Chapter 264: The Scholarship Honor Roll Goes Wild (6000 Words)

Chapter 264: The Scholarship Honor Roll Goes Wild (6000 Words)



It has to be said that posting the Scholarship Honor Roll in the ancestral hall is indeed a highly tempting proposition for clan members with decent financial means.

Thus, on the day after the clan meeting, people started to seek out Deng Changqian, the person in charge of collecting donations, and happily contributed their scholarship funds.

In the future, Bangjie Village (brigade), one of the seven administrative villages in Shuangwang Town, will have over 1,600 households and a total population of nearly 7,000, with about 4,300 people bearing the Deng surname. This is a thriving community.

Currently, the population is naturally not as large as in the future, but the entire Bangjie brigade still has more than 3,000 people with the Deng surname.

With so many people mobilized, the power they can unleash is not to be underestimated.

Especially when there's a subtle competition between villages! Though they are all clan brothers, everyone loves to vie for the spotlight in such grand opportunities.

Therefore, the day after the clan meeting, each village started to take action. In less than three days, over a hundred people from all the villages had made donations, and the smallest donation was no less than 5 yuan. This shows that the first wave of donors were relatively well-off.

Deng Changqian, acting on the instructions of the clan head Deng Shirong, recorded and tallied donations for each village separately. He then created two honor rolls: one for individual donations and one for village donations.

In simple terms, it was a personal leaderboard and a village leaderboard.

Anyone who has experienced the future knows the power of leaderboards. Back in the day, when QQ introduced a level ranking, everyone went crazy trying to boost their levels. The same happened with the VIP growth value ranking; people were willing to spend a fortune to be at the top.

The QQ levels and VIP growth values alone caused such a frenzy, let alone game levels, which drove people to madness.

Similarly, now that the clan has introduced the donation honor rolls, not only with individual rankings but also village rankings, who wouldn't want to compete? Which village would want to be at the bottom in front of all their clan brothers?

Therefore, since the release of these two lists, the enthusiasm of the clan members for donations has been further ignited.

The competition between villages has also quietly intensified.

...

That afternoon.

Deng Changbao, accompanied by a few young men from the village, arrived at Deng Changqian's home, the place responsible for collecting donations. He got straight to the point, asking, "Brother Qian, who is currently at the top of the individual donation honor roll?"

Seeing the well-known big boss of the clan arrive, Deng Changqian smiled and said, "Currently, Uncle YunGui from our village is at the top, having donated 388 yuan."

This amount made the young men behind Deng Changbao suck in a sharp breath. That sum is enough to marry a wife; his generosity was truly impressive.

Deng Changbao wasn't surprised by this figure. Uncle YunGui had partnered with Jiu Gong to run a brick and tile factory, which had been very profitable over the past two years. YunGui's share should be no less than 16,000 yuan, so donating 388 yuan to the clan's scholarship fund was nothing to him.

Deng Changbao didn't rush to respond but asked, "And which village is currently at the top of the village donation list?"

Deng Changqian couldn't help but smile. "Currently, our Naye Village is at the top."

Deng Changbao nodded and asked again, "So, where does our Jimao Ridge rank now?"

Deng Changqian, who had memorized the rankings of all the villages, replied directly, "Your Jimao Ridge is currently ranked 12th."

This ranking was unacceptable to Deng Changbao. He was the owner of a brick and tile factory and had made a lot of money over the past two years, more than Uncle YunGui. As the wealthiest person in Jimao Ridge, he naturally wanted to boost his village's standing.

So, he asked again, "Brother Qian, how much does our village's total donation fall short of Naye Village's?"

Deng Changqian answered, "Currently, Naye Village's total donation is 638 yuan, while Jimao Ridge's total is 66 yuan."

Deng Changbao's lips twitched. The gap was indeed significant. Even if Naye Village removed Uncle YunGui's 388 yuan donation, the remaining amount still far exceeded Jimao Ridge's. He thought for a moment and said, "Brother Qian, please note that I am donating 688 yuan."

Deng Changqian was taken aback by this donation amount and immediately gave a thumbs up, praising, "Truly worthy of being a famous big boss in our clan. Your generosity is truly remarkable. With such big bosses supporting us, how could the Deng clan of Naye not flourish?"

Deng Changbao beamed with pleasure, pulling out the money from his pocket as he said, "I'm just doing my part. If our Naye Deng clan becomes strong and prosperous, people will look at us with respect. This benefits everyone."

Deng Changqian nodded. "That's true."

