Chapter 366: Life and Death, the Wisdom and Courage of Great Men

Chapter 366: Life and Death, the Wisdom and Courage of Great Men

This chapter was reviewed, so the update was a bit late. Sorry!

...

The Five Peaks Plaza Mansion.

At 8 PM, the family gathered in front of the TV to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

This year's gala created an extremely touching atmosphere. Wei Wei sang "The Dedication of Love" with deep emotion. This is a very classic and touching song, and Deng Shirong remembered that it had often been used in public welfare activities, causing a significant social impact.

Song Dandan also made her first appearance on the gala stage. Seeing her, Deng Shirong thought of her partner, Uncle Benshan. If everything went as expected, Uncle Benshan would appear on next year's gala, making it even more spectacular.

At the stroke of midnight, the family, just like last year in Bobai, went up to the rooftop to set off fireworks. The dazzling fireworks exploding in the sky symbolized the arrival of the new year.

At this point, if calculated by the traditional Chinese age system, Deng Shirong was already 54 years old, his eldest son was 30, and even his youngest son was 18.

Having been reborn for so many years, Deng Shirong had never considered remarrying. Once his children were married, he might find an old companion, someone who wouldn't have more children, or he might not look for anyone at all. Whatever happened, he would decide when the time came.

Putting aside personal matters, Deng Shirong couldn't help but think about national affairs.

This year, our country would face immense external pressure. Due to the economic sanctions from the future, Deng Shirong had a rough understanding of the economic sanctions our country had faced over the past few decades.

To his knowledge, the United States had initiated three waves of economic sanctions against our country over the past few decades.

The first wave occurred after the outbreak of the Korean War.

This wave of sanctions was extremely severe, with the United States almost achieving "whatever China wants, they don't give." However, since our country had already formed an alliance with our big brother, it could be said that "when the West is dark, the East is bright," and thus we suffered minimal damage from this wave of sanctions.

The third wave was the sanctions before Deng Shirong was reborn. However, since our country had already grown into a world factory, with manufacturing output exceeding the combined total of the top three countries, the United States' sanctions were destined to "hurt the enemy by a thousand, but hurt itself by eight hundred."

By the time Deng Shirong was reborn, our country had been able to counter this wave of sanctions, with a give-and-take situation, and did not suffer much loss.

However, compared to the first and third waves of sanctions, the second wave was the most damaging, truly hurting our country to the bone.

This second wave of sanctions began in June of this year, led by the United States, with over twenty major developed countries joining in. In just half a year, our country's economic growth rate plummeted from 11% last year to around 4%.

This damage was truly immense.

In this year, Eastern Europe underwent dramatic changes, and our big brother was on the brink of collapse, reaching a critical point. The international situation was complex, and our country was pushed to the edge of a cliff, with the slightest misstep leading to complete destruction.

After all, the opponent was too powerful. At that time, the United States' GDP was 13 times that of our country, and they had a comprehensive grasp of the upper echelons of various industries.

At this point, we could neither form an alliance with our big brother as we did during the Korean War nor confront the situation with strength as we did in the future. The situation was extremely passive.

How could we win this dangerous game without any trump cards?

This required not only great wisdom but also great courage.

Fortunately, at this critical moment of life and death, Comrade Deng was still in charge. When everyone was in a state of panic due to the sanctions, he was the first to speak out: "The country that fears isolation, blockade, and sanctions the least is China."

There's no need to elaborate on how Comrade Deng turned the tide; in the end, our country managed to weather the storm.

Deng Shirong knew the outcome of this wave of sanctions. Unfortunately, even as a reborn individual with a powerful system space, he still lacked the qualifications to participate in such high-level national affairs. Even if he wanted to help the country at a critical moment, he lacked the ability.

Of course, the main reason was that his system space must remain hidden. If it weren't for this, there would be ways to help the country.

With his system space, he would be the greatest thief in history. If he were to travel to the United States and bring back some valuable items, Deng Shirong himself couldn't imagine what he could achieve.

Unfortunately, this was just a thought, something impossible to do.

However, when our big brother disintegrated, he could take a trip. Whatever he brought back, it would be explainable upon returning to our country.

