Chapter 231 Uncle Jiu Returns to the Village, Causing a Stir
When Deng Shirong returned to his hometown with his children, the entire Thatchfield Village was in an uproar. The idle villagers gathered around, eager to learn more about the opening of his restaurant.
After all, the opening of Deng Shirong's County Restaurant had been a hot topic in Thatchfield Village for over a month.
"Uncle Jiu, your restaurant in the county is open. How's the business?"
"Uncle Jiu, are you really going to hand over the restaurant to Uncle Yuntai and Aunt Yuntai to manage?"
"Uncle Jiu, the restaurant business must be doing well, right? It's definitely better than Yuntai making pottery and tiles. Am I right?"
"Uncle Jiu..."
Hearing the questions from his cousins, Deng Shirong smiled and said, "So far, the restaurant business is doing well. It's definitely better than my family's Yuntai making pottery and tiles. On one hand, the income has increased significantly, and on the other, it's much easier than working with pottery and tiles."
The villagers weren't surprised by this response. If anyone else had opened a restaurant in the county, some might have been optimistic, while others might have been skeptical, with the pessimists probably outnumbering the optimists. But this was different. Deng Shirong was the one opening the restaurant.
In Thatchfield Village today, who doesn't admire Deng Shirong? Whether he's contracting a brick and tile factory with Deng Yungui or reclaiming orchards to plant lychees and watermelons, he's been making a lot of money. The villagers have blind trust in him.
Therefore, when they heard Deng Shirong say the restaurant was doing well, and that it was better than Yuntai's pottery and tile business, they all expressed envy and awe.
After all, it was well-known in Thatchfield Village that Deng Yuntai made over 200 yuan a month from making tiles.
Now, the income from the restaurant is much higher than that, probably earning at least two to three hundred yuan a month. With Zhang Xiuping and Deng Yunzhen helping out, the income must be even higher. The villagers could hardly imagine how much money the combined income must be.
Everyone there understood that Uncle Jiu's family had secured a new, stable, and generous source of income, and their lives were only getting better.
In addition to inquiring about the restaurant, the villagers didn't forget to check in on Deng Yunheng, the first college student in the village. They gathered around him, asking how he was doing and curious about life in the capital.
"Yunheng, you must have been to Tiananmen Square, right? How big is it?"
"Uncle Yunheng, the ancient imperial palace is in the capital. Have you ever been inside to see it?"
"Uncle Yunheng, have you seen the great leader?"
"Uncle Yunheng..."
The questions came fast, and the villagers were eager to know more about the capital.
If there's one place ordinary people across the country dream of visiting, it's definitely Beijing. No other place could replace it.
Despite the villagers' naive questions, Deng Yunheng patiently answered each one.
Half an hour later, the villagers had learned all they wanted to know and dispersed contentedly.
The news that Deng Shirong was making money with his restaurant spread quickly, reaching not only Thatchfield Village but also the second and third villages.
At that time, making money through business in the county town was already a hot topic in rural areas. And with Deng Shirong being a star figure in the Help And Correct Brigade, it was no surprise the news spread so quickly.
…
The next morning.
After having breakfast at home, Deng Shirong told his children to study hard at home and then rode out on his bicycle.
Today was the 19th of the sixth lunar month. In about ten days, the longans at White Duckweed Farm would be ready for harvest. He needed to go to Tan Lian as soon as possible to rent or buy a house to use as a temporary stopover.
Additionally, he planned to visit his third sister and his two brothers-in-law's homes to update them on his nephews' work in the county, so his relatives wouldn't worry.
White Duckweed Farm's headquarters is located 500 meters east of Temple Lotus Boarding Station on the Bo-Long Highway, easily accessible by car.
Around 10 a.m., Deng Shirong arrived in the area and began searching for a suitable house to rent or buy.
Deng Shirong had simple requirements: he needed an empty house to store things, in a remote location with no other houses nearby. It didn't matter if the house was dilapidated, as it was only for temporary use.
After riding for a few minutes, he found a suitable house.
It was a rundown mud brick house with two rooms. The outer walls were corroded, indicating it had been there for several decades. Deng Shirong peeked inside through a crack in the door and saw no one living there, but a lot of firewood was stored inside, suggesting the owner used it as a firewood shed.
He then rode to the nearest house and saw a middle-aged man sitting at the door, smoking. He greeted him and asked, "Cousin, do you know whose two firewood sheds those are?"
The middle-aged man, holding his pipe, responded instead of answering, "Cousin, where are you from? Why are you asking this?"
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "I'm from the Help And Correct Brigade. I want to buy those two firewood sheds, so I was wondering if you knew who they belong to."
The middle-aged man, realizing the situation, explained, "Those two firewood sheds belong to the pork seller in our village. He sells pork at the intersection of Temple Lotus Road. Just go find him."
Deng Shirong thanked him and rode off toward Temple Lotus Intersection.
After watching Deng Shirong leave, the middle-aged man went back to his smoking, muttering to himself.
It didn't take long to reach Temple Lotus Intersection. In a few minutes, Deng Shirong found the pork seller.
The pork seller was a middle-aged man in his forties. When he saw Deng Shirong approach, he greeted him enthusiastically, "Cousin, what kind of pork do you want to buy?"
"I don't buy pork."
Deng Shirong shook his head and pointed to a direction, saying, "Do you have two firewood sheds over there?"
The pork seller, confused but nodding, answered, "Yes, I do. Why do you ask, cousin?"
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "I want to buy those two firewood sheds. Are you willing to sell them?"
This type of house wasn't worth much. If the longan business went well this year, he might use the property every year, making it convenient to buy.
The butcher was surprised. The firewood sheds were so dilapidated that they weren't suitable for living. He hesitated and said, "I'd be willing to sell, but I need to keep the foundation for building a house for my son in the future."
Deng Shirong said, "If the foundation stays, there's no point for me to buy it. How about you rent it to me instead?"
Land is valuable to rural people, and they only sell it when absolutely necessary. But renting is a different matter.
The butcher, excited, immediately agreed, "Of course, you can rent it! How long do you want to rent it for?"
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "If the price is reasonable, I'd like to rent it for ten years."
"Don't worry, I'll give you the best price."
The butcher quickly calculated in his head and offered, "15 yuan per year, 150 yuan for ten years. What do you think, cousin?"
Though the price was already low, Deng Shirong bargained, "I'll only be using the house temporarily for storing longans, so 15 yuan a year is still too much."
The butcher argued, "Cousin, this is a great deal. 15 yuan is only the cost of a little over a pound of pork per month. How can it be expensive?"
Deng Shirong smiled, "If I were to use it long-term, this price would be acceptable. But since it's just for storing longans, it's a bit too high."
After some negotiation, they agreed on a rent of one yuan per month.
Both parties were satisfied with the deal.
The butcher then said, "Cousin, it's getting late. Give me two days to clear out the firewood. You can come back to sign the agreement then."
"Sure."
Deng Shirong nodded, took out two yuan as a deposit, and said, "I'll come back the day after tomorrow to finalize it."
The butcher took the money and assured him, "I sell pork every day. Just come find me the day after tomorrow."
"Okay, thanks! I've got other business to attend to, so I'll leave now."
"Take care, cousin!"
After watching Deng Shirong leave, the villagers who had overheard congratulated the butcher, full of envy.
Renting out a dilapidated firewood shed for one yuan a month was quite a good deal. That's 12 yuan a year, an amount that felt like free money to the butcher.
The butcher couldn't help but smile at his good fortune.
(End of this chapter)