Chapter 729 Master's Position 5
Yi Zhonghai had a gentle and open-minded smile on his face. He waved his hands gently, and the arc drawn by his hands in the air carried a soothing power. He said earnestly: "Old Yan, everything we are doing now is for the good of our courtyard. Think about it, although this neighborhood mutual aid activity is a brand new attempt and no one has done it before, it's no big deal if it goes wrong. This is just an ordinary attempt, just like a child learning to walk, how can he be steady and not fall from the beginning? The important thing is that we can learn valuable lessons from this attempt. It's like planting crops. If the harvest is not good this year, we can summarize whether the seeds are not selected well or the time of fertilizing and watering is wrong. When we plant again next year, won't we be more experienced? So, let's not think about so many things now, and discuss how to carry out this neighborhood mutual aid activity first. That's the real thing."
Yan Bugui had been hanging his head like a deflated ball. When he heard what Yi Zhonghai said, he seemed to be injected with an invisible force and slowly sat up straight. He supported his chin with both hands, and his hands were like two stubborn pillars, pressing against his chin tightly, as if this could support his chaotic thoughts at the moment. His brows were tightly knitted together, like two twisted ropes, and the wrinkles on his forehead became more obvious because of this excessive thinking. The crisscrossing ravines seemed to be an external reflection of his inner entanglement.
After a long while, he seemed to have suddenly thought of a good idea. He slowly raised his head, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and said, "Old Yi, I've been thinking about it. Why don't we do a survey first? This survey is very important, just like finding out the details of the enemy before going to war. We have to see what everyone is good at and what kind of help they are willing to provide. Think about it, there are so many families living in this courtyard, and everyone has their own skills. For example, if someone has someone who can repair electrical appliances, then if someone's electrical appliances break down in the future, they don't have to go out and spend money to hire someone to repair them. They can just go directly to him.
If someone's family is good at making clothes, then if their children's clothes are torn or they want to make new clothes, they can ask her for help; also, if someone has free time to help take care of the children, this is really a big help for those families whose adults have to work and have no time to take care of the children. If we understand all these situations, we can arrange activities according to everyone's situation in the future, so that the activities will definitely go smoothly. "
After hearing this, Yi Zhonghai showed an expression of approval on his face. He nodded slightly. Although the nod was slight, it was full of affirmation and recognition. He folded his hands in front of his chest, his eyes revealed a calm and wise look, and said: "Old Yan, your idea is indeed good. We often say that only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we win every battle. The same principle applies to neighborhood mutual assistance activities. Only when we understand everyone's situation clearly can we organize the activities in an orderly manner. I think we can go door to door to ask, so that we can understand everyone's situation and explain the reform of the street office and neighborhood mutual assistance to everyone.
Think about it, everyone may still have some doubts and concerns about the street office reform. We can take this opportunity to explain it to everyone and let everyone know that this is for the good of the entire Siheyuan, not just for us to mess around. However, the investigation can't be too blunt. We can't ask people questions with a stern face like we're interrogating a prisoner. We have to pay attention to the methods and ways. If it's too blunt, everyone will think we're forcing them to do the task, and they will definitely be unhappy. We have to be more tactful and enthusiastic so that everyone can feel our sincerity, and then everyone will be willing to cooperate with us."
"Of course." Yan Bugui responded quickly, nodding his head like a chick pecking at rice, his eyes full of seriousness. "When we do this, we have to be more tactful and never let people think that we are forcing them. We have to let everyone participate voluntarily and happily. Only in this way can this neighborhood mutual aid activity be carried out for a long time and everyone can really benefit from it. Think about it, if everyone has resistance in their hearts, even if they participate reluctantly, the effect will definitely not be much better."
At this point, Yan Bugui seemed to have suddenly thought of something important. His eyes lit up and he slapped his thigh and said, "Oh, yeah, we have to prepare a little notebook! We have to write down everyone's situation carefully, who is good at what craft, and what kind of help they are willing to provide. This will make it much more convenient to arrange mutual aid activities in the future. We can just open the notebook and see who to ask for help, so we don't have to ask at the last minute, which will waste time and may cause mistakes."
As he spoke, he stood up and began to search the room. He squatted down and groped under the bed, then stood on tiptoes to search on the cabinets. He turned the room into a mess, with clothes and sundries thrown everywhere. Finally, in a shabby cardboard box full of old things, he found a somewhat worn notebook. The cover of the notebook had been worn and the paper was a little yellowed. It looked like it had been used for a long time, but Yan Bugui was overjoyed. He carefully patted the dust off it and held it tightly in his hand.
