https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-319-The-Rising-Fame-of-the-Naye-Deng-Clan/12865816/
Chapter 320: The Excellent Deng Yunheng
Chapter 320: The Excellent Deng Yunheng
December 27th.
At 9 PM, the Yongjia Supermarket officially closed.
After Zhang Xiuping finished counting the accounts, Deng Yuntao briefly thanked the employees for their hard work, then distributed their salaries. Zhang Xiuping also handed out red envelopes she had prepared in advance, giving one to each employee.
The employees were all extremely happy after receiving their salaries and red envelopes.
Once the salaries were distributed, Deng Yuntao smiled and announced, "Alright, from now on, the supermarket will be on holiday. We will reopen on the eighth day of the first lunar month. Those who need to take a bus back to their hometowns for the New Year should come here by 10 AM tomorrow, and we will arrange a vehicle to send you home."
The employees all responded, indicating they understood, and then left with broad smiles, heading back to their dormitories in groups.
Once the employees had left and only the family remained, Zhang Xiuping said excitedly, "Dad, the supermarket has been open for four months and a few days, with a total turnover of over 680,000 yuan, and the profit should be around 150,000 yuan. That's more than the Shuifeng Restaurant makes in a year."
Deng Shirong nodded and smiled, "That's great. Next year, we should expand our product range. The more comprehensive our offerings, the stronger our competitive edge. We should also train more cashiers to prepare for opening more branches in the future."
Zhang Xiuping asked in surprise, "Open more branches?"
Deng Yuntao and his siblings were also hearing about the supermarket's expansion plans for the first time, and their eyes widened in surprise.
Since the Yongjia Supermarket was already operational, Deng Shirong saw no need to keep the branch plans a secret. He revealed, "The supermarket is so profitable that we definitely need to open more branches. The next step is to open a supermarket in Nanning. I am already preparing for it, and the Nanning branch should be open by the year after next!"
Recalling his father's grand plans, Deng Yuntao couldn't help but ask, "Dad, are you planning to buy land and build in Nanning?"
Deng Shirong smiled, "Not planning, but already doing it. I'll share more details once everything is in place."
Deng Yuntao was genuinely impressed by his father's foresight.
Zhang Xiuping was already accustomed to her father-in-law's vision and boldness. After all, he had dared to invest over 300,000 yuan to build a building in the county town a few years ago, a level of insight and courage that most people couldn't match. Now, buying land and building in Nanning was just another logical step for him.
Deng Yunzhen and others shared similar thoughts.
...
Back at the two-story building on the street, those who hadn't taken a shower began queuing up.
Deng Shirong looked at his three nephews who had been working diligently at the restaurant for several years—Chen Bangguo, Chen Bangli, and Chen Bangfeng. He thought that since he had already guided his two nephews, he shouldn't show favoritism and asked, "Bangguo, Bangli, Bangfeng, now that Dashi has gone out on his own and the hotpot restaurant is doing well, do you three have any plans to go out on your own?"
The three Chen brothers felt a surge of joy at this.
Although their uncle had been kind to them, they naturally preferred to go out on their own as bosses rather than working at the restaurant. Since their uncle hadn't mentioned this before, they had stayed at the restaurant. Now that he was asking, it was clear he wanted to guide them, and they were naturally delighted.
Chen Bangguo immediately replied, "Uncle, we do have the desire to go out on our own, but we're not sure what to do."
Deng Shirong said, "I had you work as a purchasing agent at the restaurant for several years to develop your skills. You are now a very competent purchaser. I suggest you open a seafood dried goods store, specializing in selling sandworms, crab meat, shrimp, squid, and salted fish. The profit margin in this business is quite substantial."
Chen Bangguo felt a strong interest and asked, "Uncle, do we need to buy these seafood dried goods from Beihai?"
Deng Shirong nodded, "Yes, from Beihai, or Shan Kou. You should visit several places to compare prices and buy from wherever it's cheaper. These dried goods can be stored for a long time. If you three go into this business, you can directly supply our restaurant, which is a very stable market. Coupled with your own sales, making money should not be a problem."
The three Chen brothers were all very excited.
Chen Bangli asked, "Uncle, where do you think it would be best to open the store?"
