Chapter 74

"Second Grand Uncle, we are going to find the First Grand Uncle. You know, that night our husbands only went to stop Silly Zhu because they listened to the First Grand Uncle. As a result, their legs were kicked broken by Silly Zhu. Not only will their wages be deducted by the factory, but they can't go to work because of their leg injuries. No work means no money, so we are discussing going to find the First Grand Uncle to ask for money."

"When it comes down to it, our husbands were doing things for the First Grand Uncle, so the losses should naturally be compensated by the First Grand Uncle," Liugen's wife said.

"That's right, Lao Yi should be responsible. Let's go, I'll go with you. It's past work hours, and without me, the security department might not let you into the factory," Liu Haizhong said.

"Thank you, Second Grand Uncle, Second Grand Uncle, you really are a good person," Liugen's wife and the others said hurriedly.

Amidst the flattery of Liugen's wife and the others, Liu Haizhong triumphantly led them to the Rolling Mill's guesthouse.

"Lao Yi, Liugen's wife and the others are looking for you," Liu Haizhong said calmly after seeing Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai clearly understood what Liugen's wife and the others meant by coming to find him; this was going to be a heavy loss. Thinking about the money he had worked so hard to save having to be given out, he couldn't help but feel very pained.

Yi Zhonghai hated He Yuzhu even more. If it weren't for He Yuzhu, there wouldn't be so many things.

Yi Zhonghai finally decided to take out four hundred yuan to compensate for the losses of these four families. He had to pay; if he didn't, the little prestige he had left in the Siheyuan would be gone.

In fact, the people in the Siheyuan didn't care about those rumors about Yi Zhonghai; they just watched them as a joke. It was mainly because it didn't hurt their major interests. Once their interests were significantly damaged, they would definitely turn against him.

Why could Yi Zhonghai force the people in the Siheyuan to donate to the Jia family in the past? Because the bulk of every donation was paid by Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Silly Zhu, and others could accept donating a dime or two by following the crowd.

If they were asked to donate a yuan or two every time, they definitely couldn't stand it.

"You all go back. Early tomorrow morning, I will have Yi Dama go and get the money for you," Yi Zhonghai said.

Upon hearing this, Liugen's wife turned and left.

"Old Liu, what are you looking for me for?" Yi Zhonghai asked.

"Lao Yi, these days are impossible to live through," Liu Haizhong said, telling him about his own frustrating matters.

"Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu are relying on the support of the Street Office and using a chicken feather as an arrow," Yi Zhonghai said in a deep voice.

"You can say that again. Now I have to treat them like ancestors, can't hit them, can't scold them. Sigh, it's simply reversing the order of heaven and earth," Liu Haizhong said angrily.

"Well, this can't go on. Respecting the old and loving the young is our tradition, and this cannot change. If the next generation follows suit, what kind of chaos will this world be in?"

"I have decided that after the factory clears my name, I will return to the courtyard and hold a full-courtyard meeting to resolutely crack down on this behavior. Old Liu, you must cooperate with me then," Yi Zhonghai said sternly.

"Lao Yi, I will definitely cooperate with you, but now this full-courtyard meeting isn't something we can hold just because we want to. Silly Zhu said that if we want to hold a full-courtyard meeting, we must ask him for instructions half a day or a day in advance, and it can only be held after he discusses it with Xu Damao and Yan Jiecheng," Liu Haizhong said.

Yi Zhonghai was suddenly furious. If they, these Grand Uncles, couldn't hold full-courtyard meetings at will, then the power in their hands would be reduced by more than half. The full-courtyard meeting had always been an important tool for Yi Zhonghai to control the Siheyuan. Now, He Yuzhu wanted to abolish the tool in his hands; how could he not be angry?