Next, they counted the money, and Deng Changqian recorded it in the ledger. The village and individual donation rankings were then adjusted accordingly.

After completing all of this, Deng Changqian smiled and said, "Congratulations, Boss Changbao, for temporarily ranking first in the individual donations on the Honor List for Educational Assistance. Congratulations also to Jimaoling Village for rising to the top of the village donation rankings. I'll post this list at the ancestral shrine soon, so all our clan members can see it."

Deng Changqian was highly satisfied. If it were any other matter, he might not have sought the limelight, but this was a donation for the clan’s educational assistance, a great honor for the village. The more high-profile, the better. Now that he had made a significant contribution to the clan, he would have more leverage if he needed the clan’s support in the future.

After the donation, Deng Changqian returned home with the young men from the village.

Deng Changqian wasted no time. Half an hour later, a large red sheet of paper was posted at the entrance of the ancestral shrine, listing the Naye Deng Clan's Honor List for Educational Assistance. On the left were the individual donation rankings, and on the right were the village donation rankings.

The village donation rankings were listed from top to bottom, but the number of individual donors was too large. This temporary honor list only included the top fifty donors.

The Naye Deng Clan’s ancestral shrine was located next to the Bangjie Brigade’s headquarters, which was the core of the entire Bangjie area. Except for the villages that were far away, the villagers from other villages often came to the brigade headquarters to chat during their free time.

Thus, when Deng Changqian posted the honor list at the ancestral shrine, it immediately drew a crowd.

The news spread like wildfire, and within an hour, it reached all the Deng villages.

In this era, although most rural families were relatively poor, almost every village had a few families with better living conditions. For example, Deng Shirong and Deng YunGui from Naye Village, and Deng Changbao from Jimaoling Village, were all representative figures.

In other villages, there were also business owners.

For instance, Deng YunFa and Deng Changshou from Yangdipopo Village had partnered to open a bowl factory and had made a substantial profit over the past two years.

In fact, during the early stages of the economic reforms, most people who ventured into business made money, except for a few exceptions.

However, after the golden period where profits were easy to come by, many were unable to adapt to the changing market and were eventually phased out. Those who could adapt and stand out became famous tycoons later on.

Deng YunFa and Deng Changshou, including the previous lives of Deng YunGui and Deng Shirong, were eventually unable to keep up with the market changes and were eventually phased out.

However, at this point in time, Deng YunFa and Deng Changshou were still making a good profit and were the only two ten-thousand-yuan households in Yangdipopo Village.

At that moment, Deng YunFa, Deng Changshou, and many other villagers were chatting about the honor list for educational assistance at the village entrance.

Previously, the honor list had not been publicly posted, and only the relatively well-off villagers from each village had taken the lead. As business owners, apart from Deng YunGui, the other village owners had not yet rushed to contribute.

But now, the temporary honor list had been posted, and Boss Deng Changbao from Jimaoling Village had already made a donation, securing the top spot on the individual list and bringing Jimaoling Village to the top of the village rankings.

Hearing this news, Deng YunFa and Deng Changshou couldn’t sit still.

Deng Changshou couldn’t help but ask, "Uncle YunFa, how much do you think we should donate?"

Deng YunFa thought for a moment and said, "I plan to match YunGui’s donation of 388 yuan. If you also donate this amount, our combined donations might not be the highest individually, but together, we can push our village to the top."

Deng Changshou slapped his thigh and said, "Alright, let’s do it. We’ll push Yangdipopo Village to the top first."

The villagers present couldn’t help but cheer. Although they weren’t the ones contributing, they still felt a sense of collective pride.

Meanwhile, similar scenes were playing out in other villages. The business owners who had planned to wait and see before making their contributions were now spurred into action by the temporary honor list.

In the following days, the competition for the village rankings became fierce. At one point, Naye Village was first, then Jimaoling Village, then Yangdipopo Village, followed by Ma Village, and finally Bangba Village.

In short, no village could hold the top spot for long.

However, the top spot on the individual list was firmly held by Deng Changbao from Jimaoling Village.

As the clan head and the advocate of the Honor List for Educational Assistance, Deng Shirong was in no hurry to make his contribution. He planned to wait until the competition settled before making his move to seal the deal.

During this period, Deng Shirong also drafted the detailed regulations for the scholarships and educational assistance. After consulting with the clan members who had high prestige, he decided to implement the reward standards he had discussed with his children and their spouses.

As for the criteria for educational assistance, it was initially intended to support clan members who were from poor families but excelled in their studies. However, after further discussion, it was decided to support all clan members who excelled in their studies.

