Siheyuan: Buyers get rich from hunting

Yan Bugui had a gloomy face, as if he was tightly covered by thick dark clouds. Even the dust in the air seemed to feel his inner depression. Slowly, he stepped into the house. Every step was like carrying a huge rock, so heavy that he could hardly breathe. The invisible weight not only pressed on his shoulders, but also fell heavily on his heart.

As soon as he stepped through the threshold, the long-suppressed anger and dissatisfaction burst out like a flood that could no longer be contained. He angrily threw the briefcase in his hand onto the table with force. A muffled "bang" sound echoed in the quiet room, as if even the air was shaken. The briefcase contained not only documents, but also his anger and helplessness. With this loud bang, they seemed to have found an outlet for venting, pouring out all at once and filling the entire room.

In the kitchen, the third aunt was busy preparing dinner. The clashing of pots and pans and the chirping of insects outside the window intertwined into a daily symphony. However, this sudden sound interrupted the tranquility. She quickly put down her work and poked her head out to look into the living room.

Yan Bugui's face was filled with anger, and his eyes, which usually sparkled with wisdom, were now filled with gloom, as if even his gaze had become heavy. Auntie's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition came over her. She hurriedly asked with concern, "Hey, what's the matter, Boss? Look at your frown, it's longer than the endless mountains of Changbai Mountain. Who made you so angry? Can you still live like this?"

Yan Bugui did not answer immediately, but sighed deeply. The sigh was long and heavy, as if he wanted to spit out all the depression and dissatisfaction in his heart with this sigh. Then, he slowly slumped in the chair, as if all his strength was drained out. He rubbed his temples unconsciously with his hands, and his face was full of fatigue and helplessness.

"Humph! Who else could it be? It's just those two guys Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai!" Yan Bugui finally spoke, with anger and disdain in his tone that was difficult to conceal. "Look, they are both famous people in the steel mill. Everyone respects them on weekdays. They have to call them 'Uncle Liu' and 'Uncle Yi' when they meet. But who would have thought that they would make such a low-level mistake and blatantly violate the rules and regulations of the steel mill! Now they are punished to clean the toilets! Isn't this a disgrace to our working class? Let me tell you, they are a typical case of 'if you don't commit suicide, you will die'!"

At this point, Yan Bugui seemed to be even more excited. He slammed the table so hard that the teacups on the table jumped. "Think about me, Yan Bugui. Although I am just an elementary school teacher, I don't have much interaction with those rough guys. But no matter what, I am also a well-educated person who sticks to principles and rules! I really despise their lawless and willful behavior from the bottom of my heart! This behavior is simply an insult to those of us who abide by the rules!"

When the third aunt heard this, her brows, which were already slightly furrowed due to worry, were now furrowed even more tightly, as if they could pinch a fly to death. Her eyes showed both sympathy for Yan Bugui and dissatisfaction with Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai. However, in the next second, a strange light suddenly flashed through the depths of her eyes. The light was like a meteor that suddenly streaked across the night sky. Although it was fleeting, it was extremely dazzling, as if it indicated that some unknown turning point was about to come.

After Yan Bugui finished complaining, the corners of the third aunt's tightly closed mouth unconsciously rose, outlining a very subtle smile. The smile was neither a smile nor a smile, making it difficult to understand the deep meaning.

At the same time, her eyes were like lit candles, flashing a brighter light than ever before.

She raised her hand gently, patted Yan Bugui's shoulder a few times, then leaned her head closer to him and lowered her voice deliberately. The voice was low and slightly mysterious, as if she was afraid that others would hear it.

She said slowly in a tone that was both tentative and hopeful: "Old Yan, look at Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai now. They are no longer in their prime! A dignified uncle has fallen to the point of cleaning toilets. And the once arrogant second uncle has lost all his face! In this case, why don't we take this opportunity to think of a way to completely move their positions so that you can sit on the throne of the dignified uncle?"

After hearing these words, Yan Bugui was stunned for a moment, as if time had stopped at that moment. A hint of surprise that was difficult to conceal suddenly flashed across his originally calm eyes. To be honest, he never thought that his casual complaint and rant just now could be so keenly captured by the third aunt, and derived such a bold and unexpected idea from it.

Yan Bugui cleared his throat slightly, then coughed deliberately, trying to make himself look calmer. Then, he slowly said, "Well... this is indeed a bold idea! But we can't act rashly. We have to think carefully and plan for everything. You know, there are old neighbors living in our yard, and they all have sharp eyes, watching our every move all the time. So, we really have to think about this matter carefully, and we must not act rashly."

As for the third aunt, when she saw that Yan Bugui did not reject her idea outright, she immediately felt emboldened. So, she struck while the iron was hot and further encouraged Yan Bugui: "Hey, Old Yan, what are you afraid of? You are usually quite fair and just in your conduct and in your dealings with others. Moreover, you are a cultured person who teaches and educates people. In terms of knowledge and morality, which one is not much better than them? As long as you nod and agree, I will take care of all the other things. I will help you get information everywhere and find out what other people in the courtyard think. Maybe everyone is actually looking forward to you being the master of the house!"

