Chapter 254: The Great Stir in Naye Village

Chapter 254: The Great Stir in Naye Village

Zhang Guoan, a seasoned revolutionary, may now just be a gatekeeper, but his influence is not to be underestimated. After agreeing to help Deng Shirong get a TV voucher, he delivered it to Deng Shirong’s hands in just one day. The efficiency was truly remarkable.

With the TV voucher in hand, Deng Shirong headed to the department store and spent 440 yuan on a 12-inch black-and-white television. He chose a domestic brand, even though Japanese brands generally had better quality in this era. Despite knowing that this brand would eventually disappear, Deng Shirong still chose to support domestic products.

After all, the black-and-white TV was only a temporary solution. He planned to upgrade to a color TV in a year or two. As for the black-and-white TV, he would keep it as a family memento, to be cherished for decades to come.

After buying the TV, Deng Shirong also purchased eight large-capacity batteries, along with wires, light bulbs, and an antenna. Since Naye Village wouldn’t have electricity until the 1990s, he decided to buy extra batteries so they could use the TV and lights without any issues.

Once he was used to electricity, using kerosene lamps would be a hassle.

After purchasing everything, Deng Shirong stored all the items in his system space.

That evening, Deng Shirong informed his children and their spouses. The next morning, after breakfast, he boarded a bus back to his hometown.

...

In the afternoon, at Naye Village, at Deng Yunjin’s house.

A castrator from the neighboring village was performing a simple surgical procedure on a few roosters for Deng Yunjin’s family.

The castrator sat on a small stool, opened the cage, and skillfully pulled out a rooster. He twisted the rooster’s head and tucked it under its wing, then used his left foot to pin down the wing and his right foot to hold the claws. With his left hand, he quickly plucked a patch of feathers from under the wing.

Next, he fished out a castration knife, which resembled a pair of tweezers, from a basin of clear water. He swiftly cut a small incision and used a special tool called an "iron bow," which had hooks on both ends, to widen the incision into a small opening.

He then inserted a long iron wire, about a foot long and with a fine thread tied to one end, into the opening. He pulled the thread back and forth a few times and finally used a small spoon to extract the rooster’s testicles.

The entire castration process was swift, precise, and ruthless, making it quite a spectacle. Clearly, the castrator had performed this procedure countless times.

After extracting the testicles, he put away the iron bow, opened the rooster’s beak, and dripped a few drops of water into its mouth. He then moved the rooster’s wings and legs slightly before releasing it.

And just like that, a castrated rooster was born.

The castrator repeated the process for the remaining roosters, completing the castration in a matter of minutes.

Deng Shirong arrived just as the castrator was finishing up.

"Uncle Nine!"

Deng Yunjin greeted Deng Shirong first before handing over two cents to the castrator.

Despite the castrator’s ease in performing the procedure, castrating roosters was not as simple as it looked. It required skill and experience, and the castrator deserved to be paid for his work.

Deng Shirong nodded at Deng Yunjin and, seeing that the castrator was about to leave, quickly said, "Aqi, how many rooster testicles do you have? Sell them to me!"

The castrator smiled, "Uncle Nine, these things aren’t worth much. I have about a pound. If you want them, I’ll give them all to you."

Deng Shirong waved his hand, "I can’t take them for free. You definitely need to be paid. Not just for these testicles, but whenever you have any, bring them to me. If I’m at home, I’ll buy them from you. I’ll pay you fifty cents a pound. How does that sound?"

Rooster testicles were indeed not valuable in this era. Many people even found their strong odor off-putting and avoided eating them. However, in the future, they would be considered a precious delicacy, a supreme tonic selling for 120 yuan a pound. They were a must-have ingredient in "functional porridge" in Guangdong and Guangxi, beneficial for both men and women.

In both this era and the future, the rooster testicles belonged to the castrator. Therefore, Deng Shirong made this offer, planning to store as many as he could in his system space. When his daughter-in-law was pregnant again, he could use these to nourish her, ensuring excellent results.

Hearing Uncle Nine’s offer, the castrator couldn’t help but feel elated.

As the only castrator in the Bangjie Brigade, he was responsible for castrating all the roosters in the area. With the relaxed policies, the number of chickens raised by villagers had increased significantly. Whenever he went out with his tools, he could bring back at least one or two pounds of rooster testicles in a day.

