Home is the first part of Ba Jin's masterpiece "Riptide Trilogy". The story happened in a big house called Gao in Chengdu. Gao Juexin is the eldest grandson of this big family. It is for this reason that he was deprived of his studies and love. On the day I graduated from middle school, I gave up my cousin's money, which I loved deeply and could understand and comfort him, and married the girl designated by my father.
Chueh-hsin's second brother Chueh-min is different from his third brother Chueh-hui. Influenced by western cultural knowledge, they have advanced ideas and high morale, and are new youths in the new era. Chueh-hsin also accepted new ideas with them, but he was still an advocate of "bowing down" and "not resisting".
The boss, Juexin, works in the office of Xishu Industrial Company, which his father found for him before his death. One day, Chueh-hui and Chueh-min bought some new books as usual and came to Chueh-hsin's office. At this moment, Mrs. Zhang and Miss Qin came. Qin is the most beautiful and lively girl among Gao's relatives. She is also a brave, idealistic and ambitious new youth. She brings you an unusual news: Qian's aunt has returned to the provincial capital. Cousin Mei was widowed less than a year after her marriage, and now she is a little haggard. This cousin Mei is the beloved cousin of eldest brother Chueh-hsin's family, and Chueh-hsin is accompanying Mrs. Zhang to buy clothes at the moment. He hasn't heard the news.
Chueh-hui and Chueh-min left Chueh-hsin's office, and Chueh-min went to Chin's house. On the way, Chueh-hui met her classmate Zhang Huiru and learned from him that a soldier had beaten a student. Chueh-hui angrily joined some students in the demonstration against the governor. Grandpa Gao soon learned about his parade, and Chueh-hsin kept him at home.
The Spring Festival is coming soon, and the gentlemen in Gao Mansion are also busy preparing for the Spring Festival. On the afternoon before New Year's Eve, he bought a novel "New Year's Eve" to read to his two brothers. The contents of the book aroused Chueh-hui's enthusiasm and aroused Chueh-hsin's painful memories. He told his two brothers his heavy responsibility as the eldest grandson and sacrificed his happiness for his family ... Chueh-hui thought: I am a young man, I am not a freak, and I am not a fool. I want to win happiness for myself. He is glad that he is not his big brother. It's getting dark, and four generations of Gaos get together for New Year's Eve dinner. Grandpa Gao was very happy when he saw his children and grandchildren and thought that in another generation or two, the Gaos did not know what kind of rich family they would become.
On the last day of the old year, Chueh-hsin told Chueh-hui that he had met his cousin Mei, and his heart was filled with pain and regret. Chueh-hui blamed Chueh-hsin for not resisting. He deserved it. Chueh-hsin said with a wry smile that the realistic environment did not allow him to do so. Chueh-hui suddenly felt that he was getting farther and farther away from his eldest brother ideologically.
Ming-feng is a girl from Gao Mansion. She is smart and beautiful. She likes Chueh-hui very much. Only when Chueh-hui returns to his lonely and boring home will he not be sad because he misses Ming-feng. It is widely rumored that Feng Leshan is going to ask for a concubine and choose a maid in a big room with three rooms. Ming-feng swore to Chueh-hui that she would never talk to anyone again.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, several of their young people received the news. The supervisor ordered a crusade against Zhang Junchang, and the front line has opened fire. The war finally started, and everyone in Gaofu was immersed in terror and despair. At this time, Chin was also in Gaos' home. She had nowhere to go but to stay here. She once believed that she was a brave woman, but later found herself a fragile woman, unable to resist, and had to wait for someone else to kill her.
The period of terror has finally passed and peaceful rule has been restored. Gao Fu is alive again. Several students of Brother Chueh-min founded Dawn Weekly, which published news of the New Culture Movement, introduced new ideas, and criticized and attacked unreasonable old systems and ideas. Chueh-hui enthusiastically participates in the work of weekly magazines and often publishes articles in them. As for Chueh-min, he is busy with his lessons during the day and goes to Qin to teach on time at night. He is not as keen on weekly magazines as Chueh-hui.
Jean cut off her long braid because of her good friend's affection. She wanted to do the same, but her mother objected and wanted to marry her. Chin loved Chueh-min, and she began to cry sadly. On the night when Chin was sad and miserable, Ming-feng was equally sad. It turned out that Mr. Gao wanted her to be Mr. Feng's concubine, which was only three days later. This is Mr. Gao's order, and no one can violate it or resist it. There is nothing she can do. Chueh-hui is her only hope. At this time, Chueh-hui was too busy writing an article to care about her. She was about to say something when Chueh-min's arrival forced her to leave. Ming-feng is desperate. She remembered saying that she would rather die than go. She jumped into the lake with deep love for Chueh-hui and unfair hatred for the world.
Ming-feng's death was soon forgotten by the people in the mansion, but Chueh-hui could not. Because of selfishness, he didn't keep his beloved. Only then did he realize that he always blamed Big Brother and Chueh-min for their cowardice. In fact, he himself is a coward like them. He is tired of his present life and has the idea of staying away from home.
On Gao's 66th birthday, Feng Leshan proposed to Gao. Chueh-min loved Qin, and he immediately said he wanted to be his own master. In order to resist his grandfather, he fled the mansion with Chueh-hui's encouragement and help. Chueh-hsin decided to hear about Miss Mei's death at this time. Chueh-hui's fifth father asked a prostitute to be his aunt and borrowed a lot of money under the old man's signboard. Old people can't get sick because of this. He knew that the gaos thought had gone downhill, and the final outcome could be imagined. His dream of "four generations under one roof" for many years was completely shattered. He called Chueh-min back before he died, promised not to mention the marriage of the Feng family, and died.
Chueh-hui's sister-in-law Jui-chueh is about to have a baby, but the ladies in the mansion want her to move out of town to have a baby. Because they are superstitious about "the disaster of mass annihilation", the cowardly Chueh-hsin swallowed his words and took Duanjue outside the city without saying a word of resistance.
A few days later, Jui-chueh gave birth to a baby. She painfully gave birth to a son for Chueh-hsin, but died. Chueh-hsin did not see her for the last time. It was the old system, old ethics and old superstition that took away his youth, his happiness and his future, as well as his two favorite women. He realized this, and he couldn't resist all this. He has nothing but despair and pain.
Chueh-hui really can't stay in this house. He finally fled the family, went to Shanghai to study, and engaged in progressive reform at the same time.