Chapter 469: The Deng Clan in Naye Feasts, and Other Villages Follow Suit to Prosper

Chapter 469: The Deng Clan in Naye Feasts, and Other Villages Follow Suit to Prosper

When Deng Shirong returned to the village, the first thing his clansmen asked was about Deng Yunheng’s promotion.

If you look at the whole country, there are over 5,000 people at the provincial level, and at first glance, it might not seem like much. But if you consider the village context, it’s no exaggeration to say that such a position is at the top of the hierarchy. There are over 660,000 administrative villages (not counting natural villages) in the country, and according to this ratio, it's rare for even a hundred villages to produce one provincial-level official. It’s easy to see how significant a provincial-level position is in the village.

Therefore, when Deng Yunheng became a provincial-level official, it caused a huge stir within the clan.

Generally, most fathers hope their sons can surpass them, and the more capable the son, the more face the father gains.

People who fear their sons surpassing them are relatively rare.

Thus, Deng Shirong, as a father, was overjoyed by the clan’s praise for Deng Yunheng, and his smile never left his face.

...

At the entrance of the villa.

Deng Shirong was smoking a water pipe while chatting with Deng YunGui.

As they chatted, the topic turned to installing telephones.

Deng YunGui said, "I want to install a telephone at home. Uncle Jiushu, would you like to install one too?"

Over the years, Deng Shirong had only installed telephones in the county and Nanning, but not in his hometown. This was mainly because it was not easy to install a telephone in rural areas during the 1980s and early 1990s.

In his previous life, Naye Village didn’t have its first telephone until 1997, when a small store installed one. Before that, no one had a telephone at home.

After all, in those days, the initial installation fee for a telephone could easily cost several thousand yuan, and in the countryside, who could afford to spend so much money on a telephone unless it was for business?

However, in this life, the Deng Clan in Naye was wealthy, and installing a telephone was no longer a burden for the clansmen.

Therefore, when Deng YunGui mentioned it, Deng Shirong responded, "Let’s install them together. We can also call the clansmen to discuss it. If anyone wants to install a telephone, we can do it all at once to save time and trouble."

Deng YunGui said, "I’ll notify everyone right away. We’ll have a meeting at two o'clock this afternoon."

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "That’s fine. I also have a major issue concerning the village’s development that I want to discuss with everyone."

...

At two o'clock in the afternoon.

At the entrance of the Deng Clan’s ancestral hall in Naye.

Once everyone had gathered, Deng Shirong got straight to the point, "Clansmen, I’ve called this meeting to ask if anyone wants to install a telephone at home. If so, we can report and install them together."

Deng YunQiang was the first to respond, "Uncle Jiushu, count me in. It’s time to install a telephone at home."

Deng Changbao said, "Grandpa Jiugong, I want to install one too."

Deng Changping said, "Grandpa Jiugong, count me in as well."

...

The clansmen all responded, expressing their desire to install telephones at home.

People are often concerned about face and tend to follow the crowd. If most families in the clan had telephones, it would be embarrassing for a family to be the only one without one.

If they were poor like before, it would be one thing, but now, every household in the Deng Clan in Naye had assets worth hundreds of thousands of yuan. Spending a few thousand yuan to install a telephone was manageable for everyone and didn’t put much pressure on them.

In such a situation, even the most frugal would find it necessary to install a telephone.

Thus, all the hundreds of households in the clan signed up to install telephones.

After the numbers were counted, Deng Shirong said, "YunGui, I’ll leave the installation of the telephones to you."

Deng YunGui nodded and said, "Sure, Uncle Jiushu. I’ll head to Shuangwang after the meeting."

Deng Shirong nodded and then looked at the clansmen below, "Next, I have a major issue to discuss with everyone. If this works out, it won’t just benefit our Bangjie Village; the entire Shuangwang and even Bobai County will benefit immensely."

This statement invigorated the clansmen.

Deng Changbao couldn’t wait to ask, "Grandpa Jiugong, what’s the major issue?"

"I plan to have our group invest in building a film city in our hometown."

Even with Deng Shirong’s composure, he couldn’t help but feel a bit excited as he said this.

