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Chapter 186: Human Sentiments
Chapter 186: Human Sentiments
Peking University
A Certain Cafeteria
Huang Shengjun looked at the few slices of mouth-watering farmhouse stir-fried pork in his bowl and felt a deep, indescribable gratitude.
The farmhouse stir-fried pork had been passed to him from his classmate Deng Yunheng’s bowl, with a rather feeble excuse that he only liked the peppers and not the pork, so he was giving it to Huang Shengjun to avoid waste.
This excuse wouldn’t fool anyone, let alone a high-IQ genius who had been accepted into Peking University. Even the most unschooled elder wouldn’t fall for it.
Yet, this sort of thing happened frequently between them, with Deng Yunheng using similar excuses each time.
Huang Shengjun knew the truth. He understood that his warm-hearted classmate wanted to help him but was wary of hurting his pride, so he resorted to these flimsy excuses.
Life at Peking University was generally very comfortable. The school provided enough meal tickets for food and an additional 21.5 yuan monthly stipend. With such generous conditions, one could afford meat every day without breaking the bank, as long as they didn’t indulge in luxury.
In theory, as a Peking University student, Huang Shengjun shouldn’t have been in such a difficult position that he needed his classmates to find excuses to help him.
But everyone’s family situation was different.
Huang Shengjun came from a typical rural family in Sichuan Province, with many siblings. His father, the family’s breadwinner, was in poor health, making their financial situation already very tight. Adding the cost of education for all the siblings only made things worse.
Over the years, the family had accumulated a significant debt.
Now, having finally been accepted into university, Huang Shengjun had a real income. He was eager to help his family, to ease the burden on his parents.
Therefore, every month, out of the 21.5 yuan stipend provided by the school, he sent 20 yuan back home, keeping only the meal tickets and 1.5 yuan for emergencies.
With the money sent home, the little he kept had to be spent sparingly. So, Huang Shengjun usually ate coarse grains with no side dishes, and when he had rice, he would only get the cheapest vegetable.
This lifestyle went on for about half a month before his classmate, Deng Yunheng, noticed.
From that point on, Deng Yunheng became incredibly picky. He would refuse this or that every day, finding new ways to give Huang Shengjun his share of the food. Though the portions were small, the gesture moved Huang Shengjun deeply.
In less than two months, Huang Shengjun had come to regard Deng Yunheng as his best friend.
Huang Shengjun was a man of gratitude. Though he never said "thank you" aloud, he silently remembered this kindness.
One day, he would repay this favor.
Deng Yunheng, on the other hand, was unaware of Huang Shengjun’s thoughts. When he first entered the university, his father had advised him to use his free time to build relationships with like-minded classmates and alumni. These connections would be invaluable in the future.
Deng Yunheng wholeheartedly agreed with his father’s advice. Over the past two months, he had indeed made many good friends, and Huang Shengjun was just one of them.
Bobai County Town
After having dinner, Deng Shirong and his group began to stroll around the town.
For everyone except Deng Shirong, this was their first visit to the county town, and they were naturally curious about their surroundings.
Strolling from Xinglong Road to Dongwei Street, Deng Yunzhen, Zhang Xiuping, and Zhang’s mother were captivated by the "skyscrapers" they saw, constantly marveling at the bustling county town.
In truth, the tallest buildings in this era were only six stories high, with no seven-story buildings yet in existence. However, to Deng Yunzhen and her companions, who had never ventured far from home, these structures were indeed skyscrapers.
Upon returning to their two-story house, Deng Shirong said to his eldest son, "Yuntai, since you have plenty of free time before Xiaoping gives birth, why don’t you go around and look for a suitable building to start a restaurant? If you find one that’s available for rent, it would save us a lot of trouble. If not, we’ll have to talk to the local officials and see if we can get a plot of land to build on ourselves."
Yuntai nodded. "I’m not tired, so I’ll go out and look around some more."
Deng Shirong cautioned, "Be careful when you go out. The county town is different from our village. Loitering young people often cause trouble. If you see any suspicious characters, stay as far away as possible."
"Got it, Dad."
Yuntai replied, then went to say goodbye to his wife before heading out to continue his search.
---
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, the energetic Yuntai had almost explored every nook and cranny of the county town. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find a suitable place for the restaurant. The locations he found were either not available for rent or were too small to meet their requirements.
Deng Shirong wasn’t surprised. Even in the future, when storefronts were abundant, finding the right one for a business was incredibly difficult, let alone in the current early stages of commercial development.
"Yuntai, if you can’t find anything, don’t worry. We’ll talk to the officials next year. Getting a plot of land would be ideal, but if that’s not possible, we can buy one ourselves. Once we have the land, we can build whatever we want, which is better than renting. The only downside is the larger investment."
Yuntai was a bit hesitant about approaching the officials. "Dad, we’re just opening a restaurant. Is it really appropriate to bother the officials with such a small matter? They have so many important things to deal with every day. Will they even have time for us?"
Deng Shirong laughed. "Officials are here to serve the people. We’ll find out next year when we ask. Even if they say no, we won’t lose anything. Do you really think a high-ranking official would hold a grudge against us for such a small request?"
Yuntai replied, "That’s true, but..."
Deng Shirong interrupted, "No buts. I’ll handle the negotiations. I’ll make sure the restaurant gets off the ground, and you’ll take care of the management afterward."
Yuntai scratched his head. "Dad, why do you have so much confidence in us? What if we lose money?"
Deng Shirong smiled confidently. "Even if we lose money, it’ll only be temporary. As long as we have the property and the land, we’ll eventually make back more than we lost."
The author is feeling unwell, with a headache and difficulty concentrating. The writing efficiency is extremely low, and there’s a chance of a fever tomorrow. His wife and two daughters are also running high fevers...
(End of Chapter)
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