As long as a student finishes in the top three of the class at the end of the term, the clan will not only cover all school fees but also provide extra cash rewards. The second and third places receive 5 yuan, while the first place gets 10 yuan. Students who place fourth to tenth will have their school fees covered, but no cash reward.

This scholarship announcement caused a sensation far greater than any other scholarship. Indeed, the amount for the big scholarships is enormous, especially for those who get accepted into prestigious universities like Tsinghua or Peking, where the reward is a staggering 1,000 yuan—enough to marry two wives.

However, such a large reward is something most people can only dream about, especially in villages that haven’t even produced a single ordinary college graduate. Asking them to aim for Tsinghua or Peking is simply unrealistic!

But the clan's scholarship is different. It’s a reward that is entirely achievable. Even if you can’t place in the top three, making it into the top ten means all your school fees are covered. If you can maintain this ranking, you won’t have to spend your family’s money on education, which is a tremendous benefit!

Thus, after this year's school opening, the clan’s emphasis on children’s education has never been greater. The level of supervision is completely different from before, when parents mostly let their children learn on their own.

But when all the other kids are playing, how realistic is it to expect your own child to diligently study at home?

Now, it’s not just one or two families being strict; the entire clan is enforcing strict discipline. Occasionally, if a few parents aren’t as strict, their children might run off, only to find no one to play with because all the other kids are at home doing homework!

Until the homework is finished, there’s no chance of going out to play.

This small change hasn’t shown significant results yet, but if it’s consistently maintained, the children’s academic performance is bound to improve.

---

Bobei County Town.

A group of people, old and young, carrying luggage, stepped out of the station. This group was none other than the family of Zhang Zhenfa from Poxin Village.

Except for Zhang’s mother, everyone else was visiting the county town for the first time. They were all looking around in amazement, marveling at the "tall buildings" in the distance and the "constant stream" of vehicles passing by.

Zhang’s mother, who had stayed in the county town for half a month the last time, knew every corner well. She now had the air of a local and was introducing the town to her family: "This is Nanjie Road, not the most bustling part of the county town. The most prosperous areas are Dajie, Wenhua Road, and Xinglong Road.

We’ll go straight down this road until we reach the crossroads ahead. To the left is Xicheng Road, where Xiu Ping’s father-in-law’s restaurant is located. From the crossroads, you can see the People’s Cinema, and the restaurant is right across from it. We should be able to see it as soon as we turn the corner."

Zhang Zhenfa, seeing the bicycles everywhere and the occasional motor vehicle, couldn’t help but remark, "This county town is truly impressive, much larger and more prosperous than our Longtan Street. I wonder if our family’s store would do better here?"

Zhang Shoumin nodded, "It probably would. Our store’s main advantage isn’t low prices but superior service. If we can establish ourselves in the county town, it’s natural that business would be better than in Longtan Street."

Zhang Shouguo asked, "Dad, are you thinking of moving our store to the county town?"

Zhang’s sisters-in-law looked at their father-in-law. The store was currently doing well, earning a steady few hundred yuan each month, and they were quite content. Starting over in a new place might bring more profit, but it could also be worse.

So, despite the county town’s prosperity and their own desire to live there, they were hesitant to make a change.

Zhang Zhenfa shook his head, "I was just saying it offhand. The store’s business is stable now. Who knows what would happen if we moved here? The risk is too high. There’s no need to change unless the store’s business declines in the future."

Zhang’s mother waved her hand, "Alright, let’s talk about business later. We shouldn’t stand here. Let’s go!"

---

Ten minutes later.

The Zhang family arrived at the entrance of the Shuifeng Restaurant. Seeing the impressive three-story building, they were all stunned.

Even though they knew the restaurant covered over a thousand square meters, seeing it in person was still a shock.

The restaurant’s cash register was on the right side of the entrance, allowing the person at the register to see outside. Therefore, before the Zhang family even walked in, Zhang Xiu Ping saw them and came out to greet them, pulling her husband along.

"Father, Mother, Big Brother and Big Sister, Second Brother and Second Sister, Xiao Jun and Xiao Shan, you’re here!"

"Yun Tai, Ping Mei!"

"Sister, Brother-in-Law!"

After exchanging greetings, Zhang Xiu Ping and Deng Yun Tai welcomed the Zhang family into the restaurant.

The exterior of the restaurant already looked impressive, but stepping inside, the spacious interior truly left the Zhang family in awe.