After all, a certain business tycoon in our country managed to trade daily consumer goods like thermos linings, socks, canned goods, and down jackets for four Tu-154 passenger aircraft from our big brother. So, if Deng Shirong brought back some high-end equipment, no one would find it surprising or strange.

...

The eighth day of the first lunar month.

Nanning Architectural Design Institute.

Dean Huang handed over a stack of design drafts and said, "Mr. Deng, this is my initial design. Do you think it feels right?"

"Dean Huang, you're putting me in a difficult position. I don't know how to read design drafts."

Despite his words, Deng Shirong still took the stack of drafts and started looking through them. After a few pages, he sighed and handed them back, saying, "Dean Huang, I really can't understand this. The renderings are more intuitive and easier to understand."

Dean Huang smiled and said, "The renderings can only be made after the final design is complete."

Deng Shirong said, "The road base in our village is already done, and the river is being excavated. You can come and see the site next month."

Dean Huang nodded and said, "Alright, I'll bring my team to check it out next month. Now that the initial design is ready, after we inspect the site, we can make some adjustments and then produce the renderings. If there are any unsatisfactory aspects, you can point them out, and I'll make the necessary revisions."

Deng Shirong said, "Alright, then I'll look forward to your design, Dean Huang."

Dean Huang smiled and then said seriously, "By the way, Mr. Deng, I suggest that your village invest in building a sewage treatment plant once this villa complex is up and running. This way, the sewage from septic tanks can be treated, preventing it from polluting the village river."

"Moreover, pollution sources upstream can also be connected to this sewage treatment plant. This will ensure that your village river remains clear and won't be polluted by septic tanks or pig farms."

Hearing this, Deng Shirong's eyes lit up, and he said, "Dean Huang, that's a great suggestion. I've been thinking about how to solve the river pollution problem, but I only considered negotiating with the people upstream to stop discharging pollutants into the river. I didn't think about building a sewage treatment plant."

"Now that you mention it, building a sewage treatment plant is indeed very necessary."

Dean Huang said, "If you agree, I can design a unified sewage system for the villa complex and include the sewage treatment plant in the design. This will be both practical and aesthetically pleasing. What do you think?"

Deng Shirong nodded vigorously and said, "Sure, that would be very helpful, Dean Huang. Your suggestion is very timely."

Dean Huang smiled and said, "Mr. Deng, you're too kind. You are one of our design institute's major clients, so it's our duty to provide you with the best service."

After that, the two discussed some details of the villa complex and chatted about everyday matters. When the time was right, Deng Shirong bid farewell and left.

...

Deng Shirong was very concerned about the village river pollution issue.

In his previous life, the pollution of the village river was truly heartbreaking. This time, he wanted to turn the river and the villa complex into the most beautiful scenery in the village. If the river was polluted again like it was in his previous life, the villa complex would be ruined. The consequences were so severe that he couldn't afford to ignore it.

Therefore, after leaving the architectural design institute, Deng Shirong began to seek out experts to inquire about sewage treatment equipment.

After some research, he found that the technology for sewage treatment equipment in China was still far behind that of foreign countries.

Although Deng Shirong wanted to support domestic products, he had to consider the practical application of the equipment. For now, he could only temporarily import foreign equipment and wait for domestic technology to catch up before considering an upgrade.

Of course, this was just a plan. The sewage treatment plant could be built first, but the equipment import could be delayed. He would monitor the construction progress of the villa complex. If time allowed, he planned to go to the Soviet Union and acquire some free sewage treatment equipment.

If time didn't permit, he would have to buy the equipment.

After clarifying the details of the sewage treatment equipment, Deng Shirong returned to Naye Village to discuss the river pollution issue with the villages upstream.

Although, according to his previous life, it wasn't until the mid-1990s that people started discharging pig farm sewage into the village river, the significant impact of his rebirth might cause other villages to start pig farms earlier and discharge sewage into the river.

Therefore, he needed to warn these villages in advance to prevent such issues.

...

In Bobai, whether in this era or in the future, each surname had a clan head.

The prestige of the clan head within the clan and whether they could command respect varied.

