Chapter 348: The Eldest Son-in-Law Becomes Deputy County Magistrate

Chapter 348: The Eldest Son-in-Law Becomes Deputy County Magistrate

Three days later.

Wuyue Square.

Seven burly and fierce men gathered together, exuding a formidable presence.

These seven men were none other than Li Wei Xiong and his comrades.

Deng Shirong stood before them and said, "As you can see, the first and second floors of Wuyue Square have already been renovated. After a bit more preparation, they will be ready to open for business. Before that, I plan to form a security team to prevent any lawless individuals from coming to collect protection fees.

"This security team will be organized into a platoon. They will conduct training here at the square to deter those lawless elements from easily causing trouble for us at Wuyue Square and dissuade them from demanding protection fees.

"If you have any old comrades, you can invite them to join this security team as well."

Deng Shirong has always placed great importance on security. Unlike those arrogant protagonists from previous lives, who pretend to be low-key and only show their strength when others come to bully them, he genuinely dislikes such cliches.

For example, if the Shuifeng Restaurant were run by one of those arrogant protagonists, they would deliberately act low-key and wait for troublemakers to cause trouble before showing their strength and dealing with them.

Deng Shirong, however, took a different approach. From the beginning, he invited the well-respected Zhang Guangzong to oversee the restaurant, effectively preventing any troublemakers from causing issues.

Now, with Wuyue Square, he plans to continue this approach by openly displaying his strength, making those who might cause trouble think twice before taking action. This will certainly save a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Li Wei Xiong replied, "Boss, other than the seven of us, the rest of our comrades from the same class have already found jobs in their hometowns. As for comrades from different classes, we are not very familiar with them, and we have no contact information after leaving the military. So, Boss, you can recruit others."

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Alright, I'll arrange the recruitment. If you have any other matters to attend to, take care of them quickly. Once the supermarket on the first floor and the hot pot restaurant on the second floor officially open, you won't have as much free time."

"Thank you for your concern, Boss. We have no other matters to attend to."

"Alright, then you can arrange your own schedule. I'll be leaving now."

"Take care, Boss."

...

Shuifeng Restaurant.

As soon as Deng Shirong returned, he heard some good news: his eldest son-in-law had been promoted to Deputy County Magistrate.

He was in charge of the agricultural sector, overseeing the Agricultural Commission, the Agricultural Bureau, the Water and Electricity Bureau, the Agricultural Machinery Bureau, the District Planning Office, and the Relocation Office. Although his ranking and actual power were far behind Deng Yun Xing's position as Deputy County Magistrate, it was still a position of some authority.

Deng Shirong was very pleased. His second son had just been appointed Deputy County Magistrate, and now his eldest son-in-law followed suit. This year was truly a year of double joy!

Deng Yun Zhen was also beaming with happiness. As a wife, the higher her husband's position, the more face she gained.

As for Old Mr. Zhu and Old Lady Zhu, they were even more elated, their faces glowing with joy. If it weren't for Zhu Junjie's persuasion, they would have already returned to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors.

Deng Yun Tai, Zhang Xiuping, Deng Yun Zhu, and others were also genuinely happy for their brother-in-law (or sister-in-law).

Zhang Guangzong was particularly moved. He had witnessed the development of his boss's family firsthand. A few years ago, when Shuifeng Restaurant first opened, the boss was just relatively wealthy, with a son who had been admitted to Peking University.

Now, after just a few years, the boss had become even wealthier. His second son, who had been admitted to Peking University, had become a Deputy County Magistrate, and his eldest daughter's husband had also been promoted to Deputy County Magistrate. His third son was studying at Tsinghua University, and was expected to become another outstanding individual.

Such a tremendous transformation would have been unbelievable if not witnessed firsthand.

During the celebratory dinner, Deng Shirong asked, "Jie, your elder brother and sister-in-law, along with Azhu, are planning to develop in Nanning. They need to recruit a batch of veterans to serve as security personnel to ensure they are not bullied in an unfamiliar place. Do you have any suitable comrades or subordinates to recommend? Preferably those who haven't found jobs yet."

Zhu Junjie, surprised and delighted, replied, "Of course, Dad, how many people do you need?"

Since the massive military downsizing began two years ago, the number of veterans has surged, and local areas have been unable to provide enough positions, leaving many veterans unemployed. For Zhu Junjie, this was a great opportunity to help his old comrades find jobs.

Deng Shirong said, "I plan to recruit a platoon. I've already recruited seven people, and you can help fill the remaining positions."