If the size of this restaurant were compared to a basketball, then the state-owned restaurant in Longtan would be nothing more than a ping-pong ball. They were simply not in the same league.

Zhang Xiuping and Deng Yuntai immediately led the Zhang family to one of the private rooms and arranged for them to sit down. The elegant decor and furnishings in the room only added to their amazement.

Once everyone was seated, Deng Yuntai smiled and asked, "Mom, Dad, Big Brother, Big Sister, Second Brother, Second Sister, Xiao Jun, Xiao Shan, here’s the menu. What dishes would you like? I’ll have the chef prepare them for you."

Zhang’s mother quickly replied, "Yuntai, don’t go to so much trouble. Just have the chef prepare something simple for us."

Deng Yuntai laughed and said, "Mom, you don’t come here often, so we need to treat you well. Order whatever you like, don’t be shy."

Despite his words, the Zhang family still felt a bit uncomfortable about ordering.

Zhang Xiuping smiled and said, "Brother Yuntai, don’t put Mom and Dad through this. I’ll handle the arrangements."

At that moment, Zhang Wenying and Zhang Wenjuan, the waitresses, began serving tea and setting the tableware.

Three minutes later, the dishes started arriving.

The first to arrive were the poached dishes, which were already prepared and only needed to be briefly heated in boiling water before being chopped and plated.

The dipping sauces were already mixed and ready, so they could be quickly served in small bowls, making the process very fast.

The poached dishes came in two varieties: one for dipping in the sauce and another served cold with a mix of seasonings, both incredibly delicious.

As the dishes began to arrive, Zhang Xiuping looked at her husband and said, "Brother Yuntai, why don’t you go collect the payments? I’ll stay and keep Mom and Dad company."

Deng Yuntai nodded and said, "Mom, Dad, Big Brother, Big Sister, Second Brother, Second Sister, Xiao Jun, Xiao Shan, take your time. I’ll be back once the other guests have paid."

Once Deng Yuntai left, Zhang’s eldest sister-in-law, sitting to the left of her younger sister, asked, "Sister Ping, this restaurant must be making a lot of money, right?"

Zhang Xiuping had a good personality and had always been helpful to her nieces and nephews back in her hometown, maintaining a good relationship with her sisters-in-law. Her successful marriage only strengthened these bonds.

So, Zhang’s eldest sister-in-law felt comfortable asking such a private question, which she wouldn’t have done if their relationship wasn’t so close.

Hearing her question, the rest of the Zhang family also looked curious.

Zhang Xiuping smiled and said, "Business is decent right now. We make around a thousand or so in profit each month."

The Zhang family’s expressions turned to shock. This income was far below their expectations, not because it was too much, but because it was too little.

They had spent less than a thousand yuan on their store in Longtan, including the cost of the shop, which was nothing compared to this restaurant’s size. Yet, they still managed to earn three to four hundred yuan each month. How could this large restaurant, which cost over three hundred thousand yuan to set up, only make a thousand or so each month?

Zhang’s mother immediately expressed her concern, "Xiuping, you say the business is good, but only making a thousand or so a month? How many years will it take to recover the three hundred thousand your father-in-law invested?"

Zhang Zhenfa also frowned and said, "Our small store only cost a few hundred yuan to set up, and we make three to four hundred a month. For such a large restaurant to make only a thousand or so a month is indeed too little. Even if it makes twenty thousand a year, it would take fifteen to sixteen years to recover the investment. This business must be losing money."

Zhang’s eldest and second sisters-in-law exchanged worried glances, clearly not expecting this situation.

Zhang Xiuping couldn’t help but laugh, "Dad, Mom, what are you thinking? There’s no way we’re losing money. The restaurant is just starting out, so the profits are low, but the business is getting better. In the future, we could easily make two to three thousand, or even four to five thousand a month.

Besides, the money invested is still there. Do you think this three-story building and the land are worthless? Even if the restaurant doesn’t work out, we can sell it and recover the investment."

Zhang’s second sister-in-law nodded in agreement, adding, "Sister Ping is right. The capital is still there. If we don’t consider the initial investment, making a thousand or so a month is actually a good income."

Zhang’s eldest sister-in-law agreed, "That’s true. Our small store makes three to four hundred a month, but we use six to seven people. On average, each person doesn’t earn much. This restaurant, managed by Sister Ping and Brother Yuntai, makes a thousand or so a month, which is a significant difference."

Zhang’s father, mother, and brothers all understood this logic and breathed a sigh of relief.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end