Chapter 733 Master's Position 9
In the days that followed, which seemed ordinary but were filled with hidden waves, Yi Zhonghai was like a tireless star, still devoting himself wholeheartedly to the affairs of the Siheyuan. His enthusiasm and concentration seemed to be able to dispel all the haze in life.
Take this charity event for example. Yi Zhonghai knew that every detail was related to the success or failure of the event and whether the lonely elderly people could truly feel the warmth and care. Therefore, he treated every link meticulously and did not allow any carelessness. In the process of purchasing daily necessities, he personally did it.
At the beginning of the event preparation, Yi Zhonghai plunged into the market. He shuttled between the stalls, his eyes like a scanner, carefully examining each product. From rice, flour, grain and oil to daily toiletries, he would personally check the quality. When selecting rice, he picked up a bag of rice, first carefully checked the production date and shelf life on the package, then gently shook the bag, listened to the sound of the rice inside, and judged the dryness of the rice. He also asked the stall owner about the origin and variety of the rice to ensure that he bought high-quality rice. For cooking oil, he not only looks at whether the color of the oil is clear, but also smells it for any peculiar smell, and even asks the stall owner about the processing technology of the oil. He has gone through layers of screening for every daily necessities, just to provide the elderly with the most practical and high-quality things.
After purchasing the supplies, Yi Zhonghai immediately organized the volunteers to gather. On the way to the homes of the lonely elderly, he was like a patient mentor, constantly admonishing the volunteers. He said earnestly: "We must be patient and careful when we visit the elderly this time. These elderly people are usually very lonely. We should spend more time talking to them and listen to their inner thoughts. Maybe a casual word from us can make them happy for a long time." As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, his eyes full of concern and expectation. He also specifically reminded the volunteers to pay attention to the tone and way of speaking, and to respect the living habits and feelings of the elderly.
On the day of the event, the sun shone warmly in the courtyard, as if adding a bit of warmth to this loving event. Yi Zhonghai was like a tireless spinning top, busying around the event site. He saw that the volunteers were struggling to carry the supplies, and immediately rushed forward to help. He held the box full of daily necessities tightly with both hands, and with steady and powerful steps, he moved the supplies to the designated location one by one. Fine beads of sweat soon appeared on his forehead, and his back was also soaked with sweat, but he didn't care at all.
After moving the supplies, he turned around and started communicating with the elderly. He walked to an elderly man in a wheelchair, squatted down, took the elderly man's hand, and said kindly with a bright smile on his face: "Uncle, how are you recently? We came to see you today and brought you a lot of good things." The old man smiled happily and his eyes narrowed into slits. Yi Zhonghai then told the old man about the interesting things that happened recently in the courtyard, such as whose child got good grades in the exam and whose family raised a cute puppy. He told the story vividly, and the old man listened with relish and laughed heartily from time to time. Other elderly people were also infected by Yi Zhonghai's humor and enthusiasm, and they gathered around him and chatted with him one by one, and the whole room was filled with laughter.
Yi Zhonghai's sincerity and dedication, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirred up ripples in the hearts of the residents. Those residents who were originally shaken by Liu Haizhong's malicious remarks gradually dissipated their doubts when they saw Yi Zhonghai working so hard for the elderly. They looked at Yi Zhonghai's busy and loving figure, and they couldn't help but feel admiration in their hearts.
An old lady who was originally skeptical of Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but moisten her eyes when she saw Yi Zhonghai talking cordially with the elderly. She remembered that she had easily believed Liu Haizhong's words before, and felt very guilty. She secretly made up her mind to support Yi Zhonghai's work more in the future. So, she took the initiative to walk to Yi Zhonghai and said, "Old Yi, I was confused before and listened to words I shouldn't have listened to. Now I see clearly that you are really doing good for our courtyard and for the elderly. I will also lend a hand, and we will make the event lively together." After that, she joined the team carrying supplies. Seeing that the old ladies had taken action, other residents also actively participated in the event. Some helped clean the room, and some played chess and chatted with the elderly. The whole event site presented a lively and warm scene.
