"That's a brilliant idea! This will definitely encourage everyone to donate even more!" someone in the crowd exclaimed excitedly.
“Yes, yes, with the protection of Mazu and the small statues of the deity to take home, who wouldn’t want to donate some?” another person chimed in.
"You guys need to figure this out quickly. I can't wait to know how much money is required to qualify so I can prepare the funds."
"Don't worry, don't worry, we understand how you feel. The council will agree on this threshold as soon as possible and won't keep you waiting long."
Secretary Xiao quickly reassured everyone, feeling a surge of joy at their enthusiasm.
Seeing that everyone's enthusiasm had been completely ignited, Jiang Dequan finally felt a great weight lifted from his heart.
Secretary Xiao continued, "We will formulate a detailed plan as soon as possible to ensure fairness and impartiality. Every penny raised will be used for the expansion of the Mazu Temple."
The doubts and dissatisfaction of the crowd were swept away, replaced by anticipation for what kind of expansion the Mazu Temple could be built into.
When will the newspaper advertisements begin?
"It should take the reporters two or three days to sort out the photos and articles."
"What about donations? When can we start donating? Is it possible now?"
"Well... this afternoon, we're not ready yet."
"..."
A group of people surrounded Jiang Dequan and the council members, asking them all sorts of questions.
Feng Ye left the temple entrance and stood with A-Can again.
He watched all this with a sense of accomplishment; his idea had not been in vain.
If the expansion of the Mazu Temple is completed, he deserves credit. It's just a matter of how much money can be raised and how much the Mazu Temple can be expanded to.
After watching the excitement, he patted Ah-Can on the shoulder and said, "Let's go. Let's go back and think about how much we should donate, and then come back this afternoon."
"No matter what, one of us has to meet the requirements for inviting the Little Mazu statue, right?"
“I’ll take the lion’s share of the Rising Sun ship donation. I’ll pay for it. You and my brother can decide how much to donate.”
"Alright..."
Ah-chan had barely finished speaking when he immediately changed his mind: "How about I get one too? I won't take it back yet, I'll keep it in the temple and worship it there until I buy a new boat."
"That works too."
Feng Ye thought about it and realized that it was indeed necessary.
Buying a new ship is inevitable, but whether to replace it directly or keep the Rising Sun is still unknown.
It's better to have an extra statue than nothing at all.
"It's a pity that Brother Xuan and Uncle Jun aren't home, otherwise they would probably invite one too."
“Yes, if they find out, they’ll definitely have to invite one of them back.” Feng Ye nodded. “But it’s not too late; they should be back in a few days.”
"That's true, anyway, the Mazu Temple won't start expanding anytime soon."
As the two chatted on their way home, Ah-Can suddenly slapped his thigh: "Wait a minute, we handed in a samurai sword. Didn't they say it was considered an antique? Why didn't they give us a reward?"
"That won't do, I have to go ask them."
As he spoke, he turned to turn around and walk back.
Feng Ye grabbed him and said, "Forget it. If it's really there, it will definitely be delivered to your home. If it's not, asking is pointless."
"We should ask even if it's just a small matter. Although it's not a lot of money, what's rightfully ours is ours, and we can't just let it go like this."
"There's no rush. We still haven't received our subsidies. They'll definitely come looking for us then. We can ask them then."
"Okay, I won't spoil the mood."
The two continued walking towards the village, discussing the afternoon's donation along the way.
Ah Can didn't go back; instead, he went to Feng Ye's house and played cards with Ye Qingling and Du Guilan to pass the time.
They play a game of leveling up, purely for fun, without any stakes. Feng Ye and Ye Qingling are a married couple, while A-Can and Du Guilan are a family.
While playing cards, he told the two women what had happened at the Mazu Temple.
As for working at the new house, Feng Ye thought to himself, "Forget about it."
He could hire dozens or even hundreds of people to work a day at sea, so why make himself so tired? It's much better to just watch others do it.
Moreover, he has to go out to sea in the early morning and needs to get some rest.
The four of them had only played a few rounds when a group of uninvited guests arrived.
It was Jiang Dequan, Secretary Xiao, and the two reporters.
"You're all here, so I don't need to go looking for you," Secretary Xiao said with a smile.
"Director Jiang, Secretary Xiao, what brings you here?" Feng Ye asked knowingly.
Seeing this, Ye Qingling quickly put away the playing cards, while Du Guilan went to make tea.
"Didn't you also hand over a cultural relic? Come over and give me the reward, and I'll also give you the compensation for the few days you were delayed."
As Jiang Dequan spoke, he took an envelope and a red-covered certificate from his briefcase and handed them to Feng Ye.
"This is the reward for the cultural relics you handed over, 200 yuan. In addition, the subsidy for these days is 10 yuan per day, 50 yuan for five days, for a total of 250 yuan."
Upon hearing this number, Feng Ye was completely distraught.
He doesn't really care about the amount of rewards and subsidies; that's just how things are at this point, so don't expect the authorities to be too generous.
But we can't just throw around a bunch of idiots, can we?
It would be better to give less.
He frowned slightly, feeling rather displeased, but he didn't show it. He was about to say thank you against his will.
Then Jiang Dequan quickly added, "Considering that this number is a bit... well, I personally added another ten yuan, making it a total of 260 yuan."
"Thank you, Director Jiang."
Feng Ye then smiled and happily accepted the money and certificate.
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