Chapter 465: Clan-wide Dividends, Medical Staff Are Stunned (Part 2)

Chapter 465: Clan-wide Dividends, Medical Staff Are Stunned (Part 2)



  The 28th of the 12th lunar month.

  At the entrance of the Ye Deng Clan’s ancestral hall, the elders were distributing scholarships to the clan’s outstanding students.

  The amount of these scholarships was so substantial that it left many onlookers in awe, even the leader, Deng Changyong, couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration. The clan’s emphasis on education was truly beyond his expectations.

  As the saying goes, the strong will always remain strong. With such a high regard for education, it was foreseeable that the clan would produce more and more talented individuals in the future. The increase in talent would naturally benefit the entire clan, making it even more prosperous. This was the principle that a strong youth leads to a strong nation.

  After the scholarships were distributed, Deng Shirong took the stage again and said some encouraging words to the clan’s students, urging them to study hard. Then he smiled and said, “Next, it’s the highly anticipated dividend distribution. Bring the money up here.”

  Immediately, dozens of clan members carried over twenty large burlap bags to the long stage, then opened them to reveal stacks of hundred-yuan bills inside.

  The clan had been using cash for dividends for many years, and Deng Shirong didn’t plan to change this practice anytime soon. Cash dividends were indeed more exciting.

  After all, with the enormous scale of the Deng Clan Group, it was a simple matter to have the bank use armored cars to transport the cash.

  Seeing this, the Deng Clan members and the Guan Clan members were no longer surprised, but those who were seeing this for the first time couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement.

  “Good heavens, are these bags full of money?”

  “Whoa, how much money is that?”

  “I’ve never seen so much money in my life.”

  “The Ye Deng Clan truly lives up to its reputation. The annual dividend is really that impressive.”

  “What a broadening of the eyes. How much money does each person get?”

  “...”

  Sitting beside his father, Deng Sogui also felt a sense of awe. Although his father was a leader, he was always self-disciplined and never used his position for personal gain, so their family’s conditions were only average.

  The sight of so much cash together was indeed very impressive.

  After the clan members brought up the money, Deng Shirong continued, “Next, it’s time to distribute dividends to our sisters. Last year, each sister received a dividend of 2400 yuan, which averaged out to 200 yuan per month.

  This year, our group’s beer sales were the highest in the country, and the profits were very substantial. Therefore, the dividend for the sisters has been increased to 3600 yuan.”

  Upon hearing this, the sisters were all excited and cheered in approval.

  Previously, it was mentioned that among these hundreds of sisters, many came from families with poor economic conditions. The 2400 yuan dividend last year had already alleviated their financial strain.

  This year, the dividend was 1200 yuan more than last year, so even families with poor economic conditions would benefit greatly from this income. This was naturally a cause for celebration.

  The onlookers were also filled with admiration.

  Directly distributing 3600 yuan to each of the hundreds of sisters, this was probably the only place in the country that did so.

  “The clan’s purpose in distributing dividends to the sisters is to ensure that you all can live better lives, especially those who are older. With this support, you should be able to enjoy your later years.”

  Deng Shirong then changed the tone of his speech, “However, younger sisters, you are not yet at the age where you can enjoy your retirement. Don’t lose your drive because of the dividend provided by the clan, and don’t become like parasites, living off the dividend. That would go against the clan’s intention in giving you this support.

  In short, I hope that all the sisters will make good use of the support provided by the clan and strive to live better lives.”

  The younger sisters listened thoughtfully.

  The more perceptive onlookers were all filled with admiration.

  “Alright, I won’t say more. Next, please let our sisters come up to the stage to receive their dividends.”

  Thus, the hundreds of sisters happily went up to the stage to collect their money, having waited for this moment all year.

  In the crowd, the young nurse Zhang Xiaofeng was incredibly excited. The Ye Deng Clan was indeed impressive, even sisters could receive a 3600 yuan dividend. The dividends that clan members received must be a astronomical amount.

  She wondered how much her landlord’s family would receive.

  Apart from Zhang Xiaofeng, the other medical staff present were also filled with various thoughts. Those who were already married were not mentioned, but the single medical staff, the men all wanted to marry a Ye Deng Clan girl, and the women all wanted to marry a Ye Deng Clan boy.

  In short, the unmarried men and women of the Ye Deng Clan had become highly sought after at this moment.

  Soon, all the sisters had received their dividends.

  After the sisters went down, Deng Shirong said, “Next, please welcome the leader of the Ye Deng Clan, Deng Changyong, to the stage to receive his dividend.”

