Chapter 252 Uncle Jiu’s Prestige [6000 words]

Naye Village.

In front of Captain Deng Yunjun’s home.

When most people heard Deng Shirong say the proverb "Rain falls in early August and cows freeze to death in winter", they were confused, obviously they had never heard of such a saying.

However, there were still a few people present who had heard of this saying. Deng Yungui was one of them. When he heard Uncle Jiu's question, he stood up and said, "Uncle Jiu, I heard this from my grandfather before. It seems to mean that if it rains on the first day of August, the winter will be very cold. I don't know if it's true."

Deng Yunqiang also stood up and said: "Now that I think of it, I heard my mother talk about it when I was a child. It is true."

In addition, two elderly people in the village also came forward to prove that this statement was indeed true.

Deng Yunfeng, who was specially notified by Uncle Jiu, couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in his heart when he heard the words. As a professional cattle breeder in Yangdipo Village, the oxen he contracted from the production team have grown from a few to more than ten after two years of careful care. This is the most important property of their family.

Now when others hear Uncle Jiu say the words "cows freeze to death in winter", they may not take it seriously, but he cannot.

So, after hearing Deng Yungui and other elders come out to confirm this old saying, Deng Yunfeng looked at Deng Shirong and asked solemnly: "Uncle Jiu, how credible is this old saying? It did rain heavily on the first day of the new year, so will it really be very cold this winter?"

Deng Shirong did this mainly to remind Deng Yunfeng. After all, his family had the most cattle in the entire Bangjie Brigade. In his previous life, several oxen were frozen to death, which was a heavy loss.

Therefore, upon hearing his question, Deng Shirong said: "This saying was left by our ancestors. In the past, our ancestors would check the weather of this year and next year on the first day of June and the first day of August every year. Since there is such a proverb left, it proves that such an example did happen in the past.

I’m not sure if this winter will be like the proverb says.

But as the saying goes, don't be afraid of a thousand things, just be prepared for the one thing that happens. I think we should still make preparations early. If this thing doesn't happen, that's the best. If it does happen, it won't cause us too much loss if we are prepared. Don't you agree?"

Deng Yunfeng nodded repeatedly and said, "Uncle Jiu, you are right. Whether or not this will happen, I have to be prepared. Otherwise, if this kind of cold weather continues and the cows freeze to death, I will have no place to cry."

Hearing this, Deng Yunqiang couldn't help it and asked worriedly, "Uncle Jiu, if this is true, then our lychee trees will be in danger, right?"

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "So we have to make anti-freeze preparations in advance. Otherwise, if the extremely low temperature weather really occurs and the lychee trees are frozen or even frozen to death, our losses will be too great!"

Deng Yunqiang quickly asked, "Uncle Jiu, do you know how to protect the lychee trees from freezing?"

Deng Shirong said: "I do know a few anti-freeze methods. Come to my house later and I will talk to you in detail."

Deng Yunqiang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he heard this. With Uncle Jiu's words, he felt relieved and said, "Okay, Uncle Jiu."

Deng Yunjun continued, "It is now time to plant August potatoes. Many families in the village have already started planting them. If this proverb really comes true, then most of this year's sweet potatoes will be frozen to death. So I would like to give everyone a suggestion. Try to plant fewer sweet potatoes this year to avoid wasting manpower and resources.

As for the flue-cured tobacco in the production team, I don’t plan to plant it this year. Although it is planted in winter, it is not cold-resistant. If the temperature continues to be low, the flue-cured tobacco will be frozen to death even if it is planted, so it is better not to plant it.”

People who originally didn't pay much attention to this proverb, when they saw that several powerful people in the village, led by Deng Shirong, took it very seriously, and the team leader even made the decision not to even grow flue-cured tobacco, they couldn't help but take it seriously.

Of course, this is just a proverb after all. No one knows how likely it is to happen, and there will always be people who don’t believe it.

When those who didn't believe it heard the captain say that they would no longer grow tobacco, they all looked worried.

"Captain, if the production team doesn't grow flue-cured tobacco this year, where will we get tobacco to smoke next year?"

"Yes, captain, we are all used to smoking. If the production team has no cigarettes next year, how are we going to get through the day?"

"Captain, this is just an old saying. Don't take it too seriously. We still need to grow tobacco. At worst, we can just grow less!"

"team leader……"

Hearing the "howls" of the members, Deng Yunjun directly refused: "I have already decided on this matter. If you don't believe it, you can grow it yourself. That's all for today. Anyway, Uncle Jiu and I have already reminded you. We dare not guarantee that the old saying is necessarily correct, so you should think clearly about what to do."