Zhu Junjie nodded repeatedly and said, "Alright, I'll contact them right away."

Deng Shirong added, "If they are married, we can also arrange jobs for their spouses at the supermarket or the hot pot restaurant."

Zhu Junjie smiled and said, "Then that's no problem at all."

Deng Yun Tai couldn't help but interject, "Dad, is it really necessary to recruit a platoon of security personnel? Isn't that a bit excessive?"

Deng Shirong replied, "What's excessive about it? You know the security situation these days. No one will dare to mess with you in Bobai, but once you're in Nanning, you won't have any support. Once your business picks up, those thugs will definitely come to collect protection fees. When that happens, will you pay them or not? To avoid such problems, I need to recruit a sufficient number of security personnel to deter those thugs from even thinking about causing trouble for you."

Zhu Junjie also agreed, "Dad is right. The current social security situation means we need to be extra cautious."

Deng Yun Tai nodded, saying, "I see. It looks like we'll have to be as careful in Nanning as we were when we first arrived in the county."

Deng Shirong added, "You better understand that. And remember, Aiping and Azhu, once you're in Nanning, you must always take at least three or four security personnel with you when you go out. Don't wander around alone or in pairs. You must always keep this in mind."

Deng Yun Zhu responded, "Got it, I understand!"

Zhang Xiuping also said, "Dad, I understand!"

...

Hunan.

Changde.

A small village.

Peng Zhanping, bare-chested with a towel hanging around his neck, showed off his muscular build as he split wood with an axe. His technique was precise, and with each strike, the wood split cleanly. Watching him split wood was a rare pleasure.

Soon, he had a pile of split wood ready.

Peng Zhanping wiped the sweat from his forehead with the towel and was about to gather the split wood when he heard the sound of a bicycle bell in the distance.

He looked over and saw the village postman riding a bicycle toward him.

Initially, he thought the postman was just passing by, but then the postman called out, "Peng Zhanping, you have a letter."

Peng Zhanping was surprised but then felt a surge of joy. If his guess was correct, the letter must be from a comrade, as no one else would send him a letter.

Taking the letter from the postman, Peng Zhanping thanked him and eagerly checked the sender's address.

Seeing the address, Peng Zhanping was even more delighted. His guess was right; the letter was indeed from a comrade, and not just any comrade, but his former leader from the military.

Peng Zhanping carefully opened the letter and, after reading its contents, his face turned bright red with excitement.

After a long while, Peng Zhanping finally calmed down, folded the letter, and put it back in the envelope, tucking it into his pocket. He then carried the pile of split wood to the kitchen.

Thinking back to his days in the military, Peng Zhanping still felt a deep sense of nostalgia.

Peng Zhanping had performed exceptionally well in the army. During the massive downsizing two years ago, he wasn't actually laid off, but due to his low educational level, he had no chance of being promoted. To avoid being a burden to the country, he voluntarily requested to be discharged.

Back in the village, he married his current wife a few months later, and the two of them settled into a life of farming.

But to be honest, this wasn't the life Peng Zhanping wanted.

He had thought about going out to make a living, but without much education, he didn't know what he could do. Moreover, with a wife and child to consider, he couldn't just leave them behind and go off on his own.

Initially, Peng Zhanping had resigned himself to his fate, thinking that if others could farm, so could he. After all, someone had to grow the food for the nation. But just as he had made up his mind, his former leader from the military gave him another option, a ray of hope.

His wife soon returned, carrying their child.

Peng Zhanping immediately said, "Yanzi, you're back just in time. I have something important to discuss with you."

Wang Yan asked, "Zhanping, what's so important?"

Peng Zhanping explained, "My former leader has written to me, offering me a job in Nanning, Guangxi. I want to hear your thoughts on it."

"Your former leader is offering you a job?"

Wang Yan was genuinely surprised and asked, "What kind of job in Nanning?"

Peng Zhanping said, "My former leader mentioned that his father-in-law wants to form a security team, and he hopes I can lead it. Several of my comrades have also been invited."

Wang Yan felt a mix of happiness and unease. She was happy because a job for her husband was certainly better than farming. However, she was also uneasy because they had only been married for less than two years and were still in the honeymoon stage. If her husband went to work in Nanning, she would have to stay behind and live alone, which was a difficult situation for anyone.

Wang Yan asked with a hint of worry, "Zhanping, if you go to work in Nanning, Guangxi, what about me and the child?"

