Xu Damao's Thirty-Six Stratagems in Siheyuan

Chapter 144: End of the New Year

Xu Damao smoked a cigarette and listened to Liu Haizhong's pressing step by step, feeling quite emotional. Liu Haizhong's work as the head of the inspection team for the past two years was not in vain, he knew how to take advantage of the situation and how to use public resources for personal gain.

Power can still train people. Liu Haizhong's remarks broke Yi Zhonghai's defense. If the matter is reported to the street, Jia Zhang will definitely have to go back to the countryside, and it is estimated that the sixteen-year-old Jia Geng will have no choice but to go to the countryside. Although there is no loss for him, it is as uncomfortable as eating shit to be suppressed by Liu Haizhong.

"Old Liu, isn't it too serious to report this to the street office? Bang Geng is tall, but he is not yet sixteen years old. Besides, don't you have to be an adult to apply to be an educated youth? Sister Jia hasn't been back to the countryside for more than ten or twenty years. If you ask the street office to send Sister Jia back to the countryside now, how will she live?"

"Old Yi, what do you think we should do? Why don't you adopt Bang Geng as your godson and take care of you in your old age? You don't have a son to take care of you anyway. This will solve your personal problem and also solve the living problems of the Jia family's grandparents and grandchildren. Isn't this the best of both worlds?"

"This... I can't afford their living expenses by myself." Yi Zhonghai suddenly felt like he was in a dilemma.

In fact, Yi Zhonghai did have the idea of ​​letting Banggeng take care of him in his old age, but he was not sure if he would just pay for it. Jia Dongxu's investment already made him feel like a waste of effort. Besides, Banggeng's character was not as good as Jia Dongxu's. How could he let Liu Haizhong get what he wanted and kidnap him to pay Jia and Zhang to do something that was not pleasing to him?

"Old Liu, I think we should all work together to help the Jia family through this difficult time. As for whether Jia Geng wants to sign up to go to the countryside as an educated youth, we can wait until he is eighteen years old."

"Old Yi, I don't think it's right for you to ask everyone to help the Jia family with money and effort. First of all, Jia Zhang is not too old and can support herself. Besides, whether they are poor or not is clear to everyone. Just look at their bodies and you will know that they eat well and sleep well. Besides, the old saying goes: help in emergencies but not in poverty. Even if they are poor, can't we let everyone spoil them and let them be lazy and gluttonous? Life will be hard for everyone. Look, the third uncle's child Jie Kuang has gone to the countryside, and the Central Court has also signed up to go to the countryside to support Korea. Why can't Bang Geng go to the countryside to support himself? Don't you think so?"

"Yes!" Everyone in the compound agreed unanimously and answered loudly.

"Old Yi, I think the corrupt bourgeois style of Jia Zhang and Bang Geng, who have nothing to lose, should be cleared up. If you think we should not report to the street office, you can reserve your opinion. I think I, as the second uncle of the compound, still have the responsibility to report the actual situation of our compound to the street office. We will wait for the higher-ups to decide how to deal with it. Old Yi, is there anything else? If not, why don't we adjourn the meeting? Everyone is very busy. What do you think?"

When Jia Zhang heard that Liu Haizhong was going to report the matter to the neighborhood office, she refused to do so. She just lay on the ground and howled, "You damn Liu Haizhong, you want us orphans and widows to die. Liu Haizhong, you will not live well. I will let Old Jia come down and take you away."

Liu Haizhong was so angry that he yelled, "Shut up, you old hag, you lazy bastard. I might as well add one more thing to my report: Jia Zhang is practicing feudal superstition and slandering the dictatorship of the proletariat. We must resolutely crack down on them. Lao Yi, you can do whatever you want. The meeting is adjourned."

Liu Haizhong is quite strong. He is no longer the coward who had to look at Yi Zhonghai's face a few years ago. The inspection team leader has trained his strong side.

Yi Zhonghai felt a little embarrassed, and suddenly saw Xu Damao, "Damo, as a cadre, you have higher awareness and knowledge than us. What do you think about this matter..."

"Uncle, I think what Uncle No. 2 said makes sense. Don't say that it's illegal for us to organize everyone to help the Jia family privately, and the Jia family should be rich. More than 1,200 yuan, it was all spent in six years, and I also want to know how they spent it. Since they are so confident to spend money lavishly, do you think that if everyone helps a dime or two, it will be acceptable to them? As for asking everyone to help ten or eight yuan, I first declare that I, Xu Damao, really don't have that much spare money to help. Reporting to the Street Office, I think this decision is correct. Uncle, you should think about it yourself. The meeting is adjourned, right? Then it's time to go back to the backyard to take care of my wife."

Everyone scattered like birds and beasts, leaving only Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai in the open space in the central courtyard.

"Old Yi, please lend a hand and help us. I will let Banggeng take care of you until the end of your life. Is that all right?"

Yi Zhonghai swallowed his saliva, wanting to say something but still refused Jia Zhangshi, "Sister-in-law Jia, let's talk about it later. You guys just wish you good luck." Yi Zhonghai turned around and went into his room and closed the door.

Xu Damao led Gu Meifang away from Yard 95 at four o'clock in the afternoon. It was only when they went to the cafeteria for lunch on the third day that they heard He Yuzhu talk about the subsequent developments.

Liu Haizhong did report the situation of Jia Zhang and Bang Geng in detail to the subdistrict office. With the testimony of Lin, a resident of the Intermediate Court and also a staff member of the subdistrict office, the subdistrict office made a decision: Jia Zhang should be allowed to return home within a certain period of time. As for Jia Geng, he was indeed under the age limit and could not be forced to go to the countryside.

They also criticized Yi Zhonghai and revoked his title of "the first uncle". Liu Haizhong of No. 95 Courtyard became the first uncle and no other uncles would be appointed.

For this purpose, Liu Haizhong even set off two strings of firecrackers in the courtyard.

Xu Damao also sighed after hearing this: Liu Haizhong was really blatant in slapping Yi Zhonghai in the face.

Xu Damao didn't bother to care about these things, but he still reminded He Yuzhu from the side, "Brother Zhuzi, do you think your father really has the heart to ignore you and Yushui all these years?! I think it seems unlikely, after all, blood is thicker than water. Why don't you go to the post office to check, has your father ever written you a letter or sent you living expenses in these years? Why did I hear that an old man received a letter every month and also withdrew money from the post office. Don't you think it's strange?!"

Xu Damao didn't know whether He Yuzhu had listened to him or not, so he stopped there. Think about it, starting from 1952, even if it ended in 1962, ten years, ten yuan a month for living expenses, there would be a huge sum of twelve thousand yuan. Yi Zhonghai wanted to embezzle it, he really didn't think of himself as a human being. He had such a high salary, but he secretly withheld the money of other people's living. He was really a bad guy. He had to tell him.

As New Year's Eve approaches, the Propaganda Department's work for the year has basically come to an end. After the troupe's last performance on the 27th day of the lunar year, it was announced that the work for the year was successfully completed.

As the factory director and chairman of the G Committee of the Red Star Factory, Li Huaide invited loyal officials and cadres to a meal in the small cafeteria on the 29th day of the lunar year. After drinking and bragging, he also announced that the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill would officially be closed this year to celebrate the New Year.

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