Chapter 511: Terrible News, the Sky Has Fallen!

Chapter 511: Terrible News, the Sky Has Fallen!

In the blink of an eye, it was already the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month.

This was the last clan meeting of the year for the Naye Deng Clan. Today's meeting would follow the usual format: first, they would distribute scholarships to the outstanding students in the clan, and then, the highly anticipated group dividends would be distributed.

The clan meeting held at the end of each year was considered the grandest of all for the Naye Deng Clan.

Ordinary clan meetings were attended only by clan members, but the year-end dividend meeting saw nearly all the daughters-in-law returning to their natal homes, making it the most complete gathering of the year.

Moreover, the Naye Deng Clan's year-end meeting had been a well-known event in the town for many years. Even those who lived far away would try to attend if they were nearby, just to witness the spectacle of the dividend distribution.

Despite the significant emotional impact each year, they could not resist coming to watch when the Naye Deng Clan's year-end meeting began.

At the entrance of the Naye Deng Clan's ancestral hall, besides the clan members and daughters-in-law, at least two to three thousand people had gathered to watch, making the scene bustling and lively.

In the crowd, Deng Yunzhu was talking to her second sister-in-law. Knowing that her second sister-in-law was staying in the hometown for the New Year, Deng Yunzhu had brought her husband and children to celebrate the New Year at her natal home.

Deng Yunzhen was also talking to her elder sister-in-law. In the past, when her in-laws were still alive, they would naturally return to Songwang Town for the New Year. However, since both her in-laws passed away, the couple rarely went back to Songwang Town for the New Year and instead celebrated at her natal home.

Feng Yingying was chatting with her fourth sister-in-law, who was holding a child. She had recently married into the Deng family, and this was her first clan meeting.

Xiaodong'er, Dongzi, Zhu Shiba, Xiaoshi, Ah Mao, and other third-generation members were also present.

During the scholarship award ceremony, Xiaodong'er, under the envious gazes of his younger brothers, went on stage with several other clan members to receive the highest award.

Seeing this, Feng Yingying couldn't help but ask, "Fourth Sister-in-law, has our clan always placed such importance on education?"

Fan Yue Mei nodded and said, "Ever since Father became the clan head, he initiated this scholarship award. It has been going on for over a decade now. I've heard that many of those who received scholarships in the early years have since passed the middle school entrance exams, vocational college, and university, producing a lot of talented individuals!"

Feng Yingying remarked, "Education is the foundation of a nation. Father understands this well. With a leader like Father, it's no wonder the Naye Deng Clan has become so prosperous!"

As the two sisters-in-law were talking quietly, the scholarship awards were all distributed.

Next, the meeting moved on to the second part, where dividends were distributed to the daughters-in-law.

This year, each daughter-in-law received 3,600 yuan in dividends.

This amount was not insignificant.

In this era, a waitress in a town restaurant earned about 150 yuan a month, while the average monthly income for a daughter-in-law was 300 yuan, equivalent to the salary of two waitresses.

Such an income was sufficient to support a family in the countryside.

Of course, it was impossible to become wealthy solely on this income.

Deng Shirong understood the principle that it was better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish. His original intention in proposing the dividend distribution was to provide a basic income for the daughters-in-law, thereby significantly enhancing the status of young daughters-in-law in their marital homes and ensuring that older daughters-in-law could live comfortably in their old age.

If they wanted to become wealthy, they would have to rely on their own efforts.

The daughters-in-law were all very happy and genuinely grateful for the clan's care.

There might be some ungrateful individuals in other places who complained about the clan's generosity, but such cases were rare in Bobai County.

In Bobai County, the rural areas have long adhered to the saying, "A married daughter is like water that has been poured out," and marriage is often referred to as selling a daughter. Not only are the daughters-in-law already married, but even unmarried girls understand from a young age that their parents' assets will be left to their brothers, and they have no right to any of it.

Similarly, the responsibility of supporting their parents falls on the sons, not the married daughters.

Due to this prevailing attitude in Bobai County, the clan's decision to distribute dividends to the daughters-in-law was met with genuine gratitude, and no one complained about the amount.

After distributing the dividends to the daughters-in-law, the main event began: distributing dividends to the clan members.

Despite being mentally prepared, Feng Yingying was still shocked when she saw clan members one by one go on stage to receive their dividends, with the amounts increasing significantly. Many received dividends in the hundreds of thousands or even millions, far exceeding her imagination of the Naye Deng Clan's wealth.

Finally, her father-in-law received the highest dividend of 40 million yuan, which Feng Yingying found reasonable.

This clan meeting opened Feng Yingying's eyes.

After the meeting ended and she returned home, Feng Yingying couldn't resist calling her cousin.

When the call connected and they exchanged greetings, Feng Yingying recounted the details of today's Naye Deng Clan meeting. She concluded by saying, "Sister, the Naye Deng Clan is truly impressive. Why don't you marry into the clan? There are many unmarried young men in the clan. Would you like me to help you find one?"

