Siheyuan: Buyers get rich from hunting

Chapter 764 The Rise of Yi Zhonghai 12

His bangs narrowed his slightly shrewd eyes, with a thoughtful look in his eyes. He subconsciously raised his right hand and gently stroked the slightly rough stubble on his chin with his fingers, again and again, as if he was sorting out the complicated thoughts in his mind through this action. His brows slightly wrinkled, and then slowly stretched, repeating this several times, as if he was weighing an important decision. After a moment, he seemed to have finally made up his mind. His eyes, which had been slightly narrowed, suddenly widened, revealing a firm look in his eyes. Then, he nodded vigorously, with a large amplitude, as if he was announcing his determination to the people around him. Then, he cleared his throat and said in a loud voice: "Okay, let's do as you say. This symposium must be well organized. We must take this opportunity to speak out all the concerns and ideas in everyone's hearts. Only by putting all the problems on the surface can we work together to find ways to solve them, and we can live more comfortably in the future, right?"

Soon, with Liu Haizhong's active preparation, a unique symposium kicked off in the spacious courtyard of the quadrangle. The morning sun shone warmly in the courtyard, adding a warm atmosphere to the whole scene. The staff were busy arranging the benches neatly. The wooden texture of the benches was clearly visible under the sunlight, as if telling the story of the years. After the benches were placed, residents came to the courtyard one after another. They talked in groups of two or three, or sat alone quietly thinking. After a while, everyone sat together, with different expressions on their faces. Some were expectant, with hope in their eyes, as if they were looking forward to solving the problems in their hearts at the symposium; some were worried, with their brows slightly furrowed, as if they were worried that the symposium would not achieve the expected results.

At this moment, Xu Damao stood up first. He was tall, with his hands on his hips, and his posture seemed quite flamboyant. There was a hint of obvious dissatisfaction on his face, and his brows were tightly knitted together, as if twisted into a knot. He took a deep breath, and then said loudly: "I have been too busy with my work recently. You don't know that I go out before dawn every day and go home after dark at night. I work overtime until very late every day, and I am so tired that my back and waist ache. I fall asleep as soon as I get home and have no energy to participate in these activities. And I think some activities are too complicated. Why do we have so many things? Can't we just do something simple? We have to make it fancy, wasting time and energy." His voice echoed in the courtyard, attracting the attention of people around him.

He Yuzhu got angry when he heard Xu Damao's words full of complaints and excuses. His face, which was originally a bit honest, turned red in an instant, and his eyes were as big as bells. He immediately retorted: "Xu Damao, you can't say that! We organize these activities not for anyone's personal gain, but for the overall honor of our Siheyuan! Think about it, if our Siheyuan shines in this event and gets praise and recognition from our superiors, wouldn't everyone of us be proud?

Although it is true that everyone is busy at work, as the saying goes, time is like water in a sponge. As long as you are willing to squeeze it, you can always find some time. If we play with our phones less and watch less TV series, we will have more time. And if the activities are more diverse, there will be many benefits. Just like a wonderful drama, if there are only monotonous singing, without those gorgeous costumes, wonderful martial arts scenes, and those exciting plot twists, who would be willing to watch it? The same is true for our activities. Only with diverse forms and rich content can we better show the characteristics of our Siheyuan and let people outside truly understand the unique charm and profound heritage of our Siheyuan."

After listening to the argument between He Yuzhu and Xu Damao, the third uncle sat on the bench and thought for a while, then slowly stood up. He was thin, with a slightly hunched back and a face full of wrinkles left by the years.

He stretched out his calloused hands and gently pushed his somewhat old reading glasses. His eyes behind the lenses sparkled with wisdom. He said slowly: "I think everyone has difficulties. Xu Damao said he was busy with work. This is the actual situation and we cannot help but understand. Moreover, some activities do conflict with our daily pace of life. Take the hand-made activity we organized before, for example. It requires everyone to spend a lot of time preparing materials and making them carefully. However, we are exhausted at work and have to cook and take care of our families when we get home. How can we have so much energy to do these things? So, can we simplify some of the activity processes?

We should remove those cumbersome and unnecessary links and focus on a few projects that best reflect the characteristics of our Siheyuan. For example, the traditional architectural style of our Siheyuan, and the old crafts that have been passed down for generations, such as paper cutting and embroidery, we should focus on doing these projects well and exquisitely, which can not only save everyone's time and energy, but also highlight the characteristics of our Siheyuan. Isn't it the best of both worlds? "

At this time, the deaf old lady who had been sitting in the corner also stood up tremblingly. She was hunched over, her hair was completely white, and her face was covered with dense wrinkles, like a piece of paper crumpled by time.

