Chapter 305: The Incredible Na Ye Deng Clan

Chapter 305: The Incredible Na Ye Deng Clan

The Na Ye Deng Clan's clan meeting was scheduled for the 27th of the 12th lunar month.

The 28th of the 12th lunar month was the Shuangwang Market Day, the last market day of the year.

While the number of people who come to the market on regular days is not small, compared to the 25th and 28th of the 12th lunar month, it's like a drop in the ocean.

On the last market day of the year, the number of people who came to the market was overwhelming, packing the small streets of Shuangwang so tightly that it was impossible to squeeze through. Traffic jams were the least of the worries; even the crowd itself was jam-packed. It would take at least half an hour to walk from one end of the street to the other.

The biggest news brought by this market day, without a doubt, was the Na Ye Deng Clan's plan to raise funds to build an apartment complex in the county town.

Given that the Na Ye Deng Clan has over three thousand members, and many families in various villages are related to them, it was inevitable that this explosive news would be discussed when they met their in-laws during the market day.

After the market dispersed, this news quickly spread throughout the entire Shuangwang area along with the people who returned home.

Everyone who heard the news was stunned speechless.

"Are you serious? Who told you this? Is it true or not?"

"Of course it's true. I met my brother-in-law today at the market, and he told me this himself. It's absolutely true."

"That Deng clan is really impressive. Didn't they raise funds to start a passenger transport company last year? I heard they made hundreds of thousands during the Spring Festival travel rush. Now they're raising funds again to build apartments in the county town. Once the apartments are built, every family in the Na Ye Deng Clan will have a place in the county town. Won't that make them all city dwellers?"

"Even if they have houses in the county town, their household registration is still in the countryside, so they can't really be considered true city dwellers."

"Even if they're not true city dwellers, they're still much better off than us!"

"That's for sure."

"Why is the Na Ye Deng Clan suddenly raising funds to build apartments in the county town?"

"I heard from my brother-in-law that it's because something happened in the county town recently. Three locals..."

"Oh, I see. I was wondering why the whole clan would suddenly decide to build apartments in the county town!"

...

"The Na Ye Deng Clan is really incredible!"

"Raising funds from the entire clan to build apartments in the county town, what a brilliant idea!"

"I'm so envious! If only our Jiang Clan could do something like that!"

"Our Jiang Clan can only dream about it. It's impossible. Not only is there no one to lead the way, but how many families in our village could even come up with 5000 yuan?"

"You're right. We can only dream about such things!"

...

"Ever since the Na Ye Deng Clan changed their clan head, their development has been amazing, changing every year. They're really impressive!"

"Uncle Na Ye Jiu is a well-known capable person in Shuangwang, and he genuinely leads the entire clan to prosperity. Having such a clan head is a great fortune for the Deng Clan."

"You're right. The Deng Clan is really lucky. If only our Jiang Clan had such a clan head!"

"It's difficult. Our Jiang Clan has capable people, but they're all busy making money for themselves. Who would want to take on the thankless task of leading the entire clan to prosperity?"

"You're right. A clan head like Uncle Na Ye Jiu is really rare!"

As the news of the Na Ye Deng Clan raising funds to build an apartment complex in the county town spread, people in various villages began to discuss it. They were amazed and genuinely envious of the Na Ye Deng Clan members for having such an excellent clan head.

...

Yan Dipo Village.

Ou Guofang's home.

After Zhang Xiuping and Ou Guohua greeted Ou Guofang's in-laws, the three sisters from Poxin Village went into the room to chat.

After some casual talk, Ou Guohua asked about the matter that most concerned her: "Sister Ping, after the New Year, we plan to go to the county town to keep you company. But we haven't decided what to do there yet. You've been in the county town for so long and know it better than we do. What do you think we should do?"

Ou Guofang also chimed in, "Yes, we've always stayed in the village and don't have much experience. We can't think of any suitable business. Sister Ping, give us some advice."

Zhang Xiuping smiled, "I've already discussed your business plans in the county town with my father-in-law. He suggested three options for you. You can choose which one you want to pursue."

Ou Guohua's eyes lit up, "Sister Ping, what are the three options?"

Ou Guofang also looked at Zhang Xiuping with eager anticipation.

"The three options, from lowest to highest investment, are opening a clothing store, starting a driving school, and establishing a feed factory."

Zhang Xiuping explained each one, "Opening a clothing store requires the lowest investment. You can rent a shop in the county town and buy clothes from Guangzhou to sell. According to my father-in-law, making money is definitely not a problem. Clothes from Guangzhou are very cheap, and you can easily make a profit by selling them.

However, to make a lot of money, it depends on your ability to select popular styles. If the styles you choose are popular, you'll sell a lot. If not, the sales will be slower.

