Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 212 A Failed Attempt to Steal a Chicken Backfires; Yan Bugui, a Muggle
If it's just that some people object, then that's fine.

To Yan Bugui's surprise, his sworn enemies Sha Zhu, Xu Damao, and Jia Dongxu joined forces to oppose him and the opening and implementation of the public canteen.

The key is.

They represent several influential and influential residents, namely He Daqing, Xu Fugui, and Yi Zhonghai.

Besides them, there were also a few others, including Liu Haizhong.

The only thing that made Yan Bugui feel relieved and at ease was that Li Hongbing did not come forward to express his opinion.

Yan Bugui had already spoken with Li Hongbing beforehand and knew some of his attitudes. It was obviously unrealistic to expect him to stand up and support him at this time.

But as long as Li Hongbing doesn't stand up and join Sha Zhu and the others in opposing the public canteen that he and Yan Bugui are pushing for, that's already an acceptable outcome for Yan Bugui.

"As I just mentioned, the reason I proposed the public canteen plan is actually to find more raw materials so that the Great Steelmaking Project can produce more results, while also solving the cooking and eating problems that arise for everyone."

In addition, the purpose of this public canteen is to unite everyone, work together, and help everyone achieve common prosperity and live a good life together...

Yan Bugui's gaze swept over the younger generation, including Sha Zhu, Xu Damao, Jia Dongxu, and Liu Guangqi. He first emphasized the correctness and selflessness of his purpose, then said with an air of utmost impartiality:

“Shazhu, Xu Damao, and Jia Dongxu, I have actually considered the issues you just raised. I even discussed a feasible solution with Lao Du and the others. You might as well listen to it first, and don’t rush to deny or oppose it.”

What you're worried about is nothing more than someone lining their own pockets and unclear accounts. Here's what I'm thinking: once this public canteen is set up, anyone in the compound who isn't working can join in and take turns cooking, while the others can supervise.

As for the daily expenses, how much money was spent on groceries or other expenses will be recorded and published one by one.

and……

Besides handing over grain coupons, the expenses for buying grain, oil, vegetables, and cooking oil will be shared equally according to the number of people in each household, including adults and children. The advance payment will be made at the beginning of the month, and the purchase and distribution will be unified. At the end of the month, the accounts will be settled, with refunds for overpayments and additional payments for underpayments..."

With Li Hongbing's reminder and inquiry yesterday, Yan Bugui was clearly prepared this time and had already formulated the operating mechanism for the public canteen.

however.

Just as Yan Bugui finished speaking, He Daqing was the first to stand up and express his opinion:

“Old Yan, your idea is good, and I want to support you, but the problem is that there are three of us in my family. Except for the morning, I can't come back for lunch and dinner. I eat at my workplace, and Shazhu and Yushui are at the factory and school respectively at noon.”

You know these things. Whether it's me, Shazhu, or Yushui, we all need food coupons to eat at work and school.

If we hand over all our food coupons, we won't be able to make a special trip back for meals, and our work and life won't be able to continue. So, from now on, our family will no longer participate in the communal canteen in the compound.

He Daqing clearly did not want to participate in the public canteen proposed by Yan Bugui, but he also did not intend to offend him directly. Therefore, he did not oppose his plan, but simply stated that his family would not participate and gave his reasons for not participating in public.

Most importantly, He Daqing's reasons were reasonable and well-founded, and he did not say anything bad about Yan Bugui's idea. Instead, he attributed all the blame to himself.

Compared to Sha Zhu, who directly stood up to oppose, He Daqing, the biological father, handled the situation much more smoothly and effectively.

Faced with He Daqing's actions, Yan Bugui felt a bit awkward, but he had no choice but to look at He Daqing and take the initiative to smile and persuade him: "Old He, I actually know about your family's situation, and every family has this situation."

I didn't actually finish what I was saying earlier. At the beginning of the month, when we handed in our food coupons, not every household handed them in completely. Considering the situation you described, they would deduct the corresponding amount needed for meals at our respective workplaces or school cafeterias..."

Yan Bugui felt somewhat helpless.

Running a public canteen is obviously not an easy task. There are too many things to consider, and it is even more necessary to persuade every household in the courtyard. That's why he didn't finish speaking just now. He paused for a moment, and He Daqing beat him to it.

Although Yan Bugui has already provided a solution to the problem He Daqing mentioned, He Daqing's attitude just now was quite clear, so Yan Bugui is very worried.

Before Yan Bugui's worries could linger, He Daqing "thoughtfully" helped him eliminate this trouble, immediately replying, "That's too much trouble, and Sha Zhu and I are both cooks, we're already used to cooking for ourselves."

Cooking is something we do every day, so if someone else were to do it for us, we'd feel a bit awkward, so we'll pass.