  “Dad, it’s your turn!”

  Deng Sogui and his wife, He Jinfeng, both looked excited.

Deng Changyong straightened his back and walked onto the stage with a confident stride, greeting everyone: "Ninth Uncle."

Deng Shirong nodded at him and then addressed the clan members below: "Fellow clansmen, everyone is already aware of Changyong's situation. Over ten years ago, when the clan raised funds to establish a passenger transport company, we didn't have Changyong's contact information, which led to him missing the opportunity to invest in the company.

However, Changyong is the only high-ranking official in our Ye Deng Clan in the past few hundred years, and he has made significant contributions to the country, bringing honor to our clan. Although he doesn't have shares in the group, as a member of the clan, he should enjoy the benefits of the clan's development.

Therefore, we are giving Changyong a dividend of 36,000 yuan, and we hope that Changyong will continue to strive to bring glory to our Ye Deng Clan."

Deng Changyong, with tears welling up in his eyes, said, "Thank you, Ninth Uncle, and thank you, all my fellow clansmen. If anyone in the clan wants to apply to a military academy or stay in the military after serving, feel free to contact me. I will do my best to help within the limits of my principles."

He didn't need the 36,000 yuan, but the recognition and respect from his fellow clansmen deeply moved him. Therefore, he made this statement in front of everyone, as a way to give back to the clan.

His words were met with enthusiastic applause from the clan members.

In this era, for rural youth who didn't excel in academics, joining the military was a good career path. Those with good luck could even become officers. Many rural youth chose this path.

Although the economic conditions of the Ye Deng Clan had improved year by year over the past decade, many clansmen still sent their sons to join the military.

Now, with the high-ranking official Deng Changyong making such a statement, it was a great piece of news for those who had chosen to send their sons to the military.

After all, having connections in the government made it easier to advance in one's career.

As for students applying to military academies, there were none in the clan yet, but with Deng Changyong's statement, perhaps some would choose this path in the future.

After Deng Changyong took his money and went down, Deng Shirong continued, "Next, it's time for the dividends for all the clan members. This year's dividend is 3,000 yuan per share. Clansmen whose names are called, please come up to collect your money."

"Changbao, 12 shares, 36,000 yuan."

"Changsen, 14 shares, 42,000 yuan."

"Yunxing, 15 shares, 45,000 yuan."

"..."

One by one, the clansmen whose names were called went up to collect their money, and the stacks of hundred-yuan bills in their hands brought smiles to their faces.

Although no family in the clan lacked money, no one ever complained about having too much. Many families had invested their money in business and were in dire need of the year-end dividends to replenish their funds, so they were naturally happy to receive the money.

The onlookers, including the medical staff and their families, watched the clansmen collect their money with envy. The minimum dividend was several tens of thousands of yuan, and the amounts increased as more names were called.

"Changping, 40 shares, 120,000 yuan."

In the crowd, the young nurse Zhang Xiaofeng's eyes widened in amazement, and her mouth opened wide enough to fit a duck egg.

When she first rented the house, she had some ulterior motives, eyeing the landlord's eldest son, who was about her age, and hoping to get closer to him. She never imagined that the landlord's wealth was so substantial, receiving 120,000 yuan from the clan in a year, which was truly unbelievable.

It seemed she needed to find more opportunities to interact with the landlord's eldest son and see if he had any feelings for her. If they could become a couple, her future happiness would be secured.

As the dividends increased, the atmosphere at the scene became even more fervent.

"YunGui, 130 shares, 390,000 yuan."

"Changxiong, 260 shares, 780,000 yuan."

"Changbao, 280 shares, 840,000 yuan."

When the truly wealthy clansmen took the stage, the onlookers were stunned.

"Wow, is this real?"

"My goodness, 780,000 yuan in dividends a year?"

"No wonder the Ye Deng Clan is so wealthy. Seeing this dividend, I understand now!"

"..."

In the crowd, Fan Yuemei also showed a look of surprise, clearly not expecting her husband's clan to be so rich.

"Shirong, 2,000 shares, 6,000,000 yuan."

When the clan member responsible for calling names announced this name and the dividend amount, the clan members remained calm, as they had seen such scenes many times. The clan leader had even received dividends of one or two million yuan, so a few million was nothing to them.

However, the onlookers couldn't remain calm. They were all stunned.

A 6,000,000 yuan dividend a year was a terrifying amount!

"My goodness, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it."

"A 6,000,000 yuan dividend a year, I can't even imagine it. It's truly terrifying!"

