Chapter 250: Third Sister Buys a House
Suifeng Restaurant.
After handling Bu Dashi's blind date, Deng Yuntai came to report to his father about the large order they had received from the county bicycle parts factory two days earlier.
After listening to his eldest son's report, Deng Shirong was quite surprised. The 68-yuan luxury set menu for 27 tables was indeed the largest order their restaurant had received since opening. He immediately asked, "Have you informed Uncle Zhang about hiring temporary staff?"
Deng Yuntai nodded and said, "Yes, I told Uncle Zhang the same afternoon I received the order."
Deng Shirong asked again, "How many temporary employees did you ask Uncle Zhang to find?"
Deng Yuntai replied, "The first banquet our restaurant hosted was a high-end set menu of 16 tables for 38 yuan. At that time, with the help of Yunheng, Ah Zhu, Xiaosong, Xiaohua, and others, we barely managed to handle it.
Now that Yunheng and the others aren't here, and we have 11 more tables for this banquet, plus it's a luxurious set menu, we'll need a lot more manpower than last time.
So, I asked Uncle Zhang to help me find four kitchen assistants and twelve waiters."
Deng Shirong thought for a moment, then nodded with a smile and praised, "Not bad, very thoughtful. With so many temporary employees plus our restaurant's own staff, we should be able to handle this challenge."
Deng Yuntai was pleased to receive his father's approval and said, "After this order, I estimate we'll make over a thousand yuan in profit, which is almost as much as last month's profit."
Deng Shirong said, "This is normal. I've told you before that if our restaurant only relies on individual customers, it would probably take more than ten years to recoup the investment.
However, if we can take on more banquets, the speed at which we make money will be completely different.
Right now, most people still choose to hold weddings, full-month celebrations, or birthday celebrations at home. But as the new era develops and more people become wealthy, their mindset will gradually change, and these banquets will move from homes to restaurants.
Imagine if a bicycle parts factory could host more than a dozen banquets a month—how much money would that bring in?"
Deng Yuntai was shocked by this. Their restaurant had been open for over two months and had only hosted two banquets, averaging less than one banquet per month. If, as his father said, they could host more than a dozen such banquets a month, the restaurant would undoubtedly make a fortune.
But could such rare banquets really happen more than ten times a month?
It was a rare opportunity for Deng Shirong's third sister and her husband to visit the county town, so Deng Shirong naturally wanted them to stay a few more days and explore the area. This way, they could share their experiences with the villagers when they returned.
Otherwise, if they came to the county town once and went back without knowing anything, it would be meaningless.
While taking them around, Deng Shirong remembered what he had said at Liu Aihong's house and mentioned to his third sister and brother-in-law, "Third sister, brother-in-law, Dashi will soon get married. He's helping me with work in the county town, and he'll definitely live here after he's married.
Although I have a place for him to stay, it's still inconvenient not having his own house.
For example, if his wife's relatives visit and he can't even arrange a place for them to stay, no matter how well he's doing in the county, no one will believe it!
So, I think you should take this opportunity to buy him a house in the county town. That way, Dashi will have his own home here, and no matter which relatives visit, they'll have a place to stay. Third sister, third brother-in-law, what do you think?"
"Brother, you make a good point," Deng Shilan agreed, then added, "But houses in the county town must be very expensive, right? We're planning to build a new house in our hometown, and I'm afraid we don't have the spare money to buy a house here."
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Third sister, don't worry. Houses in the county town aren't that expensive. Houses in good locations are pricier, but those in slightly remote areas aren't too costly. You can get one for a few hundred yuan.
As for the money, you don't have to pay. Consider it a wedding gift from me, your uncle, to my nephew."
Deng Shilan was stunned for a moment, then shook her head and said, "How can that be? You still owe a lot of money to the credit union. How can we let you spend so much on a house for him?"
Bu Erzhu also quickly refused, "Yes, we can't do that. At worst, we can delay building the house in our hometown and buy him a house in the county first."
Deng Shirong waved his hand and said, "Third sister, third brother-in-law, don't worry about me. The restaurant business is doing well now. Besides, I owe so much money already. A few hundred yuan more or less doesn't make much difference to me."
