Chapter 356: No Coincidence, the Value of Tsinghua University [8,000 Words] (Part 1)

Chapter 356: No Coincidence, the Value of Tsinghua University [8,000 Words] (Part 1)





After observing at the women's and children's hospital for a day, Deng Yunzhen wrapped herself up tightly and, under the escort of her family, returned to the Ye Deng residential area to begin her "long" postpartum confinement.

The main childcare responsibility fell to Zhang Xiuping, her sister-in-law. When Zhang Xiuping had given birth to Xiaodong and Dongzi, Deng Yunzhen, as the elder sister-in-law, had helped take care of the children for several years. Now that it was the elder sister-in-law's turn to give birth, she naturally wanted to return the favor.

As for the ginger wine, a must for postpartum women in Baise, it was prepared daily by Deng Shirong, the father.

Madam Zhu, the elderly grandmother, wanted to help with the childcare, but her poor health and advanced age made her children, including her youngest son Zhu Junjie, hesitant to entrust the baby to her. Additionally, her skill in preparing ginger wine was not as good as that of her son-in-law, Deng Shirong, which made her quite anxious.

After all, by tradition, these tasks should be handled by the husband's family, not the wife's natal family, especially by a mother-in-law. If she didn't help, even if no one would say anything, she would feel guilty.

In the end, she managed to secure a task—helping her grandson wash diapers.

Madam Zhu, having secured a task, finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that she was no longer idle.

...

That afternoon, after dinner, everyone gathered in the living room to chat.

The conversation eventually turned to the topic of naming the baby.

Deng Yunzhen said, "We don't need to give him a nickname. He is the eighteenth among his cousins in the village, so we'll just call him Zhu Shiba."

"Aizhen, that nickname sounds a bit like the naming style of the Ming Dynasty's founder, Zhu Yuanzhang," Zhang Xiuping chuckled. "I remember Dad telling us that Zhu Yuanzhang was called Zhu Babei, and his family elders had names like Zhu Siswu, Zhu Wuyi, and Zhu Chuyi. Zhu Shiba is a very prestigious name; he will surely surpass his father and become an even greater official when he grows up."

Deng Yunzhen laughed, "Sister-in-law, you're going to kill me with laughter. In their village, there are plenty of people with similar nicknames, and they have no connection to the Ming Dynasty's Zhu family. I don't expect him to become an official like his father; I just hope he can be a decent person and maintain the family's legacy."

Zhang Xiuping teased the baby, "Don't underestimate my Zhu Shiba. He will surely become someone great when he grows up."

Deng Shirong looked at his son-in-law, "What about the baby's formal name? Have you thought of anything?"

Zhu Junjie replied, "I've thought of a few names, but none of them are particularly satisfactory."

Deng Shirong said, "What names? Let's hear them and see what everyone thinks."

Zhu Junjie said, "I thought of Zhu Wenhua, Zhu Zhicong, and Zhu Guangxin, but they all feel a bit lacking."

Deng Shirong pondered for a moment and nodded, "The names are fine, but they lack a distinctive quality."

Zhu Junjie said, "Dad, why don't you help us come up with a name?"

Deng Yunzhen also looked at her father, "Yes, Dad, we can't come up with a name as good as you can."

Deng Shirong said, "Actually, the baby's name is already there. He was born on the day of the Spring Equinox, so Zhu Lichun would be a very fitting name."

Zhu Junjie's eyes lit up, and he repeated the name a few times, finding it increasingly suitable, "Dad, you're right. This name is perfect, much better than the ones I thought of."

Deng Yunzhen was also very satisfied and laughed, "Dad, you're really good at naming. If this boy doesn't amount to anything, he will have wasted such a good name."

Zhang Xiuping laughed, "Aizhen, don't worry. With such excellent parents, how could the child be any less?"

Deng Shirong thought for a moment and reminded them, "Having multiple children is easier to manage, but the hardest to discipline is an only child. You two, as parents, must be careful not to spoil him. That's not loving him but harming him. If you can't bear to discipline him, it will be difficult for him to succeed."

Zhu Junjie quickly agreed, "Dad, I won't spoil him. If he misbehaves, he will be punished, no matter what. I understand that an only child should not be indulged."

Deng Yunzhen said, "I won't spoil him either. If you need to discipline him, I'll even hand you the stick, no protection at all."

