Chapter 374: The Female Party's Amazement, Deng Yunheng's Promotion to County Magistrate

Chapter 374: The Female Party's Amazement, Deng Yunheng's Promotion to County Magistrate

Wuyue Square.

After 10:30 AM, Deng Yunzhen, Deng Yunzhu, Deng Yunhua, Deng Yunheng, and Zhang Xiuping arrived at the entrance of the first floor, waiting to welcome the Gu family.

The wait wasn't boring, as a row of veterans was training on the square, which everyone found quite entertaining.

Around 11:00 AM, a group of people approached Wuyue Square.

With her sharp eyes, Deng Yun-zhu immediately recognized the Gu family mother and daughter walking at the front and quickly reminded everyone, "They're here! They're here!"

Hearing this, the others all looked over at the group, and Deng Yun-zhu led the way to greet them with a smile, "Auntie, Sister Gu."

"Auntie Zhi."

After exchanging pleasantries, they introduced each other and greeted again.

"My father is personally cooking today, so he couldn't come down to welcome everyone. He asked me to convey his apologies for the inconvenience."

"Relatives, you're too polite."

After a few more polite exchanges, Deng Yun-zhu and the others led the female party up the external stairs directly to the fifth floor.

Initially, the female party thought the male side was inviting them to a meal at the Spicy Girl Hotpot Restaurant. Even when they heard Deng Yun-zhu say her father was personally cooking, they didn't think much of it.

However, when they reached the second floor and saw that Deng Yun-zhu and the others had no intention of stopping and continued upwards, the female party began to feel puzzled.

Soon, the group reached the fourth floor, and as they continued up, they saw a sign hanging above that read, "Private Residence, No Trespassing."

Seeing this, the female party was amazed. They hadn't expected the top floor of Wuyue Square to be a residence.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, a corridor greeted them. In the middle of the corridor was a beautifully crafted ancient archway. After passing through the archway, the scene that unfolded before their eyes left the female party speechless.

Before them was a house decorated in a rich and luxurious traditional style. The inside and outside of the house seemed like two different worlds. Before passing through the archway, they were in the modern world, but after passing through, it felt as if they had stepped back in time.

Even though the female party wasn't composed of professionals, they could recognize the valuable woods such as rosewood, huanghuali, and golden-threaded nanmu. The house's decoration used a large amount of these precious woods, making it look opulent and extremely luxurious.

In short, the house's decoration was truly beyond praise.

It was simply too beautiful!

The identities of the female party were not simple; they had all seen the world. Yet, without exception, they were all stunned by the scene before them.

Especially the Gu family mother and daughters, who were all enthusiasts of traditional culture. One was skilled in calligraphy, another in painting, and another in embroidery. Their understanding of traditional culture far surpassed that of Deng Shirong's relatives.

The more one understood traditional culture, the more one could appreciate the house's exquisite decoration.

This was akin to the seven-string invisible sword created by Huang Zhonggong in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer." An ordinary person wouldn't feel anything, but the higher one's inner strength, the greater the impact.

Similarly, Deng Shirong's relatives only thought the house looked beautiful, and that was it.

But in the eyes of the Gu family mother and daughters, the house's decoration was truly exquisite. Even the simplest decorations hit their sweet spots, making them more and more excited and eager to explore every detail.

At this moment, Deng Shirong, hearing the commotion, came out of the kitchen and greeted the female party one by one, then smiled and said, "Relatives, I still have a few dishes to finish. Please sit down and have some tea, or if you're interested, you can also tour the house."

With great interest, Gu's mother said, "Relatives, let's tour the house first!"

Deng Shirong nodded with a smile, then instructed his children and daughter-in-law to show the guests around the house before returning to the kitchen to continue cooking.

Under the guidance of Deng Yunzhen, Deng Yun-zhu, and Zhang Xiuping, the female party toured this eye-opening mansion.

This wasn't a small 100-square-meter house that could be seen in a few glances. It was a 3,000-square-meter super-flat, and each area was decorated differently, with its own highlights worth savoring. Even a cursory tour would take over ten minutes.

If one were to savor every detail, it would take over an hour to tour the entire house.

While the Gu family mother and daughters were engrossed in appreciating the house's exquisite decoration, Chen Laojie, Gu's father, Chen Donglai, Lu Wei, and the others were quietly calculating how much the house must have cost.

After touring for over twenty minutes, the group returned to the living room.

Just in time, the meal was ready.

Thus, the female party was invited to the dining hall.

The house had three dining halls: a large one, a medium one, and a small one. The family usually used the small dining hall, where the table was large enough for the whole family, and it was closer and more intimate for meals.