With He Daqing's rejection once again, Yan Bugui's anxiety finally died.

Following He Daqing, Yi Zhonghai, Xu Fugui, and Liu Haizhong also expressed their opinions, all using the same reasons and excuses.

Their rare "unity of purpose" at this moment is not due to any particularly harmonious relationship between them, but rather, like Sha Zhu, Xu Damao, and Jia Dongxu before them, it is merely a temporary alignment of interests.

Since ancient times, the problem has not been scarcity, but inequality.

As an educated person, Yan Bugui naturally understood this principle, but he was blinded by his own calculations and interests, and his starting point and stance were already problematic.

There is one more crucial point.

Although Yan Bugui was the head of the courtyard, his prestige was still insufficient.

Leaving aside others, He Daqing, Yi Zhonghai, Xu Fugui, and Liu Haizhong were all former caretakers of the compound, and were Yan Bugui's "seniors".

In terms of seniority, they are much older than Yan Bugui.

In terms of work and income, they could easily surpass Yan Bugui in either aspect.

Yan Bugui couldn't control them at all.

"Actually, setting up public canteens is only one aspect. As I just mentioned, the main purpose is to complete the Great Leap Forward steel production task and support national construction..."

Seeing so many of them stand up at the same time, although they were not openly opposing his plan to set up a public canteen in the courtyard, Yan Bugui was unhappy, but he could only try to put pressure on He Daqing and Yi Zhonghai by bringing up the issue of the Great Leap Forward.

Actually.

Their refusal to participate is itself a form of opposition, and it also serves as a way to discourage and obstruct other residents.

“Old Yan, supporting the national steelmaking campaign is a good thing, and we support it too. We even donated some money before, but you can’t leave us without even a pot, can you?”

"In that case, would a home still be a home?"

"Even if we really want to complete the Great Steelmaking Project, we can't just act recklessly, without thinking things through, doing whatever comes to mind."

“That’s right! Uncle Yan, my dad and I are both cooks. If we don’t even have a pot for cooking and a knife for cutting vegetables at home, people will laugh at us to death.”

"Old Yan, is your suggestion to continue donating pots and knives an invitation or a mandate?"

"I'd also like to ask, regarding the public canteen you mentioned earlier, is it optional for us to participate or not?"

"..."

Yan Bugui tried to use the national call for the Great Leap Forward to pressure people, but unfortunately he was facing the likes of He Daqing, Yi Zhonghai, and Xu Fugui, who were not so easily led astray.

The most fatal problem is that Yan Bugui is dealing with one person against many, which naturally increases the pressure on him.

Without any choice.

Yan Bugui could only look to Du Jianguo, hoping that Du, who was also a senior member of the management department, could say a few words. He couldn't let Du shoulder all the blame alone.

The idea of ​​a public canteen wasn't entirely Yan Bugui's; Du Jianguo also agreed and participated in the planning process.

Exactly.

Seeing that so many people, including He Daqing, Yi Zhonghai, and Xu Fugui, were against it, Du Jianguo was no longer so determined and clearly began to back down, choosing to remain silent.

Compared to Yan Bugui, Du Jianguo's decision to support Yan Bugui in setting up a public canteen in the compound was not to take advantage of others in the compound, but to achieve results and successfully complete their compound's large-scale steelmaking task, thereby earning praise and awards from the street office.

This will be of some help to him in the factory's year-end model worker selection.

Simultaneously.

At the end of the year, the neighborhood office will also begin to select outstanding courtyard houses. If you do both of these things well and get the neighborhood office to see and recognize them, then when the selection is finalized, every household in the courtyard will receive a reward such as a few ounces of sesame oil and melon seeds and peanuts.

Not only can you get things, but you can also build up reputation and gain the appreciation of the street office leaders, achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop.

Seeing that things were beyond their control, Du Jianguo decided not to force the issue.

if not.

He himself might be accused of coercing the masses and running a one-man show.

Having come this far, Yan Bugui was no longer stubborn and naturally wouldn't continue to act willfully and make a fool of himself.

No matter what.

Just when many residents were influenced by He Daqing and Yi Zhonghai and lost interest in the public canteen plan proposed by Yan Bugui, and Yan Bugui himself chose to give up, several households came to him and took the initiative to express their desire to participate, asking Yan Bugui and Du Jianguo to set up the public canteen.

After glancing at them twice, Yan Bugui thought about their respective conditions and lost all interest.

the reason is simple.

The grain rations for these households are really not much, in fact, far too little.

Yan Bugui wanted to set up this public canteen and even proposed to establish a monitoring mechanism. He did not intend to embezzle money or manipulate the system, but rather to target the rations of each household, especially the high rations for manual laborers like Yi Zhonghai, Jia Dongxu, and Liu Haizhong.

