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Chapter 225: Elder Jiu, Our Role Model
Chapter 225: Elder Jiu, Our Role Model
Midday.
Naye Village.
The Deng family was enjoying a bowl of sweet potato soup, savoring every spoonful with delight.
In the future, sweet potato soup would be a common dish, available in both cities and rural areas, with no particular novelty to it. However, in this era, having sweet potato soup for lunch was a rare luxury in the countryside.
The sweet potatoes themselves weren't the issue; every household had plenty of those. The real treasure was the sugar, which was considered a precious commodity. The head of the household would usually keep it locked away, only bringing it out for special occasions like the New Year to make sweet treats.
Who would waste sugar on a simple pot of sweet potatoes? That would be far too extravagant.
The Deng family used to be just as frugal, but things had changed. They had recently sold their lychees, earning over 1,500 yuan, and the land reforms had led to several bountiful harvests. They also had a thriving livestock and poultry business, which had significantly improved their financial situation.
Thus, they could now afford the luxury of sweet potato soup.
Another noteworthy point was the family's financial management during the time they took out a loan to plant lychee trees. The household was tight on money, and everyone had to tighten their belts. However, Changfu's mother, Mrs. Changfu, was meticulous in her budgeting. The family ate very simply, but she always made sure to provide extra nourishment for her pregnant daughter-in-law, such as cooking an egg or buying a bit of meat for her.
The daughter-in-law, in turn, had used the dowry money given by her parents to buy groceries for the family shortly after her marriage.
Now that the family's finances had improved, Mrs. Changfu promptly returned the dowry money to her daughter-in-law.
...
After finishing their sweet potato soup, the family gathered in the living room to help the twins learn to walk.
Deng Changfu's twin sons were born in the fifth month of the lunar calendar last year and had just turned one year old. Most children start learning to walk around this age, though some begin even earlier.
At the moment, the twins could stand on their own but were hesitant to take their first steps.
Guanying squatted in front of one of the boys, only a couple of steps away, and called out with a smile, "Son, come to mommy. Don't be afraid, just take it slow."
On the other side, Mrs. Changfu used the same approach to encourage the other grandson to walk towards her.
At the door, Deng Yunqiang smoked his water pipe, occasionally glancing at his twin grandsons, his smile evident.
Life in Naye Village had been kind to him. While he still had a long way to go to match Uncle Jiu's lifestyle, he had already achieved something Uncle Jiu hadn't: he had two grandsons, while Uncle Jiu only had one granddaughter.
Deng Changfu and his siblings watched with joy.
With constant encouragement from Guanying and Mrs. Changfu, the twins finally attempted to take a few steps, though they would often stumble after one or two.
However, experienced parents knew that once a child dared to take those first steps, they would be walking confidently within a few days.
After smoking several pipes, Deng Yunqiang finally said, "That's enough for now. They shouldn't stand for too long or they'll get tired. Let them rest for a bit."
Mrs. Changfu picked up one of the grandsons and smiled, "They're already brave enough to walk. I bet they'll be walking in a few days."
Guanying picked up the other and added, "In a few months, they'll be running all over the place."
Deng Changfu joined in, teasing his sons, then shifted the conversation to Elder Jiu, "It's about time Elder Jiu's restaurant opened. I wonder how business is going?"
Guan Yongying chimed in, "It's definitely going to be good. Do you doubt Ninth Uncle's abilities?"
Deng Changfu shook his head. "Ninth Uncle's capabilities are already recognized by everyone in the village. How could I doubt him? It's just that business is different from other things. No matter how capable someone is, they can't guarantee a profit. It's natural to worry a bit before the business really takes off."
Deng Yunqiang, caught between laughter and frustration, said, "You're worrying for nothing. Not only is it unlikely that Ninth Uncle will lose money in business, but even if he does, it would only be the rent for the shop and the wages for the employees. How much could that be? Compared to Ninth Uncle's income, it's nothing at all."
Changfu's mother added, "Your father is right. Ninth Uncle has already made over six thousand yuan this year from selling lychees and watermelons. If you add the income from the brick factory, it's almost ten thousand. That's just for the first half of the year. If you include the second half, he'll easily make over ten thousand for the year.
"So, if Ninth Uncle's restaurant in the county makes a profit, it'll be incredible. Even if he loses some money, it won't be a big deal with all that income to fall back on."
It's no wonder they thought this way. While everyone in the village knew Deng Shirong had opened a restaurant in the county, they all assumed it was just a small, state-owned place like Shuangwang. They had no idea he had invested over 300,000 yuan.
Deng Changfu knew that Ninth Uncle didn't need him to worry. He smiled and said, "No matter what, Ninth Uncle's business is really growing. If the restaurant in the county makes a profit, Ninth Uncle's family will be well-established in the city. It's only a matter of time before they become city dwellers."
Deng Yunqiang said, "I used to envy city people, but now I think being in the countryside is pretty good. This year was the first time our lychee trees bore fruit. To avoid affecting the trees' growth, we pruned a lot of branches. If everything goes well next year, the yield will definitely be higher.
"And next year, we'll plant watermelons like Ninth Uncle. Even if we plant only half as much as his family, we'll still make around two thousand yuan. Add that to the lychee income, and our annual income will be over four thousand. Even in the city, not many families make that much."
Guan Yongying nodded. "Dad is right. Ninth Uncle is our role model."
Changfu's mother said with anticipation, "If we really make that much next year, we should build a new house after selling the lychees and watermelons."
Deng Yunqiang looked at their old mud-brick house and decided, "We must build a new house next year. Our family and Ninth Uncle's are the only ones in the village who planted lychee trees at the same time. We can't fall behind. We need to get started right away."
Deng Changfu and Guan Yongying both smiled. While their current house was barely adequate, it was an old mud-brick structure, far inferior to Ninth Uncle's new brick house with a bathroom.
If they could build a new house like Ninth Uncle's, it would be a hundred times more comfortable. The couple was filled with anticipation.
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