Courtyard House: He Yuzhu started in 1948

Lou Xiao'e said she was going to visit Tian Zao, but in the end, she couldn't make it.

Fighting broke out in Northeast China, then in Jinan, Shandong... a strategic campaign against the Kuomintang was launched, and news of the Kuomintang's defeat was everywhere.

Henan has changed drastically, and so has southern Hebei. Places like Beiping are now more and more like isolated cities, with people living in fear and local thugs acting like grasshoppers in autumn, going through their last frenzy.

After learning that fighting had broken out in the north, He Yuzhu gradually made Tian Zao shrink his business circle. Before the Mid-Autumn Festival was over, He Yuzhu made them stop their business.

"Stop? Why stop?"

Tian Zao earns a lot of money every day, so naturally he refuses to stop now.

He Yuzhu, of course, wouldn't tell her the true history. Instead, he explained it using the current situation: "The fighting has started in the north, and there will be defeated soldiers pouring into Beiping City. There is also fighting in the south. Beiping City is like a cage right now. People outside want to get in, and people inside want to get out. Some can't even get out. This is the most chaotic time of the year."

First, let me explain the historical background. Then He Yuzhu said, "And you want to do business? Why did I let you do business? It was so that you would have the foundation to study. You could focus on your studies for the next few years and not be thinking about making money all the time. I think you've forgotten your original dream."

"What are you thinking about right now—not having enough to eat, not having new clothes for your brothers? So, from now on, you need to study! Understand?"

Faced with He Yuzhu's reprimand, Tian Zao didn't know how to respond: "I...I understand, I'll study hard."

"That's more like it."

He Yuzhu waved his hand, "Go back and tell your brothers not to go out unless necessary. I found some books at school, enough for your studies. Before the New Year, you can study in the back room. After the New Year, I will have Mr. Lü evaluate your studies and decide when you should start studying. Understand?"

"Understood."

"Let's go back."

He Yuzhu told Tian Zao to leave, and then found an account book in a hidden place.

This ledger contains money that Tian Zao and his friends scraped together from their business dealings, the school's business, and Lou Bancheng's financial aid.

The main source of income was the money that Lou Bancheng had squeezed out of his funding and the money Tianzao earned from selling cold drinks.

Especially the cold drink business, which brought in more than ten silver dollars a day, and after more than a month, it brought in eight hundred silver dollars. With Lou Bancheng's sponsorship, he also received more than one hundred silver dollars a month.

The money the school earned was all invested by He Daqing, and it basically all went to He Daqing.

He Yuzhu had saved up 1,200 silver dollars, at least half of which were autographed, commemorative, and special editions. He Yuzhu couldn't tell how much these things were worth, but he just kept them.

He Yuzhu doesn't know how much He Daqing has saved yet, but this is what he has accumulated in the past six months since he arrived in 1948.

That counts as making my first little pot of gold.

He Yuzhu was quite satisfied. He didn't think about buying antiques or anything like that. There was no need to buy them. Wouldn't it be more satisfying to pick up some free items when the opportunity arose?

You still need to spend money to buy it now, but you won't need it then.

Hey!

……

Xu Damao was sent by Xu Wude to Shuntian Middle School to study in the first year of junior high school. He enrolled in the second half of the year and plans to repeat the first year of junior high school next year.

At Shuntian Middle School, where students typically start junior high at age twelve, Xu Damao was considered old. The only student his age in the class was Guo Chun, who had to repeat a year.

Guo Chun, a rich second-generation, is called "Big Fool Chun" by the noble sons of Shuntian Middle School.

But for Xu Damao, Guo Chun was already an unattainable figure.

Xu Damao's father was merely an employee of Lou Bancheng's household, while Guo Chun's father was quite wealthy in Beiping.

Therefore, Xu Damao subconsciously wanted to be friends with Guo Chun.

On their first day of school, Xu Damao and Guo Chun, who had just transferred to the class, sat in the last row by the window. When Guo Chun pulled a brand-new textbook out of his bag, Xu Damao, who had just picked up his secondhand book, froze and instinctively asked, "Why are you using a new textbook?"

Guo Chun didn't even look at Xu Damao: "I used the old books for two years, and I thought they were unlucky, so I replaced them with new ones."

Xu Damao looked at the secondhand textbook in his hand and felt ashamed.

He must have used this textbook countless times; the handwriting inside was all different. Xu Damao was completely stumped.

No, I want a new one too.

After spending half a month together, Xu Damao and Guo Chun became friends, and Xu also met two other junior high school classmates... That's right, Guo Chun repeated his senior year for two years.

Gong Deming and Guo Baosen.

Gong Deming was a nobleman, while Guo Baosen's family was just small business owners. However, because of Xue'e's preferences, he was closer to Gong Deming and Guo Chun.

Xu Damao was the fourth person in the small group. He liked to hang out with Guo Chun and Gong Deming the most, and felt that he could learn a lot from being with them.

Of course, Xu Damao hadn't forgotten his 'hatred' with He Yuzhu, and he still wanted to teach He Yuzhu a lesson.

After Guo Chun and Gong Deming told them about it, they dismissed it with disdain.

He's just an employee, why bother getting them to take action?

Isn't this just making my hands dirty?

Guo Chun bluntly expressed his disdain for Xu Damao: "Aren't you ashamed to argue with a cook who serves others?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao became anxious: "Who does Sha Zhu think he is, a cook?"

"Hahaha……"

Guo Chun and the others burst into laughter, thinking Xu Damao was a joke.

From then on, Xu Damao understood what "class" meant. He Yuzhu and he were not in the same class, nor were the people in No. 95 Courtyard.

I was studying at Shuntian Middle School. In the entire No. 95 compound, who else could study here besides me?

That's what you call social class!

Xu Damao no longer mentions going to learn how to project movies from Xu Wude; he has found that Shuntian Middle School is a better place to elevate his social standing.

After understanding Guo Chun's words, Xu Damao walked with his head held high all day long, wearing the little suit that Xu Wude bought for him, leather shoes, and his hands in his pockets.

Xu Damao looked at those dressed worse than him with disdain.

You and I are not in the same social class!

On their way home that day, passing by Chongwenmen, the brothers Liu Guangqi and Liu Guangtian, who were working outside to save pocket money, saw Xu Damao and were immediately stunned by Xu Damao's suit and leather shoes.

"Isn't this Xu Damao?"

Liu Guangtian said something, then called out Xu Damao's name: "Damao!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao glanced back and saw Liu Guangqi and Liu Guangtian doing manual labor. A look of disdain flashed in his eyes.

Without even speaking to the two brothers, he put his hands in his pockets, turned around, and left.

We are not from the same social class!

Two lowly people wallowing in the mud!

"..."

Liu Guangqi and Liu Guangtian watched Xu Damao leave. Even if they didn't understand, they could feel that Xu Damao was ignoring them.

This feeling is not pleasant at all.