Deng Shirong said, "Rent a small shop in the Ye Deng residential area. A seafood dried goods store doesn't need to be too large. This neighborhood will be the wealthiest in the county in the future, and my clansmen will be regular customers for high-end seafood. Opening a seafood store here will definitely be profitable."
Chen Bangli nodded, "Alright, after the New Year, we will rent a shop in the Ye Deng residential area."
"Good, once you return home tomorrow, also discuss this with your parents. If you encounter any difficulties, let me know, and I will definitely support you."
"Okay, thank you, Uncle."
"You're welcome!"
...
December 28th.
Beijing.
Deng Yunheng was invited again to visit his former roommate Tang Mingjie's home.
Even when he was a student, Deng Yunheng's social skills were already outstanding among his peers. After half a year of training in the ministry, his social skills had only improved.
Moreover, this was his third visit to Tang Mingjie's home, so he felt no restraint in the presence of Tang's parents.
In fact, during his first visit, Deng Yunheng had learned from Tang Mingjie about his parents' positions. They were not the minor officials Tang Mingjie had mentioned in the dormitory, but rather high-ranking leaders.
Tang's father was a deputy director of a department in a ministry, and Tang's mother was a mid-level leader in a state-owned enterprise.
At their level, if they were assigned to a local position, they would be powerful city-level officials. For someone like Deng Yunheng, who came from a rural background with no connections, this was already very impressive.
Facing leaders at this level, Deng Yunheng, who had already embarked on his political career, remained completely at ease, treating them simply as the parents of his classmate. This was indeed quite remarkable.
There were reasons why Tang Mingjie's parents repeatedly invited Deng Yunheng to their home:
1. To return the favor for the warm hospitality they received when they visited Deng Yunheng's home.
2. They had a very positive impression of Deng Yunheng, knowing that he was staying in Beijing for the New Year, and it was both appropriate and kind to invite him for a meal.
3. Deng Yunheng had already entered the ministry, although he was currently just a low-level official. In their eyes, he was still a promising young man with a clean background, excellent education, and strong social skills. They believed he would eventually rise in his career, and they were happy for their son to build a relationship with such a talented individual.
Thus, for these reasons, Deng Yunheng was warmly welcomed by Tang Mingjie's parents when he visited.
After the meal, Deng Yunheng stayed for another half an hour to chat before getting up to leave, saying, "Uncle, Aunt, it's getting late, so I'll head back now!"
Tang Mingjie's parents tried to persuade him to stay a bit longer, but eventually, his father said to his son, "Xiaojie, see your classmate out."
Tang Mingjie responded and walked out with Deng Yunheng.
Once they were outside, Tang Mingjie's mother sighed, "What an excellent young man! After just half a year of training in the ministry, he speaks and acts more steadily than before!"
Tang Mingjie's father nodded, "Indeed, he's a talent. He's good at reading people and situations, and his words and actions are impeccable. He's bound to rise in the ministry."
Tang Mingjie's mother remarked, "If only our Xiaojie had such abilities!"
Tang Mingjie's father also felt a bit melancholic. Despite the political foundation his son had gained from their guidance, he still had a noticeable gap compared to his classmate.
To put it bluntly, even with family support, his son's ceiling in the political field was already clear to him, and it would never exceed his current level.
As for his classmate Deng Yunheng, as long as he didn't make any significant mistakes, there was a high chance he would surpass his current level.
Of course, this was just his judgment based on experience. Politics was inherently unpredictable, and the political path was filled with risks as well as opportunities. How far one could go depended not only on ability but also on choices and luck.
...
When seeing Deng Yunheng out, Tang Mingjie sighed, "Yunheng, to be honest, after working for half a year, I feel I'm not suited for a political career. I have no interest in the work within the system."
Deng Yunheng was surprised and asked, "You're not interested in politics? What do you want to do? Start a business?"
Tang Mingjie nodded, "Yes, I think business might be more suitable for me. There are fewer constraints, more freedom, and the ability to do what you want. How great is that!"
Deng Yunheng said, "Have you talked about this with your parents?"
