I, Yan Jiefang, will live to 2025 in this courtyard house.

He quickly returned the steamed bun made from the two-part dough, his voice equally loud:

"Mom, I'm not hungry! We're already struggling financially. We're always so frugal, eating only wild vegetable dumplings and coarse grain buns. The whole family is so hungry we're bloated."

There are also younger siblings in the family.

I'm already grateful to have something to eat, how can I just ignore this hard-won steamed bun made from two kinds of flour?

I think you should eat it yourselves!

It must have been so difficult for you two to raise the four of us siblings and support our education!

I will study hard and do well in the exams so that I can go to a vocational school or high school and live up to your high expectations!

After graduating this summer, I'll try to find ways to collect recyclables and work as a porter to earn my own tuition and fees, so as not to cause you any trouble!

Hearing Yan Jiefang's heartfelt words, the onlookers felt that this child was sensible, knew the hardships his parents had endured, and was willing to study hard and strive for progress. He was simply a role model for children of the new era!

Not far away, the teachers maintaining order heard this, and one of them immediately recognized that it was the second-place student in the third grade's monthly exam, and nodded in agreement.

No wonder he's the second-best student in his grade, as expected of someone from our school! Such awareness! Such filial piety! Such a spirit of hard work and perseverance!

They did not disappoint their teachers' earnest teachings at all!

Through the teacher's introduction, everyone around knew that this child was actually the second-ranked student in the third year of junior high school at No. 22 Middle School!

Indeed, children with good grades are truly outstanding!

Judging from the patches on the child's clothes, he has clearly lived a hard life.

Although the child's father's Zhongshan suit did look old and faded from washing, it was clearly of good quality and appeared to have almost no patches.

Something's not right.

Which parent doesn't dote on their own child?

And such an outstanding child!

When Yan Bugui and his wife saw this, they realized it had completely deviated from their design!

How can this be allowed?

They originally planned to exploit Yan Jiefang's gluttony and hunger, using delicious steamed buns to lure him into submission.

Label him as someone who doesn't know how to respect his parents, so that he will attract the contempt and attention of others and be easier to control in the future.

After all, being disrespectful to one's parents is never a good thing.

Especially now, when there is very little mobility among people, they are more likely to be looked down upon by their neighbors.

Unexpectedly, the second brother not only didn't fall for the trick, but also turned the tables on him.

Yang Ruihua was at a loss for words.

Yan Bugui, the shrewd one, was quick-witted. He quickly said a few words of modesty to the parents around him, then pulled his bewildered wife and the children who were waving and exchanging learning experiences with everyone away.

If this continues, who knows what outrageous things the second brother, Yan Jiefang, will say!

When their family's situation is exposed to the spotlight, won't all his scheming, his salary, and his petty theft at the gate be exposed?

People outside don't care whether you're a so-called "Third Uncle" or how lawless you are in Courtyard No. 95.

After the three returned home, Yang Ruihua immediately went to Yi Zhonghai's house and brought Yan Jiedi back.

After giving her half of a steamed bun made from two kinds of dough, the couple shared the rest.

As for Yan Jiefang and his two brothers?

There were three oxen and horses, and nobody paid any attention to them.

After hanging his schoolbag on the wall, Yan Jiefang was about to leave.

At this moment, Yan Bugui remembered him and called out to him while eating his steamed bun:

"Second brother, you got out of school early today, so you can leave early and go to some of the more remote alleys to collect more recyclables."

"I have something to do, I don't have time!"

"Oh, Mom, could I use the family's household registration booklet for a moment? I need to go to the library to get a library card."

Just as Yan Jiefang was about to leave, he suddenly remembered the things he was about to do.

"Hey, aren't you getting more and more arrogant? You're ignoring everything I say! Why don't you try asking us for your household registration booklet then?"

Yan Bugui thought he had found the second son's weakness and immediately began to mock him.

Yan Jiefang rolled his eyes. He felt that Yan Bugui had some brains, but not much. He really didn't know how he had survived from before the liberation!

It's all about luck and being a coward, isn't it?

"Mom, are you really not going to give me my household registration booklet? Then I'm going to go to the Dongsi Commune or the Women's Federation."

Yan Jiefang retorted.

"Hey kid, why are you bothering the government with every little thing?! Matters within the compound should be resolved within the compound! That's the rule in our No. 95 compound!"

Yan Bugui was startled by his second brother's words. As a commoner who had come from before the liberation, the last thing he wanted to face was government officials.

That was a fear etched into my very bones.

He criticized his son, then quickly turned to his wife and instructed her:

"What are you still doing here? Hurry up and bring your son's household registration book!"

This son is a little devil. At 16, he should be fearless. What if he actually goes to the authorities? That would be terrifying!

Yang Ruihua snapped out of her daze and immediately went to her room to get the household registration booklet, handing it to her son.

After leaving home, Yan Jiefang returned to school and obtained a letter of introduction from the grade leader.

He then went straight to the Dongcheng District Library to get a library card, and then walked for more than ten minutes to the Capital Library to get a library card there as well.

Both libraries are not far from the courtyard house, only one or two kilometers away, making it very convenient to borrow books in the future, as they can be reached on foot.

While processing his documents, he successfully found two books on writing and borrowed them by asking the administrator.

"On Writing" (Maxim Gorky), "The Basic Principles of Literature" (Ye Yiqun).

Whether he was in high school or vocational school, he would try writing.

This is the best way for him to make money given his current status.

It's a hundred times more reliable than fishing for government fish in the river or hunting government game in the mountains.

In addition to getting a library card, Yan Jiefang also went to the bank to open a savings account.

He is 16 years old this year. To open a bank account, all he needs is his household registration book, which is very convenient.

After all, by this time, many people were already taking on household responsibilities at the age of 16, so it was normal for them to open a savings account.

Almost no one will make things difficult for him.

For the next two days, everything was normal, and Yan Bugui and his wife did not cause any more trouble.

The main problem is that they haven't come up with any new solutions yet.

Besides, given how ruthless the second son is, always going to Dongsi Commune or the Women's Federation, wouldn't making things difficult for him be making things difficult for ourselves?

Aside from providing basic food and lodging, let him fend for himself!

Yan Jiefang successfully completed his college entrance exam.

He mentally calculated that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, his score on this exam should be above 530.

Given that subjects like Chinese, Politics, and Russian are somewhat subjective, and considering he hasn't yet reached his full potential in these subjects, it's understandable that he lost some points.

However, by the time the graduation exam is around June 10th, he will have completed all his junior high school subjects, and he will have a chance to score 550 points.

It all depends on whether the grader is willing to give it to them.