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

The Liu family's backyard.

Liu Haizhong pulled out his weapon belt from his waist and swung it in the air with a loud flick.

"Guangfu! Go to the subdistrict office tomorrow to sign up for the rural work assignment."

"I'm the second oldest in the neighborhood, so our family has to take the lead in responding to the national call," Liu Haizhong said in a bureaucratic tone, his belly protruding.

Liu Guangfu was dumbfounded. "I'm still in my senior year of high school!"

I'm taking the college entrance exam this June!

You want me to go to the countryside now?

"Why should I go?!" Liu Guangfu was so frightened that he shrank back into the corner.

"Your eldest brother is a cadre, your second brother has a formal job, only you stay at home and do nothing every day."

"If you don't go, who will?!" Liu Haizhong lashed the table leg with a belt.

"I'm not going! Is the countryside a place for humans to live?!" Liu Guangfu shouted.

Liu Haizhong, his anger rising, swung his belt and started hitting Liu Guangfu.

"I order you to go! You unfilial brat, how dare you talk back!"

Liu Guangfu was hit twice and cried out in pain.

Seeing that Liu Haizhong was about to strike, he ducked down and crawled out from under Liu Haizhong's armpit.

He ran out of the house overnight, without even having time to button up his cotton-padded coat.

Seeing that things were not going well, Liu Guangtian quickly followed suit and slipped out.

He didn't understand what was going on. How could a father voluntarily send his child to the countryside?

Isn't this just insane?

Get out of here quickly, lest you become a punching bag.

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

In the east courtyard.

The room was warm and cozy, with a stove burning inside.

Zhang Dabiao leaned back in his recliner, watching Qin Jingru make desserts at the table.

Mu Wanqing sat to the side flipping through a music theory book.

"Jingru, stay in the courtyard during this time and avoid going to the front and back yards to join in the fun," Zhang Dabiao instructed.

Qin Jingru's situation is a bit special; she is a temporary student, and her household registration is in a rural area of ​​Changping.

Originally, she graduated from junior high school in early June last year, and Li Huaide's promised job and house should have been secured. But the girl got into high school instead, and Zhang Dabiao thought, "Let her study then."

Qin Jingru's grades are not good enough to get into university, but graduating from high school shouldn't be a problem. As for Li Huaide's promise, we can wait a few years and see. There's no rush.

"It's up to Brother Da Biao, I'm not going to watch them argue." Qin Jingru handed a piece of bean cake to Zhang Da Biao with a smile.

"Our family doesn't need to worry about this." Zhang Dabiao took a bite of pastry.

He himself has a government cadre position, while Mu Wanqing is a legitimate undergraduate student at an art college.

This policy has absolutely no effect on their east courtyard.

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

West wing of the central courtyard.

In the middle of the night, Liu Guangfu, shivering from the cold, knocked on Liu Guangqi's door.

With her large pregnant belly, You Hongjuan was helped in by Liu Guangqi, who was wearing a coat.

"Brother, Dad is going to beat me to death with a belt and force me to go to the countryside." Liu Guangfu's nose was running from the cold.

Liu Guangqi frowned and poured him a cup of hot water.

"Don't worry about this, I'll go talk to him." Liu Guangqi got dressed and headed straight for the backyard.

Liu Haizhong was sitting at the table, sulking, while his second aunt stood beside him, not daring to utter a sound.

Liu Guangqi pushed open the door, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Liu Guangqi asked sternly.

"I'm fighting for honor for our family and asserting our authority!" Liu Haizhong slammed his fist on the table.

"What do you know? This is called enlightenment and realization!"

"All I see is your rude behavior," Liu Guangqi said coldly.

"You think that by forcing Guangfu out, the factory will give you a workshop foreman position, Dangdang?"

"The neighborhood committee will only label you as violating policies and using violence to coerce young people."

Liu Haizhong froze, his hand holding the teacup hanging in mid-air.

"Right now, it's just mobilization, not coercion," Liu Guangqi continued his analysis.

"If Guangfu doesn't get into university this year, our family will pool our money to buy him a workstation."

"A workstation costs between 800 and 1200 yuan now, which is within our family's budget."

"If you cause a scandal and it gets back to our factory, my performance evaluation this year will be ruined, and you won't have a good reputation in the steel rolling mill either. What are you trying to achieve?"

Upon hearing that it would affect his eldest son's future, Liu Haizhong immediately lost his spirit.

"Well... let's hold off for now," Liu Haizhong stammered, changing his words.

Liu Guangqi shook his head helplessly. When talking to the old man about this kind of thing, you can only talk about the impact on the factory; otherwise, the old man won't understand at all.

After explaining it in detail for a long time, Liu Guangqi finally stood up and returned to the Intermediate People's Court.

Liu Haizhong felt increasingly aggrieved. Guang Qi was even scolding him, and what he said made perfect sense, which made him even more depressed.

Just then, Liu Guangfu sneaked back, peeking out cautiously.

Liu Haizhong slammed his hand on the table and rushed forward to grab Liu Guangfu by the collar.

"You little brat, you dare run away!"

Another beating ensued, leaving Liu Guangfu rolling on the ground.

Liu Guangtian stood outside the door, shrank back, and was glad he had run fast.

Forget it, let him calm down before he goes in.

As for Guangfu?

"Better to die than me," and besides, his father has been very careful with his beatings these past two years; nothing serious will happen.

The residents of the courtyard house were thrown into chaos by the announcement of the move to the countryside.

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

February 12th, Lunar New Year's Eve.

This year, the courtyard houses didn't have much of the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year.

Because of the rural relocation program, everyone was carefully calculating how much money they would have to buy a workstation.

You either have to get into university, get a job, or be an only child; you have to choose one.

But the atmosphere was completely different in the homes of mutual aid society members.

In Yan Jiecheng's room, pork and cabbage dumplings were already in the pot.

At Liu Guangqi's home, You Hongjuan was stewing an old hen.

Xu Damao even chopped two pounds of pork, chopping it loudly on the cutting board.

The Jia family of the Intermediate People's Court.

The house was cold inside, with only a small bowl of cornmeal porridge, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a bowl of cabbage dumplings on the table. That was all there was to it for the New Year.

Jia Zhangshi, wrapped in a tattered quilt, held a bowl, her face ashen.

"Old Jia, come back and visit!"

"This whole neighborhood is full of ungrateful wretches; they don't even bother to show any gratitude to our family when we receive welfare benefits!"

"How utterly heartless! Eating so much meat, aren't they afraid of getting intestinal rot!"

Banggeng sat on a small stool, his nose twitching.

The aroma of braised pork wafting from the east courtyard was so strong it practically filled my nostrils.

Banggeng swallowed a large mouthful of saliva.

He stood up and tried to walk out.

Qin Huairu grabbed him.

"Where are you going?" Qin Huairu asked, her face pale and haggard.

"I'm going to get some meat, what's wrong!" Bang shouted, sticking his neck out.

Upon hearing Bang Geng's words, Qin Huairu panicked; this child was up to "stir up" trouble again.

"You haven't had enough of being beaten yet, have you?!" Qin Huairu grabbed him tightly.

Bang Geng recalled the several beatings he had received recently.

Finally, he shrugged, unable to vent his anger, and kicked over the wooden basin next to him.

"I don't want to eat this awful porridge!" Bang Geng roared in impotent rage, and could only pace around the room.

Looking at Bang Geng's state and the increasingly chaotic situation at home, Jia Zhangshi finally let out a long sigh.

She was at a loss.