Chapter 301: Not Much Harm, But Extremely Insulting

Chapter 301: Not Much Harm, But Extremely Insulting

  After all, the county town is just a county town. Whether it's now or in the future, it's not very large. When something happens, it quickly spreads throughout the entire town.

  "This Tenglong Passenger Transport Company started with ten large buses running to Guangdong. At that time, I knew this company had some strength, but I only thought it was economically strong. I didn't expect it to have so much influence in the county town."

  "Indeed, I didn't expect it. And the company is quite ruthless. As soon as a new Guangzhou bus appeared to compete with it, they immediately brought in five more Guangzhou buses. It looks like they're determined to see who can hold out longer."

  "That's very normal. If someone is trying to take your business, and if I had the ability, I would also bring in more buses to compete."

  "Tenglong Passenger Transport Company is impressive, but this new Guangzhou bus is not to be underestimated either. They can also gather dozens of people at any time."

  "I know about that new Guangzhou bus. It was bought by the Jin Yuanbao brothers from Chengdong Village."

  "How strong are the Jin Yuanbao brothers?"

  "The three brothers have quite a bit of influence in the village. I think there's going to be a good show!"

  "Do you think Tenglong Company is stronger, or the Jin Yuanbao brothers?"

  "That's hard to say. If it's about who has more money, Tenglong Company is obviously the winner. But Tenglong Company seems to be run by outsiders. As the saying goes, a strong dragon doesn't oppress the local snake. If they fight, Tenglong Company might not be a match for the Jin Yuanbao brothers."

  "That's not necessarily true. Didn't Tenglong Company also gather dozens of people today? And they had more people than the Jin Yuanbao brothers brought!"

  "Today, I think the Jin Yuanbao brothers underestimated their opponent, so they weren't as prepared."

  "..."

  In this era, there weren't as many entertainment options as in the future. It was rare to have such a big story about a Guangzhou bus, so everyone was discussing it enthusiastically, like following a TV series, all eager to see how it would develop.

  However, the next day, something happened that left all the onlookers extremely disappointed.

  They saw that the Jin Yuanbao brothers' Guangzhou bus had changed its sign from "Bobai — Guangzhou" to "Bobai — Maoming."

  If it weren't for someone remembering the bus's license plate number and the driver, no one would have guessed that this Maoming bus was actually the Jin Yuanbao brothers' Guangzhou bus.

  Seeing the Jin Yuanbao brothers' move, the onlookers, though disappointed, couldn't help but think of a term that was not very harmful but extremely insulting: "Is that it?"

  With the Jin Yuanbao brothers changing their Guangzhou bus to a Maoming bus, it meant that Tenglong Passenger Transport Company had won this battle. However, no one was clear on how Tenglong Company had won.

  Was it because the Jin Yuanbao brothers were scared by the confrontation yesterday?

  But that didn't seem likely. Neither side had taken any action yesterday, and although there was a difference in numbers, it wasn't enough to scare the Jin Yuanbao brothers to this extent.

  So, what was the real issue?

  Many people interested in this matter started to investigate.

  Then, news spread that the Jin Yuanbao brothers had been warned by both the Xin Village Elder and the law enforcement authorities yesterday.

  At this point, everyone finally understood.

  No wonder. The name of the Xin Village Elder was known to everyone in the county town, and even outsiders who had integrated into the local community had heard of him. Being warned by such a powerful figure, it was normal for the Jin Yuanbao brothers to back down.

  Moreover, in addition to the warning from the Xin Village Elder, the law enforcement authorities had also come to warn them.

  In this era, the authority of law enforcement was not as strong as in the future. There were many reasons for this, but one key point is that ignorance is bliss.

  That's why, in this era, rural areas sometimes saw resistance against law enforcement.

  In the future, most people had some knowledge of the law and a deep-seated respect for law enforcement. Apart from those who had already embarked on a criminal path, normal people wouldn't dare to resist law enforcement.

  However, in this era, while the authority of law enforcement might have been weaker in rural or remote areas with limited legal awareness, in the county town, where legal awareness was relatively strong and law enforcement had a strong presence, their authority was just as strong as in the future.

  Anyone who dared to resist law enforcement was considered to have had enough of life. Normal people wouldn't do such a thing.