Peng Zhanping smiled and said, "Don't worry about that. My former leader has thought of everything. Not only has he arranged a job for me, but he has also arranged a job for you."

Wang Yan was pleasantly surprised and asked, "There's a job for me too?"

Peng Zhanping nodded and said, "Of course, and according to my former leader, we will be working at the same place!"

Wang Yan's face lit up with excitement. "That's wonderful. Your former leader is really something else."

Peng Zhanping, feeling proud, said, "Of course. My former leader took good care of me in the military, and even after I was discharged for two years, he still thought of me first when there was a suitable job. He really couldn't be better."

Wang Yan was happy for her husband but then asked with some concern, "Zhanping, what about the child? We can't take the child to work, can we?"

Peng Zhanping said, "The child will stay with my parents for now. Once we settle down in Nanning, we'll see what to do."

Wang Yan nodded. "Alright, let's do that."

...

Opposite the south gate of the Naye Deng Clan Residential Area.

The instant noodle factory was under intense construction. Deng Changyu reported, "Ninth Uncle, the instant noodle factory should be completed before National Day. Once the experts from the factory come to adjust the equipment, the instant noodles should be in production by New Year's Day."

Deng Shirong asked, "Is everything else going smoothly?"

Deng Changyu replied, "Yes, everything is going well. Under your guidance, Master Chen has already developed a few flavors of sauce packets. We've tasted them, and they are really delicious. However, whether they meet your standards, you will have to try them yourself."

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "I'll try them later. Tell Master Chen to keep working hard and strive to perfect the flavor of the sauce packets. This is the key to making our instant noodles a success."

Deng Changyu nodded. "Sure, I'll let Master Chen know."

They then discussed a few other details before concluding their conversation.

...

On the 19th of the seventh lunar month, Friday.

In the afternoon, Zhang Xiuping brought a bag of freshly fried shrimp crackers to the clothing store run by Ou Guofang and Ou Guohua.

"Ping Sister!"

Seeing Zhang Xiuping, the Ou sisters greeted her together.

Zhang Xiuping handed the shrimp crackers to them and said, "These are freshly fried shrimp crackers, still hot!"

Ou Guohua took one and said, "They are delicious, but they can be quite heat-inducing when eaten."

Ou Guofang also took one and laughed, "Who cares if they are heat-inducing? Let's eat them first."

Zhang Xiuping laughed. "We can buy some cooling tea later."

The three of them chatted and ate the shrimp crackers.

After about ten minutes, Zhang Xiuping said, "Guofang, Guohua, I'm planning to go to Nanning tomorrow."

The Ou sisters were silent for a moment. They had known about Zhang Xiuping's plan to develop in Nanning for over a month, and they had mentally prepared themselves, but the moment of departure still made them feel a bit sad.

Ou Guohua said with reluctance, "Ping Sister, once you go to Nanning, it won't be easy for us three sisters to meet up again!"

Ou Guofang also looked reluctant. The three of them had been close friends since their childhood. The longest they had been apart was when Zhang Xiuping went to develop in the county while they stayed in the village. Once they all moved to the county, they would see each other almost every day.

Now that Zhang Xiuping was going to Nanning, it would indeed be harder for them to meet.

Zhang Xiuping also felt a bit reluctant and said, "Once I settle down in Nanning, I'll help you investigate the market there. If it's suitable, developing in Nanning will definitely be better than in Bobai. Nanning is the capital, and the population is much larger than in the county."

Ou Guohua nodded and said, "That's true. The county can't compare to the capital. Besides, we already have competition here. If it weren't for our connections in the rural areas, our clothing store wouldn't be as profitable."

Ou Guofang said, "Ping Sister, once you settle down, help us look into the market in Nanning. We can send a team to try it out. If the business is better there, we'll move our main operations to Nanning."

Zhang Xiuping said, "Alright, I'll let you know."

Ou Guohua asked, "Ping Sister, once you and your husband go to Nanning, what about Xiaodong and Dongzi?"

Zhang Xiuping said, "I've asked my mother to help look after them for a while. Once things stabilize in Nanning and there's less to handle, I'll bring them to Nanning to continue their schooling. After all, Nanning is the capital, and the educational conditions should be better than in the county."

Ou Guofang said, "Xiaodong is already in preschool. I think it's better for her to finish preschool in the county and then transfer to Nanning for first grade. If she only has one semester left, she'll have to get used to a new class, and then she'll have to get used to another new class when she starts first grade. That would be too troublesome."

Zhang Xiuping nodded and said, "Indeed, it's a bit troublesome. Let's have Xiaodong finish preschool in the county before transferring to Nanning."

