Chapter 734 Master's Position 10
As time goes by, a project related to the new look of the Siheyuan at night is progressing in an orderly manner. Workers in work clothes and holding tools are busy shuttling around in every corner of the Siheyuan. They have clear division of labor, some are responsible for carrying heavy street lamp poles, while others are skilled in operating various machines and carefully fixing street lamps in pre-set positions. The installation of each street lamp is like adding a touch of bright color to the painting of the Siheyuan at night.
Finally, as the last street lamp was firmly installed, the whole courtyard seemed to be enchanted, and was instantly lit up by warm lights. The soft light, like a layer of gauze, gently sprinkled on the winding bluestone road. Under the light, the bluestone slabs glowed with a faint luster, as if telling the story of the years. The green plants on the roadside were also covered by the light, and the leaves flickered with tiny light and shadows, like stars falling into the world.
Under the bright lights, the most eye-catching thing is the happy faces of the residents. In the past, the courtyard was full of undercurrents for the street light installation plan. Different residents have different ideas and needs. Some are worried that the street lights will affect their rest, while others think that the installation location is not reasonable. All kinds of contradictions and barriers quietly breed in the courtyard. However, at this moment, under the bright lights, those unpleasant things are like haze dispelled by the sun, gradually dissipating without a trace. Instead, there is a deeper friendship between neighbors. Everyone seems to have forgotten the disputes in the past, immersed in this warm and beautiful atmosphere, with more understanding and tolerance between each other, and their smiles are brighter and more sincere.
On the first night when the street lights were turned on, the courtyard was as lively as the Chinese New Year. The children were like ponies running wild, laughing and playing happily under the lights. They chased each other, chasing each other's long shadows under the lights, and their crisp laughter echoed in the yard. Some children even excitedly played hide-and-seek games. They cleverly hid their figures with the help of the light and darkness, and occasionally made naughty shouts, which attracted laughter from other children.
The elderly people brought out small stools, sat in front of their own doors, and chatted leisurely. They recalled the past and talked about the changes in the courtyard over the years, with happy smiles on their faces. In that smile, there was nostalgia for the past and satisfaction with the present life. Sometimes they laughed heartily, sometimes they whispered softly, enjoying this quiet and warm night.
Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong stood in the middle of the yard, watching all this quietly. Their eyes were full of relief and emotion. Yi Zhonghai raised his head slightly, looked at the bright street lamp, and said with emotion: "Old Liu, you see, once this street lamp is installed, the whole courtyard has become different. In the past, our courtyard was dark at night, and everyone was very careful when going out. Now with this street lamp, it is bright and we feel more at ease. Moreover, look at how happy everyone is now, and the relationship between neighbors is more harmonious. The street lamp is worth installing!" Liu Haizhong listened and nodded repeatedly, with an approving smile on his face.
Liu Haizhong nodded slightly, with a bit of solemnity and sincerity in his action. His eyes flashed bright and firm light, as if there were stars flowing in his eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly said: "Yes, Lao Yi. Looking back, it's all thanks to you for insisting on this street lamp installation plan. At that time, I was really confused. I only thought about my own little calculations and didn't consider the problem from the perspective of everyone. I wondered why I was not as far-sighted as you. I almost let such a good thing fall because of my stubbornness. In the future, let's work hard together and make our courtyard better and better, so that everyone can live a comfortable and stable life." As he said, he stretched out his hand and gently patted Yi Zhonghai's shoulder. The palm conveyed not only strength, but also determination and trust.
Since then, Liu Haizhong has become a completely different person, and has completely changed his previous attitude. In the past, he was always secretly jealous of Yi Zhonghai's prestige and influence in the courtyard, often saying sour words behind his back, and even deliberately singing the opposite tune on some things. But now, he has put aside those unnecessary jealousies and prejudices, and sincerely cooperated with Yi Zhonghai. The two of them often get together, sitting around the stone table in the courtyard, drinking hot tea and enthusiastically discussing the development plan of the courtyard. Sometimes they can argue over the details of a public welfare activity, but that is all for the purpose of doing things better.
