Chapter 231: Ninth Uncle Returns to the Village, Causing a Stir
Chapter 231: Ninth Uncle Returns to the Village, Causing a Stir
When Deng Shirong returned to his hometown with his children, the entire Naye Village was abuzz with excitement. Villagers who had nothing else to do gathered around, eager to inquire about the opening of his restaurant in the county town.
After all, the opening of Deng Shirong’s restaurant in the county town had been a hot topic in Naye Village for over a month.
“Ninth Uncle, how’s your restaurant doing since it opened?”
“Ninth Uncle, you really entrusted the management of the restaurant to Uncle and Aunt Yuntai, didn’t you?”
“Ninth Uncle, your restaurant must be doing well, right? I’m sure it’s more profitable than Uncle Yuntai’s pottery workshop. Am I right?”
“Ninth Uncle….”
Hearing the questions from his nephews and grand-nephews, Deng Shirong smiled and said, “So far, the restaurant is doing quite well. It’s definitely more profitable than our pottery business. For one, the income is much higher, and for another, it’s not as physically demanding.”
The villagers of Naye Village weren’t surprised by this answer. If anyone else had opened a restaurant in the county town, there would have been both supporters and skeptics, with the skeptics probably in the majority. But this was Deng Shirong, and that made all the difference.
Now, in Naye Village, who didn’t admire Deng Shirong, the great achiever? Whether it was his partnership with Deng YunGui in the pottery factory or his orchard where he grew lychees and watermelons, he had always made a fortune. The villagers had a blind faith in him.
Thus, when Deng Shirong confirmed that the restaurant was doing well and was more profitable than the pottery business, the villagers felt a mix of admiration and envy.
After all, it was no secret that Deng YunTai made over 200 yuan a month from his pottery work, which was already a significant sum in Naye Village. If the restaurant was even more profitable, it meant that it must be earning at least 200 to 300 yuan a month. With Zhang Xiuping and Deng YunZhen not returning and helping out at the restaurant, the combined income was something the villagers could only dream of.
In short, everyone present knew that Ninth Uncle (Ninth Grandpa) had another stable and substantial source of income, and his life was getting better and better.
Apart from inquiring about the restaurant, the villagers didn’t forget about Deng YunHeng, the village’s first college student. They surrounded him, asking about his well-being and curiously inquiring about life in the capital city.
“YunHeng, you must have been to Tiananmen Square, right? How big is it?”
“Uncle YunHeng, the ancient imperial palaces are in the capital, have you visited them?”
“Uncle YunHeng, did you see the great leader?”
“Uncle YunHeng….”
One question after another was thrown at him, and the villagers were very curious about the capital city.
If there was one place that every Chinese person wanted to visit, it was the capital city, a place whose status was unshakable.
No matter how naive the villagers’ questions were, Deng YunHeng answered them all patiently.
After about half an hour, the villagers felt satisfied and dispersed.
As they left, the news of Deng Shirong’s success in the restaurant business spread throughout the village and even to the neighboring villages.
In those times, making money in the county town was already a hot topic, and with Deng Shirong, the star of the Bangjie Brigade, being the main character, the news spread quickly.
...
The next morning.
After having breakfast at home, Deng Shirong instructed his children to study diligently and then set out on his bicycle.
It was already the 19th day of the sixth lunar month, and in about ten days, the longan fruit at Bai Ping Farm would be ready for harvesting. He needed to find a house to rent or buy in Tan Lian as soon as possible, to use as a temporary storage and transfer station, away from prying eyes.
Additionally, he needed to visit his third sister’s and his two brothers-in-law’s homes to update them on the work situation of his nephews in the county town, to put their minds at ease.
The headquarters of Bai Ping Farm was located 500 meters east of the Tan Lian bus stop on the Bole (Bo) Longtan (Long) Highway, making transportation very convenient.
Around ten o’clock in the morning, Deng Shirong arrived in the area and began looking for a suitable house to rent or buy.
Deng Shirong’s requirements for the house were simple: it just needed to be an empty house where he could store things. Ideally, it should be in a secluded location, preferably with no other houses within a few dozen meters. Even if it was a dilapidated house, it didn’t matter, as it would only be used temporarily and he wouldn’t be living there.
After riding his bicycle around for several minutes, he finally found a suitable house.
It was an old mud-brick house with two rooms. Judging by the extent of the exterior corrosion, it was probably several decades old. Through the door crack, Deng Shirong saw that no one was living inside; instead, it was filled with firewood, clearly used as a storage shed by the owner.
