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

On Sunday, July 23, the midday sun was blazing hot, and the heat wave surged through the alley, but it couldn't stop the good news that suddenly broke out in the courtyard.

The homeroom teacher, Ms. Chang, personally visited the college and delivered two brand-new red admission notices to the school.

Both notices were issued by students of this college, instantly attracting the attention of the entire neighborhood.

Yan Jiefang passed the college entrance examination with flying colors and was successfully admitted to the top vocational school in Beijing—Sijiucheng Radio Industry School, majoring in radio technology.

This vocational school is directly under the central government ministries and is one of the top-tier vocational schools, truly at the very top of the first tier.

It is a top-tier university that countless students would fight tooth and nail to get into, a true cradle of secure jobs.

Students with high enough scores can easily enter top-tier key high schools in the second tier, such as Peking University High School, Beijing No. 8 High School, and Renmin University High School.

Teacher Chang once secretly wrote the number 600 on the table with boiled water, then erased it and wrote 597 on it.

Weiwei explained that Yan Jiefang's total score was originally 600 out of 100, but someone thought it was too outstanding and reduced it by 3 points.

Only 597 points remain.

But it still firmly holds first place in the city!

Many people did not expect that such an outstanding student would emerge from an ordinary high school like No. 22 Middle School.

After the exam, the middle school entrance exam scores are not actually made public.

Students like Yan Jiefang, who have no connections, are unlikely to know their scores.

Only the teachers could possibly know.

After telling Yan Jiefang his score, Teacher Chang erased the number 597 without leaving any trace.

He then went to the Intermediate People's Court.

He Yushui was admitted to the senior high school of No. 22 Middle School and successfully obtained her high school admission qualification.

The news spread throughout the entire courtyard in an instant, and every household flocked to see it, filling the courtyard with voices of envy.

In this era of difficult access to higher education and scarce career paths, being able to get into a vocational school or high school is already a remarkable achievement far exceeding that of one's peers.

Many parents immediately pulled their children aside, taking Yan Jiefang and He Yushui as role models, and repeatedly urged them to study hard so that they could also find a good future.

Amidst the lively and bustling atmosphere of the courtyard, Jia Zhangshi seized the opportunity to launch into her boasting mode.

Ignoring Banggeng's resistance, she brought the mud-covered Banggeng to her side, her voice booming:

"See? No matter how many students there are in the courtyard, none of them can compare to my Banggeng!"

My grandson is a reincarnation of the God of Literature, born with exceptional intelligence. He's destined to be a respectable university student, and his future will be a hundred times brighter than theirs!

The neighbors were already used to her boasting, and most of them just laughed it off, no one took it seriously, they just treated it as a bit of fun.

Taking advantage of the festive atmosphere, a group of neighbors surrounded Yan Bugui, urging him to host a banquet:

"Old Yan, your second son got into a top vocational school! That's a huge celebration! We have to throw a big party and let us share in the joy!"

How could Yan Bugui, a shrewd strategist, possibly fall for such a trick?

He immediately feigned poverty and repeatedly waved his hands in refusal:

"My monthly salary is only 27.5 yuan, which is not easy to support my family. I really can't afford to be extravagant."

Besides, the country is facing difficulties right now, and everyone is advocating for a simple life. We can't be special or extravagant.

With just a few words, he shut down everyone's suggestions, refusing to offer even the slightest benefit.

Unable to gain anything from Yan Bugui, the group immediately turned their attention to encouraging Sha Zhu.

Sha Zhu is a true Beijing man, who values ​​courtesy and is extremely concerned about his reputation.

Most of his savings had already been borrowed by Qin Huairu under various pretexts, leaving him with only a hundred or so yuan left.

But unable to resist the neighbors' constant flattery and encouragement, his vanity instantly took over, and he immediately patted his chest and agreed:

"Don't worry, everyone! My sister got into high school, which is a great joy for the whole neighborhood. I'll be hosting a dinner party tomorrow night to celebrate!"

These words quickly reached Qin Huairu's ears, and she immediately looked displeased.

In her heart, every penny of Sha Zhu's money was her own private property, and she would never allow him to take it out to please outsiders.

Not long after, Qin Huairu specifically sought out Sha Zhu and, for the first time, took his arm, softly and gently coaxing him:

"Zhu Zi, how can you treat people to meals and spend money so casually? Everyone is struggling financially, and your money is hard-earned. It's really not worth it to spend it all on outsiders."