Feng Xuelin was speechless. "You're trying to play matchmaker now? I know that Old Deng has a high status in the clan. If I were to marry into the Naye Deng Clan, I would either be in the nephew or grandson generation. Do you want to be my elder?"

Feng Yingying laughed, "How could that be? Even if you married into the clan, we would still be on our own terms."

Feng Xuelin declined, "Forget it, I don't want to give you the chance to be my elder. If you want to introduce me to someone, find someone else. I definitely won't marry into the Naye Deng Clan."

Feng Yingying smiled, "Alright, I'll keep an eye out for someone suitable for you."

Feng Xuelin said, "You decide. I'm still in school and not in a hurry to get married. When are you planning to start your pearl milk tea shop?"

Feng Yingying replied, "After the New Year, once I'm back in Guangzhou, I'll start working on it."

Feng Xuelin said enviously, "Your business sounds promising. Your in-laws have already set everything up for you. If you can't make it work, you shouldn't claim to be a top graduate from Xi'an Jiaotong University; that would be too embarrassing."

Feng Yingying smiled confidently, "Don't worry, Sister. I'll definitely make the milk tea chain a success."

Feng Xuelin encouraged, "Work hard. If I ever decide I don't want to be a doctor, I'll come and join you."

Feng Yingying laughed, "That would be great..."

The two sisters had always been close, and now that Feng Yingying had married into the Deng family, a union facilitated by Feng Xuelin, their relationship had grown even stronger. They chatted for nearly twenty minutes before reluctantly hanging up.

Every year at the end of the year, making rice cakes and offering sacrifices to various deities were essential activities. Clan members who worked away from home would return for the New Year, making the village much livelier than usual.

In this era, people were very attached to returning home for the New Year, unlike in later times when those who had bought homes elsewhere were less willing to go back to their hometowns for the holiday.

Especially for the generations born in the 2000s and 2010s, many of them grew up away from their hometowns and had little experience living in rural areas. Their sense of belonging to their hometowns was gradually weakening. While their elders were still around, they would follow their parents back for the New Year. Once their elders passed away, their connection to their hometowns would likely be severed.

As the Spring Festival approached, the busiest place in each village was the gambling den.

The so-called gambling den was a place for gambling. Although gambling was technically illegal, the enforcement was much laxer compared to later times.

Especially during the Spring Festival, each village would openly set up gambling dens in the most crowded areas, and the police stations would not interfere. If such activities were to occur in later times, the New Year's Eve dinner would likely be replaced with a prison meal.

The Naye Deng Clan naturally had no shortage of gambling dens in the previous life, but in this life, due to Deng Shirong's clan-wide ban on gambling, gambling dens had not reappeared in the Naye Deng Clan's territory.

Since even small-scale gambling was banned, the Naye Deng Clan members indeed lost many forms of entertainment. Over the years, their New Year activities were mostly limited to eating and drinking, with the only game being "Upgrade" (a card game also known as "Tractor"), which was the most popular card game in the Naye Deng Clan, enjoyed by both young and old.

Deng Shirong's daughters and daughters-in-law were also fans of the "Upgrade" card game.

On New Year's Eve, after offering sacrifices to Ancestral Grandfather and enjoying the family reunion dinner, Zhang Xiuping, the eldest sister-in-law, started organizing a game of "Upgrade" with her sisters-in-law.

Deng Shirong, meanwhile, drank and chatted with his elder brother, sons, and nephews. During this time, Deng YunGui, Deng YunQiang, and Deng YunFeng, who had been drinking and eating with their families, also came over to join their Uncle Nine for a few more drinks, a tradition that had been carried on for years.

Seeing his daughters and daughters-in-law starting their game of "Upgrade," Deng Shirong thought about the lack of entertainment options for the clan members and said to Deng YunGui and the others, "There are too few entertainment options in the village now. I want to add some more for the clan members. Are any of you interested in investing in this?"

Deng YunGui asked, "Uncle Nine, what kind of entertainment are you thinking of?"

Deng Shirong took a sip of tea and said, "First, a cinema. Although Shuangwang Town has a cinema, it's very outdated. I want to build a luxury cinema in the village so that clan members can watch movies when they have free time. It would be a great form of entertainment.

If you're interested in investing, you can handle it. If not, I'll have the group invest. My goal is to provide more entertainment options to enrich the lives of the clan members."

Deng YunQiang, intrigued, asked, "Uncle Nine, do you think this cinema business has potential?"

Deng Shirong smiled, "Back in the day, whenever the production team brought a film crew to the village, everyone would rush over to watch. You all experienced that, so I don't need to elaborate.

Most people enjoy watching movies.

Of course, that was because it was free, which is why so many people came. If it costs money, fewer people will come.

Building a luxury cinema in the village will likely mean higher ticket prices. Only our clan members will have the means to afford it, and other villagers probably won't be willing to spend that much money to watch a movie.

