Chapter 27: Simple and Crude Monetary Reward Method

Chapter 27: Simple and Crude Monetary Reward Method

When Deng Shirong returned home, he smelled the aroma of lard from afar and knew that his eldest daughter had returned to render the oil.

Walking into the hall, he saw his second son, Deng Yunheng, reviewing his studies. Satisfied, Deng Shirong said, "You've done well. You don't have to do any work this summer. Just focus on studying. If you can get into university next year, I'll give you 50 yuan a month for living expenses, so you can live comfortably no matter which city you study in."

Deng Yunheng was shocked and asked, "Dad, are you serious?"

Deng Shirong replied seriously, "Of course. It's always been the case that sons might deceive their fathers, but fathers don't deceive their sons. As long as you get into university next year, I'll keep my promise."

Deng Yunheng was thrilled. Fifty yuan a month for living expenses was a huge amount. Before, his father had given him two yuan for school, and even after eating braised pork three times a week, he still had 80 cents left. If he went to university, even with higher living costs, 50 yuan would allow him to live very comfortably.

Many workers in the city didn't even earn that much.

Thinking of the happy life awaiting him at university, Deng Yunheng vowed, "Dad, just wait. I'll definitely get into university and make you proud."

Deng Shirong had expected his second son's excitement. In this era, 50 yuan a month was equivalent to 10,000 yuan in the future. For someone from a rural family, it was an unimaginable amount.

Deng Shirong had no choice but to use this method to motivate his second son. In terms of intelligence and talent, Deng Yunheng was the best among his seven children. Unfortunately, in his previous life, due to limited educational resources in the countryside and his lack of effort, he had missed the chance to attend university.

Now that Deng Shirong had been reborn, he was determined to change his second son's fate.

"Alright, I'll wait. If you work hard, I'll provide you with good food and drink this summer and give you enough living expenses when school starts. I just hope you can give me a surprise and let our Deng family produce a university student of great status," Deng Shirong said with anticipation.

"Dad, don't worry. I won't let you down," Deng Yunheng replied firmly.

For dinner, Deng Shirong prepared a classic dish for his children—taro rice.

There were many ways to cook taro rice, and each version used different ingredients. The method in Thatchfield Village was simple, focusing on the aroma of taro.

First, he heated oil in a pan, added finger-sized taro cubes, and stir-fried them until fragrant. Then he added lard, soy sauce, salt, and other seasonings, stir-fried everything evenly, and added yesterday's leftover rice. He stir-fried until the rice changed color and absorbed the flavors, then added crushed garlic. When the garlic aroma was strong, he removed the dish from the pan.

The taro rice made this way was dry and delicious.

However, since there was no leftover rice in Deng Shirong's house, he fried the taro until fragrant, added water and rice, and cooked it like regular dry pot rice. The other steps were the same.

Though the taro rice made this way wasn't as dry as the fried leftover rice version, it had a strong aroma of taro and garlic and tasted great.

The children were very satisfied with the meal.

The greedy Deng Yunsong ate three big bowls, then groaned as he rubbed his full belly.

After dinner, as the family sat outside to digest their food, Deng Shirong looked at his three youngest children and said, "Xiaosong, Xiaohua, Xiaoheng, I have something to tell you. This afternoon, I made an agreement with your second brother. If he gets into university next year, I'll give him 50 yuan a month for living expenses while he's in school."

Hearing this, not only did Deng Yunsong, Deng Yunhua, and Deng Yunheng exclaim in surprise, but even Deng Yuntai, who was already working as a master tile maker, was shocked.

Deng Yunzhen and Deng Yunzhu's eyes widened in disbelief.

Deng Shirong continued, "Now, I'm going to make a deal with you three. Starting next semester, if your average score on the midterm or final exam is above 90, I'll give you a reward. The minimum reward is 5 yuan, and for each additional point, you'll get 2 yuan more. If you get full marks, you'll get 30 yuan directly. Whether you earn this reward depends on your own ability!"

Though Deng Shirong had lived two lifetimes, he still considered himself a layman when it came to education. Since he didn't know how to teach, he decided to use monetary rewards to motivate his sons to study hard.

In his previous life, none of his sons had attended university. Even if his monetary reward method didn't work, it wouldn't make things worse.

After hearing this, Deng Yunsong asked eagerly, "Dad, are you serious?"

Deng Yunhua also asked excitedly, "Dad, as long as our average score is above 90, we can get so much money?"

Though Deng Yunheng was only eight, he knew money could buy many delicious things. He looked at his father with anticipation.

Deng Shirong nodded. "Of course. The reward is always valid. As long as you have the ability, I'll be happy to give you this money. But remember, you must take the exam honestly. If I find out you cheated, you'll face the rice bucket punishment."

Hearing "rice bucket punishment," the children shivered. The rice bucket was a bamboo container used to measure rice. If a child misbehaved, parents would burn something inside to create smoke, then stuff the child's mouth and nose into the bucket, using the smoke to punish them. It was a terrifying experience.

No child who had been punished this way would dare to misbehave again.