On the other hand, although Liu Haizhong still sneered at Yi Zhonghai on the surface, muttering from time to time: "Huh, he only knows how to do these superficial things, who knows what he is thinking." But his eyes were involuntarily attracted by the warm and harmonious scene at the event. He looked at the happy smiles on the faces of the elderly and the residents who were actively involved and happy, and his heart was like a pot of five flavors overturned, with all kinds of tastes surging in his heart.
He looked at Yi Zhonghai's busy and charming figure in the crowd, and a trace of doubt arose in his heart: "Am I really wrong? He seems to be really doing it for everyone's good. But why did I target him so much before? Am I really too narrow-minded and blinded by jealousy?" His brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes revealed a trace of confusion and struggle, and his feet rubbed back and forth on the ground unconsciously, as if trying to find an answer.
However, Liu Haizhong's stubborn self-esteem, like an invisible shackle, still bound him tightly, making it difficult for him to let go of his prejudice against Yi Zhonghai in a short period of time. That stubbornness seemed to have taken root in his heart, and no matter how the outside world changed, he would stick to his narrow position.
In daily Siheyuan affairs, he would still act like a hedgehog, deliberately opposing Yi Zhonghai on some seemingly insignificant matters, as if not doing so would not be enough to highlight his "uniqueness". Take the plan to install new street lights in Siheyuan as an example. This was originally a good thing that would benefit the people. Everyone hoped that the Siheyuan would be brighter at night and travel would be safer and more convenient.
Yi Zhonghai put a lot of effort into this plan. He asked around for information about energy-saving street lamps, compared various brands and models, and personally went to the market for field investigation. After careful selection and research, he proposed a plan that is both energy-saving and practical. At the residents' meeting of the courtyard, he introduced it in detail, his voice loud and clear: "Dear residents, we are installing street lamps this time. After many considerations, I think this energy-saving street lamp is very suitable. Its style is simple and generous, which matches the quaint style of our courtyard. The brightness can fully meet our needs. It is not too dazzling to affect rest, and it can illuminate the entire courtyard. Moreover, the installation location has also been inspected and accurately calculated, which can ensure that every corner is illuminated without affecting the normal travel of residents. In the long run, this energy-saving street lamp can save us a lot of electricity bills." As he said, he also took out some information and pictures to show them to the residents, his face full of confidence and expectation.
After listening to Yi Zhonghai's introduction, most residents thought this plan was very good and nodded in agreement. Some residents even discussed it among themselves, their faces full of longing for the bright courtyard at night in the future. But at this moment, Liu Haizhong suddenly jumped out like a "bomb" and objected loudly: "Humph, Yi Zhonghai, you sound good, but this plan is too expensive! Our courtyard is not a wealthy place, where can we afford such high-end street lights? And the installation location you mentioned, why do I feel that it will affect the travel of some residents? Maybe I have to take a detour when I go out at night, how inconvenient!" There was a trace of disdain and provocation on his face, and his eyes were full of stubbornness and prejudice.
Yi Zhonghai did not get angry when he saw this, but patiently explained: "Lao Liu, although the initial cost of this plan may seem higher, we have to consider the long-term. Although energy-saving street lamps are more expensive to purchase, they consume less power and can save us a lot of electricity bills. Over time, the electricity bills saved may be enough to buy several more street lamps. Moreover, the installation location has really been investigated and calculated on the spot. I took the volunteers to walk through every corner of the courtyard and learned about the travel habits of the residents. It will definitely not affect everyone's normal travel. On the contrary, this plan can make the street lamps better illuminate the entire courtyard, making it safer and more convenient for everyone to go out at night." Yi Zhonghai spoke with reason and evidence, his eyes full of sincerity and patience.
But Liu Haizhong simply refused to listen to these explanations. Like a stubborn donkey, he still insisted on his own point of view and began to incite some residents who were not aware of the situation to join him in opposing. He shouted at the top of his voice: "Don't be fooled by him. He just wants to take advantage of this opportunity to make a profit. The cost is so high that the electricity bill may have to be shared by everyone in the future! We can't let him succeed!" Under his instigation, some residents who were originally on the sidelines began to waver and followed him to oppose this plan. This put the street light installation plan, which was originally progressing smoothly, into a deadlock, just like a ship that was originally going smoothly, but was suddenly stuck by a reef and could not move forward.
