https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-231-Ninth-Uncle-Returns-to-the-Village-Causing-a-Stir/12849374/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-233-I-Want-to-Make-a-Name-for-Myself-4000-words-/12849376/
Chapter 232: Impressive!
Chapter 232: Impressive!
Datong Brigade.
Baoshan Village.
Bu Zhongshi had a blade of grass hanging from his mouth as he walked toward the river with his childhood friends. It was the hottest part of summer, and swimming in the river to cool off was a daily routine for the village boys.
On the way, one of his friends asked, "Zhongshi, your brother has been in the county town for over a month, right?"
Bu Zhongshi nodded, "Yeah, it's been over a month."
His friend said with a wistful look, "The county town, we've never been there. I wonder what it's like. Your brother getting a job there is really something to envy!"
Bu Zhongshi spat out the grass and sighed, "Don't just say you envy him; I envy him even more!"
His friend then asked, "Zhongshi, your sister and brother-in-law, and your brother, are all helping your uncle with his work. Why aren't you helping out?"
Bu Zhongshi sighed again, "I want to help, but my uncle doesn't need that many people right now. He did tell me he'd give me a job when the opportunity arises, but I don't know when that will be."
His friend said with envy, "Your uncle is so capable. If he said he'd give you a job, he will. You just have to wait. Unlike me, I have no other options besides helping out at home."
Bu Zhongshi replied, "I heard my uncle mention that development in Guangdong is really fast. They might need a lot of workers. If we can't find work here, maybe going to Guangdong to find a job could be a good option."
His friend's eyes widened in surprise, "I've never even been to the county town, and you're asking me to go to Guangdong for work?"
In those days, the wave of people going to Guangdong for work hadn't started yet. Especially in Shuangwang, it wasn't until the late 1980s that the trend began, and by the 1990s and early 2000s, going to Guangdong was the only choice for many workers.
For rural folks who had never even been to a county town, going to Guangdong seemed too far-fetched and risky.
Bu Zhongshi had only mentioned it in passing. He knew nothing about Guangdong and laughed, "I was just saying. People like us, who have never seen the world, would probably be tricked and still happily count the money for our scammers!"
His friend nodded in agreement.
Though they were adults, in terms of worldly knowledge, they were far behind even a few-year-old child from the future. They had never left Shuangwang, let alone the county town.
Moreover, in those days, there were no TVs, computers, or smartphones to connect them to the world. They had a deep longing for the outside world but also a sense of awe and fear. Unless someone showed them the way, they wouldn't dare to venture out of the province.
As they chatted, they continued toward the river. Just as they were about to reach it, his friend suddenly patted Bu Zhongshi's shoulder, "Zhongshi, look! Isn't that your uncle?"
Bu Zhongshi quickly looked up and saw his uncle riding a bicycle toward them. He hurriedly called out, "Uncle!"
Deng Shirong stopped the bike and asked, "Zhongshi, where are you going?"
"Too hot, I was planning to go swimming. But since you're here, I won't go."
Bu Zhongshi then turned to his friend, "I'll go back with my uncle. You go ahead and swim!"
"Sure, go ahead. I'll manage. There are plenty of people by the river anyway."
Bu Zhongshi nodded and hopped onto the back of his uncle's bike, heading home with him.
They arrived at home in three minutes. Bu Zhongshi jumped off and shouted, "Dad, Mom, Uncle's here!"
Deng Shirong smiled, parked the bike, and handed over a large piece of pork, "Hang this up."
Bu Zhongshi took the pork and chuckled, "Uncle, every time you come, we have meat for days!"
As he spoke, Deng Shilan, Bu Erzhu, Bu Xiaoshi, and Bu Xiaofang came out of the house.
Deng Shilan asked with a smile, "Brother, when did you get back from the county town?"
Bu Erzhu nodded at Deng Shirong in greeting.
"Uncle!" Bu Xiaoshi and Bu Xiaofang greeted him happily.
Deng Shirong smiled, "Just got back yesterday."
Rural homes always had small stools outside. Once Deng Shirong sat down, Bu Xiaoshi had already brought him his pipe.
Deng Shilan asked, "How's the restaurant business?"
Deng Shirong took the pipe, stuffed it with tobacco, and lit it, "It's good. We made over a thousand in the first month."
