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

The two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On a cool morning in 1961, the 49th city was filled with the aroma of cooking fires in the alleyways.

As dawn broke, the streets were already bustling with activity.

Workers getting up early to go to work and students rushing to school hurry by, everyone walking briskly, their faces seemingly carrying the vibrant energy unique to this era.

Yan Jiefang slung his clean, old cloth backpack over his shoulder, packed himself up, pushed open the door, and walked slowly toward the school.

Having experienced the farces of the Liu family's division of property and the moral blackmail at the hospital-wide meeting some time ago, his mindset has become increasingly calm and composed.

He lives a peaceful and uneventful life, focusing solely on his studies and daily life, and never getting involved in the disputes within the college.

When he reached the entrance of the alley halfway through his journey, he saw two familiar figures in the distance.

It was He Yushui and Xu Fengling.

The two girls, who were about the same age and were best friends who could talk about anything, were walking side by side, chatting and joking in hushed tones, adding a touch of liveliness to their dull and frugal days.

He Yushui was slender with delicate features, but due to chronic hunger, her cheeks had an unhealthy sallow hue, and she looked exceptionally thin.

Xu Fengling fared much better under the careful care of the adults.

Despite being a girl, she holds a higher position in the family than Xu Damao.

It was the apple of Xu Fugui and his wife's eye.

To be honest, although Yan Jiefang and the two grew up and lived in the same courtyard, they could hardly be considered childhood sweethearts, since they rarely interacted on a daily basis.

He was reserved and composed. He simply nodded slightly as a greeting before turning his gaze away and continuing his journey toward the school without stopping.

But before he had gone twenty meters, a clear yet panicked cry suddenly came from behind him.

"Rain! What's wrong with you? Don't scare me!"

It was Xu Fengling's voice, trembling uncontrollably with fear.

Yan Jiefang paused abruptly, and without the slightest hesitation, immediately turned around and quickly returned.

In just a few seconds, he rushed to their side, and the sight before him made his heart tighten.

He Yushui, who had just been laughing and joking, now felt weak all over, her legs trembled slightly uncontrollably, her head slumped down, and she fell straight down.

Xu Fengling was weak and could not support her falling body. She could only frantically hold onto her arm, her face pale and helpless, standing there on the verge of tears.

Yan Jiefang helped support her body and quickly glanced down at He Yushui's condition: her face was ashen, her lips were pale, her forehead was covered in fine sweat, her breathing was shallow and weak, and she was completely powerless.

Given the extreme food and clothing shortages of 1961, he immediately identified the problem—severe hunger-induced hypoglycemia.

In those days, food was rationed for every household, and many adults and children were in a state of semi-starvation all year round. Malnutrition was the norm, so it was perfectly normal for a thin girl like He Yushui to faint from hypoglycemia due to hunger.

If her brother, Shazhu, were a family man, it would be fine, but he turned out to be a good-for-nothing who didn't care much about family matters.

In addition, his sister Qin and Banggeng often went to his house to freeload.

This resulted in the inability to store food at home.

As a result, He Yushui often went hungry.

Thinking back to the day I first wore it, I was so hungry on the roadside that I kept vomiting.

Others either ignored him or avoided him like the plague, but He Yushui, who happened to be passing by, quietly gave him half a cold sweet potato, helping him get through the most difficult moment of hunger.

He kept this small but sincere act of kindness in his heart.

Yan Jiefang believed that one should always reciprocate kindness received.

Without any hesitation or unnecessary words, Yan Jiefang immediately bent down and steadily supported He Yushui's legs and back, gently carrying her on his back.

He Yushui was already thin, and now she was completely exhausted, feeling light and weightless as she landed on his back.

"Don't worry, it's just a symptom of low blood sugar. It's not a big problem. I'll take her to Beixinqiao Hospital."

Yan Jiefang spoke calmly and confidently, exuding a reassuring aura.

This put Xu Fengling, who was at a loss, at ease.

The enthusiastic crowd that had initially gathered around saw that the three had already made up their minds, offered a few words of concern, and then dispersed.

The two hadn't gone far when He Yushui, who was lying on his back, slowly woke up, her consciousness barely returning.

A wave of weakness washed over her. She opened her eyes slightly and realized that Yan Jiefang was carrying her. She felt embarrassed and flustered, and subconsciously raised her hand to push him away, struggling weakly.

