Chapter 322: Electricity, Dividends, and a Shock to the Whole Village

Chapter 322: Electricity, Dividends, and a Shock to the Whole Village

Pixin Village.

Zhang Zhenfa's House.

Little Dong'er and Dongzi, the brother and sister, were playing games with their cousins at the front door. Deng Yuntao was sitting by the fire with his father-in-law and his brothers-in-law, chatting and warming themselves.

In the kitchen, Zhang's mother was busy making tea and frying rice cakes with her two daughters-in-law, while Zhang Xiuping stood beside them, chatting idly.

After a bit of casual conversation, Zhang's mother couldn't help but ask, "Xiuping, before the New Year, A Hua came back and said that you are no longer managing the Suifeng Restaurant, but instead opened a Yongjia Supermarket like a department store?"

Zhang Xiuping nodded and smiled, "Yes, we are now in charge of the supermarket."

Song Dage, who was tending the fire, asked, "Pinge, if you and your husband are no longer managing the restaurant, who is in charge of it now?"

Zhang Xiuping replied, "Now, the restaurant is managed by my elder sister (not my husband's sister, but a term used to distinguish between the two younger sisters). She is getting married this year, and the restaurant is part of her dowry, prepared by my father-in-law."

Upon hearing this, Zhang's mother, as well as Zhang Dage and Zhang Ergo, were all taken aback.

Zhang's mother, unable to believe it, asked, "Xiuping, what's going on? Is your father-in-law losing his mind? Giving the restaurant as a dowry to your elder sister?"

Hearing her mother say this, Zhang Xiuping became a bit upset and retorted, "Mom, don't say such things. My father-in-law is not losing his mind. He treats all seven of his children equally. What's so strange about giving the restaurant as a dowry to my elder sister?"

To be honest, her father-in-law treated her no less well than her own parents, and sometimes even better. So Zhang Xiuping couldn't stand anyone saying a bad word about her father-in-law, even if it was her own mother.

Zhang's mother, noticing her daughter's displeasure, quickly explained, "Xiuping, I didn't mean anything by it. I just think your father-in-law's actions are a bit unreasonable. You know the customs here. Fields, houses, and businesses are all inherited by the sons."

"Your father-in-law has five sons. The Suifeng Restaurant is such an important asset, and he doesn't leave it to his sons but gives it as a dowry to his daughter?"

Zhang Dage and Zhang Ergo also found it hard to understand. What puzzled them most was that their younger sister didn't seem to resist this at all and even thought her father-in-law's actions were right. What was going on?

What was their younger sister thinking?

Zhang Xiuping frowned and said, "Mom, I am a daughter too!"

Zhang's mother, feeling awkward, said, "Xiuping, I didn't mean it that way, I just..."

Zhang Xiuping interrupted, "Mom, I understand what you mean. My father-in-law doesn't favor one over the other. He has made arrangements for each of his children. Take us, for example. Didn't he give us the supermarket?"

Zhang Ergo couldn't help but ask, "Pinge, does the supermarket make as much money as the restaurant?"

Zhang Xiuping revealed a bit of information, "The supermarket makes more than twice as much as the restaurant."

Zhang's mother and the two daughters-in-law were all stunned by this revelation.

At that moment, they understood why Zhang Xiuping was reacting this way. The supermarket they had heard about for the first time was actually more profitable than the restaurant.

Zhang's mother quickly apologized, "Xiuping, I'm sorry, I misunderstood your father-in-law!"

Zhang Xiuping understood that her mother was trying to stand up for her, so she didn't hold it against her. However, she still warned, "Mom, I know you said it for my own good, but I don't want you to say anything bad about my father-in-law in the future, no matter what happens."

"Since I married into the Deng family, my father-in-law has been incredibly kind to me. And you know what the family was like before. If it weren't for my father-in-law's help, how could you have lived such a good life today?"

"Mom understands, I won't say anything like that again. I just spoke without thinking, I didn't mean to say anything bad about your father-in-law."

Zhang's mother explained again, and then couldn't help but remark, "But to be honest, your father-in-law is really good to his daughters. He put so much money into the Suifeng Restaurant, and it earns tens of thousands of yuan every year. To give it as a dowry to his daughter, I doubt anyone else in the county could do that."

Zhang Dage agreed, "Yes, they say a married daughter is like water spilled out, and unless it's an only child, no parent would be that generous."

