Chapter 291: Deng Yunzhu: Second Brother's Face is Truly Great

Chapter 291: Deng Yunzhu: Second Brother's Face is Truly Great

It was evening.

As they walked back to the police station from the Suzhou Abundance Restaurant, Zhu Junjie looked at the girl he admired and said, "Azhen, there's something I want to discuss with you."

Deng Yunzhen replied, "What is it? Go ahead and say it!"

Zhu Junjie took a deep breath and said, "Azhen, we've known each other for about half a year now. You know how I feel about you. I want to invite you to visit my family. Are you willing to do that?"

As he finished speaking, Zhu Junjie's heart started beating faster.

This was almost like a modern-day proposal. If she agreed to visit his family, the marriage would be almost certain.

Deng Yunzhen didn't answer immediately. Instead, she recalled their interactions over the past six months. So far, he had left a very good impression on her.

So, should she agree to visit his family?

Deng Yunzhen hesitated for about half a minute, until Zhu Junjie’s heart almost leaped out of his chest. Finally, she nodded and said, "You can make the arrangements!"

Zhu Junjie was overjoyed. Excitedly, he said, "Great! I'll talk to my parents when I get home and ask Uncle Zhang to discuss this with your father."

Seeing his happiness, Deng Yunzhen felt her own mood lift, and she smiled.

After dropping Deng Yunzhen off at home, Zhu Junjie returned to the police station's residential building with a happy heart.

Old Lady Zhu had been waiting for her son. Seeing him return, she eagerly asked, "Xiaojie, how did it go? Did Azhen agree?"

Zhu Junjie smiled broadly and said, "Azhen agreed!"

Old Man Zhu and Old Lady Zhu were both delighted. They were extremely satisfied with their future daughter-in-law.

Although their youngest son had good prospects, being a deputy chief at the police station at a young age, what about her family?

Her father was the owner of the Suzhou Abundance Restaurant and a major shareholder in the Tenglong Passenger Transport Company. He also co-owned a brick factory in their hometown, making him a genuine tycoon. Their economic status was far beyond what the Zhu family could match.

Moreover, her father was the clan leader of the Ye Deng Clan, holding immense prestige and influence. When he called, hundreds would respond.

Her second brother was currently a student at Peking University, the top university in the country.

According to their youngest son, graduates from this university, if they chose to enter public service, would start at no lower a rank than he and would advance much faster, with boundless potential.

Her third brother was an outstanding student at Bogao, the best high school in the county. He had topped the entire grade in the final exams. If he maintained his performance, their family might soon have another graduate from a top university like Tsinghua or Peking.

With wealth, power, and connections, and with Azhen’s excellent character, they truly dreamed of having her as their daughter-in-law as soon as possible.

Old Lady Zhu said, beaming with joy, "This is wonderful!"

Old Man Zhu, equally elated, said, "Old lady, you should go and talk to Old Zhang tomorrow and have him discuss the family visit with Azhen’s father."

Old Lady Zhu nodded and said, "Yes, I’ll go see Old Zhang first thing tomorrow. But according to local customs, we need to discuss the dowry before the family visit. I wonder how much they expect?"

Zhu Junjie smiled and said, "Mom, don’t worry. Although I haven’t interacted with Uncle Deng much, Azhen has told me a lot about him. He’s a very reasonable person and won’t make things difficult for us in this regard."

Old Lady Zhu agreed, "That’s true. Given our economic status, even if we sold everything we have, it would still be a small amount in their eyes. Families that demand a high dowry are usually those with poor economic conditions. A tycoon like Mr. Deng wouldn’t care about this!"

Old Man Zhu reminded her, "Even if they don’t care, we should still give what is due."

Old Lady Zhu nodded, "Of course. We’ll do everything to the highest standard and ensure we don’t embarrass our in-laws."

...

While the Zhu family discussed the family visit, Deng Yunzhen also told her father and siblings about it.

Deng Shirong’s eyes showed a hint of melancholy. Once the family visit was completed, it would be like an engagement. Although the wedding was still some time away, it felt different!

Despite having experienced the marriage of his daughters twice in his previous life, Deng Shirong still felt a pang of reluctance.

However, when a man grows up, he must marry, and when a woman grows up, she must wed. Since the man she had met in this life was a hundred times better than the one in his previous life, he naturally wouldn’t stand in her way.