Due to differences in the number of working people and their occupations in each household, the monthly grain ration naturally varies.

Yan Bugui's family's grain ration wasn't low, but it wasn't much higher either. There were many children in the family with big appetites, so the ration obviously couldn't allow them to eat as much as they wanted. Every month, they had to find ways to use grain coupons to exchange for sweet potatoes in the countryside.

While Yan Bugui's practice of exchanging grain coupons for sweet potatoes was certainly due to his stinginess and shrewd calculations, this reason might also have played a part. If the rations for the entire hospital were evenly distributed, his family, with so many children who had big appetites, would definitely benefit.

Eating more is a win.

Unfortunately, Yi Zhonghai, Xu Fugui, and Liu Haizhong, these major quantitative investors, all chose not to participate, so Yan Bugui's original plan naturally fell through.

only.

What Yan Bugui didn't expect was that he wasn't the only scheming person in the courtyard.

Moreover, his instigation had clearly swayed a small number of residents with poorer financial conditions.

"With Lao He, Lao Yi, and Lao Xu all leaving, there are so many fewer people. I don't think there's any point in continuing this communal canteen. Maybe we should just call it quits..."

At this moment.

Yan Bugui, who never gets up early for nothing, clearly had no interest in running a public canteen and naturally found excuses to decline.

"Uncle Yan, that's not what you said just now."

"That's right, didn't you say that as long as we donate our pots and knives, we can set up a public canteen and solve our food problem?"

"I'm willing to give up everything I have at home for our institute's steelmaking mission."

"Me too. Should we bring the remaining food from this month, or would you like to come home with us, Uncle Yan?"

"This public canteen is great! We should set up public canteens!"

“Even rural communes have public canteens. If we don’t set one up, it will be so embarrassing.”

"Uncle Yan, Uncle Du, I support you. We must get this public canteen up and running."

"..."

When these families who had taken up the idea stepped forward and said these words, Yan Bugui and Du Jianguo, who had just been advocating and persuading everyone to set up and participate in the communal canteen, were now in a difficult position.

The words these people said were exactly what they had just said.

Moreover, to avoid giving anyone cause for criticism, Yan Bugui just said that the public canteen should be set up, and participation would be entirely voluntary.

Now that He Daqing, Yi Zhonghai, and Xu Fugui are not participating, other residents have signed up. If they are simply turned away and the public canteen is no longer run, his authority as the head of the management office will be completely gone.

"Old Yan, Old Du, what are you two standing there for? Hurry up and get this communal canteen up and running. If it really does well, I'll see how it goes and maybe it can be added to our institute's communal canteen. But not now."

The one who spoke at this moment was none other than Liu Haizhong, who had just been dismissed from his position as the caretaker of the compound by Director Wang of the neighborhood office a few months ago.

Liu Haizhong had no personal grudges against Yan Bugui and Du Jianguo; however, their cooperation in "managing" the courtyard house had not been harmonious or cooperative.

In particular, the two of them were close to Li Hongbing. The night before Liu Haizhong was dismissed by Director Wang, he went to Li Hongbing to apologize and asked him to intercede for him. However, Li Hongbing did not agree, and he was dismissed the next day.

As for taking revenge on Li Hongbing, Liu Haizhong naturally wouldn't dare, but he couldn't help but feel some resentment in his heart, which also made him dislike Yan Bugui and Du Jianguo.

Having lost his position as the head of the management department, Liu Haizhong would naturally be happy to see Yan Bugui and Du Jianguo, who were still in the department, suffer the same fate if given the chance.

If you can't climb up yourself, you just hope they fall down, so that you'll feel balanced inside.

With all the ration coupons available now, many supplies are hard to buy, but he has a high salary and plenty of money, so he lives a more comfortable life than most people in the compound. Naturally, there's no need for him to get involved with them.

Joining the public canteen didn't bring Liu Haizhong any real benefits, but it might not have the same effect on others.

Liu Haizhong simply lacks political wisdom and sensitivity; he's not someone whose mind is completely inflexible.

When Yan Bugui and Du Jianguo decided to set up a public canteen, Liu Haizhong wasn't sure of all their intentions, but putting himself in their shoes and understanding Yan Bugui, he could see through some of their schemes.

Needless to say, Yan Bugui is a profit-driven person. If there were no benefits to be gained, it would be hard to see him being so proactive and attentive.

Based on this analysis, Liu Haizhong also figured out some key points, and at this time spoke up to "help" Yan Bugui and Du Jianguo.

As for the old silver coins of He Daqing, Yi Zhonghai, and Xu Fugui, they were discovered even earlier than Liu Haizhong.

