Chapter 32

"Feel free to propose any suggestions," Director Wang said.

"Our Siheyuan is relatively large, which is why three mediators were set up. My suggestion is to similarly set up three supervisors to supervise the three mediators."

"I suggest Xu Damao as the Supervisor for the Houyuan to supervise Liu Haizhong; Yan Jiecheng as the Supervisor for the Front Courtyard to supervise Yan Bugui;"

"There is no hierarchy among the three supervisors, only a distinction of cooperation. For example, if Xu Damao has to go to the countryside to show movies and is not in the Siheyuan, and Liu Haizhong in the Houyuan has problems while exercising his mediator power, the other supervisors have the responsibility and obligation to fulfill the duties for Xu Damao and help him supervise Liu Haizhong," He Yuzhu said slowly.

Yi Zhonghai and the others were cursing in their hearts!

Xu Damao, on the other hand, was laughing happily. He really hadn't expected He Yuzhu to let him be this so-called supervisor. If nothing else, just the duty of supervising the mediators made Xu Damao extremely excited.

Xu Damao had suffered no small amount under Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, and now that he had a chance, he could vent his anger. Of course, Xu Damao wouldn't be grateful to He Yuzhu, because he believed He Yuzhu was using him as a blade.

He Yuzhu really wasn't trying to use Xu Damao as a blade; he just wanted to disperse the power. It would be best if everyone in the entire Siheyuan had some authority; if everyone had authority, it was equivalent to no one having authority, which could invisibly dig up the roots of Yi Zhonghai and the others.

Yan Jiecheng didn't think that much. In his view, a supervisor was also a leader, and a leader who specifically managed his father at that—it would be strange if he weren't happy.

Yan Bugui looked over and saw Yan Jiecheng grinning at him; he was so angry he almost fainted.

"Nonsense! Director Wang, leaders, Shazhu is talking nonsense, why are you accompanying him in this nonsense? How can you add another 'Great Uncle' on top of us three Great Uncles? What should we call him? The Great-Great Uncle?"

"Besides, Shazhu, Xu Damao, and Yan Jiecheng—one is a fool, one is a bad seed, and one is a child who hasn't even grown his hair yet—what qualifications do they have to point fingers at us three Great Uncles?" Liu Haizhong roared angrily.

"Liu Haizhong, you are presumptuous! This is a decision of the organization. Are you trying to resist the organization like Jia Zhangshi?" Director Wang didn't expect Liu Haizhong to dare to retort and couldn't help but say coldly.

Director Wang didn't expect that because Liu Haizhong had a stain on his record and had left a bad impression on Factory Director Yang, he felt he had no hope of being a leader at the Rolling Mill, so he valued his status as the Second Great Uncle even more.

Now that Director Wang had established supervisors in the courtyard to specifically manage the three Great Uncles, Liu Haizhong was like a volcano about to erupt. He never expected He Yuzhu to let Xu Damao and Yan Jiecheng be supervisors too.

Liu Haizhong could tolerate He Yuzhu being a supervisor, as it was an appointment by the Street Office, but he couldn't tolerate Xu Damao and Yan Jiecheng being able to manage him too. If three more ancestors were added on top of his head, what kind of leader would this 'Great Uncle' position be? What prestige would there be left to speak of?

Liu Haizhong exploded directly.

"Director Wang, even if it is a decision of the organization, you must allow us to speak," Yi Zhonghai said in a deep voice.

It wasn't just Liu Haizhong who couldn't take it; Yi Zhonghai couldn't either. If He Yuzhu, Xu Damao, and Yan Jiecheng became supervisors to specifically supervise the three of them, Yi Zhonghai's retirement plan would face huge obstacles. Yi Zhonghai firmly refused to allow this.

Just as Director Wang was about to speak, she was stopped by a gesture from He Yuzhu.

"Silly Second Uncle, you can speak, and you can propose opposing opinions; after all, we don't run a one-man show like you do. First, in what capacity are you proposing your opinion? As a resident of the Siheyuan, or as a mediator of the Siheyuan?" He Yuzhu said unhurriedly.

"Silly Second Uncle? Silly Pillar, what did you call me? Do you have any sense of hierarchy in your eyes?" Liu Haizhong roared, beside himself with anger.

"Of course I called you Silly Second Uncle. You call me Silly Pillar, why can't I call you Silly Second Uncle? You talk about hierarchy? We are all members of the new world, both of the working class, both bathed in the radiance of the Party. The Old Man said everyone is equal, yet you are here, in front of all the leaders, in front of many workers and farmers, talking to me about hierarchy?"

"Even when the Old Man sees us, he says 'comrade', yet you are here talking about hierarchy! What are you trying to do? Are you trying to oppose the Old Man?"

