Chapter 61: Interest-Free Loan

Chapter 61: Interest-Free Loan

After signing the fruit seedling purchase contract with Fresh Light Farm, Deng Shirong achieved the main purpose of his trip to Lingshan. On his way home, he silently calculated the recent funding gap in his mind.

Last month, after the first batch of goods from the tile factory was sold, the combined income of the father and son exceeded 700 yuan. He had arranged for the woman to stay at Deng Changwang's house to look after the property and received a red envelope of three yuan, plus the system's tenfold reward, which amounted to thirty-three yuan. Adding the original 700 yuan, the cash in his hands had once exceeded 1,450 yuan, making him a wealthy man in the countryside.

However, Deng Shirong's expenses over the past month had been substantial. He spent more than 50 yuan on his sons' tuition and living expenses, and over 150 yuan on rice, cloth, and various seasonings. Adding the 100 yuan he gave to his eldest daughter before his release, more than 300 yuan had been spent.

At Fresh Light Farm, Deng Shirong paid a deposit of over two hundred yuan, bringing the total expenditure to more than five hundred yuan. Additionally, it cost over 800 yuan to buy cement and lime for building the house. While it wasn't strictly necessary to spend so much, Deng Shirong wanted to pave the floor of the house with cement, which accounted for the high cost.

By this point, only a few dozen yuan remained of the original 1,400 yuan.

The brick and tile factory still owed nearly three thousand yuan for bricks and tiles, and his eldest son's marriage would require another 1,380 yuan. This added up to a funding gap of over 4,300 yuan.

For most rural people, such a huge expense would be terrifying, causing sleepless nights. But for Deng Shirong, who had seen the world, a few thousand yuan was not enough to intimidate him.

First, the second batch of goods from the tile factory began selling this month. The combined income of the father and son was estimated to be between 700 and 800 yuan, and the monthly income was expected to remain at this level. The 4,300 yuan gap was just over four months' income—nothing to be afraid of.

Moreover, Deng Shirong wouldn't remain idle for more than four months. Now that the fields and mountains had been divided, the marriages of Zhang Kangmei and Deng Changmei could be arranged. Deng Changwang and Dai Fanglan had already visited the house, so if nothing unexpected happened, they could be urged to register their marriage soon.

The economic conditions of these two families were not bad—better than Deng Changfu's family. If they received the matchmaking gifts, it would be a considerable income.

Of course, while these incomes were foreseeable, as the saying goes, "distant water cannot quench nearby thirst." He still needed to secure a large sum of money in the near future.

After much thought, Deng Shirong decided to take out a bank loan.

In later generations, it was quite difficult for ordinary people to get a bank loan without collateral. But in this era, it wasn't easy to get a loan either. Deng Shirong remembered that there was a time in his previous life when bank employees were actively seeking people to take out loans—interest-free loans that people in later generations could only dream of. Yet, very few rural people were interested in borrowing.

Rural people in this era were too honest, and many couldn't sleep at night if they owed money to the bank. The concepts of this era were different from those of later generations. In later generations, those who owed money were often seen as successful, but in this era, rural people felt ashamed to take out loans, believing that owing money to the bank was disgraceful.

This was the main reason why few rural people were willing to take out loans, even though banks offered interest-free options.

As for the exact year this happened, Deng Shirong couldn't remember clearly. After all, he had never taken out a bank loan in his previous life. After more than 40 years, how could he recall such details?

When he returned, he would go to the credit union to inquire. If he could get a loan, that would be ideal, giving him more financial flexibility. If not, it wouldn't be a big deal. At most, his eldest son's wedding would be postponed slightly, which wouldn't affect the overall situation.

With this in mind, Deng Shirong leaned his head against the window, closed his eyes, and rested.

...

Double Prosperity Credit Union

Bu Wanhui was smoking a hookah, his furrowed brows visible through the smoke.

As the director of the credit union, Bu Wanhui led a relatively comfortable life and was a well-known figure in the village. However, he was feeling overwhelmed by the loan assignment his superiors had given him some time ago.

Since the reform and opening up, the country had introduced many policies to support farmers in developing the economy, including interest-free loans. When this policy was first introduced, it hadn't yet reached Bobai County. But now, more than a year later, the leaders of their credit union were actively responding to the call from their superiors and had distributed the loan task to every rural credit union.

Initially, Bu Wanhui was confident that he could complete the task quickly. However, when it came to implementation, he realized it wasn't so easy.

For example, he had explained to his brothers that there was no interest on loans now, encouraging them to borrow money and invest in something that would improve their situation. But when his brother heard about bank loans, he reacted as if facing a flood or a beast, shaking his head and refusing to take out a loan no matter how much Bu Wanhui tried to persuade him.

Bu Wanhui felt deeply disappointed. His brother didn't even dare to borrow money without interest, content to toil in the fields. It seemed his brother was destined never to prosper.

Not only his brothers but also his relatives reacted the same way. Bu Wanhui had told every relative about the opportunity to apply for interest-free loans if they needed them. Yet, upon hearing the word "loan," they all shook their heads, and no one had been willing to take out a loan so far.

Bu Wanhui lit several cigarettes before finally putting them down.

At that moment, an employee rushed over excitedly and said, "Director, someone is here to apply for a loan!"

Bu Wanhui perked up and asked, "Is it a collective or an individual?"

The employee smiled and replied, "It's a personal loan."

A smile instantly spread across Bu Wanhui's face. Their credit union wasn't short of collective loans, but the task assigned by their superiors focused on individual agricultural or commercial loans for farmers. After all, the policy was designed to help farmers develop the economy.

As the saying goes, the first step is always the hardest. The personal loan task had seen no progress until now. With someone finally stepping forward to apply for a loan, Bu Wanhui felt hopeful. If this person succeeded, others would surely follow, and the credit union would have a chance to complete the task assigned by their superiors.

With this in mind, Bu Wanhui could no longer sit still. He decided to personally receive this extremely important customer.

(End of this chapter)