Deng Shirong sighed, "You’ve known each other for about half a year. Since you’ve agreed, I, as your father, won’t object."

Zhang Xiuping asked, "Azhen, you need to think carefully. Before the family visit, you can change your mind without any repercussions. But once the visit is done, the marriage is almost set in stone and can’t be changed, or you’ll be ridiculed."

Deng Yunzhen nodded and said, "Sister-in-law, I understand. After spending so much time with him, I feel he is quite reliable. It’s not good to keep him waiting for too long, so let’s just proceed with the house visit to give him some assurance. As for the wedding, we can discuss that next year or the year after."

Zhang Xiuping replied, "As long as you’re sure."

Deng Yuntai added, "It’s indeed quite difficult to find a match as excellent as Director Zhu in the county. If you think he’s reliable, then it’s good to settle things early."

Deng Shirong said, "Usually, before the house visit, the dowry price is discussed. If I’m not mistaken, Uncle Zhang will come to talk about this with me tomorrow. Do you have any specific requirements for the dowry, Yunzhen?"

Deng Yunzhen laughed and said, "Dad, why are you asking me? Isn’t the dowry price usually decided by the parents?"

"Well, it’s just a formality. We can let the other side give a lucky number. It’s a blessing for the Zhu family that this young man can marry you." Deng Shirong sighed, knowing the weight of his words.

After his rebirth, Deng Shirong had made life plans for his seven children.

Among these plans, each of his seven children would receive one of the seven quadrangle courtyards in the capital city. Just this alone would make them billionaires at the very least.

Of course, Deng Shirong wouldn’t let them know this anytime soon, as these courtyards were his safety net for the family.

Apart from this fixed asset, the eldest son was preparing to open a chain of supermarkets, which was already in the planning stages. Next year, the second and third floors of the Shuifeng Restaurant would be renovated, and a matching building would be constructed on the 30 acres of land in Nanning’s Chaoyang Square.

For the eldest daughter, there was no need to worry before her marriage.

Once she married, to ensure her quality of life and status in her in-laws’ family, Deng Shirong planned to give her the Shuifeng Restaurant as a dowry. With this largest and most upscale restaurant in the county, she would certainly live a comfortable life.

The second son was still undecided about pursuing a political or business career. Deng Shirong planned to discuss this with him when he returned home for the winter break. After a year of experience in the student council, he would likely have made a decision.

If he chose politics, there would be no need to arrange a business for him.

If he chose business, Deng Shirong would create a more promising path for him after graduation, as his capabilities would far surpass those of his eldest brother, who only had a high school education.

One’s capabilities determine the scale of their endeavors—this was Deng Shirong’s life experience.

As for the youngest daughter and the three youngest sons, Deng Shirong had plans for them as well. He would address each one in turn, without rushing.

Zhang Xiuping agreed, "Dad is right. It’s a blessing for the Zhu family that they can marry our Yunzhen."

Deng Yunzhen blushed and said, "Dad, Sister-in-law, this is just a house visit. I haven’t married yet!"

Zhang Xiuping laughed, "You’ve already agreed to the house visit. The wedding is just a matter of time!"

Deng Yunzhen: "…."

The next day at noon, Zhang Guoan, commissioned by the Zhu family, came to discuss the house visit with Deng Shirong.

Deng Shirong didn’t set any conditions, leaving the dowry price to the other side to decide as a lucky number. The other gifts would follow the usual standards, and the house visit was scheduled for the twelfth of the ninth lunar month, the first Saturday after National Day.

After finalizing the house visit for his eldest daughter, with National Day just around the corner, Deng Shirong returned home.

As the saying goes, "Wealth and honor are meaningless unless shared with one’s hometown." His second son was fortunate enough to participate in the National Day parade, so Deng Shirong decided to bring a color television back to show the villagers.

If the camera caught a glimpse of his second son during the parade, it would be a tremendous shock to the villagers.

"Uncle Jiu is back."

"Yes, I’m back!"

"Uncle Jiu, what are you carrying?"

"A new television."

"Uncle Jiu, don’t you already have a television? Why are you buying another one?"

"The black-and-white one isn’t very interesting, so I bought a color television. It’s much more pleasant to watch."

"So this is a color television? I’ve only heard about it, but I’ve never seen one!"

"…"

When Deng Shirong carried the color television home, the news spread like wildfire throughout Naye Village. The villagers rushed over to see the new gadget, eager to witness this modern wonder.

