Chapter 297: Family Division

Chapter 297: Family Division

Sui Feng Restaurant.

In one of the private rooms.

Bu Zhongshi and Liang Yiqing were on a blind date, each accompanied by their respective family members or relatives.

Liang Yiqing was accompanied by her parents, while Bu Zhongshi was accompanied by his older brother and sister-in-law, his uncle, and his cousin.

At the moment, the elders were making small talk, while Bu Zhongshi and Liang Yiqing, the two main participants in the blind date, were secretly eyeing each other.

In Bu Zhongshi's eyes, Liang Yiqing was a vision of beauty. Her long hair, secured with a trendy red hair clip, cascaded down her back. She wore a fitted white shirt and a stylish red skirt that hugged her waist and fell just below her knees. The shirt was neatly tucked into the skirt, accentuating her graceful figure.

In terms of appearance, Bu Zhongshi was immediately smitten. As for her character and temperament, his uncle had already done some investigations.

Thus, the more Bu Zhongshi looked at her, the more satisfied he became.

In Liang Yiqing's eyes, Bu Zhongshi's appearance matched her father's description. Her father had told her that the man was of average looks and that she shouldn't be too concerned, as good looks couldn't put food on the table; capability was what mattered most.

Therefore, seeing the average-looking Bu Zhongshi, Liang Yiqing, who was mentally prepared, was not disappointed. Instead, she noticed a quality in him that other men lacked: confidence.

A confident man naturally had a unique charm.

After some polite conversation, Deng Shirong smiled and asked, "Director Liang, I heard from my nephew Yuntao that you have dined at my restaurant many times. Please don't be shy, tell us what dishes you like, and I'll have the master chef prepare them for us to enjoy a few drinks together."

Liang Yunfei politely replied, "Mr. Deng, your restaurant's food and drinks are famous for their quality. You can just arrange it as you see fit."

Deng Shirong turned to Liang Yiqing and asked, "Teacher Liang, what dishes do you like?"

Liang Yiqing responded, "Anything is fine with me."

Deng Shirong then asked Liang Yiqing's mother, receiving the same answer. He then instructed his nephew, "Dashi, go and arrange the dishes."

"Sure."

Bu Dashi responded and left the private room to arrange the dishes.

Deng Shirong asked, "Teacher Liang, which grade do you teach?"

Liang Yiqing answered, "I currently teach third grade."

Deng Shirong said, "Teaching is a good profession for a young woman, but there is a problem that needs to be addressed. I hope you don't take offense, and I hope Director Liang and Mrs. Liang won't mind."

Liang Yunfei felt a knot in his heart and asked, "Mr. Deng, what problem is it?"

Deng Shirong said, "It's about having children. My nephew is from the countryside, where the views are different from the city. If he gets married, he might not stop at one child. You are aware of the current family planning policies, and at that time, Teacher Liang might have to give up her teaching job. Can you accept that?"

Liang Yunfei hadn't considered this issue, but he made a decision immediately, saying, "I can understand that. As long as the family has the financial support, having more children won't be a problem for my daughter Yiqing, and giving up her teaching job isn't a big deal."

Liang Yiqing's mother added, "Yes, as long as the man is capable, it's also good for the woman to stay home and take care of the family."

Liang Yiqing: "..."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "My nephew's business is currently doing well. He has five large trucks running non-stop, and he plans to increase the number of trucks in the future. If Teacher Liang were to stop teaching, she could help manage the growing fleet.

Working together as a couple, once the fleet reaches a certain scale, we could establish a transportation company and expand the business."

Liang Yunfei and his wife were very moved. Although Deng Shirong was painting a rosy picture, the fact that five large trucks were running non-stop was true. If the business was managed well, it could indeed grow and prosper. In comparison, the identity of a public school teacher seemed less important.

After all, it was 1984, the year when the first wave of entrepreneurs emerged. Many elites from the public sector chose to start their own businesses, and people's views had changed significantly.

Liang Yiqing's eyes also sparkled with interest. With this "successful business" filter, she found Bu Zhongshi, who had average looks, increasingly appealing.

Seeing that the Liang family had no objections, Deng Shirong felt that they were indeed sincere. After all, teaching was a very good profession, and even in the future, it would take a lot of consideration for someone to give it up.

Especially in this era, teachers held more weight than they would in the future.

In such a situation, their willingness to give up this job without hesitation proved that they truly valued his nephew.

