"Dear audience friends, Happy Chinese New Year to everyone!"
"This is the live broadcast of the 2006 Spring Festival Gala!"
"Bidding farewell to the Golden Rooster and welcoming the Auspicious Dog, accompanied by universal celebration, the annual Spring Festival Gala meets you again!"
The Three Auspicious Treasures became the biggest highlight of the gala.
After the Spring Festival Gala ended, it quickly became a hit across the internet.
"Your uncle will always be your uncle" became a trending online phrase at the start of 2006.
The story of Tongfu Inn was broadcast on CCTV-8 this year, and for the countryside where Tan Jincheng currently resides, the happiest thing for the common people was the official abolition of agricultural tax starting this year.
In the evening, when the whole family had their New Year's Eve dinner and watched the Spring Festival Gala, this was the most talked-about topic.
Unlike previous years, after this year's New Year's Eve dinner, the two uncles weren't in a hurry to play mahjong; instead, they stayed home to chat.
The two aunts, however, left after finishing their tidying up.
And during the period after Xinwen Lianbo ended and before the Spring Festival Gala began, a 15-second Fengchi Series advertisement, shot and edited by Liu Yifei under Flash Speed Technology, also appeared on CCTV.
Flash Speed spent a huge amount for these 15 seconds, and it had been in contact and coordination with CCTV since Liu Yifei started shooting the ad, which also took a very long time.
Although it didn't get the best time slot before the Spring Festival Gala, today's exposure was different from usual.
During this time, countless families would be in front of their TV sets, waiting for the Spring Festival Gala to begin.
"Too bad, besides my parents, no one in the room knew that the commercial shot by Liu Yifei earlier was a product of my company, haha."
When the commercial aired, his parents did glance at him, their eyes full of pride.
To be able to see an advertisement for their son's company's product on CCTV during the New Year's celebration truly made them look good.
They really wanted to brag about it, but were afraid of causing trouble for their son, so conflicted.
Around 8:30 PM, Tan Lixin, Tan Jincheng's paternal uncle whose business was doing well and who had also opened a Flash Speed specialty store for his brother-in-law, arrived.
This paternal uncle was actually a good person.
Ever since he became successful, every year when he returned to the village for the New Year, he would visit elderly relatives and some elderly people in the village from financially struggling families, giving them gifts such as milk, cash red envelopes, and other New Year's greetings.
He once heard his dad say that in the early years of the century, the New Year's red envelopes he gave to each elderly household were five or six hundred yuan.
In those years, five or six hundred yuan could last a rural elder an entire year if they didn't fall ill.
In his previous life, the village's first cement road was also funded by him and built with the help of villagers.
The construction of streetlights and the ancestral hall were also major parts of his donations.
He had continuously done many good deeds for the village.
His younger siblings had all gone out to play.
Children didn't have the patience to watch the Spring Festival Gala at home.
Besides Tan Jinyue, Tan Jincheng was the only junior left at home, so naturally, it was his turn to entertain guests.
"Uncle, have a cigarette. You must have made a lot of money this year, right?"
Tan Jincheng stood up, poured tea, offered a cigarette, and greeted him with a smile.
Tan Lixin was in the steel wholesale business.
In recent years, with the gradual heating up of the real estate industry, supply and demand had greatly improved.
Although prices fluctuated significantly, business was generally easier to conduct.
Tan Lixin's business mainly started to pick up gradually after entering the new century.
Facing this junior, Tan Lixin, as one of the insiders, didn't dare to put on airs and responded enthusiastically,
"Business has been alright these past two years, but steel prices dropped quite a bit in December, resulting in a small loss. Overall, it was still pretty good for the whole year."
"Sit down, why are you standing? He's a junior, it's proper for him to pour you tea,"
Tan Jincheng's grandfather told Tan Lixin.
"Okay. Jincheng, how's your business this year? I see you've changed cars again, you must have made a lot of money."
"This year is the starting phase, it was a bit difficult at first, but it got better later."
Tan Lixin secretly curled his lips, thinking,
"Is that 'better'? I've been keeping an eye on you. An industrial base with a 200 million investment, a 150-mu factory – your business is much bigger than mine."
"Oh, by the way, I also want to thank you. Last time, when my brother-in-law opened his shop, I had to thank you for your help. Business at the store has been pretty good for the past six months."
Tan Jincheng couldn't help but be taken aback, only then remembering that he was talking about the promotion in Yicheng last time.
To be honest, he had forgotten about it.
With a complete dealership model, Tan Jincheng rarely paid attention to the end market, except for direct-operated stores.
He just didn't expect Tan Lixin to specifically thank him for such a minor matter.
Tan Jincheng quickly said,
"Uncle, you're too polite. These are all normal procedures, not really help. Actually, I should be thanking you for your support."
"What are you two talking about? Brother, do you also have business dealings with Jincheng?"
Tan Liye, the youngest uncle who was watching the Spring Festival Gala, asked curiously.
He and his second elder brother worked outside the village year-round and genuinely didn't know how Tan Jincheng's career was doing now.
