Chapter 728 Master's Position 4
However, after the group of people left one after another with some light or heavy steps, the corner of the courtyard, which was originally a little noisy, suddenly fell into a brief silence.
At this moment, the eldest uncle Yi Zhonghai and the third uncle Yan Bugui walked towards the slightly dim room full of miscellaneous items, one after the other, as if they had made an appointment in advance.
That room was probably originally used to store sundries. The light that squeezed in with difficulty through the small, dusty window could only illuminate a small area in the room.
The room was cluttered with all kinds of objects, including a broken bicycle with rusty bodies and flat tires; there were also several old flower pots with broken openings, filled with some dried flowers and plants; in the corner were a few bundles of yellowed old newspapers, which had become fragile due to the erosion of time.
Yi Zhonghai walked into the room slowly, first looking around, and then leisurely sat down on a wooden stool with peeling paint. The paint on the wooden stool had long been mottled, and in some places the rough wood inside was even exposed.
Yi Zhonghai put his hands on his knees naturally, sitting upright, his expression as calm as an old tree that has experienced thousands of years of wind and rain, or as calm as a bottomless lake, with a calm surface and no ripples. He just sat there quietly, as if all the noise around him had nothing to do with him.
As for Yan Bugui, as soon as he entered the room, he paced back and forth in the small space like an ant on a hot pot. His steps were hurried and flustered, and every step seemed to be on a hot iron plate.
His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and as he walked back and forth, the sweat kept coming out and sliding down his cheeks. From time to time, he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, which was a little old and the edges were a little worn.
"Old Yi, what do you think we should do?" Yan Bugui finally stopped his hurried steps, his brows twisted tightly into a knot, and the wrinkles on his face became more obvious because of anxiety. His eyes were full of anxiety and uneasiness, like a deer that had lost its way.
"This notice from the street office has taken off our label of 'big boss'. Will anyone listen to us in the courtyard in the future? All our prestige is gone!" He stomped his feet as he spoke, and his worn cloth shoes made a slight sound on the ground, as if it was an outward manifestation of his inner anxiety.
Yi Zhonghai raised his head slightly and looked at Yan Bugui with a calm and deep gaze. There was no panic or anxiety in his eyes, just like a calm lake, which made people feel calm when they saw it.
He slowly said, "Old Yan, what's the point of being anxious? Since the subdistrict office has made this decision, they naturally have their considerations. We have been the 'boss' for so many years and have done a lot for the Siheyuan, but there are also places where we have not done enough. Now the times are changing, and the management model must change with it. We can't always stick to the old ways of the past, we must learn to adapt to new changes."
His voice was low and steady, and every word seemed to come from the bottom of his heart, as if it had a power that could soothe people's hearts, and Yan Bugui's anxious heart gradually calmed down.
When Yan Bugui heard what Yi Zhonghai said, he instantly became like a powder keg that had been lit. He stomped his feet on the ground in a panic and waved his hands wildly in the air. He looked as if he was trying to grasp a life-saving straw, or to tear apart the depressing situation in front of him.
"Old Yi, how can you be so calm? Don't you understand what the identity of 'Uncle' means? This is a sign that has been rooted in the Siheyuan for many years! For so many years, this sign is like a flag flying high, representing our status and authority in the Siheyuan. Without it, how can we mediate neighborhood disputes in the future? Those trivial matters, such as the East family borrowing things from the West family and not returning them, and the West family complaining that the East family occupied a little of their space, these things will be a mess if no one takes care of them. A mess? And how to maintain order in the courtyard? Look at Sha Zhu, Xu Damao and the others, they are all troublemakers. Sha Zhu has a temper as explosive as dynamite, and he gets into fights at any time; Xu Damao has many tricks, and he always thinks about how to take advantage of others and be clever. Without us to control it, won't the courtyard be in chaos? By then, this originally quiet courtyard will become a noisy, smoky and foul vegetable market!"
