Xu Damao's Thirty-Six Stratagems in Siheyuan

"Master, can you help us brothers solve a problem?"

Yi Zhonghai's apprentice Wu Dayong went to see Yi Zhonghai on behalf of several fellow apprentices.

"Dayong, what's the matter?"

"Well, Jia Dongxu borrowed money from us some time ago, but now it's almost the New Year and everyone is actually living a tight life. We asked Dongxu to pay us back, but he didn't seem to want to. As fellow apprentices, we don't want to make things too awkward, so we would like to ask Master to ask Jia Dongxu."

"When did this happen? How come I didn't know Dongxu asked you to borrow money?"

"It's been just these few months. Jia Dongxu has come to us sporadically, as have a few other people in the workshop. I counted them and there are 67 in total. Master, what do you think of this..."

"Dayong, don't worry. I'll ask Dongxu first and I'll give you an explanation."

Yi Zhonghai didn't know what Jia Dongxu was going to do with the money he borrowed from so many people. He was a little confused at the scene. This pension candidate actually did so many things that he didn't expect, and he didn't even know about it. Jia Dongxu even took 20 yuan from him.

After searching the workshop, I couldn't find Jia Dongxu. I asked a worker working on a nearby machine tool and found out that Jia Dongxu had gone to the spare parts warehouse to smoke.

Yi Zhonghai was anxious and angry. He was openly absent from work during working hours and even smoked in the workshop. If the workshop director knew about this, who knows what kind of trouble would arise.

Yi Zhonghai hurried to the small warehouse to find Jia Dongxu.

"Dongxu, Dongxu, are you in there?" Yi Zhonghai knocked on the door of the small warehouse, but it was open. Jia Dongxu was smoking.

"Dongxu, you are hiding here to smoke during normal working hours. Who gave you the courage? There is a lot of lubricating oil in the warehouse. What if there is a fire? And you have been away from work for such a long time. Do you really not want to work in the factory anymore?"

"Master, I'm just a little sleepy. I came here to smoke a cigarette to wake myself up. I'll go to work right away." Jia Dongxu's eyes were a little wandering. He pinched out the cigarette and wanted to go out.

"Wait, Dongxu, I have something to ask you. Did you ask Dayong to borrow money from them? What did you borrow so much money for?"

"Master, I, I, I didn't do anything. My salary is low now, so I borrowed some money to supplement my family income."

"Your family doesn't even have enough food every other day, how do you supplement the household expenses? Tell me, how much do you spend in a month? You borrowed 67 from the workshop, and I took 20. Add to that your salary of 20 yuan a month, how many hundreds of yuan can you spend in the past six months?"

"Master, I will pay back the money my brothers owed me. I never said I wouldn't. It's just that I don't have it now."

"But they are waiting for the money to celebrate the New Year. When are you going to pay it back?"

"Master, don't worry about this matter. I'll do it as soon as possible. Master, I'm going to work."

"Dongxu, tell me clearly where you spent all this money. Did you do anything bad?"

"Master, don't worry about it. I'm going out now."

Jia Dongxu rushed out, leaving Yi Zhonghai alone at the door of the small warehouse.

Yi Zhonghai was angry again. He thought silently in his heart: Jia Dongxu, I wonder how you can pay back the money to these people in the workshop. If you don't come to beg me, I can't do anything. You will beg me one day.

He left his place in anger and went to work on his own high-level work.

Wu Dayong had actually been observing Yi Zhonghai's movements. He saw Yi Zhonghai talking to Jia Dongxu from a distance, and although he couldn't hear what they were talking about, he probably talked about paying back the money.

He was happy in his heart: finally the loan was settled. Unexpectedly, Jia Dongxu didn't come to greet them first, and Master Yi Zhonghai seemed to be busy with his work.

He was so angry that he quickly went back and told his fellow disciples about the situation. Their faces turned pale.

Yi Zhonghai didn't expect that he originally wanted to take advantage of Jia Dongxu, but he was blamed by other disciples instead.

"I said, Master won't care about us. He only has eyes for Jia Dongxu. You may not know, but I heard that Master wants that bastard Jia Dongxu to take care of her in her old age."

"The master is biased. Let's go to his house this week to ask for money. Otherwise, it will be difficult to celebrate the New Year. I can't explain to my wife."

"I think it's okay. Let's go this weekend. We don't have to worry about him not admitting it. If he doesn't admit it, we can report it to the factory. Anyway, we've already torn our relationship apart now."