When relatives and friends came over, they used the medium dining hall. The table in the medium dining hall was a very large rotating round table that could easily seat fifty to sixty people, making it suitable for entertaining relatives and friends.

As for the large dining hall, it was connected to the living room and was only used during gatherings. The tables and chairs were usually stored away to save space, and were only brought out when needed, capable of comfortably hosting two to three hundred people.

Now, with the current number of guests, the medium dining hall was more than sufficient.

When everyone took their seats and saw the various dishes, which were all beautifully prepared and fragrant, the female party was not overly surprised.

After all, if Deng Shirong's cooking skills were not exceptional, they would have had their meal at the Spicy Girl Hotpot Restaurant on the second floor. The fact that he was cooking for them at home was a testament to his confidence in his culinary skills.

Despite their mental preparations, when they started eating, the female party was still pleasantly surprised.

The taste was truly excellent!

After a few rounds of drinks and several courses, Gu's mother couldn't help but ask, "Relative, did you personally fund the construction of this Wuyue Square?"

It was no surprise she asked this. While it was plausible that the Spicy Girl Hotpot Restaurant on the second floor was rented, the lavish decoration of the fifth floor was a different story. It would be an insult to her intelligence to think this was a rented space.

Deng Shirong nodded and smiled, "Indeed, I funded its construction myself. The supermarket on the first floor is run by my eldest son and his wife, and you all know about the hotpot restaurant on the second floor. The appliance city on the third floor is run by my fourth son, and the fourth floor is currently vacant."

Hearing this, the female party all drew in a sharp breath.

They were all well-informed people. The area of Wuyue Square was not small, and the construction cost alone would not be less than two million yuan. Including the renovation, the total cost would not be less than three million yuan, and that was without considering the land price!

Gu's father praised, "Relative, you are quite impressive!"

Gu's mother added, "I heard from Yunheng that you initiated the establishment of a passenger transport company and a food company within the clan. It seems these two companies are very profitable!"

Deng Shirong smiled, "They are doing well. Our food company has launched a product that you might know."

Gu Caiwei blinked and asked, "Uncle Deng, what product is it?"

Deng Shirong replied, "It's the Master Kong instant noodles. They also have a factory in Wuhan."

Upon hearing this, the female party couldn't help but exclaim. They not only knew about Master Kong instant noodles but had also eaten them!

They never expected that the famous Master Kong instant noodles were a product of Deng Shirong's food company. No wonder he had such substantial financial resources.

At this moment, Gu's father and the others understood.

Initially, Gu's parents had agreed to the marriage proposal mainly because they saw Deng Yunheng as a promising political star. They never expected that he, despite coming from a rural background, would have such a prosperous family. This was a pleasant surprise, adding to the appeal of the match.

After getting a general idea of the Deng family's financial status, the female party stopped discussing economic matters and switched to other topics.

For instance, Chen Laojie, Gu's father, and Chen Donglai, who were all involved in the government, chatted with Zhu Junjie about matters related to their work.

Gu Caiwei chatted with her future sisters-in-law about household matters.

Gu Caixiao chatted with Zhang Xiuping, Liang Yuqing, and Liu Aihong about their children, a timeless topic.

Gu's mother, Chen Laofu, and Deng Shirong's sisters-in-law discussed the wedding customs of Bobai, preparing for Gu Caiwei's wedding next year.

Lu Wei chatted with Bu Dashan and Bu Zhongshi about business matters.

Chen Xiaojun and Chen Xiaohong chatted with Deng Yunheng, who was around their age, about school.

In short, everyone ate, drank, and chatted, creating a very pleasant atmosphere.

By the end of the meal, everyone had become more familiar with each other, and the initial strangeness had dissipated.

After the meal, everyone moved to the living room for tea. After about half an hour, the female party proposed to leave.

Deng Shirong tried to persuade them to stay longer, then took out the red envelopes he had prepared and said with a smile, "According to our Bobai custom, since this is your first visit to our home, we must give you red envelopes. This is called 'lucky money.' Accepting it brings great fortune and prosperity. Please don't refuse; it's part of the custom."

With such a warm gesture, the female party naturally accepted the red envelopes.

After more polite exchanges, Deng Shirong and his family and relatives escorted the female party to the square downstairs, watching them leave.

Once the female party was out of sight, Deng Shirong's sister, Deng Shiran, praised, "Brother, Yunheng's fiancee is really excellent. She is as handsome as Sister Aiping."

Zhang Xiuping smiled, "Sister-in-law, don't flatter me. I'm nowhere near as beautiful as Gu Caiwei!"

