Chapter 311: The Mighty Ye Deng Clan

Chapter 311: The Mighty Ye Deng Clan

Early in the eighth month of the lunar calendar, Deng Shirong returned to Nanning.

After settling the current progress payment with the provincial architectural design institute and confirming that his building would be completed by the tenth month of the lunar calendar, Deng Shirong sat contentedly on the bus back to Bobai.

This trip to the capital had netted him 3.83 million yuan, a significant profit. The only downside was that he had wanted to buy a car for his eldest son but found out that private ownership of cars was not yet allowed in the country.

Since the state did not permit it, there was no point in thinking about it for now. He would have to wait until the restrictions were lifted.

Returning to Bobai, he stepped out of the station and saw from afar that the clan members were enthusiastically engaged in construction.

After several months of work, the Ye Deng Clan's residential area had taken shape, with the overall layout clearly visible.

As previously mentioned, each building in the Ye Deng Clan's residential area had three units, with each unit containing 28 apartments, totaling 84 apartments per building.

Of course, besides the seven-story residential buildings, the ground floor of each building was designated for shops and public areas, including spaces for bicycles, motorcycles, and electric scooters, as well as facilities like ping-pong tables.

During the initial fundraising, the clan had collectively requested 1,008 apartments, which amounted to exactly 12 buildings.

Now, the 8 buildings on the outer perimeter had been completed and topped out, and the four gates on the east, south, west, and north had also been built. Only the 4 inner buildings were still under construction, but they were expected to be topped out soon.

Once the main structures of all 12 buildings were completed, the next step would be to develop the public facilities and landscaping, which would also take some time.

However, once the main structures were finished, the apartments could be distributed to the clan members, and those in need could proceed with renovations and move in.

Deng Shirong walked from the station to the Suifeng Hotel, passing through the south gate of the residential area.

In ancient China, the south was considered the most prestigious direction, while the north symbolized defeat and submission.

Palaces and temples faced south, and the emperor's throne was placed facing south, symbolizing his supreme authority. Defeat and submission were referred to as "defeat in the north" and "submission to the north."

Therefore, when planning the layout, Deng Shirong had the architectural experts designate the south gate as the main entrance of the residential area.

Now, the south gate had been completed and looked like this:

After searching for a long time, I couldn't find a satisfactory image, so I chose this one, which is the current entrance of Bobai's Cultural Road. Please bear with the image.

At the top of the gate, there were two large, neatly written characters—South Gate.

Above the central gate, there were four beautifully calligraphed characters—Ye Deng Clan.

On the right pillar, it read: Unite the clan, achieve prosperity together.

On the left pillar, it read: The Ye Deng Clan, not to be underestimated.

The gate had just been completed and had not yet been decorated, so the full effect was not yet visible.

Once the decoration was complete, the characters would light up at night, and combined with the lush landscaping inside and outside the residential area, it would undoubtedly become the most envied residential complex in all of Bobai.

In fact, even without the decoration, the current layout of the buildings had already left the residents of the county in awe.

Especially the 8 completed buildings, many curious residents had already come to take a look.

Before seeing the layout inside the apartments, the residents were envious but not overly distressed. However, upon seeing the spacious and bright apartments, they were left speechless and their mental state completely collapsed!

This was truly a case of people envying each other to death!

Think about the houses they lived in—several family members crammed into a small apartment, sharing a public toilet with their neighbors. In contrast, the Ye Deng Clan's apartments were twice as large and had multiple bathrooms. The comparison was too heart-wrenching!

Are the Ye Deng Clan really from the countryside?

And are they, the city dwellers?

It felt as if their roles had been reversed.

In short, anyone who couldn't resist their curiosity and came to see the apartments suffered severe psychological damage and left questioning their lives.

Those who saw the apartments would definitely mention it to their families and friends, and those who were less curious would also come to see for themselves.

The result was the same—everyone was deeply affected and held the Ye Deng Clan in the highest regard. The fact that a rural clan could collectively fund the construction of such impressive buildings in the county was truly remarkable, and it was impossible not to admire them.

...

"Grandpa!"

"Uncle!"

"Clan Leader!"

As Deng Shirong walked through the south gate, the clan members who saw him all greeted him. He naturally responded to each of them and took a look at the construction progress, chatting with the project's chief commander, Deng Yunfeng.

"Yunfeng, how much longer until the building I chose is topped out?"

"It should be about a week or so!"

