In July 1930, Lao She applied to teach at Qilu University in Jinan and lived in the first room in the southwest corner of the second floor of the Qilu University office building (now the office building of Shandong Medical University). On July 28, 1931, Lao She returned to Peiping to marry Hu Jieqing. Soon, the couple returned to Jinan to live together, renting a small house at No. 54 Nanxin Street. According to Hu Jieqing, wife of Lao She, Nanxin Street is located to the north of Qilu University. It is a north-south alley with a bend. The yard is not big, with the main gate facing east and west, and there are rooms on the west, north and east sides of the second gate. The concierge next to the main entrance is occupied by Lao Tian and his wife. The two rooms in the west room are where everyone eats, the east room is the kitchen, and the toilet is in the southeast corner. Lao She and his wife live in the north room. The north room is said to have three rooms, but it is actually three and a half rooms. There is also a small dark room behind the west gable wall where sundries are piled. The east room and a half of the north room is partitioned and used as a bedroom, while the west room and a half is where Lao She receives guests and writes. Not far to the north is the nationally famous Baotu Spring, and less than ten minutes to the south is Qilu University. The whole yard is not very big, but it is full of flowers, plants and potted border plants, as well as a fairly small lilac tree and a large vat of lotus. There was a well in the yard. Morning and night, Lao She fetched water to water the flowers, applied fertilizer and caught insects, so the flowers bloomed vigorously. Every year after the beginning of spring, the small courtyard is filled with constant fragrance and colorful flowers, attracting many friends to enjoy the flowers. Lao She loved to make friends all his life. Whenever someone came to visit, he would warmly receive them. After the guests left, he would go about his own business as if to do his best. Most of his short stories in his novels "Cat City", "Divorce", "The Biography of Niu Tianci" and "Going to the Market", such as "Outside the Great Compassion Temple", "Mr. Breeches", "Micro God", "Kai" "Shi Daji", "Wai Mao'er", "Liu Family Courtyard", "Bagging the Grandson", "Black and White Plum", "Glasses", " ", "It's also a Triangle", etc., as well as published in "The Analects of Confucius" and other publications Most of the humorous poems and essays were written in this courtyard. She lived here for three years and gave birth to her eldest daughter, Shu Ji.
In September 1934, Lao She accepted an appointment from the School of Liberal Arts of Shandong University, and his family moved to Qingdao, living in a Western-style bungalow on Laiwu Road (now No. 10A Dengzhou Road).
On August 16, 1935, his son Shu Yi was born.
In 1936, he moved to the first floor of the second floor of No. 12 Huangxian Road and lived there for more than a year. In the summer, Lao She resigned from his teaching position at Shanda University and began to become a professional writer. The famous novel "Camel Xiangzi" was written here.
The gunfire of the "July 7" Incident made it impossible for Lao She to immerse himself in creation. After the birth of the third little girl, Shu Yu, on August 1, the situation in Qingdao was critical. After receiving the appointment letter from the College of Liberal Arts of Qilu University, the family moved to No. 11 Changbai Road on the campus of Qilu University.
On November 15, 1937, the Japanese invaders blew up the Iron Bridge over the Yellow River, putting Jinan in danger. Never being a traitor and determined to fight the war, Lao She resolutely picked up his small suitcase, said goodbye to his wife and children, left his warm home at No. 11 Changbai Road, and rushed to Wuhan to fight against Japan and save the country.
In 2010, Mr. Lao She's former residence at No. 12 Huangxian Road, Shinan District, Qingdao City was renovated into the "Luotuo Xiangzi Museum" and opened to the public. In mid-July 1938, when Jiujiang fell and Wuhan was in danger of being defended, Lao She moved to Chongqing with the "All-China Literary and Art Circles Anti-Enemy Association". According to Mr. Lao She's self-report: "On August 14, we arrived in Chongqing." We temporarily stayed at the Youth Club on Gongyuan Road. The Youth Association was the first venue of the "Literary and Art Association" in Chongqing. Lao She and He Rong lived in a room facing the sun on the second floor. There was a nine-drawer table in the middle and two single beds on both sides. Sitting at the table, you could Work at the desk. It was not until August 1940 that the house was bombed and left. Now only the three large characters “Youth Association” on the upper floor remain. During this period, he wrote his first Anti-Japanese War drama "Remnant Fog", his fourth short story collection "Train Collection", the long poem "Jianbei Chapter", the dramas "Country First", "Zhang Zizhong", "The Problem of Face", Works such as "Come Back" and "Who Arrives in Chongqing First".
On November 17, 1943, Mrs. Hu Jieqing and her children came to Beibei to reunite with Lao She, who had just had his appendix removed. The family settled at No. 24 Cai'e Road (now No. 16, No. 63, Tiansheng New Village). . He lived with Lao Xiang's family, Xiao Boqing, and Xiao Yiwu in a small building in the Beibei branch of the "Literary Association." In 1943, Lao She wrote and completed the full-length anti-Japanese armed struggle novel "Cremation" and his fifth short story collection "Anemia Collection" while feeling completely unwell both physically and mentally.
On April 15, 1944, "Xinhua Daily" published an editorial for the sixth anniversary of the establishment of the "Literary and Art Association" and the 20th anniversary of Lao She's creative life. Guo Moruo, Mao Dun, He Rong, Tai Jinnong, Zang Kejia, etc. Write an article or message to express congratulations. Mao Dun said in the article: "Without Mr. Lao She's hard work and hard work, this major event, the great unity of the writers and artists of the Anti-Japanese War, might not have been completed so smoothly and quickly, and I'm afraid it would not have been able to endure hardships to this day. This is not My personal opinion is also the public opinion of colleagues in the literary and art circles.”
After Lao She settled in Beibei, many friends came to visit him. Hu Jieqing told again and again the suffering of the people after the fall of Peiping and the shame of being a slave to the subjugation of the country. These real details provided detailed background materials for the creation of "Four Generations Under One Roof". On February 4, 1945, daughter Shu Li was born.
In January 1944, Lao She began writing the million-word novel "Four Generations Under One Roof". He said, "I must complete it and make it a larger souvenir of the literature and art of the Anti-Japanese War." The first part of the trilogy, "The Panic", was completed at the end of the year, the second part, "The Secret Life", was completed in 1945, and the third part, "The Famine", was completed in the United States in 1948.
This million-word masterpiece, "Four Generations Under One Roof", uses a large number of the most common folk traditions and national character to reflect on China's culture, economy and politics at that time, and explain why China Almost swallowed by Japan, thousands of years of feudal cultural traditions had an impact on China at that time. "Four Generations Under One Roof" is one of Lao She's most distinctive works.
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Lao She wrote a long memoir "Wind and Rain in All Directions", describing his life during the eight-year Anti-Japanese War, which was serialized in Peking's "Xinmin Daily". He said: "Write down the eight years of life that are both long when there are words and short when there are no words. I hope that it can not only leave some imprints on my life journey, but also allow my relatives and friends who have been separated for eight years to gain some of me. There is no need to report the news one by one orally or in writing.”
Mr. Lao She’s former residence in Beibei, Chongqing (now No. 63, Shengsheng Xincun) was renamed “Four Generations Under One Roof Memorial Hall” in 2010 and is open to the public. .