Chapter 65: It’s Too Scary

Chapter 65: It's Too Scary

At the end of August in the lunar calendar, Deng Shirong received the 6,000 yuan interest-free loan he had applied for from the credit union. The efficiency was impressive.

Once the money arrived, Deng Shirong went to the brick and tile factory to settle the payment for the bricks and tiles.

Deng Changbao, the owner of the brick and tile factory, was pleasantly surprised to receive the payment early. He smiled like a contented Buddha and said, "Hey, Uncle Jiu, you must have a lot of expenses right now. It's fine if you pay me later."

Although Deng Shirong knew the other man was just being polite, the words still made him feel good. He smiled and replied, "I originally planned to settle the payment with you later, but I borrowed some money from the credit union a few days ago, so I have enough funds now. I thought I'd send the money to you first."

He wasn't afraid of the news of his loan getting out; in fact, he wanted to spread it.

The main reason was that he had just built the most beautiful house in the village, hired several carpenters to make furniture, and started transforming his mountain into an orchard. All of these projects required a significant amount of money.

Now that the village had just distributed land to each household, everyone was tight on funds. If he suddenly made such a big splash, it would draw too much attention and likely stir up jealousy among the villagers. At this critical time, if someone got carried away and caused trouble, it would be a real headache.

After all, it had only been two years since the reform and opening up, and the country hadn't yet reached a unified mindset. If he accidentally made a misstep now, it could be disastrous.

But once the news of his loan from the credit union spread, the situation would feel completely different.

Deng Changbao was surprised and asked, "Uncle Jiu, did you really go to the credit union to apply for a loan?"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "What's so strange about that? The production team just distributed the land to each household, and Yungui and I have only been running the kiln for two months. How could we have made so much money? It just so happens that the country has introduced policies to support farmers in developing the economy. Loans from credit unions are interest-free. Isn't that more reliable than borrowing from private individuals?"

Deng Changbao, who had been bold enough to contract the brigade's brick and tile factory, had a much stronger mindset than the average villager. Hearing Uncle Jiu's explanation, he nodded and said, "Uncle Jiu, you're right."

"Alright, I'll head back now if there's nothing else. I'm still busy at home!"

"Take care, Uncle Jiu."

In the village, even the smallest news, like someone scolding their child, could spread quickly. With Deng Shirong deliberately spreading the word, the news of his loan from the credit union reached every corner of the village in no time.

Originally, Deng Shirong had built the most impressive house in the entire village, and even in the entire Double Prosperity area. The villagers were envious of him. But now that they knew he had taken out a loan from the credit union, they were shocked but also felt a sense of relief.

Deng Changfu was also stunned when he heard that Uncle Jiu had taken out a loan.

For an honest man like him, the idea of borrowing money from a bank was unthinkable, both now and in the future. He said in confusion, "Isn't the business of the jar and tile factory that Uncle Jiu and Uncle Yungui contracted doing quite well? I heard they earn several hundred yuan a month. Uncle Yuntai, the master jar maker, also earns over 200 yuan a month. With such a high income, why would Uncle Jiu still need to borrow from the credit union?"

Although Guan Yongying was also shocked and didn't fully understand Uncle Jiu's reasoning, she knew that an elder like him, who was capable of making a lot of money, must have his reasons. She replied, "Uncle Jiu must have his reasons for doing this. Let's not speculate."

Deng Changfu thought about it and realized that Uncle Jiu was one of the most capable people in the village. His ideas were beyond what he and his wife could comprehend. So he dropped the topic of the loan and shifted to the mountain. He said, "Yongying, Uncle Jiu is now hiring people to transform the mountain into an orchard. He said he wants to plant lychee trees. Do you think this is feasible?"

Guan Yongying shook her head. "I don't know much about this either. As far as I know, no production team in the entire Help and Correct Brigade has ever built an orchard. Uncle Jiu is the first. If you want to know whether it's worth it, you might as well ask him directly."

Deng Changfu nodded, stood up, and said, "Alright, I'll go ask Uncle Jiu. If this orchard is really worth doing, I'll tell my parents and have them use their free time to transform our mountain into an orchard."

Guan Yongying said, "I'll go with you."

So the couple walked toward Uncle Jiu's house together.

Since the two houses weren't far apart, it only took Deng Changfu and his wife a little over a minute to reach Uncle Jiu's house.

At that moment, several carpenters were busy working in the open space in front of Uncle Jiu's house, while Uncle Jiu stood nearby, watching.

"Uncle Jiu!" Deng Changfu and his wife greeted him as they approached.

Deng Shirong acknowledged them with a nod. Seeing the couple arrive together, he knew they had something on their minds. He pointed to the longan tree in front and said, "Come, sit down."

The three of them sat under the longan tree, and Deng Changfu said, "Uncle Jiu, we came to ask about the orchard."

Deng Shirong took out his pipe, filled it with tobacco, and lit a match. He smiled and said, "You two want to know how much it costs to start an orchard and whether it's profitable, right?"

Deng Changfu chuckled. "Uncle Jiu, you're as sharp as ever."

"That's not hard to guess. Even if you hadn't asked, I would've suggested you plant fruit trees with me once I got mine started."

Deng Shirong puffed on his pipe and said, "The orchard will definitely make money, but the initial investment is substantial. Take my family as an example. I've already reserved a thousand lychee saplings, which will cost 700 to 800 yuan.

In addition, the current mountain transformation is expected to cost between 300 and 500 yuan.

After the saplings are planted in early spring next year, we'll need to hire people to water, fertilize, and maintain the orchard, which will be another significant expense.

All in all, the initial investment will be around 1,500 yuan."

Deng Changfu and Guan Yongying couldn't help but gasp at the figure. An initial investment of 1,500 yuan was an astronomical sum for them.

After all, when Deng Changfu married Guan Yongying, even with the family's extra 400 yuan to secure an additional piece of land, the total cost was less than 1,000 yuan, and much of that flowed back to them. The idea of spending 1,500 yuan just to start an orchard was terrifying.

Just hearing the number made the couple want to back out.

Deng Shirong could tell from their expressions that they were shocked. He lit a match, took a few puffs of his pipe, and explained with a smile, "Of course, I'm taking the lazy route, which is why it costs so much. If your family wants to start an orchard, you only need to pay for the saplings. You can save a lot by doing the rest of the work yourselves."

(End of this chapter)