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

After New Year's Day, everyone went back to school or work.

In January, when the news came out that the Ministry of Culture and the China Artists Association were jointly organizing the first National Comic Strip Creation Award, the office building of the Arts and Crafts School was in an uproar.

Early in the morning, Professor Zhou Muye pulled Zhang Dabiao into his office, where the desk was covered with various forms and file folders.

Teacher Chen (the one who drew the scene architecture) was wearing reading glasses and was hunched over the table, checking the creation notes of "Nezha Conquers the Dragon King" one by one.

This is a national-level award.

The school has made this its top priority for achieving its goals this year.

Zhang Dabiao, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected, slumped in Zhou Muyi's rattan chair, holding an enamel teacup and blowing on it to warm it up.

Zhou Muye tapped the table with his pen, signaling Zhang Dabiao to sit up straight.

"Da Biao, this is a golden opportunity for you to shine."

"Both 'Nezha Conquers the Dragon King' and 'Heroes and Daughters' have been submitted for approval. Whether our art school can make a name for itself nationwide this time depends entirely on you."

Zhang Dabiao took a sip of water and placed the teacup aside.

"Teacher Zhou, you can handle this as you see fit."

"Winning an award or not doesn't matter. Being selected is good enough, because it proves that the higher-ups recognize us."

"There's no need to make such a fuss, it's not that serious."

Zhou Muyi glared at him with exasperation.

"Why don't you care at all, you brat!"

"I've heard that many old-school painters are secretly competing with each other; this is something that will go down in history."

Zhang Dabiao pursed his lips and didn't respond.

He knew perfectly well that while certificates of merit looked nice hanging on the wall these days, the real value lay in the copyright.

Holding the adaptation rights to "Nezha Conquers the Dragon King" firmly in their own hands is the key to their future success, whether they can become an assistant director at Shanghai Animation Film Studio or even make big moves in the future.

As for "Heroes and Daughters," it was adapted from Ba Jin's "Reunion." The honor belongs to the original author; he was just an artist and didn't care about such empty fame. He was already very lucky to win an award.

Zhou Muye finished organizing the documents and lowered his voice to give Zhang Dabiao some instructions.

"The selection process will be completed around April, and the awards ceremony will be held in December."

"If anyone comes to interview you during this period, be sure to keep your mouth shut."

"Talk more about serving the people and less about personal gains and losses, do you hear me?"

Zhang Dabiao waved his hand, grabbed the wolfskin hat from the table, put it on his head, and walked out.

Why would I talk about gains and losses? A comic book only costs a thousand or so yuan. If I were talking about gains and losses, I would have stopped drawing long ago.

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After finishing his work at school, Zhang Dabiao returned to the courtyard house.

In fact, the school had many more comic book assignments, but Zhang Dabiao didn't take them because they were too tiring, and he was too lazy to earn the money. Having two classics was enough for him.

The Spring Festival is just around the corner, and the atmosphere in the courtyard is like a stark contrast between ice and fire.

The aroma of stewed meat wafted from Xu Damao's house every day, and Lou Xiao'e held her newborn son, Xu Xiaojun, with a joyful expression.

She often sat in the courtyard with Yu Li, holding Yan Xiaochen, basking in the sun.

You Hongjuan, who was also heavily pregnant, was chatting with Liu Xiaoqing.

When Qin Jingru had nothing to do, she would go over and tease a few children. Occasionally, she would also call over Xiao Dang and Huaihua from Qin Huairu's family and give them some candy and cookies.

The families chatted and laughed, enjoying a harmonious and happy time together.

And you know what? With more children around, the yard became more lively, and there were far fewer annoying things happening – which may also be related to the recent gradual increase in the national food supply, and everyone had the idea that the famine years were about to end.

The Jia family was on the verge of financial ruin.

The rice jar was almost empty, Bang Geng needed to buy new clothes for the New Year, Jia Zhangshi complained of bone pain every day and needed to take painkillers, and both Jia Zhangshi and Bang Geng had bottomless pits in their stomachs.

