Chapter 323: Director Zhu: What the Hell, I'm Living Off My Wife Now?

Chapter 323: Director Zhu: What the Hell, I'm Living Off My Wife Now?

Afternoon.

At the Ye Deng Clan Ancestral Hall.

The clan members who received dividends from the passenger transport company were all very happy. Except for a few who only had one share, most clan members had two or three shares, and this dividend brought in over a thousand yuan for most of them, greatly easing their financial strain.

And those clan members from various villages who had more shares received several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan.

As the saying goes, "One step ahead, and you stay ahead." This couldn't be more true.

When the clan collectively funded the passenger transport company, the economically leading families in each village invested more than the average families, and now the returns they are getting are far beyond what the average families can achieve.

Among the crowd, the Deng Yunqiang family was especially grateful.

Previously, their economic conditions were just average in the village, but fortunately, they were among the first to follow Uncle Jiu in planting lychees and watermelons.

When Uncle Jiu led the clan to collectively fund the passenger transport company, they, out of trust in Uncle Jiu, not only invested their entire savings but also persuaded their in-laws to contribute a large sum, securing 10 shares in the passenger transport company.

Now, the huge returns have come!

This time, they and their in-laws together received 6,000 yuan in dividends, an income that truly made others envious.

Once the clan members' excitement had calmed down, Deng Shirong stepped up to the stage and said, "Brothers and nephews, when we held the scholarship assistance meeting before the New Year, I mentioned the plan to rebuild our Ye Deng Clan Ancestral Hall. Now, let me tell you what the new ancestral hall will look like."

Hearing the clan leader talk about rebuilding the ancestral hall, the clan members all quieted down and listened attentively.

"Our current ancestral hall is a bit too small. For the new ancestral hall, I plan to locate it at the grain drying field in our Ye village. That place is not only elevated and has a broad view, but it is also easily accessible and has enough space to build a grand and imposing ancestral hall."

Deng Shirong looked at the clan members below and explained his thoughts, "For the new ancestral hall, my idea is that if we are going to build it, we should do it right the first time and aim to build one of the best in the country.

This will require a significant investment, but it's better than spending money now and finding out in ten or twenty years that the hall is too small and doesn't match the rapid development of our Ye Deng Clan, forcing us to tear it down and rebuild it, which would be a complete waste of resources.

To build one of the best ancestral halls in the country, it's not just about size; we need to hire professional architects to design it, with intricate carvings and paintings, and every detail must be perfect. We will use the best materials and strictly ensure quality, aiming to have an ancestral hall that remains intact for a hundred years.

I'm not sure how much it will cost to build such an ancestral hall, but I estimate it will be around one to two million yuan. The exact amount will need to be determined by professional designers and estimators."

This statement left the clan members speechless. Spending one to two million yuan to build an ancestral hall, if said a few years ago, would have been met with ridicule from the entire clan.

After all, even in the future, the total cost of rebuilding the Ye Deng Clan Ancestral Hall was just over one million yuan.

And one million yuan now is a completely different concept from one million yuan in the future.

However, the development of the Ye Deng Clan over the past few years has been remarkable. Just recently, the passenger transport company distributed over 1.5 million yuan in dividends to the clan members. So, while the idea of spending one to two million yuan on the new ancestral hall was shocking, the clan members quickly accepted it after their initial shock.

As the saying goes, "Money in the pocket, no worries in the heart." It's just a year's worth of dividends from the passenger transport company, nothing to worry about.

At this point, the Guan clan members who had been observing the proceedings had not left. Upon hearing Deng Shirong's words, they were all stunned! They looked dazed, even beginning to question their lives. Some of them could not afford to eat meat once a month, living in extreme hardship, while the neighboring Deng clan was planning to spend millions on an ancestral hall. The contrast was too stark.

Deng Shirong paused, seeing no objections from the clan members, and continued, "Currently, the cost for rebuilding the ancestral hall is set at 10 yuan per person, which will be collected shortly to serve as the initial funding. The remaining funds will be raised through voluntary donations.

Rebuilding the ancestral hall will definitely involve setting up a merit stone and a merit wall.

The specific amounts required for individual and family donations to be inscribed on the merit stone and wall still need to be determined, but they will definitely be substantial. Those who wish to have their names inscribed can start preparing now.

Additionally, I have already mentioned where our Ye Deng Clan ancestors came from, so I won't repeat it here.

Civilization Gong, the 97th generation, is the first great ancestor of our Ye Deng Clan, and from the 97th generation, the Ye Deng Clan spread to Hepsu Bai Sha, Hepu Na Jiang, and Hepu Shan Kou.

