Chapter 367 The Deaf Old Lady's Self-Redemption
Chapter 367 The Deaf Old Lady's Self-Redemption
The deaf old lady lay in bed all night without sleeping, thinking about how to break the impasse and change the current situation.
Ever since her identity was revealed, her situation has been very bad, completely different from before.
In the past, during the New Year and other festivals, people would come to my house to give greetings and gifts, but now no one even comes to visit and every day it’s just cold and deserted.
Having been the boss for her entire life, she was unwilling to lose this dominant position in the last few years, to lose the pinnacle of power where she held great power, had the final say, and whose words were as powerful as the emperor's grace.
"I have to find a way. I have to find a way. If I keep going like this, everyone will really treat me like an old woman. By then it will be too late to change."
"No one in the courtyard is easy to fool. It's not easy to fool them. You have to show them something with real evidence. Otherwise, you can't fool them. You have to have good stuff."
The deaf old lady muttered to herself, thinking of a solution.
There is almost no stupid person in the yard, except for Shazhu, who is a different matter.
The ability to restrict the dean and everyone else depends entirely on Yi Zhonghai's words. He talks about morality all the time and occasionally brings up the deaf old lady as his ancestor.
This suppressed everyone.
But now Yi Zhonghai can't use morality, and the deaf old lady is not our ancestor, so this trick is of no use at all.
The deaf old lady looked at her house and thought about the things she had, and soon she summed up the things she could show off.
There are only three things: house, money, and most importantly, a list.
The list of names that Yi Zhonghai had always been thinking about but couldn't find.
"It seems like I have no choice but to sell the house. Whatever, I don't have many years to live anyway. I can't take it with me when I die, so it's okay to hand it over."
The deaf old lady would never give away her money. If she ran out of money, she would have to give up her empty house sooner or later.
As for the list, it is useless to most people. The person recognized on the list is her, and not everyone with the list can use it.
Yi Zhonghai was just foolishly thinking that he could control the people on the list by getting it.
The deaf old lady naturally knew Yi Zhonghai's little trick, but she deliberately didn't give it to him, just to keep him hanging.
"Okay, that's it. We'll discuss this at the meeting tomorrow."
After figuring out a solution, the deaf old lady could finally sleep peacefully.
the next day.
The deaf old lady went to find Yi Zhonghai, "Xiao Yi."
"Old lady, have you eaten?" Yi Zhonghai was a little surprised that the deaf old lady actually came to see him.
The deaf old lady waved her hand and said, "No need to bother. I need to trouble you to hold a general meeting. I have something to tell everyone."
"What's the matter with the meeting? Can you tell me?" Yi Zhonghai asked puzzledly.
"When we have a meeting, I will say, just call everyone to the meeting."
After saying that, the deaf old lady turned and left, not giving Yi Zhonghai a chance to speak.
The auntie couldn't help but ask: "Old Yi, what does the old lady mean by this?"
If the deaf old lady didn't tell him, how would Yi Zhonghai know what the deaf old lady was up to?
"How would I know? I'll call everyone to a meeting and we'll know later."
After saying that, Yi Zhonghai went out to inform everyone to come to the meeting.
When everyone heard that the deaf old lady wanted to hold a meeting, they were a little reluctant, but since the uncle had already notified them, they had no choice but to go.
Soon, everyone reluctantly came to the middle courtyard, waiting for the meeting.
In the center of the courtyard, an octagonal table has been set up. The deaf old lady is sitting on the table, and three old men are standing beside her.
Seeing everyone with their heads down in deep thought or whispering to each other reluctantly, the deaf old lady felt mixed emotions.
She understood that this was the last time she would use the name of her ancestor to convene a general meeting.
She glanced at the three people standing beside her. This was the last time they gave her face, and she might not be able to keep this title in the future.
"Fortunately, I made a decision after careful consideration yesterday. If I had delayed any further, I'm afraid even this little influence would have been gone."
The deaf old lady secretly thanked herself for her foresight.
"Grandma, why are you calling a general meeting? Is there something going on?" a resident asked in an impatient tone.