Having no other choice, Qin Huairu had to resort to the same old trick.

She carried a bowl of pickled radishes she had made herself and knocked on Sha Zhu's door.

He didn't say much after entering the room, picked up a broom and started sweeping the floor, casually throwing all of Sha Zhu's dirty clothes into the basin.

Sha Zhu was leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed) drinking tea when he saw Qin Huairu's hands, which were red from the cold, and a feeling of pity welled up in his heart again.

Qin Huairu sighed as she rubbed the clothes.

"Silly Zhu, my family is really starving."

"My dog ​​keeps asking for meat every day, and it really breaks my heart as its mother."

Sha Zhu, easily swayed, immediately patted his chest in agreement.

"Sister Qin, don't worry."

"The factory canteen will be hosting a feast after the New Year. I promise to bring back a few extra lunchboxes for the kids to enjoy."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, and she thanked her repeatedly.

Fortunately, Sha Zhu still cares about her; he hasn't run away yet.

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The day before New Year's Eve, Huaihua and Xiaodang were munching on two animal milk biscuits that Qin Jingru had just given them, their mouths full of the milky aroma.

Xiao Dang is 3 years and 4 months old, and Huaihua is 1 year and 3 months old. Thanks to Qin Jingru's long-term feeding and the fact that she inherited Qin Huairu's looks, they are indeed very cute and beautiful. In addition, they have been influenced by their surroundings in the yard and have been taught and cared for by aunts like Qin Jingru, so they have not been spoiled.

Little Dang, being young and naive, turned and grinned at Jia Zhangshi, who was sewing shoe soles.

"Grandma, it smells so good!"

Smelling the aroma of the biscuits, and then looking at the shriveled cornbread on her own table, Jia Zhangshi angrily threw the shoe sole in her hand to the ground and began to curse loudly.

However, Qin Jingru and the others were too lazy to argue with her. Whoever I give it to, that's who it is, and no one is allowed to take it away!

You, Jia Zhangshi, try and steal one of those sticks!

January 24th has arrived in the blink of an eye, Lunar New Year's Eve.

That afternoon, He Daqing returned to Beijing from Baoding carrying a net.

He first went to check on He Yushui, and then called Sha Zhu into the house for a thorough interrogation.

Upon learning that Sha Zhu had been swindled out of a lot of money by the Jia family again this year and hadn't even managed to get a wife, He Daqing was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

"Qin Huairu is a widow, why are you meddling in her affairs?"

"Break up with her immediately. Finding a decent, unmarried woman to marry and have children is the right thing to do!"

Sha Zhu lowered his head and gave a perfunctory reply, but he couldn't let go of his sister Qin in his heart.

When it was time for the New Year's Eve dinner, Yi Zhonghai suggested that the He family, the Jia family, the Yi family, and the deaf old lady get together to celebrate the New Year together.

He Daqing came back partly to see his children and partly to join in the fun, since everyone here was an old acquaintance, so he didn't object.

The dishes were cooked by Sha Zhu, and He Daqing also brought a large piece of his secret-recipe cured meat from Baoding to add to the dishes.

Everyone sat around a large table in the courtyard, ready to start eating.

Bang Geng suddenly slammed his chopsticks down on the table and glanced sideways at Sha Zhu.

"I won't eat the He family's food!"

"Shazhu is a bad guy, he's always trying to bully my mom!"

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table was stunned.

Sha Zhu's smile froze instantly, his hand holding the wine glass stopped in mid-air, and his face turned red and then black.

I wanted to bully him, but I failed!

Qin Huairu was startled and quickly reached for the sleeve of the stick.

Yi Zhonghai frowned, just about to speak up to smooth things over.

He Daqing slammed his wine glass down on the table with a loud thud.

His old face was long and drawn, and he pointed at the stick and cursed loudly.

"You little brat, get the hell out of here if you're not going to eat!"

"Eating food from the He family, and daring to criticize the He family—"

"Who do you think you are!"