Tang Mingjie shook his head, "No, my parents and even my grandfather hope I will pursue a political career, so they've been grooming me in this direction since childhood. If I choose to start a business, they would probably be very disappointed."
Deng Yunheng said, "You might just be adjusting to the new job. Try it for a bit longer. If you still have no interest, then have an open and honest conversation with your parents, share your thoughts. They might understand."
Tang Mingjie sighed, "I hope so. Uncle Deng's mindset is more open, allowing you to choose your own path freely."
Deng Yunheng laughed, "I come from a rural family with no background. My father doesn't care which path I choose. You are different. Your parents can help you in politics, so they naturally hope you will continue on this path. It's a matter of trade-offs."
Tang Mingjie felt relieved, "That's true. I'll try to adapt for a bit longer. If I can't keep going, I'll talk to my parents. I hope they will understand my choice."
Deng Yunheng nodded, "Yes, forcing something that doesn't fit won't be sweet. They definitely know this. As long as you communicate well, they will understand."
Tang Mingjie waved, "Alright, let's not talk about these unhappy things. You're staying in Beijing for the New Year, do you have any plans?"
Deng Yunheng said, "It's just a few days off. I'll probably spend it with Liu xuem and others."
Tang Mingjie was surprised, "Liu xuem is graduating next year, and she's not going home for the New Year?"
Deng Yunheng said, "She went back during the summer. The trains are too crowded during the Spring festival, so it's normal she doesn't want to go back."
Tang Mingjie recalled his train trip to Guangxi a couple of years ago, which still made his scalp tingle, and said, "That's true. Sitting on a train for days and nights is really tough!"
Deng Yunheng laughed, "Now that we're working, we don't have to squeeze onto trains anymore. We can get a letter of introduction from our units to buy plane tickets. It only takes a few hours to get to Nanning, much faster than the train."
Tang Mingjie laughed, "Being able to fly will make it much easier for you to go home!"
As they talked, they had already reached the intersection outside.
"Alright, no need to see me off. Go back quickly. I'll be off, bye!" "Okay, call me if anything comes up. Bye!"
...
Deng Shirong's family returned to their hometown on the 28th of the 12th lunar month. On the 29th, they gathered the clan to hold a scholarship meeting, awarding the clan's outstanding students based on their end-of-term exam rankings.
After distributing the rewards, Deng Shirong looked at the gathered clan members and said, "Clan members, this year, due to the fundraising for building the residential area in the county town, everyone's finances have been quite tight. However, the most difficult times are now behind us. The residential area in the county town has been completed, and the profit from the passenger transport company is higher than last year. After the Spring Festival travel rush, we will distribute dividends, and then everyone will have money to renovate their houses in the county town."
"Ha ha, we're all looking forward to the dividends from the passenger transport company!"
"Last year, the passenger transport company made a bit over one million yuan during the Spring Festival travel rush. This year, the company added five more large buses, so making 1.1 to 1.2 million yuan during the Spring Festival travel rush shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Definitely not a problem. I heard that the company is now making over 30,000 yuan in profit per day. Last year, the dividend per share was 500 yuan. Even if it doesn't increase this year, as long as it stays the same, we won't be as tight financially."
"We're all waiting for the company's dividends to pay off our debts!"
"..."
Hearing the clan members' discussions, Deng Shirong smiled and said, "I know that when we raised funds for the housing project at the beginning of the year, many clan members took on a lot of debt to get one or two more houses. Even after the dividends from the passenger transport company, it might not be enough to repay the debts. However, this isn't a big problem. The watermelon planting project will definitely bring in a substantial profit, and we should be able to pay off all the debts."
Deng Yunzhi, who understood his ninth uncle, asked, "Uncle, do you have another plan?"
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "I do have an idea to discuss with everyone."
"Uncle, whatever you have in mind, I will definitely support you."
"Uncle, whether it's money or effort, just say the word, and we will support you wholeheartedly."
"Clan head, just give the order."
"..."
Ever since Deng Shirong became the clan head of the Ye Deng Clan, everyone had seen the great contributions he had made. His prestige in the clan had surpassed that of any previous clan head, and the clan members supported him without hesitation.