Bu Zhongshi had just finished hanging the pork and came out to hear this. He was immediately shocked, "My God, a thousand in a month? That's over ten thousand a year! Uncle, you're amazing!"
The others were equally stunned.
Although they all knew that their younger brother (or uncle) Lychee had earned over a thousand yuan recently and Watermelon had made nearly five thousand, the average monthly income over the year was only around five hundred yuan. This was far less than what they could earn at the brick factory, let alone the over a thousand yuan they could make at a restaurant.
Deng Shirong stuffed tobacco into his pipe and smiled, "The income is just decent. I’ve invested over three hundred thousand yuan into that restaurant, so it’ll take a while to recoup the costs!"
"What?"
Deng Shilan couldn’t believe her ears. "Did I hear that right? You’ve invested over three hundred thousand yuan into a restaurant in the county town?"
Bu Erzhu, Bu Zhongshi, Bu Xiaoshi, and Bu Xiaofang—all of them were stunned speechless.
They had always assumed that their younger brother (or uncle)’s restaurant in the county town was similar to the state-owned Shuangwang Restaurant, maybe a bit bigger but not by much, and that an investment of a few thousand yuan would be more than enough.
But now they learned that he had actually invested over three hundred thousand yuan.
In this era, what did three hundred thousand yuan mean?
Take their village, Bao Shan, for example. A family that could come up with a few hundred yuan in cash was already considered very well-off. Even if they searched every single villager, they wouldn’t find thirty thousand yuan, let alone three hundred thousand!
This is why Deng Shilan and her family were so shocked that their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when they learned how much money their younger brother (or uncle) had invested in the restaurant in the county town.
Deng Shirong nodded, lit his pipe with a match, and took a few puffs before saying, "All that money came from a loan from the credit union. Right now, between the restaurant, Lychee Mountain, and the brick factory, my annual income is around twenty-six to twenty-seven thousand yuan. In ten years, I should be able to pay off the credit union’s loan.
"Of course, the restaurant is just getting started. I believe the business will only get better, and the time to pay off the loan will be significantly shortened. Perhaps in just three or five years, I’ll be able to pay it all off."
Deng Shirong had lived to be 88 in his previous life and had seen countless things. He had a lot of insights on how to deal with family, which is why he chose to reveal some of this information to his third sister’s family now. He wanted them to know that he was making a lot of money, but he also had a significant debt to the bank.
This approach had its benefits, which anyone with life experience would understand.
In simple terms, it gave him more flexibility when dealing with money-related matters.
For example, if a relative or friend asked you for a loan, and you weren’t in debt and were making a lot of money, refusing to lend them the money would likely end the relationship.
No matter what they needed the money for—whether it was for gambling or something else—they wouldn’t be happy if you refused. Some might even hold a grudge against you.
In their eyes, the amount they were asking for was a mere fraction of your income. If you couldn’t help with such a small favor, what good were you as a relative or friend?
However, if they knew you were in debt to the bank, they would understand if you couldn’t lend them the money. They might be disappointed, but they wouldn’t resent you. This was enough for you.
If you did lend them the money, their gratitude would be even greater because you were helping them even though you were in debt yourself. Such a relative or friend was truly someone who could be relied upon.
So, whether or not you were in debt wasn’t the key. The key was that the debt gave you an additional option when dealing with these situations.
You could help when it was appropriate, but you also had an excuse to refuse without causing a rift if the money was going to be used for gambling or frivolous spending.
When Deng Shilan heard that her younger brother was in so much debt to the credit union, she couldn’t help but worry and scold him, "Younger brother, you’re doing well at home and making good money. Why did you have to go and invest so much in the county town? What if you can’t make it back?"
Bu Erzhu also chimed in, "Yeah, investing so much is too risky."
Deng Shirong smiled and reassured them, "Third Sister, Third Brother-in-Law, don’t worry. The restaurant’s business is getting better every day. We’ll definitely be able to pay off the credit union’s loan smoothly."
Bu Zhongshi, Bu Xiaoshi, and Bu Xiaofang didn’t think too much about it. They just thought their uncle was incredibly cool, spending over three hundred thousand yuan in one go. He was simply amazing.
At the same time, the three siblings couldn’t help but wonder how big and luxurious the restaurant must be, given the investment of over three hundred thousand yuan.
At that moment, they all wished they could fly to the county town to see the restaurant their uncle had opened with their own eyes.
(End of Chapter)
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