No one expected that the captain called everyone here today to talk about such a thing. Among the dozens of households in Naye Village, some believed it, some did not, some were half-believing and half-doubting, and some would rather believe it than not. In short, there were all kinds of reactions.

When we left the captain's house, everyone discussed this matter in groups of three or five.

Deng Yunqiang brought his eldest son Deng Changfu to Uncle Jiu's house to discuss the issue of frost protection for the litchi trees with Uncle Jiu.

Now, the lychee mountain has become their family's main source of income. This year, they earned more than 1,500 yuan just from selling lychees. This is just because this is the first year that lychees bear fruit. As they prune the branches to control the yield, the family is hoping that the lychee yield will double next year!

But now, after hearing Uncle Jiu say this old saying, Deng Yunqiang was worried. He followed Uncle Jiu to plant litchi, which gave him an advantage over the whole village. If the extremely low temperature really occurred this year and the litchi trees were frozen or killed, he would have to start all over again, which he could never accept.

Therefore, after arriving at Uncle Jiu's house, Deng Yunqiang couldn't wait to ask, "Uncle Jiu, what methods do you have to prevent the lychee trees from freezing?"

Deng Shirong did not keep the secret and said directly: "The first method is to mix quicklime, lime sulfur and adhesive to whitewash the trunk and branches of the litchi tree. This can protect against cold and kill bacteria, which is killing two birds with one stone."

The method of whitewashing trees is not new in rural areas. The rubber trees in Baiping Farm have been treated in this way. However, Deng Yunqiang did not know its effectiveness before. Now, after hearing what Uncle Jiu said, he realized that this was an anti-freeze measure taken by the farm.

Deng Shirong continued: "The second method is to wrap the trunks and main branches with straw, which can also play a role in preventing frostbite."

Deng Yunqiang smiled and said, "Uncle Jiu, this method is simple."

Deng Changfu also nodded. He only knew about the substance used to whitewash the tree trunks: quicklime, but he had no idea what the other two were. Relatively speaking, it was simpler to wrap the tree trunks with straw.

Deng Shirong said: "The third method is especially suitable for newly planted lychee trees like ours. It is to build a 30-50 cm high bread-shaped soil mound with the trunk as the center. First, place a layer of rice straw or plant ash in the tree tray, and then cover it with soil to prevent freezing and moisturize. Its protective effect is the most obvious and reliable."

Deng Yunqiang said: "This method is a bit troublesome, but as long as the lychee trees can be protected, it is worth the trouble."

"The last method is to mix the weeds with the turf mud and pile them in low-lying places that are prone to frost. On nights when frost is coming and the temperature drops to a certain level, light the smoke in the windward area. It is best to set up multiple points so that the smoke is evenly distributed and master the ignition time so that the smoke can cover the entire orchard before sunrise."

At this point, Deng Shirong concluded: "The above four methods are all the anti-freeze methods I know of for litchi trees. As long as we use all four methods, we should be able to ensure that our litchi trees will not be frozen to death."

Deng Yunqiang nodded repeatedly and said with emotion: "Uncle Jiu, you still know more!"

Deng Changfu asked: "Jiu Gong, when is the best time for us to start?"

Deng Shirong said methodically: "After winter comes, you can use the first, second and third methods first. As for the last method, make preparations in advance and wait until the weather gets cold enough before implementing it."

He had known for a long time that there would be extremely continuous low temperatures this year, and he had thought of reminding the villagers. Naturally, he would not be unprepared. Some of these anti-freeze methods were known to him when he was running an orchard in his previous life, and some were learned from relevant experts on the farm.

Seeing that Uncle Jiu was well prepared, Deng Yunqiang finally smiled.

Next, the father and son discussed some details with Uncle Jiu (Jiu Gong) before returning home with peace of mind.

…

Because of the reminders from Deng Shirong, the team leader and other elders in the village, more than half of the people in Naye Village chose to believe this old saying, and the pace of the whole village to grow sweet potatoes came to an abrupt halt.

Only a small number of people who did not believe still planted as planned, and some who were half-believing and half-doubting also planted, but planted more than half less than the original plan.

Deng Shirong didn't say much when he saw this. After all, growing sweet potatoes didn't cost much. At most, it would just require some effort and waste some time. For rural people, time is the least valuable thing. Even if he worked in vain, there was no loss.

However, those who raise oxen for farming at home take this proverb very seriously.

After all, the saying "cows will freeze to death in winter" is too powerful. Nowadays, oxen are almost the most important property of rural people. Therefore, families who raise oxen all adopt the attitude of "it is better to believe it than not to believe it". They all plan to build a cowshed that can shelter their oxen from wind and rain after the crops are harvested.