After discussing this issue, the waiters began to serve the dishes, and Bu Dashi brought in two plates of poached dishes.

With the positive start, the atmosphere improved significantly.

Bu Zhongshi and Liang Yiqing gradually began to chat more freely.

Being of the same age, they could always find common topics to discuss if they put their minds to it.

The meal lasted from around four o'clock until nearly six.

When the Liang family was preparing to leave, the male side, as per tradition, had to give red envelopes and some snacks and candies. This custom has persisted into modern times for a reason.

Firstly, receiving red envelopes can boost women's enthusiasm for participating in blind dates.

Secondly, the amount of the red envelope given by the male side can indicate their level of satisfaction; if the male side is satisfied, the amount will be larger, and if they are unsatisfied, the amount will be smaller.

So, when the Liang family of three left Sui Feng Restaurant and cycled back to the old man's residence, they eagerly opened the red envelopes in front of him.

It turned out that Liang Yunfei and his wife received 10 yuan each, while Liang Yiqing received 20 yuan.

Seeing the amount, Liang Yiqing's mother beamed and said, "It looks like this Mr. Bu has fallen in love with our little Yiqing at first sight!"

Liang Yunfei also nodded with a smile, "Yes, the attitude of the male side is very clear. As long as we have no issues, this marriage is basically a done deal."

The Liang family elder also saw the amount in the red envelopes and understood the rules of blind dates. If the male side was unsatisfied, they would give no more than a couple of yuan, or even just a few jiao.

After all, knowing there was no future, giving a large red envelope would be a waste. With the mindset of saving where possible, they wouldn't give much.

But now, the male side had given 40 yuan, which was more than Liang Yiqing's monthly salary. This attitude was crystal clear.

"Yiqing, you've met him. Tell your grandfather honestly, do you like him?"

A shy person can't be a teacher, that's for sure.

Liang Yiqing, being a teacher, was more outgoing than many girls, but she still blushed at her grandfather's straightforward question. However, she didn't avoid the question and answered after a moment's thought, "From what I've seen, he is indeed quite good. He may not have as much education as I do, but he is well-informed and has more social experience than I do."

Liang Yiqing's mother said, "I observed this Mr. Bu carefully, and he is indeed quite outstanding among his peers."

Liang Yunfei added, "He dared to buy a truck for transportation two years ago, and within two years, he developed it into a fleet of five trucks. He is not only capable but also bold."

The Liang family elder smiled broadly, "It seems this young man is indeed quite good. We should finalize the marriage as soon as possible."

Liang Yunfei nodded, "I'll talk to his uncle about this matter soon."

...

Liang Yunfei was quite efficient. The next day, he returned to Sui Feng Restaurant.

After some polite conversation, Liang Yunfei got straight to the point, "Mr. Deng, your nephew seems to be satisfied with my daughter, right?" Although the red envelope from the previous day clearly indicated the other side's attitude, it was still necessary to confirm it in person to avoid any misunderstandings.

Deng Shirong smiled, "With such an excellent Liang teacher, my nephew is naturally satisfied. I wonder what your impression of my nephew is?"

Liang Yunfei also smiled, "With his excellent conditions, our little Yiqing is naturally satisfied as well."

Deng Shirong said, "Since both sides are satisfied, that's great. Let's set a date and arrange for a family visit?"

Liang Yunfei replied, "That's what I was thinking."

With both having the same idea, they naturally agreed immediately.

Before the family visit, the dowry amount had to be discussed.

However, Liang Yunfei didn't care much about this. He only had one daughter, and everything would be hers and her husband's in the future. There was no need to make demands regarding the dowry. He simply said it should follow the standard practice.

With both sides satisfied, the marriage could proceed very quickly if the female side didn't make any demands.

Thus, after some discussion, they set the family visit for the following Saturday.

...

When Deng Shirong drove back to Naye Village on his motorcycle, it caused a huge sensation, as expected.

In big cities, bicycles had already become common in the 1970s, but rural areas couldn't compare. Even by the mid-1980s, having a bicycle was a matter of pride for rural families.

If the bicycle was a Phoenix or a Forever brand, you were undoubtedly the coolest person in the village.

The love and care for Phoenix or Forever brand bicycles in this era were beyond imagination. Not only would they wrap the bicycle beautifully with ribbons, but they would also clean it meticulously with a cloth every time they rode it and cover it with a mosquito net to keep it in perfect condition.

