Xu Damao's Thirty-Six Stratagems in Siheyuan

The Chinese New Year is coming soon. Although most people don’t have much excitement about New Year’s Day, those who should go to work still go to work, and those who should rest still stay at home.

But the Red Star Factory is doing well this year, as it has a one-day holiday on New Year's Day.

Ever since the day the old lady in the backyard fell ill and couldn't call Sha Zhu, Yi Zhonghai wanted to hold another general meeting of all employees.

On the eve of New Year's Day, Yi Zhonghai went to the front yard after work and discussed the matter with Yan Fugui, the doorman at the door.

"Old Yan, are you in the house?"

You've already seen the person, but you're still asking if he's there. That's unnecessary.

"Old Yi, are you off work? Did you just get back?"

"Yes, tomorrow is New Year's Day, which means the new year is coming. I went to the street office last weekend, and Director Wang asked us to publicize the hygiene of the compound, saying that the higher authorities may launch a hygiene campaign in the new year. I thought that tomorrow is New Year's Day, and most people will have a holiday. How about we hold a short meeting in the compound tonight to publicize the instructions of the higher authorities to the residents of the compound?"

"Old Yi, is that right? I haven't heard of this activity at school, but if you ask the street office, it should be possible. I have no problem, and school is indeed closed tomorrow. But it's so cold tonight, will the residents have any objections?"

"It won't take more than a few minutes, let's get over it. Then you ask Jiefang to notify the residents in the front yard and across the courtyard, and I'll go to the backyard and talk to Lao Liu. The time will be around 6:30, by then everyone will have eaten and their bodies will still be warm."

"Okay, I see."

Yi Zhonghai left the gatehouse and went to the middle courtyard. He passed by his own door without going in and went to the backyard.

"Lao Liu, Lao Liu."

The second aunt opened the curtain and said, "It's an old man. Old Liu hasn't come home yet. What do you want to talk to Old Liu about?"

"Old Liu hasn't arrived yet. It's not a big deal. Then you can talk to Old Liu. There will be a general meeting of the entire court at about 6:30 tonight. The street office has some spirit to publicize. You can ask Guangtian or Guangfu to notify the backyard."

"Okay, I'll talk to Lao Liu later."

Yi Zhonghai turned and went to the deaf old lady's room.

"Old lady, how are you feeling? Have you recovered? Didn't Guifang bring you food?"

"Zhonghai, I just heard a voice in my ear. You want to have a meeting tonight? Why? For me, the old woman? There is no need for that. Zhonghai, listen to my advice. Don't argue with Shazhu. He is young and has a family now. He is not an orphan like he was a few years ago. You can't control him. Shazhu, we have watched him grow up. You have experienced his stubbornness. Why do you have to make things difficult for yourself? The old woman is buried in the ground and will not live for many years. You should just live every day in peace."

"Old lady, you can't say that. The whole country is promoting respecting the elderly and loving the young. He is wrong to watch someone die without helping and be so cold and indifferent. If everyone follows his example, the society will be in chaos. No, it's not clear if I don't say it, and it's not clear if I don't explain it. Besides, I've already notified everyone. As a grandfather, I still need to promote it as the new year is coming."

"It's up to you. I won't go out. It's cold, and I can't stand the cold. Also, ask Guifang to bring some food over, and add some firewood to my kang. The fire is almost out."

"Okay, I'll ask Guifang to bring it to you right away."

Yi Zhonghai returned home and asked a lady to bring food and firewood to the old lady in the backyard. He took a small cup of wine and drank it. Although the food was not very good, it was rich in oil and water. In addition, fried peanuts were crispy. Thinking about what would happen tonight, Yi Zhonghai still made some mental preparations.

The clock at home rang, it was exactly half past six.

Most of the families in the courtyard had sent representatives. Yi Zhonghai took a quick look and found that Xu Damao from the backyard had not come, nor had He Yuzhu from the middle courtyard. Yu Li, on the other hand, had found a stool to sit on at the pedestal in front of her house. Most people were also sitting by the pedestal in the main house in the middle courtyard. This place was sheltered from the wind.

The three old men were left sitting in the windward.

"Zhu Zi's wife, where is Sha Zhu?"

"Uncle, Zhuzi hasn't come back yet. Maybe he still has some work to do in the factory."