Her hands were shaking slightly due to her age, but her eyes were firm, as if there was an invisible force supporting her. She opened her mouth and wanted to speak, but could only make some unclear sounds.

Seeing this, the people nearby quickly came to her side, listened patiently to what she wanted to say, and then helped translate: "The deaf old lady said that our courtyard is like a big family. In this big family, everyone has to shoulder the difficulties together. Xu Damao said that he is busy with work, and everyone can understand. After all, life is stressful now, and it is not easy for anyone. But we can help each other. For those residents who don’t have time to participate in the activities, the rest of us can take the initiative to share their work. For example, help take care of the elderly and children at home, or help deal with some trivial matters in life. Moreover, the activities are for our own good. By participating in the activities, everyone can enhance the feelings between each other and make our big family warmer and more united. So, don’t worry about so many things, be more positive, and work together to make this event a success."

Liu Haizhong stood quietly in the center of the courtyard, which was a little noisy, and his eyes slowly swept over everyone present. Everyone was talking and arguing excitedly. Some of them blushed, waved their arms, and spoke excitedly; others frowned, gestured and explained their opinions, and looked so anxious that they seemed to be afraid that their ideas would not be heard by others. Looking at this lively but slightly chaotic scene, Liu Haizhong gradually came up with an idea.

He straightened his back slightly, took a deep breath, and then cleared his throat. The voice sounded particularly loud in the noisy environment: "Everyone, please be quiet for a moment and listen to me." When the people who were originally arguing fiercely heard this voice, they turned their heads and focused their eyes on Liu Haizhong. The courtyard gradually became quiet. Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Liu Haizhong continued, "We all understand that Xu Damao is busy at work. After all, the pace of life is fast and the work pressure is high now. It is not easy for everyone. But the honor of our Siheyuan is not a trivial matter. It is like a business card of our Siheyuan, representing the face of all of us, and we need to maintain it together. I think we can readjust the activity schedule and remove some cumbersome links. Just like what the third uncle said just now, highlight the key points and focus all our energy on those projects that can best show the characteristics of our Siheyuan. For example, the traditional folk performances of our Siheyuan and the display of old objects with historical significance are the essence of our Siheyuan. At the same time, for residents who are too busy with work to get away, we can form a mutual aid group to help them complete some tasks. We all live in the same courtyard, and a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. If we help each other, this difficulty will be solved."

At this time, Yi Zhonghai, who had been sitting aside and listening carefully, also stood up. He had an upright figure, a kind face, and his eyes revealed a calm and wise look. He continued with Liu Haizhong's words and said, "Yes, we are a whole, just like a ship sailing in the sea, and every member is an indispensable part of this ship. When we encounter problems, we have to solve them together. Only when everyone works together can the ship sail smoothly to the other side. The deaf old lady is right, we should understand and help each other. Everyone has their own difficulties. We can't just think about ourselves, but also think from the perspective of others. I believe that as long as we think in one direction and work together, there will be no difficulties that cannot be overcome. This event is a good opportunity for us to be more united and make our courtyard warmer and more cohesive."

Yi Zhonghai's words, like a warm spring breeze, blew into everyone's heart. Everyone nodded in agreement, and the originally somewhat solemn atmosphere became relaxed. After some intense discussions and consultations, everyone finally reached a consensus. Those residents who were busy with work showed gratitude on their faces. They said that they would try their best to take time to participate in the activities, even if it was just a short time during lunch break or after get off work, to contribute their own strength to the honor of the Siheyuan. Other residents were also enthusiastic and expressed their willingness to form mutual aid groups to help them complete various tasks. Some residents patted their chests and guaranteed: "You can go about your work without worry, and leave anything at home to us. We guarantee that we will arrange it properly for you." Other residents smiled and said: "Let's work together to make this event the most unforgettable memory of our Siheyuan."

At the same time, the activity arrangement has also been optimized. The staff sat together and carefully studied each activity link, removing those tedious, time-consuming and meaningless links one by one, and paying more attention to highlighting the characteristics and cultural heritage of the Siheyuan. They carefully planned the program of folk performances and invited the elderly who are good at traditional skills in the courtyard to provide guidance; they also set aside a room to display the old objects in the Siheyuan. Each old object carries a piece of history and tells a story. With the joint efforts of everyone, the entire activity arrangement has become more reasonable and more exciting, as if a colorful picture scroll is slowly unfolding.

