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

Liu Haizhong took a sip of tea, cleared his throat, and struck a pose befitting a leader.

"Old Yan, you just don't understand."

"This is called imperialism's persistent desire to destroy us."

"We must remain vigilant at all times and focus on production and construction; this is the most fundamental thing."

Sha Zhu threw a rotten vegetable leaf on the ground and rolled his eyes.

"Second Uncle, please stop with the bureaucratic talk."

"Why are you, a team leader in a forging workshop, worrying about the affairs of the United Nations?"

Liu Haizhong glared angrily.

"Silly Zhu, what do you know? This is enlightenment!"

As they were arguing, Zhang Dabiao pushed open the door to the east courtyard and came out carrying an empty kettle to fetch water.

Xu Damao, with his sharp eyes, spotted Zhang Dabiao at a glance.

Xu Damao spat out the sunflower seed shells and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Da Biao! Come over here quickly and tell our fortune!"

Zhang Dabiao walked to the sink and turned on the tap without turning his head.

"None of your business, I don't have time for you."

Xu Damao persisted and ran over to grab Zhang Dabiao's sleeve.

"Don't go!"

"Everyone's talking about international affairs."

"Last year you said in this yard that the Indians were going to be in trouble, and it really came true."

"You also said that Nehru wouldn't live more than two years."

"It's due next year."

Yan Bugui also became interested and came over with a newspaper in hand.

"Yes, yes, Da Biao, you read a lot of newspapers, you know a lot."

"Give us your predictions, what's the fate of President Kennedy over there? How long will he live?"

Liu Haizhong also joined in the commotion.

"Da Biao, just say whatever comes to mind, let us broaden our horizons."

Zhang Dabiao was extremely annoyed by the wedding these past few days and had no interest in chatting with them.

Zhang Dabiao filled the water tank, turned off the tap, and retorted irritably.

Everyone dies eventually, sooner or later.

"What's there to ask?"

Zhang Dabiao carried the water bottle back, and as he reached the door, he casually tossed out another remark.

"It will either be this year or next year."

After saying that, he slammed the door to the east courtyard shut.

The courtyard was quiet for a few seconds.

Then, everyone burst into laughter.

Sha Zhu slapped his thigh and laughed.

"That idiot, unable to get married, is taking all his anger out on the handsome president."

Xu Damao laughed along with him.

"Exactly, does he think he's the Jade Emperor, minding when the president dies?"

Everyone took Zhang Dabiao's words as just grumbling, and no one took them to heart.

Life went on as usual.

A few days later, one morning.

11 month 24 day.

Most of the people in the courtyard had just gotten up and were preparing to start a fire and cook.

Zhang Dabiao carried an enamel basin and a towel to the central courtyard to wash up.

Suddenly, a shrill scream came from the front yard, sounding just like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Something terrible has happened!"

"Something terrible has happened!"

Holding a copy of the day's morning newspaper, Yan Bugui stumbled and crawled from the front yard into the middle yard.

The newspaper rattled loudly in his hands.

Liu Haizhong ran out of the house wearing long johns.

"Old Yan, what are you wailing about so early in the morning!"

Xu Damao rushed out without even buttoning up his cotton-padded coat, slipping on his cloth shoes.

Sha Zhu was also standing at the door, holding a spatula.

Even Qin Huairu stopped washing clothes by the sink.

Everyone crowded around.

Yan Bugui's face was deathly pale. He pointed at the bold, black characters on the front page of the newspaper, his voice trembling.

"Look! Look!"

Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing.

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

All that could be heard was the sound of gasps of shock.

The next second, everyone turned their heads in unison, staring intently at Zhang Dabiao, who was standing by the sink, as if he were a monster.

Zhang Dabiao was holding a towel, ready to wipe his face, when his hand froze in mid-air.

He felt uneasy under the gazes of this group of people.

Zhang Dabiao walked over and snatched the newspaper from Yan Bugui's hand.

I quickly glanced at the news content and date.

The newspaper reported that Kennedy was shot and killed by a sniper during a motorcade parade on November 22 local time.

Zhang Dabiao swallowed hard, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

A million alpacas galloped through his mind.

He was really in a bad mood at the time and just made things up!

He only remembered that Kennedy was assassinated, but he couldn't recall the exact year, month, or day.

When he said "either this year or next year," he was simply trying to appease Xu Damao.

How could they even crash into that?!

Xu Damao pointed at Zhang Dabiao, his hand trembling as if he had Parkinson's disease.

"Da...Da Biao, you...you're really a demigod!"

Liu Haizhong was so frightened that he backed away repeatedly, his eyes filled with awe as he looked at Zhang Dabiao.

"This...this is the incredibly handsome president! You just say he's dead?"

Yan Bugui slapped his thigh, his voice sharp.

"Da Biao said Nehru wouldn't live more than two years, so does that mean he'll be gone next year too?!"

Qin Huairu was so frightened that she dropped the soap in her hand into the basin.

The entire courtyard was in an uproar.

Zhang Dabiao stood there, newspaper in hand, utterly speechless.

He knew that this was the end for him.

Previously, predictions about India could be explained by analyzing newspaper reports.

Now, people can even predict the exact year someone will die, down to the month. This can't be explained by high level of enlightenment.

This would be called brilliant strategy today.

In a few years, when the winds change, this will be called feudal superstition, or demons and monsters!

Zhang Dabiao felt a chill run down the back of his neck.

He turned around and immediately slipped back into the east courtyard.

Then I casually slapped myself a few times—

You can't control your mouth!

Damn it, if this keeps up, I'm afraid I won't be able to stay in Beijing anymore.

If all else fails, we'll have to run away with Mu Wanqing ahead of time!

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

In early December, the first heavy snow fell in Beijing.

These past few days, Zhang Dabiao has been staying quietly in the east courtyard, not daring to go anywhere. The assassination attempt on Kennedy has terrified him, and he's afraid that one day the neighborhood committee or the police station will come and invite him for "tea."

As it turned out, the person who was supposed to drink tea didn't come, but the procession delivering the good news marched into Sesame Alley with gongs and drums all the way.

Director Wang of the neighborhood committee walked at the front, his face crinkling with smiles. Behind him followed several cadres in Zhongshan suits, carrying large red flowers, certificates of merit, and bonuses in envelopes.

The people in the courtyard were all alarmed.

The old woman was emptying swill in the front yard when she heard the noise and almost spilled the basin on her foot. She quickly shouted at the top of her lungs, "Old Yan! Old Yan! Come out and see! Another bigwig has come!"

A large crowd crammed into the central courtyard.

As soon as Zhang Dabiao put on his cotton-padded coat and opened the door, Director Wang quickly came to greet him and grabbed his hand.

"Da Biao! Great news!" Director Wang's voice boomed, making the snow fall from the trees. "The results of the first National Comic Strip Awards are in! Leaders from the Ministry of Culture and the China Artists Association have come personally to deliver the good news to you!"

A bespectacled cadre stepped forward, smiling broadly as he shook Zhang Dabiao's hand: "Comrade Zhang Dabiao, congratulations! Your 'Heroic Sons and Daughters' won first prize in the National Comic Strip Awards! 'Nezha Conquers the Dragon King' won second prize! Double happiness!"