Chapter 384: The Na Ye Deng Clan Dividend Distribution

Chapter 384: The Na Ye Deng Clan Dividend Distribution

Two years ago, during the Spring Festival, the family stayed in Bobai County to take care of their eldest daughter.

Last year, due to moving into a new house, the family stayed in Nanning for the Spring Festival.

With this calculation, it has been two years since they last spent the Spring Festival in their hometown. Therefore, this year, Deng Shirong decided to bring his children back to the hometown for the Spring Festival.

Actually, according to the customs of Na Ye Village, for couples like Deng Yunheng and Gu Caiwei who have set their wedding dates, the male side is supposed to send gifts to the female side during holidays and invite them to celebrate together.

However, the distance between Bobai and Wuhan is too far, making it impossible to follow this custom.

The best they could do was to call and send greetings during the holidays.

By the time they returned to their hometown, it was already the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month.

The first thing Deng Shirong did after arriving home was to have someone notify all the clan members that a dividend distribution meeting would be held on the 26th day of the 12th lunar month at the new ancestral hall.

When this news spread, the clan members couldn't help but cheer.

Although every household in the Na Ye Deng clan now had a substantial amount of savings, making them well-off in the countryside, who would ever complain about having too much money? The prospect of receiving dividends always made people happy.

Thus, the clan members excitedly discussed how much money they would receive this time.

"I heard that the Master Kang instant noodles business is doing extremely well, and the newly launched eight-treasure porridge has also opened up the market. The profits this year are much more than last year, so the dividends should not be less than last year."

"Indeed, the profits this year are more, but now the passenger transport company and the food company have merged into a group company. I heard that the group company has significant investment plans for next year, which will require a lot of money, so the dividends this time might not be as much."

"Are there big investment plans for next year?"

"Has the clan leader thought of any good investment projects?"

"I'm not sure about the specifics, but I heard that a lot of money will be invested."

"The bigger the investment, the more profitable the project is likely to be. This is a good thing. Besides, we are not lacking money now, so it doesn't matter much whether we get dividends or not."

"Right, unlike before, in the past few years, everyone was tight on money because of the two fundraising efforts to start the companies. Everyone was looking forward to the company dividends. But last year, the dividends not only returned all the money invested but also doubled it, making everyone much more financially comfortable."

"Anyway, the clan leader will naturally decide the amount based on the company's situation. We just need to wait and collect the money."

"..."

While the clan members were discussing, Deng YunGui, who had nothing to do, went to Uncle Jiu's house.

"Uncle Jiu!"

"YunGui!"

After exchanging greetings, Deng YunGui asked, "Uncle Jiu, how much will the company dividends be this year?"

Deng Shirong handed over the tobacco pipe and said, "The same as last year."

Deng YunGui took the tobacco pipe and smiled, "That's not a small amount. Last year's dividends not only cleared everyone's debts but also saved a significant amount of money. If we get such a large dividend again this year, people will really have too much money to spend."

Deng Shirong laughed, "It's not that exaggerated. It's enough to live comfortably in the village, but compared to truly wealthy people, we are still far behind. For example, just buying a small car would cost at least 100,000 to 200,000 yuan, and not many people in the clan can afford that."

Deng YunGui took out tobacco and a lighter from his pocket and said with some emotion, "Uncle Jiu, your perspective is different. I've never even thought about a car, but for you, it's not a big deal. Why don't you buy one?"

Deng Shirong said, "I plan to buy one after the Spring Festival. I've actually wanted to for a long time, but previously, private individuals weren't allowed to buy cars. Later, when it became possible, the world became increasingly chaotic, and I was afraid that buying cars for my children might bring them trouble, so I kept delaying it."

Deng YunGui nodded, "I've heard many people say that car bandits and highway robbers are everywhere now, making it quite dangerous to drive."

Deng Shirong said, "After the Spring Festival, I will buy a car mainly for YunHeng's wedding. Using a car to pick up the bride and the wedding guests will be more prestigious."