The deaf old lady looked at this unknown person in the yard, and then looked at the others. There was more or less impatience in everyone's eyes.
From this little glimpse, we can imagine how severely the deaf old lady's reputation has been hit.
The deaf old lady stared at the resident for a few seconds, as if she wanted to remember him.
He looked back without any hesitation.
The deaf old lady tapped her cane and said slowly, "I have been in this yard for decades, from a child to an old woman."
"Everyone sees that I am old and respects me as an ancestor. I am very grateful for your love and respect. I feel unworthy of it because I have never done anything practical for the courtyard."
"I'm holding this meeting today because I feel I don't have many years left to live. If I don't hold it now, I might not have the time."
Hearing this, everyone felt a little unhappy. Birth, aging, sickness and death are part of human nature, and anyone who mentions them will not feel good.
Hearing this, everyone spoke out a few words of comfort.
"Old lady, please don't say that. You will live a long life."
"Yes, I see you are still so strong, you can't say such unlucky words."
Everyone stopped after a few words of comfort. Talking too much would be bad as it would seem like a death sentence.
"Thank you all for your concern. I will live well." The deaf old lady sat down and bowed, then got to the main topic of the conference.
"I've asked everyone to come to this meeting today because I don't have many years left to live, so I've decided to donate my house after I die. Does anyone want one?"
When these words were spoken, everyone present was stunned for a moment, and then an uproar broke out.
"Old lady, are you serious? Do you really want to donate the house?"
"Of course, the old woman has told lies before."
"Old lady, do you really want a silk house? If you don't want it, I want it. There is only one room in my house. Give it to me!"
Once someone asks for a room, others will naturally not lag behind.
"Old lady, it's the same in my family. The whole family lives in a small room. Can you take a look at my house and donate it to me?"
In an instant, everyone began to scramble for the house.
Even Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong who were standing by couldn't help but clamor for a room.
Seeing so many people rushing to give her massages and offering them to her, the deaf old lady felt very happy to be valued and surrounded by people, just like she did before.
"Finally, I can once again experience this feeling of being valued and needed." The deaf old lady sighed silently in her heart and couldn't help but close her eyes to feel it.
"Alas, I, with my old bones, never thought that I could become the focus of everyone's attention." The deaf old lady pretended to sigh, but there was a cunning light flashing in her eyes.
"Everyone, listen to me, old lady."
As soon as the deaf old lady started speaking, the whole place fell silent, and everyone watched and listened to her attentively.
"I didn't expect that everyone is so short of housing, but I only have one house, so I can only donate it to one person. Is this okay?"
"I will give the house to anyone who treats me well. This way it will be fairer and everyone will have a chance. What do you think?"
Hearing this, everyone nodded. This was a good idea and everyone had a chance.
But the criteria for judgment are a bit vague. Isn’t it just a matter of her words to decide who is nice to the deaf old lady?
Yan Bugui expressed this concern.
The deaf old lady has her own solution: "That's not a problem. I have a scale in my heart. I know who is truly kind to me."
As she spoke, the deaf old lady fumbled out a small yellowed notebook from her pocket and patted it gently.
"From today on, I will record who massages my back, who talks to me, and who takes care of me when I'm sick."
"When the time comes, it's not me who gets to own the house, it's this book that has the final say."
"If the old lady passes away someday, we can just do the math on paper."
This action immediately brightened the eyes of everyone present, and the originally vague judgment criteria became clear in an instant.
"This is a good idea." Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Old lady, this is a great idea! It is fair and just. We are all convinced!" someone exclaimed loudly.
But some people still have concerns. What if the deaf old lady doesn't keep her word?
The deaf old lady added: "This is easy to handle. I will go to the street office to find Director Wang and ask her and the street office to testify. Then everyone will not be afraid anymore."
"Old lady, your idea is great, great." Everyone couldn't help but echo and praise.
The deaf old lady's actions once again caused an uproar. If she really did this, it would mean that she was sure to donate the house, and this was true.
