Chapter 746 Planning a House 12
In the slightly quaint courtyard of the quadrangle, several respected elders were sitting around an old eight-immortal table, with a few steaming tea cups on the table, and the fragrance of tea was floating in the air. The sunlight shone through the mottled shadows of the trees and sprinkled on their bodies, forming irregular patches of light and shadow.
At this time, an elder wearing a dark grey Zhongshan suit and with grey hair combed neatly nodded slightly, and a look of approval after thinking appeared on his weathered face. He slowly raised his hand, gently stroked the sparse but still neat beard on his chin, and said in a steady and powerful voice: "Old Yan, what you said is really to the point, and it makes a lot of sense! The allocation of houses is a top priority in the factory, and it concerns the vital interests of every employee. Our courtyard has always been about rules, and everything must be done according to the rules. If everyone is like those people who do whatever it takes to get a house, then the atmosphere of our courtyard will be completely ruined. How can we live in this courtyard in the future!" As he said this, he sighed softly, and his eyes revealed a worry about the future atmosphere of the courtyard.
Another elder who was sitting nearby, wearing a blue cloth shirt that had become somewhat bleached from washing, quickly agreed after hearing this: "Yes, yes, you are absolutely right, brother! We can't just watch the three of them mess up our nice courtyard. Just think about it, if everyone is selfish and disregards morals and rules, then this courtyard will be in chaos every day, and there will be no peace at all! We have to think of a way quickly, find a suitable opportunity, gather everyone together, explain the matter to everyone in detail, let everyone know what is going on, and can't let them go on like this." As he said this, he slammed the table hard, as if trying to express his inner anxiety and dissatisfaction.
Yan Bugui sat aside, listening quietly to the speeches of the two elders. At this time, he frowned slightly and fell into a brief thought. His eyes swept around the courtyard, as if thinking about how to properly solve this problem. After a moment, he raised his head and said with a firm look: "Let's hold a meeting of the whole courtyard tomorrow. At the meeting, we will explain to everyone the standards for allocating houses in the factory one by one, and then tell everyone about the current actual situation of our courtyard. Let everyone have an idea in their minds and know what is going on with the allocation of houses. Let them understand that what our courtyard wants is to fight for houses fairly and justly, and not rely on those petty tricks. Only in this way can our courtyard restore the harmony and tranquility of the past."
The next day, at daybreak, the soft sunlight sprinkled gently on every corner of the courtyard like a golden veil. The dew on the green tiles sparkled in the sunlight, as if they were tiny gems inlaid on the roof. Several unknown wild flowers in the corners were also awakened by the warm sunlight, stretching their delicate petals and emitting bursts of elegant fragrance.
The general meeting of the courtyard was held as scheduled in the open space in the middle of the courtyard in this lively atmosphere. As if they had heard some kind of silent call, the men, women, old and young in the courtyard came out from their respective rooms. Some of them were still holding unfinished breakfast in their hands, while others were tidying up their clothes as they hurried over. Soon, the open space was filled with people sitting side by side, and the scene was very lively.
Everyone had a different look on their face. The young wives were full of anticipation, thinking that if they could get a new house, their future life would be more spacious and comfortable, and their children would have a better environment to grow up in. The half-grown children were full of curiosity, not knowing what the meeting was about, but just thinking it was fun to have so many people together, running around in the crowd, laughing and playing. The elderly had a hint of worry on their faces, fearing that if the house allocation was not handled properly, the originally harmonious atmosphere of the courtyard would become tense.
Yan Bugui stood in the middle of the crowd. He looked a little thin, but he was calm and majestic. He first adjusted his washed-out Zhongshan suit, then cleared his throat, and his voice was particularly loud in the quiet yard: "Fellow villagers, I gathered you all here today to talk to you about the allocation of houses in the newly built area. As you all know, the factory has strict standards for allocating houses this time, and you can't just get one casually."
As he spoke, he pointed out his finger and began to list them one by one: "First of all, it depends on your qualifications. The longer you work in the factory and the greater your contribution to the factory, the deeper your qualifications are and the greater your chance of getting a house. It's like a big tree. The deeper the roots, the more luxuriant the branches and leaves will be. Secondly, work performance is also very important. If you work hard and complete your tasks well, the leaders will naturally see it and remember it. It's like fighting on the battlefield. Soldiers who charge forward and kill the enemy bravely will definitely get more rewards. Finally, the reputation of the neighbors cannot be ignored. Our courtyard is a big family. We live together every day and understand each other. If a person is not authentic in his behavior and does not have a good relationship with his neighbors, then his reputation will definitely not be very good. The factory will also take this into consideration when allocating houses. After all, no one wants to give a house to someone who is not popular with everyone."
"So, if our courtyard wants to get a house, we have to honestly follow these standards and not use any crooked means. If everyone tries to take shortcuts and be clever, then the house allocation will be a mess, right? By then, not only will our courtyard not be able to get a house, but it will also ruin the reputation of our courtyard and make people from other courtyards laugh at us." Yan Bugui spoke clearly, his eyes revealing an unquestionable firmness.
The crowd began to whisper, the sound was like a swarm of bees buzzing. Everyone was discussing, with complicated expressions on their faces. Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao were sitting in the crowd, their faces all looked a little ugly, like eggplants hit by frost.
