Chapter 324: Shocked, This Ancestral Hall is Too Amazing! (Part 2)

Chapter 324: Shocked, This Ancestral Hall is Too Amazing! (Part 2)

..

He brought happiness to the people

Oh, he is the great savior of the people..."

Seeing Grandma Zhu's joyful appearance, Grandpa Zhu, who was stuffing tobacco into his pipe, also smiled.

Today was indeed a day worth celebrating.

In the morning, their youngest son and his fiancee finally registered their marriage at the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Although they hadn't yet held a wedding banquet, which in this era meant they weren't officially married in the eyes of the people of Baise, the fact that they had a marriage certificate made them a legally recognized couple, which was a significant difference from before.

Grandma Zhu washed the dishes and wiped her wet hands on her clothes as she approached and asked, "Old man, now that Ajie and Azhen have registered, we should have someone come to renovate the house, especially their bridal suite. It should be done properly. What do you think?"

Grandpa Zhu nodded, "Yes, we should renovate it. We can't let them feel uncomfortable."

Grandma Zhu said, "Then you should go out tomorrow and ask around to see how much it will cost to renovate the bridal suite."

Grandpa Zhu puffed on his water pipe a few times before saying, "Alright, I'll go out tomorrow and ask around."

Just then, Zhu Junjie returned and asked, "Dad, what do you need to ask about?"

Grandma Zhu smiled and said, "Ajie, we were talking about renovating your bridal suite. Your dad is going to ask around tomorrow to see how much it will cost."

Zhu Junjie understood and immediately waved his hand, "Dad, Mom, there's no need to ask about that. There's no need to renovate the bridal suite."

Grandma Zhu frowned, "That won't do. Although Azhen doesn't mind our poor conditions, we still need to take this seriously. If we can't build a new house, we should at least make the bridal suite presentable."

Grandpa Zhu agreed, "Ajie, listen to your mother. Renovate the bridal suite well. When her relatives and friends come to see, they'll feel more comfortable."

Zhu Junjie knew his parents were misunderstanding him and quickly explained, "Dad, Mom, I said there's no need to renovate the bridal suite because the other side is already preparing for it!"

Grandma Zhu was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean?"

Zhu Junjie explained, "Azhen told me after they registered. Her father is giving her the house in Yedeng Residential Area as a dowry. The house is already being renovated, and once it's done, we'll set the date for the wedding banquet."

When he said this, both Grandpa Zhu and Grandma Zhu were stunned!

In this era, in Baise County, they had only heard of parents preparing houses for their sons' weddings, but never for their daughters. This was simply a shock to their understanding.

Moreover, who in the county didn't know about Yedeng Residential Area? It was widely recognized as the best residential area with the best living conditions. Whether or not there would be any better residential areas in the future was unknown, but for now, no other house could compare to those in Yedeng Residential Area.

To give such a beautiful house as a dowry, who would believe it?

"Ajie, is this true?"

"Azhen told me herself, so it's definitely true."

Grandma Zhu found it hard to believe, "Azhen has five brothers!"

Grandpa Zhu also added, shocked, "Not just five brothers, she has nephews too!"

Zhu Junjie naturally understood his parents' thoughts. When he first heard Azhen say this, he also couldn't believe it. He continued, "It's not just the house. Azhen's father is also giving her the Suifeng Restaurant as a dowry!"

When he said this, Grandpa Zhu and Grandma Zhu were completely stunned!

If they didn't know that their in-laws had five sons, they would have immediately suspected that their in-laws wanted their youngest son to move in with the bride's family. This dowry was simply too shocking.

Although they hadn't been dating for long, they knew the profits of Suifeng Restaurant. While they didn't know the exact figures, they had a general idea of the income, and for them, it was definitely an astronomical amount.

To put it mildly, the money they had earned in their entire lives probably didn't even match the restaurant's monthly income.

To give such a profitable restaurant as a dowry, this was something that few people would believe, even in other places, let alone in Baise, where the preference for sons over daughters was severe. This completely overturned their worldview.

After that, Grandpa Zhu and Grandma Zhu asked again and again, and only after their youngest son confirmed multiple times did they finally accept this fact.

It took Grandma Zhu more than ten minutes to digest this incredible good news. Then she looked at her youngest son, with a serious expression, and instructed, "Ajie, you must treat your wife well. Don't let her feel uncomfortable!"

Grandpa Zhu, now fully accepting this good news, added with a sigh, "Not just Ajie, we must also treat Azhen well. Otherwise, we really won't have the face to face our in-laws."

Zhu Junjie nodded, "Dad, Mom, don't worry. I will definitely treat Azhen well."

---

Deng Changli also shook his head and said, "I haven't been back to the Ye Ancestral Land for over ten years!"