"Today, I've really broadened my horizons!"

"The clan leader of the Ye Deng Clan is truly amazing. The records on the merit wall in the ancestral hall are not exaggerated at all."

"Even if our family worked hard for three generations, we probably wouldn't earn 6 million yuan. The difference between people is really too great!"

  "..."

  Yeyi Hospital’s director, Liu Zhenyu, was also present. He was from the neighboring Qingcun village, and his niece had married into the Deng family. He had heard about the wealth of Ye Deng Jiu Shu (Ninth Uncle) before, but the shock of hearing it and seeing it in person was quite different.

  At that moment, he, like the other medical staff, watched with amazement as Deng Shirong, who had been carrying money in two or three large burlap bags, stood on the stage.

  This scene would likely stay with them for the rest of their lives.

  In the crowd, Fan Yuemei was somewhat surprised by the clan members’ annual income of several hundred thousand yuan, but she was not at all surprised by her father-in-law’s annual income of 6 million yuan.

  After all, she was now very clear about her husband’s family background. For her in-laws, this mere 6 million yuan was really nothing to mention.

  Not to mention her eldest brother and sister-in-law, whose annual income already exceeded 100 million yuan. Even the appliance store she had taken over after graduation, which had partnered with her eldest brother and sister-in-law’s chain supermarket, had an annual income of over 20 million yuan this year.

  After Deng Shirong received his dividend, the clan meeting came to an end. The Deng Clan members and their sisters left happily, while the onlookers departed with a sense of loss.

  Especially the medical staff from Yeyi Hospital. Their salaries were already higher than those of most other professions, and as a private hospital, Yeyi Hospital offered even higher salaries than public hospitals. They were quite satisfied with their income before today.

  However, after witnessing the dividend distribution of the Ye Deng Clan, the medical staff suddenly felt their salaries were not as appealing.

  It would take some time for them to readjust their mindset.

  ...

  New Year's Eve.

  After paying respects to Grandfather Ahzu, Deng Shirong prepared a large feast.

  His family, being numerous, always used a specially made table, whether at the old house or the villa, which was much larger than a regular table. It could easily accommodate twenty to thirty people for a meal.

  This year, his second and third sons’ families did not return for the New Year. Working out of province meant they had only a few days off during the Spring Festival, and the travel time would waste a few days, making the trip back and forth unnecessary.

  After the family reunion dinner began, about half an hour later, the prominent clan members and nephews in the village came over with wine to toast Deng Shirong. This had been a tradition in the village for over a decade.

  As for the medical staff on duty at Yeyi Hospital, the hospital canteen prepared an extremely lavish meal for them, and all the food was free, a small benefit for the medical staff and their families.

  This naturally won the hearts of the medical staff. After all, the hospital had already given all the medical staff rice, flour, and oil as gifts before the New Year. This New Year’s Eve dinner was an unexpected surprise, making the medical staff and their families very happy.

  ...

  In the afternoon, Deng Changyong came to Ninth Uncle’s villa to have tea.

  After having a cup of tea, Deng Changyong said, "Ninth Uncle, before I came back, I called Uncle Yunsong, but I didn’t expect that Uncle Yunsong was no longer working at the Ministry of Finance."

  Deng Shirong smiled and said, "They both transferred to work in Zhejiang. Xiaosong is the deputy mayor of Yongkang, a county-level city, and his wife is the director of the Lishui Finance Bureau."

  Deng Changyong exclaimed, "To be a full-section-level official at such a young age, Uncle Yunsong is truly remarkable, living up to his reputation as a top graduate from Tsinghua University. For both Uncle Yunsong and Aunt Yunsong to be promoted to full-section-level, they must be quite capable. I wonder which university Aunt Yunsong graduated from?"

  Deng Shirong smiled and said, "She graduated from Renmin University."

  Deng Changyong genuinely admired, "Impressive, truly impressive! Their future prospects are limitless!"

  For a leader like Deng Changyong, having wealthy clan members didn’t necessarily catch his eye, but having clan members with top university degrees was a different matter.

  The concept that "all professions are inferior, only scholarship is high" was deeply ingrained in us.

  Deng Shirong said, "With such educational backgrounds, they do have a significant advantage compared to most people. However, to truly rise in the system, they need a combination of opportunities, luck, and work ability. How far they can go in the future depends on their own destiny."

  "Nine Uncle is right, but I believe with Uncle Yunsong and Aunt Yunsong’s abilities, they will surely achieve great things."

  At this point, Deng Changyong asked, "Nine Uncle, how is Uncle Yunheng doing? What position does he hold now?"