His face turned red like a ripe tomato, and the veins on his forehead bulged out like little winding snakes, as if they would burst at any time.
Yi Zhonghai looked at Yan Bugui's anxious look and sighed softly, the sigh seemed to carry endless helplessness and emotion. He stood up slowly, although his figure was no longer upright, but still had a calm temperament. He stretched out his broad palm and gently patted Yan Bugui's shoulder. The action was like a gentle breeze, trying to soothe Yan Bugui's inner anxiety.
"Old Yan, calm down first. We used to be the 'bosses' because of our prestige and experience. Our words really carried weight in the courtyard, and everyone was willing to listen to us. But now the times are different. The subdistrict office wants to promote a new community management model. This is the general trend, just like the rolling river, we can't stop it. We can't always stick to the old ways, we have to learn to adapt to changes. Just like migratory birds, they migrate with the change of seasons every year, and we have to keep up with the pace of the times. Besides, we have been in the courtyard for so many years, and the neighbors still have feelings for us. Even if we lose the title of 'boss', we still have to help when we need to. We can't just ignore the things in the courtyard because we have lost this identity."
Yan Bugui frowned, and the wrinkles on his face were squeezed into a ball, like a mess. He looked disapproving, and his eyes were full of doubt and worry. "Old Yi, you said it lightly. Without this title, the nature of our help is different. In the past, we were mediating on behalf of the courtyard, and our words had weight. Everyone would give us some face. Our words were like imperial decrees. Who would dare not listen? But now we are just ordinary residents. Who will take our words seriously? Just like the Jia family, they always kept saying "It's not easy for our Qin Huairu". Every time they divided things, they took more and more, like a greedy wolf, wishing to take everything for themselves. In the past, we could still manage them and talk to them, asking them not to go too far. But without this "master" status, if we go and talk again, they might even laugh at us for meddling in other people's business. What should we do in the future?"
He became more and more excited as he spoke, and his saliva flew out, drawing tiny arcs in the air, as if it was the embodiment of his inner anger and anxiety.
Yi Zhonghai lowered his head slightly and fell into deep thought. His eyes were somewhat deep, as if he was constantly replaying the various scenes of dealing with the Jia family's problems in the past in his mind.
After a moment, he slowly raised his head, his eyes firm and somewhat gentle, and said:
"Old Yan, the Jia family's situation is indeed special. We all have to admit that. Qin Huairu is a woman, just like a boatman rowing a boat alone in the wind and rain, raising several children. We all see how difficult her life is. She has to get up before dawn every day, busy making breakfast for the children, sending them to school, and then rushing to work.
After get off work, they have to rush home to wash clothes, cook, and do housework. They are always busy. We may have been too tough in dealing with their family problems in the past. For example, when we distributed grain last time, we followed the rules and did not give more to the Jia family. It seemed fair and just at the time, but we did not take into account the actual situation of their family.
Although the Jia family is gone now and Qin Huairu's life is better, this street office reform may be an opportunity. We can help them in a different way and handle the relationship between neighbors.
For example, we can organize some neighborhood mutual assistance activities, so that everyone can take the initiative to care about the Jia family, give the children some old clothes and books, or help Qin Huairu with housework and look after the children when they are free.
In this way, the difficulties of the Jia family can be alleviated, and the relationship between neighbors can be more harmonious, instead of relying on us to suppress them. In the past, we always used our status to suppress others. After a long time, everyone will inevitably have complaints in their hearts, which is not good for the harmony of the courtyard. "
After hearing this, Yan Bugui's face was filled with reluctance, like thick ink that could not be dissolved. He frowned and muttered, his voice was small but full of complaints: "How can this be the same? In the past, we could solve the problem with just one sentence, but now we have to go through so much trouble. It's like when the Jia family took more things, we just had to say 'No, we have to follow the rules' and they would put them back. But now, we have to organize some kind of neighborhood mutual aid activities. How troublesome.