The other clan elders also shook their heads. Although they were all descendants of the Ye Deng clan and had maintained contact for several hundred years, the two places were quite far apart. During normal times, there wasn't much interaction between the two sides.

In the past, communication was mainly for significant events like the construction of ancestral halls or the ancestral worship ceremonies, during which the Ye Deng clan would send people to inform them.

However, over the past ten years, due to certain reasons, the Ye Deng clan had not held any ancestral worship ceremonies, and thus the communication between the two sides had temporarily ceased.

Most of the people present had been to the Ye Ancestral Land before, but it was quite normal for them to have forgotten what it looked like after so many years.

Deng Changjue smiled and said, "This time, when we rebuild the ancestral hall, you'll have a clear impression once you go back."

Deng Changfa nodded and asked, "Brother, how do you plan to build the new ancestral hall? What's the budget?"

Deng Changjue replied, "Our clan head's idea is that if we're going to build it, we should make it one of the best ancestral halls in the entire country. So, he hired professional architects to design it. We've all seen the design renderings, and if the ancestral hall is built as shown, it will be truly magnificent.

As for the budget, the architects quoted 1.18 million yuan."

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent, and everyone was frozen in shock.

The Ye Deng clan was planning to build an ancestral hall that would rank among the best in the country?

This was simply too outrageous!

After all, the Ye Deng clan was just an insignificant branch of the many branches of the Nanyang Deng clan. If the Nanyang Deng clan were to build such an ancestral hall, it wouldn't be strange, as it was the ancestral land revered by millions of Deng clan members across the country.

However, for the small Ye Deng branch to spend 1.18 million yuan on building an ancestral hall was truly terrifying!

Deng Changli, having calmed down from his shock, praised sincerely, "Brother, I must say, your clan head is truly a man of great vision!"

Deng Changfa took a deep breath and asked, "Brother, I want to ask, how much are you charging per person for the ancestral hall construction fund?"

Seeing the shocked expressions of his fellow clansmen, Deng Changjue felt secretly pleased and smiled, "The per capita contribution is not much, just 10 yuan per person. Our clan head said that the contribution shouldn't be too high to avoid burdening everyone. The main source of funds for building the ancestral hall will come from donations from clan members with better economic conditions."

One of the clan elders asked, "How much do you need to donate to have your name on the merit stele?"

Deng Changjue replied, "A donation of 20 yuan can get your name on the memorial text. A donation of 200 yuan or more can get you on the merit stele, and the ranking on the merit stele will be based on the amount donated. As for the merit wall, which records the biographies of the donors and their families, there are three different tiers: the basic tier is 1,000 to 4,999 yuan, the advanced tier is 5,000 to 9,999 yuan, and the top tier is 10,000 yuan or more."

"Whoa..."

The few people present all drew in a sharp breath, as these prices were a significant shock to them.

A donation of 20 yuan to get your name on the memorial text was indeed a high threshold.

A donation of 200 yuan or more to get your name on the merit stele was understandable, given that it was a merit stele.

The most terrifying was the merit wall. They understood that the merit wall involved setting up one or several walls, with individual merit steles embedded in them, recording the biographies of the donors and their families. The higher the tier, the larger the stele and the more detailed the records, with a more prominent position.

In this era, a donation of a hundred or a few hundred yuan would usually qualify you for the merit wall, but now the Ye Deng clan's new ancestral hall required a minimum donation of 1,000 yuan, with even higher tiers up to 10,000 yuan, which was indeed quite daunting.

However, considering the total investment of 1.18 million yuan, setting a high threshold was quite normal.

After the initial shock, Deng Changfa, Deng Changli, and the others began to ponder. If they didn't have the money, they would have to forgo it, but if they did have the money, which clan member wouldn't want to have a merit stele on the merit wall of the new ancestral hall, recording their family's biographies for future generations to admire?

Throughout history, only a very few people could remain indifferent to fame and fortune. Most people spent their lives pursuing both.

If they could have a merit stele on the merit wall of the new ancestral hall, recording their family's biographies, they would gain fame throughout the Ye Deng clan, and such a reputation was hard to resist.

Deng Changfa then asked, "Brother, when is the groundbreaking ceremony for the ancestral hall?"

Deng Changjue replied, "The groundbreaking ceremony for the ancestral hall is set for the 16th day of the fourth lunar month. We hope all of you will come and participate."

Deng Changfa nodded and said, "We will definitely attend."

With that, Deng Changjue finished the tea in his cup, put it down, and said, "Brothers, I'll take my leave now. I still have to notify other clansmen in other places."

Deng Changli immediately spoke up to retain him, "Brother, you've come from so far away. At least stay for a meal!"

Deng Changfa added, "Yes, it's rare for you to come. I'll have someone prepare a chicken and some food. You must stay for a meal."

