Chapter 27: A Simple and Brutal Money Incentive
Chapter 27: A Simple and Brutal Money Incentive
As Deng Shirong returned from the Deng Yujin household, he could smell the aroma of lard from a distance, indicating that his eldest daughter was back and frying oil.
Stepping into the living room, Deng Shirong saw his second son, Deng Yunheng, studying diligently. He said with satisfaction, "You're doing great. This summer, you don't need to worry about anything except your studies. If you can get into college next year, I'll give you 50 yuan per month as a living allowance, ensuring you can live comfortably in any city."
Deng Yunheng's eyes widened in shock. "Dad, are you serious?"
Deng Shirong replied with a serious expression, "Of course, I'm serious. It's always the children who might deceive their parents, not the other way around. If you get into college next year, I'll definitely keep my promise and never go back on my word."
Deng Yunheng was genuinely thrilled. A monthly allowance of 50 yuan was a significant amount. Previously, his father had given him 2 yuan for school, and he had managed to eat braised pork three times a week, still bringing 80 cents back home. If he could maintain this level of spending in college, 10 yuan a month would be more than enough for a comfortable life.
Of course, living expenses in big cities were higher, but with 50 yuan a month, he could still live quite comfortably. After all, many workers in the city, who were the breadwinners of their families, didn't earn as much as this!
The thought of a comfortable college life filled Deng Yunheng with determination. "Dad, just wait and see. I'll definitely get into college."
Deng Shirong had anticipated his second son's excitement. After all, a monthly allowance of 50 yuan was equivalent to 10,000 yuan in modern times, and for someone from a rural background, this was a highly motivating amount.
Using this incentive was a last-resort strategy for Deng Shirong. His second son was undoubtedly the smartest among his seven children. Unfortunately, in his previous life, limited educational resources in the countryside and a lack of effort in his studies had led to him missing out on college.
Reborn into this life, Deng Shirong was determined to change his second son's fate.
"Alright, I'll be waiting. You focus on your studies. This summer, I'll make sure you have plenty of good food and drink. When school starts, I'll give you enough living expenses. I hope you can surprise me and bring honor to our family by becoming a truly outstanding college student," Deng Shirong said with high hopes.
"Rest assured, Dad. I won't let you down," Deng Yunheng declared firmly.
...
For dinner, Deng Shirong prepared a classic dish for his children—taro rice.
There are many ways to make taro rice, and the ingredients can vary. In Naye Village, the recipe was simple, focusing on the rich flavor of the taro.
First, he heated oil in a pan and sauteed diced taro pieces until they were fragrant. He then added pork cracklings, soy sauce, and salt, stirring everything together. After the flavors were well combined, he added leftover rice from the previous day, stirring until the rice was well-cooked and flavorful. Finally, he added crushed garlic and continued to stir until the garlic was fragrantly cooked, then removed the pan from the heat.
This method produced a very dry and delicious taro rice.
However, since the Deng family didn't have leftover rice, Deng Shirong modified the recipe slightly. He sauteed the taro until it was fragrant, then added water and rice, cooking it like he would a regular dry pot rice. The process was similar, with only this step being different.
The taro rice, though not as dry as leftover rice, was incredibly fragrant with the aroma of taro and garlic, making it a delightful dish.
Overall, the children were thoroughly satisfied with their meal.
Deng Yongsong, the glutton, ate three large bowls and then patted his full belly, groaning in contentment.
After dinner, as the family sat by the door to digest their meal, Deng Shirong looked at his three youngest children and said, "Yongsong, Yonghua, Yongheng, I have something to tell you three. This afternoon, I made a deal with your older brother. If he can get into college next year, I'll give him 50 yuan a month for living expenses while he's in school."
At this, not only did Deng Yongsong, Deng Yonghua, and Deng Yongheng exclaim in surprise, but even Deng Yongtai, who had become a skilled potter at the kiln, was taken aback.
As for the sisters, Deng Yunzhen and Deng Yunzhu, their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
Deng Shirong watched his children's reactions and continued, "Now, I want to make a deal with you three as well. Starting from next semester, if your average score on the midterm or final exams is 90 or above, I'll give you a reward. The minimum reward is 5 yuan, and for every additional point, you get 2 yuan more. If you score full marks, you'll get a flat 30 yuan. Whether or not you can get this reward depends entirely on your own efforts!"
Despite his extensive life experience from two lifetimes, Deng Shirong admitted he was still a novice in education. Since he didn't know how to teach, he decided to use monetary rewards to see if it could motivate his sons to study harder.
After all, in his previous life, none of his sons had managed to get into college. Even if this method didn't work, the worst-case scenario would be that nothing changed.
Hearing their father’s words, Deng Yongsong's eyes sparkled as he asked, "Dad, are you serious?"
Deng Yonghua also asked excitedly, "Dad, if we get an average score of 90 or above, we can get that much of a reward?"
Even though Deng Yongheng was only eight, he knew that money was a good thing and could buy lots of delicious treats. He looked at his father with eager anticipation.
Deng Shirong nodded, "Of course, it's true. The reward will always be available. If you have the capability, I'll be happy to give it to you. But I want to remind you, you must take the exams with your own abilities. Don't even think about cheating. If I find out, you'll know the power of the rice measure."
At the mention of the "rice measure," the children all shivered involuntarily. The rice measure was a bamboo cylinder used in the countryside to measure rice for cooking, large enough to fit an adult's fist.
If a child was particularly troublesome or had caused some mischief, parents would use the rice measure to discipline them. They would burn something inside the cylinder to create smoke and then force the child's mouth and nose into it, choking them with the smoke. The discomfort was unbearable, as only those who had experienced it knew.
In the countryside, families often had four or five children, sometimes even seven or eight, unlike the cherished only children of later generations. When parents were annoyed, they didn't hesitate to discipline their children harshly.
In short, no child who had been choked by the rice measure was ever fearless again. It felt as if they couldn’t breathe and were about to die.
(End of Chapter)
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