Siheyuan: Buyers get rich from hunting

Chapter 763 The Rise of Yi Zhonghai 11

The days passed slowly and unhurriedly in the tacit cooperation between Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai, which required no words and came naturally. Just like a gurgling stream in the mountains, which, although lacking the majestic momentum of raging waves, possessed a unique charm that was steady and full of vitality, and flowed forward singing happily all the way.

In this seemingly dull but extremely fulfilling time, the Siheyuan is like a carefully carved gem. With their joint efforts, it has undergone earth-shaking changes. The once shabby and messy corners have now become neat and orderly; the once alienated and indifferent neighborhood relations are now full of warmth and harmony. The mottled walls have been freshly painted, as if covered with a layer of white coat; the overgrown courtyard is now full of colorful flowers, and the breeze blows through, bringing bursts of fragrance. The entire Siheyuan seems to have become a magical and happy little world, and every inch of land exudes the warmth of home.

However, this peaceful and beautiful life did not last long. One day, the steel mill suddenly received an exciting piece of news, like a spring breeze that instantly blew into every corner of the courtyard. The factory's radio loudly announced: "In order to further improve the overall appearance of the community around the factory and create a harmonious community with exemplary significance, the factory has decided to work with the street office to launch a 'community civilization construction competition' in several communities including our courtyard!"

This news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves in the courtyard. After the news spread, everyone put down their work and quickly sat together like a group of iron filings attracted by a magnet, enthusiastically discussing this new challenge.

"Hey, this is a great thing!" A young man was so excited that his face flushed. He waved his arms and said loudly, "We in the courtyard have always been united. This is a great opportunity to show our style. Maybe we can even get first place!" As he said this, he rubbed his hands together, looking eager to try.

"You can't say that." An elderly man frowned and said worriedly, "Although our courtyard has changed a lot now, there may still be a gap compared with other communities. It will be so embarrassing if we can't compare with them by then." His brows were tightly locked together, as if he was bound by an invisible shackle.

"Hey, uncle, please don't encourage others and destroy your own prestige." A middle-aged woman next to him said with a smile, "We have Uncle Liu Haizhong and Uncle Yi Zhonghai leading our courtyard. If we all work together, are we still afraid that we can't beat others?"

At this time, Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai looked at each other and saw determination in each other's eyes. Liu Haizhong cleared his throat and said loudly: "Don't worry, everyone, this is indeed a challenge, but it is also a good opportunity for our Siheyuan to move to a higher level. Let's work together to show the best side of our Siheyuan!"

Yi Zhonghai also went on to say: "That's right, our Siheyuan has always been very united. As long as everyone thinks in the same direction and works together, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. This is another time to fight for Siheyuan, we can't back down!"

Liu Haizhong sat in the slightly old but tidy meeting room of the courtyard and nodded slightly. The movement was not large, but it revealed a kind of calmness and thoughtfulness.

His fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the wooden table in front of him, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound that was particularly clear in this quiet space.

His eyes were focused and deep, as if he was quickly sorting out various thoughts in his mind.

After thinking for a moment, he slowly raised his head and looked at Yi Zhonghai opposite him. His tone was calm but with unquestionable firmness, and he said: "Master Yi, I think we still have to start with the characteristics of our courtyard. Our courtyard is a place with unique charm, carrying the memories and emotions of many generations. We have made great efforts in environmental improvement before. I still remember that time when we organized everyone to clean up the debris in the yard, cleared out several trucks of garbage from every corner, and made the originally messy yard clean and tidy. Even the neighbors passing by couldn't help but praise it.

In terms of cultural activities, we held several traditional festival celebrations before, such as the dragon and lion dances during the Spring Festival and the moon-watching party during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Everyone participated enthusiastically, and the lively scenes are still vivid in our minds. We have accumulated so much valuable experience, and this time we can further carry forward these advantages and make our courtyard stand out in this event."

Yi Zhonghai listened, his eyes flashing with approval, he nodded vigorously and said: "Lao Liu, your idea is absolutely right, let's do it this way!" The two hit it off immediately, and the tacit understanding seemed to be formed by years of partnership, and they could understand each other without too many words. They immediately stood up and started to act, and their vigorous posture seemed to have seen the dawn of victory.

They first ran around the courtyard to notify the residents to attend the mobilization meeting. Soon, the residents came to the meeting room one after another. The meeting room gradually became lively, and everyone sat together, whispering about the theme of the meeting.

At the meeting, Liu Haizhong stood in the middle of the crowd, his posture was straight and his expression was excited. He cleared his throat and said in a loud voice: "Fellow villagers, I have called you all together today because I have something very important to tell you. This "Community Civilization Construction Competition" is a big event for our Siheyuan. This is not an ordinary small event. It is related to the image and reputation of our Siheyuan in the entire community. This is also a good opportunity for us to show ourselves and improve ourselves.

Our Siheyuan is like a big family, and everyone has the responsibility and obligation to contribute to this family. Think about it, if we can get good results in this competition, the reputation of our Siheyuan will spread, and we will be proud when we walk in the community in the future! Therefore, each of us should contribute to show the best side of our Siheyuan, so that everyone can see the charm and style of our Siheyuan! "

Yi Zhonghai was also nearby. He smiled and added in a gentle but powerful tone: "Don't worry about the difficulties, let's work together to find a solution. On the road ahead, we will inevitably encounter various difficulties, but as long as we work together, there is nothing we can't do! The residents of our courtyard are all warm-hearted and responsible people. We have overcome so many difficulties in the past, and we will definitely be able to do it this time! You can put forward any ideas you have, and we will discuss them together to make this event a success."