Zhang Ergo added, "Even if it's an only child, parents wouldn't be that generous. They would only hand over such an important business to their daughter and son-in-law when they can no longer manage it themselves. Before that, they would most likely keep it to themselves."

Zhang Xiuping smiled, knowing that what her mother and sisters-in-law said was a common phenomenon. Her father-in-law's actions were indeed rare.

...

By the fireplace in the living room.

After a few casual chats, Deng Yuntao asked, "Dad, how is the wooden clothespin factory doing?"

Hearing his son-in-law mention this, Zhang Zhenfa smiled and said, "The business was good last year. The foreign trade department bought all our products, but unfortunately, the profit margin for wooden clothespins is low, and our production capacity is still small. We only made about 40,000 yuan last year."

Deng Yuntao almost burst out laughing. His father-in-law was really putting on an act.

Before the wooden clothespin factory, his father-in-law's family ran a small store on Longtan Street, and they were already very satisfied with making about 4,000 yuan a year.

Now, the factory makes 40,000 yuan a year, which is ten times more than before, and his father-in-law still says it's only 40,000 yuan...

"Dad, that's already very impressive. We put over 300,000 yuan into the restaurant, and it didn't make that much money in the first couple of years."

"Enough, stop flattering me. The wooden clothespin factory wouldn't have been possible without your and Xiuping's efforts."

Zhang Zhenfa knew how the wooden clothespin factory came to be, so he didn't dwell on the topic. Instead, he asked about his son-in-law's supermarket business.

Deng Yuntao answered every question, explaining the supermarket's business model in detail to his father-in-law and brothers-in-law. They were all amazed, never having thought that business could be conducted this way. Letting customers pick and choose freely and then pay at a single checkout was a completely novel approach.

After Deng Yuntao finished explaining the supermarket's business model, Zhang's mother and the others brought out the fried rice cakes and the tea they had prepared. They then called in the children, including Little Dong'er, and everyone gathered to eat and chat, enjoying a warm and harmonious family gathering.

...

In previous years, the Suifeng Restaurant would only open for business after the 15th day of the first lunar month, so Deng Yuntao and the others didn't need to rush back to the county. However, this year was different. With the Yongjia Supermarket, the opening time had to be moved up significantly, and they needed to return to the county by the third or fourth day of the first lunar month.

Since the supermarket was already open, the restaurant would also open, otherwise, it would be inconvenient for the Deng family to dine there.

Therefore, Deng Yunzhen also went to the county, along with the supermarket employees.

With dozens of people, it was unrealistic to have them all take the bus, especially during the peak travel season. There simply weren't enough seats, even during the off-season!

In the end, Bu Zhongshi sent two vehicles to transport Deng Yuntao and the others.

Seeing this, Deng Shirong felt that the clan's passenger transport company should open a route from Nayevillage to Bobai.

After all, the clan had built a residential area in the county, and once the houses were renovated, people would definitely spend time there from time to time. The number of clan members traveling back and forth would be enough to support one or two bus routes, not to mention the passengers from other towns along the way. This route was definitely worth setting up, as it would both facilitate travel for the clan and generate income, achieving two goals at once.

Once the Naye-Bobai route was established, it would inevitably affect the Shapo-Bobai bus route.

Because for the people of Shuangwang, unless they lived near the Tanlian intersection, most would take the Shapo bus. Once the Tenglong Passenger Transport Company opened the Naye-Bobai route, the Shapo bus would no longer be the only option for the people of Shuangwang, which would have a significant impact.

However, this was not Deng Shirong's concern.

Seeing that it was getting late, Deng Shirong rode his motorcycle to the temporary government office of Shuangwang Township to discuss the electrification of Bangjie Village with the township leaders.

Shuangwang Township had only recently separated from Songwang Township in January, and it was impossible to have the township government fully established in such a short time. Therefore, the township leaders were currently operating from a temporary office.

When Deng Shirong arrived at the temporary office on his motorcycle, it caused quite a stir. In those days, motorcycles were a symbol of status, and their impact was no less significant than driving a Rolls-Royce to the township government today.

"Uncle Jiu!"

"Uncle Jiu!"

"Uncle Jiu!"

By now, Deng Shirong's reputation had spread beyond Bangjie Village. In the entire Shuangwang area, anyone who didn't know Uncle Jiu from Nayevillage might as well not be in the business.

Therefore, the local staff at the township government greeted Deng Shirong warmly when they saw him.

"Uncle Jiu, are you here to handle something today?"

