Yi Zhonghai returned home in a huff.
Sitting in the chair at the dining table, he kept glancing towards the door.
Through the gap in the curtain, you could see Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu stacking the bricks.
At this moment, Yi Zhonghai's wife brought over a bowl of porridge and said, "Don't be so angry. It's a good thing that they're showing movies to everyone for free."
"What's good about it? Tell me, what's good about it?"
Yi Zhonghai snorted coldly, "They're always making a mess of things, making everyone's lives miserable, and we have to do all the cleaning for them. Isn't that just nonsense?"
Yi Zhonghai's wife didn't dare to continue on this topic and quickly changed the subject: "Husband, how's your relationship with Dongxu lately?"
"What can I do? It's impossible to go back to the way things were before." Yi Zhonghai sighed. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I can't forget the mess he made before."
Later, when the couple talked about giving lectures at the factory, Yi Zhonghai finally showed a smile.
Wang Dabao had just returned from get off work and hadn't even had a chance to light the stove when Xu Damao dragged him away.
It turned out that Liu Haizhong suggested that Yan Bugui, Xu Damao, and the other two pool their money to buy some food and drinks that evening, and discuss the movie screening while they drank.
As soon as Wang Dabao entered the room, Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong quickly stood up to offer him a seat.
Yan Bugui spoke first: "Dabao, you said this morning that there was still something you didn't mention. Now you can tell us. We've been thinking about this all day."
After Wang Dabao sat down, he cleared his throat and said, "Everyone, I thought about it during the day, and it's not just one point, it's actually two."
Upon hearing this, all three of them couldn't help but lean closer to Wang Dabao.
"One of these is publicity."
Wang Dabao picked up a piece of food, then took a sip of wine before slowly saying, "Try to let the neighbors in the surrounding courtyards know about this, and get everyone excited. That way, the neighborhood office will fully cooperate with our film screening plan."
"That's not right, Da Bao. Our facility can't accommodate that many people. Won't those who can't come hold a grudge against us?"
"Yeah, if we do that, won't people hold a grudge against us?"
"Everyone, please be quiet and let Brother Da Bao continue. What we can think of, Da Bao must have already thought of before."
Wang Dabao smacked his lips: "You're overthinking it. Even if our yard were twice as big, some neighbors still wouldn't be able to come. That's unavoidable. If all else fails, we can draw lots to decide, or we can hold another event in a few days."
"Anyway, we need to promote the movie screenings as much as possible to increase the popularity of our theater, and then the names of you three old men will also become well-known."
"Don't let everyone just watch the movie and forget about it. We need to make sure they still remember it next year."
Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui were delighted. Having served as stewards for many years, it was their long-cherished wish to have their names remembered by people from more than a dozen surrounding compounds.
Unexpectedly, this screening plan was able to achieve its goal.
Yan Bugui slapped his thigh: "I agree with what Da Bao said. Tomorrow, let Jiefang and the others spread the word in the surrounding area. I also mentioned it at the school. Today, some teachers even asked me for a spot."
Liu Haizhong nodded in agreement. He wanted to do what Yi Zhonghai hadn't done; only then would he feel a sense of accomplishment.
"So, Da Bao, what's your second point?"
Xu Damao filled the small wine glass in front of Wang Dabao and asked with a smile.
"This second point is important!"
With a mysterious smile on his face, Wang Dabao stopped keeping him in suspense and said enthusiastically, "Just imagine, when our movie starts playing, the scene will definitely be spectacular. The Central Courtyard will be packed with people."
"So, I was thinking, could we set up a stall in the yard to sell some simple snacks? Like fragrant roasted sunflower seeds or something. That way, people won't be bored while watching the movie, especially women and children, who definitely like to eat snacks while watching the movie."
"Besides, doing this will not only make the audience happier and more enjoyable for this audio-visual feast, but it will also benefit us a lot! By selling some snacks, we can increase our income to some extent and help offset the costs of holding this film screening event. What do you think of this idea!"
Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard that.
Liu Haizhong exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my, Da Bao, you're truly a lucky star for our compound! This idea is really brilliant!"
Xu Damao chimed in, "Yeah, Da Bao, you're so smart. This is a win-win situation."
"Then I'll have your sister-in-law go to the market to buy some things in advance?" Yan Bugui's eyes lit up when he heard that the screening plan could make money. "Then we can set up a few stalls and sell some melon seeds, peanuts and the like."
The discussion then got quite lively.
It all revolves around the details of selling snacks, such as who is responsible for purchasing and cooking, and how the prices are set.
Finally, it was decided that Xu Damao would be in charge of purchasing, and Auntie Yi and Auntie Er would be in charge of roasting sunflower seeds and peanuts. Liu Guangtian, Yan Jiefang, and others would take turns setting up stalls, handling both selling and supervising the entire operation, while Yan Bugui would keep accounts and collect money.
There's no better time than tomorrow, so we've chosen tomorrow night for the screening. Although it's a bit tight on time, it's the weekend after all, and everyone has time to get things done during the day.
After everything was agreed upon and the drinking was nearly finished, everyone happily dispersed to prepare for the next day.
After the others in the courtyard heard the news, they became even more excited about the upcoming movie screening. It was practically a movie theater!
Young people like Liu Guangtian and Yan Jiefang not only get to watch movies, but they might also use the opportunity of selling snacks to strike up a conversation with the girl they like.
Early the next morning, Xu Damao, along with Liu Guangtian and Yan Jiefang, went door-to-door to count the amount of paint needed.
Afterwards, Xu Damao rode his bicycle to the market to purchase raw materials such as paint and melon seeds.
Liu Guangtian, Liu Guangfu, Yan Jiefang, Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiekuang, and a group of young people also went out to promote the cause.
Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui went to the surrounding courtyards to count the number of people.
Wang Dabao heard a commotion in the yard before he even got out of bed.
The two older women had also set up their stoves early in the morning, preparing to roast sunflower seeds and peanuts.
The entire compound was filled with a tense atmosphere as if a major battle was imminent.
Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu were also conscripted by Liu Haizhong. Although the two were unwilling, they still found some wooden planks and hurriedly set up two simple stalls in the courtyard.
Everyone else was also busy with their own tasks.
The courtyard was filled with joy and laughter, as everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of evening.
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