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

After all, he wasn't a cultivator who could truly abandon everything to focus solely on cultivation; he still had a wife and children to take care of.

Moreover, in this courtyard world, he is the biggest hidden BOSS. He doesn't have any deep-seated grudges to avenge, so why make things so difficult for himself?

If he cultivates diligently now, he has a good chance of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, and living for two hundred years should not be a problem.

That evening, Yan Jiefang sat on a recliner under the covered walkway reading a newspaper, while his three children stood by the pool picking vegetables.

The second son, Yan Xueheng, glanced at his father, who was already 41 or 42 years old and still so leisurely, and felt a little resentful.

Your 40s are the prime of your life, a time for striving and working hard.

Dad just lies around at home all day, that's just too much!

Without my father's hard work in starting his business, where would the family fortune come from to be passed down to us, his descendants?

But Dad's authority was also earned through his fists, and he wouldn't tolerate any disrespect.

He could only mutter:

"Our dad does nothing all day, it's so comfortable! Our mom goes to work every day, it's so pitiful!"

He actually knew his father's abilities. Not to mention the restaurant's profit sharing, his father's monthly royalties were 150 yuan, almost 100 yuan more than his mother earned through hard work. (After the policy change in 1984, royalties basically returned to the level of the 1960s, and Yan Jiefang continued to serialize 10,000 words a month.)

This world is so unfair!

Does having ability mean you can do whatever you want?

Yan Jiefang sneered inwardly: You're too young to understand. People with ability can do whatever they want!

However, I really should advise my wife to just take a leave of absence without pay.

He's been doing this job for so many years, so he's naturally familiar with the situation. The distance is too far, and it's indeed inconvenient to travel back and forth.

Anyway, the family doesn't need her salary and benefits.

Moreover, as long as a small management fee is paid to the original employer on time each year after taking a leave of absence without pay, the full amount will be counted as continuous working years, retirement pension working years, and social security contributions.

This was the safest and most legal way out for people from state-owned enterprises or those within the system to leave and start their own businesses in the 80s.

Seeing that his father ignored him, but knowing his father must have heard him, he started chirping again:

"Dad, you've been enjoying your retirement for several years now, isn't it time to get back to work?"

Yan Jiefang, seeing him constantly chirping crickets, wondered what he was up to, so he put down his newspaper and turned to look at the young man:

"Xueheng, what are you doing, muttering to yourself instead of working properly?"

Yan Xueheng put down the vegetables in his hand and extended his hand:

"Dad, look, I've finished my work."

Yan Jiefang's face turned ashen:

"Once you're done, hurry up and read or do your homework!"

Yan Xueheng's face fell:

"All right..."

The eldest and third brothers chuckled to themselves.

The second brother/elder brother has been scolded by their father countless times, but he just won't change his ways.

I'm really impressed with him.

While watching TV that evening, Yan Jiefang said to Liu Ruyan beside him:

"Honey, go to the factory tomorrow and apply for a leave of absence without pay."

Liu Ruyan was taken aback and turned to look at Yan Jiefang:

"What's wrong, honey?"

His three sons and mother-in-law all looked over, wondering why he would say such a thing.

Factory 774 is currently at its peak, and countless people are eager to get in.

Yan Jiefang thought that he would probably set up a factory in the south a few years later, so he said to her:

"I might have to go to the south once or twice in a while, and it won't do if there's no one at home to keep an eye on these three boys."

Besides, you work too hard every day, why don't you come home and rest?

You know, our family has never lacked that kind of thing.

Liu Ruyan didn't ask her husband what he was doing in the south; she knew he had his own ideas.

So he nodded:

"Okay, I'll go to the factory tomorrow to complete the formalities."

The second child, however, is more curious.

"Dad, when are you going to the South? How about we go together during our summer vacation?"

I've never left the 49th city in my entire life!

Like a frog at the bottom of a well, unaware of how vast the outside world is!

The eldest and third brothers also showed interest upon hearing this.

Even the mother-in-law, who had been watching TV the whole time, seemed to shift her chair slightly.

Yan Jiefang looked at the three children whose faces were full of expectation:

"Okay, when you have your holiday, I'll take you out for a trip."

"Yay!"

The three children cheered.

Children naturally yearn for the unknown world; it's in their nature.

Then, Yan Jiefang said to his mother-in-law:

"Mom, you've been in 49 cities for so many years and haven't gone back to visit even once. It's my fault for neglecting you. This summer, when we go south, we can go to our hometown in Jiangcheng together?"

Hearing this, under the light of the television and fluorescent lamps, the old woman's face clearly showed interest, but she still hesitated and said:

"With so many of us traveling together, isn't it a waste of money, not to mention the long journey?"

Yan Jiefang shook his head:

"Don't worry, our family is wealthy."

Liu Ruyan added from the side:

"Mom, Jiefang is right, our family is rich! In fact, our family is one of those households that many people on the street know about, with a combined income of ten thousand yuan."

The old lady had also heard of the nickname "ten-thousand-yuan household" and knew that those with this nickname were wealthy people.

I never expected that my son-in-law, who hadn't worked for several years, would still be a "ten-thousand-yuan household" (a household with a net worth of ten thousand yuan).

However, hearing this made her feel much more at ease.

She had been away from her hometown for a long time, and she never expected that eighteen years would pass in the blink of an eye.

When she came to 49 City with her youngest daughter that year, she was only 18 years old!

Before we knew it, another 18 years had passed.

Looking back now, it feels like yesterday.

My wife's grave hasn't been tended to for eighteen years; it must be overgrown with weeds by now.

Could the old house in my family have already collapsed?

...

The next day, Yan Jiefang accompanied his wife to Factory 774 to complete the procedures for taking a leave of absence without pay.

When the factory workers and leaders saw that it was actually Yan Jiefang, this legendary figure, many people came to see him.

Li Qingbo, along with many classmates and his brother-in-law, came to meet him.

Many years have passed, and Li Qingbo is now a level 13 technician, but it is still difficult for him to advance further.

Yan Jiefang was already a level 11 technician when he left the factory.

Everyone says that after all these years, he must be at least a level 10 technician, or even a level 9 engineer.

After all, he's an Olympic champion!

This alone is enough for him to advance at the fastest speed.

With Yan Jiefang's influence, Liu Ruyan's paperwork was processed quickly.

The two then rode their bikes back home together.

When they arrived home, the house had already been thoroughly cleaned by Yan Jiefang using a cleaning technique.

Liu Ruyan felt rather idle and uncomfortable.

Seeing her state, Yan Jiefang thought for a moment and suggested to her:

"I'll head south in a few days to check out the fruit market there."

If things go well, our family will open a fruit shop on the street, and you can be the boss lady.

At least I have something to do.

Liu Ruyan was somewhat curious:

"Selling fruit? Is it profitable?"

Yan Jiefang did some mental calculations:

"You can earn anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand yuan a month."

Liu Ruyan exclaimed in surprise:

"So many?!"

Yan Jiefang nodded:

That's all.

Liu Ruyan became happy:

"Okay, then our family will open a fruit shop!"