The villagers of Naye were no longer as ignorant as before. They knew about both black-and-white and color televisions and had even inquired about their prices. With the income from the watermelon harvest this year, many families had become more financially comfortable and aspired to own a television like Uncle Jiu’s.

However, after inquiring, no one was willing to spend the money to buy a TV.

To purchase a television, you needed a TV voucher, and the price was steep. Moreover, the village wasn't even connected to the power grid yet, so you'd have to buy a battery to power the TV. A battery, even if used sparingly, could only last about a week. If you used it as heavily as Uncle Jiu did, it would last only about four days before needing to be recharged at Shuangwang for 2 yuan each time.

This constant expense eventually discouraged any families from buying a TV.

Now, Uncle Jiu, who already had a black-and-white TV, had bought a brand new, over-a-thousand-yuan color TV. This move left the villagers in awe, truly befitting the richest man in Shuangwang, whose wealth was unmatched.

As soon as the color TV arrived, Deng Shirong immediately replaced the old black-and-white TV, which had served for nearly two years, with the new 2-inch larger color TV.

He then tried it out, and the colorful images on the screen drew excited comments from the villagers who had gathered to watch.

"This color TV is amazing, much better than the black-and-white one!"

"Yeah, the black-and-white TV only has two colors, but this color TV has every color imaginable. It’s a completely different experience."

"No wonder the color TV is so much more expensive. The picture is so much more comfortable to look at."

"..."

Seeing the villagers' reactions, Deng Shirong smiled and said, "In a few days, it will be National Day. This year, there will be a grand parade to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Did you know?"

The villagers all shook their heads. In this remote village, who would pay attention to a National Day parade?

In the future, with the widespread use of televisions and computers, almost everyone would have seen a National Day parade. But in this era, the concept of a parade was unknown to the villagers. The last parade had been in 1959, and it had been 25 years since then. Even in the cities, few people had actually seen a parade.

Deng Shirong continued, "This year, everyone in the country can watch the National Day parade on TV. On the day of the parade, after having breakfast, come over and watch. You'll see how powerful our country's military is, and you'll even get to see Leader Deng, who is the greatest figure in our Deng family's history."

The villagers nodded in agreement.

Although their knowledge of Leader Deng was limited, even the little they knew was enough to inspire admiration. After all, the Liu-Deng army had made significant contributions to the liberation of the Chinese nation and the founding of the People's Republic of China.

In another thirty years, the villagers who were still alive would realize that Leader Deng, in addition to his contributions to the nation's liberation and founding, had also created an economic miracle that left the world in awe, leading the great Chinese nation on the path to revival.

...

6:00 AM.

The morning bell rang at Songshan High School.

Although the Songshan Commune had been renamed Songwang Township, Songshan High School still retained its original name.

In a girls' dormitory, Deng Yunzhu opened her eyes immediately.

This year, although Deng Yunzhu's exam results were average, she had just managed to pass each subject, allowing her to enroll in Songshan High School, even if it was in an ordinary class. This was still better than many others.

The dormitory where Deng Yunzhu stayed housed 24 people, all the girls from her class. The crowding was significant.

It's hard for those who haven't experienced it to imagine what it's like to have 24 people in one dormitory, but this was a common occurrence in junior and senior high schools in the 1980s and 1990s.

On both sides of the dormitory, there were three sets of bunk beds, and each bunk bed accommodated four people, meaning two people shared each bed.

Such living conditions were naturally challenging for Deng Yunzhu. At first, she thought all students had the same living conditions, but after nearly a month at the school, she had become more familiar with it and realized that some special dormitories had fewer people.

For example, the stairwells on each floor had been converted into small dormitories, each housing three to four people, which were much better than the large dormitories.

Of course, whether in a large or small dormitory, there were no private bathrooms. To use the toilet, you had to go to the public restroom on each floor.

Deng Yunzhu's goal was to move into one of these smaller dormitories, as she didn't want to share the large dormitory with so many people.

For one, it was really inconvenient, and for another, with so many people, items like toothpaste and soap often got stolen, which she found very uncomfortable.

After getting dressed, Deng Yunzhu went to the bathroom to fetch a basin of water to brush her teeth and wash her face. With so many people in the dormitory, this simple task took her over ten minutes, reinforcing her resolve to move out as soon as possible.

