Courtyard house: Just the right amount of pressure, leaving you bewildered but not brain-damaged.

Yi Zhonghai knew that no matter how confident he was about something, it would definitely be ruined if Liu Haizhong got involved.

"Clang clang"

Yi Zhonghai slammed his hand on the table twice, using the last vestiges of his authority to intimidate Sun Youtian.

"Gao Xiaosheng, Sun Youtian, you haven't been here long, so it's normal to have different ideas. It's also my fault for being too busy with work to explain things clearly to you."

"Our community has always emphasized respecting the elderly and caring for the young, and honoring our elders. This is something that all the neighbors in the area know."

"It's not that the three of us old folks can't do it, nor is it that we complain about the dirty and tiring work of cleaning outhouses."

"We want you young people to set an example for the younger generation in the entire college, so that our college's fine traditions can be passed down from generation to generation."

"When the children in the yard grow up, they will also take the initiative to share the responsibilities."

"Does everyone agree?"

He Yuzhu slapped his forehead twice. If it weren't for those words, he would have really been led astray by Gao Xiaosheng.

What do you mean by "follow me" or "get me"? Cleaning outhouses isn't like fighting a war; there's no comparison.

The old man was right. In a few years, when these teenagers in the yard grow up, it will be their turn to take over.

"right."

"What the old man said is so true."

"Old Yi, it has to be you again!"

There were quite a few people in the courtyard who fawned over Yi Zhonghai, especially Jia Zhangshi, who had a loud voice and was even more enthusiastic than Wu Guizhen.

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui nodded in agreement.

"hehe."

A few dozen seconds later, the court gradually quieted down. Yi Zhonghai looked at the two troublemakers with a smile, "Gao Xiaosheng, Sun Youtian, do you understand now?"

Sun Youtian couldn't find a rebuttal for a moment, and he was unwilling to admit defeat. He turned to look at Gao Xiaosheng and saw that there was no anxious expression on his face, so he was slightly relieved.

Gao Xiaosheng took a deep drag of his cigarette and looked at the "management trio" with amusement.

"E-House Manager, what you said is correct, but that's not how you do it."

"Our institute has more than just Sun Youtian and He Yuzhu among its young people; there's also Jia Dongxu."

"Has he cleaned any outhouses in the past six months?"

Yi Zhonghai's smile froze instantly. Just as he was thinking of an excuse to help his apprentice get away with it, the little traitor He Yushui chimed in.

"Dongxu had never cleaned the outhouse before. Before Tian moved into the yard, he and my brother cleaned the outhouse together. He always stood behind and never helped. He just watched my brother do all the work by himself."

Gao Xiaosheng rubbed Yushui's head and then set his sights on Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui.

"Liu Juguan, Yan Juguan, I really don't know how you two could have been so easily deceived."

"Yi Zhonghai has no children, so according to his logic, he won't have to do any work in the yard from now on."

"You guys are different."

"Liu Juguan, is your Liu Guangqi 14 years old this year? In two more years, he'll be able to work in the factory. He should be counted as one of the workers."

"Yan Juguan, your Yan Jiecheng seems to be a year older than Liu Guangqi. Okay, we'll have another helper next year when we clean out the dry toilets."

Unlike in later generations, you now need to be 18 to work in a factory tightening screws.

According to regulations, anyone under the age of 14 is considered a child laborer, and all factories and organizations are prohibited from hiring them.

In principle, we do not recruit people aged 14-16. In special circumstances, we may be allowed to start work after approval from the labor department.

Anyone over 16 years old can become an apprentice in a factory and is considered a "minor worker." They can work in any job except for heavy physical labor, high-altitude work, deep-water work, or toxic and hazardous jobs.

Gao Xiaosheng's tactic of sowing discord, though seemingly crude, was utterly unsophisticated. He was practically trying to sow discord between the three stewards in front of everyone.

But when dealing with people like Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui, the more basic and direct the strategy, the better. They can't understand anything too sophisticated, and they can just dodge it without even realizing it.

In Gao Xiaosheng's opinion, Liu Haizhong looks not smart, but he is actually even dumber than he looks.

Yan Bugui appears shrewd and cunning, but in reality, he is too stubborn and calculating. He will never do anything that would put him at a disadvantage and does not understand the meaning of "you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing your cub" or "you can't catch a rogue without sacrificing your wife".

I bet they're too reluctant to use bait when fishing by the river; they're just following the old trick of Jiang Ziya, who only takes the bait when the fish is willing.

Yan Bugui was still sizing up Yi Zhonghai with his small, round eyes, wondering if he had been fooled by the old man.

The impatient Liu Haizhong was the first to change his mind, saying, "That won't do. My Guangqi needs to study hard so he can become a cadre in the future. How can he do the work of cleaning outhouses?"

Seeing that Liu Haizhong had already expressed his opinion, Yan Bugui had also made up his mind.

In the short term, he didn't lose out, since according to Yi Zhonghai's method, the three managers wouldn't have to do dirty work. But in the long run, Yi Zhonghai would definitely benefit.

He can't compare to the old family's wilted heir. Next year it will be Yan Jiecheng, followed by the brothers Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang.

So, if you calculate it this way, the family with more boys is actually at a disadvantage.

What else is there to say? Of course, we should side with Liu Haizhong, since both of their families have three sons.

"Yeah, Lao Yi, your method isn't very good. I think Comrade Gao Xiaosheng makes a good point. Let's take turns working and no one should slack off."

"How about you and Dongxu do the cleaning of the outhouses tomorrow? Next time it'll be Lao Liu and my turn."

"You, you guys..." Yi Zhonghai never expected that the two men, who were both in charge, would betray him.

He was so angry that his tongue got tied and he couldn't speak.

That's not all. Gao Xiaosheng doesn't care about reciprocal retaliation; he believes more in the theory of "beating a drowning dog."

To elevate this to the level of Mount Everest, it means "We should press on with our remaining strength to eliminate the enemy, and not seek fame like Xiang Yu."

"E-House Manager, you talk about filial piety and respect for elders all day long, but to me it's just empty talk."

"I heard the deaf old lady in the backyard is your godmother? That's much closer than a regular neighbor."

"But during this time, I haven't seen you two be very filial to her."

"This old lady is almost 70 years old. She cooks and cleans the house by herself every day. You never thought of lending a hand or showing her filial piety."

"So, respecting elders is all about words, is that it?"

"If all of us young people followed your example, tsk tsk..."

Gao Xiaosheng deliberately raised his chin at Jia Dongxu, then turned to look at Liu Guangqi and Yan Jiecheng.

Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen, his hands were clenched into fists with veins bulging, and a few beads of sweat unknowingly trickled down his cheeks.

Gao Xiaosheng's words just now have touched upon the very foundation of his reputation in the courtyard, which is tantamount to pointing his finger at him and calling him a hypocrite.

Yi Zhonghai strives to portray himself as a moral exemplar of respecting the elderly and caring for the young, perhaps in preparation for his retirement.

He wasn't very learned, but he had heard a storyteller tell the story of the "Confucian family" before, which inspired him to decide to follow suit.

My thinking at the time was very simple: as long as the reputation of a "moral gentleman" was established and spread throughout the surrounding alleys, those who wanted to take advantage of the family's wealth would have to think twice.

Respecting the elderly is easier said than done.

He's reluctant to spend money; he's unwilling to put in the effort.

So far, all they've done is make grand pronouncements, but take very little actual action. At most, they'll lend a hand to a deaf old lady when she's out for a stroll and say a few nice words.