Deng Yunzhu laughed, "Sister-in-law, don't be modest. You and future Second Sister-in-law are equally beautiful."

The other family members and relatives also agreed.

In terms of appearance, Zhang Xiuping was indeed not inferior to Gu Caiwei, only slightly less in terms of aura.

This was inevitable. Whether it was family background or cultural level, Zhang Xiuping couldn't compare to Gu Caiwei. The gap between them was not something that could be bridged in a short time, or even a lifetime.

In summary, this girl with a good family background, a good figure, a good appearance, and a good temperament received unanimous praise from the Deng family relatives.

On the female side, the Gu family and the Chen family were also discussing the Deng family's situation.

"Sis, Brother-in-law, your future in-laws are really something."

Chen Donglai praised, "A rural person with no background, whose life before the country's reform and opening up was no different from other rural people, managed to accumulate a few million in assets in less than ten years. He also raised a son who went to Peking University and another who went to Tsinghua University, and all his other children have their own businesses. It's truly remarkable."

Lu Wei also praised with admiration, "Uncle is right. I have such good conditions, but after struggling for several years, my assets barely broke the million mark. Compared to this Uncle Deng, I'm far behind."

Gu's father nodded, "Indeed, it's quite remarkable."

The others also sincerely praised him. In this era, to have a few million in assets was equivalent to having a billion in today's terms. No amount of praise was too much.

Gu Caixiao also joined in, "Moreover, Uncle Deng's cooking is really amazing. I usually don't have much interest in dishes with no spiciness, but the stir-fried pig stomach strips and steamed mud worms were so good that I couldn't stop eating. It's really rare to find such dishes."

Chen's grandmother, who didn't eat much spicy food, also loved these two dishes and agreed, "These dishes are really well-made, especially the stir-fried pig stomach strips. They're not tough at all but very tender and refreshing. Even someone with not-so-good teeth like me can enjoy them. The taste is really exceptional."

As they started talking about the food, everyone joined in with their praises.

To be honest, the dishes that Deng Shirong had prepared today were truly impeccable. Even the Gu family and the Chen family, who had tasted all kinds of delicacies, enjoyed them immensely.

Hearing the praises from her family and relatives, Gu Caiwei's smile never faded. She and Deng Yunheng had already set their wedding date, and getting the approval of her family and relatives for her future in-laws was naturally a cause for joy.

...

Monday, July 17, 1989.

Deng Yunheng, the acting county magistrate, finally removed the "acting" designation and officially became the county magistrate of Fuqing County.

Let's briefly review his resume.

September 1981—July 1985: Studied at Peking University, served as vice president of the Student Union.

July 1985—July 1987: Worked at a certain department of the National Development and Reform Commission, serving as section chief and deputy director.

July 1987—June 1989: Worked in Fuqing County, Fujian, serving as vice-county magistrate.

June 1989—July 1989: Served as acting county magistrate of Fuqing County.

July 1989—: Served as county magistrate of Fuqing County.

His resume was truly impressive, advancing step by step.

After taking office, Deng Yunheng began to consciously integrate the existing industries in Fuqing County, aiming to create a complete industrial chain to enhance competitiveness in similar industries.

...

Beijing.

A restaurant.

Zhou Shengli, Wang Dagan, and Tian Chunzhi rarely gathered together.

During the meal, Tian Chunzhi sighed wistfully, "With no expectations for the summer, it feels like there's no energy to do anything."

Wang Dagan also sighed, "Yes, every year at this time, we would have a windfall, which was equivalent to a year's income. But this year, Boss Deng won't be coming, and we've lost that windfall. Every time I think about it, it hurts."

Zhou Shengli also sighed, "There's no way. Boss Deng and his team have better prospects and don't want to earn this hard money anymore."

Tian Chunzhi suggested, "Old Zhou, why don't we go south and see if we can continue the fruit business?"

Zhou Shengli shook his head, "It's difficult. I've thought about it, but without Boss Deng's preservation technology, by the time we transport the fruits to Beijing, they will likely have gone bad. It's impossible to sell them like before, and there's a risk of losing money."

Tian Chunzhi said, "We can avoid fruits with short shelf lives. We can look for fruits with relatively longer shelf lives in the south. There are so many types of fruits there; I don't believe we can't find something like apples or pears with longer shelf lives."

Wang Dagan agreed, "We can give it a try. Getting used to making quick money, it's really hard to suddenly lose that income."

Zhou Shengli pondered, "Alright, let's set out tomorrow and go south to investigate and see if there are any fruits worth trying."

Tian Chunzhi perked up, "Okay, let's set out tomorrow. We can treat it as a trip to the south."