Seeing this, the old clan head, Deng Shi'an, felt extremely gratified. Deng Shirong was the clan head successor he had chosen, and the better he performed, the more face he had.
Deng Shirong raised his hand to calm everyone down and said in a serious tone, "The state records history to understand its rise and fall; localities record annals to understand their changes; families compile genealogies and build ancestral halls to understand their roots. These are the three pillars that constitute Chinese civilization.
Especially building an ancestral hall, which is a place for the clan to honor ancestors and promote the culture of ancient sages.
It is a symbol of a family, a place to educate future generations to strive for success, a place to foster family ties, a place to trace one's roots and remember one's ancestors, and a place to show respect to ancestors and benefit future generations.
It is a great achievement, a monument, and the wish of all clan members."
The clan members below exchanged puzzled looks. Only a few with higher education understood what the clan head was saying, but they knew he was talking about the ancestral hall.
Deng Shi'an, as the village secretary and old clan head, had a certain level of cultural foundation. After hearing Deng Shirong's opening remarks, he understood what the clan head intended to do and asked excitedly, "Clan head, do you mean to rebuild the ancestral hall?"
Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Yes, I do have the idea to rebuild the ancestral hall. Our Ye Deng Clan's ancestral hall has been around for hundreds of years, and the last major renovation was decades ago. It has been through many turbulent times over the past few decades, and it is now quite dilapidated. It is long overdue for a reconstruction.
However, the situation in the past and the poor living conditions of the clan members in recent years meant that no one brought up the idea of rebuilding the ancestral hall.
But our Ye Deng Clan has developed rapidly over the past few years, not just in Shuangwang Township but even in the entire county. The ancestral hall is a symbol of the clan's prosperity and decline. A prosperous clan has continuous sacrifices and incense, while a declining clan has a dilapidated ancestral hall and no incense.
Now, with our Ye Deng Clan's living conditions improving, it is imperative that we rebuild the ancestral hall."
"Clan head is right. Our Ye Deng Clan's ancestral hall is already quite dilapidated and needs to be rebuilt."
"The ancestral hall is the place of our Ye Deng Clan's heritage. We cannot emphasize its importance enough, and I support rebuilding it."
"During the turmoil of the past few decades, many ancestral halls were even demolished. We were fortunate to preserve ours, but now that it is dilapidated, we should indeed rebuild it."
"..."
Knowing the clan head's intention to rebuild the ancestral hall, the clan members all expressed their support.
The term "ancestral hall" first appeared during the Han Dynasty, when ancestral halls were built at burial sites and called "grave temples." In the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi established the system of building ancestral halls, and since then, family temples have been called ancestral halls.
At that time, there were restrictions on building ancestral halls, and the common people were not allowed to build them. During the Ming Dynasty, during the Jiajing era, the government allowed the common people to build ancestral halls. Later, only families of emperors or those with noble titles could call their ancestral halls "family temples," while others called them "clan temples."
In ancient times, the ancestral hall was also where the clan head exercised clan authority. If a clan member violated the clan rules, they would be educated and disciplined there, and in severe cases, expelled from the ancestral hall. It was, in a sense, a feudal moral court.
The ancestral hall can be considered a folk museum and a family history. In Bobai County, clan culture is very strong, and the importance of ancestral halls is recognized both now and in the future. Each clan has its own ancestral hall, and it's no exaggeration to say that the unity and strength of a clan can be gauged by the condition of their ancestral hall.
Seeing that everyone supported the idea, Deng Shirong said with satisfaction, "Since everyone agrees to rebuild the ancestral hall, let's plan it out carefully next year. There's no rush, and we can take our time. We must build the most magnificent and grand ancestral hall in all of Guangxi, or even the entire country, one that can last for two to three hundred years."
In the future, the Ye Deng Clan's ancestral hall would need to be rebuilt every ten to twenty years.
The main reason for such frequent rebuilding was poor planning, or inadequate funding. Once built, the ancestral hall would quickly fall behind the times after just a few years, looking outdated and small, forcing another reconstruction, which was both labor-intensive and costly.
In this life, Deng Shirong, as the clan head, would not make such a mistake.
