At the beginning, he took his seven younger siblings to join Yi Zhonghai.

Silent all night.

The next morning, before it was fully light, there was a commotion in the courtyard.

Tan Xiulian was already busy in the kitchen, and the sounds of the four little ones, Jiu Liang, making a ruckus could be heard from the yard.

These four little ones are different from other children; they don't like to sleep in.

Tomorrow morning she'll wake up on time and cry for milk, and after drinking it, she won't want to go back to sleep.

Yi Zhongding wondered if he had made them drink too much spiritual spring water, causing their development to be different from other children, and that they had more energy and had never even had a minor cold.

However, he had checked the pulses of his four nephews and nieces and scanned them with his divine sense, but found nothing wrong, so he let them be.

The sound of a rooster crowing came from the alley, followed by the sounds of coughing, brushing teeth, and clattering buckets.

A day in Beijing begins amidst the mundane details of daily life.

When Yi Zhongding woke up, he found that there was an extra blanket on him.

He paused for a moment, then looked up at the bed. Bai Yushu was still asleep, with Sijin and Erliang on either side of her. The three of them were huddled together, creating a heartwarming scene like a traditional Chinese New Year painting.

The blanket was obviously put on him by Bai Yushu when she woke up in the morning to feed him.

Yi Zhongding smiled, then quietly got up from the cot, folded the blanket, put on his coat, and went out the door.

In the courtyard, Yi Zhongyao was drawing water from the well. Seeing Yi Zhongding come out, he greeted him with a smile, "Brother, up so early?"

"Good morning, Yaoyao, let me help you."

Yi Zhongding walked over and took the bucket of water from her hands.

"Alright, then I'll watch the fire for my sister-in-law."

Yi Zhongyao didn't stand on ceremony, clapped his hands, and went to the kitchen.

Yi Zhongding fetched some water and washed his face with the cold water, instantly waking him up.

He wiped his face with a towel and was about to go back inside when he saw Yi Zhonghai also push open the door and come out, wearing a faded work uniform and carrying a pile of dirty clothes that Jiu Liang and the others had changed out of.

"Good morning, brother."

Yi Zhongding nodded.

"Good morning, are you going to the hospital today?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded, walked to his side, scooped up a ladle of water, gulped down a few mouthfuls, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve and exhaled a breath of cool air.

"I tell you every day not to drink well water directly, not to drink cold water, but you just won't listen. Do you think you're still a young man in your early twenties?"

Tan Xiulian's voice rang out behind him.

"Oh my god, you scared me to death! I just wanted to rinse my mouth."

Yi Zhonghai turned his head and replied with a fawning smile.

Tan Xiulian rolled her eyes, too lazy to pay him any attention, and went back to the kitchen.

"Yes, I'm going to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, then to work at 301 Hospital. Did your sister-in-law tell you about the Zhou family's third son in the backyard last night?"

Yi Zhongding smiled as he watched his elder brother and sister-in-law arguing before speaking.

"I told you, you can handle this as you see fit. Help if you can. You two have been childhood friends since you were in the same courtyard. He's an honest guy, just had a tough life."

"If I could find a job at the hospital, at least it would be a respectable way out, and a secure job."

Yi Zhonghai nodded and said softly.

"I'll try my best. If it doesn't work, I'll ask Butcher Zhang at the market."

Yi Zhongding responded.

The two brothers stood in the courtyard, speechless for a moment.

The morning light spilled over from the rooftops on the east side, bathing the entire courtyard in a gentle orange-red hue.

"Zhongding, although I don't know exactly what your job is, is it just treating patients or something?"

"I'm happy for you, but I'm also worried. I'm happy that you're successful and can treat those important people, but I'm worried that you're moving too fast and taking too big a step, which might cause you to stumble."

Yi Zhonghai suddenly looked at him and spoke seriously.

Yi Zhongding turned to look at his elder brother.

"I know you're not the kind of person who gets carried away with success, but I still want to remind you, no matter how far you go, don't forget who you are and where your home is."

"And those big shots have wide connections and unfathomable backgrounds. You have to be very careful. Just focus on getting medical treatment and don't worry about anything else."

"You've been reading history books with China since you were little. I've flipped through them in my spare time and found that being a royal physician since ancient times wasn't easy. A slight mistake could mean losing your head."

"We are not like the feudal era of the past, where even if the emperor was killed, we could band together to fight back and survive."

"I'm starting to regret becoming the director of this subsidiary factory. Only after you've actually been in this position can you see the ins and outs of the upper echelons of the steel rolling mill."

"I used to think I was a master strategist with a deep understanding of human nature, but now I realize I was really ignorant of my own limitations. If a department-level unit like a steel rolling mill is this murky, what about the higher levels?"

Looking into his younger brother's eyes, Yi Zhonghai took a few steps forward, placed his hands on his shoulders, and said solemnly.

These words, though simple, warmed Yi Zhongding's heart.

"Big brother, I've got it."

Yi Zhongding nodded and solemnly replied.

"Alright, let's eat."

Yi Zhonghai patted him on the shoulder and turned to walk towards the main room.

Breakfast was simple: cornmeal porridge, pickled vegetable dumplings, and two steamed buns.

Only Bai Yushu had chicken soup during her postpartum confinement. At Yi Zhongding's insistence, the four little ones, including Jiu Liang, also got to enjoy a few pieces of chicken.

Although Yi Zhongding had no shortage of food in his space, he did not spoil his younger siblings too much.

Tan Xiulian was no exception.

So, apart from being able to eat their fill every day, the Yi family can only eat meat once a month if they want to.

But the simple meal, with the family sitting around the table, chatting and laughing, made for a lively and enjoyable meal.

After a night's rest, the four little guys, Jiu Liang and his two little legs, were full of energy again. They sat on the high stools and swung their short legs back and forth.

Everyone was clutching half a cornbread in their hand, their faces covered in crumbs from eating it.

Yi Zhonghai, while eating, also picked up the crumbs of cornbread that they had dropped on the table and ate them all.

After finishing his meal, Yi Zhongding changed into clean clothes, picked up his briefcase, and prepared to leave.

Before leaving, he turned back to the west room and glanced at his wife eating breakfast by the bedside and his two sons sleeping soundly.

"I'm leaving, my darlings, Daddy's leaving. I'll come back to see you tonight."

Yi Zhongding greeted his wife and children.

"Be careful on the road, and come back soon."

Bai Yushu raised her head, smiled at him, and said gently.

"Um."

Yi Zhongding nodded, glanced at the sleeping Sijin again, gently touched his cheek, and then turned and left.

The alleyway is already bustling with activity.

People were coming and going—going to work, going to school, buying groceries, and so on.

Yi Zhongding pushed his bicycle out of the courtyard gate and ran into Xu Damao, who was pushing a bicycle back with a projector and a disc on the back.