Days passed by, but the factory's condition worsened day by day.
As the movement intensified, everyone's lives were affected.
Let's talk about the factory first. Wang Shouren's current position as office director is no longer effective, or rather, even his mentor, Chief Engineer Shen Yuanliang, is no longer competent. Apart from receiving their salaries, all other affairs are managed by the Revolutionary Committee.
Wang Shouren sometimes wondered if Director Li had really lost his mind.
The Revolutionary Committee consisted of only a few people. The factory originally had many workshops, each with a workshop director, who was the head of the organization. Under the workshop director were numerous team leaders and various types of clerks. There was also logistics, procurement of various materials, and so on. All of these ensured the basic operation of the factory, layer upon layer.
But now, we don't need to.
All other tasks were suspended, and there was only one main task: class struggle.
Fighting this person today, fighting that person tomorrow. Doing nothing else.
Shen Yuanliang was so angry that he smoked a few more cigarettes.
Wang Shouren ignored this and simply stayed quietly in his own territory, even stopping going to the factory altogether.
As for the courtyard, it was even more lively.
Originally, there weren't many people in their courtyard who were willing to go through all this trouble.
Even a fool like Sha Zhu knows this is a dangerous thing to do; it's easy to get into trouble if you do. But some people just can't resist the urge to get involved.
Xu Damao and his second uncle were instigating this and that in the courtyard.
When no one paid attention to her, she got angry.
So, the second oldest man in the courtyard called a general meeting for the entire courtyard.
They even composed their words with righteous indignation, criticizing an old man.
"Old Yi, are you unwilling to keep up with the times? There might be something wrong with your thinking!"
Once this label is pinned on you, who dares to say "no"?
The old man ignored him and quietly watched the second old man perform. Over the years, he had cultivated his character and was not so easily angered. In addition, by practicing with Wang Shouren, he had become more and more peaceful.
Seeing that the conversation had already started, Xu Damao quickly joined in the commotion: "Uncle, since you're unwilling to follow the country's lead, we're all from the same compound, so we won't make things difficult for you. Why don't you just give up your position as Uncle? You can retire. And you, Uncle San, you don't seem very enthusiastic either."
When Uncle Er heard Xu Damao say that, he thought to himself, "That's right! There's such a way!"
To be honest, this second uncle's sense of smell and sensitivity is really limited. Without Xu Damao, he probably would have just held a big meeting, vented his anger, and flaunted his official power. Xu Damao's suggestion made him feel like he was in charge again.
"That's right! Old Yi, I'm not trying to criticize you..."
The second uncle kept repeating the same few sentences over and over, seemingly trying to force the first uncle to make a statement.
Those present watched coldly, no one uttering a word. They were genuinely unsure how far these two would escalate their conflict. So, they all watched silently. The old man, without further ado, simply said, "Since I'm not suitable, let's choose someone else."
In the past, it would have required going through the neighborhood committee and various other local authorities before the official in charge could be replaced.
But at this stage, the old man in charge doesn't actually have much use anymore. He's just a respected representative elected by everyone in the courtyard. If there's anything going on in the courtyard, the old man can be asked to preside over a matter of justice. Or, if there's something going on outside the courtyard and a representative is needed, the old man can be asked to go. It's more of a private matter.
Unfortunately, the second uncle didn't know, or rather, didn't care. As long as he was an official, there was no problem!
The eldest uncle preferred to step down rather than participate, and any smart person would know what that meant. But the second uncle, of all people, stepped forward.
After the first uncle withdrew, the second uncle turned his attention to the third uncle.
Goodness, they're going to accept everything!
Another round of accusations.
But the third uncle was shrewd. Faced with the accusations, he didn't say much, only saying, "I'm old, and my family is busy, so I won't participate anymore. I'm not going to be the third uncle anymore."
Uncle San has not been having a good time lately.
Or rather, it's not easy for anyone in school. He might have been pulled aside for a reprimand, but the school saw that Uncle San had been working diligently for so many years, and although his teaching level wasn't great, he hadn't made too many mistakes, so they kept him on to sweep the floor. Sweeping with him was a little girl—or, of course, a little girl in Uncle San's eyes.
That is, Ran Qiuye in the drama.
It was tough for him, but he managed to get by. Over the years, he has been slowly changing; at least, the atmosphere at home has eased considerably.
The eldest son also quietly contributes some money to the family, and the eldest daughter-in-law's job is also decent.
He certainly wouldn't risk offending his neighbors over something like this.
In the entire courtyard, hardly anyone was willing to agree with these two, so it almost became a one-man show for them.
Second Uncle's eyes darted around, and he saw Wang Shouren. He was about to speak, but then he shut his mouth.
Leaders, too, come in different ranks.
The old man in the courtyard is nothing in front of the real leader. Now is not the time to deal with Wang Shouren; we need to plan carefully.
Having suffered repeated setbacks at Wang Shouren's hands, he had learned his lesson to some extent. He needed to find someone to rely on, and if he was going to rely on someone, he wanted to rely on the most powerful one.
His eyes darted around, his heart filled with ruthlessness. "Wang Shouren, if you cause trouble for my son, don't blame me!"
"Since I'm the eldest uncle now, I'll say it now: let Xu Damao be the second eldest uncle in our courtyard. Who supports it? Who opposes it?!"
His words were very assertive, but almost no one echoed them. Everyone treated them as a joke.
Only the second uncle—oh no, Liu Haizhong—believed that everyone was intimidated by his domineering aura and dared not speak.
Xu Damao feigned surprise and asked, "Am I at that age?"
“I say you’re suitable, so you’re suitable. This isn’t a place for seniority. What’s that saying again? New…new…”
"The new China has a new look."
"Yes, that's right. You can't be like some people who can't see the bigger picture, are unwilling to contribute, and stay at home all day like a coward." These words were directed at the old man.
The old man ignored him and just watched silently.
No one responded; the two of them were putting on a one-man show, which wasn't very interesting. After a short while, they dispersed.
Xu Damao wasn't actually interested in Second Uncle at all; what he really cared about was the position on the factory's Revolutionary Committee, but he lacked the resources.
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