Wang Dagan had no objections, so the matter was settled.

With a plan in place, the three of them no longer sighed and lamented as they had before. They began to eat and drink happily.

In fact, it wasn't just the three of them who were sighing; many citizens in the capital were also doing so.

"Ah, I thought those fruit vendors last year were just saying those things to get us to buy more of their fruit. I didn't expect it to be true. It's really unbelievable."

"Yeah, those fruits were selling so well, they must have made a lot of money. Why did they suddenly stop selling them?"

"I can't figure it out either. If their business was bad and they weren't making money, it would be normal for them to stop. But their business was booming, and they were making plenty of money. To just stop like that is really confusing. Is there really someone who thinks they have too much money?"

"It's definitely not about making too much money. Didn't the fruit vendors say that their supplier thought the profits were too low and switched to another business? They lost their source of supply, so the business naturally couldn't continue."

"Are these fruit vendors pigs? If that supplier stopped, why not just find another one?"

"It's not as simple as you think. The issue of preserving the fruit during transportation is not something anyone can solve. If the preservation isn't done well, the fruit will spoil on the way, and that would be a huge loss. Not everyone is willing to take such a big risk."

"So, does that mean we won't be able to eat longan and soursop anymore?"

"Probably not in the capital. If you want to eat them, you'll have to go to the south, where there are plenty of them."

"..."

It wasn't just the capital; cities like Tianjin also had many citizens discussing similar issues.

Meanwhile, the instigator, Deng Shirong, returned to the mooncake factory in the county and continued to taste the mooncakes that the master bakers had been experimenting with.

This time, the mooncakes showed significant improvement compared to the last batch, but there were still various issues.

After pointing out these issues and instructing the master bakers to continue improving, Deng Shirong discussed the launch of other products with the general manager of the food company, Deng Changyu.

The mooncake factory only produced mooncakes for about a month before the Mid-Autumn Festival each year. The rest of the time, it would be idle. Deng Shirong couldn't just close the factory and give the employees a ten-month-long vacation; that would be absurd.

Therefore, the mooncake factory should also produce other foods, which was the right approach.

When building the mooncake factory, Deng Shirong had already reserved plenty of space. Once the new products were determined and the necessary equipment purchased, production could start immediately.

Deng Changyu asked, "Uncle Jiugong, what product do you think we should launch next?"

Deng Shirong had already thought about it and replied directly, "Let's do eight-treasure porridge!"

In the future, on trains, there was a phrase that every passenger knew well: "Beer, soft drinks, mineral water, peanuts, sunflower seeds, eight-treasure porridge, please move your legs!"

In this era, Deng Shirong had taken many train rides but had never seen eight-treasure porridge on the trains.

Therefore, when he started the food company, he decided that eight-treasure porridge would be one of the must-make products.

Of course, there were many other products worth making, but one couldn't expect to achieve everything at once. It was the late 1980s, and many products hadn't even been introduced yet. Even if they had, they weren't well-known, and Deng Shirong was confident he could surpass them.

So, there was no need to rush.

Deng Changyu was naturally familiar with eight-treasure porridge, which had been around for over a thousand years in China. Who didn't know about it?

Hearing Uncle Jiugong mention eight-treasure porridge, Deng Changyu immediately understood and asked, "Uncle Jiugong, are you thinking of making canned eight-treasure porridge?"

Deng Shirong nodded, "Yes, exactly that. Go to the machinery factory and purchase the canning equipment. Hire a few master chefs who specialize in making eight-treasure porridge. The factory space is already ready. Once we determine the recipe, we can start production. Do you think three months is enough time?"

Deng Changyu patted his chest, "Three months is more than enough. I'll get started on this right away. However, the final recipe for the eight-treasure porridge still needs to be determined by you, Uncle Jiugong."

Deng Shirong smiled, "No problem. Once we hire the master chefs, I'll discuss with them how to make the eight-treasure porridge and create several different flavors. Then we can launch them on the market and let consumers choose."

Deng Changyu nodded, "That sounds good. Is there anything else you need to instruct, Uncle Jiugong?"

Deng Shirong said, "Make sure to register the name for the eight-treasure porridge as soon as possible."

Deng Changyu asked, "Uncle Jiugong, what name should we use for the eight-treasure porridge?"

Deng Shirong blurted out, "Yinlu, the silver of 'yin' and the egret of 'lu'."

...

PS: I thought it would be hard to break the record for subscriptions again, but you all are so awesome. The chapter I updated yesterday broke the record for this book again. It's already over 1.32 million words, and the subscriptions are still breaking records. Thank you so much! ○|￣|_

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