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

Saturday, September 1961, 8.

As dawn broke, Uncle Liu Haizhong packed his lunchbox and headed to the steel mill for work, while his second son, Liu Guangfu, also left for school with his backpack.

Only the eldest son, Liu Guangqi, stayed at home and did not set off for a long time, which was completely different from his usual diligent appearance.

Aunt Cao Xiu'e was tidying up the house, her eyes frequently glancing towards the inner room, a nagging thought creeping into her mind.

She walked to the door and peeked in, asking:

"Guangqi, why aren't you leaving today? Are you feeling unwell?"

Liu Guangqi leaned against the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), raised his hand to rub his temples, his eyelids drooping, and spoke in a lazy tone:

"It's nothing serious, just a little dizzy, I'll be fine after a rest."

Seeing this, Cao Xiu'e's face showed some worry, and she reached out to help him up:

"Should I ask the neighbors to help take you to the health center?"

These words startled Liu Guangqi, causing him to straighten up instinctively. He quickly waved his hand to decline, forcing a smile onto his face.

"No need, no need. I just didn't sleep well. I'll feel better after lying down for a while. It's not worth the trip."

Seeing that he looked fairly energetic and didn't seem seriously ill, Cao Xiue felt relieved.

Remembering that there were very few eggs left at home, she casually gave a few instructions, picked up her shopping basket, and hurried out the door.

As he heard his mother's footsteps fading away outside the courtyard gate, Liu Guangqi immediately got out of bed, quickly moved to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and squinted to look outside.

After confirming that Cao Xiue had gone far away, he turned around, took out the coarse cloth backpack he had prepared beforehand, and quickly headed to the various places in the house where he had hidden money.

Liu Haizhong and his wife did not usually take precautions against their eldest son, and Liu Guangqi knew exactly where the family hid their money.

He worked quickly and soon gathered all the cash in the house, totaling more than 1,500 yuan.

He then pulled out a roll of fifty silver dollars and two small yellow croakers that he had carefully hidden in his bangs, stuffed them all into his backpack, and fastened the straps.

There was a bankbook with a face value of one thousand yuan on the table. He picked it up, glanced at it, and then gently put it back in its place.

I know perfectly well that the passbook requires my personal presence to withdraw funds, so carrying it with me is useless.

With this savings left at home, his parents and younger brother wouldn't have to go without a livelihood, and the last trace of guilt in his heart vanished, allowing him to leave with a clearer conscience.

He carefully put everything back in its original place, and left a letter on the table explaining his promotion to another place.

He also said that he was afraid he wouldn't be able to make a living in another city, so he took the cash from home with him to avoid worrying his parents.

Then, he shouldered his heavy backpack, pushed open the door, and walked out of the house.

Several women who were cooling off in the courtyard saw him and greeted him with smiles.

Liu Guangqi wore his usual faint smile, raised his hand in response, and walked steadily out of the courtyard gate without showing any sign of abnormality.

As Jia Zhangshi squatted on her doorstep picking vegetables, she glanced sideways at Liu Guangqi's departing figure, curled her lip, spat hard on the ground, and muttered:

"That Liu family's last remaining member of the family, he works but doesn't know how to support the Jia family, he'll get what's coming to him sooner or later!"

Under the veranda, the deaf old woman leaned against a rattan chair to cool off. She had heard everything that had happened inside and outside the house.

Her eyelids were half-closed, her expression was indifferent, and she did not utter a single word from beginning to end.

She knew perfectly well that Liu Guangqi was quick-witted, cunning, and never easily manipulated; he was an unstable factor in the hospital.

Now that I'm gone, it's peaceful.

Without his eldest son giving advice, Liu Haizhong, who is impulsive and easily angered, will only be easier to control in the future, which is a good thing for the retirement group led by Yi Zhonghai.

She thought of Yan Jiefang again and secretly plotted:

That kid is a tough one, but he'll be going to a vocational school in a few days and will spend most of his time at the school, returning to the institute at most once a month. He won't pose a threat to the institute's control.

With the two most troublesome troublemakers gone, no one in the courtyard dared to openly oppose them anymore.

The deaf old woman pursed her lips slightly and breathed a sigh of relief. Now she could finally retire in peace.

She secretly made up her mind to find an older woman named Li Cuilan when she had some free time, and to give her some pointers on the matter, asking her to tell Yi Zhonghai to behave himself in the near future and not to cause any more trouble.

More than two hours later, Cao Xiue returned to the courtyard carrying the eggs she had just bought.

She was still worried about her eldest son who wasn't feeling well, and thought about making him a plate of fried eggs for lunch to help him recover.

Upon entering the house, she didn't see Liu Guangqi. She didn't think much of it, assuming that her son had recovered and gone out to take care of things on his own.

Before long, it was evening, and Liu Haizhong went home after get off work.

The family sat around the table for dinner, waiting and waiting, but Liu Guangqi never showed up.

Cao Xiu'e belatedly realized what was happening and panicked, her brows furrowed with anxiety. She quickly pulled Liu Haizhong out of the house to ask the neighbors for information.

A neighbor who had seen Liu Guangqi during the day told the truth that he saw him carrying a large backpack and leaving the courtyard early in the morning.

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong's expression changed drastically, and his heart sank.

The couple were extremely anxious and rushed to the factory where Liu Guangqi worked to inquire, only to receive a result that was like a bolt from the blue:

Liu Guangqi had already completed the procedures to be transferred to another place, and he left at noon today.

The enormous blow struck him head-on, Liu Haizhong's face turned purplish-red, his blood rushed to his head, his body swayed twice, and he fell straight to the ground.

Upon seeing this, the factory security team immediately arranged for people to carry him to a nearby hospital.

Fortunately, Liu Haizhong had a solid foundation from years of heavy physical labor and was fine. He was discharged from the hospital and went home that evening.

The couple went inside to take stock of their belongings. Seeing the empty money storage area, with only the passbook that they couldn't take left in place, and after reading the letter, they instantly understood everything.

The savings that she had painstakingly accumulated over the years were all swept away by her eldest son.

Liu Haizhong's chest heaved violently, and he almost couldn't catch his breath, nearly fainting again.

Unable to vent his anger, he untied the cloth belt from his waist and raised his hand to whip Liu Guangfu, who was standing to the side.

Liu Guangfu was prepared and dodged to the side, stubbornly retorting loudly:

"If you dare touch me, I'll immediately go to the police station and call the police!"

With his belt in hand, Liu Haizhong was stuck, unable to move forward or backward. He was filled with anger and could only lash out at the air to vent his frustration. He looked disheveled and aggrieved.

Good things don't go out, bad things pass thousands of miles.

The news that Liu's eldest son had absconded with the money spread throughout the entire courtyard early the next morning.

Before long, the story spread along the alleyways and became a source of amusement and jokes for everyone in the Nanluoguxiang area.

More than two months later, the Liu family was embroiled in another huge scandal, becoming the talk of the town.

In the past few days, following Yi Zhonghai's advice, Sha Zhu has been staking out the vicinity of the public test site every night, hoping to launch a sneak attack on Yan Jiefang.

As a result, this kid never went to the toilet alone; instead, he went with his two brothers every day.

How could he possibly launch a sneak attack?

Not only have I accomplished nothing, but I'm also covered in mosquito bites every day!