However, generally speaking, those who could become clan heads were usually capable individuals. They either had a large family and a fearless spirit, earning a reputation within the clan through their bravery, or they were wealthy and influential, willing to spend money for the clan.

In addition to the clan heads of each surname, there were also influential individuals in each natural village.

For example, Guan Dewei was the most influential person in Shenshuitian Village.

A few years ago, Guan Dewei was just an ordinary villager. The only thing that set him apart was that he had a brother who worked at the supply and marketing cooperative. In the 1970s and 1980s, having a family member work at the supply and marketing cooperative was a significant advantage.

They could purchase items that were generally unavailable, which was one of the internal benefits of the cooperative and a reason why people envied the cooperative's salespeople.

Although working at the cooperative was indeed enviable, it didn't make Guan Dewei the most influential person in the village. His current status was due to his eldest daughter, Guan Yongying.

Since his eldest daughter, Guan Yongying, married into Naye Village, their family's fortunes began to change dramatically.

They started by growing lychees, then watermelons, and later partnered with their in-laws to invest in the Naye Deng Clan's passenger transport company and food company. He also had shares in these ventures, earning substantial profits. A few years ago, he became the wealthiest person in Shenshuitian Village.

Over the years, his wealth has far exceeded that of the entire village combined.

With his wealth and his willingness to spend money on village matters, his influence naturally grew.

Regardless of the era, the wealthy and powerful always held sway.

One morning, after breakfast, while smoking at the door, Guan Dewei saw his son-in-law riding a bicycle over and greeting him, "Dad, have you eaten?"

Guan Dewei nodded and said, "Just finished, I had both porridge and rice. Come in and eat quickly!"

Deng Changfu smiled and said, "I've already eaten. I'm here to pass on a message from our Uncle Jiu. He wants you to come to his place for lunch and discuss some matters."

Guan Dewei was surprised and asked, "What does Uncle Jiu want to talk about?"

Deng Changfu said, "It seems to be about the village river pollution. Uncle Jiu isn't just talking to you; he has sent people to notify every village upstream. Dad, bring a few influential villagers with you and go to Uncle Jiu's place for lunch."

Guan Dewei nodded and said, "Alright, I'll be there on time."

While they were talking, Guan Mother also came out and naturally invited her son-in-law to have a meal.

Deng Changfu politely declined a few times, saying he still had to notify people in other villages, and then rode his bicycle away.

...

Similar scenes played out in Jimapo, Sanzhangtang, Bangliang, Xiaojiang, and Nawang villages.

These villages were not adjacent but were located in different areas. For example, Jimapo, Shenshuitian, Sanzhangtang, and Xiaojiang villages belonged to one tributary, while Bangliang and Nawang villages belonged to another. These two tributaries ultimately converged in Shanying Village, forming the village river.

At noon, the influential figures from these villages were all invited to Deng Shirong's house for a meal.

To entertain these guests, Deng Shirong prepared a large table of delicious dishes, showing his utmost sincerity.

Although the influence of the Naye Deng Clan was now so strong that a single word from them would likely prevent anyone from discharging sewage into the river, using forceful means to solve problems was definitely not as effective as using gentle persuasion.

After all, human hearts were the most unpredictable. If you were overly forceful, someone might harbor resentment or disapprove of your methods and secretly pour pesticides or excrement into the river to spite you, leaving you with no recourse.

After a few rounds of drinks and several courses of food, Deng Shirong finally said, "Relatives, I believe everyone has heard that our Naye Deng Clan is currently digging the river and planning to build houses on both sides, right?"

Guan Delong from Jimapo Village laughed and said, "Uncle Jiu, your project is so big that everyone in Shuangwang has heard about it. Of course, we all know."

Liu Guohui from Xiaojiang Village added, "Uncle Jiu, speaking of this, I'm actually quite curious. Why are you building houses by the river?"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Why we are building houses by the river, you'll know once the houses are built."

Chen Dalin from Nawang Village asked, "Uncle Jiu, you've called us here today. Whatever you need, just say it, and if we can do it, we won't hesitate."

Guan Desheng from Bangliang Village echoed, "Yes, Uncle Jiu, just tell us what you need."