After breakfast, Deng Yunzhu didn’t rush to class. Instead, she made her way to the office of the vice principal.

It was already Saturday, and they would be on holiday after lunch. She wanted to resolve her dormitory issue before the break so that she wouldn’t have to squeeze into the crowded dormitory when she returned.

The vice principal, Mr. Dai, had his office door open when Deng Yunzhu arrived. She knocked, and Mr. Dai looked up, asking, "Hello, is there something you need, student?"

Deng Yunzhu had prepared what to say in advance. She got straight to the point, "Mr. Dai, I once heard my second brother mention that you taught him chemistry. I came today to introduce myself and perhaps build a good relationship with you."

Mr. Dai couldn’t help but smile. "Who is your second brother? Which class did he graduate from?"

Deng Yunzhu replied with pride, "Mr. Dai, you must know my second brother. He’s Deng Yunheng from Class 34."

The moment he heard the name, Mr. Dai was taken aback. Deng Yunheng was the only student from Songshan High School to be admitted to Peking University since the school’s founding, and he had been Mr. Dai’s chemistry student. Such an outstanding student was unforgettable.

Realizing that the girl in front of him was Deng Yunheng’s sister, Mr. Dai’s face lit up with a genuine smile. "So you’re Deng Yunheng’s sister. What’s your name, and is your brother coming back this summer?"

Seeing Mr. Dai’s changed attitude, Deng Yunzhu knew she had made the right move. Her brother indeed had a lot of influence at Songshan High School. She replied, "My name is Deng Yunzhu. My brother won’t be coming back this summer. I heard he’s participating in the National Day parade. He was selected to be part of the Peking University contingent, so he doesn’t have time to come home."

Mr. Dai, excited, slapped his leg and said, "Oh, what an honor! Your brother should have sent a letter to let us know."

They chatted about Deng Yunheng until the class bell rang. Mr. Dai then smiled and asked, "Deng Yunzhu, what’s the real reason you came to see me today? Is there something you need help with?"

Deng Yunzhu chuckled, "Mr. Dai, I currently live in a dormitory with 24 people. It’s really crowded and uncomfortable. I was wondering if you could arrange for me to move to a less crowded dormitory."

Mr. Dai, hearing this was a minor request, immediately agreed. "Sure, go to class now. I’ll take care of it. When school is out at noon, come back to my office, and I’ll have everything arranged for you."

Deng Yunzhu, delighted, said, "Thank you, Mr. Dai! I’ll go to class now!"

"Go ahead!"

As Deng Yunzhu left, Mr. Dai began to arrange things. For him, this was a simple task, and he was happy to help, knowing it would earn him some goodwill with the promising student, Deng Yunheng.

As the vice principal, Mr. Dai was well aware of the conditions in the school’s dormitories. Even the less crowded ones were not very comfortable.

While thinking about where to place Deng Yunzhu, he suddenly had a great idea.

...

At noon.

When the class bell rang, Deng Yunzhu eagerly left the classroom and headed to the vice principal’s office.

"Mr. Dai, Ms. Li."

In the office, besides Mr. Dai, there was also Ms. Li, the English teacher.

Without beating around the bush, Mr. Dai said, "Deng Yunzhu, go back to your dormitory and pack your things. Move your luggage to Ms. Li’s room. You’ll be living with her from now on."

Ms. Li also smiled. "Deng Yunzhu, I’ll be waiting for you at the teachers’ dormitory building."

Deng Yunzhu was taken aback. She had only asked Mr. Dai to help her move to a less crowded dormitory, but she never expected him to arrange for her to live in the teachers’ dormitory. This was an incredible privilege!

Even as a new student, she knew the conditions in the teachers’ dormitory were far superior to those in the student dormitory. For one, the teachers’ dormitory had private bathrooms, which was a significant improvement.

Deng Yunzhu was both surprised and delighted. She immediately thanked them, "Thank you, Mr. Dai, and Ms. Li, for the trouble!"

Mr. Dai smiled warmly. "No need to thank us. Your brother brought honor to our school, and as his sister, it’s only right that we take care of you."

Ms. Li also smiled. "It’s no trouble at all."

Deng Yunzhu expressed her gratitude a few more times before happily returning to her dormitory to pack her things.

She couldn’t help but marvel at how much influence her brother had at Songshan High School.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end