Deng YunGui, while stuffing tobacco into the pipe, praised, "Uncle Jiu, you are really generous. Using a car to pick up the bride, let alone in Shuangwang, I doubt there is any such precedent in all of Bobai."

Deng Shirong smiled, "It's only surprising now. In another ten years or so, using a car to pick up the bride will probably be a common sight."

Ever since the incident at the brick and tile factory was confirmed, Deng YunGui had come to deeply trust Uncle Jiu's judgment. He sighed again, "It's really unbelievable. Just a few years ago, when people in the village got married, the bride would walk herself to the groom's house, and it was rare to see even a bicycle used for the reception."

"Recently, almost every wedding has a bicycle to receive the bride, and many even use tractors or large trucks. The changes have been significant."

"But as you said, Uncle Jiu, in another ten years or so, using a small car to pick up the bride will become a common sight. The changes in society are truly hard to fathom!"

Deng Shirong said, "Since our country launched the reform and opening-up policy, it has been in a state of rapid development. Only by maintaining this pace do we have a chance to surpass those Western developed countries. If we remained poor as before, when would our Chinese nation restore its former glory and stand tall again on the world stage?"

Deng YunGui took a few puffs of his pipe and asked, "Uncle Jiu, do you really think our country has a chance to surpass those Western developed countries?"

Deng Shirong said with confidence, "It's not just a chance; it's certain that we will surpass those Western developed countries. Even surpassing the United States is not out of the question."

Hearing this, Deng YunGui looked at Uncle Jiu in shock and asked, "Uncle Jiu, you're not joking, right? Our country has a chance to surpass the United States?"

Deng Shirong understood his shock. This was an era when the Chinese people lacked confidence and idolized the West to an extreme. Without going into specific examples, anyone who knew the era would have wanted to give those who idolized and flattered the West a piece of their mind.

These people were a disgrace to their ancestors and did not deserve to be part of the Chinese nation.

Fortunately, in the future, the younger generation of our country became more confident and patriotic, making those who mocked and insulted their own country for personal gain gradually lose their audience and become like rats that everyone wanted to catch.

Some public intellectuals who were once active also gradually disappeared.

Some patriotic scholars who were ridiculed for years by those who idolized and flattered the West finally gained the respect they deserved, as the saying goes, "After enduring the storm, the moon will shine bright."

"Even though the United States is the most developed country in the world today, our country will not be able to surpass them in the short term."

Deng Shirong continued, "However, as long as our country continues to develop at its current pace, I believe that in several decades, our descendants will witness the day when our country surpasses the United States."

Deng YunGui, holding his pipe, said, "I hope that day will come. After all, the gap between us and the United States is really significant. I heard that the United States' living standards a hundred years ago were better than ours today. With such a large gap, it will be very difficult for us to surpass them in just a few decades."

Deng Shirong said, "Let's not talk about this. Neither of us will live to see that day, so we can only hope that our descendants will work hard to achieve this goal."

Deng YunGui smiled, then took a few more puffs of his pipe before saying, "Uncle Jiu, after receiving the company dividends this time, I will have a substantial amount of money. Keeping it in the bank is meaningless. What do you think I should do with it?"

Deng Shirong laughed, "You're already quite old. Instead of thinking about retirement and enjoying life, you want to continue doing business?"

Deng YunGui put his pipe aside and sighed, "I can't help it; I'm destined to be a workaholic. When I have free time, I always think about doing something."

Deng Shirong thought for a moment and said, "If you really want to do business, you could try opening a karaoke dance hall. That should be quite profitable."

Deng YunGui looked puzzled, "Uncle Jiu, what is a karaoke dance hall? Is it just a place for dancing?"

Deng Shirong explained, "In simple terms, it's a place for singing and dancing."

Deng YunGui said, "Uncle Jiu, I've never heard of this before. How do I start? How much investment is needed?"

Deng Shirong countered with a question, "Do you know about the newly built Xiyuan Hotel in the county (owned by the former owner of Shuifeng Restaurant)?"

