He Daqing, do you know how I've lived these past years?

"Director Wang, these are the three gentlemen selected from our courtyard at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang."

Deputy Director Wang looked at the three names on the slip of paper in surprise. She hadn't even announced the system yet, and some faculty members had already selected the candidates.

Seeing the puzzled look on Director Wang's face, Yi Zhonghai quickly said:

"This was elected by a highly respected elderly lady in our compound,"

Deputy Director Wang immediately recognized the name; it must be that wealthy old woman.

So he nodded and said:

"Alright then, the three old men in your courtyard will follow the instructions on this paper. And you should also ask those three old men to take good care of the old lady."

Yi Zhonghai knew his own family's situation well; how could a remnant of the previous dynasty attract the attention of the chief steward?

He quickly said:

"Director, I am Uncle Yi Zhonghai. My wife takes care of that rich old lady. I treat her like her son. Everyone in the compound knows that."

Upon hearing this, Deputy Director Wang happily replied:

"Okay, okay"

"Then you two will have to work a little harder. Here's what we'll do: every year at the end of the year, our neighborhood selects model courtyards and distributes some food. If your courtyard is selected, I can decide to give the three old men in your courtyard more food and also give you some extra subsidies."

Yi Zhonghai also asked:

What defines a "civilized courtyard"?

"Hmm... there aren't that many trivial matters for the neighborhood committee to handle. It's about respecting the elderly and caring for the young, maintaining hygiene and civility, and not promoting superstition, etc."

Deputy Director Wang said without looking up.

"By the way, we need to rebuild and expand toilets at or near the intersections of every alley, that is, separate toilets for men and women. You need to spread the word in the courtyard so that they won't urinate or defecate anywhere."

Yi Zhonghai nodded repeatedly, and seeing that Deputy Director Wang did not speak, he took his leave.

Back in the courtyard, Yan Bugui called Liu Haizhong and instructed the two of them to notify everyone in the courtyard to gather at the central courtyard for a general meeting.

When Xu Wude heard his son say that three elders had been elected in the courtyard, he roared angrily:

"Yi Zhonghai, you've gone too far! Am I, a mere cadre, not allowed to act like a big shot?"

As darkness fell, the courtyard at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang hosted its first general meeting, managed by the three elderly men in charge.

As Yi Zhonghai continued to recount his story, especially the food subsidies for being recognized as a model community, such as peanuts and melon seeds, everyone applauded with delight.

Yi Zhonghai happily spread his hands and pressed them down, and the cheers from the crowd stopped. Liu Haizhong, watching from the side, felt both envious and indignant.

"Ah...humph"

Liu Haizhong, who had just made a throat-clearing sound, was interrupted before he could even begin to speak.

Yi Zhonghai specifically named names and said:

"Look everyone, this concerns the welfare of our entire hospital, and Xu Wude from the backyard is giving you the cold shoulder. Are you unhappy?"

As a cadre, if you don't lead the applause, you clearly look down on us workers. We are the great proletariat!

Comrades, I propose that Xu Wude participate in the construction of the alley toilets. If you disagree, we'll report him to the factory for looking down on us working class.

The crowd also raised their right hands and shouted:

"Building toilets"

"Building toilets"

Xu Wude looked at Yi Zhonghai, who was smiling at him, with a gloomy expression, and said in a hoarse voice:

"As a cadre, my job is to serve the people. I'll go as soon as the toilet construction starts."

Yi Zhonghai's initial show of force left him with a bitter pill to swallow.

A calculated scheme that forces you to do something is a little scary.

"And then there's Liu Haizhong. This time, he singled out Second Uncle to manage the backyard, but Xu Wude, a comrade with somewhat questionable ideas, has appeared. We need to punish him; from now on, he'll be in charge of cleaning the yard for a week."

"And you, Uncle Yan Bugui, you're a primary school teacher, so take some paper and pen and write down everything that was said at today's meeting. Then hand it to me and I'll check if there are any mistakes."

"Alright, everyone, please disperse. Remember what I said: heed the call to action, respect the elderly and care for the young. There's an old lady in our backyard. Feel free to give her anything good to eat or anything of value. Remember to be a civilized person and don't urinate or defecate indiscriminately."

"Meeting adjourned"

After Yi Zhonghai unleashed a series of punches, Liu Haizhong was caught off guard, while Yan Bugui stared at Yi Zhonghai with his mouth agape, speechless.

By the time Liu Haizhong realized he was suddenly required to clean the yard for a week for no apparent reason, everyone in the yard scattered like birds returning to their nests.

Only two old men and Xu Wude remained in the large open space.

Back home, Yi Zhonghai smiled and said:

"Hmph, you lot think you can fight me? You're still too green."

But when he saw his wife feeding He Yushui steamed buns, he got so angry that he rushed over and smacked her nose.

He Yushui was lifted up by one hand and thrown out the door. Then, the sound of Cuilan begging for mercy could be heard from inside the room.

Hüwood quickly stepped forward, picked up the crying Yushui, and carried her home.

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui shook their heads at each other and then went home.

Emei Restaurant

"Master, I need to find that beast He Daqing. He just abandoned me and Yushui like that and ran off to Baocheng with a widow."

"Zhu Zi, you've been learning from me for so long. I even asked the shopkeeper for a chance for you to work in the kitchen. If you succeed, your wages will go up, and you can even take a dish home. Think about it, you still have a younger sister."

"Master, I just want to go and ask him why, why?"

"Hey, Zhu Zi, I'm your father's senior apprentice. I know what kind of person your father is. I'll take some men to Baocheng to find him. During this time, you'd better study cooking properly. If anything happens, just tell me directly."

Sha Zhu suppressed his anger and started chopping potatoes.

The senior apprentice from the Qing Dynasty also shook his head and began to instruct the cutting technique from the side.

The next day, increasingly angry, He Yuzhu went to the street to buy some steamed buns. Instead of going to work at the restaurant, he went straight home to collect rainwater, preparing to go to Baocheng to find He Daqing. These past few days, people in the restaurant kitchen and the courtyard had been laughing at him, calling him a wild child because his father had run off with a widow. They were so angry that they'd been fighting several times a day, even wielding wooden sticks every couple of days, leaving him covered in bruises.

"Zhu Zi, what are you doing?"

Yi Zhonghai, who had just returned from outside, saw He Yuzhu carrying a small bundle and pulling a bucket of rainwater, and knew that he was going to find He Daqing. So he pretended to ask,

When He Yuzhu returned and heard about the selection of an elder in the courtyard, he stopped and said:

"Grandpa, I need to go to Baocheng."

Yi Zhonghai smiled and nodded, saying:

"We're supposed to be going to the restaurant today, right? Since you're an apprentice, you'd better tell them you're not going. Otherwise, your master will worry about you and look for you everywhere."

He Yuzhu thought about it and agreed, so he pulled Yushui towards the restaurant.

As Yi Zhonghai walked back along the shore, he worried that something might happen. He asked his wife to ask for two days' leave from the factory, and then hurriedly took a car towards the train station.

He Yuzhu walked to the restaurant, ignoring his master's advice and insisting on going to Baocheng.

Helpless, the master went to the shopkeeper to cancel He Yuzhu's assessment for cooking the next day.

Watching the retreating figures of the two, one large and one small, he murmured to himself:

"Zhu Zi, an apprentice is like half a son. You have the makings of a chef. I was planning to have you marry your senior sister in a few years so I could pass on all my skills to you. I just don't know if you'll be ready this time."

"That damned He Daqing, just like his father, likes widows."

……