Chapter 233 I Want to Stand Out
Third sister's home.
Deng Shirong lit a few cigarettes and began discussing his hotel investment, leaving the third sister's family in shock.
After they had somewhat processed the fact that he had invested over 300,000 yuan to open a restaurant, Deng Shirong set his pipe aside, pulled out 40 yuan from his pocket, and handed it to his third sister. "Third sister, the hotel paid wages this month. Dashi kept 10 yuan for himself, and I'm bringing the rest to you."
Deng Shilan took the four ten-yuan bills and was stunned. "Brother, why are you paying him such a high salary?"
Bu Erzhu, Bu Zhongshi, Bu Xiaoshi, and Bu Xiaofang were equally shocked.
This was 40 yuan, and Bu Dashi still had 10 yuan left, making his total monthly income 50 yuan. With free food and accommodation, this was an incredibly generous salary, especially for someone from the countryside.
In fact, Bu Dashi's salary alone was almost equal to the combined income of his sister and brother-in-law, which was already considered high in rural areas.
Deng Shirong smiled and explained, "Third sister, this salary is normal. Although Dashi isn't a full-fledged chef yet, he's already a big help in the kitchen. Naturally, his salary is higher than that of the waitstaff."
Deng Shilan shook her head. "Don't think I don't understand. If he were a real chef, this salary would make sense. But Dashi is just an assistant right now. He's only getting this much because you're looking out for him, his uncle."
Deng Shirong didn't deny it. "Third sister, Dashi is 23 this year. I haven't introduced him to any girls before because the timing wasn't right. Now that he's earning a good salary, I'll have more confidence when I introduce him to someone."
Deng Shilan had been concerned about her eldest son's marriage for years and had even considered finding a matchmaker for him. But before she could act, her brother had taken over the task.
Over the past two years, seeing her brother hadn't made any moves, Deng Shilan had grown anxious. But now, hearing his explanation, she understood.
Her brother had likely wanted to introduce Bu Dashi to a girl from a good family, but without a stable job or impressive background, such a match would have been difficult.
Now, however, things were different. Bu Dashi had a job in the county town and was earning 50 yuan a month. With such favorable conditions, finding a suitable partner would be much easier.
Thinking this, Deng Shilan said eagerly, "Then you handle it, brother. It would be great if you could settle Dashi's marriage this year. I've been wanting to be a grandmother for years now."
Bu Erzhu nodded in agreement. In the eyes of rural Bobai folks at the time, being a grandfather/grandmother was a proud milestone.
"Alright, I'll find a match for Dashi soon and try to have him bring his wife home for the New Year," Deng Shirong promised.
After discussing Bu Dashi's future, Deng Shirong turned to his second nephew, Bu Zhongshi, who was 20, and his youngest nephew, Bu Xiaoshi, who was 18. "Zhongshi, Xiaoshi, I can also point out a few paths for you. It's up to you to decide which one to take."
Bu Zhongshi's eyes lit up. "Uncle, what are the options?"
Bu Xiaoshi was equally eager. His older siblings were already helping their uncle and earning good money, while he, now an adult, barely had a penny to his name. The thought of working and making money was irresistible.
Deng Shirong raised a finger. "The first option is to grow crops at home. In today's environment, if you manage your orchard well, you can make good money in the next few years.
However, more and more people are starting orchards now. In a few years, every household might have one, and competition will get fierce. It's hard to say if you'll still make money then.
So, if you want to grow crops, you can do it for the next few years, but you'll need to reassess the situation later."
Bu Zhongshi knew his uncle's orchard had done well this year. His family had even discussed starting their own orchard, but their village had limited hills, and they couldn't secure an entire mountain like his uncle had.
Their family shared a hill with relatives, and without proper fencing, the fruits would likely be stolen before they could be harvested.
Fencing the orchard would require planting thorny plants along the boundaries, which was not only labor-intensive but also strained relationships with relatives.
For these reasons, his family had decided against starting an orchard for now.
Deng Shirong raised a second finger. "The second option is to contract the collective hills and slopes in your village and grow sugarcane. The Bobai Sugar Factory, with a daily crushing capacity of 1,000 tons, is under construction. Once it's operational, it'll need a lot of sugarcane.
If you plant sugarcane in advance, you could make good money. How long this will last, I can't say."
The third sister's family perked up at this. This option sounded promising.