"It's fine. Let's first reach an understanding with Old Yan and have Old Yan convene the people in the front courtyard to hold a full-courtyard meeting. No matter what, Old Yan is Yan Jiecheng's father, and Yan Jiecheng wouldn't dare to oppose Old Yan;"

"Old Liu, you are responsible for convening the people in the rear courtyard to hold a full-courtyard meeting. Xu Damao is going to the countryside this time and will usually stay for three to five days. I will have results here at most by tomorrow or the day after. You take advantage of Xu Damao's absence to convene the people in the rear courtyard to participate in the full-courtyard meeting. If necessary, you can bring out the Old Lady to restrain Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu. The Old Lady can still do this;"

"I am responsible for the middle courtyard. We will gather most of the people in the Siheyuan, and even if Silly Zhu wants to stop it, he won't be able to. As long as the full-courtyard meeting is held, it won't be up to Silly Zhu to stop it. As long as this full-courtyard meeting is successful, what the situation will be like in the future remains to be seen," Yi Zhonghai said, squinting his eyes. "Good! I'll listen to you then. Should I go find Old Yan tonight?" Liu Haizhong said.

"No! To ensure that this full-courtyard meeting is foolproof, after I return to the Siheyuan, I will go find him with you," Yi Zhonghai said in a deep voice.

"Good! I'll listen to you," Liu Haizhong nodded and said.

"This matter must be kept secret and cannot be leaked to anyone, otherwise, if He Yuzhu and the others are prepared, it will be troublesome. Old Liu, you don't want to live under the surveillance of Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu every day, do you?" Yi Zhonghai said in a deep voice.

Yi Zhonghai was afraid that Liu Haizhong would let something slip, so he said this with an implied threat.

"I understand," Liu Haizhong nodded and said.

Afterward, Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai exchanged a few polite words and left.

Early the next morning, Yi Zhonghai had Yi Dama return to the Siheyuan to get the money for Liugen's wife and the others. After Liugen's wife and the others received the money, they left happily.

Yi Dama didn't return to the guesthouse but gave the money to Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiekua, and the Third Aunt, asking them to help fix the glass in the house and reorganize the house.

Yi Dama stayed in the Siheyuan. This was also a reminder from Liugen's wife to Yi Zhonghai; with so much money hidden at home and no one guarding it, Yi Zhonghai couldn't feel at ease at all, so Yi Zhonghai had Yi Dama go home early in the morning to guard it.

The Rolling Mill, the Street Office, and the Police Station worked together, but they couldn't find the culprit who printed the pamphlets. In the end, the three parties pinned the mastermind of this matter on enemy agents.

While the Rolling Mill cleared Yi Zhonghai's name through the broadcast, it strictly forbade everyone from spreading rumors about Yi Zhonghai. If anyone spread pamphlets or similar rumors again, they would be fined at best, and treated as accomplices of enemy agents at worst.

The authority of the factory was still very strong. When the workers saw that the factory's punishment was so severe, they didn't dare to discuss this matter openly in the factory, but whether they discussed it in private was a matter of opinion.

Seeing that the Rolling Mill had handled this matter cleanly and efficiently with the momentum of a sharp knife cutting through tangled hemp, Yi Zhonghai and the others felt their tense hearts suddenly relax.

Yi Zhonghai believed that the factory still respected old skilled workers like him, so Yi Zhonghai decided to strike while the iron was hot and, carrying this momentum of victory, hold a full-courtyard meeting that very night.

Yi Zhonghai didn't notify everyone in a carefree manner as he had in the past, but first secretly met with Yan Bugui.

The method to settle Yan Bugui was very simple: just give him money!

Five yuan made Yan Bugui betray the rules and principles. Yan Bugui immediately patted his chest and expressed that he would definitely cooperate well with Yi Zhonghai and fully support Yi Zhonghai in holding this full-courtyard meeting well.

From a certain perspective, Yan Bugui's interests were consistent with Yi Zhonghai's. If Yan Bugui's position as the Third Grand Uncle only remained a title without any other power, naturally no one would take him seriously, and Yan Bugui wouldn't be able to act as a gatekeeper and fish for good things.

After Yi Zhonghai finished all this, he went to consult the Deaf Old Lady about this matter. Seeing that Yi Zhonghai was already prepared and wasn't coming to consult at all, the Deaf Old Lady didn't try to persuade him further, only advising Yi Zhonghai to act carefully.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai was full of ambition, as if he had returned to the period when he controlled the Siheyuan in the past.

After Yi Zhonghai prepared everything, he sharpened his knife and waited quietly for the arrival of the night...

(End of chapter)