Opening a driving school means starting a specialized school to teach others how to drive, just like the bus drivers in our village who learned to drive at the agricultural machinery school in the county town. However, the agricultural machinery school teaches a variety of skills, so if you want to open a driving school, you would focus solely on teaching driving.

The investment for a driving school is higher than for a clothing store because you need to prepare a driving range, a couple of training vehicles, and an office space. Otherwise, people who want to learn to drive won't know where to sign up.

Finally, there's the feed factory. Everyone knows what a feed factory is, so I won't go into much detail. Opening a feed factory requires preparing a factory building, purchasing various production equipment, and acquiring raw materials. All these costs add up, making the investment higher than for a driving school.

These three options are the money-making paths my father-in-law came up with for you. You can discuss and decide which one to pursue."

The Ou sisters exchanged glances, all three of them realizing that these were paths they hadn't considered before. They couldn't help but admire the foresight of their uncle.

Ou Guohua thought for a moment and asked, "Sister Ping, our knowledge is limited. Could you give us a more detailed analysis of which of these three businesses has the most potential?"

"I'll analyze these three businesses based on my understanding."

"Sure, go ahead, Sister Ping!"

Zhang Xiuping pondered and said, "First, the clothing store business. In my opinion, the advantage of this business is that it requires a small investment and yields quick results. It's the most stable of the three. If managed well, you can even expand into wholesale in the future, offering good prospects for development.

The driving school business is also very promising. Although it requires a larger investment than a clothing store, once you get it up and running and recruit students, it's guaranteed to be profitable, with no risk of loss.

As for the feed factory, it's the largest investment and carries the highest risk among the three. However, it also has the greatest potential for development."

After hearing Sister Ping's analysis, Ou Guofang looked at her cousin and said, "Ahuahua, I think we should open a clothing store. The other two businesses require significant investments that we can't afford, so we'd have to take out a bank loan, which is a high risk. It's better to start with a clothing store and operate it steadily."

Ou Guohua agreed, "Yes, if there were no other suitable businesses, we might have to take out a loan. But since we have the clothing store option, which requires a smaller investment, it's indeed more suitable for us."

Seeing that the two sisters were leaning towards opening a clothing store, Zhang Xiuping wasn't surprised. After all, people like her father-in-law, who are willing to take bold risks, are quite rare. Most people prefer not to take risks if they can make money without them.

Therefore, Zhang Xiuping understood the sisters' choice and said, "Since you've decided to open a clothing store, that makes things simpler. After the New Year, you can rent a shop in the county town and go to Guangzhou to purchase inventory. I haven't been to Guangzhou, but my father-in-law says that clothing wholesale there is very famous. Once you get there, you can easily find the right places to buy from."

With a clear goal in mind, Ou Guohua felt relieved and said with determination, "Alright, after the New Year, we'll start taking action."

Ou Guofang was also very excited. Starting a business in the county town, regardless of the profit, was definitely better than staying in the countryside.

After discussing their business plans, the three sisters naturally turned the conversation to the clan's plan to build a residential complex in the county town.

Ou Guohua asked curiously, "Sister Ping, how many apartments does Uncle Jiu plan to build in the county town?"

This wasn't a secret, as it was bound to be made public, so Zhang Xiuping answered honestly, "From what my father-in-law said, he plans to build one unit."

"One unit? How many apartments is that?"

"One unit means 28 apartments."

Upon hearing this, the Ou sisters were instantly stunned!

With Uncle Jiu's wealth, building seven apartments in the county town, one for each of his seven children, was within many clan members' expectations. But the Ou sisters never imagined that Uncle Jiu would build 28 apartments, which was simply incredible.

Ou Guohua asked in amazement, "Why does Uncle Jiu need so many apartments?"

Ou Guofang also widened her eyes and said, "28 apartments? Is Uncle Jiu planning to secure homes for all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren in advance?"

In their time, rural people saw houses primarily as places to live, and no one thought about using the appreciation of property to make money.

"Actually, my father-in-law's idea is to convert the 28 apartments into seven larger apartments, one for each of his children. Each apartment will just be larger than a regular one."

As she spoke, Zhang Xiuping explained her father-in-law's plan to the two sisters.

Understanding Uncle Jiu's intentions, the Ou sisters were envious but also realized that only Uncle Jiu had the means to do this. Other clan members didn't have the capital.

The three sisters chatted for a long time until Ou Guofang's mother-in-law knocked on the door, calling them for dinner, marking the end of their conversation.

In the blink of an eye, the New Year's Eve, which is of utmost importance to the entire nation, had arrived.