  The Jin Yuanbao brothers, of course, had not had enough of life. Therefore, it was completely normal for them to back down after being warned by both the Xin Village Elder and the law enforcement authorities.

  After understanding the Jin Yuanbao brothers' choice, these onlookers couldn't help but wonder: What kind of background does Tenglong Passenger Transport Company have?

Why did the New Village Elder and the law enforcement authorities step in to warn the Jin Yuanbao brothers?

For now, no one could provide an answer to this question.

However, everyone came to understand one thing: it was best not to provoke Tenglong Passenger Transport Company, as it was a force to be reckoned with.

...

Even the casual onlookers knew this, and it was no surprise that the Ye Hao Clan members had known about it long before.

After the confrontation incident, the clan leader informed the well-prepared clan members that afternoon that they had already sent someone to warn the Jin Yuanbao brothers. If everything went as planned, the brothers would likely choose to exit the Guangzhou route.

Sure enough, the next day, the "Bobai — Guangzhou" sign was taken down, and the "Bobai — Maoming" sign was put up.

While they were still running to Guangdong, both the route to Zhanjiang chosen by Huang Qiang and Huang Qi, and the route to Maoming chosen by the Jin Yuanbao brothers, were routes that Tenglong Passenger Transport Company had not considered important.

Running these two routes could indeed be profitable in the future, but compared to the popular cities chosen by Tenglong Passenger Transport Company, they were far less lucrative.

Seeing that the other side had indeed backed down, the Deng Clan members, led by Lei, were in awe of their clan leader. They never imagined that the clan leader had such significant influence in the county. They could handle a fight, but forcing the other side to back down without a fight was something they could not do.

After the problem was resolved, the clan's drivers drove the large buses to send most of the clan members back, leaving only a dozen or so to maintain the safety of the buses.

As for the five large buses already dispatched to Guangzhou, they could be withdrawn one by one each day. All the buses would be parked back at the clan until the Spring Festival, when they would be put back into operation.

...

As the lunar month of October approached, 1984 was drawing to a close.

One evening, while organizing his memories from his previous life, Deng Shirong suddenly remembered a very important event: in 1985, the entire county of Bobai suffered the most severe pest and disease outbreak in rice since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Both the early and late rice crops were severely affected, with many areas experiencing total crop failure.

Deng Shirong remembered this clearly because his second son, Deng Yunheng, got married in 1985, and at that time, his family was still farming. The total crop failure that year left a deep impression on him.

Back then, Yehao Village did not have the economic conditions it has now, so the pest and disease outbreak that year made life very difficult for most villagers.

Now, although the economic conditions of the villagers have improved significantly compared to the past, most of the clan members, except Deng Shirong, are still farming. If a similar severe pest and disease outbreak occurs this year, it will still result in considerable economic losses for the clan members.

However, even with prior knowledge of this event, how could they solve this problem?

This is not something that can be easily resolved by just spraying pesticides. For example, rice blast disease, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is a serious disease affecting rice. It can occur throughout the entire growth period of rice, affecting seedlings, leaves, panicles, and nodes, known as seedling blast, leaf blast, panicle blast, and node blast, respectively.

This is just one of the diseases and pests affecting rice in 1985, which also included sheath blight, bacterial leaf blight, and pests such as leaf rollers, planthoppers, and stem borers.

Even with prior knowledge, given the current rice cultivation and management techniques in Bobai County, effectively controlling these diseases and pests would be very difficult. Otherwise, in his previous life, the county would have found a solution after the early rice crop was affected, and the late rice crop would not have suffered the same fate.

Therefore, preventing the outbreak in advance would be very challenging.

After much thought, Deng Shirong believed that the only way to solve this problem was to persuade everyone not to plant rice next year and instead plant other crops. After getting through the year with the most severe pest and disease outbreak, they could resume planting rice, which should effectively address the issue.

As for what to plant, there was no need to think further—sweet potatoes were the answer.

In Bobai County, sweet potato cultivation is second only to rice. The main varieties include Wuyouji (also known as "Peiwuqi" or "Damasu"), Zhanghuangsu, Jia Zhanghuang, Haikangsu, Sixirisu, Zhitianong, and Guanyangsu.