At this, Deng Yunfeng praised, "Uncle, your building is really impressive. I can't imagine how grand it will look once it's fully decorated."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "It's better to make the houses a bit larger. Who knows how many children our children will have in the future? If the houses are too small, they won't be able to fit everyone. Like me, no matter how many grandchildren I have, I won't have to worry!"

Deng Yunfeng sighed, "Ninth Uncle, only you can do this for the Ye Deng Clan. We don't have the means to do so, even if we wanted to."

Deng Shirong said, "I'm just thinking long-term because the conditions allow it. But as the saying goes, 'children and grandchildren will have their own blessings,' so you don't need to be too concerned. The social development is changing rapidly, and who knows what the situation will be like in ten or twenty years!"

Deng Yunfeng nodded, "That's true. For now, two apartments are enough for me."

"Alright, you get back to work. If you need anything, come find me at the hotel!"

"Okay, I understand!"

...

"Father, you're back!"

Deng Shirong returned to Suifeng Hotel, and his children greeted him. He nodded and asked, "How's the renovation on the second and third floors coming along?"

Deng YunTai smiled and said, "The second floor is already finished. The shelves and everything else are set up according to your requirements. The workers are currently renovating the third floor, and it should be done in a few more days."

Hearing this, Deng Shirong immediately said, "I'll go up and take a look."

The stairs were located behind the cash register, but there was a small door that needed to be passed through to reach the second floor.

When building this complex, Deng Shirong had planned for the first, second, and third floors to serve different purposes, so the stairs were placed separately. This way, when the second or third floor was used for other businesses, people could enter and exit through the side doors without affecting the hotel's operations.

As Deng Shirong went upstairs, his eldest son followed.

The second floor had undergone a significant transformation. When renovating the first floor for the hotel, the floor was covered with terrazzo. Now, the second floor was decorated with colorful patterned ceramic mosaics, similar to the floors in the county's foreign trade office building. The walls were also lined with colorful tiles.

The interior walls were covered with sound-absorbing panels, and the ceiling was decorated with patterned calcium plastic boards.

While this decoration seemed a bit outdated to Deng Shirong, who had seen many impressive renovations in his past life, it was the most fashionable and modern style in the county at that time.

There were numerous shelves of various designs, all placed according to the planned layout.

The long checkout counters were also designed according to Deng Shirong's requirements, inspired by the checkout lanes in modern supermarkets.

The fire safety measures, emphasized by Deng Shirong, were also up to the highest standards.

Everything was ready; all that was needed was to stock the shelves, and the supermarket could open for business.

After his father had a thorough look, Deng YunTai asked, "Father, do you think anything is missing?"

Deng Shirong thought for a moment and said, "We need more categorized signs, such as for the fresh fruit section, the oil and grain section, the hardware section, and the daily necessities section. This area is quite large, and we want customers to see everything at a glance. They should know where to find what they need by looking at the signs."

Deng YunTai nodded in agreement, "I understand. I'll take care of that right away."

Deng Shirong asked, "Is everything else in place? Have you hired the staff?"

Deng YunTai replied, "Yes, all the staff have been hired, but the accommodation issue hasn't been resolved yet. Once I rent the apartments, I'll bring them up."

Deng Shirong said, "Alright, handle it as you see fit."

Deng YunTai asked, "Father, when do you think we should open the supermarket?"

Deng Shirong said, "There are only ten days until National Day. Let's open on National Day!"

Deng YunTai nodded, "Alright, I'll rent the staff apartments in the next few days, train the hired clan members, and then start ordering goods from the manufacturers. By the time we get the goods and stock the shelves, it should be just in time for National Day!"

Deng Shirong said, "If you need more money for the goods, just let me know. I have it here."

Deng YunTai knew that his father had taken out another 2 million yuan loan from the bank last year, so he nodded and said, "I understand."

After inspecting the second floor, Deng Shirong went to the third floor, which was still under renovation but looked like it would be completed in a few days.

On the way down, Deng YunTai said, "Father, I almost forgot to tell you. YunHeng wrote a letter recently. He has started working."

Deng Shirong asked eagerly, "Where was he assigned?"

Deng YunTai replied, "He said he was assigned to the Planning Commission, but I'm not sure what that department does."

Deng Shirong's eyes lit up. In his past life, he had read many political novels. While the accuracy of these novels was questionable, one thing was certain: the various government departments were significant.

