Siheyuan's Silly Pillar has been replaced by someone else

With the conference over, the Lunar New Year is just around the corner.

Chinese New Year also means it's time to visit relatives.

As the deputy director of the steel rolling mill's song committee, Xu Damao naturally received many gifts from people.

People come to give gifts every day in an endless stream.

Yan Bugui was like a lapdog, guarding the door every day, watching people come and go.

Many of the people who gave gifts were from the song committee; even if they had the guts, he wouldn't dare to block the door.

He didn't get anything, and the ground in front of the door was almost flooded with his saliva.

He Yuzhu also received gifts from his two apprentices.

He Yuzhu only accepted gifts from his two apprentices after they kowtowed to him to formally become his disciples. He never asked the other staff members in the canteen to give him gifts, even though they had learned cooking from him.

He Yuzhu brought a lot of things for his two apprentices and saw them off.

As soon as he entered, Yan Bugui approached him.

"Zhu Zi, you're really generous. The things your apprentice gave you are far inferior to what you gave him."

"What do you think this is for?"

He Yuzhu said, "It's only fair. As the master, my family is well-off, so what's wrong with me taking care of my apprentice?"

Yan Bugui didn't understand; in his world, everything required calculating gains and losses.

In his opinion, it was only right for his apprentices to give him money, no matter how much. It was also right for him not to give his apprentices a single penny in return.

"You can't say that."

He Yuzhu countered, "You can't say that. How should I put it? They genuinely wanted to learn cooking from me, and I taught them cooking with great seriousness."

I can't expect them to ask me for payment for a dish just because they want to learn how to cook it.

"In that case, what kind of bond would remain between master and disciple?"

He had hoped these words would persuade Yan Bugui, but he was disappointed.

Yan Bugui argued vehemently, "That's not right of you."

Be a teacher for one day, and be a father for life.

As your disciples, it is their duty to be respectful to you.

As their teacher, it's only right that you receive their respect.

There's a saying that goes, "Teach your apprentice, and you'll starve."

If you teach them your skills, they will learn them and then take your opportunities away.

It's normal for you to accept their things.

He Yuzhu nodded: "So, your child has to pay for food and water."

Yan Bugui said very seriously, "Yes. They are my children, and it is only natural for them to be filial to their parents."

I worked hard to raise them to adulthood, and that cost money.

If I spent the money I spend on them on myself, my life would be much better than it is now.

"Tell me, should I take their money?"

He Yuzhu conceded defeat: "I just want to ask, why do you have children? If you didn't have children, you wouldn't have to spend this money."

Yan Bugui said with dissatisfaction, "If I don't have children, won't I become childless?"

There are three kinds of unfilial piety, and no one is the greatest.

"To carry on the family line is a very important matter."

He Yuzhu exclaimed, "Then why did you have so many children?"

"If you have fewer children, you'll save money, right?"

Yan Bugui glanced at the three aunts but did not answer He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu already understood what he meant. His wife was someone he had bought with money.

It's like buying something; if he doesn't use it, he loses money.

In order not to suffer a loss, he had more children.

He Yuzhu didn't dare to continue the conversation with him, worried that he would be persuaded by Yan Bugui's theory.

"The things have already been given away, and I can't ask for them back. Let's just leave it at that. I'm going home now."

Yan Bugui said, "Don't go, I still have a lot of experience in living."

If you want to learn, I can teach you.

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "Forget it. I'll learn it and steal your business."

Alright, I'm off.

Yan Bugui opened his mouth, but finally sighed: "Shazhu is really not stupid anymore. He has learned to apply what he has learned to other situations so quickly."

Yi Zhonghai walked in from outside and saw Yan Bugui staring at the central courtyard. He asked curiously, "What are you looking at?" Yan Bugui replied, "Nothing. Isn't this Sha Zhu's apprentice coming to see him? He brought some things worth a few yuan, and Sha Zhu gave them five jin of meat alone."

I told him he didn't know how to manage a household, but he wouldn't listen to me.

Yi Zhonghai's face immediately turned ugly.

What he hated most about He Yuzhu wasn't that He Yuzhu hit him, but that He Yuzhu would rather give the best things in the house to outsiders than to Qin Huairu.

In his view, this behavior was tantamount to betraying one's own people.

What angered him even more was that He Yuzhu's behavior seriously affected the elderly people in the nursing home.

This includes not only his retirement, but also He Yuzhu's own retirement.

He Yuzhu himself was not filial, so his children were bound to be unfilial as well.

In the future, He Yuzhu will also have to rely on Qin Huairu for his retirement.

Unfortunately, He Yuzhu refused to help the Jia family, thus ruining his retirement plans.

He Yuzhu's behavior was deemed to be harmful to others and not beneficial to himself.

"He's just a clueless bastard. Why are you telling him all that?"

Yan Bugui understood what was going on as soon as he saw Yi Zhonghai's expression.

He knew in his heart that everything Yi Zhonghai did was for his retirement. But in his view, retirement required willingness, not coercion.

He Yuzhu was clearly unwilling, but Yi Zhonghai insisted on forcing him.

This is wrong.

Everything should be based on reason.

Yi Zhonghai's actions also brought him bad luck.

Yan Bugui actually hated Yi Zhonghai very much. However, every time he saw Yi Zhonghai, he couldn't bring himself to hate him.

Yi Zhonghai is in a terrible situation now.

He was so miserable that he was embarrassed to hate Yi Zhonghai.

A voice inside him also told him not to hate Yi Zhonghai.

Yan Bugui sighed: "Old Yi, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart."

"Sha Zhu has become a force to be reckoned with; we are no match for him."

Yi Zhonghai retorted defiantly, "Old Yan, don't let him scare you out of your wits."

Let me tell you, since ancient times, those who are unfilial have never had a good ending.

Just you wait and see. He's about to be in trouble.

Yan Bugui couldn't tell.

He Yuzhu's life was always so good. Those who followed He Yuzhu also had their lives getting better and better.

Xu Damao, in particular, is living a very comfortable life now. Who knows, in a few years, he might be the one calling the shots at the steel rolling mill.

He couldn't be bothered to argue with Yi Zhonghai about these things.

"Old Yi, the New Year is almost here, and you haven't prepared any New Year's goods. How are you going to celebrate?"

Yi Zhonghai instantly became somewhat dejected.

In the past, he didn't have to worry about anything during the Lunar New Year; everything was taken care of by his aunt.

But now?

I heard the sound of a door opening, and an older woman came out of the house, carrying things she would need for the New Year.

Yi Zhonghai turned to look at her, but the middle-aged woman didn't even look at him.

Although the two lived in the same courtyard, they hadn't spoken to each other for a long time.

Yi Zhonghai did not answer Yan Bugui, but walked blankly toward the Intermediate Court.

Yan Bugui glanced at the middle-aged woman tidying up her things at the door, then shook his head helplessly and turned to go home.

The third aunt's job was relatively easy. The Yan family didn't need to prepare much for the New Year; at most, each person would make a few dumplings.

What are you doing at the door?

Yan Bugui said, "I chatted with Lao Yi for a few minutes."

The third aunt said, "What are you going to talk to him about? Don't mention spending the New Year together. Spending the New Year with the Jia family is always a chaotic mess."

I'm asking you, should we invite Jie Cheng and Jie Fang to celebrate the New Year with us?

Yan Bugui's eyes darted around: "Inviting them isn't out of the question. But they'll have to send money home."

"You can't eat at home if you don't pay."

The three women didn't seem to think anything was wrong; they simply asked, "How much do you think they should pay?" (End of Chapter)