Deng Shirong said, "Remember what I said today. When the time comes and you see him looking pitiful, don't let that stop you from disciplining him."

Zhu Junjie and Deng Yunzhen both pledged that they wouldn't, and perhaps at that moment, they truly believed it. But when the child misbehaves and needs discipline, whether they can actually bring themselves to punish him is another matter.

As for little Zhu Lichun, he had only been born for a few days, and his parents were already preparing mentally for a mixed doubles approach to discipline. If he could understand, he would probably protest.

...

While Deng Yunzhen was in her postpartum confinement, the sales of Master Kang's Red-Braised Beef Noodles exploded. From the time the CCTV advertisement started airing, in less than ten days, the 12 million packs (cups) of instant noodles that had been stockpiled were snatched up by merchants across the country.

Moreover, new orders poured in like snowflakes.

Unfortunately, Master Kang's instant noodle factory had no more stock. The factory's daily production of 150,000 packs (cups) was a mere drop in the bucket compared to the massive orders.

At this point, Deng Changyu, Deng Changpei, and others finally understood the foresight of their clan leader. The instant noodle market was indeed much larger than they had imagined, and as the clan leader had predicted, annual sales of 600 million packs (cups) was just the beginning.

As twelve million packs (cups) of Master Kang's Red-Braised Beef Noodles flooded the markets across the country, the classic instant noodle quickly gained recognition. All customers who bought and tasted it praised it highly.

The taste, which had been verified over several decades in the previous life, now began to unleash its true power.

Master Kang's Red-Braised Beef Noodles hit the market with a strong punch, leaving instant noodle brands across the country reeling. Even Huafeng Instant Noodles, which had defeated various competitors and claimed the throne of the instant noodle industry, was caught off guard.

However, with the New Year approaching, even if these established brands wanted to counter, they would have to wait until next year.

...

Beijing.

Tsinghua University.

A male dormitory room.

The roommates had all packed their bags, except for Deng Yunsong, who had not started packing.

Qiu Yongnian asked, "Yunsong, you didn't go home during the summer break. Are you not going home for the winter holidays either?"

Deng Yunsong shook his head and said, "No, I'm not going. Taking the train is more miserable than being in prison. A round trip almost costs half a life. It's better to stay here at school. Besides, there are many fellow Guangxi natives here, so I won't be lonely."

Qiu Yongnian sighed, "Indeed, Guangxi and Fujian are both very far from Beijing. To be honest, I'm also afraid of traveling, but thinking about my parents and siblings waiting for me to return for the reunion, I have to grit my teeth and endure it. Otherwise, I would have stayed to keep you company."

Zuo Chuanfeng laughed, "We're better off in Henan. It's not too far from Beijing, so we don't suffer as much."

Hua Haiyang said, "We're also okay in Shaanxi. We don't suffer much either."

Yu Zhenping said, "Sichuan is quite far from Beijing, but compared to Fujian and Guangxi, it's relatively closer."

Tan Chuan said, "Zhejiang is a bit closer to Sichuan, but not by much. Each trip home is still quite a ordeal."

Deng Yunsong said, "Flying is much more comfortable. Last year, my second brother worked in Beijing and I got to fly home once thanks to him. The journey that would take three to four days by train took only a few hours by plane. It was amazing!

Unfortunately, my second brother has been transferred and no longer works in Beijing. If I want to fly again, I'll have to find another way."

Qiu Yongnian was surprised, "Yunsong, your second brother has been transferred? When did this happen?"

Deng Yunsong laughed, "It happened during the summer break."

Yu Zhenping, curious, asked, "Yunsong, what level is your second brother now? Where has he been transferred to work?"

Previously, Deng Yunsong hadn't mentioned his second brother to avoid bragging, but now that the topic came up, there was no need to hide it. He replied, "My second brother is now a deputy department head and has been transferred to work in your province."

Qiu Yongnian was shocked, "No way? Your second brother has been transferred to our province? Which city?"

Deng Yunsong asked, "Have you heard of Fuqing County?"

Qiu Yongnian's eyes widened instantly, "I'm from Fuqing County! Your second brother has been transferred to work in our county?"

This time, it was Deng Yunsong's turn to be surprised, "No way? What a coincidence! My second brother is now a deputy county magistrate in Fuqing County."