If the ancestral hall was to be built, it would be constructed to be one of the most grand and magnificent in the country, avoiding the need for frequent rebuilding and showcasing the Ye Deng Clan's greatness, fostering even greater unity among the clan members.
Hearing these words, the clan members were all deeply moved. Building the most magnificent and grand ancestral hall in all of Guangxi, or even the entire country, was something only their clan head would dare to propose. Other clan members hadn't even dared to think about it.
The ancestral hall, as the face of the clan, would naturally make the clan members prouder. This was something everyone was happy to see.
After the clan members discussed for a while, Deng Shirong said, "Alright, let's conclude today's scholarship meeting here. I will discuss the rebuilding of the ancestral hall with the elders and come up with a plan. After the Spring Festival travel rush and the distribution of dividends from the passenger transport company, I will discuss the specifics with everyone."
"Okay, Clan Head."
The clan members responded and then left in groups.
The elders and other prominent clan members stayed behind to discuss the rebuilding of the ancestral hall with Deng Shirong.
In the future, with the internet, Deng Shirong had seen videos of ancestral halls costing over ten million yuan, which were truly magnificent and grand.
So when discussing with the elders, Deng Shirong said directly, "For the rebuilding of the ancestral hall, I plan to hire professional architects to design it. The estimated total cost will be at least one to two million yuan, or even more. However, apart from the necessary population fees, the rest will be voluntary donations, so it won't be too much of a burden. What do you think?"
In this era, one to two million yuan was much more valuable than ten million yuan in the future. He believed it would be enough to build an ancestral hall that would rank among the best in the country.
Deng Yunzhi was shocked and said, "Ninth Uncle, spending one or two hundred thousand yuan would already make the ancestral hall look great. Spending one to two million, how magnificent would it be?"
Deng Shi'an was also dumbfounded and said, "Yes, Ninth Uncle, spending one to two million on the ancestral hall is quite scary, isn't it?"
Deng Changxiong, Deng Changbao, and others also looked stunned, as the amount was far beyond their imagination.
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "If we just want to build the most beautiful ancestral hall in Shuangwang or Bobai, one or two hundred thousand yuan would be enough. But to build one that can rank among the best in the country even after several decades, it will take more than that."
Deng Yunzhi said, "Ninth Uncle, I support your idea, but with so much money, relying on voluntary donations might not be enough."
Deng Yunqiang also chimed in, "Yes, Ninth Uncle, why not have the entire clan share the cost?"
"Sharing the cost is definitely not an option; it would be too much of a burden on the clan members!"
Deng Shirong waved his hands and said, "Everyone's financial situation is different. Each person can contribute 10 yuan as a population fee to show their participation. The rest will be voluntary donations from those who can afford it. After all, we will establish a merit stone and a merit wall for the ancestral hall.
Once the ancestral hall is built, it will last for at least a hundred years, if not two or three hundred. Many clan members will want to be listed on the merit stone and the merit wall, which will generate a lot of donations.
Moreover, the ancestral hall won't be built overnight. From planning to construction and completion, it will take at least three to four years. By then, everyone's financial conditions will improve, and more clan members will be willing to donate.
If we still can't raise enough money, we can have the passenger transport company sponsor it."
Everyone nodded in agreement, feeling extremely excited. Investing so much money into building the ancestral hall, they couldn't even imagine how beautiful it would be. The merit stone and merit wall would be a great way to leave a legacy, and who wouldn't want to be listed on it?
In Shuangwang, the merit stone typically lists individuals who donate a certain amount, with higher donations leading to higher rankings. The merit wall, on the other hand, is for family units, with different tiers of wall stones. Higher-tier wall stones are placed in better positions and contain more detailed information, often including the entire family's notable achievements, providing a sense of prestige.
This was a significant incentive for clan members to donate generously.
For example, clan members like Deng Changbao and Deng Changxiong, who had stronger financial backing, were already planning to secure the highest-tier merit wall stones once the ancestral hall construction began.
These opportunities to stand out were something they would not miss.
"Ninth Uncle, have you thought about the donation standards for the merit stone and merit wall?"
"I haven't decided yet. I'll first find an architect to design the ancestral hall and determine the total cost before setting the standards."
"Alright, let's wait until the total cost is determined."
(End of Chapter)
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