In the following days, the courtyard, which had been a little dull due to the disagreements in the preparation of the event, returned to its former bustling and lively scene. It seemed that an invisible force had brought the hearts of every resident together, and everyone was more enthusiastic about the event. Everyone's face was filled with positive spirits, and the progress of the work was greatly accelerated, just like taking a high-speed train.

In terms of environmental construction, it was really a big action with the participation of all staff and concerted efforts. At dawn, some residents came out of their homes with brooms and buckets and began to clean up every corner of the courtyard. Everyone had a clear division of labor. Some were responsible for sweeping the fallen leaves and dust on the ground. The brooms were waved vigorously in their hands. After a while, the ground became clean and tidy; some focused on cleaning the small advertisements and stains on the walls. They took a small shovel and scraped carefully bit by bit, not leaving any corner. Even if their foreheads were covered with sweat, they didn't bother to wipe it; and some residents were busy moving sundries, clearing out the old furniture and broken boxes that had been piled in the corners for many years, making the space of the courtyard more spacious and bright.

After the cleaning work was completed, the next step was to paint the walls. The residents spontaneously formed a painting team. They wore old clothes, hats and masks, held roller brushes, dipped them in white paint, and began to "put on new clothes" for the walls of the courtyard. Everyone talked and laughed while painting, as if it was not a heavy job but a happy party. With everyone's joint efforts, the originally mottled and worn walls became white as new, emitting a soft glow under the sunlight.

Environmental construction is not limited to cleaning and painting. Everyone has also ingeniously built a small garden in the yard. Once this idea was proposed, it received a warm response from all residents. Everyone contributed their own flower seeds and green plants. Some brought beautiful rose seedlings, whose pink petals trembled gently in the breeze, as if showing everyone its beauty; some brought elegant and fresh chrysanthemums, whose slender petals were like fairy ribbons, exuding bursts of fragrance; and some brought emerald green spider plants, whose long branches and leaves drooped down like a green waterfall, adding vitality to the garden.

The residents worked together to turn the soil, sow seeds, and water the plants, and they were meticulous in every step. After several days of hard work, the garden was filled with various flowers and green plants, which were colorful and beautiful. In order to make the garden more beautiful, everyone also built a path paved with pebbles in the middle of the garden. These pebbles were of different sizes and shapes, and were carefully arranged and combined by the residents to form a winding path. Walking on it, you can feel the slight bumps under your feet, as if you are having an intimate dialogue with nature, adding a different kind of interest to the courtyard.

Cultural activities are also progressing in an orderly manner, and the preparations for the "Siheyuan Cultural Festival" have entered the final sprint stage. The children were excited to learn that their calligraphy and painting works had the opportunity to be displayed at the cultural festival. Accompanied by their parents, they carefully selected the works they were most satisfied with and then carefully sent them to the preparation team. The staff collected these calligraphy and painting works one by one and carefully framed them. They used golden frames to set off the children's works more beautifully, and then hung them in a prominent position in the yard. Whenever residents passed by, they could not help but stop to appreciate and admire the children's talents.

The performances have been rehearsed many times and have become more exciting. The residents who participated in the performances used their spare time to practice every move and every line over and over again. The aunties in the dance team wore bright clothes and danced in the yard. Their graceful dance seemed to bring people into a dream world. The uncles in the singing group sang loudly, and their loud voices echoed over the courtyard, attracting birds to stop and listen. There were also interesting skits. The actors' vivid expressions and humorous lines made everyone laugh, filling the courtyard with a joyful atmosphere.

The traditional handicraft exhibition area is also well-organized. Residents have brought out their own unique skills and made various exquisite handicrafts. There are lifelike paper-cuts, and the delicate knife skills make various patterns vivid; there are colorful embroidery, with delicate needlework and exquisite patterns, as if they are works of art; there are also exquisite wood carvings, where the craftsmen use their dexterous hands to turn pieces of wood into various vivid images, which makes people sigh at their superb skills. These handicrafts are dazzling and fill the entire exhibition area, attracting many residents to come and watch. While appreciating them, everyone exchanges their production experience, further inheriting and promoting the traditional culture of the courtyard.

As the event date approaches, the atmosphere in the courtyard becomes more and more tense and exciting. Residents are busy until late every day, but everyone's face is filled with pride and expectation. They know that this "community civilization construction competition" event is not only a test for the courtyard, but also a great opportunity to show the charm and style of the courtyard.