Next, Deng Shirong rode his bicycle to the nearest house and saw a middle-aged man smoking at the door. He greeted him, “Brother, I need to ask you something. Do you know who owns those two sheds up ahead?”
As he spoke, Deng Shirong pointed to the house.
The middle-aged man, holding his water pipe, countered, “Brother, where are you from?”
"Why do you ask?"
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "I'm from Bangjie Brigade. I want to buy those two sheds, so I was hoping you could tell me who owns them."
The middle-aged man suddenly understood. Although he found it odd that someone from Bangjie Brigade would come to their village to buy two sheds, it wasn't his business. He pointed the way and said, "Those are the sheds of Pork Man from our village. He sells pork at Tanlian Crossroads. You can find him there."
Deng Shirong thanked him and then rode his bicycle toward Tanlian Crossroads.
As he watched Deng Shirong leave, the middle-aged man continued to stuff tobacco into his pipe, muttering to himself.
It wasn't far from there to Tanlian Crossroads, and it only took Deng Shirong a few minutes to find the man known as Pork Man.
Pork Man was a middle-aged man in his forties. When he saw Deng Shirong riding up, he greeted him warmly, "Ah Biao, what kind of pork are you looking for?"
"I'm not buying pork."
Deng Shirong shook his head and pointed in a direction, saying, "Sir, do you have two sheds over there?"
Pork Man, unsure of his intentions, nodded and asked, "Yes, I do have two sheds there. Why are you asking, Ah Biao?"
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "I want to buy those two sheds from you. Are you willing to sell them?"
After all, those sheds weren't worth much. If he made a good profit from this year's lychee business, he might do it every year. Having a place to store his lychees would make things much easier.
Pork Man was taken aback. Their sheds were so dilapidated that they were barely fit for habitation, and yet someone wanted to buy them?
He pondered for a moment and said, "I'm willing to sell the sheds, but I need to keep the land for my son to build a house on in the future."
Deng Shirong replied, "Without the land, buying the sheds wouldn't be very useful to me. How about I rent them instead?"
The land was very important to rural people, and they would only sell it if they were desperate. This was why Pork Man wasn't very interested in selling the sheds. However, renting them was a different story.
As soon as Deng Shirong suggested it, Pork Man became excited and said, "Of course, renting is fine. How long do you want to rent them for, Ah Biao?"
Deng Shirong smiled, "If the price is right, I'd like to rent them for ten years."
"Rest assured, Ah Biao, I'll give you a fair price."
Pork Man quickly calculated in his head and then said, "The rent will be 15 yuan per year, which comes to 150 yuan for ten years. How does that sound, Ah Biao?"
Although the price was already very reasonable for Deng Shirong, he still haggled, "I'll only use the sheds temporarily each year, so 15 yuan per year is a bit steep."
Pork Man said, "Ah Biao, that's not expensive at all. It's just a bit more than a kilogram of pork per month. How can that be expensive?"
Deng Shirong smiled, "If I were using the sheds regularly, that price would be fine. But I only need them to store lychees temporarily. I don't use them the rest of the time, so it's a bit too much. Can you give me a better deal, Ah Biao?"
He wasn't short of money, but haggling was a necessity. He didn't want to seem naive and wealthy, as that could attract unnecessary trouble.
In the end, after some negotiation, Deng Shirong rented the sheds for one yuan per month.
Both parties were satisfied with the price.
Once they agreed on the terms, Pork Man said, "Ah Biao, we don't have time today. Give me two days to clear out the sheds, and we can sign the agreement in two days. Is that okay?"
"Of course."
Deng Shirong nodded and took two yuan from his pocket, handing it to Pork Man. "Here's a deposit. I'll come back here the day after tomorrow, okay?"
Pork Man took the money and said, "Sure, I'm here every day selling pork. Just come by the day after tomorrow."
"Alright, I know. I have some other things to take care of, so I'll be on my way!"
"Okay, take care, Ah Biao!"
As Deng Shirong rode away, the villagers who had overheard the conversation congratulated Pork Man, their voices filled with envy.
Renting out those dilapidated sheds for one yuan a month would bring in 12 yuan a year, which wasn't a small sum, especially since it was essentially free money. It was no wonder they were congratulating and envying him.
Pork Man's face was beaming. This was a stroke of luck, and it was hard not to be happy about it.
After all, the only use for those old sheds was to store firewood, and firewood didn't necessarily have to be stored inside. It could just as easily be kept in a corner of his yard, with no real impact.
So, for him, this money was truly a windfall.
Chapter 2 ends. Today's 6000-word update is complete.
(End of Chapter)
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