Deng Shirong knew about the Planning Commission. It was the predecessor of the Development and Reform Commission, a very important department. Being able to work in such a department had significant benefits. It seemed that his second son indeed had the capability, as even a graduate from Peking University couldn't easily secure a job in such a high-level department.

Thinking about this, Deng Shirong said joyfully, "That's really great. If Yunheng can enter this department, as long as he works steadily for a few years, his rank will quickly rise. When he is assigned to a position outside, he will at least be at the level of a county magistrate."

Hearing this, Deng Yuntai was greatly surprised and then couldn't help but be overjoyed, "That's really a big deal. To become a county magistrate in just a few years, my goodness, Peking University graduates are truly different."

Deng Shirong was also a bit excited. In his past life, his third son had struggled for over thirty years before enjoying the benefits of that rank after retirement. In contrast, his second son would only need to work for a few years to reach that level and with actual power. The difference between the two was truly immense.

So, education really was a path to the heavens.

A junior college graduate in the bureaucracy was worlds apart from a Peking University graduate.

What others started at, many junior college graduates would spend their entire lives striving to achieve. How could they compare?

...

A few minutes later.

Deng Shirong and Zhang Guangzong were drinking again.

After a few sips of wine, Deng Shirong asked, "Uncle Zhang, have our clan members caused any trouble for your village?"

Zhang Guangzong waved his hand and laughed, "No, they've all gotten along very well. Your clan's young and able men are really great. They even helped our villagers with their work. After these few months, everyone has become friends."

Deng Shirong smiled, "That's good to hear."

Zhang Guangzong took a sip of wine and sighed, "Boss, your Ye Deng Clan is truly amazing. I went to see the residential complex, and the apartments are really huge. If every household can live in such a place, there won't be any houses in the county that can compare, except for a few self-built houses."

Deng Shirong smiled, "In the future, there will be more residential complexes like ours in the county."

Zhang Guangzong said, "Even if there are more residential complexes in the future, none of them will be built by the entire clan like your Ye Deng Clan. Such a large-scale project is probably only possible for your clan. In the future, most residential complexes will be built and sold by businessmen, like those in Shenzhen. I heard from the young men who returned from working in Shenzhen that there are complexes similar to yours there."

Deng Shirong was not modest about this. In his view, in all of Bobai County, only his Ye Deng Clan, under his leadership, could achieve such a feat. Other clans would find it almost impossible.

After all, to have the entire clan raise funds to build a residential complex in the county, one needed a leader with immense prestige within the clan, someone who could persuade everyone to follow him. Additionally, every household in the clan needed to be able to afford such a significant amount of money.

Both conditions were essential.

After discussing the residential complex, Deng Shirong asked, "Uncle Zhang, you should know about the plan to open a supermarket on the second floor, right?"

Zhang Guangzong picked up a peanut and threw it into his mouth, chewing as he spoke, "I know. The young boss told me that the supermarket will be similar to the department store?"

Deng Shirong smiled, "The items sold will be similar, but the operating model will be different. You'll see once the supermarket opens."

Zhang Guangzong nodded, "Alright, I'll wait and see."

Deng Shirong took a bite of the dish and said, "Since the operating model of my supermarket is quite unique, it will likely attract some dishonest people. When the time comes, I'll need your help to spread the word that those with dishonest intentions shouldn't steal from me. If they do, they'll get what they deserve."

Zhang Guangzong, though not clear about the supermarket's operating model, understood that it would be vulnerable to theft. He agreed, "Once the supermarket opens, I'll have people spread the word. I believe that any thief who knows the ropes won't dare to steal from your supermarket easily. As for ordinary people, we can't control them, so you'll need to focus on management."

Deng Shirong said, "It will be great if we can deter the professional thieves. When the time comes, I'll set some examples. For every theft, there will be a tenfold penalty. Those with jobs will be reported to their leaders, and those without will be dealt with publicly. If they can bear such punishment, they are welcome to try."

Zhang Guangzong agreed, "This way, even if we can't completely eliminate theft, it will at least scare most people off."

Deng Shirong said, "That's exactly what I'm thinking."

...

In the afternoon.

Deng Shirong went to pick up Xiaodong'er from school.

Arriving at the kindergarten, he happened to meet Deng Changyuan who was also there to pick up his daughter.

"Uncle Ninth, you're back!" Deng Changyuan greeted first.

Deng Shirong nodded at him and asked, "Does your little girl still cry?"