There is no need to worry that the deaf old lady will regret it in the future and say that what she said does not count, so that everyone’s efforts will not be in vain.
The deaf old lady looked at everyone's excitement and couldn't help but smile, as if she was watching a monkey show.
If Li Kailang were here, he would definitely laugh at everyone.
It is only the 59th year now, and the deaf old lady has not died until the 65th year when the story begins, which means that if you want a house, you have to wait at least 6 years.
6 years, how long do we have to wait for? How long do we have to wait for the end? Everyone originally thought that they would wait for a few months, and as long as they could take care of her well, they could get the house. But they didn't expect the deaf old lady to live so long.
It was indeed the deaf old lady who did it on purpose. She kept saying that she only had a few years left to live, giving everyone the illusion that she was about to die.
It is really ridiculous that he wanted to plot against the deaf old lady, but he didn't expect to be plotted against by her.
"Old lady, your waist must be tired after sitting for so long. Let me massage it for you." The resident who spoke impatiently at first immediately offered his services.
"Oh, sorry to bother you."
"No trouble, no trouble." He immediately came behind the deaf old lady and gave her a back massage.
The residents nearby all sighed inwardly that it was a pity that he had gotten there first.
But he didn't expect that the deaf old lady didn't take him seriously at all. Just based on the tone at the beginning, others were qualified, and he was beaten to death directly.
Someone else thought: "Old lady, you must be thirsty after talking so much. I'll go get you a glass of water. Please wait a moment."
"Oh, sorry to bother you."
He immediately went home to get some water, but he was definitely not as quick as the resident of the Central Courtyard, who directly gave the cup to the deaf old lady.
"Okay, okay, thank you for your help."
The deaf old lady looked at everyone offering their services, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but rise, her eyes full of mockery and sneer.
She just used the house as a trick to make everyone revolve around her. They are really a bunch of fools.
The deaf old lady thought to herself, "I just used a little trick to control everyone. If I had known this method existed, I would have used it earlier. Why did I have to suffer for several months?"
Then, she slowly stood up with the help of her crutches.
"Hey, old lady, slow down." Yan Bugui immediately went to support her, "Old lady, do you want to go home? I'll support you."
The deaf old lady waved her hand and said, "No, I have to go to the street office. I told everyone that I would do notarization. I can't forget it."
Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up, "Old lady, you don't need to go there, I can take you there, you don't need to bother."
The deaf old lady said, "That won't work. I really have to go."
"Old lady, I will help you go."
"No need to go through so much trouble. I can go by myself and won't delay your work." The deaf old lady declined.
"It's no trouble, no trouble. Our yard is not close to the street office, so we still need someone to help us." Yan Bugui said, and then looked at Yan Jiefang.
"Jiefang, you have to be careful when you help the old lady to the street office. The old lady can't make any mistakes, otherwise I will punish you."
"I understand." Yan Jiefang replied.
Liu Haizhong immediately responded: "Guangtian, you should go too. I am worried about liberating one person."
"Xiao San, you go too, and keep an eye on the old lady."
"Xiao Si, you go too, be careful."
Naturally, the other residents would not fall behind and they all arranged for their sons to accompany them.
The deaf old lady didn’t know who went, but she remembered clearly who didn’t go.
In this way, the deaf old lady, protected by a group of children, headed towards the street office in a mighty manner.
When everyone saw the deaf old lady leaving, they looked at each other with hostility, and then went back to their homes. Everyone was determined to get the deaf old lady's house.
Especially for families with many people but few houses like Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong, they attach more importance to the house of the deaf old lady.
The second aunt said to Liu Haizhong, "This old lady's house, our family just needs a decent wedding house for the wedding."
"Let's think of a way to show our faces more in front of the old lady so that she will remember our kindness."
"That's right." Liu Haizhong nodded and lowered his head to think of a solution.
It’s not easy to get a house nowadays. Either you wait for the factory to assign one to you or you buy one.
There is a long queue for accommodation in the factory, let alone the ones who live in the hospital.
But houses are not cheap, at least three or four hundred yuan. Who can come up with so much money at once?