Among these, the highest-yielding variety is undoubtedly Wuyouji, with an average yield of 550-600 kilograms per mu, and even reaching 1,000 kilograms per mu in high-yie fields.

Its advantages include strong adaptability, strong disease resistance, and wide adaptability, suitable for both mountainous and plain areas, including paddy fields. The downside is its white flesh and bland taste, which is not very palatable.

However, due to its high yield, it is excellent for use as feed for pig farming, and it is very popular among farmers in Bobai County, covering about half of the total sweet potato planting area.

The higher-quality variety is "Jia Zhanghuang," with yellow, fine, fragrant, and sweet flesh, strong disease and pest resistance, and suitable for both dry and wet fields, with a yield just below "Wuyouji." Its planting area is also large, covering about 30% of the total sweet potato planting area in the county.

(End of chapter)

Both of these varieties share a common characteristic: strong resistance to diseases and pests. If next year, the clan members and their relatives and friends can be persuaded to plant these varieties of sweet Potates based on their needs, they can safely navigate through the severe pest and disease outbreak.

  As for how to persuade them to give up rice and switch to sweet potatoes, for Deng Shirong, it’s not a difficult task. After all, his standing among relatives, friends, and clan members is now very high. As long as he finds a plausible reason, they will readily listen to him.

  Therefore, Deng Shirong is confident that his relatives, friends, and clan members will avoid the losses from the severe pest and disease outbreak next year.

  However, the saying goes: when poor, one improves oneself; when rich, one helps the world. Deng Shirong is not content with just helping his relatives, friends, and clan members. He also wants to assist the A Biao from other towns.

  After all, they are all from Bobai. In the previous life, the people of Bobai were known for their unity (there were a few bad apples, but the majority was good). Even if there were internal conflicts, when it came to the outside world, they were united.

  Especially during the 1980s and 1990s, conflicts between villages and towns were frequent. But when it came to the outside world, they were united. So much so that in the 1990s and early 2000s, factories were hesitant to hire male workers from Bobai, fearing the reputation of Bobai people.

  Unity is ingrained in the genes of the people of Bobai, and Deng Shirong, being a Bobai native, is willing to help the A Biao from other towns if he can.

  However, it’s not easy to persuade the A Biao from other towns to switch from rice to sweet potatoes. Why should they listen to him?

  After all, Deng Shirong is not just the head of the Deng clan; even if he were the county elder, without a good reason, others wouldn’t listen to him. After all, it’s not the collective farming era anymore, but the individual farming period where farmers have the freedom to choose what to plant.

  To convince the A Biao from other towns to switch from rice to sweet potatoes, they need to see the benefits. If they believe that planting sweet potatoes is more profitable than rice, then they might be persuaded. Otherwise, it would be hard to convince them to switch from rice to sweet potatoes.

  In the end, Deng Shirong reluctantly realizes he can’t really help the A Biao from other towns, at least not for the early rice. After the severe pest and disease outbreak in the early rice, he can help the A Biao with the late rice.

  Just as Deng Shirong was thinking about how to help the A Biao from other towns, Zhang Xiuping, who had just put the children to bed, came downstairs and said, “Dad, I want to discuss something with you.”

  Deng Shirong asked, “What is it? Speak up!”

  Zhang Xiuping said, “A Yuan and A hua have already separated from their parents and will come to the county next year to develop. I’ve been thinking for a while, but I haven’t come up with a suitable business for them. Dad, what do you think they should do?”

  Deng shirong smiled, “This was a question I had thought about before. A yuan and A hua also asked me the same thing. I told them to think about it first and discuss it during the Spring Festival. However, since you asked, I will share my thoughts.”

  For Zhang Xiuping, who has a deep bond with Ou Guofang and Ou Guohua, she hopes to support them. Hearing her father-in-law’s words, she knew he already had a plan and nodded, “Yes, go on!”

  Deng shirong said, “I have thought of three paths for them. One is to open a driving school, specifically to teach people how to drive cars. With the rapid development of the country, more and more people will own cars in the few years, and the number of private cars will increase. Opening a driving school now has a very promising future.”

  Zhang Xiuping nodded in agreement, “Hearing dad’s plan, a driving school sounds like a good idea. Not to mention the growing number of buses and cars, there’s a real need for more drivers. If we open a driving school here, it can help our people and ensure our business throngs.”