On New Year's Eve, the entire family gathers for a reunion dinner, a tradition that is consistent across the country. However, the timing of the reunion dinner varies significantly from place to place. In the north, it is typically held in the evening, hence it is also called the New Year's Eve dinner. In the south, many places have the reunion dinner in the morning or at noon, so the term "New Year's Eve dinner" is not as commonly used.

Of course, in later times, whether the reunion dinner is held in the morning, at noon, or in the evening, many people still refer to it as the New Year's Eve dinner because the term has become deeply ingrained in people's minds.

In the village where the Na Ye Deng Clan resides, the reunion dinner is always held at noon, and the evening meal is simply a reheating of the midday dishes.

Since Deng Yunheng went to the capital to study, the family had not gathered for a reunion dinner for three consecutive years. This year, it was rare for everyone to be together, and as the head of the family, Deng Shirong was overjoyed. He put in his best effort to prepare an extremely lavish meal.

Seeing the beautifully arranged dishes on the table, Deng Yunzhen joked, "Yunheng, for the past three years, Dad hasn't been so patient as to prepare such a variety of delicious dishes. This year, we're all benefiting from your return!"

Deng Yunheng laughed, "Sis, if I didn't know Dad's character, I might have believed you."

As Zhang Xiuping poured the wine, she said with a smile, "The dishes haven't changed much, but Dad is genuinely very happy that you're back for the New Year, Yunheng."

Deng Shirong added, "Today, I am indeed very happy. This New Year's Eve might be a rare big reunion for our family. Next year, Yunheng will start working, and it's uncertain whether he will return for the New Year. And it's also unclear if Yunzhen will get married next year. So, this year is really a rare big reunion for us!"

Hearing this, Deng Yunzhen immediately replied, "Dad, I'm not in a hurry to get married next year. Let's wait until the year after."

Zhang Xiuping placed the poured wine in front of her father-in-law and said, "Yunzhen, even if you don't get married next year, the opportunities for a big family reunion will be few. We should invite a photographer from the studio to take some family photos in a few days."

Deng Shitai nodded, "That's a good idea."

Hearing about taking photos, Little Dong'er, who had just sat down, said excitedly, "Taking photos, I want to take photos too!"

Dongzi, who was being held by his father, mumbled, "Bai~ zhao!"

Little Dong'er immediately corrected him, "Brother, it's not bai zhao, it's taking photos!"

"Bai~ zhao!"

"Taking photos!"

"Bai~ zhao!"

Dongzi was now one year and three months old. He could speak, but his pronunciation was unclear. Even though his sister corrected him, he still said "bai zhao" instead of "taking photos."

The conversation between the siblings made everyone laugh.

The reunion dinner began amidst laughter!

...

At 8 PM, over a thousand people gathered at Deng Shirong's house to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

The 14-inch color TV was not very large, and with so many people gathered, those standing at the back could hardly see the screen clearly. They could only make out a blurry image and hear the sound, but everyone was still very interested.

After all, for programs like singing and crosstalk, the visuals weren't necessary; the sound was enough.

Moreover, with limited entertainment options, staying at home during the New Year, apart from warming oneself by the fire, there was nothing else to do. Now, gathering at the clan head's house, even if they didn't watch TV, it was still nice to chat and socialize with so many people.

The Spring Festival Gala was incredibly entertaining.

They watched until nearly midnight, when most of the clan members went home to set off fireworks, while a few remained to continue watching TV.

As the clock struck midnight, fireworks and firecrackers were set off simultaneously across the country, marking the arrival of the new year.

Watching the fireworks rise into the sky, Deng Shirong felt a slight sense of reflection. This was already the fifth year since his rebirth. Not only had his own family undergone significant changes, but the entire Na Ye Deng Clan had also been propelled forward by him.

Without considering future development, just in terms of current wealth, among the 115 surnames in Bobai, no clan could compare to the Na Ye Deng Clan.

Although the upcoming fundraising to build a residential complex in the county town would likely empty the clan members' pockets, it was only temporary. With the continuous income from the passenger transport company, coupled with the earnings from lychees, watermelons, and various other sources, it would only take one or two more years for the clan to have ample cash.

At that time, the Na Ye Deng Clan would truly be rich and prosperous! Once the clan members' wallets were full, projects such as building a clan hall, a school, bridges, roads, and river embankments could be initiated one by one.

However, one must take things step by step. The current priority is to build the residential complex in the county town.

With over three thousand people in the clan, nearly two thousand of whom are able-bodied young adults, there would be no shortage of labor for the construction. However, when buying the land, they should also rent a batch of houses. Otherwise, sending several hundred people to the county town to work and having no place for them to stay would be a disaster.

By the time the fireworks and firecrackers in the village were nearly done, the Spring Festival Gala was also nearing its end.

