Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

Zhang Dabiao immediately retorted, "Heaven and earth bear witness, Director Wang, have you ever seen a servant who eats meat every day, with meat, eggs, and dairy products constantly? The day before yesterday, she ate half a cake by herself!"

"I would be willing to send her to school, it wouldn't cost much, but her household registration isn't in the city, so it's not easy to arrange."

Director Wang nodded. "Now is the time when the household registration system is at its strictest, and the urban-rural dual structure is very rigid."

Without a city household registration, even if one has connections to attend school temporarily, one cannot continue to study. Without resolving issues related to household registration and food rations, studying is just empty talk.

Qin Jingru's seeking refuge with her "sworn brother" was already considered a favor from Director Wang. It was completely impossible for her to use this relationship to go to school or register her household under Zhang Dabiao's name.

Unless she marries Zhang Dabiao and obtains urban residency, but she is too old.

Even if she is old enough, she wouldn't be able to get a job at the factory right now.

So Qin Jingru can't do anything right now. But judging from her current situation, she's living a better life than the factory workers.

And just as Zhang Dabiao said, this little girl has gained weight recently; she hasn't been mistreated at all.

These days, Qin Jingru met the soft-hearted Zhang Dabiao, which can be considered her stroke of luck.

Director Wang chatted for a while and then returned, once again instructing Zhang Dabiao not to cause trouble and to keep a low profile.

It's good to get young people together to do some work when they have nothing to do; it's better than them causing trouble everywhere.

Zhang Dabiao smiled on the outside, but inwardly he was cursing—[You're good at talking without feeling the pain, but it's a waste of food.]

It still costs me food.

------------

Two days later, on February 24th, the 2th day of the first lunar month, a Wednesday, Director Wang sent someone to inform him.

The district will still follow the policy, encouraging vegetable planting but not allowing grain planting, not allowing chicken or duck raising, but allowing fish raising—they won't give you any special treatment just because you're a little kid.

The good news is that potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other coarse grains are considered "substitute grains" and can be cultivated on a small scale, such as in farmers' private plots or vacant lots in cities.

Moreover, there is a current call for "low standards and vegetable substitutes," so it is perfectly fine for Zhang Dabiao to grow some coarse grains on his own vacant land.

Furthermore, Director Wang also asked his staff to tell Zhang Dabiao that pumpkins, corn, sorghum, various beans, and some wild vegetables could all be planted.

However, given the production volume these days and the soil and water quality in Beijing, Zhang Dabiao had to be mentally prepared.

If it were that easy to grow, everyone would have gone to farm long ago.

Without saying a word, Zhang Dabiao asked the people in the yard for help. First, he burned the dried rotten wood and weeds, which turned out to be excellent wood ash!

but--

Zhang Dabiao, Yan Jiecheng, and the others were only happy for a few hours before they were arrested and taken to the police station...

The charge is arson...

Damn, they set fire to a residential area! The black smoke shot up incredibly high! It really scared the police officers at the local station!

I was repeatedly lectured at the police station, and even Director Wang came over. I was furious.

It's only a few kilometers from here to the lake!

You're allowed to farm a little land and you make this kind of fuss?

We've only had peace for less than three days!

You, Zhang Dabiao, are trying to kill me! Do you know how hard it is for me?

Submit a 1000-word self-criticism tomorrow!

He'll be punished with three more days of street sweeping!

Yan Jiecheng was on the verge of tears. "Damn it, all I wanted to do was earn some corn noodles!"

However, the wood ash has been burned enough. I'll turn over the soil in the next couple of days and then I can start trying to plant it.

The two returned to the courtyard house with long faces. On the way, Zhang Dabiao suddenly asked a question.

"Yan Jiecheng, have you been home these past few days?"

"Is there no work at the grain depot?"

Yan Jiecheng was about to show off, but suddenly his back seemed to be bent, and he let out a heavy sigh.

"Actually, last time at the grain station, when the people in the compound went to help you, I went along too."

"And then, they just kicked me out..."

"I've been occasionally going to the train station to carry big bags lately..."

Zhang Dabiao was stunned. Had he lost his job?

Seeing him in a daze, Yan Jiecheng quickly waved his hand: "It's okay, the salary is about the same as the grain station, we both carry heavy loads, it's just that there's less work lately."

He didn't care too much; the train station, the vegetable market, the grain station—it didn't matter where he carried the heavy loads, since he was a temporary worker anyway.

Temporary workers don't care about treatment. They just work when there's work and go home to lie around when there isn't.

Anyway, he was just taking it one day at a time, and Yan Jiecheng didn't have any expectations.

"Are you prepared to live like this?"

The thought that Yan Jiecheng had lost his job to come and protect him made Zhang Dabiao feel a tightness in his chest.

Yan Jiecheng was also helpless: "What else can I do?"

"I'm waiting for a factory to hire, but my dad won't give gifts or spend money. I don't have any special skills either; I'm just a high school graduate. I might seem like an educated youth, but factories and cities have been downsizing these past two years, and they definitely don't need so many educated youths..."

"I don't know when we'll get a job opening."

"He won't even pay for my medical treatment, what can I do?"

At this point, Yan Jiecheng exuded a sense of despondency.

He had absolutely no hope for his future.

Is this the real reason why he's always so carefree and doesn't care about his work?

The future looks bleak...

He had to repay Yan Bugui even after making money, not to mention that he couldn't hold his head up among the young people in the courtyard, nor could he hold his head up in front of his classmates.

Whether you work hard or not, life will be the same. Do you really expect to build a future by carrying heavy loads?

So he lay down, somewhat resigned to his fate.

"..."

Zhang Dabiao remained silent for a while, then took out a Yellow Crane Tower cigarette and handed it to him.

"Hey! A filter tip!"

"Da Biao, have you suddenly had a change of heart?"

"You're giving me smoke but not a light? Are you trying to drive me crazy?"

Zhang Dabiao was helpless and gave him another box of matches.

Yan Jiecheng lit a cigarette and then comforted Zhang Dabiao, saying, "Don't feel guilty, it's not really your fault."

"I have to pay tribute to the foreman at the grain station, but I can't afford to. I'll be fired sooner or later anyway, so I don't care."

Zhang Dabiao smiled and said, "So you've come to terms with it?"

Eh...

What a terrible time this was...

"Fine, when you're not working lately, come help me with the farming. I'll provide meals and some cornmeal for you, but I won't pay you."

"Really?! Then it's a deal!"

"Da Biao, we're all men, you have to keep your word!"

"Absolutely!"

The two bickered and teased each other before returning to the courtyard house, and Yan Jiecheng's dejected look had faded considerably.

There is still hope.

But when Zhang Dabiao checked his pockets that night—

[Holy crap?! The matches got stolen again?!]

[Is Yan Jiecheng trying to eat a match?!]