After hearing what his wife said, Yan Bugui was struck by lightning. He stood there motionless, as if time had stopped. However, after just a few seconds, a cunning and calculating smile quickly appeared on his face. He stretched out his right hand and gently stroked the beard on his chin, which actually did not exist at all. Then he narrowed his eyes slightly and began to fall into deep thought.

After thinking for a while, Yan Bugui slowly said, "Hehe, my wife, I have to say that your brain is really quick! If you say so, I think it is time for our family to take charge of the affairs of this courtyard. Think about it, weren't Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong demoted for making mistakes? This is a great opportunity for us! As long as we can take advantage of this opportunity to succeed, then all the benefits of this courtyard in the future will naturally fall into our pockets, right?"

The third aunt listened to Yan Bugui's analysis and felt very happy. Her eyes, which were not big to begin with, were now smiling like crescent moons. She clapped her hands excitedly and echoed: "Yes, yes, yes, old man, you are still very insightful! The fourth child in our family (Yan Bugui is the fourth child in the family) has read a lot of books and has much more knowledge than other people in this courtyard! He is also very good at dealing with people. If he is allowed to be the head of this courtyard, he will definitely be able to handle it with ease! By that time, our family can finally be proud of ourselves and let those people who always look down on us open their eyes and take a good look at us!"

Yan Bugui frowned, stood up slowly, put his hands behind his back, and began to pace back and forth in the slightly narrow room. As he walked, he secretly thought about the plan to be implemented next.

"This matter must be done cleverly, and we must not act directly and brute forcefully. We must find a suitable reason or excuse, so that everyone in the yard will think that what we are doing is completely in line with the will of the people and what is expected of them! Well... I got it! I might as well start with those old neighbors and old neighbors who I have a good relationship with on weekdays. Spend more time listening to their true thoughts and opinions, and then choose the right time to reveal a little bit of news. Just tell them that our family sincerely wants to seek benefits for everyone, and finally observe how everyone will react to this." Thinking of this, Yan Bugui's originally tense face relaxed a little.

Seeing this, the third aunt standing by hurriedly nodded and replied: "Yes, yes, yes, boss, your idea is really good! I will go out right away to help you find out who can be successfully attracted to become our helpers. However, having said that, although Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong are not as good as before and have completely lost their power in the courtyard. But we still can't be careless and take it lightly. After all, things in the world are unpredictable. What if one day they turn over and make a comeback? At that time, all our previous efforts will probably be in vain!" As she said, she rubbed her hands unconsciously, and her face showed an eager and determined expression.

Yan Bugui raised the corner of his mouth slightly, revealing a chilling sneer, and snorted: "Humph, just relax, I know everything in my mind! These two people have become rats crossing the street now, and are simply the targets of everyone's shouting and beating. Do you want to turn things around? No way! We must seize this rare opportunity, plan and operate carefully, and make sure to get on the chair that everyone is paying attention to as soon as possible!"

After hearing this, the third aunt standing by was a little anxious, but she also knew that this matter was of great importance and could not be taken lightly. So she nodded vigorously to show her agreement and responded seriously: "Okay, Old Yan, you decide everything anyway. We will do whatever you say. I will follow your arrangements."

Yan Bugui was silent and thought for a while, then a subtle cunning light suddenly flashed in his eyes, and then he began to analyze confidently: "First of all, we must try our best to portray the difficult situation that Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong are in now as more miserable, and make everyone in the courtyard think that they are yesterday's flowers and no longer glorious. Then, I will give full play to my prestige and extensive network resources accumulated in this courtyard over the years, and slowly accumulate more support step by step. Of course, we must not sit idly by and ignore those possible oppositions and opinions, but rack our brains to come up with countermeasures to resolve them one by one."

The third aunt nodded continuously, secretly praising Yan Bugui's brilliant plan in her heart. Her face was full of admiration, and she said sincerely: "Old Yan, you are really worthy of you! You can come up with such a brilliant idea. It seems that we will succeed this time. I will do as you said and spread the news so that everyone in the courtyard will know that Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong are now in a difficult situation and are in a difficult situation!" After that, she turned around and left excitedly, ready to implement this plan.

Yan Bugui looked at his wife's back as she walked away, his mouth slightly raised, revealing a smug smile. He whispered to himself: "Hey, everything is under control." Then, he reminded: "Old lady, you must be careful when doing things, and don't show your hand! Act as if nothing happened, as if it was just a casual chat. In addition, we must not forget to prepare a generous gift for those who may help us to show our sincerity. After all, people are kind-hearted, and as long as we are polite and considerate, they will definitely be willing to lend us a hand."

After the couple reached an agreement, they immediately took action separately. Yan Bugui made full use of his advantage as an elementary school teacher, strolling slowly in the yard, and greeted people enthusiastically and chatted with them when he saw them. He seemed to be chatting and laughing with his neighbors casually, but in fact he was always paying attention to their reactions, trying to subtly test everyone's views on the matter. At the same time, he also cleverly interspersed some words that were beneficial to him, trying to influence everyone's ideas. On the other hand, the three aunts were busy purchasing gifts and carefully selecting wrapping paper to wrap them beautifully so that they could be better given away. For a while, the whole yard was filled with a tense and mysterious atmosphere...