“Greetings, fellow clansmen. I am Deng Changxing from Beiliu Licao. Currently, I manage a few hundred acres of hills in the village for fruit tree cultivation. Please give me your support.”

“...”

As various clansmen introduced themselves, Deng Shirong realized that each of them was no ordinary person. Almost everyone had their own business and possessed a certain level of wealth.

The one who caught Deng Shirong's attention the most was a clansman named Deng Changsheng from Baise Shahu, who owned a ceramic tile factory.

Tiling during the renovation of buildings was the trend for the next few decades, whether in cities or rural areas. Any newly constructed building that required renovation would almost certainly need ceramic tiles, making it a very promising industry.

If he could seize the opportunity, Deng Changsheng was likely to amass a substantial fortune.

After the clansmen from various regions completed their self-introductions, prominent figures from the Naye Deng clan, such as Deng YunGui, Deng Changbao, and Deng Changxiong, also introduced themselves in a similar manner.

While the Naye Deng clan members were introducing themselves, Deng Shirong, who was feeling the urge to urinate, went to relieve himself.

Once the self-introductions of the Naye Deng clan members were complete, Deng Changfa asked, “Brothers, I’d like to ask what business World-Honored Shirong is involved in?”

He wasn’t asking to embarrass him. The Naye Deng clan member who had come to notify them had mentioned that the current prosperity of the Naye Deng clan was largely due to the leadership of their clan head.

Therefore, he was very curious about what kind of business the clan head of the Naye Deng clan owned.

Deng Changbao, who was in the same business as Deng Changfa, smiled and asked, “Brother Changfa, have you been to the county town in the past two years?”

Deng Changfa was a bit puzzled but still answered, “Yes, I have. What’s the matter?”

Deng Changbao replied, “If you’ve been to the county town, you should have heard of the Suifeng Restaurant, right?”

Deng Changfa immediately understood and exclaimed, “The largest Suifeng Restaurant in the county is owned by World-Honored Shirong?”

Deng Changbao nodded and smiled, “That’s right. The Suifeng Restaurant is run by our clan head. Also, have you heard of the Tenglong Passenger Transport Company?”

Deng Changfa replied, “Yes, the brother who notified us mentioned that it’s a transport company funded by the entire clan, with over thirty large buses.”

Deng Changbao said, “This transport company was also initiated by our clan head. Additionally, the Yongjia Supermarket that opened on National Day last year is also owned by our clan head.”

These words left Deng Changfa feeling numb. The three businesses mentioned by Deng Changbao were all familiar to him.

Among these, the transport company was the most profitable, but it was a collective effort of the entire clan, and he didn’t know how much of a stake World-Honored Shirong had in it.

However, he knew about the other two businesses. Even the least profitable of the two would likely outearn his brick factory. With these two major businesses and his share in the transport company, the total income was beyond his imagination.

Meanwhile, other clansmen who were not familiar with these three businesses were explained by other members of the Naye Deng clan.

In short, when Deng Shirong returned from relieving himself, the clansmen from various regions looked at him with a different perspective.

Next, Deng Shirong invited these clansmen to his home for tea, and Deng YunGui, Deng Changbao, and others naturally accompanied them.

Because these clansmen had already heard about Deng Shirong’s achievements from Deng Changbao and others, they found his house and its layout quite normal.

Once everyone was seated and sipping tea, Deng Shirong took out the design renderings created by the architects from Nanning and said, “Fellow clansmen, these are the design renderings of the ancestral hall created by professional architects. Please take a look!”

Before coming, these clansmen were extremely curious about the ancestral hall that would cost 1.18 million yuan. Now that Deng Shirong had shown them the renderings, they were eager to see them.

Despite their mental preparation, the renderings of the ancestral hall still left them stunned.

Beautiful, incredibly beautiful!

Moreover, the layout of the entire ancestral hall was grand and majestic. Once built, it would surely cause a significant stir!

Here are some partial images of the ancestral hall:

No wonder it costs 1.18 million yuan to build this ancestral hall. No wonder the clan head of the Naye Deng clan had the confidence to say it would be one of the best in the country and would last for a hundred years.

Seeing the renderings of the ancestral hall, all the clansmen understood and their hearts were filled with excitement.

Such an impressive ancestral hall, they must participate in its construction. They must leave their names on the merit stele, and not just at the bottom, but at the top of the merit stele and the merit wall.

Such an ancestral hall, if everything goes well, is destined to be remembered for centuries. It might even become a legacy like those ancient buildings that have stood for hundreds of years.

Spending tens of thousands of yuan now was indeed a significant burden, and they might not earn it back for one or two years.

But such an opportunity, once missed, would never come again. Compared to the fame and recognition within the entire clan, investing their income for one or two years was definitely worth it.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end