Of course, in this lifetime, Deng Shirong's influence had led many families in Bangjie Village to own Phoenix or Forever brand bicycles, so they weren't as precious as in his previous life. However, in other villages, these two brands were still highly treasured.

Even a bicycle was considered a precious item, let alone a motorcycle. Therefore, when the news spread, people from the upper and lower villages all came to watch.

This was the first motorcycle in Shuangwang, and many villagers had never even seen one before. Only those who had traveled outside the village knew that it was a motorcycle.

Deng Changqi circled the beautiful motorcycle, touched the seat, and asked with a heart full of desire, "Elder Jiu, how much did this motorcycle cost?"

Ever since Elder Jiu issued a gambling ban in the entire clan, Deng Changqi, the gambler, had not participated in any gambling. The reason he managed to quit gambling completely was not due to strong willpower but because Elder Jiu's ban was truly terrifying, with the entire clan monitoring it.

No matter how addicted a gambler was, their initial goal was to win money. If they knew they would lose, no one would gamble.

Elder Jiu's gambling ban stipulated that anyone caught gambling and verified would lose their shares in the passenger transport company, which was more painful than losing 100,000 yuan.

So, during the period right after the ban, Deng Changqi's gambling urge flared up many times, but he always managed to suppress it. Losing the shares was just too much to bear!

No longer gambling, and with a bountiful watermelon harvest in June, plus the income from raising pigs, chickens, ducks, and other miscellaneous sources, his once destitute family became prosperous again.

With money in hand, Deng Changqi felt a bit tempted by the motorcycle Elder Jiu had bought and asked about the price.

The other villagers were equally curious about the cost of this beautiful motorcycle. Some of the wealthier villagers even thought about buying one if it wasn't too expensive.

Deng Shirong was smoking a water pipe and, hearing the question, casually replied, "More than 7,000 yuan."

"Whoa..."

Upon hearing this, the villagers all gasped.

They had expected the motorcycle to be expensive, much more so than a bicycle, but they hadn't anticipated it would be this costly.

Those who had initially considered buying one quickly dismissed the idea. Not only could they not afford such a large sum, but even if they could, it would be impractical to spend so much on a "useless" motorcycle.

After all, 7,000 yuan could build several houses.

Deng YunGui, who was the second richest in Naye Village, sighed and said, "Uncle Jiu, I really admire your boldness. You must have spent all the income from the brick factory to buy this motorcycle!"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "YunGui, riding this motorcycle is really enjoyable. Since you're not short of money, why not buy one while you're still in good health and enjoy it?"

Deng YunGui shook his head and laughed bitterly, "Uncle Jiu, I'll stick to my bicycle. The money for this motorcycle could buy me twenty Phoenix brand bicycles!"

Deng YunQiang also chimed in, "That's right, this motorcycle is too expensive. Only you, Uncle Jiu, would dare to buy it. We can't afford such a luxury!"

The others nodded in agreement. Such an expensive item was truly beyond their reach.

Deng Shirong understood their perspective. In his previous life, it wasn't until the late 1980s that motorcycles began to appear in Shuangwang, with only two motorcycles in the entire area. It wasn't until the 1990s, especially the late 1990s, that the number of motorcycles started to surge.

After a while of discussion, the crowd dispersed.

Unlike in later times, the villagers of this era always had plenty of work to do.

Once the others left, Deng YunCai spoke up, "Uncle Jiu, there's something that might trouble you."

Deng Shirong put down his water pipe and asked, "What is it?"

Deng YunCai, looking a bit dejected, said, "I want to divide the family between my two sons, and I need you, Uncle Jiu, to be a witness."

Deng Shirong immediately took this seriously. He had helped arrange the marriage between Deng YunCai's second son, Deng Changyuan, and Ou Guohua. Now that they were dividing the family, he needed to understand the reasons: "YunCai, why do you suddenly want to divide the family? What's the reason?"

In front of Uncle Jiu, Deng YunCai did not hide anything and sighed, "The reasons are multifaceted, but the main reason is that my son Changyuan plans to quit his job at the brick factory and move to the county for development. He earns a stable 200 yuan a month at the brick factory, and we don't support his decision to quit and move to the county.

"However, Changyuan is determined to do this, so we have no choice but to divide the family and let them live separately."

Deng Shirong understood the situation and said earnestly, "YunCai, as the old saying goes, when the son grows up, he doesn't follow his mother's will. Especially for married sons, we parents can't control everything.