The 101st generation spread to Shanggao Hang, Hepu Gongguan, Bobai Xintian, Bobai Qutian, Hepu Changle, Bobai Lingjiao, Hepu Dadian, Bai Sha Deng Wu, and Hepu Zhangmu Gen.

103rd generation settled in Bangjie Meitian, Bangjie Shejiao, Bangjie Shanying, Bangjie Bangba, Beiliu Licao, Bangjie Dalingjiao, Bangjie Heipingpai, and Bangjie Guanchong.

104th generation settled in Bobai Shahe, Lingjiao Yanxu, Hepu Lingshan, Bobai Jiangning, and Nalin.

105th generation settled in Bangjie Longjing, Tangtan, Hepu Zhutoujiao, and Shanling, among other places.

Now, our Ye Deng Clan has grown for over twenty generations since its founding. If we are to rebuild the ancestral hall on a grand scale, we must notify all these branches of the Ye Deng Clan. After all, they are also descendants of our ancestors, and it is our duty to inform them.

Of course, there's no need to rush into this. Once I have invited professional architects to design the new ancestral hall and estimate the costs, and once we have determined the prices for the merit stone and the merit wall, we can then send people to inform the clan members of these branches.

After all, among these branches, there may be wealthy individuals who also wish to be inscribed on the merit stone and the merit wall. We need to make these arrangements in advance."

Hearing this, Deng YunGui responded, "Uncle Jiu, you are indeed thorough. Such a grand reconstruction of the ancestral hall should indeed notify all the branches of the clan."

Deng YunQiang thought for a moment and said, "Our Ye Deng Clan has so many branches, and there are bound to be wealthy individuals among them. We must also strive to keep up and not be overshadowed by these wealthy individuals from the branches!"

Deng ChangBao laughed heartily, "No need to worry. With our clan leader leading the way, no wealthy individual can match us. However, we, the core members, must also contribute more to avoid the merit stone and the merit wall being dominated by wealthy individuals from the branches. That would not look good."

Deng ChangXiong added with a smile, "ChangBao, I will definitely be at the forefront with you. It won't be easy for those wealthy individuals from the branches to overshadow us."

At this moment, the wealthiest members from each village began to voice their support. For the clan members, having their names inscribed on the merit stone and the merit wall means their names will be remembered for generations, as long as the ancestral hall stands. This is a matter of utmost importance.

Seeing this, Deng ShiRong smiled and said, "There's no need to rush. Once the design of the ancestral hall is complete and construction begins, it will take a considerable amount of time. Building the ancestral hall to the grand scale I described will take at least two to three years, perhaps even four.

So, there's no need to pay immediately. You can report your contributions based on your own financial situations, and when you have the means, you can make the payment."

With these words, the eyes of the clan members lit up.

Especially those who were currently financially strained but wanted their names inscribed on the merit stone and the merit wall began to calculate their contributions.

In Bobai, where clan culture is deeply rooted, whether now or in the future, members of any clan will spend generously to have their names inscribed on the merit stone or the merit wall during the reconstruction of the ancestral hall.

If they have the means, it is understandable. However, some, despite having limited funds, are willing to spend everything they have to have their names inscribed, even if it means living frugally for a long time. They find it worth it.

Such actions are hard to understand in places where clan culture is not as prominent.

To give an analogy, some dog lovers, despite not having a high standard of living, are willing to spend money daily on high-quality beef for their dogs, something they might not even treat themselves to. Such behavior is difficult for others to understand.

These dog lovers find it extremely rewarding to give the best to their dogs, even more so than treating themselves.

Similarly, in the future, some individuals, despite living frugally and spending every penny carefully, will be extremely generous when it comes to their ideal partner, even maxing out their credit cards to buy luxury items. The pleasure they derive from their partner accepting their gifts is immense.

Some even find immense satisfaction in knowing that the condoms used by their partner with someone else were given by them.

Everyone has different pursuits, and it is unfair to judge others by one's own standards.

"Alright, let's conclude today's clan meeting."

Deng ShiRong announced from the stage, "Next, everyone will contribute the per capita fee. Once I have the professional architects design the ancestral hall and estimate the costs, and once we have determined the prices for the merit stone and the merit wall, you can sign up and make your donations."

The Guan clan members who had been watching from the side let out long sighs of relief. The Ye Deng Clan's meeting had been quite an eye-opener for them, from the 1.5 million yuan in dividends to the plan to spend one to two million yuan on the new ancestral hall. These were significant events for them.