Over the past few years, whenever Deng Shirong had free time, he would think about how to develop the hometown. There were many ways to do this, but none of the methods he thought of were entirely satisfactory, each having its own drawbacks.

After all, Deng Shirong’s initial goal was to turn the hometown into a famous tourist destination. The methods he considered often went against this goal and could even pollute the environment, which was the main reason he didn’t pursue them.

A few days ago, a brilliant idea suddenly came to him.

This idea was to build a film city in the hometown, similar to Hengdian.

If this plan succeeds, our hometown will truly become a beautiful tourist attraction. Not only will it attract countless film and television production teams to shoot, but it will also draw tourists from all over the world. This will absolutely propel our town of Shuangwang and even the entire Bobai County to new heights.

After all, Hengdian Film City in the previous life is the most typical example.

The population of Hengdian, with its 200,000 residents, is no joke. Most of them work in the film and television industry. Apart from the extras at the bottom, the celebrities and high-income staff have substantial spending power.

This can genuinely boost the local economy and bring in countless unseen benefits.

Currently, the entire Naye Deng Clan has only about 3,000 people, and the total population of Bangjie Village is just over 4,000. Building a film city like Hengdian would add over 200,000 residents, and the implications of this are clear.

A film city like Hengdian covers over 50,000 acres. This would not only cover the entire Bangjie Village but also several nearby villages. When that happens, it won't just be Bangjie Village that takes off; the residents of other villages will also benefit.

With such a large population influx, the Naye Hospital will be put to good use, achieving a win-win situation.

In short, if this film city project succeeds, everyone in the hometown will be grateful.

Moreover, this is the perfect time to build a film city.

Hengdian started its film city in 1996, and the Naye Deng Clan is almost a year ahead. By preempting Hengdian, this might mean that in this life, Hengdian Film City won't exist, and the Naye Deng Clan's film city will take its place.

Deng Changbao asked, "Grandpa Jiugong, what exactly is a film city?"

The other clansmen also looked puzzled. Even in the future, with advanced information, many rural people still don't know what a film city is, let alone the people of this era. How could they understand what a film city is!

"A film city is mainly used for filming movies and TV series..."

After Deng Shirong explained in detail, the clansmen finally understood what a film city was, and they all had a moment of realization.

Deng Changfu widened his eyes and asked, "Grandpa Jiugong, if the film city is built, won't we be able to see those celebrities from TV and movies right in our own backyard?"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Exactly, the celebrities you know will likely appear in our film city."

With these words, the clansmen were boiling with excitement.

Whether in this era or in the future, ordinary people still have a great fondness for celebrities. Being able to see the handsome and beautiful stars from TV and movies would be a very novel experience for the clansmen.

"That's great, does that mean we might have a chance to see the White Lady?"

"I love Zhou Zhiruo from 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.' It would be amazing to see her."

"My favorite is Huang Rong from 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes.' She's so beautiful. I wonder if we can see her?"

"Really? You didn't know? The actress who played Huang Rong committed suicide long ago. Do you want to meet her in the underworld?"

"Ah? When did that happen? I didn't know."

"Do you not read the newspapers? She committed suicide ten years ago."

"..."

While the clansmen were discussing, Deng YunGui asked, "Uncle Jiushu, how will our group make money from this film city? By renting it out to production teams and collecting rent?"

Deng Shirong shook his head and smiled, "Rent is just a small part. We won't charge rent; instead, we'll provide various support services to the production teams. If we can build our film city into a major hub, attracting production teams from all over the country and adding over 200,000 residents, there will be countless ways to make money."

Deng Changxiong, one of the wealthiest clansmen, was quick to react. He said excitedly, "The Naye Hospital only added over a thousand residents, and it has already transformed Naye Village. Now, Naye Village has become a new market town, even more bustling than Shuangwang Market. If the film city attracts over 100,000 residents, I can't even imagine what our village will become."

The other clansmen also realized this and couldn't help but get excited.

Especially those who were quick thinkers were already planning what businesses they could start.