The others also chimed in, showing their respect for Deng Shirong, the head of the Naye Deng Clan. They had all witnessed the dramatic changes in the Naye Deng Clan over the past few years and knew that the clan's success was largely due to Deng Shirong.

Such a person, who had brought so much prosperity to the clan, was someone no one in the surrounding area would dare to offend. Who wouldn't want to befriend him?

Therefore, when they said they would do whatever he asked, it was not just polite talk but a genuine desire to build a relationship with Uncle Jiu, an opportunity they would never pass up.

Seeing their enthusiasm, Deng Shirong smiled and explained his purpose: "This is what I have in mind. We are planning to build houses on both sides of the village river, so the river water must remain as clear as it is now and must not be polluted.

So, I've invited you all here today to ask you to go back and talk to your villagers about this. Whether it's sewage from septic tanks, pig farms, or other household waste, please do not discharge it into the river to prevent pollution."

Upon hearing this, Guan Dewei understood and immediately pledged, "Uncle Jiu, rest assured. I'll go back and talk to our villagers. I guarantee no one will discharge sewage into the river."

Guan Delong also pledged, "The same goes for our village. I guarantee no one will discharge sewage into the river."

The others also made similar pledges. For them, this was a small matter, and all they needed to do was inform their villagers. While they might not have such influence outside their villages, within their own villages, they had the authority to make such requests.

"Then I'll thank you all on behalf of the clan!"

After expressing his gratitude, Deng Shirong added with a smile, "Also, we plan to build a sewage treatment plant and lay pipes to your villages. In the future, if any of your villagers build houses or pig farms, they can use the pipes to discharge waste to our sewage treatment plant."

Zhang Boqiang from Sanzhangtang Village remarked, "Uncle Jiu, you really think of everything. If anyone still discharges sewage into the river after this, they would be going too far."

"Uncle Jiu, I can guarantee no problems in the Xiaojiang section."

"Uncle Jiu, I can guarantee no problems in the Nawang section."

"Uncle Jiu, I can guarantee no problems in the Bangliang section."

"Uncle Jiu..."

The most influential people from each village made their pledges. They were already confident in managing their villagers, and with Uncle Jiu's thoughtful plan and the sewage treatment plant's pipes reaching their villages, there was no doubt they would succeed.

After discussing the main matters, everyone's attention turned to the food and drinks.

The dishes prepared by Deng Shirong were, of course, delicious, and the table was filled with chicken, duck, fish, and meat. While the guests were economically well-off in their respective villages, it was rare for them to enjoy such a sumptuous meal.

The meal continued until three in the afternoon.

Everyone had had their fill, and Deng Shirong had been mindful not to let them drink too much, ensuring they were at most seven or eight parts drunk.

"Uncle Jiu, I'll implement what you said when I get back."

"Uncle Jiu, you can rest assured. My word still carries weight in the village."

"Uncle Jiu, thank you for the wonderful meal today. It's the best I've ever had."

"Uncle Jiu, I'll be going now!"

"Uncle Jiu..."

Deng Shirong bid farewell to each of them and watched as they left.

...

The saying "strength lies in numbers" truly is an ancient adage.

Thanks to the active participation of the entire clan, the progress of the river relocation project was quite fast. The excavated soil was temporarily piled up beside the old village river, waiting for the new river to be filled with water before the old river could be leveled.

Of course, not all 3,000 meters of the village river needed to be re-dug. At least half of the river sections did not require re-excavation.

After the Lantern Festival, schools in various regions also resumed classes, and students began returning to their classrooms.

As for the migrant workers from other towns, many of them had already left for Guangdong by the sixth or seventh day of the first lunar month.

In his previous life, many members of the Naye Deng Clan had gone to Guangdong to work. However, in this life, almost no one from the Naye Deng Clan went to Guangdong, as the clan's passenger transport company and food company had already employed many clan members.

Additionally, the property management of the Naye Deng Clan's residential complex, as well as the supermarkets owned by Deng Yun Tai in Bobai and Nanning, had also hired many clan members. The remaining clan members either ran businesses in the county or town, or engaged in farming and animal husbandry at home.

In short, everyone had something to do, and the idea of working in Guangdong naturally lost its appeal.