Deng YunGui shook his head, "No, I haven't been to the county for some time. Is this Xiyuan Hotel related to the karaoke dance hall?"

Deng Shirong said, "The second floor of the Xiyuan Hotel has a restaurant and a karaoke dance hall. If you really want to do this, you should go to the county and take a look."

Deng YunGui, somewhat excited, said, "Then I'll go to the county after the New Year to check it out."

Deng Shirong explained, "I heard that the total investment for the Xiyuan Hotel is 700,000 yuan. I went to check it out a few days ago, and it’s really well-built. It has five floors in total. The ground floor is a sweet shop, the second floor is the restaurant and the karaoke dance hall you mentioned, and the third to fifth floors are set up as a hotel with 94 beds, and there’s also a meeting room."

"If you want to start a business, you don’t need to make it as complex. You can just focus on the karaoke dance hall. That way, you won’t need as much investment."

Deng YunGui nodded, "Alright, I understand. After the New Year, I’ll go to the county and check it out. If it’s not too complicated, I’ll invest in a karaoke dance hall to try it out. If it is, I’ll give it a pass."

Deng Shirong smiled, "This isn’t too complicated. You’ll understand once you visit a few times."

At this time, karaoke dance halls were starting to become popular in China, spreading like wildfire across the country. Opening a karaoke dance hall at this point could be described as a surefire way to make money, with no risk of losing money.

Speaking of this, people from the future would find it hard to imagine what karaoke halls were like in this era.

China's first karaoke hall was born in the Oriental Hotel in Guangzhou. It was an open hall that could accommodate 60 people, with a small round stage equipped with a song selection device. Singing in front of an audience was like performing on stage, making people extremely nervous, and some even cried and left due to the pressure.

This wasn’t a place for leisure and entertainment; it was more like participating in a singing competition on stage.

However, if Deng YunGui really decided to open a karaoke dance hall, Deng Shirong would definitely advise him to set up private rooms, ideally having both an open hall and private rooms, giving different customers the freedom to choose.

After all, different people have different preferences. Some people enjoy being the center of attention, often referred to as "people who get energized by crowds." Singing in front of a large audience would make them even more enthusiastic, while singing in a private room might not be as interesting for them.

After that, the two chatted for a while. As the time grew late, Deng YunGui returned home.

...

Soon, it was the 26th day of the 12th lunar month.

Today was the big day for the company’s dividend distribution. After having breakfast, the clan members gathered in groups at the new ancestral hall. They took out the folding chairs stored in the hall, arranged them neatly, and wiped them clean with towels so that other clan members could sit down when they arrived.

By around 11:00 AM, most of the clan members had gathered.

Although they were all members of the Na Ye Deng clan, they were scattered across more than twenty natural villages. Apart from those in their own village and neighboring villages, many people from more distant villages were not familiar with each other.

This was even more true a few years ago when the interactions between the clan members were less frequent. With over 3,000 clan members, and the number still growing, it was impossible for everyone to know each other.

Even Deng Shirong, the clan leader, couldn’t recognize everyone, only knowing the more active members.

Many clan members just recognized each other by face but didn’t know each other’s names.

At this moment, with all the clan members gathered, they exchanged greetings and chatted with familiar faces from other villages, and the time passed by unnoticed.

Around 11:15 AM, the bank’s armored car appeared before the clan members again.

This situation was familiar to the clan members from last year, so they were no longer surprised. They watched curiously as the armored car stopped, and the fully armed security personnel got out. Then, the bank staff carried the money to the stage.

After completing this, the bank staff greeted everyone and returned to the armored car, which then left.

Once the armored car was gone, Deng Shirong, sitting on the stage, smiled and said, "Clan members, the bank has already delivered the money. The company’s profits this year are indeed much higher than last year, but the group company has several major projects coming up, and there are many places where we need funds.

"Since everyone is not short of money, I’ve decided that the dividends this year will be the same as last year—2,000 yuan per share. Those whose names are called can come up to collect the money!"

...

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(End of Chapter)

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