https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-164-Well-Done-True-to-the-Deng-Family/12849295/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-166-The-Value-of-a-Peking-University-Degree/12849297/
Chapter 165: The Eldest Son's Path to Wealth
Chapter 165: The Eldest Son’s Path to Wealth
After Deng Yunheng returned, it wasn’t long before the Deng Changfu family joyfully celebrated the full moon ceremony for their newborns.
As the first set of twins ever born in Naye Village, the full moon ceremony naturally sparked much discussion among the neighboring villages.
Deng Shirong, as the matchmaker, was naturally invited to the celebration.
After the ceremony, Deng Shirong received a special gift from the Deng Changfu family—a pig’s hind leg weighing over ten pounds.
In the present day, matchmakers are often thanked with a gift and then left alone once the couple is married. However, in this era, things were different. If the newlyweds had their first child and decided to hold a full moon ceremony, they were expected to give the matchmaker another pig’s hind leg as a sign of gratitude. After that, no matter how many more children they had or how many more full moon ceremonies they held, they didn’t need to give the matchmaker any more gifts.
Of course, these customs were rooted in the spirit of goodwill. Before the full moon ceremony, Deng Shirong had already given the couple a chicken and a piece of cloth, so he didn’t feel like he was taking advantage of the situation.
However, with the system’s tenfold reward, the ten-pound pig’s hind leg instantly turned into over a hundred pounds, making it a significant profit.
...
June 23, 1981, Friday.
Early in the morning, Deng Shirong and his second son boarded a bus to the county town.
This trip to the county town had two main purposes:
1. Checking the College Entrance Exam Scores.
In this era, checking the college entrance exam scores wasn’t as simple as it is in the modern day, where you can just look them up online. Back then, you had to go to the county education bureau to find out.
Thankfully, students didn’t have to go to the bureau themselves. Usually, the class teachers would do the checking, and students could simply ask their teachers upon returning to school.
2. Hiring a Theater Troupe.
If the exam scores confirmed that he could attend Peking University, Deng Shirong planned to inquire about the cost of hiring a county theater troupe to perform a play in Naye Village.
Speaking of theater, it’s worth mentioning the other folk arts of Bobai County, such as mountain songs, wooden fish, bamboo horses, qilin (mythical creatures), dragon and lion dances, puppet shows, and acrobatics.
Mountain songs, in particular, are a hallmark of Guangxi. During the Republic of China era, folk artists in Bobai County often held singing competitions on song stages, drawing crowds of thousands. In the 1950s, the county’s cultural departments frequently used mountain songs to promote policies. From the late 1950s to the early 1960s, mountain songs were sung before every visit, study session, or meeting. Mountain songs had a deep-rooted place in the hearts of the people of Bobai County.
Wooden fish is a folk art form that lies between mountain songs and quick beats.
Bamboo horses and qilin are traditional folk dance arts that originated in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.
Dragon and lion dances need no introduction; everyone is familiar with them.
Puppet shows, introduced to Bobai County during the Tongzhi period of the Qing dynasty, primarily feature rod puppets. The heads and hands of the puppets are made of wood, and their mouths and eyes can move, controlled by bamboo rods. The performances are rich and varied, lifelike, and are a favorite of both the elderly and children.
Acrobatics, known locally as "great strength shows," were often performed by traveling medicine sellers before the founding of the People's Republic of China. They would perform acrobatics and magic to draw a crowd before selling their medicines.
Among all these folk arts, Deng Shirong chose theater for a reason.
The history of theater in Bobai County dates back to the Ming dynasty and became highly popular during the Qing dynasty. Live performances have always been incredibly appealing to people. Before the advent of movies, theater was unparalleled in its entertainment value.
Even with the advent of movies, theater still holds a strong competitive edge.
After all, movies are relatively short, unlike plays that can stage epic series like "Butterfly Lovers," "Xue Rengui’s Eastern Campaign," "The Twelve Widows’ Western Campaign," and "Luo Tong’s Northern Sweep," which can run for ten to fifteen days.
The thrill of following a series is something that movies can’t provide.
Especially for middle-aged and older audiences, the allure of theater surpasses that of movies.
After nearly three hours on the bus, Deng Shirong and his son finally arrived in the county town of Bobai.
Exiting the station, or rather, what could loosely be called a station—a mere patch of open ground with a few houses—Deng Shirong and his second son began to take in their surroundings. Compared to the bustling scenes of the future, the county town of the 1980s could be described as desolate.
In his previous life, Deng Shirong’s third son had worked in this county town for nearly two decades, so he had a good memory of its main buildings and bustling streets.
For instance, the area opposite the station was now a vegetable garden, but in the future, it would be transformed by the Baozhongbao Group into a twenty-story building housing a hotel, cinema, mall, and supermarket, becoming the most prosperous shopping center in the county for over a decade without facing any significant competition.
It wasn’t until the county expanded and vigorously developed Jinxiu East Road, building a large commercial square, that Baozhongbao faced a worthy rival.
Seeing this prime location, Deng Shirong had a plan in mind. Once his eldest son was free from his work at the brick factory, he could put his plan into action.
After his rebirth, Deng Shirong had already charted a path to wealth for his eldest son—running a chain of supermarkets.
At the time, the concept of self-service supermarkets was still unknown in China. Deng Shirong was confident that being the first to introduce this idea would bring immense profits.
Deng Shirong had no grand ambitions to rival giants like Walmart. He didn’t expect his eldest son to expand the chain nationwide or even internationally; he simply wanted him to become one of the leading supermarket chains within the province, which would be more than enough.
As Deng Shirong was lost in thought, gazing at the prime location opposite the station, his son, Deng Yunheng, marveled at the bustling scene before him. "Dad, look at how different the county town is compared to our village. There are so many vehicles coming and going!"
Deng Shirong chuckled, but he had to admit that there were indeed many vehicles. About one or two motor vehicles passed every minute, and there were around twenty bicycles. For a rural area, this was indeed a bustling sight.
Reflecting on this, Deng Shirong said, "For now, bicycles are still the main mode of transport, but given the country’s current development speed, I believe that in another twenty or thirty years, the roads will be filled with cars instead of bicycles!"
Deng Yunheng was taken aback, finding it hard to believe. "Dad, that sounds far-fetched. The roads filled with cars? How is that possible?"
Deng Shirong, who had witnessed the rapid development of the country firsthand, smiled and said, "If you don’t believe me, come back here in ten or eight years and see for yourself."
Although Deng Yunheng found it hard to imagine such a scenario, seeing his revered father speak with such confidence, he decided to keep this in mind.
(End of Chapter)
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