Chapter 3 Mr. Lee's ancestors

Li Lianying is the fourteenth generation descendant of Li Zi, among whom there are many scholars who have entered the official career.Li Yingkui, the sixth patriarch of Li Lianying, was named Boqing and named Pengsuo.He successively served as Tuiguan of Fengyang Mansion in Zhili, head of the Wenxuan Department of the Ministry of Officials, head of Wailang, a member of the Inspection Department of the Ministry of Officials, Fanghaidao of the Ministry of War in Qingzhou, and inspector of Shandong Province. There is also a god card.His ninth patriarch, Li Zai, styled Yuanbi, was born in Wuwu, Kangxi, and was awarded Wenlin Lang's cabinet secretary.Later, there were several other officials.Therefore, it is completely true that the inscription on Li Lianying's epitaph mentioned that his ancestors mostly lived in Confucianism and prominent officials.

Li Lianying's ancestors later fell into poverty.The great-grandfather Li Hongqi had to eat because of his poor family in his early years.Because he is good at playing the huqin, he accompanied the gong troupe in the village to accompaniment to some rich and noble families' operas at their weddings and funerals.The gong troupe he was in often received praise and extra rewards for his outstanding performance, and the villagers gave him the reputation of Huqin Li.Later, his reputation spread to the capital, and he also went to Beijing to play at the mansion of the court officials, and won a lot of silver rewards.Later, he opened a small stall mending old shoes outside Xizhimen, Beijing.Because of being good at management, the family situation gradually improved.He lived frugally, and after a few years, he accumulated some money, bought land and built a house in Xizhimen Waitangzi Hutong, opened a cobbler workshop, and his business became more and more prosperous.

At first, Li Hongqi started some small businesses such as cooked fur and shoe wraps, and later gradually developed into making saddles and bridle sets for carts and horses, and the business grew bigger and bigger.Later, through someone's introduction, it became linked with the military quilt factory opened by the Qing Dynasty Military Aircraft Department in the Qianmenwai Grinding Factory (that is, the later Yongzeng Military Clothing Bureau).The leather he cooks is supplied to military supplies, and the business has made a qualitative leap, and it is officially on the right track.It also established a name called Yongdetang, which can be regarded as officially having its own brand.

Li Lianying's grandfather is Li Wanzhi, and he has three brothers, the eldest brother Li Wanfen, and the second brother Li Wanfang. He is the third eldest.Because his uncle Li Hongxiu had no children, he adopted his second elder brother Li Wanfang to inherit the heirs, which is recorded in detail in "Li's Family Tree".After the two brothers got married, they lived alone.Li Wanzhi married his wife, Mrs. Liu, and divided them into more than ten acres of land and three houses. The husband and wife worked from dawn to dusk, one worked the fields, and the other spun and weaved at home. They lived a rural life without worrying about food and clothing.A few years later, a son was born and named Li Yu, who was Li Lianying's father.

Li Yu was the only child in the family. Some people said that he was picked up from outside Xizhimen. This has no factual basis, and there is no relevant record in "Li's Family Tree". Due to the booming business in the Beijing store and the shortage of manpower, Li Lianying's grandfather left his hometown around six years ago in Daoguang and went to Beijing to run the business with his father.Li Yu grew up to be seventeen or eighteen years old in a family environment with no worries about food and clothing. He was very competitive and wanted to make a fortune.Taking advantage of the two off seasons of spring and winter, he also went to work in the shop in Beijing, learning some crafts by the way.Later, he cooked fur for others in his hometown.In this way, he grew up until he was twenty years old, and he got married as a matter of course. His wife is a girl from the Cao family in Jiaohe Village, this county, known as the Cao family.Although Mrs. Cao lived in an ordinary peasant family, she was born with a slick mouth, eloquence, assertiveness in situations, and how to live life. Everyone praised Li Yu for marrying a good wife.

Li Yu and his wife gave birth to a boy two years later, named Cathay.After another two or three years, a second boy was born, who became the famous Li Lianying.Strange things always happen when unusual characters are born.The same is true for Li Lianying, who was born with two front teeth, has great strength and cries loudly.