So, whether this cinema will be profitable is uncertain."

Deng YunQiang shook his head, "Then forget it. If even Uncle Nine isn't sure it will make money, I won't do it."

Deng YunGui laughed, "Uncle Nine, if you're not confident in the business, we definitely won't do it. Let the group invest directly!"

Deng Shirong nodded, "Alright, I'll have the group invest."

Deng YunGui asked, "Uncle Nine, besides the cinema, do you have any other projects in mind?"

Deng Shirong replied, "Nightclubs are very popular outside, and I'm wondering if you might be interested in opening a nightclub in the village."

Deng YunGui, who had traveled far and seen much, was somewhat surprised. He said, "Uncle Nine, nightclubs have a bad reputation outside. Would it be appropriate to open one in the village?"

Deng Shirong explained, "Nightclubs have a bad reputation outside because of their clientele and the activities they offer. Those with poor reputations usually involve prostitution, gambling, and drugs. Such activities attract the wrong kind of people, leading to a chaotic environment.

However, if we open a nightclub in our village, we will strictly prohibit prostitution, gambling, and drugs. It will be a place purely for drinking, singing, dancing, and performances. Most of the patrons will be our Naye Deng Clan members, so we won't have those chaotic issues."

Deng YunGui nodded. "That makes sense, Uncle Nine, but will it be profitable?"

Deng Shirong smiled. "A nightclub should be profitable, but it won't be as lucrative as those outside."

Deng YunFeng added, "Our Naye Deng Clan members are all well-off now. Plus, many people from neighboring villages like Zhouwang, Naqing, and Zengcun have also earned money because of the Naye Film City. The medical staff from the hospital also have decent incomes, so there should be plenty of customers."

Here is the translated line:

Deng YunGui, feeling somewhat intrigued, said, "If you put it that way, opening a nightclub does seem worth considering."

Deng YunQiang asked, "Uncle Nine, how much investment would be needed for the nightclub?"

Deng Shirong nodded. "The investment for a nightclub is not small, and running it successfully will be challenging. You can decide whether to partner up or let the group handle the investment directly if you find it too cumbersome."

"Alright, we'll discuss it among ourselves and get an estimate of the investment needed for a nightclub."

"Even if I participate, I'll only invest a few million at most. Any more would be too risky."

"Let's get an estimate from someone experienced first."

"..."

As they discussed the plans, they continued eating and drinking until around three in the afternoon before dispersing.

...

At eight o'clock in the evening.

Deng Shirong and his children and daughters-in-law gathered around the TV to watch the Spring Festival Gala. Since the gala's inception, they had never missed a single edition, and it had become a staple of their New Year's Eve night.

This year, the ad for the hour mark during the gala was no longer from a brand under the Deng Group but from another brand.

The Deng Group had won the CCTV bid for two consecutive years, but Deng Shirong did not personally participate in the third bid. Instead, he sent other group representatives and set a cap of 250 million yuan for the bid, effectively giving up on winning the third CCTV bid.

In the previous life, the ad for the third CCTV bid had skyrocketed to over 300 million yuan, which was too exorbitant. Therefore, Deng Shirong did not intend to get involved.

It was 1997, and the gala naturally included programs related to Hong Kong's return. Dong Wenhua sang "The Story of Spring," and the entire nation was eagerly awaiting Hong Kong's return to the motherland, including the elderly leader who had spearheaded the process.

However, while listening to "The Story of Spring," Deng Shirong felt a pang of sadness.

At this moment, he was probably the only one in the country who knew that the beloved elderly leader was about to leave this beautiful world. He didn't even make it to the Lantern Festival or to witness Hong Kong's return to the motherland, which was likely his greatest regret.

After all, he had devoted a tremendous amount of effort to Hong Kong's return.

Moreover, the reform and opening-up policies he advocated had greatly benefited Deng Shirong, both in his previous life and this one.

Even those who had become wealthy after the reform and opening-up owed the most gratitude to Deng Xiaoping. Without his leadership, they would either be earning a fixed salary at their workplaces or diligently working in the countryside for meager wages. They wouldn't have achieved what they have today!

Even those who hadn't become wealthy had seen their lives improve significantly after the reform and opening-up. Unlike the past, where they could hardly afford meat and often ate thin porridge and coarse grains, the contrast in living standards was stark.

After watching the gala, setting off fireworks at midnight, and paying respects to Ancestral Grandfather, Deng Shirong, who had something on his mind, went to bed.

During the New Year, Deng Shirong and his family kept a close eye on the CCTV news. He hoped that his rebirth in this life could create a butterfly effect and have even a slight impact on Deng Xiaoping, perhaps leading to a miracle.

Of course, Deng Shirong knew that the possibility of such a miracle was extremely low. He was just holding onto a tiny hope.

Time quickly passed, and on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, no miracle occurred. The sky had indeed fallen!

...

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(End of Chapter)

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