Chapter 207: Hailstorm
In the early morning of April 2nd, Bobai County was suddenly struck by strong winds, heavy rain, and hail.
In later years, hail became a rare occurrence in Bobai County for reasons unknown. However, in this era, while hail didn't fall every year, it was not uncommon for hailstorms to occur every few years.
Over the past decade alone, Bobai County had experienced several hail disasters. According to the county annals:
On April 9, 1974, from 6:05 to 6:50 a.m., hail fell in Pine Mountain Commune. The hailstones reached diameters of 10-20 cm. In Sheguangzhang Team, the hailstones piled up as high as a scale shed. Many birds and animals in the mountains were killed, and frogs and fish in rivers and ditches were frozen to death. Crops like sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and tobacco were severely damaged. The roofs of 6,247 houses were destroyed, and six people were injured. This was the largest hailstorm in Bobai County's recorded history.
On the evening of April 13, 1975, strong winds and heavy rain brought hail that lasted 7-10 minutes, affecting brigades in Nabu, Xintang, Pine Mountain, Dongping, and Sand River communes. Over 7.38 million roof tiles were broken, and large areas of crops like seedlings, sweet potatoes, and peanuts were damaged.
On April 3, 1976, influenced by a strong cold front, hail struck again, affecting 591 production teams. Over 10,000 acres of crops, including tobacco, corn, peanuts, melons, and beans, were destroyed.
Hail had fallen for three consecutive years, a rare phenomenon in Bobai's history. Now, after six years, hail struck again in April.
The hailstones ranged from the size of fingers to fists. A total of 20 brigades in Bobai Town and seven communes, including Cheng Village, Three Shoals, Elegant Mountain, Phoenix Mountain, Nabu, and Tranquil River, were severely affected. Many houses lost their roof tiles, and over 40,000 mu of crops were damaged or destroyed.
Although news didn't spread as quickly as in later times, when social media could make events go viral instantly, word of natural disasters like this still traveled fast. By around nine in the morning, news of the hailstorm had reached Thatchfield Village.
Learning that Bobai Town had also been hit, Deng Shirong grew anxious. "Yuntai, take me to Temple Lotus intersection. I need to go to Bobai to check if the two-story building I rented was damaged by the hail. I also want to see if the restaurant under construction was affected."
Deng Yuntai pushed out his bicycle, frowning. "If the roof tiles were hit, the strong winds and flooding would have ruined the quilts inside."
Deng Yunzhen offered, "Dad, why don't I go with you? If the tiles are damaged, I can help clean up."
Deng Shirong waved his hand. "I'll go alone. If the house is fine, that's best. If it's damaged, I'll handle it. If you come, there won't be enough space to stay. The guesthouse isn't clean either. No need to suffer through that."
Deng Yunzhen thought about it and decided not to follow.
By two in the afternoon, Deng Shirong arrived in the county town. Seeing that the surrounding buildings were intact, he breathed a sigh of relief. When he reached his two-story building and found it undamaged, he finally relaxed.
However, the hailstorm reminded him that this year's frost had come early and lasted unusually long. From the beginning of winter until spring, the weather had remained cold. Deng Shirong vaguely recalled that over 2,500 oxen in the county had frozen to death that year, including two from Deng Changdong's family in Thatchfield Village. Additionally, countless acres of sweet potatoes and tobacco had been destroyed.
In short, if nothing changed, Thatchfield Village would suffer significant losses this year. Deng Shirong realized he needed to find an opportunity to warn his nephews and nieces in the village.
Whenever Deng Shirong was in the county town, he would visit Zhang Guoan at the court gate to share a smoke. Seeing Deng Shirong approach, Zhang Guoan handed him the cigarette holder. "Uncle Jiu, I've spoken to my cousin about working as a security manager at your restaurant. He enjoys a drink, so I told him he'd have plenty of food and wine at your place. He agreed, saying he'd take the job even without a salary."
Deng Shirong took the pipe and smiled. "Of course, there will be wages. But since we don't know if the restaurant will be profitable yet, the pay might not be high. Besides free food and drinks, he'll earn the same as the waiters. Brother Zhang, do you think that's fair?"
Zhang Guoan nodded. "That's more than generous. Free meals and drinks every day, plus extra money? Even I'd consider switching jobs, let alone others."
Deng Shirong stuffed tobacco into the pipe. "As long as your cousin is satisfied."
Zhang Guoan added, "I've also spoken to my other cousin about the chef position. He was the head chef at the state-owned restaurant in Twin Phoenixes Commune but lost his job after a dispute with the manager. But don't worry, Uncle Jiu, his character is solid, and he's an excellent cook. If he joins your restaurant, the kitchen will be in good hands."
Deng Shirong lit several cigarettes and set them aside. "Brother Zhang, I trust your recommendations. When the restaurant opens, I'll need to hire a few young ladies to hold up billboards and walk around town to advertise."
Zhang Guoan immediately pictured the scene and admired the idea. "Uncle Jiu, that's brilliant publicity. With young ladies holding billboards walking around, everyone in the county will know your restaurant is open."
Deng Shirong added, "We'll also have a young man lead the way with a gong, followed by the ladies with billboards."
Zhang Guoan gave a thumbs up. "That's a fantastic idea. I'll help find the candidates. How many young ladies do you need?"
"Eight. Each will receive a five-dollar red envelope. All they need to do is walk around Bobai Street a few times with the billboards."
"With such a generous offer, the young ladies in our village will be lining up. I'll start looking for candidates. Just let me know when you need them, and I'll arrange it."
"Alright. I'll inform you once the restaurant's opening date is set."
(End of this chapter)