  He only knew that Uncle Yunheng was at the deputy-bureau level, but he wasn’t clear about the specific position. Not many people in the clan knew either, as most rural people didn’t understand the intricacies of government positions beyond mayors, county chiefs, city chiefs, and provincial chiefs.

Deng Shirong said, "He is now the full-time deputy secretary of Fuzhou, and his work is going smoothly."

Although the military and political systems were separate, as a high-ranking official, Deng Changyong was very clear about the value of the position of full-time deputy secretary. If it were an older official nearing retirement age, there might be little hope for further advancement. However, for a rising star in politics, promotion was almost a certainty, it was just a matter of time.

Therefore, Deng Changyong said with some excitement, "That's great news. Our Ye Deng Clan has only produced two deputy bureau-level officials since the founding of the nation, and Uncle Yunheng is one of them. If Uncle Yunheng is promoted again, he will be the first in the clan."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Compared to you, he still needs to work harder."

Deng Changyong waved his hands, "Nine Uncle, you're too modest. I am over twenty years older than Uncle Yunheng. In twenty years, what achievements Uncle Yunheng will have, I can't even imagine. But I'm sure they will be far beyond what I can achieve."

Deng Shirong humbly responded, "It's not that simple. At the provincial level, it's truly the upper echelon. Whether he can make that leap is still uncertain."

"Uncle Yunheng is a top graduate from Peking University. Given his current momentum, reaching the provincial level will be no problem. You can rest assured, Nine Uncle."

"Let's hope so!"

...

Evening.

Most of the Ye Deng Clan members stayed at home to watch the Spring Festival Gala. The medical staff and their families either watched the gala at the hospital or went to the homes of familiar clan members to wait for the gala to start.

Before they moved into the villa complex, the Ye Deng villagers used to gather at Deng Shirong's home to watch the gala. However, now that everyone had moved into the villas, each household had its own television, so they no longer disturbed the clan head and instead stayed at home to watch the gala with their families.

However, to the surprise of the clan members, when the gala began at midnight, an advertisement for the Ye Deng Group's mineral water brand, Nongfu Spring, suddenly appeared.

At that time, the Spring Festival Gala was at its peak, and every household with a television would not miss it on New Year's Eve. The viewership was incredibly high, almost covering the entire nation.

Moreover, many overseas Chinese also watched the gala.

This meant that at least a billion viewers saw the Nongfu Spring advertisement and remembered the classic slogan, "Nongfu Spring is a little sweet."

This seven-character slogan was a classic among classics. The phrase "a little sweet" was the finishing touch, making it unforgettable and priceless.

In the previous life, Nongfu Spring's success was largely attributed to this classic slogan.

As for the other equally classic slogan, it wasn't the right time for it yet. After thoroughly digesting the sales boost from the "a little sweet" slogan and solidifying the Nongfu Spring brand, they could then use the "water delivery worker" slogan to deepen the brand's image.

The 1995 Spring Festival Gala was still very entertaining, and in an era of limited entertainment, it was truly captivating.

As the clock struck midnight, countless fireworks shot up into the sky and exploded.

Deng Shirong watched the colorful fireworks in the sky and felt a sense of nostalgia. By the lunar calendar, he was a 60-year-old man. A minute ago, he could still be considered middle-aged, but now he was truly an old man.

Of course, this was by the lunar calendar. If by the Gregorian calendar, he was not yet 59.

In Shuangwang, the age was calculated based on the lunar New Year.

Regardless of when you were born, you would gain a year on the first day of the lunar New Year.

This meant that even if a baby was born at 23:59 on New Year's Eve, they would be one year old at birth, and then one minute later, they would gain another year. According to the Shuangwang age calculation, a baby just two minutes old would be two years old.

After the fireworks, the gala came to an end.

In many places, there was a tradition of staying up all night on New Year's Eve, but in Shuangwang, this was not the case. Apart from energetic young people, most elderly people and children would go to bed after the fireworks.

To avoid having to wake up early the next day to pay respects to Grandfather Ahzu, Deng Shirong, as he did every year, took his grandchildren to pay respects to Grandfather Ahzu right after the fireworks.

This practice was devised by many clan members who wanted to sleep in, and Deng Shirong thought it was a good idea, so he followed it after his rebirth.

As a result, the whole clan followed suit.

Now, the entire clan paid respects to Grandfather Ahzu at midnight.

After all, following the clan head was always the right choice.

...

PS: Thank you to all my relatives for your generous donations and monthly votes.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end