Moreover, how many people are willing to participate in this neighborhood mutual aid activity? Everyone has their own little calculations, who is willing to give in vain? Nowadays, everyone is smart and wants to live their own lives. Who cares about the lives of others? Take the Liu family for example. They usually like to take advantage of others. It is harder than climbing to the sky to ask them to help the Jia family. "
Yi Zhonghai looked at Yan Bugui's reluctant expression and couldn't help but smile. That smile was full of tolerance and understanding, just like the warm sunshine in spring, which can dispel the haze in people's hearts. He patted Yan Bugui's arm and said:
"Old Yan, how do you know if you don't try? We can't just deny this method based on our own ideas. We can hold a meeting in the courtyard and explain the reform of the street office to everyone, so that everyone knows that this is for the good of the entire courtyard, not just our own mess.
I also brought up the idea of helping neighbors and told everyone about the benefits of this. I believe that most people are reasonable. We all live in the same yard and see each other every day, so we should take care of each other.
Just like when the child of the Li family was sick last time, didn’t everyone take the initiative to help send him to the hospital and collect medical expenses? As long as we explain the principle clearly and let everyone know that neighborly mutual assistance can not only help the Jia family, but also help others when their own family is in trouble in the future. If we organize the activities well and arrange them in an orderly manner, we will definitely get everyone’s support. We can’t back down at the beginning, we must have some confidence. "
Yan Bugui looked at Yi Zhonghai's determined eyes. Although he still had some doubts in his heart, he was no longer as anxious as before. He sighed and said, "Well, Lao Yi, I'll listen to you. I hope this new method works, otherwise this courtyard will be in chaos in the future."
Yi Zhonghai patted Yan Bugui on the back and said, "Don't worry, Old Yan. Let's work together, and Siheyuan will definitely remain the warm and harmonious big family."
Yan Bugui nodded slightly, but the worry on his face was still there, as if the dark cloud was weighing heavily on his heart. He slowly moved to the equally shabby wooden table and sat down slowly, his movements as slow as an old clock wound up by the years. He leaned his hands weakly on the table, staring blankly ahead, muttering softly: "I hope it will be as you said, Lao Yi. The reform of the subdistrict office was too sudden, like a gust of wind that blew our originally stable life into pieces."
Yi Zhonghai also sat down on the wooden bench again, folded his hands on his knees, and his expression remained calm. "Old Yan, don't worry too much. This reform may be a good thing. Our courtyards have always been managed by us 'uncles'. Over time, some problems may have been ignored by us. Now changing the way, maybe we can manage the courtyards better." His words were like a gentle breeze, trying to blow away the haze in Yan Bugui's heart.
"That's what I said, but I'm still unsure." Yan Bugui frowned, his eyes full of worry. "Look at that Sha Zhu, he always likes to compete with others. Without us to keep him in check, who knows what kind of trouble he will cause. And that Xu Damao, he's always thinking about scheming against others. If he's not restrained in the future, he'll definitely cause chaos in the courtyard." He became more and more excited as he spoke, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists, as if Sha Zhu and Xu Damao were right in front of him, and could cause a storm at any time.
Yi Zhonghai shook his head gently, with a faint smile on his face. "Old Yan, you are too pessimistic. Shazhu is not a bad kid, but he has a bad temper. Xu Damao is just a little clever, and he doesn't dare to go too far when faced with a big problem. We can't just focus on their shortcomings, we have to see their shining points. Maybe under the new management model, they can also play to their strengths and contribute to the Siheyuan."
After listening to this, Yan Bugui curled his lips, still a little unconvinced, "Just think about it positively, Lao Yi. I'm not as optimistic as you. However, since you said so, let's try this neighborhood mutual aid activity. But if it messes up, don't blame me for not reminding you." There was a hint of anger in his tone, but it could also be heard that he actually hoped that this method would work.