"For example, my restaurant in the county is managed by my son YunTai and his wife. I don't take any of the profits; they keep it all for themselves.

"You all need to be more open-minded and not try to control your sons for their entire lives. This will eventually cause problems."

Deng Yuncai looked shocked and said, "Uncle Jiu, you actually let YunTai and his wife keep all the money from the restaurant in the county?"

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Once the sons have established their own families, making them hand over all their earnings might not cause immediate problems, but it will definitely lead to issues in the long run, especially when the income among the sons is unequal."

Deng Yuncai understood Uncle Jiu's point and sighed, "You're right, Uncle Jiu. In recent years, Yuan has contributed a lot to our family. The conflicts we face now are largely due to our own shortcomings as parents. However, since the situation has already occurred, it's too late to fix it. We can only ask you to be a witness as we separate the two brothers and let them live their own lives."

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Alright, if you've thought it through, let's set a date."

Deng Yuncai said, "How about tomorrow?"

"Fine!"

After this, Deng Yuncai left.

...

The next day.

After breakfast, Deng Shirong, along with Deng Yunjun, Deng YunGui, and others, went to Deng Yuncai's house to witness the family division.

When Deng Changqi divided his property between his eldest son, Deng Siwen, and his second son, Deng Siwu, he and his wife clearly favored the eldest son and daughter-in-law, making the division extremely unfair. Even the witnesses, including Deng Shirong, found it hard to tolerate.

In contrast, the division of Deng Yuncai's family was much fairer. From cash to houses, fields, and various household items, including shares in the passenger transport company, everything was divided equally, with everything clearly accounted for, and no one had any objections.

Both the eldest son, Deng Changxing, and his wife were satisfied with the division.

After all, if one were to be fair, Deng Changyuan had contributed the most to the family. Now that everything was divided equally, Deng Changxing and his wife felt they had received more than their fair share, so they were naturally satisfied.

Deng Changyuan and Ou Guohua were also very satisfied. Their vision was broader than that of their elder brother and sister-in-law, and they cared little about the current family assets. Their goal was to look to the future. After the division, all the money they earned would go directly into their own pockets.

As for whether they would be able to make money in the county, Deng Changyuan and Ou Guohua were not worried at all.

After all, one was a childhood friend of Deng YunTai, and the other was a close friend of Zhang Xiuping. How could they not find work in the county?

In this sense, both Deng Changxing's family and Deng Changyuan's family were happy with the division.

The only ones who were unhappy were Deng Yuncai and his wife.

In the future, when sons grew up, there was no concept of dividing the family. From the moment they started earning money, it went into their own pockets (except for mama's boys). Even when they were single, they kept their earnings, let alone after they got married.

Economically independent, the capable ones bought houses outside or built new homes in their hometown, while the less capable ones continued to live with their parents.

Regardless of which path they took, there wasn't much difference from dividing the family and living separately.

The only difference was that in the future, no one explicitly mentioned dividing the family.

In this era, however, dividing the family meant dividing everything clearly and transparently. From the moment of division, even if everyone still lived under the same roof, they would cook and eat separately, only coming together for holidays.

Faced with such a situation, the parents naturally felt uneasy.

Seeing that Deng Yuncai and his wife were a bit down, Deng Shirong, who had experienced family division in his previous life, understood their feelings. However, he didn't say anything and left with Deng Yunjun and the others after the division was completed.

...

At noon.

After having lunch, Deng Shirong sat under a wooden shed and smoked. Deng Changyuan walked over.

After greeting him, Deng Changyuan said, "Uncle Jiu, please tell Uncle YunGui to hire a new master potter for the brick factory. I don't plan to continue after this year."

Deng Shirong put down his pipe and said, "Alright, I'll tell YunGui. You and your wife plan to develop in the county next year?"

Deng Changyuan nodded and said, "Actually, YunTai and his wife have suggested several times that we come to the county and start a business. But since I hadn't divided the family yet, I couldn't make such a decision, so it has been delayed until now."

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "The development in the county is far better than in the countryside. No matter what business you do, as long as you can establish yourself in the county, things will be fine in the future."

Deng Changyuan smiled and said, "Uncle Jiu, I haven't figured out what kind of business to do in the county yet. I'll need your guidance when the time comes."

"Think it over first, and I'll help you plan it out later."

"Thank you, Uncle Jiu!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end