Regardless, they could certainly brag about these events to their fellow villagers upon returning.

Those responsible for collecting the per capita fees, led by Teacher Deng ChangHua, were well-versed in these tasks. Some collected the money, while others recorded the names. They had been doing this for years and were very efficient.

While the clan members were busy paying the per capita fees, Deng Shirong called Deng Changyu to the large bus to discuss some matters.

After getting into the bus, Deng Changyu asked, "Uncle Jiu, what do you need?"

Deng Shirong said, "Our Ye Deng Clan has already built a residential area in the county town. In the future, more and more clan members will be traveling between the two places. Right now, we can only wait for the Sha Pi bus to go to the county town, and sometimes there aren't even seats available, which is very inconvenient.

So, I want the company to get a few large buses to run the route from Ye to Bobai. This way, it will be convenient for clan members to travel, and we can also make money, achieving two goals at once."

Deng Changyu nodded and smiled, "Uncle Jiu, I was planning to talk to you about this when I came back. Since you have the same idea, I will handle it as soon as we get back to the county town. I will try to set up the route from Ye to Bobai within half a month."

Deng Shirong praised, "Since you've already thought of it, there's no need for me to say more. In the future, clan members will definitely prioritize using our own company's buses. Plus, the route passes through various towns, so it will be hard not to make money."

Deng Changyu said, "Uncle Jiu, besides the route from Ye to Bobai, I also want to open routes from Bobai to Nanning and from Bobai to Yulin. I have observed carefully over the past few days, and the number of passengers traveling between Bobai and Yulin and Nanning is increasing. The large buses on these routes often exceed capacity, so joining now will definitely be profitable."

Deng Shirong was not surprised by this. In the future, there are nearly 300,000 people from Bobai in Nanning, which is a staggering number. It is arguably the city with the most people from Bobai outside of Bobai itself. Running this route will definitely be profitable.

"Alright, you can handle it as you see fit. With over 3,000 clan members supporting us, we have the confidence to compete with any force."

"Okay, I will start arranging this as soon as I get back to the county town. Uncle Jiu, is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"There's nothing else. You're already doing a great job. Just remember to operate legally and only earn the money we should. Don't go after the money we shouldn't."

"Uncle Jiu, rest assured. We have always operated legally and never overloaded our buses, no matter how much money we could make."

"Good, that's good!"

...

The Ye Deng Clan meeting quickly spread throughout Shuangwang, causing a huge stir.

The reason for the stir was not the 1.5 million yuan in dividends, but the plan to spend one to two million yuan to rebuild the ancestral hall. People from other surnames found it hard to believe when they heard this news.

"Damn, that's too impressive! The Ye Deng Clan is planning to spend one to two million yuan to rebuild their ancestral hall!"

"Are you serious? Who told you that? The Ye Deng Clan is planning to spend one to two million yuan to rebuild their ancestral hall? How is that possible?"

"Why not? When the Ye Deng Clan held their meeting, my cousin was there. He told me this himself, so it can't be fake."

"Damn, last year, the Zhouwang Chen Clan rebuilt their ancestral hall and only spent less than 20,000 yuan. Now the Ye Deng Clan is planning to spend one to two million. Are they building a palace?"

"The amount is just an estimate by the clan leader of the Ye Deng Clan. No one knows for sure if it will cost that much, but the clan leader said they want to build one of the best ancestral halls in the country, so it might really cost that much."

"Amazing, the Ye Deng Clan is really rich now!"

"Yes, they are really rich. I heard their passenger transport company distributed dividends, and 1.5 million yuan in cash was on the table. My cousin said he had never seen so much cash in his life!"

"Sigh, comparing people can really be frustrating. I can't even afford to buy a pound of pork for 1.1 yuan, but they are spending millions to build an ancestral hall. The difference is too great."

"Who can deny it? The gap between people is just that big. The Ye Deng Clan charges 10 yuan per person for the ancestral hall reconstruction, and everyone in the clan paid without any objections. If this were our village, there would have been a huge argument."

"It's all because of the lack of money. For the Ye Deng Clan, 10 yuan per person is a small amount, but for us, 100 yuan for a family of ten is a big expense. Few families would be willing to pay that."

"In the past few years, the Ye Deng Clan has developed so quickly. Their living standards used to be similar to ours, but now even an average household in their clan has thousands of yuan in savings. How can we compare? How many households in our village have thousands of yuan in savings?"

"Ultimately, the Ye Deng Clan's success is due to their clan leader. Who can blame us for not having such a capable leader?"

