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

The following afternoon, a bombshell announcement rocked the entire courtyard.

Liu Guangtian successfully joined the East Suburbs Crematorium and became a formal state-owned employee in the civil affairs system!

The moment the news reached the courtyard, the whole place erupted in chaos. The old women and young wives all put down their work and gathered in the middle courtyard to discuss it.

The conversation never strayed from the Liu family.

At the beginning of 1961, a permanent job was highly sought after, but working at the crematorium was a profession that everyone dreaded. The clash between dignity and livelihood instantly became the biggest topic of conversation in the hospital.

The crowd formed a circle, whispering amongst themselves in various tones: some sighed, some watched the spectacle with amusement, some secretly scoffed, and others simply waited to see the Liu family make a fool of themselves.

In just half a day, everyone in No. 95 Nanluoguxiang and several nearby courtyards knew that the second son of the former second uncle Liu Haizhong had gone into the business of collecting corpses and burning people.

Ever since Liu Haizhong was removed from his position as the second uncle, he had been depressed and humiliated. After get off work, he would hide at home and refuse to go out, for fear of being pointed at and talked about.

But the neighbors' chatter was too loud, and he could hear it clearly even through the courtyard wall. He gritted his teeth and went out to fetch water. As soon as he reached the middle courtyard, he bumped into a group of people chatting idly.

As the saying goes, whether a courtyard house is chaotic or not, it's mostly the Jia family's.

They spotted him immediately, and perked up instantly. With a twist of his obese body, he squeezed to the front of the crowd, his face full of mocking smiles.

She had long disliked Liu Haizhong's arrogant demeanor, and now that he was down on his luck and his son was doing the most unlucky job in the entire hospital, she naturally wanted to kick him while he was down.

With her hands on her hips, Jia Zhangshi's loud voice instantly echoed throughout the courtyard, each word scathing and cutting:

"Hey! Isn't this our once-imposing Second Uncle? What brings you out for a stroll today?"

How the tables have turned! They're always lecturing this person and disciplining that person, and now look what's happened—their own son has gone to the crematorium to burn people alive!

Dealing with dead people every day! Who would dare to associate with your Liu family in the future? Even your relatives and neighbors might be cursed by your bad luck!

I've figured it out now, you're a joke your whole life!

A few crude and sharp sarcastic remarks struck Liu Haizhong's sore spot.

The surrounding neighbors chuckled softly, their whispers and curious glances falling heavily on Liu Haizhong, like countless fine needles pricking his face.

His former dignity, respectability, and arrogance were completely trampled on at this moment.

Liu Haizhong was already in a bad mood, and the pent-up frustration from the past few days was completely ignited by these harsh words. In an instant, anger surged through him, his head buzzed, and his blood rushed to the top of his head.

His vision went black, his body swayed violently, and he almost collapsed and fainted on the spot.

He clenched his teeth and fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, barely managing to keep his swaying body afloat. His face turned pale and then red, his eyes filled with humiliation and rage, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

It was an undeniable fact that Liu Guangtian worked at the crematorium; he had no way to refute it and could only endure everyone's ridicule and scrutiny.

Seeing his pale face and disheveled appearance, many people stopped laughing, but no one stepped forward to comfort him, silently watching his embarrassing state.

Liu Haizhong couldn't stay any longer. Under the gaze of everyone in the courtyard, filled with boundless anger and humiliation, he turned around in a disheveled state, rushed home, and slammed the door shut.

The moment he stepped inside, he could no longer contain himself; his pent-up anger erupted, and he cursed through gritted teeth at the empty house:

"That bastard Liu Guangtian! He's utterly disgraceful and extremely unfilial!"

In his obsessive mind, there was no reflection whatsoever, and he could not possibly imagine the desperate situation where the two brothers were being beaten every day and had nowhere to turn.

He felt that he had been concerned about his reputation and honor his whole life, and that his son had ruined his path to advancement!

"Why not walk the path of the living instead of going to the crematorium to work as a ghost messenger!"

If there were any other way to make a living, who would do such a wicked and disgraceful thing?

"This is utterly shameless, deliberately trying to embarrass me!"

He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently, his heart filled with resentment.

They completely ignored Liu Guangtian's previous struggles to find work and his desperate struggles at the train station.

He stubbornly believed that his son was being unreasonable and deliberately making him lose face.

Meanwhile, Liu Guangqi, who was in the corner, heard everything clearly, and his heart was filled with turmoil, anxiety, and calculation.

He is currently dating his boss's only daughter, and his future father-in-law has already given his approval. As long as he keeps up with the pace, he will approve of the marriage.

With my father-in-law's support, making progress will be as easy as using my right hand.

But now, the news that his second brother, Liu Guangtian, works at the crematorium has spread throughout the streets and alleys, becoming a laughing stock and a taboo subject for everyone.

He panicked instantly, filled with worries, fearing that this bad reputation would implicate him and ruin his marriage and future.

In this era that places great importance on reputation, people will deliberately distance themselves from families with members working in crematoriums.

If his father-in-law finds out about this, he might back out of the marriage, and his long-cherished career path will likely be completely ruined.

At this thought, a resolute and cold glint flashed in Liu Guangqi's eyes.

He had some reservations about going to another city, but now he couldn't wait any longer.

He had to take the family savings as soon as possible, run away ahead of time, and head to Tianjin with his father-in-law.

He needed to completely break away from this family that had ruined his reputation and hindered his future, severing all ties. He couldn't let Liu Guangtian's career ruin his entire life.

Meanwhile, Liu Guangtian, who had officially started his job, had already completely escaped the troubles and conflicts of the courtyard house and had also completely gotten rid of the predicament of being a low-level laborer.

Only after he actually started working at the East Suburb Crematorium did he truly realize that this job, which others would avoid at all costs, was worlds apart from the days of carrying heavy bags at the train station.

These are difficult times. More often than not, there's no work to be done, no money to be earned, and time is simply wasted.

Although the work at the crematorium is special, it is basically not physically demanding.

The daily work involves moving bodies, assisting with guard duty, and tidying up the site. The process is fixed and the pace is steady. There is no need to be exposed to the sun or rain, and no need to overexert oneself or use brute force.

With stable salaries, comprehensive benefits, and dedicated job subsidies and food rations, it's the real treatment of a formal state-owned enterprise employee.

The only pressure comes from dealing with corpses all day long; the atmosphere is cold and solemn, which can cause some mental strain.

For the first two days after starting his job, Liu Guangtian felt a little reserved and awkward. Looking at the cold corpses and the desolate place, he couldn't help but feel awe and discomfort.

But he was someone who had endured hardship and had an extremely strong ability to adapt.

In just a few days, he completely figured out the work process and completely shed his initial awkwardness and discomfort.

Compared to being bossed around at the train station, working yourself to the bone and having to put up with other people's attitudes, and compared to being scolded and beaten every day at home with no dignity, this job is stable, reliable, and pays well, making it a much better option.

He was completely unaware of the ridicule and taboos from everyone in the courtyard, Liu Haizhong's furious resentment, and Liu Guangqi's disdain and scheming.

Even if they knew, they wouldn't care anymore.

Having survived the most desperate situation, he finally earned a stable life with his own hands and no longer needed the approval or pity of others.

Moreover, he basically doesn't go back to the courtyard house anymore.

The manager said that although he is only an apprentice now and it will take him three years to become a full-fledged employee, housing will be arranged for him in a couple of days!

The dormitory I'm currently living in is just a temporary measure.

Compared to before, this crematorium is paradise!