Siheyuan: Since 51

"Okay, I'll take care of it now."

The gentleman looked solemn, nodded, stood up and left in a hurry.

At this time, it was past ten o'clock and cicadas were chirping outside the window.

The old man returned to the sofa, sat down, and his eyes became deep.

Lin Zhiyuan held a cigarette in his mouth, and as he inhaled, the cigarette butt flickered, just like his heart.

There was only a small table between the two of them.

The smoke floated upwards and merged with the sunlight above, which was magnificent.

After a moment of silence, the old man suddenly asked, "Zhiyuan, have you read the history of Ming Dynasty?"

Lin Zhiyuan glanced sideways, his attitude respectful and modest, "I know a little, but it's just superficial."

The master flicked the ash off his cigarette and asked again, "What do you think of Zhu Yuanzhang stopping the imperial examination for ten years?"

Lin Zhiyuan frowned slightly, swallowed unconsciously, hesitated for a long time, and then said something to prepare for the conversation.

"I only have a limited understanding. Please don't be angry if I'm wrong."

The old man waved his hand and said, "It's okay, just say whatever you want, we're just chatting."

Lin Zhiyuan gritted his teeth and spoke.

“About three.

The Yuan Dynasty neglected it for a long time, which resulted in the lack of ability of scholars to take the imperial examinations in the early Ming Dynasty.

The recommendation system made it difficult to fully implement a true and fair imperial examination.

After years of war, poor scholars have been struggling to make a living and have fallen behind in their studies. "

The old man didn't comment and continued to ask.

"Does the current situation at home seem familiar to you?"

Hearing this, Lin Zhiyuan sighed inwardly.

Alas, combined with the memories of the previous life, the old man is afraid that...

After a long while without hearing Lin Zhiyuan speak, the old man turned his head, smiled bitterly, and said slowly, "Don't you dare to say it?"

Then, he started talking to himself.

"The boss said that when you get off the mountain, you feel lighter. Wen Dao had an idea and made a big move and boasted a lot...

In fact, I have been tired for a long time and just want to read some books and enjoy my old age, but I am afraid that all my life's work will go to waste.

Do you understand? "

Listening to the chatter, Lin Zhiyuan felt mixed emotions and was struggling.

Finally, he looked up and caught a glimpse of the old man's eyes, which were firm but lonely. He gritted his teeth, stamped his feet, and spoke out his thoughts.

“I understand, but I don’t understand.”

The old man was slightly surprised. He turned around and waved, his expression and movements like a child seeing a toy.

"Don't worry, no one is always right, and I am no exception. I don't know when it started, but no one dares to communicate with me from the heart anymore."

Lin Zhiyuan's eyes widened and his thoughts drifted away.

It seems as if I can see the various injustices left over from previous lives, and it also seems as if I can see the long river of history.

Finally, an inexplicable courage filled my mind and echoed endlessly.

After a long time, he came to his senses, made up his mind, lit a cigarette, walked a few steps, and spoke slowly.

“How wonderful it is that the world is united.

That is your vision, and it is also my desire, to follow you and take action for it together.

However, you should be aware that it may not be achieved now, even in another fifty years.

Each rabbit is an individual. Even if everyone goes back to the starting line and starts again, some will still run fast and some will run slow.

The whole village is competing, and suppressing the leader is tantamount to suppressing our hopes. "

The old man sighed, feeling somewhat helpless.

"I also know that treating the symptoms does not address the root cause, but I can't just watch a minor ailment turn into a chronic disease."

Lin Zhiyuan shook his head, took a deep puff of his cigarette, and stood in the sun, full of vigor, determination and affection.

“I have a dream.

I dream that one day all rabbits will have enough food and clothing, even in the countryside, with electricity and telephones upstairs and downstairs, cars to go out and love to return home.

I dream that one day, the rabbits will be successful in their studies and contribute a little to this family. Even if they are not successful in their studies, they can still live and work in peace and contentment, and have their children enjoy their company.

I dream that one day, when people meet management, they will no longer be submissive, but management will patiently ask: Comrade, are you satisfied with this measure to improve X aspect?

I dream that one day, in the whole village, at any place and at any time, everyone in the family can proudly say "I am a rabbit" and greet the envious gazes of others.

I dream that one day..."

One sentence after another, powerful and resounding, echoed throughout the study.

After finishing his work, the gentleman came back and when he reached the door, he happened to hear the words "I dream that one day" and he could not help but stop and stare blankly.

Lin Zhiyuan's voices became louder and louder, and tears filled his eyes unconsciously.

The old man's eyes were red and his throat was sore, so he chuckled to cover it up.

"It makes people feel sad, eager, and envious. So what are you going to do?"

Lin Zhiyuan coughed lightly to calm himself down, his eyes sparkling perhaps because of moisture.

“Make money, lots of money.

With money, you can develop technology and thus have strong military force to protect yourself. Facing unreasonable demands from anyone in the village, you can fearlessly say "no".

With money, the quality of life of ordinary people can be infinitely improved, giving them the confidence to boldly say "no" when faced with injustice.

Only with money can you stand out in the village..."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of applause, and then the gentleman strode in.

"Okay, Zhiyuan, isn't your dream our vision? It's just that the path you choose is more gentle. And..."

As he said this, he looked at the old man.

"Scraping the bone to heal the wound is certainly a relief, but just like Zhiyuan said, it also suppresses hope. Old man, you have to be careful."

The old man glanced around at the two of them and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"You guys... Zhiyuan, I have to say, you are quite cunning! Your words of persuasion are so passionate."

As he said this, he raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"For the last question, you need to answer it directly and speak your true thoughts. What do you think we should do when facing comrades who have fallen behind?"

Lin Zhiyuan secretly clenched his fist and blurted out, "Severe punishment without mercy."

The old man seemed dissatisfied and shook his head repeatedly, "Not detailed enough."

Lin Zhiyuan paused and spoke again, "It is not enough to appease the public anger if corrupt officials are not killed. Their immediate family members must also bear the consequences."

The gentleman couldn't help but frown and scolded in a deep voice.

"Zhiyuan, this is the thinking of a cruel official. Collective punishment is a step backwards in history. Besides, how can you think of your comrades in this way?"

Lin Zhiyuan shook his head and sighed.

"What else? If the price is not high enough, how can it serve as a warning? Will one person suffer and the whole family be happy? If there is nothing to do, will it become a trend for the management to help each other?"

The gentleman stared at Lin Zhiyuan with disbelief in his eyes.

At this moment, I seemed to see the old man's decisiveness, and my heart was filled with mixed feelings.

"No, Zhiyuan, we must cherish every comrade and lead them to the right path, instead of just killing them with one blow."

Lin Zhiyuan was helpless, but explained patiently.

"Sir, you are being conniving. If you embezzle 10,000 today, you dare to oppress the people tomorrow. In the past, rectifying the administration of officials was just a formality if no blood was spilled..."

I saw that the gentleman seemed dissatisfied with this statement and immediately pointed at himself.

"For example, what if it were me? I would take my whole family south to Hong Kong Island tomorrow and easily take over Yuanda. How many generations? No, based on my understanding of economics, at least hundreds of years. The family could continue and become as wealthy as a country."