He couldn’t eat that much, and in the past, he would give them away. But now, with Uncle Nine willing to buy them regularly at fifty cents a pound, it would be a significant additional income. This was certainly something to be happy about.

After all, it was like finding money on the ground. Anyone would be happy in such a situation.

The castrated chicken man chuckled and said, "Alright, then thank you, Uncle Ji. I'll bring you some rooster eggs next time. This time, consider it a token of respect from your nephew."

"Thoughtful of you. I won't be formal then."

The castrated chicken man packed the rooster eggs into his cloth bag. Deng Shirong naturally couldn't take the bag, so he asked the man to wait while he took the eggs home and returned the bag.

Three minutes later.

Deng Shirong returned the cloth bag and said, "I'll be at home for a while. If you have any rooster eggs, just bring them over."

The castrated chicken man nodded and agreed, then left with his tools, happy as a clam.

Watching the man leave, Deng Shirong turned to Deng Yunjin and asked, "Yunjin, have your daughter and son-in-law visited you recently?"

Mentioning his daughter and son-in-law, Deng Yunjin's face lit up with a smile. "They were here just a few days ago."

"How is Mei doing over there?"

"She's doing well, with no worries about food or clothing. Her husband is capable, and her in-laws treat her nicely. It's all thanks to you, Uncle Ji, for finding her such a good family."

Deng Shirong said with satisfaction, "I'm relieved to hear that. I plan to build a wooden pavilion under the longan tree in front of my house. I'm not sure if your son-in-law can do it, but if he can, I'd like to ask him to help me build it."

Deng Yunjin thought for a moment and said, "I'm not sure if he can build a pavilion, but his family has been carpenters for three generations. Even if he can't, his father or grandfather probably can. Uncle Ji, do you want me to ask him?"

"No need. You don't know what kind of pavilion I want, and you might not be able to explain it clearly. I'll go and ask him myself."

With that, Deng Shirong checked the time, got up, and said, "It's not too late yet. I won't keep you any longer. I'll go to your son-in-law's house and ask him now."

...

Back home, Deng Shirong hopped on his bicycle and headed to Changtian Village.

Building a pavilion under the longan tree in front of his house was something Deng Shirong had been planning for a while. In the future, it would be simple to use corrugated iron to build a shelter, but his main goal was to protect against the rain. If it could be both practical and beautiful, that would be even better.

However, using corrugated iron for shelters wasn't popular in this era. He had to build a fully wooden pavilion, which required an experienced carpenter. This was why the plan had been delayed.

But now that Deng Shirong had bought a black-and-white television, he needed to get the pavilion built quickly.

He didn't want to bring the television inside the house. Instead, he planned to place it under the longan tree. The reason for this was that he didn't want his house to be overrun by villagers.

In his previous life, as the first person in the village to own a television, Deng Shirong had experienced this. Every evening after dinner, villagers would eagerly bring their little stools to his house to watch TV. Those who arrived late couldn't even squeeze in and had to stand outside, listening to the sound of the TV.

While it was indeed a status symbol, having his house packed with people every day made even simple tasks, like going to the bathroom, extremely difficult. It was a mix of pride and frustration.

In this life, Deng Shirong wasn't going to make the same mistake.

So, the television would stay outside under the longan tree, where there would be plenty of space. As long as people didn't mind the distance, the entire village could gather to watch.

He wasn't worried about the television being stolen. In this era, no one in the village would dare to steal such a valuable item. There was nowhere to sell it, and the risk of being caught was too high, making it a bad deal.

Besides, his dogs weren't just for show.

Therefore, placing the television outside was safe. All he needed was to build the pavilion to protect it from the rain.

...

Changtian Village.

Deng Changmei was chatting with a neighbor while carrying her son.

It had been almost two years since she married into Changtian Village. With her high education (high school graduate) and friendly personality, combined with her husband's family being carpenters for three generations, she had easily become one of the most well-liked young women in the village.

As she was chatting with a fellow villager, she spotted Uncle Ji riding his bicycle over and exclaimed, "Uncle Ji, what brings you here?"

"Mei, chatting?" Deng Shirong stopped his bicycle and handed her a bag of candy and cookies. "Is your husband at home?"

Deng Changmei politely accepted the bag and said, "He's at home. He's been busy making a wardrobe for someone recently."