"Yes, I need to discuss something with the Secretary. Could you please inform him?"

"Sure, Uncle Jiu, please wait a moment, I'll inform the Secretary right away."

...

Two minutes later.

Deng Shirong met with the Party Secretary of Shuangwang Township in the office.

The Party Secretary of Shuangwang Township was surnamed Lin and was from Luchuan County, speaking the Hakka dialect. He was originally the township chief of Wangmao Township and was transferred to serve as the top leader of Shuangwang Township after its separation from Songwang Township, which was considered a promotion.

When they met, Secretary Lin greeted Deng Shirong with a smile, "Uncle Jiu, I've heard a lot about you!"

As a township leader who aspired to advance, Secretary Lin had been paying attention to and understanding the prominent figures in the villages under his jurisdiction. He had long heard of Deng Shirong, knowing that he was not only a highly influential clan leader of the Deng family in Nayevillage but also owned many businesses in the county, making him a genuine big boss.

Most importantly, he had a son studying at Peking University who had already started working this year, starting at the same level as Secretary Lin. With his promising future, such a well-known and influential figure was naturally highly regarded by Secretary Lin.

Deng Shirong humbly replied, "Secretary, you flatter me, I'm just a man of empty fame."

After some polite exchanges, Secretary Lin asked, "Uncle Jiu, what brings you here today?"

Deng Shirong said, "Secretary, it's like this. The development of the Nayevillage Deng family has been quite good in recent years, and the living standards of our clan members have improved. Many families want to buy household appliances to improve their quality of life.

However, our Bangjie Village still hasn't been electrified, so even if they buy appliances, they can't use them. Therefore, our more than 3,000 clan members are eagerly hoping that the leadership will pay attention to our Bangjie Village and help us get electricity as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Secretary Lin understood the purpose of Deng Shirong's visit. He replied, "Uncle Jiu, the issue you mentioned is something we will take seriously. However, the power supply office is administratively under our township government, but its personnel and financial matters are directly managed by the county power bureau. So, while we can make suggestions, we cannot directly make decisions.

However, the power supply office generally takes our suggestions seriously. I will communicate with them and strive to get electricity to your Bangjie Village as soon as possible."

This response was reasonable and straightforward, and Deng Shirong was very satisfied. He nodded and said, "Thank you, Secretary!"

"Uncle Jiu, you're too kind. Improving the lives of the people in Shuangwang Township is my responsibility as a leader."

At this point, Secretary Lin changed the topic and asked, "Uncle Jiu, I heard that you have a son studying at Peking University who has already started working this year. Where is he working?"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "That's my second son. After graduating, he joined the State Planning Commission."

Secretary Lin, being a seasoned bureaucrat and the top leader of the township, was well-versed in the various government departments. Upon hearing this, he was deeply impressed.

Although he had long understood that graduates from Peking University, one of the top universities, were no ordinary people, and each of those who chose a political career had a promising future, far surpassing what he, a grassroots cadre with a low level of education, could achieve, he never expected that Ye Jiu's second son would be able to enter such an important department as the State Planning Commission right after graduation. He knew that even graduates from Peking University did not have the qualifications to enter such departments just because they wanted to; only the outstanding graduates from Peking University had the right to join such departments.

This meant that Ye Jiu's second son had an even brighter future than he had imagined.

All these thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

Secretary Lin sincerely praised, "Uncle Jiu, your second son truly has a promising future. It looks like our Shuangwang Township will soon have another high-ranking official!"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Secretary."

After that, both of them were keen to build a relationship, and their conversation naturally became very engaging.

Half an hour passed in a flash, and Deng Shirong, seeing that it was getting late, got up to take his leave.

After seeing Deng Shirong off, Secretary Lin immediately took action to implement the electrification of Bangjie Village. As the top leader of the township, although he was not the direct supervisor of the power supply office, his words still carried significant weight, and getting the village electrified ahead of schedule was not difficult for him. ...

A week later.

The Bangjie Village Committee received a notification from the higher authorities that the village would be electrified.

When this news broke, the entire Naye Deng clan was in an uproar. Everyone was excited and spread the news.

"Finally, after so many years, the village is going to have electricity!"

"Great! It's so hot during the summer, whether we're eating or sleeping. I've wanted to buy an electric fan for a long time, but the village didn't have electricity, and I couldn't afford to buy a battery to use it. That would have been too expensive. Now that the village is finally getting electricity, I can use an electric fan this summer. It's going to be so refreshing!"