However, they were much more cunning. After refusing to join, they did not kick Yan Bugui and Du Jianguo when they were down. Even when Sha Zhu and Xu Damao wanted to say something sarcastic, they were stopped by He Daqing and Xu Fugui with their eyes.

that's it.

The communal canteen in the compound is finally going to be established.

However, the situation was completely different from what Yan Bugui had initially envisioned.

Yan Bugui's original intention was to take advantage of other people's quotas, but now it has turned into "poverty alleviation".

In this newly established public canteen, he and Du Jianguo were actually among the better off, and they were the two households with the highest grain rations, especially Du Jianguo.

Faced with such a public canteen team, Du Jianguo naturally did not want to participate, but he was dragged onto the "pirate ship" by Yan Bugui, and as one of the initiators of the courtyard's public canteen, he had no choice but to back down at the last minute.

To be honest, there was some gain, though. After all, the families who agreed to participate had brought out their pots and knives. However, Yan Bugui wasn't particularly happy about it.

What use would he have for these?

Yan Bugui's most important and real goal was to get all the residents of the compound involved in his public canteen project; the Great Leap Forward was just a side benefit and a convenient excuse.

You've got the priorities backwards!

As the hospital-wide meeting ended, on the way back to the front yard, Yan Bugui approached Li Hongbing and asked, "Hongbing, didn't you say yesterday that you had no objections as long as someone in the hospital agreed to join the communal canteen?"

I've already presented the detailed terms and conditions. What do you say? Do you want to join as well?

He Daqing, Yi Zhonghai, and Xu Fugui were uncooperative, and Yan Bugui was clearly unwilling to accept the current outcome, so he turned his attention back to Li Hongbing.

With Li Hongbing joining the team, the pressure on him and Du Jianguo will be much less.

Upon hearing Yan Bugui's words, Li Hongbing glanced at him and retorted, "Uncle Yan, when did I ever say that I would join the communal canteen just because others do?"

“Hongbing, isn’t this what you told me last night? We were right here in this courtyard…”

Yan Bugui was shocked.

Li Hongbing is not the kind of person who goes back on his word.

Judging from today's actions, are they planning to go back on their word and deny their promise?

When Li Hongbing heard Yan Bugui say this, he curled his lip and said in an annoyed tone, "Uncle Yan, shouldn't you think carefully about what I said to you last night?"

Did I mean as long as someone agrees, or as long as all the other residents agree? A difference of just one word can make a world of difference, let alone several words.

"If it was me who said it, I naturally won't deny it. But if it wasn't me, are you just forgetting things, or are you trying to pull some kind of trick on me?"

From the very beginning, Li Hongbing knew that Yan Bugui's public canteen would not be successful, or at least not well-run, which is why he intentionally set that condition.

If Yan Bugui had the ability to persuade all the residents of the compound, including old foxes like He Daqing, Yi Zhonghai, and Xu Fugui, to participate, Li Hongbing wouldn't mind joining.

Even if it's just to fit in, Li Hongbing has to "support" it.

But now that Yan Bugui has handled things so badly, how could he possibly have the face to come and extend such an invitation?

If everyone else in the compound joined the communal canteen but Li Hongbing didn't, it would mean he was unsociable, or even disunited and detached from the masses.

But now that so many households in the courtyard are all living outside, that's Yan Bugui's own problem.

As a senior figure in the School of Management, Yan Bugui is so unpopular that he should seriously reflect on his actions.

"This……"

Caught off guard by Li Hongbing, Yan Bugui was somewhat embarrassed, but he had no choice but to force an explanation: "Hongbing, maybe it was windy last night, and I misheard you..."

"Uncle Yan, we will not be participating in the communal canteen for the time being."

Seeing Yan Bugui soften his stance and apologize, Li Hongbing didn't dwell on the matter. He directly stated his position and explained, "Xue Ru and I usually work outside and don't come back for lunch or dinner. Also, Xue Ru and I work far away and go to work early in the morning."

During the day, it's just my mother-in-law and the two children, Jianwu and Jiwen, at home. Children eat differently than adults, so I don't want to cause you any trouble. It's better for us to cook at home ourselves.

"That's that's..."

Hearing Li Hongbing's explanation, Yan Bugui couldn't help but show a bitter expression on his face, and he forced a smile.

He dared not put on airs in front of Li Hongbing, nor did he dare to use the production task of the Great Steelmaking Project to pressure Li Hongbing. After all, this trick had not even worked on He Daqing and Yi Zhonghai, so how could it possibly stump Li Hongbing?

Li Hongbing's reasons, in particular, are all valid; if one insists on arguing about them, then he is just making trouble out of nothing.

What if we offend Li Hongbing again...

(End of this chapter)