Despite his reassurances, Deng Shilan and Bu Erzhu firmly refused.
Finally, Deng Shirong compromised and said, "How about this? I'll use Dashi's salary to cover part of the cost, and I, as his uncle, will cover the rest. This way, you three sisters and your husbands can't refuse anymore. It would be really awkward if you continue to refuse."
With that, Deng Shilan and Bu Erzhu couldn't refuse any longer.
Deng Shilan said with emotion, "They're so lucky to have an uncle like you who takes such good care of them."
Since they weren't picky about the location, Deng Shirong, along with his third sister and brother-in-law, quickly found a house in the south of the city.
The house was made of bricks and tiles, with three rooms and a small toilet of about three to four square meters. The toilet was on the right side of the house. The left room was larger, serving as a combined living room and kitchen.
In front of the house was a yard of about 40 square meters. The owner had turned part of the yard into a vegetable garden, growing water spinach, onions, garlic, and other vegetables. There was also a small chicken coop next to the garden.
The house and yard totaled about 100 square meters, and the price wasn't too high for Deng Shirong. Including the land, it cost just over 1,500 yuan.
Of course, this price was astronomical for Deng Shilan and Bu Erzhu.
Initially, they had considered a smaller, tube-shaped building of only a few dozen square meters, which was more affordable at a few hundred yuan.
But Deng Shirong convinced them with one sentence: "Third sister, third brother-in-law, the tube building is cheaper and in a better location, but this house comes with the land. In the future, when we have more money, we can tear down the house and rebuild it. This is a foundation that can be passed down forever, which is completely different from the tube building."
The importance rural people place on land cannot be overstated.
For example, if someone in the village has part of their land occupied by someone else, it usually only leads to a minor quarrel.
But if the foundation of a house is encroached upon—even by a sibling—it can lead to serious conflicts, sometimes even violence.
This is why rural people value land so highly.
This was also the main reason Deng Shirong easily convinced his third sister and brother-in-law.
However, the original plan was to buy a house for a few hundred yuan. The sudden need to spend over 1,500 yuan was a significant overspending, and in the end, they had to ask Deng Shirong for help.
Of course, Deng Shilan solemnly stated that this money was borrowed on behalf of her eldest son and would be gradually deducted from his salary later.
Deng Shirong didn't argue. He planned to give his nephew a generous red envelope at the end of the year, promote him to second chef next year, and give him a raise. The 1,500 yuan would be paid off quickly.
After buying the house, Deng Shilan and Bu Erzhu were thrilled. From this moment on, their family had their own house in the county town, making them real city people—a status better than 99% of the families in their village.
The three of them decided to buy the house without informing Bu Dashi.
After completing the formalities, Deng Shilan told her eldest son about it and concluded, "The money for the house was paid by your uncle, and it will be deducted from your salary over time. From now on, our family has a house in the county town!"
Bu Dashi was stunned. He quickly found his uncle and said, "Uncle, you haven't even bought a house for yourself in the county. Why did you buy one for me first?"
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Who said I didn't buy one? I've already bought the house we're living in now."
When he first bought the house, he didn't want to draw too much attention, so he said it was rented. But now that he had invested so much in the restaurant, there was no need to hide the fact that he owned a house in the county town.
Bu Dashi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. If you hadn't bought a house for yourself and spent money on one for me, I wouldn't feel comfortable living there."
Deng Shirong reminded him, "The house is in a remote location. I bought it so you can have your own home in the county, but you should still live with me for now. It's safer with more people around. The county is quite chaotic now, and I'm worried about you and your wife living there alone."
Bu Dashi, having lived in the county for over two months, knew the current situation well. Although their restaurant had been peaceful, it was largely due to Old Man Zhang Guangzong's influence.
Moreover, where they lived wasn't far from the restaurant, and they walked together to and from work on the main road, so they were always safe.
But if he and his future wife lived alone in a remote house in the south of the city, their safety couldn't be guaranteed.
So, hearing his uncle's words, Bu Dashi nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand, uncle. Let's leave the house over there empty for now. If relatives visit, they can stay there temporarily. I'll continue living here."
(End of this chapter)