The story of the novel "Tea House" begins in the last years of the Qing Dynasty, with internal and external troubles, the people's livelihood, and the decadent feudal dynasty is in decline, and the story ends after the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, when the Nationalist government ruled Beijing.
The novel involves a total of 50 characters, from the Qing Dynasty nobles to the people of the city and the peasants who fled the wilderness.
The earliest treasurer Wang Lifa, shrewd and sleek, since childhood by his father's philosophy of "more work, more good words" philosophy, convinced that "pleasing everyone, there will be no big mistakes", because of the role of wang treasurer such an old and good person, even if the situation outside is turbulent now, the tea house business is still booming, and people have nothing to do
Come and sit here. However, in order to avoid incidents, the tea house has an iron rule: do not talk about state affairs
Yutai Tea House is located on the most prosperous street in the old Beijing city, the business has been passed down for generations, and it is an authentic old brand.
Chang Siye was a Manchu Bannerman, a declining nobleman, but very upright, chivalrous and courageous; the Manchu Qing ended participating in the Boxer Rebellion, and after the dissolution of the Boxer Rebellion, he did some vegetable sales to make a living.
Second Master Song's temperament is exactly the opposite of Fourth Master Chang's, timid and low-key, kind and kind, and also a Manchu Qing bannerman. After the end of the Qing Dynasty, there was no source of livelihood, and he could not wipe his face to beg for life, so he changed the seller to amuse the birds all day long after giving birth.
But these two grandfathers have a very good relationship in private, so they often come here to drink tea together
Qin Zhongyi, the great name of the second master of Qin, is a truly faceless nobleman with many industries, and the Yutai Tea House is his shop. Moreover, Second Master Qin's "Tea House" is the only person who has ideals and ambitions and advocates industry to save the country. After that, he sold his industry, carried out industry to save the country, and ran a factory, but in the end he was condemned as a fake property by the Nationalist government, and he sold his property for a lifetime, and finally found nothing.
The man with moles at the corners of his mouth and freckles on his face is Liu Mazi, who uses the tea house as a trading place to betray the population here.
Behind him was the little girl who had just sold herself, Shunzi, who was twenty-eight years old, and was sold by Liu Mazi to a father-in-law for 200 taels, and the huge general manager was his wife, while Liu Mazi himself only gave Shunzi's parents 20 taels of silver.
"The Tea House" is divided into three acts, the first act is the last year of the Qing Dynasty
On this day, the tea house is full of high-ranking friends again, and people of the three religions and nine streams gather here to quarrel and spend their lives.
Suddenly, a crisp bird call came, and the Wang treasurer hurried out of the counter, which was the old patrons Chang Fourth Master and Second Master Song coming. Wang Lifa had just welcomed these two in, and Tang Tiezui slipped in. Wang Tiezui made a living by giving people a fortune and looking at faces, and he was considered an old patron of the tea house, but he never gave tea money, and his money was used to smoke a big cigarette.
As soon as he entered the teahouse, Tang Tiezui felt embarrassed and pulled the Wang Treasurer to tell him his fate, Wang Lifa was helpless, and he couldn't help but taunt him a few words while withdrawing his hand, but in the end, the Wang Treasurer still let Tang Tiezui go in.
Wang Lifa, the treasurer, personally brought pastries and good tea to Second Master Qin to enjoy, but Second Master Qin did not move when he looked at the pastries. At this time, a little girl dressed in rags reached out and grabbed the pastry. This poor mother and daughter came from the countryside to sell their daughter. Second Master Qin did not rescue or embarrass them, but just drove them away.
The little girl's mother then knelt on the ground and cried out to all the tea drinkers who were idle and tasting tea,
"Which master, do well, buy this child, just buy a kitten and a puppy."
When everyone listened, they all sighed, but the chivalrous Fourth Master Chang couldn't see it anymore, and hurriedly ordered the shopkeeper to give the mother and daughter meat noodles.
Fourth Master Chang did this, but he let Second Master Qin not come to the stage, and the Wang Treasurer hurriedly hit the round field, saying: Fourth Master, you are accumulating virtue and doing good, but at present, there are too many such things to manage.
The righteous fourth master Listened to the words of the Wang Treasurer, and his heart suddenly felt a pang of sadness, thinking of today's situation, he suddenly patted the table: "I see that this great Qing kingdom is coming to an end."
As soon as this remark came out, the people who were drinking tea at the scene were stunned, and it was a big taboo to talk about state affairs in vain, and people were afraid of being implicated and hurried away. But before I could get up. The huge chief manager (eunuch) at the door was helped in by the next person, only to see him say triumphantly: Lafayette has ordered Tan Sitong to be beheaded, and whoever changes the rules of the ancestors will have to lose his head.
He came to trade with Liu Mazi, where Shunzi was sold by Liu Mazi to the huge manager.
The treasurer Wang Lifa looked at the tragedy in front of him and suddenly became disappointed in this world.