Yi Zhonghai looked at Yan Bugui's busyness and smiled with satisfaction. That smile was as warm as the sunshine in spring. He smiled and said, "Old Yan, you are well prepared. It seems that you have been thinking about this matter for a long time. Let's start tomorrow, starting from the east end and asking one family at a time. We must seize the time and implement this neighborhood mutual assistance activity as soon as possible so that everyone can feel the benefits of it sooner."
The next morning, the sky was just turning pale, and the soft light was like a layer of gauze, gently covering the whole world. The sunlight was like golden silk threads, sprinkling on the blue bricks and gray tiles of the courtyard, covering the whole courtyard with a layer of golden brilliance, making the originally simple courtyard appear more peaceful and tranquil. Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui got up early, and they simply washed up. Yi Zhonghai wiped his face twice with his rough hands, and Yan Bugui carefully adjusted his collar in front of the blurry mirror. After that, they took the somewhat worn notebook and began to visit every household in high spirits.
They first came to the first house at the east end, which was Uncle Wang's house. Uncle Wang was sitting on a small bench at the door in the sun. He was wearing a Zhongshan suit that was washed a little white, and holding a worn-out palm-leaf fan in his hand, fanning himself from time to time. Seeing Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui coming, he quickly stood up, with a warm smile on his face, that smile was like a blooming chrysanthemum, and shouted: "Hey, Lao Yi, Lao Yan, why are you here? Come in and sit down, come in and sit down." As he said that, he reached out to pull Yi Zhonghai's arm.
Yi Zhonghai smiled and waved his hand, with a bit of humility and sincerity in his smile, and said: "Uncle Wang, we won't go into the house. I have something to tell you. As you know, the street office has recently carried out reforms. This reform is like changing our courtyard house into a new set of clothes. The management mode of our courtyard house will change in the future. We are thinking of organizing a neighborhood mutual assistance activity. Everyone will help each other like a family. In this way, the courtyard house will be more harmonious and everyone will live a more comfortable life. Do you have any special skills or what kind of help are you willing to provide? For example, if you can repair a bicycle or something, someone's bicycle will be broken in the future. People can ask you for help; if you have more time, you can also help take care of the neighbors' children or something."
After hearing what Yi Zhonghai said, Uncle Wang was stunned for a moment, then he stretched out his calloused but still flexible hand and gently touched the gray beard on his chin. The beard was sparse, as if it had been carefully trimmed over the years, and it trembled slightly with the movement of his hand. He squinted his eyes slightly, and there was a thoughtful light in his eyes, as if he was carefully sorting out the skills he knew in his mind. After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes, cleared his throat and said: "As for me, I really don't have any other skills. I can only repair bicycles. I learned this skill of repairing bicycles from an old master when I was young. After so many years, although I haven't had the opportunity to do some big work, it's still no problem to repair minor problems. If anyone's bicycle is broken, whether it's a fallen chain, a flat tire, or a broken brake, just come to me, I will repair it for free, just as if I am doing my part for our courtyard."
When Yan Bugui heard this, his eyes lit up instantly, like two lit light bulbs. He quickly took out the worn notebook from his pocket and pulled out a pen from the pen holder. His movements were skillful and anxious, as if he was afraid of missing any details. He quickly wrote down the details in the notebook while muttering, "Uncle Wang, you are a great help. Your craftsmanship is unique in our courtyard. If anyone has problems with their bicycle in the future, we will ask them to come to you. Please don't think it's troublesome." Uncle Wang smiled and waved his hand. His smile was full of honesty and simplicity. He said, "It's not a trouble. It's normal for neighbors to help each other."
Then, they went to the next house without stopping. The house looked a bit old from the outside, and the wall paint had fallen off a lot, revealing the gray bricks inside. When they walked into the house, although there were not many furnitures, it was tidy and neat. The hostess of this house was a middle-aged woman in her forties. She was slightly plump and always had a warm smile on her face, which made people feel friendly at first sight. When she heard that it was a neighborhood mutual aid activity, her eyes lit up immediately, as if she had found a treasure. She wiped her hands on her apron, and then said excitedly: "I can make clothes. I learned this skill from my mother. When I was a child, my family was poor and couldn't afford new clothes, so my mother made them herself. I learned it by watching her. In the future, if any child's clothes are torn or they want to make new clothes, they can come to me. Although my skills are not as good as those of the professional masters in the tailor shop, I can make do with them, and I promise not to disappoint everyone."
Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui were very happy to hear this, and their smiles were as bright as blooming flowers. Yi Zhonghai quickly took the notebook from Yan Bugui and carefully wrote down the details in the notebook. While writing, he asked: "Sister, when are you usually free? We can tell everyone the exact time." The hostess thought for a while and said: "I am usually at home during the day and sometimes at night. As long as you need me, you can come to me anytime." Yan Bugui added: "That's great, sister, your warm heart is really a blessing for our courtyard."
However, the visit was not smooth sailing, just like a calm lake with ripples occasionally. When they arrived at Xu Damao's house, they saw Xu Damao sitting in the house with his legs crossed, watching TV. The TV screen flickered, reflecting on his greasy face, making him look even more lazy and arrogant. He was wearing a loose pajamas, and the slippers on his feet were drooping, shaking with his movements. Seeing Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui coming in, he just glanced at them, his eyes full of disdain and impatience, and asked indifferently: "What are you doing here? I don't have the time to listen to your nonsense." The voice was sharp and harsh, like a rusty saw pulling wood.
Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui looked at each other. Yi Zhonghai still had a gentle smile on his face. He took two steps forward and said softly, "Da Mao, the street office has recently carried out reforms. We are thinking of organizing a neighborhood mutual assistance activity. Everyone helps each other, so that the courtyard can be more harmonious. Do you have any specialties or are you willing to provide any kind of help?" Xu Damao sneered after hearing this, and the laughter was full of sarcasm. He said, "What are my specialties? My greatest specialty is that I enjoy life. I don't have the time to help others. Besides, if anyone wants me to help, I have to see if he has the qualifications first." As he said that, he turned his attention back to the TV, as if Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui did not exist at all. Yan Bugui stood aside awkwardly, not knowing where to put the notebook in his hand. Yi Zhonghai shook his head helplessly and said softly, "Okay, Damao, if you change your mind at any time, come to us at any time." After that, he and Yan Bugui walked out of Xu Damao's house in disgrace.
Yi Zhonghai told Xu Damao about the neighborhood mutual aid activities, but Xu Damao curled his lips and said, "Huh, what kind of neighborhood mutual aid is this? They just want us to work for nothing. I don't have the time for that. I have to be busy making money."
Yan Bugui got anxious when he heard this. "Xu Damao, what are you talking about? We are all neighbors, so what's wrong with helping each other? I'm not asking you to work every day, just lend a hand occasionally."
Xu Damao disagreed. "Even occasionally, I have no obligation to do so. You can find whoever you want, but don't bother me."
Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai quickly pulled Yan Bugui and said to Xu Damao with a smile: "Damo, we are also doing this for the good of Siheyuan. You see, if you have any difficulties in the future, everyone will help you. Moreover, participating in this activity will also make everyone have a good impression of you, and you will get along better in Siheyuan in the future, right?"
Xu Damao was still a little reluctant after hearing this, but he did not refuse as forcefully as before. "Okay, okay, let's talk about it when I'm free."
Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui knew that he was just being perfunctory, but they didn't know what to say, so they had to leave and continue visiting the next family.
At the end of the day, they visited many families, some of whom were willing to participate actively, while others, like Xu Damao, were reluctant. However, overall, they still collected a lot of useful information.
In the evening, Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui gathered in the dim room again and began to sort out the results of the day's investigation. Yan Bugui muttered as he wrote: "This Xu Damao is such a troublemaker. I don't know if he can really participate in the future."
Yi Zhonghai was optimistic. "Forget about him. Let's first organize those who are willing to participate and launch the activity. Maybe when Xu Damao sees how harmoniously everyone gets along, he will change his mind."
After several days of hard work, the neighborhood mutual assistance activities were finally officially launched. Under the organization of Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui, everyone showed their strengths, and the courtyard presented a lively and harmonious scene.
Uncle Zhang, who can repair electrical appliances, helped Grandma Li fix the electric fan that had been broken for a long time. Grandma Li was so grateful that she specially made a dish of her specialty for Uncle Zhang. Aunt Liu, who is good at making clothes, made a beautiful little dress for Uncle Wang's grandson. Uncle Wang smiled from ear to ear and praised Aunt Liu's good craftsmanship to everyone he met.
And Sha Zhu, after seeing everyone working hard for the courtyard, took the initiative to step forward. He used his strength to help everyone move heavy objects and repair tables and chairs. Although Xu Damao was a little reluctant at first, he was gradually infected by the atmosphere when he saw everyone working enthusiastically, and occasionally helped with small things.
The neighborhood relationship in the courtyard is becoming more and more harmonious. Everyone greets each other warmly when they meet, and will take the initiative to help each other when they have any difficulties. Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui looked at all this with gratified smiles on their faces.