The six roommates were from different provinces, so they usually only mentioned their home provinces, at most their cities, and rarely their counties. After all, mentioning a county would likely be unknown to most roommates, making it pointless.

Thus, Deng Yunsong really didn't know that Qiu Yongnian was from Fuqing County.

The other roommates also expressed their amazement at the coincidence.

Qiu Yongnian put his arm around Deng Yunsong's shoulders and said, "Yunsong, write to your second brother right away. When I go home for the New Year, I'll find time to visit him. My family has everything except for various seafood, which I can bring to him."

Deng Yunsong laughed, "No problem, I'll write to him and let him know."

...

Shuifeng Restaurant.

Deng Shirong was on the phone with his second son.

Deng Yunheng asked, "Dad, how is my sister's recovery?"

"Her recovery is going well. Your sister-in-law is helping with the baby, and I'm making her ginger wine every day. After a week, her complexion has become much rosier."

Deng Shirong then asked, "Can you come home for the New Year this year?"

Deng Yunheng said, "I won't be going home this year. I plan to use this Spring Festival to travel deep into the countryside, to better understand the real conditions there. This will help me make more informed decisions about development directions."

Deng Shirong nodded, "Be careful. Criminals are becoming more brazen these days."

Deng Yunheng said, "I will be. How are the instant noodles selling? I saw the advertisement on CCTV."

Deng Shirong said, "The instant noodles are selling like hotcakes. We're in a state of high demand, and this will continue until the Wuhan branch factory is built and operational."

Deng Yunheng laughed, "Looks like the instant noodle factory is making a fortune!"

Deng Shirong laughed, "If everything goes smoothly, in a couple of years, every member of the Ye Deng clan will be a wealthy tycoon."

The father and son chatted for about ten minutes before hanging up.

...

The importance of postpartum confinement has been mentioned before and will not be repeated here. Many mothers-in-law have damaged their relationships with their daughters-in-law by not taking good care of them during this period.

Now that his eldest daughter was in her postpartum confinement, it was clear that her in-laws were both old and in poor health, making it difficult for them to take good care of her.

To ensure that his daughter could have a comfortable postpartum confinement and avoid accumulating stress due to the baby's crying and her own physical condition, Deng Shirong decided that the entire family would not return to their hometown for the New Year this year. Instead, they would stay in the Ye Deng residential area to make it easier to take care of his daughter.

As for the annual scholarship meeting, the old clan leader could preside over it. Deng Shirong would return after the end of the Spring Festival travel rush to distribute dividends to the clan members.

Upon learning of his father's plans, Deng Yunzhen was deeply moved.

This year, not only would Deng Shirong's family not return to their hometown for the New Year, but all the employees of the instant noodle factory would also stay and not go back.

Currently, Master Kang's Red-Braised Beef Noodles were selling like hotcakes, and the daily production was not enough to meet the demand. At this time, they needed to work overtime to boost production, not take a break to go home for the New Year. The factory produced 150,000 packs (cups) of instant noodles a day, generating at least several ten thousand yuan in profit.

With such terrifying profits, who would want to take a break?

After all, the employees of the instant noodle factory were all members of the Ye Deng clan, and they all had shares in the food company. Working now not only allowed them to earn overtime pay but also created greater profits for their families. Taking a break to go home for the New Year would be a joke!

...

That afternoon.

Fuqing County.

Sanzhan Town, a coastal village.

The villagers, who were taking a break from their busy lives, gathered together to chat.

At that moment, Qiu Jianguo leaned back in his chair, his head resting lightly on the back. He held a bamboo pipe in his right hand and smoked leisurely.

Circles of gray-blue smoke rose from the pipe, and with a slight parting of his lips, the smoke drifted out like a fairy, rising gracefully and dispersing.

He was just an ordinary fisherman in the village, risking his life every time he went out to sea, earning just enough to make ends meet. The idea of getting rich was still a distant dream, and such fishermen were common in the village. In the past, no one would have given him a second glance.

But now, Qiu Jianguo had gained a bit more respect from the villagers.

Of course, this was not due to his own efforts but because of his youngest son.

Since his youngest son was accepted into Tsinghua University, Qiu Jianguo had noticed that the villagers treated him with more respect. For example, if someone had something delicious, they would invite him over for a drink or even bring some to his house.

Such things were unheard of in the past.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end