Qin Huairu had never been so intimate and proactive before. Her warm physical contact and gentle tone instantly made Sha Zhu feel numb all over, as if he were floating on air.

He completely forgot his bounds, utterly ignoring his younger sister He Yushui standing to the side, and made a snap decision on the spot:

"I'll listen to Sister Qin! I won't invite these guests!"

A hint of a smile flashed in Qin Huairu's eyes upon seeing this, but tears welled up in her eyes just as quickly.

"Waaah, Zhu Zi, you know how hard Sister Qin's family is doing. They'll be starving after today. Can you lend me five yuan to tide me over?"

I'll pay you back when your brother Jia gets paid.

Faced with Qin Huairu's soft pleading, Sha Zhu didn't hesitate and immediately took out five yuan and handed it over.

"Sister Qin, everyone in the hospital knows about your family's situation. You can use this money first, and pay it back when you are better off."

"Zhu Zi, I don't know how to thank you enough for helping me like this."

After receiving the money, Qin Huairu exchanged a few polite words and then turned to leave.

He Yushui, who witnessed the whole scene, stomped her foot angrily, feeling speechless and frustrated. Completely disappointed in her brother, she turned around and went back to her side room.

After Qin Huairu left, Sha Zhu was in a real predicament.

Having already made the boast in public, he was now having to go back on his word and couldn't explain it to his neighbors. He was so anxious that he scratched his head and was caught in a dilemma.

Just as he was at a loss, Yi Zhonghai took the initiative to come over and comfort him:

"Zhu Zi, this is simple. The country is facing a shortage of resources these days, and everyone is advocating thrift and simplicity, discouraging extravagance and waste. No one will criticize you."

After speaking, Yi Zhonghai stepped forward to deal with the crowd, smiling as he defused the situation:

"Dear neighbors, during this special period, the country is advocating for a simple lifestyle, and we should respond to the call."

The joy is in the heart, not in the banquet; so we'll have to cancel the dinner tomorrow. We hope everyone will understand.

His reasoned and well-founded words easily silenced everyone and helped Sha Zhu smoothly resolve the awkward situation.

Although everyone was dissatisfied, they had no way to refute Yi Zhonghai, a senior engineer, and his words were so dignified and respectable. They could only keep their dissatisfaction to themselves.

No one expected that Yi Zhonghai, who outwardly professed frugality and vehemently opposed extravagance, secretly spearheaded a gathering, inviting four families from the elderly care community—the Yi family, the Jia family, the He family, and the deaf old lady.

She secretly got Sha Zhu to pay for a lavish meal.

On the surface, it's a celebration of academic advancement, but in reality, it's about squandering the family fortune.

In an era of scarcity, this meal, with its mix of meat and vegetables, dry and liquid dishes, was considered a top-tier banquet.

But after the feast began, Jia Zhangshi, carrying a skewer, buried her head in her food and devoured it, especially the precious meat dishes. Most of the meat and fish was swept away by the grandmother and grandson.

He Yushui, the person in charge of this college entrance examination, did not eat a single bite of meat throughout the entire process and could only silently nibble on the leftover vegetables.

Jia Dongxu sat to the side, looking embarrassed but not saying a word. He could only look at Yi Zhonghai, hoping his master would smooth things over.

Seeing his apprentice's gaze, Yi Zhonghai could only say helplessly:

"Kids have sweet tooths, and older people love to eat them. We're all family, there's no need to be so particular."

Dongxu, Zhuzi, let's have a drink.

The deaf old woman standing nearby witnessed the selfish and self-serving scene of the Jia family's grandmother and grandson, and her face darkened.

She was also a glutton, and after finally preparing a table full of delicious food, it was all eaten up, which made her particularly unhappy.

Upon seeing this, Yi Zhonghai quickly stepped forward and whispered words of comfort:

"Grandma, don't be angry. The child is just being silly. I'll buy half a pound of braised pork and bring it to you tomorrow. Please calm down."

The deaf old woman's expression softened slightly, but she still gave him a serious warning:

"Zhonghai, you are a leader in the institute, you have to discipline the Jia family properly!"

We cannot allow them to act so selfishly and recklessly, violating the traditional courtyard house rules of respecting the elderly!

Yi Zhonghai nodded repeatedly in agreement, but he didn't really take it seriously.

In his plan for retirement, the Jia family is the core support. He will only show favoritism and tolerance in this small matter, and will never really be harsh or strict with them.

The more gluttonous Jia Zhangshi is, the better.

When they can no longer afford to eat, they have no choice but to turn to me for help.

That way it will be easier to control.