Chapter 65: Too Scary
Chapter 65: Too Scary
At the end of August, the 6,000 yuan interest-free loan Deng Shirong applied for at the credit union finally arrived, and the efficiency was commendable.
As soon as the money hit his account, Deng Shirong rushed to the brick factory to settle the bill for the bricks and tiles.
The factory owner, Deng Changbao, beamed like the Buddha of Infinite Mercy, insisting, "Oh, Ninth Uncle, you have so many expenses right now. It’s no problem if you pay me a bit later."
Deng Shirong knew these were just polite words, but they still made him feel good. He smiled and replied, "I was planning to pay you a bit later, but I recently took out a loan from the credit union, so I have more cash on hand. I thought it would be better to settle the bill now."
He wasn’t afraid of the news of his loan spreading; in fact, he wanted it to spread.
The reason was simple: he had built the most beautiful house in the village, hired several carpenters to make furniture, and had already started the mountain transformation project. All of these endeavors required a significant amount of money.
The village had just begun the land distribution, and everyone was still struggling financially. Deng Shirong’s large-scale projects were bound to draw attention and possibly jealousy. If some villagers got upset and caused trouble, it would be a major headache.
After all, the reform and opening-up policy had only been in place for two years, and the country was still in the process of unifying its thoughts. Getting into trouble now would be a real injustice.
However, once the news of his loan spread, the situation would look entirely different.
Deng Changbao was surprised, "Ninth Uncle, you took out a loan from the credit union?"
Deng Shirong laughed, "What’s so strange about that? The land has just been distributed, and the brick factory that Yun Gui and I took over has only been running for two months. How could we have earned so much money? The government is now supporting farmers to develop the economy, and the credit union offers interest-free loans. Isn’t that more reliable than borrowing from private individuals?"
Deng Changbao, being the first to take over the village brick factory, had a more progressive mindset than the average villager. He nodded, "Ninth Uncle, you make a good point."
"Alright, I’ll be going now. I still have a lot to do at home."
"Sure, Ninth Uncle, take care."
...
In the village, where any trivial matter could spread like wildfire, Deng Shirong’s loan news quickly became common knowledge, thanks to his deliberate efforts.
Initially, the villagers were envious of Deng Shirong’s new, beautiful house, which was the best in the village and perhaps the entire Shuangwang area. But once they learned that he had taken out a loan from the credit union, their shock turned into a sense of balance.
Deng Changfu, when he heard about Ninth Uncle’s loan, was speechless.
For a straightforward person like him, the idea of borrowing from a bank was inconceivable now and would remain so in the future. He couldn’t understand, "Wasn’t the business at the brick factory that Ninth Uncle and Uncle Yun Gui took over doing well? I heard they make several hundred yuan a month. And Uncle Yun Tai, the master potter, earns over two hundred yuan a month. With such high income, why would Ninth Uncle need to take out a loan?"
Guan Yongying, though also shocked, knew that Ninth Uncle, being someone who could earn a lot of money, must have a good reason. She replied, "Ninth Uncle must have his reasons. We shouldn’t speculate."
Deng Changfu thought about it and agreed. Ninth Uncle, being one of the village’s capable individuals, had thoughts and plans beyond their understanding. He dropped the topic of the loan and changed it to the mountain project, saying, "Yongying, Ninth Uncle is now having people transform the mountain into an orchard, planning to plant lychee trees. Do you think this is a good idea?"
Guanyong Ying shook his head and said, "I don't know much about this. As far as I know, none of the production teams in the entire Bangjie Brigade have ever set up an orchard. Old Nine is the first to do it. If you want to know if an orchard is a good idea, you should ask him."
Deng Changfu nodded and stood up. "Alright, I'll go ask Old Nine. If the orchard really has potential, I'll talk to my parents about using our free time to transform our hill into an orchard."
Guanyong Ying said, "I'll go with you."
So, the couple set off together toward Old Nine’s house.
Since the two families lived close to each other, it only took them a minute or so to reach Old Nine’s place.
When they arrived, several carpenters were busy working in the open space in front of Old Nine’s house, while Old Nine stood by, watching.
"Old Nine!" Deng Changfu and his wife called out as they approached.
Deng Shirong grunted in acknowledgment. Seeing the couple together, he knew they had something to ask. He pointed to a nearby longan tree and said, "Come sit over here!"
The three of them settled under the longan tree, and Deng Changfu said, "Old Nine, we came to ask about the orchard."
Deng Shirong took out his pipe, some tobacco, and a match, and smiled. "You two want to know how much it costs to set up an orchard and whether it can make money, right?"
Deng Changfu chuckled. "You really are a master of reading people, Old Nine."
"It’s not hard to guess. Even if you hadn’t come to me, I would have asked you to join me once I get the fruit trees planted."
Deng Shirong stuffed some tobacco into his pipe and continued, "The orchard will definitely make money, but the initial investment is quite substantial. For example, I’ve already ordered a thousand lychee saplings, which cost around seven or eight hundred yuan.
"Then there’s the cost of transforming the hill, which is estimated to be between three and five hundred yuan.
"Once the saplings are planted in early spring, we’ll need to hire people to water, fertilize, and maintain the orchard, which will be another significant expense.
"Adding it all up, the initial investment is around fifteen hundred yuan."
Deng Changfu and Guanyong Ying couldn’t help but gasp at the figure. Fifteen hundred yuan was a staggering amount for them.
After all, even when Deng Changfu had married Guanyong Ying, and their family had paid a higher dowry of four hundred yuan to get an extra plot of land, the total cost had still been less than a thousand yuan, with a significant portion of the money and goods returning to their hands. The initial investment for an orchard was a frightening fifteen hundred yuan.
Just hearing the number made the couple want to back out.
Deng Shirong, noticing their expressions, knew they were intimidated by the figure. He lit his pipe and took a few puffs before explaining with a smile, "Of course, I’m taking the easy way out, which is why it’s costing so much. If your family wants to set up an orchard, you only need to pay for the saplings. You can do the rest of the work yourselves and save a lot of money."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