It was already the eighth month of the lunar calendar, and the new school year had begun. Xiaodong'er was now in the middle class of kindergarten, and Deng Changyuan's daughter had started the small class.

Originally, Deng Changdong's eldest son was also at the right age to attend kindergarten, but his parents felt that they were busy with their business in the county town and would not be able to take good care of him if he attended kindergarten there. They decided to wait until next year when he was a bit older to send him to kindergarten in the county town.

Deng Changyuan smiled and said, "At first, she cried for a few days, but now she has adapted and comes to kindergarten very enthusiastically every day."

"That's very normal. My Xiaodong'er was the same. After adapting, she found kindergarten fun. There are many children her age, lots of toys to play with, and games to enjoy. Naturally, she is enthusiastic about going to school."

With that, Deng Shirong asked, "How is your clothing store business going?"

Mentioning this, Deng Changyuan could not contain his happiness and smiled widely, "Ninth Uncle, I have to thank you for helping us think of such a good business. The clothing store now makes more than 2,000 yuan a month, and our family gets over 1,000 yuan. It's much better than making large pots at the pottery factory, and it's not as tiring."

Deng Shirong said, "Since you are directly sourcing your goods from Guangzhou, it's normal that business is good. However, you should be aware that competitors will likely appear soon. You need to be prepared for that."

Hearing this, Deng Changyuan's heart tightened, and he asked, "Ninth Uncle, have you heard something?"

Deng Shirong shook his head and said, "It's not that I've heard something. It's just that as your business grows, it will inevitably affect the business of other clothing stores in the county town. You can't keep your sourcing a secret forever. Competitors will appear sooner or later."

Deng Changyuan felt a bit worried. Ninth Uncle's insight was never wrong. If he said competitors would appear soon, it would definitely happen. They needed to prepare in advance.

Deng Shirong gave a reminder but did not say more. In the early stages, he could offer advice based on his foresight, but once it came to the specific operations, they had to manage it themselves. He couldn't help much beyond that.

As they talked, the kindergarten soon dismissed.

"Grandpa!"

Xiaodong'er saw Deng Shirong and happily ran over to him.

Deng Shirong picked her up and laughed, "Xiaodong'er, were you a good girl at kindergarten today?"

Xiaodong'er proudly said, "I was very good. The teacher praised me!"

Deng Shirong praised her, "That's great. Say goodbye to Brother Yuan, and we'll head home!"

Xiaodong'er obediently waved at Deng Changyuan, "Brother Yuan, goodbye!"

Deng Changyuan, who had just picked up his daughter, chuckled and said, "Xiao Jue, say goodbye to Aunt Xiaodong!"

Xiao Jue obediently waved her little hand, "Aunt Xiaodong, goodbye!"

...

In the evening.

Back at their residence, everyone started to take turns showering.

For now, they still needed to squeeze together, but once the Ye Deng Clan residential complex was built, Deng Shirong would have it renovated immediately. Once they moved in, the space would be as spacious as they needed. Not only would it be enough for the current number of people, but even if another hundred people joined, there would still be plenty of room.

In the living room on the first floor, Zhang Xiuping asked, "Dad, what do you think we should name our supermarket?"

Deng Shirong countered, "Have you thought of any names?"

Zhang Xiuping said sheepishly, "We have thought of some, but none of them sounded very good."

Deng Shirong blurted out, "How about Yongjia Supermarket? What do you think?"

The name Yongjia Supermarket was not something Deng Shirong had come up with himself. It was the name of the first supermarket in Bobai, which was also the most prosperous supermarket in the 1990s. Unfortunately, the owner did not seize the opportunity to expand the business.

At the height of its popularity, the owner invested a lot of money to build a new Yongjia Supermarket by the Yinma River. However, after the move, the supermarket failed to maintain its previous high popularity and was eventually outcompeted by Baizhongbao.

After 2010, it could only survive on a thin margin.

Since the restaurant had already borrowed the name of the future Suifeng Restaurant, it was no big deal to borrow the name of the first supermarket in Bobai, Yongjia. As long as his eldest son followed his guidance, he should be able to make the supermarket successful and not let the name go to waste.

"Yongjia Supermarket!"

Zhang Xiuping repeated the name a few times and found it quite nice, indeed better than what they had thought of. She nodded and said, "Dad, that's a great name for the supermarket. Let's call it Yongjia Supermarket!"

Deng Yuntao had no objections and agreed, "Alright, let's call it Yongjia Supermarket."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end