...

The next morning.

Deng Shirong, Deng Yun Tai, Zhang Xiuping, Deng Yun Zhu, and Zhu Junjie boarded their family's passenger bus to Nanning.

Zhu Junjie came along mainly to greet his former comrades. He had set a unified meeting time in his letters to them, allowing them to adjust their departure times based on their travel distances and then meet up in Nanning together.

This way, he could avoid the hassle of greeting them one by one.

Among the group, only Zhang Xiuping and Deng Yun Zhu had never truly traveled far from home. They had always lived within Bobai County, and the prospect of going to the capital excited them.

As for Deng Yun Tai and Zhu Junjie, they had both traveled before.

Zhu Junjie, of course, had been to many places during his military service.

Deng Yun Tai, on the other hand, had traveled to various factories to procure supplies for Yongjia Supermarket.

The journey was uneventful.

Around 1:30 PM, the bus arrived in Nanning.

As they stepped out of the station, Deng Yun Zhu eagerly said, "Dad, let's go eat Laoyou Noodles. You've praised them so much, I've been wanting to try them for a long time."

Deng Shirong looked at his eldest daughter-in-law and asked, "Aiping, what would you like to eat?"

Zhang Xiuping smiled and said, "Let's have Laoyou Noodles. I'm quite curious about how good they are."

Deng Shirong then looked at his eldest son-in-law and asked, "Ajie, what about you?"

Zhu Junjie laughed and said, "I'm fine with anything. Since Aiping and Yun Zhu want to eat Laoyou Noodles, let's go for it!"

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Alright, let's go eat Laoyou Noodles."

Twenty minutes later.

Deng Shirong led them to his favorite Laoyou Noodles shop, where they each ordered a bowl of Laoyou Pig Offal.

When the deliciously fragrant Laoyou Pig Offal was served, Zhang Xiuping and the others were immediately enticed by the aroma and flavors. As they started eating, they were undoubtedly won over by the tangy and spicy Laoyou Noodles.

People from other provinces might not enjoy Laoyou Noodles, mainly because they can't get used to the sour bamboo shoots. However, for people from Guangxi, as long as they can handle spicy food, at least nine out of ten people would love Laoyou Noodles.

As a result, Laoyou Noodles shops are ubiquitous in Nanning, with one on almost every street corner, demonstrating the wide popularity of this dish.

After finishing their bowls of tangy and spicy Laoyou Noodles, the group was drenched in sweat but unanimously agreed that the taste was exceptional.

Exiting the Laoyou Noodles shop, Deng Yun Zhu praised, "Dad, no wonder you, Second Brother, and Xiaosong always praise Laoyou Noodles. The taste is truly amazing."

Zhang Xiuping wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief and added, "The taste is indeed great, but the weather is too hot. The steaming noodles are a bit uncomfortable to eat. It would be much better in colder weather."

Deng Yun Tai said, "The main issue is that the owner doesn't want to spend money on electric fans. If there were fans, it wouldn't be as unbearably hot while eating."

Zhu Junjie laughed and said, "This is a small business. Buying a few electric fans would cost more than opening a new Laoyou Noodles shop. Few owners are willing to invest so much to improve the dining experience of their customers."

"Besides, the competition is still low. Once the competition increases, things will be different."

Deng Shirong added, "This applies to all industries. When there is no competition, businesses can operate however they want. For example, the supply and marketing cooperatives used to have a monopoly. People had to buy everything from them, and there was no other choice. This led to notoriously poor service, with salespeople even daring to scold and hit customers, who dared not complain.

"Now, with the rise of individual businesses, the supply and marketing cooperatives face increasing competition. They no longer have a monopoly, and customers have other options. Look at the salespeople in the supply and marketing cooperatives now. Are they still as arrogant as before?

"Try hitting a customer now and see what happens."

Deng Yun Tai and the others listened thoughtfully.

The bus station was on Chaoyang Road, and the Laoyou Noodles shop was not far from it. After finishing their meal, Deng Shirong led them to Wuyue Square, which was also not far away.

As they walked, Deng Yun Tai and the others were filled with curiosity, eager to see the supermarket and hot pot restaurant that their father had prepared for them.

After less than twenty minutes of walking, Deng Shirong and his group arrived at Wuyue Square.

Seeing the vast, luxuriously decorated building, Deng Yun Tai, Zhang Xiuping, Deng Yun Zhu, and Zhu Junjie were all amazed!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end