Deng Shirong raised a third finger. "The third option is to come work at my restaurant. The income is stable, but you'd start with odd jobs, earning 25 yuan a month, like the waitstaff."
Bu Zhongshi and Bu Xiaoshi were thrilled. Twenty-five yuan a month was a lot to them, and working in the county town was far more appealing than staying in the village.
Deng Shirong raised a fourth finger. "The fourth option is to start a business in the county town. The business environment is improving, and there are many industries to choose from. If you find the right one and run it well, you can make money."
The brothers grew even more excited at this. Who wouldn't want to be their own boss?
Deng Shirong raised his final finger. "The last option is to get into transportation—either passenger or freight. This can make you a lot of money and even turn you into a real rich man. But it's risky. It's up to you whether to take this path."
Deng Shirong genuinely cared for his nephews and had laid out five viable options for them.
The first four options could help them make a decent living, but becoming truly wealthy would be difficult.
The last option, however, had the potential to make them rich, but it came with significant risks. Deng Shirong felt conflicted about it. He wanted his nephews to succeed but feared the dangers involved.
Freight transport in this era was vastly different from later years.
Freight drivers in the future earned money through hard work, but in this era, they could also profit by importing cheap goods from other cities and selling them locally.
Moreover, with enough connections, one could build a fleet of trucks, expanding from one to two, then four, and eventually over a hundred. Managing such a fleet could make one a billionaire.
As for passenger transport, most of it was state-owned or collective at this time. Private passenger transport wouldn't emerge for another year or two.
In later years, bus transport declined due to high-speed trains, but in 1982, it was booming. Especially with the wave of migrant workers heading to Guangdong, long-distance passenger transport could be highly profitable.
Running a passenger transport company could easily make one a billionaire.
However, both freight and passenger transport were risky.
The first risk was dealing with car robbers and road bandits. The security environment in the 1980s and 1990s was notoriously poor.
The second risk was competition. This was an era of wild growth, and business competition was far from gentle. Those in the transportation industry had to be bold and ruthless to survive.
These risks made Deng Shirong hesitant. While he knew the potential rewards were great, he feared something might happen to his nephews, leaving him unable to face his third sister and brother-in-law.
Bu Zhongshi and Bu Xiaoshi, unaware of their uncle's concerns, were thrilled at the prospect of making big money in transportation.
Bu Zhongshi asked excitedly, "Uncle, when you say freight, do you mean driving trucks to transport goods?"
Deng Shirong nodded. "Yes, whether it's trucks, trains, ships, or planes, anything that transports goods counts as freight. But I'm specifically talking about trucks."
Bu Xiaoshi asked, "Uncle, do we need to learn to drive and become drivers?"
Deng Shirong smiled. "It's not just about driving. If you want to pursue this path, you'll need to buy a truck or a bus."
Bu Xiaoshi's eyes widened. "How much does that cost? Where would we get that kind of money?"
"You can get a loan from the credit union," Deng Shirong replied.
He added with mixed feelings, "To be honest, I don't really want you to take this path. It's too risky."
Deng Shilan, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up. "Brother, what exactly are these risks? Could we lose all our money?"
Deng Shirong explained the risks of transportation in detail, concluding, "This business can make money, but it's cutthroat. Freight is slightly safer, but you'll still have to deal with road bandits. Passenger transport is worse—fighting over routes and passengers can get violent. If the other side has more people or power, you'll be at a disadvantage."
After hearing this, Deng Shilan shook her head. "Forget it, Zhongshi, Xiaoshi. Let's stick to something safer. This line of work isn't for you. What's the point of making more money if something happens to you?"
Bu Erzhu agreed. "Your mother's right. Don't even think about it."
But Bu Zhongshi wasn't ready to give up.
His uncle had said this path could make him rich—truly rich.
Though he didn't know exactly how much that meant, he was sure it was beyond his imagination.
Besides, so many people were already in this industry without fear. Why should he be afraid?
Wasn't it just a matter of fighting?
Growing up in the countryside, he'd been in plenty of fights.
So, despite his parents' objections, Bu Zhongshi pressed, "Uncle, you said freight is safer, right? I'm interested in that. Can you tell me more?"
Deng Shilan glared at him. "Zhongshi, why won't you listen? Can't you just do something safer? Why take such a risk?"
Bu Zhongshi looked at his mother and explained, "Mom, if I stick to safer options, I'll never get rich. But I want to make a lot of money and stand out. This freight business might be my only chance. I have to take it!"
(End of this chapter)