"Damn, as soon as the village gets electricity, I'm going to buy a TV."

"Our clan head is really something. The village never had any news about getting electricity until he talked to the township leaders, and now we're getting it. The clan head has a lot of influence."

"Of course, with such a capable clan head, it's natural for the township leaders to give him face."

"..."

In addition to the Naye Deng clan, Bangjie Village also had the Guan and Zhou clans.

Since the entire Bangjie Village would be electrified, the villages of the Guan and Zhou clans would also be included. The villagers of these clans also received the notification from the village committee and were initially stunned, but then they became equally excited.

To get electricity, the first step was to set up poles and lay wires.

Since Bangjie Village was the closest administrative village to Laotou Reservoir in all of Shuangwang, the power lines from the Laotou power station to Shuangwang Town actually passed through Bangjie Village. This could be considered a prime location, but in the previous life, Bangjie Village did not get electricity until the late 1990s, showing how much it had been neglected.

In this life, with Deng Shirong's intervention, the electrification was at least a decade earlier.

In the following days, under the guidance of the power supply office staff, the clan members began to plant the power poles.

Without the help of machinery, planting power poles required a significant amount of labor, but in this era, labor was abundant.

In less than ten days, all the power lines in the village were set up. Next, they had to pull wires to each household, which was not difficult, and the villagers could handle it themselves. For them, it was just a matter of getting the wires up, without the need for concealed wiring or wire boxes as in the future.

Of course, they only pulled the wires, and for connecting the wires and installing switches, they still needed to find an electrician or a knowledgeable villager for help, as not everyone understood this.

The first to get electricity was naturally Deng Shirong's house.

Because his house already had a complete wiring system, all they needed to do was connect the electricity, and it would work.

After getting electricity at home, Deng Shirong specially went to the township government to thank Secretary Lin.

He knew that Secretary Lin must have put in a lot of effort to get the village electrified so quickly, and it was only right to come and express his gratitude.

...

After the village was electrified, the bustling Spring Festival travel rush officially came to an end.

After the Spring Festival travel rush ended, Deng Shirong called the passenger transport company and then convened a clan meeting the next day to distribute the company's dividends to the clan members.

Although the clan members had long known that the passenger transport company would distribute dividends after the Spring Festival travel rush, they did not know the exact date.

Now that the date was finally confirmed, everyone was understandably happy.

"Ha, it's been a long wait, but we finally get the company's dividends!"

"I put everything I had into the clan's fund to build the residential area in the county. Life has been tight lately, and I've been waiting for the company's dividends!"

"Me too. I haven't even dared to buy meat recently; I'm really short on cash."

"That's a bit much, didn't you make a lot of money selling watermelons and pigs last year?"

"I did make a lot, but I bought two apartments in the county, and all the money from selling watermelons and pigs went to Deng Real Estate."

"No wonder. With two apartments, it's normal to be short on cash."

"Last year, each share got 500 yuan in dividends. I wonder how much each share will get this year?"

"I'm not sure. The company made a lot of money last year, but during the off-season, they invested a lot to buy five more large buses. So, even if the dividends are more this year, they won't be much more."

"As long as the dividends this year are not less than last year, I can finally start renovating my apartment in the county."

"..."

The next noon.

After having lunch, the clan members gathered at the entrance of the Naye Deng clan's ancestral hall.

The news of the passenger transport company's dividends had spread the day before, and even the nearby Guan and Zhou clan villages, such as Jimapo, Bangliang, and Shenshuitian, had heard about it. Many idle Guan clan members also came to the scene to watch the excitement.

Among them were the Guan clan members who had witnessed the Deng clan's dividend distribution last year.

Around one o'clock, the company's general manager, Deng Changyu, and others returned in the company's large bus.

"Phew, they're finally back, I was getting anxious waiting!"

"The money won't run away, it'll be the same amount no matter what. What's there to be anxious about?"

"I know the money won't run, but I just want to get it sooner!"

"..."

Amidst the chatter, the over a million yuan in cash that Deng Changyu and his team brought back was piled on the table at the entrance of the ancestral hall. The amount of cash was significantly more than last year, creating a visually impressive sight.

Even those from the Guan clan who were seeing such a large amount of cash for the first time, and those from the Deng clan who had participated in the previous year's dividend distribution, were still somewhat stunned by the sight.

Deng Changyu approached Deng Shirong and said, "Uncle Jiu, there's a total of 1.578 million yuan, with an average of 600 yuan per share."