As they spoke, Deng Changmei greeted a young neighbor and then led Ninth Elder toward their home.

Reaching the front door, Deng Changmei called out, "Liberation, Ninth Elder is here!"

Soon, Zhang Liberation, with wood shavings clinging to his clothes, walked out of the hall, his face beaming with a smile. "Ninth Elder!"

Deng Shirong parked his bicycle and laughed, "Working hard?"

Zhang Liberation nodded, "Making a wardrobe for someone."

Deng Changmei invited, "Ninth Elder, come in and have a smoke."

Deng Shirong walked in, took the pipe from Mei, and sat on a small stool. As he fished out some tobacco and matches from his pocket, he glanced at the nearly completed wardrobe in the hall.

After a few puffs and some small talk, Deng Shirong asked, "Liberation, can you build a wooden pavilion?"

"If I do it alone, my skills are a bit lacking. But my father and grandfather can, and I can assist them."

Zhang Liberation then asked, "Ninth Elder, are you thinking of building a pavilion at your front gate?"

Deng Shirong nodded, "Yes, I want to build a pavilion at my front gate, but it won’t be a regular one. I want it centered around the longan tree there, a place that’s both beautiful and can shelter from the rain. Do you think your father and grandfather can manage it?"

Zhang Liberation was confident in his family’s craftsmanship and smiled, "Ninth Elder, my father and grandfather are quite skilled. If you explain your requirements clearly, I believe they can do it."

Deng Shirong asked, "Is your father at home?"

"I’m not sure where he is, but my grandfather should be at home."

Zhang Liberation then turned to his wife, "Mei, keep Ninth Elder company. I’ll go get Grandpa."

Deng Changmei asked, "Ninth Elder, how many teeth does your granddaughter have?"

Deng Shirong laughed, "Four, and the fifth and sixth are halfway in. How about your son?"

Deng Changmei replied, "My son has four as well..."

They chatted about their children, and then Zhang Liberation brought his grandfather over.

They were old friends, and most of the furniture in Deng Shirong’s home had been made by the three generations of the Zhang family. After exchanging greetings, they discussed the pavilion.

Deng Shirong detailed his requirements to Grandpa Zhang, concluding, "Old Brother Zhang, what I’m talking about is more like a wooden shelter. As long as it’s beautiful and can keep the rain off, it’ll do."

Grandpa Zhang smiled, "Ninth Uncle, that’s not a problem. We can do it."

Deng Shirong said, "I’d like the shelter to cover a large area, at least sixty to seventy square meters. How long do you think it will take?"

Grandpa Zhang thought for a moment, "If we have the wood ready, we should be able to finish it within a month."

"Then I’ll trouble you, Old Brother Zhang. I’ll have the wood prepared, and if you’re free, we can start in three days."

"Alright, Ninth Uncle, we’ll come over in three days to start the work."

"Good, it’s getting late, so I’ll head back now."

"Stay for dinner, Ninth Elder!"

"No, it’s just the right time to head back. Any later, and I’d have to walk in the dark."

"Alright, see you, Ninth Elder!"

"See you!"

...

Over the next few days, Deng Shirong stayed busy with a few tasks:

1. Sourcing the wood for the shelter. With his standing in the village, this wasn’t a problem. As soon as he mentioned it, many people offered to help.

2. Installing the electrical wiring and lights. Though not a professional electrician, Deng Shirong could handle simple wiring. In this era, wiring was straightforward, so he just needed to make sure it was neat.

3. Cutting the longest and straightest bamboo for the antenna stand. Having done this in his past life, it was second nature to him.

While Deng Shirong was busy with the wiring, the three generations of the Zhang family arrived with their tools. After another round of discussion with Deng Shirong, they began their work systematically.

The commotion naturally drew the attention of the entire village.

"Ninth Elder, is that wiring and lights?"

"Yes, that’s the wiring and lights."

"Ninth Elder, is the village getting electricity?"

"No, given our village’s situation, it’s unlikely to happen in the next few years."

"Ninth Elder, if the village isn’t getting electricity, why are you installing wiring and lights now?"

"I’ve bought a battery. I plan to use it for lighting. It’s much more convenient than kerosene lamps!"

"Ninth Elder, what’s a battery?"