"..."

...

In the county town.

Zhu Junjie and Deng Yunzhen walked into the Civil Affairs Bureau with excitement.

Twenty minutes later, after completing the marriage registration procedures, the newlywed couple, Zhu and Deng, walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau hand in hand.

At this moment, Zhu Junjie had none of the sternness he usually displayed at the police station. His face was full of smiles, as the young woman he held by the hand had finally become his legal wife. After such a long time of getting to know each other, he had long known that Deng Yunzhen was a capable and virtuous wife. Being able to marry such a woman, he felt truly content.

At this time, Deng Yunzhen was also very excited. She had observed this man for so long and was naturally satisfied with him. Moreover, he had been endorsed by her father and siblings, which indirectly proved his excellence.

Now that the two of them had walked into the temple of marriage, she felt both nervous and full of anticipation for the future.

Of course, in this era, marriage registration was only the legal recognition by the state. For people in Bobai, the relationship between husband and wife was only officially acknowledged after a wedding banquet was held.

Therefore, even though they had registered their marriage, they could not live together until the wedding banquet was held.

On their way back, Zhu Junjie couldn't help but ask, "Azhen, now that we are legally married, when do you plan to hold the wedding banquet?"

Previously, Deng Yunzhen had never mentioned anything about her dowry to him. Now that they were truly legal spouses, she naturally no longer kept it a secret and counter-asked, "Do you know how many houses we have in the Ye Deng Clan residential area?"

Zhu Junjie shook his head, "You never told me, how would I know?"

Deng Yunzhen smiled, "I'll keep the exact number a secret for now, but my father's intention is to give me the second-floor house as my dowry. It was renovated last year, and he said it would be my bridal suite. So, when we hold the wedding banquet depends on the progress of the renovation."

Zhu Junjie was greatly surprised when he heard this and asked, "You're kidding, right? Your father is giving you a house in the Ye Deng Clan residential area as your dowry?"

It was no wonder he was so surprised. In a place like Bobai, where there was a strong preference for sons over daughters, "marrying off a daughter" was often jokingly referred to as "selling a daughter." Giving such a good house as a dowry was something he had never heard of before.

Even though he knew that his father-in-law loved all his children equally, this surprising gesture still caught him off guard.

Deng Yunzhen, emboldened by her father's love, glanced at him and said, "Not only the house in the Ye Deng Clan residential area, but my father has also given me the Suifeng Restaurant as my dowry!"

These words left Zhu Junjie speechless for a long time.

He knew that a house in the Ye Deng Clan residential area cost 5,000 yuan, and he had subconsciously assumed that the dowry would be just one house worth 5,000 yuan.

This had already surprised him, but considering his father-in-law's affection for his daughter, it wasn't entirely out of the ordinary.

However, the Suifeng Restaurant was different. It was the largest and most upscale restaurant in the county, easily earning several thousand yuan a month. For any family, it was a golden goose that laid golden eggs.

For his father-in-law to give such a profitable restaurant as a dowry was simply beyond Zhu Junjie's comprehension, utterly unbelievable.

Seeing the man's stunned silence, Deng Yunzhen chuckled, "What? Shocked speechless?"

Zhu Junjie came to his senses and said incredulously, "Azhen, are you kidding me?"

Deng Yunzhen rolled her eyes, "Who would joke about something like this? Do you not believe my father loves me that much?"

Zhu Junjie quickly explained, "No, I do believe your father loves you, but it's the Suifeng Restaurant! If I compare it to my current salary, the restaurant's monthly income is equivalent to ten years of my salary. Your father is giving it to you as a dowry, which is simply unbelievable!"

Deng Yunzhen said with a hint of emotion, "When my father told me, I was also very surprised. I never expected him to do this."

Zhu Junjie thought for a moment and said, "Azhen, we can take the house, but we can't take the restaurant. You have so many siblings; what about them if you take the restaurant?"

Deng Yunzhen was very pleased with his response and said, "I'm glad you think that way. I've already discussed this with my father, and he assured me that he has made arrangements for my siblings."

Zhu Junjie scratched his head, unsure of what to say.

He, a deputy director of the county police station, was now, without realizing it, living off his wife. This was something he had never imagined.

The understanding Deng Yunzhen didn't let him feel too awkward and comforted him, "Don't worry too much about it. You are an official, and you just need to do your job well. Earning money is not your responsibility. Since my father has given us the restaurant as a dowry, we should accept it and be more filial to him in the future!"

"Of course, we must be more filial to him."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end