Together, they organized more public welfare activities. For example, every month, they organized a sanitation cleanup, calling on the residents of the courtyard to work together to clean the courtyard. In this process, they not only improved the environment of the courtyard, but also enhanced the relationship between neighbors. They also paid special attention to the lives of lonely elderly people, visited them regularly, chatted with them, helped them clean their rooms, and purchased daily necessities. For families in need, they actively lent a hand to help them solve practical problems in life, such as contacting job opportunities and applying for relief funds. Driven by them, the residents of the courtyard became more united and friendly, helping each other. If a family has difficulties, everyone will take the initiative to help; if a family makes delicious food, they will also bring it out and share it with everyone. The whole courtyard is full of human touch.
Xu Damao looked at the harmonious atmosphere in the courtyard, and his heart was like a pot of mixed feelings. Although he still looked cynical on the surface, he still felt uncomfortable. He remembered that when he was against Yi Zhonghai before, he always felt that Yi Zhonghai was deliberately suppressing him. Now seeing that the courtyard has become so good because of Yi Zhonghai's efforts and dedication, he had to admit in his heart that Yi Zhonghai was indeed capable and had done a lot of practical things for the courtyard.
When his wife Lou Xiao'e saw him like this, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, revealing a gentle smile, and she softly advised: "Da Mao, look how good the Siheyuan is now, everyone is harmonious, just like a family. Don't always dwell on the past, those are all things of the past. We should look forward now, and the important thing is for us to live a good life together. Think about it, if the Siheyuan has always been full of conflicts like before, can we live comfortably? Now it's so good, everyone helps each other, and we can benefit from it too, right?" Lou Xiao'e's words were like a spring breeze, gently blowing into Xu Damao's heart, making him gradually let go of his obsession.
After listening to Lou Xiao'e's persuasion, Xu Damao was slightly stunned at first, and then he snorted softly from his nose. The sound was not loud, but it was a bit unconvinced. He folded his hands in front of his chest, raised his chin slightly, and had a usual expression of disapproval on his face. He muttered: "I just can't stand Yi Zhonghai's complacent look. Look at him, since he made the courtyard so harmonious, he walks with the wind, as if he is so great." However, people who are familiar with him can hear that the tone of his words is no longer as tough as before, as if the hard shell has quietly cracked a crack, faintly revealing a hint of looseness deep in his heart.
Days passed by like a gurgling stream. The peaceful life in the courtyard was broken by a sudden news. Due to the advancement of urban planning, the area where the courtyard is located will undergo a large-scale transformation. This news was like a heavy bomb, and it instantly exploded in the courtyard.
The moment the news spread, the once bustling courtyard seemed to have been paused. The smiles on the residents' faces disappeared without a trace, replaced by faces full of worry and confusion. They gathered in groups of three or five, talking about it. Some residents frowned, rubbed their clothes with their hands, and muttered: "What should we do? The house we have lived in for so many years is demolished just like that. Where will we live in the future?" Some residents were anxious, pacing back and forth in the yard, sighing from time to time. The whole courtyard was shrouded in an atmosphere of uneasiness and confusion.
Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong were keenly aware of the panic and anxiety of the residents. They knew that at this critical moment, they had to stand up and become the backbone of the residents to lead everyone to deal with this problem together. Yi Zhonghai acted quickly, and he went door to door to notify the residents to gather in the yard at the designated time to hold a residents' meeting.
When the residents came to the yard one after another and sat together, Yi Zhonghai cleared his throat and said in a steady and firm voice: "Dear residents, I know that everyone is very confused and worried about the demolition. The news of the demolition came suddenly, and anyone would be unsure. But let's not panic. Since the government has this plan, it will definitely take the interests of us residents into consideration. We can't panic first. We have to discuss together to see how to deal with this problem." When he spoke, his eyes were firm and gentle, as if he was injecting a sense of reassurance into every resident.
Liu Haizhong stood beside Yi Zhonghai, nodded vigorously, and then said: "Yes, Old Yi is absolutely right. We in the courtyard have always been united, and this time is no exception. You can speak out whatever ideas you have, whether you are worried about the resettlement issues after the demolition or the plans for future life, you can speak freely. Let's work together and we will definitely find a suitable solution." As he spoke, he glanced at every resident present with encouraging eyes, as if telling everyone that as long as everyone worked together, there would be no difficulties that could not be overcome.