Deng Shirong said, "The film city will cover a vast area. I plan to include Shuangwang, Shaba, and Songshan towns in the plan. In Shuangwang Town, we will focus on Bangjie Village, Baiping Village, Naqing Village, and Zhouwang Village.

The reason for including Shaba Town is that it borders Bangjie Village and has the Tiger Head Reservoir. When building the film base, I plan to incorporate this large reservoir into the film city.

Including Songshan Town is due to its location. If the film city leans towards Songshan Town, it will be much closer to the county. Building a highway to the county will greatly improve transportation, which will be beneficial for the development of our film city."

Deng YunGui couldn't help but marvel, "Uncle Jiushu, if this is how it's going to be, then Zhouwang Village, Naqing Village, Baiping Village, and even Songshan Town and Shaba Town will all take off."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "We’ll have the meat, and it’s only right that our neighbors get to drink the broth."

This statement drew a chorus of good-natured laughter from the crowd.

The clan head was right. The film city would be funded by the Naye Deng Clan, and they would naturally enjoy the lion's share of the benefits. The surrounding villages and towns, which would also benefit, would only get a taste of the spoils.

However, even this taste would be a tremendous blessing for the villagers.

After all, according to Deng Shirong’s plan, the land acquisition alone would lift them out of poverty. Not to mention, the vast film city would bring a myriad of benefits to the locals.

To put it bluntly, even if they did nothing, once the film city attracted tens of thousands of people, renting out their houses alone would allow them to live a very comfortable life.

And for those with a bit of business acumen, the opportunities to make a fortune would be endless.

"Since everyone is in agreement, let’s finalize this."

Seeing that everything had been discussed, Deng Shirong stood up and said, "Time is of the essence. I’ll head to the county now and discuss this with the county leaders. Land acquisition is best handled by the authorities, and the investment in the film city will be substantial. If it succeeds, the entire Bobai County will benefit, and the authorities will definitely give us their full support."

Deng YunGui asked, "Uncle Jiushu, is there anything we can help with?"

Deng Shirong replied, "You can start by informing the people in the other villages about the benefits of this film city. Make sure they understand how much they will gain, so that no one opposes the land acquisition out of ignorance.

While we have the power to force it, it’s better to avoid conflict."

Deng YunGui couldn’t help but smile, "We’re giving them a gift. I don’t think anyone would be foolish enough to refuse."

Deng Shirong said, "People are different. Some are stubborn. Regardless, let them know what’s coming. If they cooperate, they’ll share in the wealth. If some are unreasonable, they’ll get a lesson. We can’t let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch."

Deng YunGui nodded, "Understood. We’ll handle it properly."

"Good, then let’s adjourn the meeting."

...

As Deng Shirong headed to the county, many of the Naye Deng Clan’s young wives, unable to wait, bought some candies and cookies and rushed back to their hometowns to share the good news. Their hometowns were within the designated area, and they wanted to be the first to tell their families.

Guan Yongying was one of them. Her family had already bought a motorcycle, and she knew how to ride it.

So, after the meeting, she went home, got on the motorcycle, bought some candies and cookies, and headed straight to her hometown.

Shenshuitian Village was not far from Naye Village, and it took only about four minutes to get there by motorcycle.

When she arrived, her parents were sitting under a pineapple tree at the village entrance, chatting with the villagers and smoking.

Thanks to their eldest daughter, Guan Yongying, the Guan family had become the wealthiest in Shenshuitian Village, enjoying absolute authority and living a very comfortable life.

Hearing the motorcycle, everyone turned to see Guan Yongying.

"Yongying is back!"

"Yongying looks great on a motorcycle."

"Yongying’s life is getting better; she looks younger every day!"

"..."

Amid the villagers' remarks, Guan Yongying parked her motorcycle and greeted her parents and the villagers with a smile. She then took out the bag of candies and cookies she had bought and handed it to her mother to distribute.

Her mother took the bag, opened it, and started distributing the treats while asking, "Yongying, what brings you back at this hour?"

In Shuangwang, visiting relatives was usually done in the morning, not the afternoon. Since Guan Yongying chose to come back in the afternoon, it must have been for a reason.

Guan Yongying smiled and replied, "Dad, Mom, and everyone, I’m here to share some good news with all of you."