"Hey, Guangtian, didn't you inform Xu Damao?"

"There's no one at Xu Damao's house. Both of them are not at home."

"Forget it, let's not wait any longer. Let's hold a meeting in Compound 95 today to inform everyone of a few things.

The first thing is that the street office notified us that the new year is coming soon, and the Spring Festival is just around the corner. The street office requires all courtyards to pay attention to fire prevention, theft prevention, and vandalism prevention during the holidays. In addition, every household should pay attention to hygiene, including public health. When the weather is good and we have a day off, we will organize a general cleaning of the public areas to respond to the street office's sanitation activities. This will help our courtyard to be evaluated as advanced at the end of the year. The honor belongs to everyone, right! "

Liu Haizhong also took advantage of this opportunity to say: "Our hospital's advanced people must be on the list this year."

Yi Zhonghai took a sip of the still warm tea.

"To be rated as an advanced compound, it is not enough to just have good hygiene. We must also carry forward our fine revolutionary traditions, the tradition of loving the motherland, loving the people, respecting the old and loving the young, supporting each other, and making progress together. Here I want to criticize several people in our compound by name, especially several young comrades, who enjoy themselves first and endure hardships later, have no respect for hierarchy, do not respect the old and love the young, and do not help and benefit each other. Especially Sha Zhu in the middle courtyard and Xu Damao in the back courtyard."

Yu Li heard an old man criticizing her man by name at the door, so she interrupted Yi Zhonghai directly.

"Uncle, what did my husband do that is against the will of heaven and earth? You are criticizing him by name and taking it too seriously. How did he enjoy himself first and suffer later? How did he not respect the elderly and love the young? Tell me."

"Your family and Xu Damao's family in the backyard often eat delicious food. Have you ever thought about helping the needy families in the hospital? And a few days ago, the old lady in the backyard was vomiting and having diarrhea. I asked Sha Zhu to borrow a cart from next door to take the old lady to the health center. What was Sha Zhu's response? How can you treat the elderly in the hospital so coldly? Do you still have the spirit of respecting the elderly and loving the young? As a senior in the hospital, I criticized him by name. It's wrong."

"Uncle, when did my family and Xu Damao's family eat so much meat and fish? I am a pregnant woman, Lou Xiao'e is a mother who just gave birth and has a baby, can we eat meat occasionally to replenish our bodies, which is considered as eating so much meat and fish and ignoring the people in the yard? Your uncle has one pound of meat slices every month, and he gives it all to others. He has never eaten meat. My Zhuzi has four ounces of meat coupons every month, so just tell me how my family eats so much meat and fish, and whether we stole your one pound of meat coupons and used them for our family or what. Don't think that my man is not here now, and you are taking advantage of your seniority, making up stories, and making accusations. If you don't give me an explanation today, I will report you to the police and sue you."

"You are being unreasonable. How can I take advantage of my age?"

"Yes, you are not old, then you are bullying others by taking advantage of your power. Don't think that I am afraid of you just because you are the uncle in the yard. The street lets you serve the people, not to form a clique and become a mountain king. The old lady in the backyard is sick, and you don't care about it, which means you don't respect the elderly and love the young. Who is in charge of the yard? Don't all the people in the yard respect the elderly and love the young except you? Do you think you are willing to take care of it? Didn't the old lady allow you two rooms, otherwise would you take care of it? It sounds better than singing. In addition to the old lady, have you, the uncle, taken care of other residents? Aunt Li next door to your house has poor eyesight, and there are two children at home. It's a glorious family. Why don't you love the children? They live across the wall, don't say you can't see."

Yi Zhonghai was so angry that he almost fainted. Just as he was about to open his mouth to explain, Yu Li came on the scene.

"Uncle, I heard from my husband Zhuzi that when my father-in-law left the compound, his brother and sister almost starved to death in this No. 95 compound. At that time, you didn't promote mutual love and mutual assistance, respect for the elderly and love for the young, and help. You gave him two steamed buns in total, and my husband Zhuzi even returned you two kilograms of corn flour. When you took the corn flour, you didn't think about loving the young and helping each other. You also said that my husband was cold-hearted. I think you are the most cold-hearted and selfish. You talk about morality, but in fact you are a dirty person. You are really a worthless person."