Deng Shirong nodded and looked at the chattering clan members, saying, "Fellow brothers and nephews, today is our second dividend distribution since the passenger transport company was established. Last year, the first dividend was 500 yuan per share, and this year, the second dividend is 600 yuan per share."

As soon as he said this, the entire venue erupted in excitement!

"Amazing, 600 yuan per share means we've already recouped our investment!"

"Not just recouped, but we've already made a profit. Each share was 1000 yuan initially. Last year, we got 500 yuan per share, and this year, 500 yuan would have covered the cost. With 600 yuan per share, we've made a 100 yuan profit per share."

"Damn, I really regret not buying more shares back then."

"You're not the only one, but there's no such thing as a regret pill."

"I don't regret it because I used all the money I could to buy two more shares back then!"

"Sigh, I was just unlucky. I spent over 2000 yuan building a house. If I hadn't built it then and bought two more shares instead, I would have made a fortune. Now, I wish I could tear down that house!"

"..."

In the crowd, Deng Changqi, a known gambler, felt a lingering fear.

Ever since the clan head issued a gambling ban, he had several times almost relapsed due to his addiction. However, the risk was too high, and he couldn't afford to lose his shares in the passenger transport company, so he managed to restrain himself.

Now, he had finally made it through, keeping his shares and reaping the rewards. It was truly not easy!

Next to Deng Changqi was his wife, Ah Zhu Ba.

Hearing that the dividend this year was 600 yuan per share, Ah Zhu Ba was both excited and wary. She looked at her husband and whispered, "If you ever gamble again and make us lose our shares in the passenger transport company, I'll chop you up with a knife. We'll die together if it comes to that!"

Deng Changqi, seeing the determination in his wife's eyes, felt a chill down his spine. He muttered, "Are you done yet? I've already quit gambling."

Ah Zhu Ba stared at him for a full three seconds before saying, "I'm just reminding you in advance. When you have a moment of weakness, think about what I said today. If you ever touch gambling again, I'll fight to the death with you."

Deng Changqi: "..."

On the stage, after the clan members' discussion came to a close, Deng Shirong continued, "Next, let's have our general manager, Deng Changyu, speak about the company's development over the past year, and then we'll distribute the dividends. Please give him a warm welcome!"

Instantly, the venue erupted in thunderous applause.

Deng Changyu smiled and said, "Fellow clan members, the passenger transport company has developed very smoothly over the past year. Even during the off-season, the passenger load rate exceeded 70%, and the business has been getting better and better. This year, Spring Festival business was also very prosperous, with a profit of over 1.2 million yuan.

This year, the company will continue to increase the number of large buses, and future income will definitely be higher.

Alright, I won't ramble on. Now, let's distribute the dividends. When your name is called, please come up to collect your money."

The clan members cheered again. With the company's development on the rise, it was a great benefit for everyone. The idea of earning money without doing anything was something everyone envied.

"Deng Changsheng, 2 shares, 1200 yuan."

"Deng Yunquan, 3 shares, 1800 yuan."

"Deng Changzhi, 4 shares, 2400 yuan."

"..."

One by one, the clan members went up with big smiles to collect their money. Each received a thick stack of cash, making the onlookers from the Guan clan envious.

The more shares a clan member had, the more money they received.

"Deng Yun gui, 18 shares, 10800 yuan."

"Deng Changxiong, 22 shares, 13200 yuan."

"Deng Changbao, 24 shares, 14400 yuan."

When the clan members with the most shares from each village came up, the amount of money they received surpassed ten thousand yuan.

Since the largest denomination was 10 yuan, over 10,000 yuan in cash was equivalent to over 100,000 yuan in modern terms. The visual impact was overwhelming, making even the Deng clan members envious, let alone the Guan clan members who were red-eyed with envy.

"Deng Shirong, 360 shares, 216,000 yuan."

As Deng Changyu called out the last name, the entire venue erupted in excitement again.

If someone else had received such a large dividend, there might have been envy. But since it was the clan head, every clan member was genuinely happy for him, with almost no one feeling jealous.

After all, the Naye Deng clan's success today was thanks to the clan head leading everyone. Anyone with a conscience wouldn't envy the clan head.

As for the onlookers from the Guan clan, they were all speechless with shock.

Someone received over 200,000 yuan in dividends in one go, while their entire village's income combined didn't even match the tip of that amount. The gap between people was truly too great!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end