"Here, this is a battery. It’s like the batteries in a flashlight, storing electrical energy."

“Wow, that battery is huge! No wonder it can power the light bulbs.”

“Old Jiu, don’t you already have all the furniture you need? Why are you hiring a carpenter to make more?”

“This time, I’m not making furniture. I plan to build a wooden shack near the longan tree.”

“Oh, you know how to enjoy life, Old Jiu. Building a shack here will be perfect for cooling off in the summer!”

“Old Jiu, what are you hanging on that bamboo pole?”

“This is called an antenna. It’s used to receive signals when watching TV.”

“Ah? Watching TV? Old Jiu, you didn’t buy a TV, did you?”

“Yeah, I did buy a TV. Once I set everything up, everyone can come over to watch!”

“……”

BOOM!!!

When Deng Shirong revealed that he had bought a TV, it caused a massive stir in Naye Village.

It was already October 1982, and in big cities, TVs were no longer rare. While it would be an exaggeration to say every household had one, many did.

However, this was Guangxi, a province that had responded to the national call and was making every effort to guard the southern border of the country.

The 1980s were a crucial period of economic reform and development. While other provinces were focusing on economic growth, Guangxi was embroiled in a conflict with a certain ungrateful southern nation.

In such an environment, where economic development was impossible, it was no surprise that Guangxi’s economy was among the poorest in the country. Baise County, one of the most populous counties in Guangxi, naturally didn’t fare much better.

To date, the entire county had fewer than a thousand TVs.

This was a county with 7,972 villages and a population of nearly a million. The fact that the entire county had fewer than a thousand TVs was a staggering statistic. On average, several villages would share one TV.

However, this was just an average. In reality, at least half of the TVs were owned by city dwellers, and most of the rest were in the various communes. In the rural areas, very few people could afford a TV.

Thus, Deng Shirong’s TV wasn’t just the first in Naye Village; it was the first in the entire Bangjie Brigade. It might even be one of the top three in the entire Shuangwang region, which explains the massive excitement it caused among the villagers.

Upon hearing the news, everyone rushed over to see the commotion.

Deng YunGui, who ranked second on Naye Village’s list of wealthiest residents, also hurried over. He asked, “Uncle Jiu, where’s the TV you bought?”

Deng Shirong had already set up the antenna. He knew he couldn’t satisfy the villagers’ curiosity without showing them the TV, so he said, “It’s in my room. I’ll bring it out for you all to see!”

With that, he returned to his room, retrieved the black-and-white TV from the system space, and carried it out for the villagers to gather around.

Even the three generations of the Zhang family, who were in the middle of working, put down their tools and rushed over to see.

This was a TV, after all. Even if the villagers could afford it, they wouldn’t be able to get a TV coupon.

Even if they could afford it and get a coupon, the village not having electricity meant no one would think of buying a TV.

After all, spending so much money on a TV that would just sit there unused was a luxury even the second-wealthiest villager, Deng YunGui, wouldn’t dare to indulge in, let alone anyone else.

After examining the TV for a while, Deng YunGui said to Deng Shirong, “Uncle Jiu, the village doesn’t have electricity yet. This TV won’t be of any use!”

Deng Shirong smiled and said, “I bought a battery. When we want to watch TV, we’ll use the battery.”

Deng YunGui was surprised. “A battery can power a TV?”

Deng Shirong replied, “Of course it can. If a battery can power a light bulb, why can’t it power a TV?”

Deng YunGui nodded. “That makes sense. But how long can a battery power a TV?”

Deng Shirong said, “It depends on how long we watch it. If we only watch it at night, it should last about a week!”

Deng YunGui asked, puzzled, “What happens when the battery runs out?”

Deng Shirong wasn’t surprised by the question. In this era, rural people lacked knowledge about many common things. He explained with a smile, “The battery can be recharged. Once it’s drained, we just recharge it, and it’s good to go again.”

Deng YunGui nodded in understanding. “So, it can be recharged. But how do we charge it if the village doesn’t have electricity?”

Deng Shirong sighed. “We’ll have to take it to Shuangwang to charge it. It’s a bit of a hassle, and it’ll cost a fair bit, but being able to watch TV is worth it to me.”

Hearing Deng Shirong and Deng YunGui’s conversation, the villagers were filled with admiration.

Old Jiu (Old Gong) really is something else!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end