"I think it's OK. It's decided."

Everyone decided to block the door and demand the loan. Wu Dayong also contacted several other workers to join in.

Several others also agreed to go together to collect the loan.

On the 19th, the 95th day of the lunar year, the No. compound became bustling early in the morning.

Wu Dayong, along with several of his fellow workers, arrived at Yard No. 95 of the Red Star Factory at :.

Yan Fugui looked at the big men, startled, and asked weakly, "Who are you looking for?"

"Master, we are all workers in the steel mill, and we are in the same workshop as your hospital's Jia Dongxu. Oh, by the way, Master Yi is our instructor. May I ask where Jia Dongxu lives?"

"Oh, so you are Lao Yi's apprentice, Jia Dongxu. He lives in the northernmost room in the east wing of the central courtyard, the one with a large jar at the door. Oh, yes, Lao Yi lives in the room opposite them. Do you want me to take you to find Lao Yi?"

"Thank you, but that's okay. We can just go in on our own."

"It's okay. I'm the manager of this hospital. It's my duty."

Wu Dayong didn't care whether his group was happy or not, so he led the way and led the group to the door of Yi Zhonghai. "Yes, this is Old Yi's house. Opposite is Dongxu's house. See it? It's the door next to the big vat."

Wu Dayong and the others were not here to look for Yi Zhonghai. They were very dissatisfied with Yi Zhonghai and were very resentful. As a master, he did not help his apprentices solve their problems, so they had less respect for him. Originally, this master was arranged by the factory. Yi Zhonghai was not very attentive to teaching his apprentices, and he did not have much affection for them. He did not help when something happened, and he still expected his apprentices to be nice to him.

Wu Dayong and his group went straight to the east wing and knocked on the door.

Qin Huairu had to come out to open the door, "Who are you looking for?"

"You are Jia Dongxu's wife, right? Jia Dongxu can't be away from home, can you tell him to get up? We have something to talk to him about."

Qin Huairu didn't know these workers, but seeing how aggressive they looked, she couldn't help but shout.

Five minutes later, Jia Dongxu came out.

"Hey, Senior Brother, Xiaoliu, what are you doing so early in the morning?"

"Jia Dongxu, the Chinese New Year is in ten days. When will you pay back the money you borrowed? My brothers and I are waiting for food at home. You need to give an explanation today."

"Brother, I've said before that I admit that I borrowed the money. I didn't say I wouldn't pay it back. I don't have any money in my pocket, so what can you ask me to pay you back with?"

"Jia Dongxu, you are trying to default on your debt. Jia Dongxu, since you want to default on your debt, and now that we have come to this, you must give an explanation today, otherwise no one will be well off."

"Brother, please don't force me. I really don't have any money."

The noise in the middle courtyard was so loud that it woke up the entire compound.

Yi Zhonghai was no exception. Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao in the backyard all stood up. Yan Fugui was the first to lead the team. He really didn't expect that a group of workers came to block the door to collect debts. It seems that there will be drama today.

Yi Zhonghai certainly didn't want the whole courtyard to know that his disciples were making things difficult for each other, so he went forward.

"Dayong, Yonglin, what are you doing? Didn't I tell you I would explain it to you? Can't you wait a few days?"

Wu Dayong wanted to say something but couldn't open his mouth. Liu Yonglin next to him really didn't want to give face to this so-called master Yi Zhonghai.

"Master, the senior brother asked you about this a few days ago, but you didn't respond, so we had no choice but to come to your house to ask for the money. Since ancient times, a life must be paid with a life, and a debt must be repaid. When Jia Dongxu asked us to borrow money, he said he would pay it back in a few days. Now it's been so many days, and it's been almost half a year since Jin Liang borrowed the ten yuan. If he doesn't pay it back, someone in his family will die. You don't know, Jin Liang's wife is a big and strong man, and she has beaten him up at home several times. If he takes the money back today, his wife will chop Jin Liang to pieces. Master, this matter has nothing to do with you, we are only looking for that bastard Jia Dongxu."

He said, not caring whether Yi Zhonghai was happy or not, or whether he was angry or not, and turned around and pointed at Jia Dongxu.

"Hey, Jia Sunzi, you have to pay it back today, whether it's closed or not. If you don't have money, you can use your property to pay it back. Brothers, is this the way it should be?"

Everyone shouted in unison, "Pay back the money, pay back the money, pay back the money..."