The residents were deeply moved by the fiery enthusiasm of Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai, and their originally hesitant and wait-and-see mentality was instantly ignited. Everyone gathered together, talking to each other, and excitedly expressed their willingness to actively participate in this "Community Civilization Construction Competition". Some residents patted their chests and promised to do their best, while others had already begun to think about what they could do for the event. The atmosphere on the scene was as warm as boiling water.

In the following days, the Siheyuan seemed to be injected with magical vitality, presenting a busy and orderly scene. Every morning, when the first ray of sunlight shines on the eaves of the Siheyuan, the residents have already started to get busy. Everyone has a clear division of labor and performs their duties. Everyone has a love for the Siheyuan and expectations for the activities, and devotes themselves to various tasks.

In terms of environmental construction, Liu Haizhong fully utilized his outstanding organizational skills. He was like an experienced general, commanding this "environmental improvement campaign" in an orderly manner. He led a group of vigorous young residents, like hardworking little bees, to thoroughly clean and improve every corner of the courtyard. They started with the long-pile of debris. Some residents were responsible for moving large pieces of discarded furniture. They bent over, gritted their teeth, and moved the heavy items to the designated location step by step; some residents took brooms and dustpans, carefully sweeping the dust and garbage on the ground, leaving no corner untouched. After a few days of hard work, the originally messy and cluttered corners became clean and tidy, and the space became much more spacious.

Then, they began to paint the mottled walls. The young residents carried paint buckets and brushes and carefully painted every inch of the wall. Their faces were covered with paint and their clothes were soaked with sweat, but no one complained of being tired. With everyone's joint efforts, the originally gray and shabby walls became white and new, as if the courtyard had been given a brand new coat.

In order to make the courtyard more vibrant, they also planted various flowers, plants and trees in the yard. The residents carefully planted the saplings and flower seedlings in the holes dug in advance, then gently filled them with soil and watered them. Looking at the tender green saplings and beautiful flower seedlings, everyone's faces were filled with expectant smiles, as if they had already seen the beautiful scenery of the courtyard with colorful flowers and green trees in the future.

Yi Zhonghai made full use of his woodworking skills. He was like a magical magician, turning ordinary pieces of wood into exquisite works of art. In his spare time, he carefully made many exquisite flower stands and leisure benches. He carefully selected the wood, processed the wood into a suitable shape with saws, planes and other tools, and then polished it with sandpaper to make it smooth. Every flower stand and bench embodies his hard work and wisdom. Not only are they beautiful in shape, but they are also strong and durable. When these flower stands and benches were placed in the yard, they immediately added a different kind of elegance and comfort to the courtyard. The residents sat on the benches to rest, admiring the beautiful scenery around them, and praised Yi Zhonghai's craftsmanship.

In terms of cultural activities, Yi Zhonghai proposed the idea of ​​holding a "Siheyuan Cultural Festival". He knew that Siheyuan had a long history and rich cultural heritage, and hoped that through this event, the historical culture of Siheyuan and the talents of the residents would be fully displayed, so that more people would understand and love Siheyuan. He told Liu Haizhong about his idea, and Liu Haizhong thought it was a very good idea and immediately started planning it.

They first invited the elders in the courtyard to tell stories of the past. The elders sat on benches in the courtyard, their eyes revealing memories of the past. They slowly told the past glory of the courtyard, those ancient legends and traditional customs, as if bringing everyone back to that distant era. The children sat around the elders, listening with great interest, asking questions from time to time, and the elders patiently answered them.

Then, they organized the children to participate in calligraphy and painting competitions and art performances. The children gave full play to their imagination and creativity, using their brushes to depict the beautiful scenery of the courtyard, and expressing their love for the courtyard with their tender singing and cheerful dancing. The works of the calligraphy and painting competition were dazzling, some of which were paintings of the gate of the courtyard, and some of which were paintings of the flowers, plants and trees in the courtyard. Each work was full of childlike innocence and childlike fun. The art performances were even more splendid, the children's dances were lively and lovely, and the songs were crisp and pleasant, winning rounds of applause from the residents.

In addition, they also held a traditional handicraft exhibition. Some craftsmen in the courtyard showed their unique skills and demonstrated traditional handicrafts such as paper cutting, embroidery, and dough figurines. While making them, they introduced the history and production methods of these handicrafts to the residents. The residents gathered around, watching curiously and exclaiming from time to time. Everyone can also personally experience the production process of these traditional handicrafts and feel the charm of traditional culture.

For a while, the courtyard was filled with laughter and joy, and a strong cultural atmosphere was everywhere. The residents felt the power of unity in the busyness, and enhanced their feelings for each other in the activities. The courtyard also became more warm and more vibrant because of this activity.

However, just when everyone was working hard, problems also arose. Some residents were too busy to devote themselves to the activities, which slowed down the progress of some work. Some residents were dissatisfied with the arrangements of the activities and complained.

Liu Haizhong was very anxious when he learned about these situations. He knew that if these problems were not solved in time, all previous efforts might go to waste. He found Yi Zhonghai and said with a frown: "Master Yi, the situation is a bit tricky now. We have to think of a solution quickly."

Yi Zhonghai pondered for a moment and said, "Old Liu, we can't just force everyone to participate. We have to make everyone willing to contribute to the Siheyuan from the bottom of their hearts. Why don't we hold a symposium to listen to everyone's ideas and see if we can adjust the activity arrangements."

After hearing this, Liu Haizhong fell into deep thought.