"Liberation, no need... really no need to go to the hospital."

Her voice was barely audible, carrying an undisguised unease and anxiety; her breath was weak.

"I'm just a little dizzy, I'll be fine after resting for a while, no need to trouble you, and it won't cost you anything..."

Living in an era of scarcity, the people at the bottom of society were most afraid of getting sick and going to the hospital.

For them, every expense—registering for a doctor, getting medicine, and receiving intravenous infusions—is a huge sum of money.

Ordinary families simply cannot afford it; once they incur medical expenses, it becomes an insurmountable debt of gratitude and burden.

He Yushui is gentle and independent, and has never wanted to trouble others, much less owe outsiders such a big favor for no reason.

Moreover, she knew the Yan family's situation well; Yan Jiefang probably wouldn't have a single penny.

Only her close friend Xu Fengling might have some secret savings, but definitely not much.

The little money her brother had given her for food had long been spent.

She is now penniless.

Therefore, even though she was weak and dizzy, she still insisted on carrying it herself and did not want to burden others.

Yan Jiefang continued walking steadily towards the hospital without stopping, his steps firm and composed, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable determination:

"Since you've fainted, you can't tough it out. Your health is the most important thing. Don't worry about the medical expenses, I'll pay for them."

He guessed He Yushui's concerns, and without offering any further words of comfort, he simply made a firm decision.

He Yushui leaned against his broad and steady back, feeling his steady steps. Her originally panicked and fearful heart gradually calmed down, and her weak struggles slowly stopped. Her eyes were full of complex emotions, a mixture of guilt, gratitude and embarrassment, and her ears quietly turned a light red.

Xu Fengling stayed close by Yan Jiefang's side the whole time, watching his calm and composed demeanor, and recalling how everyone in the courtyard usually acted like cats and dogs, and how they were always bickering and arguing.

I also gained some different insights into Yan Jiefang.

The three arrived at Beixinqiao Hospital in just a few minutes.

Yan Jiefang went through the registration, consultation, and payment process with ease and composure, and even paid all the medical expenses in advance.

After examination, the doctor diagnosed the patient with hypoglycemic syncope caused by severe malnutrition and immediately arranged for intravenous fluid therapy to replenish energy and nutrients. (In 61, Beixinqiao Hospital offered glucose infusions.)

The cool glucose slowly flowed into her blood vessels, and before long, He Yushui's complexion visibly improved. Her pale cheeks gradually regained some color, her dizziness and weakness completely subsided, and she became fully awake.

After fully recovering, He Yushui sat up straight and immediately wanted to ask how much the medical bills were, determined to save money to pay them back. She nervously gripped the hem of her clothes with her hands, her eyes filled with unease.

Yan Jiefang saw this, smiled faintly, and did not mention the money. He directly took out a large meat bun that was carefully wrapped in oil paper from his schoolbag.

The steamed buns were warm, plump, and incredibly fragrant, making them especially precious in this era of food shortages.

"I've just recovered and I'm still weak, so I'll eat this first to tide me over."

He handed the steamed bun to He Yushui in a calm and natural tone.

He Yushui looked at the plump, warm meat bun in front of her, her pupils contracted slightly, her lips pursed unconsciously, and her eyes quietly welled up with tears.

In those days when even coarse grains were scarce, white flour buns with meat were an extreme luxury. She never expected that Yan Jiefang would take them out to fill her stomach.

She hurriedly and urgently refused.

"No, you eat by yourself, I'm not hungry."

"Listen to me, eat it. When you gave me the sweet potato, I took it without hesitation."

Hearing Yan Jiefang's unquestionable tone, she could only solemnly accept the steamed bun with both hands, her fingertips trembling slightly, and gently take a small bite, chewing it carefully.

The aroma of warm minced meat and white flour filled her mouth, warming her heart.

Xu Fengling watched this scene quietly from the side, remaining silent throughout.

In the past, she only thought Yan Jiefang was aloof, quiet, and unremarkable. Now she realized that he was actually kind-hearted and reliable, calm and decisive in dealing with matters, and a hundred times more reliable than those in the hospital who talked about morality but were actually selfish and calculating.

He Yushui ate half a bun in small bites and couldn't eat anymore. She wrapped up the rest and put it away.

After eating, she regained a lot of energy. She didn't say much, but silently kept this kindness in her heart.

After spending more than an hour in the emergency room, the three of them walked towards the school together.