Now that there is a house for free, how can they not be tempted.
Anyway, the deaf old lady doesn't have many years left to live, so taking care of her isn't a difficult task.
Of course, they are just talking, but it is their wives who are actually doing the work, and they are not the ones who are tired.
But for the sake of the house and my son, this little hardship is nothing.
"There is something fishy about this." Yi Zhonghai stood where he was, frowning as he watched everyone leave, feeling that this matter was not simple.
The deaf old lady's behavior just now made Yi Zhonghai feel that it was premeditated and could not have been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
After all, the deaf old lady can answer every question in a timely manner.
Originally, the deaf old lady's house was agreed to be left to Sha Zhu, but she must have some purpose in doing this today.
Yi Zhonghai felt something was wrong when he heard the deaf old lady making trouble, especially when she talked about donating the house.
I didn't say anything because I just wanted to see what the deaf old lady wanted, but I couldn't tell for the time being.
"Wait a few days and see what the specific situation is. If the old lady really does this, maybe I have to make some plans."
Yi Zhonghai thought of a result in his mind, or to be more precise, an answer.
If things really develop as he wants, then he will naturally do something and can't just stand there and watch.
After all, according to the promise they had made before, after the deaf old lady died, the house would first be transferred to him, Yi Zhonghai, and then after Sha Zhu got married and had children, the house would be given to Sha Zhu.
The two of them had discussed this matter in advance. Now the deaf old lady suddenly did this, which really caught him off guard, as she had not discussed this with him in advance.
This forced Yi Zhonghai to be cautious.
In fact, Yi Zhonghai doesn’t care about houses at all. After all, he has two houses and is not short of houses. What he lacks is offspring.
"Lao Yi, what do you think the old lady meant?" an old lady asked worriedly.
Yi Zhonghai comforted him, "Don't worry, nothing will happen. Just be at ease. Just do what you need to do as before."
"Okay, then I'll go ahead and make lunch for the old lady as usual."
"Well, let's go."
"Ruihua, does our family still have unused meat coupons?" Aunt Yan Bugui said.
"Well, it's in the drawer. What do you want?" The third aunt looked at Yan Bugui and guessed.
Yan Bugui nodded: "That's what you think. While others haven't reacted yet, let's make some shocking news so that the old lady will remember our kindness."
"This will give us more hope of getting a house."
"Okay, I'll go buy the meat now." The third aunt immediately took out the meat ticket and money to buy the meat.
Of course, Yan Bugui is not the only one who thinks this way.
Soon, it was noon.
A smell of meat wafted over the yard.
"Damn, someone actually thought of the same idea as me." Everyone couldn't help but secretly feel that it was a pity. They didn't expect that everyone would spend so much money for the house.
Each household prepared delicious meat dishes, but none of the families ate them, choosing instead to serve them to the deaf old lady.
"Madam, this is the minced meat and eggplant that my family made at noon. I brought some for you to try."
"Old lady, there is also my family's soup. The weather is getting cold. You can drink this fresh meat soup to warm yourself up."
"Old lady, there are also my family."
"Okay, okay, I've taken note of it. I appreciate everyone's kindness."
The deaf old lady couldn't help but smile and be in high spirits when she saw everyone serving her delicious food attentively.
Turn around, take out a pen and paper, and write it down in public, so that everyone present will feel that their efforts are valued.
However, behind this harmony, there is also a subtle undercurrent.
Some women felt happy and disappointed as they watched the deaf old lady recording.
I am happy that my efforts are recognized, but I am sad that this recognition is not enjoyed alone but shared by everyone.
It seems that I have to find other ways to surpass others. If I keep doing this normally, when will I be able to surpass others?
"Old lady, please take your time eating. I will go back first. Leave it there after you finish eating and I will come back to clean it up for you."
"Okay, okay, thank you for your hard work."
"It's not hard."
Thus, a silent contest quietly unfolded in the yard.
Everyone was no longer satisfied with just delivering food and soup, but began to think about how to win the favor of the deaf old lady in their own way.
(End of this chapter)