Guan Dewei, holding his pipe, asked, "What good news?"

Her aunt, Aunt Man, also chimed in with a smile, "Yongying, is this good news related to us?"

Guan Yongying, beaming with pride, said, "Yes, this good news is for everyone in Shenshuitian Village. Soon, we’ll all be lifted out of poverty."

When Guan Yongying spoke, everyone was taken aback.

"Guan Yongying, what do you mean by that?"

"Let our entire village get rid of poverty and become wealthy? Is that true?"

"Guan Yongying, tell us quickly, what good news can make our entire village wealthy?"

"..."

Guan Yongying didn’t keep them in suspense and said directly, "Father, Mother, everyone, it’s like this: Jiugong decided to have the group invest in building a film city in our hometown, and our Shenshuitian Village is within the planned area of the film city.

So, our Shenshuitian Village is about to become wealthy!"

Guan Dewei, looking puzzled, asked, "Yongying, what is this film city? How is it related to our village becoming wealthy?"

The other villagers also looked confused, sharing the same thoughts as Guan Dewei. They didn’t understand how this film city could make their village wealthy.

"This film city is a long story, but to put it simply, it’s used for filming TV series and movies."

Guan Yongying explained with a smile, "Our Shenshuitian Village is within the planned area of the film city. To build this massive film city, they will need to expropriate our village’s hills and some farmland. When that happens, every household will receive a large sum of money, which will make us wealthy!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in surprise.

In the future, due to the advanced information, even rural people understood that land expropriation and demolition were quick ways to become wealthy. Many dreamed of their hills and farmland being expropriated.

Later, the Baoping Industrial Park, a project with an investment of several hundred billion, came to Shuangwang Town, creating numerous millionaires and countless villagers who received substantial compensation.

However, in the current era, people didn’t have a clear concept of land expropriation, so they didn’t cheer right away.

Guan’s mother spoke for everyone, "Yongying, how much money will we get from the expropriation of our hills and farmland?"

Guan Yongying shook her head and said, "I’m not sure about the exact amount, but Jiugong said it would be enough for everyone to become wealthy. Besides, if the film city is built, the real benefits will come later!"

Guan Dewei was surprised, "What other benefits?"

Guan Yongying replied, "Jiugong said that if the film city is built, it will attract tens or even hundreds of thousands of people. As locals, even if we don’t start businesses, just building a few more houses and renting them to these outsiders will make us a lot of money."

Everyone was stunned by this.

The film city bringing in tens or even hundreds of thousands of people—was this real?

After all, at this time, the entire Shuangwang Town had a population of only around 30,000. An increase of tens or hundreds of thousands would be a significant change.

As Guan Yongying said, even just building a few more houses and renting them to these outsiders would bring in a substantial income every month.

"So, it really is a great thing!"

"Indeed, if we get a large sum of money from the expropriation, we can use it to build more houses. Then, we won’t have to do anything; just sitting at home collecting rent will give us a good life."

"Adding tens or hundreds of thousands of people, is this film city really that powerful?"

"Since this is what Jiushu said, it’s likely true. After all, who doesn’t know how capable Jiushu is!"

"This is a blessing from heaven, finally giving us a chance to live a good life!"

"..."

Following this, the villagers asked more questions, and although Guan Yongying didn’t know all the details, she repeated what Jiugong had said at the clan meeting.

Even so, it was enough to get everyone excited.

If all of this really came to fruition, their Shenshuitian Village would undergo a tremendous transformation, and everyone would live a good life.

Similar scenes played out in other villages within the planned area of the film city. The young wives who had married into Naye Village returned to their hometowns to share the good news and explain the benefits of the land expropriation.

These benefits were indeed convincing, and even those few villagers who were reluctant to part with their hills and farmland, wanting to leave them for future generations, were persuaded by their families.

Compared to the opportunity for a steady stream of income, the loss of hills and farmland was not a significant concern.

...

PS: Thank you to all my relatives for your unwavering support. In the midst of criticism, your encouragement is like a ray of light in the snow, giving me the motivation to continue writing. I hope to write stories that you will enjoy.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end