Last year, they only knew that this kid was in the clothing business and had made some money.
This year, he changed to an Audi, so it seemed his business was doing well.
How could these two, one in steel and one in clothing, have business dealings?
Tan Lixin looked at Tan Jincheng but didn't speak, so Tan Jincheng had to explain,
"I opened a factory that makes electric scooters. Uncle previously opened a specialty store for my brand."
As soon as he said this, everyone in the room who had been chatting quietly suddenly fell silent, all looking at Tan Jincheng.
Tan Lixin was also helpless.
He knew this nephew didn't want too many people to know that his business had grown big, but he actually came today to discuss something with this nephew, he just hadn't expected that not even his uncles knew.
Before New Year's Eve, the village head approached him.
The village planned to build the main road into a cement road through fundraising, but it was clear that the villagers' conditions wouldn't allow for a very good road, so they wanted him to contribute more.
In previous years, he would have just donated more, but now that he knew this eldest nephew was even richer than him, he felt he had to inform him.
The eldest nephew wanted to keep a low profile now, but this matter couldn't be kept secret forever.
If it came up in the future, it would inevitably be stirred up by gossips.
Young people might not understand, but relationships in the village were not always harmonious.
There were always some people who couldn't stand to see others doing well; they liked to be sarcastic behind people's backs, and you couldn't do anything about them.
Also, there were some who liked to throw their weight around.
If the eldest nephew didn't pay attention this time, later, after his grandfather passed away, when he returned for the funeral, someone would truly pick a fight with him.
A few years ago, he had seen it happen: someone who worked in the city didn't contribute money for the ancestral hall's repair, and when his father passed away, some simpletons actually stood guard at the ancestral hall entrance, refusing to let him in.
The scene was extremely awkward.
"Electric scooters? And sold in Yicheng? What brand?"
Tan Liye immediately asked.
"Flash Speed. I don't know if you noticed just now, but the Fengchi electric scooter commercial before the Spring Festival Gala, that's also mine."
Since he had already started explaining, he might as well say more, as his uncles probably already knew anyway.
"Your company's electric scooter advertisements are being shown on CCTV?"
Tan Licheng also asked, wide-eyed.
Wow, this eldest nephew has really made something of himself.
The two brothers, who had originally planned to play mahjong after sitting for a while, now completely lost interest.
They didn't know much else, but to be able to air an advertisement on CCTV, he must have a large capital.
It's only been a year, how did it turn out like this?
"Didn't you say last year you were in the clothing business? Why are you making electric scooters now?"
Tan Liye also asked, puzzled.
"Whatever makes money, I do it. Anyway, I'm still young, so I try whatever I can."
At this point, Tan Lihua said proudly,
"He just loves to mess around; you all know that. He disappeared for several months after high school graduation, making the whole family think he was kidnapped."
"That was an accident, okay? If I had known I couldn't come back, I definitely wouldn't have gone up,"
Tan Jincheng said helplessly.
"Hahahaha."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Tan Lixin also smiled and continued,
"I actually came today to discuss something with you. The village plans to build the main road into a cement road. The village head asked me to donate more, and I think I should tell Jincheng about this, as young people like him might not quite understand the village rules."
Road construction?
Tan Jincheng's eyes flickered.
Was it built this year?
He remembered it wasn't.
Had something gone wrong somewhere?
"Uncle, how much do you plan to donate?"
"What about you? You're richer than me now. My small, humble company doesn't have the qualification to advertise on CCTV."
"I'll donate the same amount as you, Uncle. Whatever you donate, I'll donate too. And let my dad take the credit for this; I won't show my face."
The Tan family doesn't have a high status in the village hierarchy.
If people of Tan Jincheng's age were to address him according to seniority, they'd either have to call him "uncle" or "grandpa."
Not to mention the elders.
Tan Jincheng didn't like pretending to be a junior in front of people he wasn't very familiar with, nor was there any need.
Since the village wanted to build a road, he should donate what's appropriate.
In the future, for matters requiring money, he would let his dad handle them; he would probably be quite willing to do these things.
Due to his upbringing environment, Tan Jincheng didn't actually have much affection for his hometown, but he greatly admired Tan Lixin's character.
His behavior of giving New Year greetings to the village elders every year continued until before Tan Jincheng's rebirth.
It had been like this for over 20 years.
Even if some said he was putting on a show, it was still a remarkable act.
At the very least, his New Year's red envelopes had genuinely improved the lives of many elders over these years.
"I plan to donate 100,000, so you donate 100,000 too."
"Okay, I'll listen to Uncle. Next time something like this comes up, just tell my dad. I can provide the money. I don't really understand village affairs, and I'm definitely not good at doing manual labor. As long as they don't rip me off, I'm fine with contributing money."
"Don't worry, no one dares to rip you off, I'm here, your uncle."
Tan Licheng had always been casual with Tan Jincheng.
Seeing that their serious discussion was almost over, he directly asked Tan Jincheng,
"How much money did you make this year? Advertising and buying an Audi, now you can just casually take out 100,000?"
(End of Chapter)