Among them, the one who took it the most seriously was Deng Yunfeng. After he prepared to hold a full-month banquet for his eldest grandson, he began to build a cowshed for his dozen cows. The cowshed must be built well to shelter from wind and rain. He must do his best to ensure that his dozen cows can survive this winter smoothly.

There are no secrets between villages. The changes in Naye Village soon spread to other villages. After hearing the proverb, more and more old people came forward to prove it, which made the villagers in other villages feel a little hesitant, wondering whether they should believe this old saying.

Some families with sufficient labor continued to plant sweet potatoes as planned. After all, it was just a matter of cutting the potato seedlings and planting them, which only took some effort to carry some manure and water. It would not be a pity even if all of them froze to death. If the weather described in the proverb did not occur, then their family would have a good harvest.

When some families who were already short of labor heard this proverb and learned that many families in Naye Village would not plant sweet potatoes this year, they simply decided not to plant them, to avoid having to work so hard to plant them only to have them all freeze to death. That would be really unbearable.

There is nothing much to say about sweet potatoes, which are low-cost products. It doesn't matter whether you plant them or not. But for families with oxen, nine out of ten will take this proverb seriously. After all, it is their most important property and no mistakes are allowed.

The next day after receiving the news, Guan Yongying rushed back to her parents' home and told them the news.

Guan Dewei was also shocked after listening to his eldest daughter's story. Thanks to his daughter and son-in-law, their family was one of the earliest families in Shuangwang area to grow Guiwei lychees. Although this year's harvest was not as much as that of his son-in-law's family, they still earned thousands of yuan. Not only did they earn back the cost of the investment, but they also had a lot of surplus.

Next year, as the lychee trees grow, the number of controlled fruits will definitely increase, and the income is estimated to be much higher than this year.

But I never expected that a proverb passed down from the past would be taken so seriously by Uncle Jiu.

"Aying, what did Uncle Jiu say? Did he take this old saying seriously?"

Guan Yongying said, "Dad, from what Jiugong said, he doesn't know if this old saying is correct, but in his words, it's better to be safe than sorry. It is necessary to make anti-freeze preparations in advance. Otherwise, if the low temperature continues, our lychee trees will be very likely to be frozen or even frozen to death, and the loss will be too great."

Guan Dewei nodded and said, "Uncle Jiu's words make sense, but how can the lychee trees be protected from freezing?"

Guan Yongying smiled and said, "You can rest assured about this, Dad. Jiugong has given several anti-freeze methods. I will tell you in detail."

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Next, Guan Yongying told her father the methods her husband had told her to protect the lychee trees from freezing. Finally, she said, "I came here this time so that you can be mentally prepared. Brother Fu and I will come to help when the time comes."

Guan Dewei heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this and said with a smile, "Uncle Jiu still has a solution."

Yongying's mother also smiled with a relaxed look on her face and said, "If the weather that Uncle Jiu described really happens this year, then Uncle Jiu will be our family's great benefactor!"

Guan Yongying continued, "Mom, Jiugong is more than just a great benefactor to our family. If this old saying really came true, I wonder how much loss our village and the nearby villages have recovered. If it were in ancient times, I'm afraid everyone would have given Jiugong a longevity tablet."

After the family praised him for a while, Guan Dewei asked, "Aying, I heard that Uncle Jiu opened the largest restaurant in the county. Is this true?"

Guan Yongying nodded and said, "It's true. This is what Aunt Yunfeng from our village said. Last month, Aunt Yunfeng accompanied her daughter-in-law to the county town to give birth. They stayed and ate at Jiugong's house. After returning, she praised Jiugong's restaurant to the sky, saying that it was 20 to 30 times bigger than Shuangwang State-owned Restaurant. It was incredible."

Yongying's mother said with emotion: "As expected, he is the most capable uncle in your village. How much does it cost to open such a big restaurant in the county town?"

Guan Dewei said, "He spends a lot, but he also earns a lot. This year, Uncle Jiu has earned more than 6,000 yuan from the orchard alone. The tile factory he and Deng Yungui run is also doing very well, so he should be making a lot of money every month. He can easily make tens of thousands of yuan a year. Now that he has opened such a big restaurant, I can't imagine how much Uncle Jiu earns a year now."

Guan Yongying smiled and said, "Dad, it's normal for someone as capable as Jiugong to make a lot of money. Now we are following in Jiugong's footsteps. The orchard has made a lot of money this year, and we are already a high-income family in the village."

Speaking of this, Guan Dewei felt a little happy.

This year, his family's income from lychee farming just exceeded one thousand yuan. Together with other side businesses, all in all, this year's income is at least enough for the past ten years. This has made his family the most dazzling presence in Shenshuitian Village, and the villagers are envious.