Just when the two sides were deadlocked and the atmosphere was so tense that it seemed like sparks could fly, a heart-wrenching accident happened in the courtyard one night. As night fell, the entire courtyard was shrouded in darkness, with only the faint lights from the windows of a few households unable to illuminate the entire courtyard. When an old man went out at night, he accidentally stepped on a protruding stone due to poor vision and fell forward to the ground. With a scream of "Ouch", the old man fell heavily to the ground, his legs swelled up instantly, and he was so painful that his face turned pale and cold sweats broke out.
This incident was like a bombshell in the courtyard, causing an uproar in an instant. Residents ran out of their homes and surrounded the old man, their faces full of worry and anxiety. Everyone was talking about it, some said: "It's so dark, it's too easy for something to happen!" Some said: "If the street lights had been installed earlier, maybe this wouldn't have happened." Residents realized the urgency of installing street lights, and the opposition that was originally instigated by Liu Haizhong was gradually replaced by worry and self-blame. Everyone began to re-examine the street light installation plan, realizing that they could not ignore the safety and interests of the entire courtyard residents because of temporary prejudices and misunderstandings.
When Liu Haizhong learned about this, he felt a pang in his heart. He began to reflect on his behavior and realized that he almost delayed the important event of the Siheyuan because of his momentary jealousy and stubbornness. He looked at the old man's injured appearance and felt full of guilt.
When Yi Zhonghai learned that the old man was injured, he rushed to the scene immediately, helped send the old man to the hospital, and paid the medical expenses. After that, he returned to the courtyard without stopping and organized the residents to discuss the follow-up matters of the street light installation.
At the discussion meeting, Yi Zhonghai once again proposed the previous plan and said to everyone sincerely: "I know that everyone had different opinions on the installation of street lights before. But now that something like this has happened, we must install the street lights as soon as possible to ensure everyone's safety. The plan I proposed is really well thought out, and I hope everyone can reconsider it."
Liu Haizhong sat in the corner, head down, his face burning. He hesitated for a moment, finally mustered up the courage to stand up and said, "Lao Yi, I was wrong before, I deliberately went against you. In fact, I thought about the plan you proposed carefully later, and it really makes sense. I have a lot of responsibility for the old man's fall this time, and I shouldn't delay everyone's business for my own selfish reasons. I agree with your plan, and I will do my best to help install the street light."
Yi Zhonghai heard what Liu Haizhong said, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He walked up to him, patted Liu Haizhong on the shoulder, and said, "Old Liu, it's great that you think so. We are all for the good of Siheyuan, so let's let the past go. Let's work together to install street lights and make Siheyuan safer and brighter."
After hearing what Liu Haizhong said, other residents also applauded to show their support. With everyone's joint efforts, the street light installation plan was soon restarted. Liu Haizhong was no longer passive as before, but actively participated in the installation work. He and Yi Zhonghai moved materials together and assisted the workers in the construction. The two cooperated very well.
During the installation of the street lights, Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai had more exchanges. They chatted while working and recalled the bits and pieces of their past in the courtyard. Liu Haizhong confided to Yi Zhonghai his grievances of being ignored during the renovation process. Yi Zhonghai also listened patiently and explained to him some of the considerations and helplessness of the decision-making at that time.
"Old Liu, actually many decisions were made through consultation among us at that time. I didn't mean to ignore you on purpose. You also know that reform is complicated and sometimes we may not have considered it thoroughly enough, which made you feel marginalized. This is my fault." Yi Zhonghai said sincerely.
Liu Haizhong felt relieved after hearing this. He said embarrassedly: "Old Yi, I was too narrow-minded. I only thought about myself and ignored everyone's thoughts. I will not be so willful in the future. Let's build the Siheyuan better together."