Deng Shirong said, "Opening a driving school is absolutely a business with high returns. As long as you can attract enough students, it’s like picking up money. If you choose to open a driving school, you can also participate in it. After all, you and your sister have a deep bond, so it would be great to do business together and make money."

In reality, whether it’s siblings, relatives, or friends, many business partnerships end up in disputes. Logically, he shouldn’t encourage his eldest daughter-in-law to get involved.

However, this kind of thing also depends on the people involved. Not every business partnership will run into problems.

Zhang Xiuping admired, "Dad, you really have a good eye. Why didn’t I think of this business opportunity before?"

Deng Shirong laughed, "There are many ways to make money in this world. It’s normal that you didn’t think of this particular one among so many industries."

At this moment, Deng Yunzhen, who had just finished her bath, came out and joined the conversation with a smile, "Dad, Sister-in-law, what business are you discussing to make money?"

Zhang Xiuping said, "After the New Year, A Hua and the others will come to the county town to develop. I’m discussing with Dad what kind of business they should start!"

Deng Yunzhen asked, "Dad, what profitable path have you suggested for A Hua and the others?"

Deng Shirong repeated what he had said earlier, and Deng Yunzhen nodded in agreement.

Zhang Xiuping then asked, "Dad, you mentioned three paths for them. Opening a driving school is one. What are the other two?"

Deng Shirong said, "The second path is to open a feed mill. Nowadays, more and more people in various towns are running livestock farms. Running a farm is different from raising a few pigs and a dozen chickens and ducks in the countryside. They need to feed their animals with feed.

So, if you build a feed mill now and can open up the market, it will definitely be a very profitable business."

In his previous life, some members of the Ye Hao Clan had opened a feed mill in Guigang, which developed quite well from the 1990s to the early 21st century. Although it couldn’t compare to large enterprises, it made one of the clan members one of the few billionaires in the clan.

Therefore, building a feed mill at this time is definitely a correct choice. However, whether the feed mill can develop successfully depends on individual capabilities.

However, Deng Shirong had already thought this through. If they really want to start a feed mill, they can invite that clan member to join as a shareholder. With this person involved, the feed mill will definitely develop smoothly.

Zhang Xiuping couldn’t help but ask, "Dad, opening a feed mill must require a significant investment, right?"

Deng Shirong nodded, "The investment will be larger than for a driving school, but it will also be more profitable."

Zhang Xiuping said, "If the investment is too large, A Hua and the others definitely won’t have enough money."

Deng Shirong laughed, "If they don’t have enough money, they can take out a loan from the bank. This is up to their choice. If they really don’t want to take the risk, they can choose the third path, which is to open a clothing store in the county town."

Zhang Xiuping and Deng Yunzhen looked at each other, as clothing stores naturally attract women.

Zhang Xiuping immediately became interested and said, "Dad, if they choose to open a clothing store, how should they go about it?"

"Actually, it’s quite simple."

Deng Shirong smiled, "All they need to do is rent a shop, prepare some money to buy goods from Guangzhou, and have our clan’s Guangzhou bus help transport the goods back. Once the clothing store is up and running, making money will definitely not be a problem.

However, to make the business thrive, they need to have a good eye for selecting clothes. What styles are popular in Bobai, and what styles are not, all depends on their judgment. So, while making money in this business is not hard, making the business flourish requires a good eye for fashion."

Hearing this, Deng Yunzhen looked at Deng Shirong with admiration and said, "Dad, how do you know everything? Others rack their brains trying to come up with business ideas, but you can casually suggest three profitable businesses, each of which sounds very appealing."

Zhang Xiuping also agreed, "Yes, Dad, you are truly amazing. All three business ideas sound very reliable."

Deng Shirong enjoyed the admiration in his daughter’s and daughter-in-law’s eyes and laughed heartily, "I’ve had a few more years of experience than you, so naturally, I know more. If you keep working on it for a few more years, you will surpass me!"

Deng Yunzhen sighed, "Dad, we can’t compare to you. If we could have just half of your business acumen, we wouldn’t have to worry about anything!"

Zhang Xiuping deeply agreed. Her father-in-law’s business acumen had been proven countless times over the years. It was truly not something ordinary people could match, and they had long been in awe of him.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end