Yi Zhonghai finally couldn't help it. He stood up suddenly, put his hands on his hips and said loudly: "Old Yan, we do this for the good of our courtyard. Think about it, housing is so tight now, and everyone is eagerly looking forward to getting a new house. If we strive for more opportunities, won't the people in our courtyard be able to get more houses? Don't you want everyone to live in a spacious and bright new house?" There was a hint of dissatisfaction and anxiety on his face, and his eyes revealed a kind of misunderstanding of Yan Bugui.
Yan Bugui narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Yi Zhonghai with a sharp gaze, which was filled with scrutiny and dissatisfaction. His expression became more serious, his brows furrowed tightly, like a deep ravine, and he said in a low but powerful voice: "Old Yi, I understand your feelings. You want everyone in our courtyard to live in a good house. This consideration for the people in the courtyard is good. But think about it carefully, what you are doing now is not right at all! Our courtyard has always been a big family. We see each other every day. We live together every day, so we must unite as one and fight for fairness and justice when encountering things."
He paused, glanced at the crowd around him, and continued, "If everyone is like you, doing whatever it takes to get a house, how can we live in harmony in our courtyard? Today you scheme against this for the house, and tomorrow he schemes against that for the house. Wouldn't this courtyard be in chaos every day? When everyone meets in the future, will they still be able to greet each other warmly and chat about family matters like before? Without trust and affection between neighbors, this courtyard will lose its former warmth and the feeling of home!" Yan Bugui became more and more excited as he spoke, and waved his hands unconsciously, as if he wanted to imprint his views deeply in everyone's hearts.
When Liu Haizhong heard Yan Bugui's words, his already gloomy face became even uglier. He stood up suddenly, his body trembling slightly with excitement. He slapped the table with both hands, making a loud "bang", and said loudly: "Old Yan, you are talking lightly! Don't you see how fierce the competition is now? There are only a few houses in the factory, and so many eyes are staring at them. If we don't use some tricks, how can we compete with others? Are you going to watch the people in our courtyard not get a house and live in that small and broken old house?" His voice became a little sharp because of anger, and his eyes revealed a kind of unwillingness and reluctance.
At this time, an elder with gray hair and a slightly hunched figure slowly stood up. He was wearing an old cloth shirt that was washed white, and his face showed the vicissitudes of life and a calmness that comes from having experienced the world. He first coughed lightly and cleared his throat, then looked at Liu Haizhong firmly and said, "Liu Haizhong, what you said is wrong. Our Siheyuan has always emphasized harmony among neighbors and mutual help. This is our old tradition and a rule passed down from generation to generation. This rule cannot be broken in our hands!"
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, as if describing the beautiful scene of the Siheyuan in the past: "If we break the rules for the sake of a house, then the reputation of our Siheyuan will be ruined. Just think about it, when people in the factory mention our Siheyuan in the future, they will say that we will do anything to get a house, and that we are a place without rules and morals. How can we hold our heads up in the factory then? When we get along with people from other Siheyuans, they will also point fingers at us, saying that people in our Siheyuan are selfish and only care about themselves. By then, our Siheyuan will become the laughing stock of the factory and a negative example in everyone's eyes." The elder spoke sincerely, with a deep worry and concern for the future of the Siheyuan in his voice.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Xu Damao saw that the situation was not good and quickly said, "I was confused for a moment. I wanted to have a good relationship with the children, but I didn't expect to cause trouble for everyone. I won't do this again in the future."
Seeing that everyone had calmed down, Yan Bugui continued, "Now, we need to discuss how to recommend people in our courtyard who meet the conditions to apply for housing in a fair and just manner according to the factory's standards. Everyone can speak up for any ideas you have."
The crowd began to get lively, and everyone expressed their opinions. Some said that priority should be given to those workers who have worked in the factory for many years and have rich experience; some said that care should be taken for those families with large families and particularly tight housing conditions; and others said that work performance and contribution to the factory should be valued.
After a heated discussion, everyone finally reached a consensus. It was decided to set up a selection team, which was composed of several respected elders and several young and promising representatives in the courtyard. The selection team was responsible for collecting everyone's information, screening and evaluating according to the factory's standards, and finally recommending the most qualified candidates.
Although Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao were somewhat unwilling, they also knew that their approach was wrong, so they had to accept the decision. They began to actively cooperate with the selection team, helping to collect information and organize materials.
In the following days, the selection team was busy. They visited every household to understand the situation of each household, and also went to the factory to verify the work performance and contribution of employees. After some hard work, the selection team finally selected a recommendation list.
On the day the list was announced, the courtyard was bustling again. Everyone gathered in front of the list and discussed it. Some people were surprised and excited that their names were on the list; others questioned the candidates on the list.
A young man pointed to the list and said, "I don't think this person meets the requirements. His work performance is average, and his reputation among the neighbors is not very good."
An elder on the selection panel explained: "We strictly followed the factory's standards when selecting, and also took everyone's opinions into consideration. Although this person has some minor problems, he still makes certain contributions to his work, and his family situation is also difficult. We think we can give him a chance."
After some explanation and communication, everyone finally accepted the recommendation list. Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao also realized their mistakes in the process and began to sincerely care about the people in the courtyard.
Finally, the candidate recommended by Siheyuan stood out in the factory allocation and was successfully assigned a house in the newly built area. When the news reached Siheyuan, everyone cheered. Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao also felt extremely gratified, knowing that this was the result of everyone's joint efforts.