As the classic song "Unforgettable Tonight" echoed, the 1986 Spring Festival Gala officially came to an end.

...

On the second day of the first lunar month.

It was the day for young wives to visit their parents' homes.

Deng Shirong watched as his eldest son's family of four, Deng Changyuan's family of four, and Deng Changdong's family of four, all carrying gifts, rode their bicycles together to Poxin Village to visit the eldest son's in-laws. This made his desire to buy a car for his eldest son even stronger.

Last year, when the Na Ye Deng Clan's young wives visited their parents' homes, their conversations revolved around the Tenglong Passenger Transport Company.

This year, the topic was the clan's plan to raise funds to build an apartment complex in the county town.

Undoubtedly, all the Na Ye Deng Clan's young wives enjoyed the envy of their in-laws. After all, being able to own a 160-square-meter apartment in the county town for just 5000 yuan was a great deal that anyone would envy.

Moreover, as the news spread, not only did the in-laws envy them, but the entire village where the in-laws lived also felt envious.

Thus, similar conversations took place in various villages:

"Jiumei, my thirteenth sister is already 18 years old. Can you help introduce her to a young man from the Na Ye Deng Clan?"

"Seventh Aunt, there are many young men in the Na Ye Deng Clan. Introducing one to your thirteenth sister is no problem, but I wonder what kind of person she is looking for?"

"Given the current conditions of the Na Ye Deng Clan, we don't dare to be picky. As long as he's not disabled, not too ugly, and has a good temper, that's fine."

"Alright, I'll ask around when I get back."

"Seventh Aunt, here's a bottle of honey. Take it to make tea."

"Seventh Aunt, you don't have to be so polite. Keep it for yourself!"

"Take it, please. We'll be counting on you for my thirteenth sister's matter!"

"Alright, I'll do my best!"

"..."

Originally, after the news spread about the Na Ye Deng Clan's passenger transport company earning several hundred thousand yuan during the Spring Festival travel rush last year, the young men and women of the Na Ye Deng Clan became the most sought-after in the surrounding areas.

Now, with the explosive news of the clan raising funds to build an apartment complex in the county town, the young men and women of the Na Ye Deng Clan became even more sought-after.

In short, the matchmakers in various villages would have more business than they could handle, and all these matches would be related to the Na Ye Deng Clan.

Deng Shirong no longer cared much about the tenfold reward from the matchmaker system, so he rarely helped others with matchmaking lately, except for his relatives. Since the matchmaker system's presence was not very high, and he didn't know the requirements for upgrading, he didn't bother to spend time studying it. For now, using it as a storage space was quite convenient.

On the sixth day of the first lunar month, Deng Yuntao invited a photographer from Shuangwang Photo Studio to take photos for the entire family, from individual portraits to family photos, a total of several dozen.

On the tenth day, Deng Yunheng was preparing to return to school.

Deng Shirong took out 1000 yuan and gave it to his second son,, saying, "This is your last semester. you last semester before graduation. Take more money with you; you might need it after graduation. I've already talked to you about what you should do. Since you've chosen politics, you must remember not to be tempted by money. Our family isn't short of money now, and we won't be in the future either.

"Also, don't engage in bribery to get promotions.

"In short, don't do anything illegal related to money. This is the bottom line, understand?"

Deng Yunheng took the money and said seriously, "I understand, Dad. I will hold to the bottom line and won't let you down."

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "I'll be waiting for good news. When you get assigned to a unit, write us a letter to let us know."

"Alright, I understand. I'll go now!"

"Alright, go ahead!"

...

After the New Year, the number of passengers returning from Guangdong gradually decreased, while the migrant workers who rushed back for the New Year began to return to Guangdong in batches. They not only went themselves but often took their village friends with them.

Thus, the twenty-five large buses of the Tenglong Passenger Transport Company started operating at full capacity again, ferrying one busload after another to Guangdong.

Only after the Spring Festival travel rush officially ended did the number of passengers heading to Guangdong gradually decrease.

It is now 1985, and the number of people from Bobai going to Guangdong for work is increasing year by year. In a few years, the wave of people going to Guangdong for work will sweep the entire county, and the number of migrant workers heading to Guangdong will reach hundreds of thousands.

The transportation capacity of the Tenglong Passenger Transport Company's twenty-five large buses, which can carry at most a few thousand people a day, is clearly insufficient to handle the exponentially growing number of passengers.

Therefore, before the Spring Festival travel rush of 1986, increasing the number of large buses is inevitable.

Of course, now that the Spring Festival travel rush has just ended, it's still early to talk about this.

The day after the official end of the Spring Festival travel rush, General Manager Deng Changyu returned to Na Ye Village on the company's large bus, bringing over a million yuan in cash.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end