his family background might even be more prominent than old lady PEI’s.

Old master PEI’s family was originally in Tianjin, and his grandfather was a capable tactician of the late Qing Dynasty’s ruling King, Liu Zhengzhang. Later, he was transferred to the governor of two rivers, governing Jiangsu, Jiangxi, and Anhui. He also ruled Nanjing and was the Minister of Beiyang. He was in charge of Foreign Affairs and established the land and sea Army, buying coal, iron, telegrams, ships, drama, and other enterprises. After many years of development in Tianjin, he had immense power and the PEI family quickly rooted themselves.

Under such circumstances, although old lady PEI’s family background was good, it was still inferior to the PEI family.

When old master PEI was young, he was the eldest son of the PEI family, and there were countless women who wanted to marry him.

When he was young, his family was illustrious, and most of the noble daughters of the various clans came and went. Many people fought to be his matchmaker in front of old master PEI.

Under such circumstances, the situation in Huaxia back then was extremely complicated. The high-ranking families were still prosperous, and the economy was developing at an unusually fast speed.

The invaders coveted this fertile land and were already coveting it. The three provinces were already showing signs of falling into enemy hands, and the people there were living in deep waters and burning fires.

On the other hand, under old master PEI’s rule, there was song and dance. The extreme prosperity and war mixed together. From old master PEI’s mouth, it was like a painting that slowly unfurled in front of PEI Yi.

at this time, a good friend of mine, Zhang Yiping, came to visit me. After saying this, old master PEI leaned back on the sofa and sank into his memories. “He’s seven years older than me. He’s an old acquaintance of mine when I was studying in Beiping. He’s very talented in literature and is the head secretary of Shanghai’s Wen Wu mountain. He gives him advice.”

Old master PEI held a cigar in his hand and smiled at PEI Yi. PEI Yi said,

“Great-grandfather’s people?”

Old lady PEI’s maternal family was Wen. Her family used to be in charge of the comprador business of the foreign bank in Shanghai and was very rich.

“Yes, it’s not easy to enter the PEI family, ah Yi.” Old master PEI smiled and said, ” he came here as an old friend of mine. He brought up a pot of wine like this and talked about my marriage.

Old master PEI’s family background was too high, and he was the eldest son. His family had high expectations of him, and his marriage had not been decided yet. He was the ideal husband in the eyes of the socialites and ladies.

Although the Wen family was rich, they were not worthy of the PEI family.

To say something that seemed outrageous at that time, the PEI family was like an Emperor who could cover the sky with one hand in the land of the two rivers.

At that time, the Qing Dynasty had already existed in name only. The warlords in various places were divided and it was difficult to restrain the local areas. The PEI family was the king in the Twin River region, and the Wen family and Ren yangxing were comprador. In the eyes of the PEI family at that time, they were no different from ‘officials’ and were not compatible.