In the following days, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong seemed to be a clockwork, running around without stopping for a moment. They knew that understanding the demolition policy was the first key step to solve the problem. So they went out early in the morning and went to the Urban Planning Bureau, Street Office and other relevant departments. In the Planning Bureau, they shuttled between various offices and asked the staff in detail about the specific scope of the demolition, compensation standards, resettlement methods and other key information. The staff was busy flipping through the documents and patiently answering their questions, but some policy clauses were complicated and difficult to understand, so they took out the notebooks they carried with them and wrote them down word by word. When they encountered something they didn't understand, they asked repeatedly until they understood it thoroughly.
After leaving the Planning Bureau, they rushed to the Street Office without stopping. There, they sat together with the street cadres and had an in-depth discussion on the actual situation and special needs of the residents of the courtyard houses. The street cadres shared some experiences and lessons of demolition in other areas. Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong listened carefully and put forward their own views and suggestions from time to time. The two sides went back and forth and the discussion was very heated.
In addition to understanding the policies, they also actively communicated and coordinated with relevant departments. In order to allow the government to more fully understand the residents' ideas and demands, they visited every household to collect residents' opinions and suggestions. Some residents were worried about the increase in living costs after the demolition, while others hoped to retain some of the original living atmosphere of the courtyard house in the new resettlement site. Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong listened carefully to the voices of every resident and recorded their opinions one by one. They took even some seemingly insignificant matters seriously.
After returning home, they did not take a rest and began to organize the information they collected. Under the dim light, they sat at the table, looking at the densely packed notes, analyzing and summarizing them one by one, and compiled the opinions and suggestions of the residents into a detailed report. This report includes the residents' specific requirements for housing resettlement, their expectations for future living facilities, and even some suggestions for the inheritance of Siheyuan culture. They repeatedly checked the contents of the report to ensure that every data and every point of view was accurate. Finally, they took this report that embodied the residents' hard work and went to the relevant government departments again to submit it solemnly.
Thanks to their unremitting efforts, the relevant government departments attached great importance to this report. The staff carefully read the report and recorded important contents from time to time. After many studies and discussions, the government said that it would fully consider the reasonable demands of the residents and try its best to protect everyone's interests. After hearing this news, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong finally felt relieved, but they knew that this was only the first step and there was still a lot of work to be done.
During this process, Xu Damao had been holding a wait-and-see attitude. He watched Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong work tirelessly for Siheyuan, going out early and returning late every day, going through wind and rain, and gradually developed a sense of admiration for them. In the past, he always felt that Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong were trying to show off, but now he sees their sincerity and efforts for Siheyuan.
Xu Damao began to take the initiative to participate in the demolition coordination work. He made full use of his advantages of wide personal connections and relationships to inquire about information everywhere. He contacted old classmates who worked in real estate companies to learn more about the construction of resettlement housing and the surrounding environment; he also contacted acquaintances in government departments through friends, hoping to win more rights and interests for the courtyard houses. When communicating with relevant departments, he was no longer as sarcastic as before, but sincerely expressed the ideas and needs of the residents. Once, in order to make the layout of the resettlement housing more in line with the living habits of the residents, he communicated and negotiated with the developer many times, and finally persuaded the developer to adjust the layout.
After a period of intense and busy efforts, the demolition plan was finally finalized. The government fully considered the reasonable demands of the residents, and most of the residents' houses were properly resettled. The new resettlement community has a beautiful environment and complete supporting facilities, including supermarkets, schools, hospitals, etc., which will make the lives of residents more convenient. In addition, some buildings in the courtyard will be protected and repaired and preserved as historical and cultural relics. This will not only allow residents to retain their memories of the courtyard, but also allow more people to understand and feel the historical culture carried by the courtyard.
When the good news reached the courtyard, the residents cheered. Everyone's face was filled with happy smiles, hugging each other and celebrating. They were full of gratitude to Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao. Some residents held Yi Zhonghai's hand and said excitedly: "Old Yi, thanks to you, Old Liu, and Damao, if it weren't for you, we really don't know what to do." Yi Zhonghai smiled and waved his hands, saying: "This is the result of everyone's joint efforts. As long as our courtyard can get better and better, we will be satisfied." The whole courtyard was immersed in a happy and peaceful atmosphere.
After the renovation project began, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao threw themselves into the intense work. They supervised the quality of the project, coordinated the construction progress, and ensured the smooth progress of the renovation. With their joint efforts, the courtyard house has taken on a new look. The ancient buildings have been carefully repaired and their original style has been preserved; modern facilities are also readily available, making the lives of residents more convenient.