After all, while the wages in Guangdong's factories were much higher than in Bobai, the working conditions were far from ideal. The work hours were long, and many blacklisted factories did not pay overtime. Working twelve to thirteen hours a day was common, leaving little time for anything other than work, meals, and sleep.

Such a work environment might be attractive to some, but it held little appeal for the Naye Deng Clan.

As students returned to school, the Spring Festival travel rush quietly came to an end.

The Naye Deng Clan had a long-standing tradition of distributing dividends from the passenger transport company after the Spring Festival travel rush. This year was no exception.

Initially, the dividends from the passenger transport company were the most anticipated by the clan members. However, with the food company's dividends as a comparison, the clan members were now less concerned about the passenger transport company's dividends.

On one hand, the profitability of the passenger transport company was far inferior to that of the food company. On the other hand, most clan members held only a small number of shares in the passenger transport company, so they did not receive much money from the dividends.

Moreover, the entire clan was now wealthier than ever, with most families having significant savings. The well-off clan members naturally did not care as much about the passenger transport company's dividends as they used to.

Of course, receiving money was still a cause for joy.

Therefore, on the agreed-upon day for the passenger transport company's dividend distribution, the clan members still came happily to participate.

The entire dividend distribution process does not need much description. This year, each share of the passenger transport company would receive 1,000 yuan, which was not a small amount, considering that the shares of the passenger transport company, like those of the food company, were originally 1,000 yuan each.

After distributing the money, Deng Shirong spoke up: "Fellow clan members, I have something to announce. Our Naye Deng Clan has not held a Qingming ancestral worship ceremony for over twenty years. Apart from our elders, most clan members under the age of 30 have no idea what an ancestral worship ceremony looks like.

In previous years, due to various considerations, the clan did not hold the ancestral worship ceremony. However, starting this year, we will resume the ancestral worship ceremony.

There is not much time left before the Spring Equinox, so we need to start preparing in advance. First, we need to set a date for the ancestral worship, and then send people to notify the various branches of the clan."

Recalling the grandeur of the ancestral worship ceremonies in the past, Deng Yun Gui said happily: "That's great, we can finally hold the ancestral worship ceremony. If we don't do it soon, the younger generation won't know the procedures."

Deng Shirong smiled and said: "Yun Gui, let's be in charge of the 'drinking ceremony' together!"

Deng Yun Gui replied with a smile: "Sure, I need to prepare. It's been so long since we last held the ancestral worship, and I'm a bit rusty with the 'drinking ceremony.'"

Deng Chang Bao said: "I only saw the ancestral worship ceremony when I was a child. I remember there were drums and gongs, and the scene was very lively."

Deng Chang Xiong asked: "Uncle Jiu, do we need to donate money for the ancestral worship?"

Deng Shirong replied: "There's no need to donate money for now. We still have some funds left from the reconstruction of the ancestral hall, which should be enough for the ancestral worship."

Hearing that the clan would resume the ancestral worship, the other clan members also felt excited.

The elders missed the grand ceremonies of the past, while the younger generation, who had only heard about the ancestral worship from their elders, were naturally curious.

Deng Yun Qiang asked: "Uncle Jiu, which days do you think would be best for the ancestral worship?"

Ancestral worship is different from clearing graves. Clearing a grave can be done in ten to twenty minutes, but the ancestral worship ceremony involves many procedures, and it takes at least two hours to complete the ceremony for one grave. Additionally, the graves are often far apart, and traveling between them takes time.

Therefore, it would be good to worship two to three ancestors in a day.

Deng Shirong said: "Let's set the dates for the eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, twenty-first, and twenty-second of the second lunar month."

The clan members had no objections to this.

Next, they began to discuss the details of the ancestral worship.

For example, they needed to prepare a large flag with the Naye Deng Clan's surname, which would be carried during the ceremony. They also needed to arrange transportation, as some ancestors were buried far away, and walking there would waste too much time.

They also needed to prepare the sacrificial text and the essential five animals (pig, sheep, chicken, goose, and duck). They had to assign people to play the drums, gongs, and suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument).

Once the discussions were nearly complete, Deng Shirong announced the end of the meeting.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end