I, Yan Jiefang, will live to 2025 in this courtyard house.

In fact, Liu Yuyan had her own little scheme.

Having more houses at home will give my mother and sister a place to stay when they come to Beijing in the future.

Unlike last year, she won't have to seek help from the local street office, end up working on a farm in the suburbs, and then be sent back.

Having a place to stay makes everything a hundred times easier.

It's already March, and the capital city is slowly warming up.

Liu Yuyan had been married to Sha Zhu for over a year, so she was no longer considered a new bride in the courtyard.

She sat with He Xiao in her arms on the veranda in the front yard, chatting with a few women with whom she had a superficially amicable relationship.

Yu Li also sat to the side, sewing shoe soles.

As a daughter-in-law of the Yan family, she had very little free time, as if there was always endless work to be done.

This greatly troubled her, and she felt that she had been blind to marry Yan Jiecheng.

They also harbored considerable resentment towards Yan Bugui and his wife.

Lately, she has been trying to find a job somewhere. She doesn't have high requirements; temporary work is fine.

But work was so difficult during that time. There were so many idle loafers on the streets, mostly young people without jobs.

The country has long encouraged people to go to the countryside and work in the fields, where there is much to be done.

But few responded.

Everyone knows more or less about the hardships of rural life, but apart from farmers who have no other way out, almost no one wants to experience it.

At this moment, a thin figure walked out from the central courtyard; it was Li Cuilan.

Although they were all old neighbors, no one greeted her, after all, she was a member of the "Five Black Categories" and a former criminal.

Li Cuilan knew she was now a pariah and wouldn't try to curry favor with someone who wouldn't listen, so she simply walked away.

"Li Cuilan must have gone to the labor camp to see Yi Zhonghai again."

A woman was speaking in a low voice.

Everyone else knew the answer and nodded in agreement.

"Is Yi Zhonghai coming out soon?"

"It's still early!"

"It'll probably take another year and a half, right?"

"right."

"Once you're released, you'll be considered one of the 'five black categories' (a derogatory term for individuals with criminal records or social inequalities), and you can forget about your former glory."

"They deserve it! They forced our entire hospital to donate to the Jia family every month, making our lives miserable. It would be better if they never got out! It's a pity it was only three years; they got off too easily."

That's true.

When Liu Yuyan married into the family, Yi Zhonghai and his wife had already been sent to a labor camp and were not very clear about what was going on there, so they asked around:

"Aunt Luo, what exactly happened? Please tell me in detail."

"At first..."

Several women chattered amongst themselves, sharing the information they knew.

After listening for a while, she thought her sister-in-law, He Yushui, was quite clever, but she had never heard He Yushui mention this to her.

Judging from the sister-in-law's evasive manner, there seems to be more to this matter than meets the eye.

She muttered to herself.

After some twists and turns, Li Cuilan finally returned to Qinghe Farm.

Although she had come many times, each visit still required a great deal of her energy.

This era is different from later generations.

In later generations, a mere 150 kilometers would be nothing more than a step on the gas.

In the 60s, even in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, once you left the city, the roads were mostly dirt tracks.

Even roads paved with carbon ash are considered good roads.

Moreover, during this period, it was not safe for someone like her to travel far alone.

If she hadn't been cautious, she might have been kidnapped by highway robbers long ago.

Having visited many times before, the farm soldiers skillfully arranged for her to wait outside the visiting room.

Not long after, escorted by two guards, Yi Zhonghai limped out of the corridor.

It was immediately apparent that the Celestial Venerable Morality had become noticeably more dejected, appearing listless and dispirited.

Seeing her husband like this, Li Cuilan gripped the railing with both hands, and a sob escaped her throat:

"Zhonghai, what happened to you? Your leg..."

"It's alright, it should get better with some rest."

Yi Zhonghai hung his head, his voice low and somber.

"Is there...?"

Yes! Yes!

Li Cuilan hurriedly responded loudly, frantically taking three boiled eggs out of the bag.

"Hurry up and eat."

These eggs passed through the hands of the soldiers before being given to Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai immediately cracked the eggshell, peeled the egg, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it quickly.

He quickly ate all three eggs.

Li Cuilan waited until he finished eating before speaking:

"Zhonghai, how did you get your leg injured again?"

Yi Zhonghai clenched his fists and gritted his teeth:

"It's all that son of a bitch Guo's fault! If it weren't for his gossip, I wouldn't have been ostracized, and I wouldn't have gotten hurt! Once I get out of here..."

At this point, he glanced at the soldiers and then fell silent.

Li Cuilan knew that this matter could not be revealed, so she stopped asking and instead told him about what was happening in the courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai listened attentively, his mind racing with various plans.

Time passed quickly, and after being reminded by a soldier, Li Cuilan said to Yi Zhonghai:

"Things seem to be getting better now, and there's no longer such a shortage of food in the market. When I get back, I'll put in some extra effort and see if I can bring you a couple more eggs next time."

Yi Zhonghai nodded quickly:

"good!"

Life at Qinghe Farm was tough; he longed for the days when his wife would come to visit him every month.

Li Cuilan had been to a labor camp before and knew what it was like there. Every time she came, she would bring at least two boiled eggs for her husband to supplement his nutrition.

These days, finding a few eggs isn't easy.

While there was still time, Li Cuilan hurried along the dirt road toward the station.

As we passed a fork in the road, a middle-aged man driving a donkey cart came from the fork and joined us.

As he passed by Li Cuilan, the middle-aged man glanced at her and asked loudly:

"Wife, are you going to Chadian Station? I'm also going there to sell goods. Do you want me to give you a ride?"

Don't talk to strangers, especially since this person's address was frivolous; they clearly aren't a good person.

Li Cuilan ignored him and kept her head down as she continued on her way.

The man didn't try to pick her up again. Instead, he chatted with Li Cuilan, asking her age, where she lived, and what she was doing there, regardless of whether she responded or not.

Li Cuilan felt that this person was like a fly, buzzing incessantly, which was very annoying.

So she quickened her pace, but she still couldn't shake off the donkey cart.

Just as she was feeling agitated, a sack fell from the sky and immediately covered her up.

"Help! Help!"

Although Li Cuilan shouted loudly, her voice could not travel very far due to the obstruction of the burlap sack.

Then, after being hit several times with a stick, and with the air not circulating well inside the bag, Li Cuilan fainted.

Someone had somehow joined the middle-aged man rushing to catch the train:

"This woman is a bit old, but it's difficult to find a wife in the mountains, so she should still fetch a good price."