"Do you think the red flag, won by decades of struggle and the heroic sacrifice of over twenty million people, is just a piece of red cloth?" He Yuzhu roared with wide-open eyes, while slamming the table hard.

With a "Bang~", the table that the three Great Uncles used to put on airs was shattered into pieces by He Yuzhu's palm.

"Liu Haizhong, what are you trying to do? Are you trying to rebel?" Director Wang shouted sternly!

With a "Clatter~", Station Chief Zhang and the others drew their guns, the dark muzzles pointing directly at Liu Haizhong.

It looked as if they would execute Liu Haizhong on the spot if there was any disagreement. Liu Haizhong was so frightened that he went limp on the ground like mud, his face pale, without a trace of blood, his whole body trembling. Liu Haizhong desperately wanted to explain, but because of his extreme fear, even though he opened his mouth wide, he couldn't make a sound.

"Director Wang, leaders, Lao Liu definitely didn't mean that. The hierarchy he mentioned must refer to the hierarchy of seniority. No matter what, Sha... He Yuzhu should call Liu Haizhong 'Great Uncle' to show respect," Yi Zhonghai hurriedly stood up and said, biting the bullet.

This involved the power struggle between the three Great Uncles and He Yuzhu, Xu Damao, and Yan Jiecheng; no matter how nervous Yi Zhonghai was, he had to stand up.

After Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, he looked at He Yuzhu with a strange expression. He really hadn't expected He Yuzhu to be so articulate. He only knew before that He Yuzhu had a foul mouth and liked to argue, but you can argue, you can have a foul mouth, but you can't use it on this!

"Yi Zhonghai, you just said that no matter what, I must call Liu Haizhong 'Great Uncle' to show respect. I would like to ask, do I have any blood relationship with Liu Haizhong?" He Yuzhu said unhurriedly, giving Director Wang and Station Chief Zhang a look.

Director Wang stepped back, and Station Chief Zhang and the others put away their guns.

"No, but we have lived in the same courtyard for so many years..." Yi Zhonghai was about to start a long-winded speech.

"Stop! Answer what I ask you, don't drag in other things. Just answer whether there is or isn't," He Yuzhu directly interrupted Yi Zhonghai, blocking his words.

Yi Zhonghai was blocked until his face turned red, and finally, he gritted his teeth and roared loudly: "No."

"Good! Yi Zhonghai, let me continue to ask you, is Liu Haizhong a teacher or elder of mine?" He Yuzhu continued to ask.

"No," Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and said angrily.

"Good! Yi Zhonghai, let me ask you again, does Liu Haizhong have any life-saving grace or other great kindness toward me?" He Yuzhu continued to ask.

"No," Yi Zhonghai vaguely felt something was wrong, but facing He Yuzhu's aggressive questioning, he could only answer in a deep voice.

"Good! Yi Zhonghai, let me ask you again, has Liu Haizhong ever done any great good deeds that benefit the country and the people? Forget it, let's not talk about the country and the people; has he ever done any good deeds that benefit the Street Office, for example, catching enemy agents, donating money to orphanages, giving food to widows and widowers, etc.? Has he?" He Yuzhu continued to ask.

"No," Yi Zhonghai said with a drooping face.

Yi Zhonghai thought carefully, and Liu Haizhong really didn't have a single thing he could show off. He couldn't help but resent Liu Haizhong in his heart: 'You, Liu Haizhong, at least do one or two good deeds! Otherwise, how do you expect me to argue for you?'

"That's good. I'll ask you one last time: Liu Haizhong is not my blood elder, not my teacher, has no great kindness toward me, and has never done anything worthy of respect or praise. Then on what grounds do you say that no matter what, I must call Liu Haizhong 'Great Uncle'?" He Yuzhu asked coldly.

"Because we live in the same Siheyuan. As the saying goes, a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. Anyone who is polite and moral would respectfully call an elder 'Great Uncle'. Since Lao Liu is your elder, what's wrong with you calling him 'Great Uncle'?" Yi Zhonghai retorted.

"Is it illegal?" He Yuzhu asked.

"What?" Yi Zhonghai was stunned.

"I mean, if I don't call Liu Haizhong 'Second Great Uncle' and call him 'Silly Second Uncle' instead, is it illegal?" He Yuzhu asked.

"It's not illegal, but others won't think well of you. They will say you don't respect the old and love the young, that you are impolite, and that your morals are corrupt. In this way, your reputation will be ruined. Silly Pillar, how did I teach you before? You must respect the old and love the young, and respect your elders!" Yi Zhonghai said.

"So, you have broken the law and committed a crime," He Yuzhu said very calmly.

"What?" Yi Zhonghai was stunned again.

(End of this chapter)