Watching Yi Zhonghai turn and leave, many residents began to murmur among themselves in the courtyard.
"You know, this old Yi, if it weren't for the fact that he's Jia Dongxu's apprentice, would that old woman Jia Zhangshi be so arrogant in the compound? She'd make fun of anyone she didn't like. She even gave me a hard time last year, just like she was some old lady."
“Jia Zhangshi is much better than that old lady. The old lady is a nice person, and she knows to lend a hand when there’s something to help. But Jia Zhangshi is a different story. You’re lucky if she doesn’t make fun of you.”
"Isn't it all because Yi Zhonghai has spoiled them all these years? If it weren't for his backing, would Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu, including that little brat of his, be able to walk around the yard like that!"
"But then again, it wasn't easy for him. The problem was that he was too sentimental. It's a pity that he gave up the steward for the sake of the Jia family. Speaking of which, last winter my wife and I had a fight, and it was he who came over and reconciled us."
"Who can argue with that? Yi Zhonghai, who helped the Jia family, is indeed hateful, but putting the Jia family aside, he did a lot of real things for the compound and really made contributions."
"He realized it too late. If he hadn't been so biased towards the Jia family, he wouldn't have incurred everyone's resentment. Even Sha Zhu, who was on good terms with him, couldn't stand it and took action!"
"Hmph, let me tell you, now that Yi Zhonghai has given up his position as the 'big boss,' everyone should be secretly happy. If he had continued to be the 'big boss,' he would have been just the same old guy, all talk and no action, but all he did in private."
Listening to the neighbors' discussion, Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao's expressions were not good.
So, in the eyes of these residents, Yi Zhonghai has no other faults except for favoring the Jia family?
"Da Bao, what do you think Yi Zhonghai means by this?"
Xu Damao took out cigarettes and offered one to Wang Dabao and Liu Haizhong, but didn't even glance at the cigarettes offered to the Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu brothers.
Liu Guangtian glared at Xu Damao, then silently took out his own economy cigarettes and handed one to his younger brother.
Xu Damao's words also attracted Liu Haizhong's attention. "Yeah, Brother Dabao, I'm a little confused after Lao Yi's long speech."
"Being confused is fine, being confused is good."
Wang Dabao leaned against the windowsill of Sha Zhu's house with a smile, "Yi Zhonghai doesn't mean to give up his position. It's just that things have come to this point, and he has to show his attitude. He has to let everyone know that he, Yi Zhonghai, doesn't care about or miss the position of the eldest uncle. He just regrets that he can no longer worry about and do things for everyone in the future."
Liu Guangtian sniffed and glanced sideways at Yi Zhonghai's back. "That bastard is so cunning, he talks like a grandfather but does like a grandson."
"that is."
Liu Guangfu followed behind his second brother, echoing his sentiments.
After hearing Wang Dabao's explanation, Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong were even more confused. Yi Zhonghai had clearly said that he was stepping down as a senior official, but this was not something he could do or not do as he pleased!
If you say you don't want to do it one minute, and then you tell everyone you still want to be the boss the next minute, then everyone will object.
This is just playing with people.
Seeing the bewildered expressions on their faces, Wang Dabao didn't point it out. Instead, he pointed at Yi Zhonghai, who was slowly walking home, and said, "Don't be in such a hurry, the show hasn't even started yet!"
"What's the show?"
Xu Damao pouted, his mustache almost parallel to his lips, "Still dawdling like that, your old lady at home is probably crying her eyes out."
Liu Haizhong snorted coldly: "I want to see why Yi Zhonghai is still clinging to his old master's position and refusing to budge."
As the group was talking, they heard a wail coming from Yi Zhonghai's direction.
“Master, you can’t leave! What will happen to this compound without you? You’ve been giving so much to it all these years. Nobody will trust anyone else.”
Crying and shouting, Jia Dongxu chased after him. When he reached Yi Zhonghai, he knelt down with a thud and hurriedly grabbed Yi Zhonghai's leg. "Master, it's Dongxu's fault. I will definitely be a good person in the compound from now on. I will also talk to my mother. I will definitely not make things difficult for you."
After a two-minute brainstorming session, Jia Dongxu finally understood that no matter what, Yi Zhonghai's position as an elder statesman had to be preserved and could not be lost so easily.
As long as Yi Zhonghai remains an elderly man, he has the responsibility and obligation to help his family.
If Yi Zhonghai were to step down as the head steward and abandon his family, things would truly be over. Despite what Sha Zhu said about being Yi Zhonghai's son, Jia Dongxu wasn't as foolish as that old woman and would absolutely not believe it.
“Zhonghai, is my old lady's word no longer valid? Everyone has advised you like this, why can't you think about the neighbors in the compound?”
The deaf old lady didn't have many teeth left, but she spoke fluently at this moment, and tapped her cane with considerable force, "You absolutely cannot abandon the affairs of the compound, otherwise I, your ancestor, will kill myself by crashing into this pillar."
The deaf old lady became more and more agitated as she spoke, and picked up her cane, pointing it at the pillar in the corridor in front of Sha Zhu's house.
Upon hearing the deaf old woman's words, Yi Zhonghai stopped struggling.
Jia Dongxu, who was clinging to Yi Zhonghai's leg, breathed a sigh of relief, secretly marveling at how wise the old woman was; with the old lady threatening suicide, he believed things would be alright this time.
"Oh dear, ma'am, what are you doing? You shouldn't get involved in this. You should go and try to persuade this old lady instead."
When Sha Zhu saw that the deaf old lady was about to crash into her own doorstep, he became anxious and quickly helped her to take her to Yi Zhonghai's house.
The deaf old woman glared at him and said, "Zhu Zi, let go of me! Don't you even know what's going on? Can't you tell which is more important?"
Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong's faces darkened.
A perfectly good abdication was about to happen, but how did this old hag get involved?
And everyone's trying to persuade me?
Who advised against it? It's just you and Jia Dongxu, so you two represent all the residents?
Xu Damao glared fiercely at the deaf old woman, wishing she would just crash into Sha Zhu's doorstep and die right now.
"This... Brother Da Bao, what should we do now?" Liu Haizhong was at a loss when he saw Yi Zhonghai stop. If the other party went back on his word because of the deaf old lady, then the duck he had in his hand would fly away.
"Go, Lao Liu!"
Wang Dabao grabbed Liu Haizhong and said, "Go up and announce that Yi Zhonghai has resigned from his position as mediator of the compound because he feels he has done something wrong. We will hold a general meeting in the next two days and everyone will elect a capable person to jointly manage the compound."
"Sigh, sigh!"
How could Liu Haizhong watch his dream vanish just as it was about to be realized? He immediately followed Wang Dabao's advice and strode to the center of the courtyard.
"Everyone, please be quiet and listen to what I have to say."
"As the old man just said, because of the Jia family's affairs, he feels indebted to the residents of the compound and no longer wants to serve as the head of the compound. So please don't make things difficult for Old Yi anymore."
Upon hearing Liu Haizhong's words, Jia Dongxu was stunned for a moment, and his grip on Yi Zhonghai tightened, almost causing Yi Zhonghai to fall over.
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