Now every household in the village is busy reclaiming orchards and preparing to plant lychee trees to see if they can also earn thousands of yuan a year like his family.

Happiness is achieved through comparison. When the whole village was having a hard time, it was a bit exaggerated for their family to say that they had achieved pork freedom, but eating meat every now and then was no longer a difficult thing for them.

And all of this was actually brought about by Uncle Jiu.

Therefore, Guan Dewei and his wife respect Uncle Jiu from the bottom of their hearts.

After discussing the business, Guan Yongying then talked to her parents about her twin sons.

These two little guys are now almost one year and three months old. Not only can they run around the village, but they have also learned a lot of words. They call grandpa and grandma at every turn, making their grandpa and grandma happy all day long.

At noon, after having lunch at his parents' house, Guan Yongying went back home.

…

Deng Shirong has been busy during the time he has been back home. After drinking the full-month wine for Deng Yunfeng's eldest grandson, he immediately arranged for the woman to stay at his third sister's house to look after the household. Naturally, his eldest nephew Bu Dashi also rushed back from the county town.

As a matchmaker, Deng Shirong arrived at Taipingpo Village early in the morning on his bicycle.

At this time, many relatives were already present at Liu Aihong's home.

Which relatives would accompany Liu Aihong to visit the house had already been discussed.

Now that the matchmaker Deng Shirong has arrived, the two sides greet each other, exchange a few polite words, and then set off for the man's house.

Accompanying Liu Aihong to visit the house were her two sisters-in-law, two aunts and her aunt. The girl's parents do not visit the boy's house to visit the house. This is considered an unwritten rule in Shuangwang Territory.

Before leaving, Deng Shirong smiled and said to the girl's parents: "This visit is just a formality. The man has bought a house in the county town. Originally, the visit should have been in the county town, but considering that it would be too troublesome for you to go back and forth, we chose to visit the house in the hometown."

Hearing these words, Liu's father and mother's eyes lit up.

In fact, Liu's parents had discussed this issue with the matchmaker before they met, but they didn't expect the man to be so quick. He had already bought a house in the county town before they even looked at the house.

Mother Liu couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Jiu, do you know how big the house the man bought is?"

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Of course I know. The house is located in the south of the city. The location is a bit remote. There are three rooms in the house, all of which are brick and tile houses. There is also a toilet and a yard. The yard can be used to grow vegetables and raise chickens. It is a very good house."

Upon hearing this, Liu's father and mother were very excited. Three brick houses with a yard would be considered a good house even in the countryside, let alone in the county town.

After their daughter gets married, if they have time, they can go to the county town to live for a while. Who knows how envious the people in the village will be then.

Excited, Mother Liu quickly said, "Uncle Jiu, wait a moment, I'll tell them something."

Deng Shirong smiled and nodded. To put it bluntly, visiting the man's house is the woman's way of measuring the man's financial resources. Even if your matchmaker says some great things, if the woman finds that the man's house is shabby and empty without any furniture when she visits the house, she will not be willing to marry him no matter what.

Unless the woman already knows the man’s situation, that’s another matter.

Therefore, guarding the house is an extremely important step, and both the man and the woman attach great importance to it.

Although Deng Shirong was not afraid of the girl's relatives finding fault, it would be best to prevent any trouble before it happens, so he revealed the news that his eldest nephew had bought a house in the county town.

Needless to say, the effect was so good that Liu's mother went straight over to give instructions to her relatives.

…

There is no need to go into details about the door-visiting, it is all the same process. The woman is just there for the formality, and the man treats her with delicious food and drinks. Before leaving, everyone receives a piece of five-flavor cake and a big red envelope, so the satisfaction level is very high.

The next day after visiting the house, Deng Shirong went to Bobai with his daughter-in-law, eldest granddaughter and eldest nephew.

The National Day is just around the corner, and Suifeng Hotel is facing its largest business order since its opening. Although Deng Shirong has enough confidence in his eldest son's management ability, this is the first time that their restaurant has received so many guests, so he still wants to come up and take a look since he has nothing to do.

As long as the eldest son can successfully host the dinner party from the bicycle parts factory, no banquets will be difficult for him in the future.

After all, no matter what you do, the most feared thing is lack of experience. Once you have experience, things will not be difficult to do.

On the afternoon before National Day, four temporary kitchen helpers and twelve good-looking young waiters who Zhang Guoan had helped to find came to the Suifeng Hotel to report for duty.

It's not about asking them to come and work today, but about everyone meeting in advance and then arranging tomorrow's work content. This way, when they come to help tomorrow, they can do their respective jobs, instead of being like headless flies, not knowing what to do, which would be a waste of time.

(End of this chapter)