Chapter 389: Deng Yunheng's Grand Wedding

Chapter 389: Deng Yunheng's Grand Wedding

7:00 AM.

The Richman Hotel.

20 wedding cars lined up from the Richman Hotel all the way to the end of the market alley. Fortunately, in this era, cars were rare, and 99% of the vehicles in the county were bicycles, with the remaining 1% being motorcycles and other vehicles.

Therefore, this long procession of wedding cars did not cause any traffic jams.

However, while the cars didn't cause a blockage, the people did.

The people in the county had never seen such a grand wedding procession. Upon seeing this, not only did they come to watch, but many also went back to call their families to come and witness the spectacle.

In just a short ten minutes, thousands of people gathered around the Richman Hotel, making the area completely packed.

Besides the onlookers, there were also a group of county government leaders and guests from all over the country who had gathered here.

"Coming to the Richman Hotel to pick up the bride, it seems the bride isn't from around here!"

"I'm not really interested in where the bride is from; I just want to know who the groom is? How could he be so amazing?"

"Indeed, he's amazing. This is such a grand display, with 10 sedans and 10 coaches to pick up the bride. Who would have thought? For most people, having one such wedding car would already be impressive."

"You only know they are sedans, but do you know what kind of sedans they are and how much they cost?"

"What, you recognize these sedans?"

"Of course, these are Santana sedans, very high-end vehicles. I heard each one costs at least 200,000 yuan. These 10 brand new Santanas alone are worth over 2 million yuan, not to mention the 10 coaches!"

"Amazing, truly amazing. Who is this groom?"

"..."

The onlookers chattered, all very curious about the groom's identity. After all, this grand display was unprecedented in Baise's wedding history.

Just as everyone was whispering, over a dozen people came down carrying exquisite bamboo baskets filled with candy, distributing wedding candy to everyone.

The Chinese value good luck, and on such a joyous occasion as a wedding, it is common practice to distribute wedding candy to everyone, provided the conditions allow. However, the crowd today was exceptionally large, and if it were any other couple, they probably couldn't afford to distribute so much candy.

After all, there were at least two to three thousand people on the scene. Even if each person received only one piece of candy, that would still be two to three thousand pieces. How many grooms could afford that?

However, for the Deng family, this was no issue. And it wasn't just one piece of candy per person; it was a handful of candy for each person.

This gesture undoubtedly left the onlookers even more impressed.

Immediately, someone who received the candy asked, "Hello, I'd like to ask who the groom is today. We've eaten the wedding candy and would like to offer our blessings."

Then, the person responsible for distributing the candy smiled and replied, "Thank you all. The groom today is the second son of the Na Ye Deng Clan Head, Deng Yunheng."

This news quickly spread through the crowd, and those who heard it were relieved.

So, it was the son of the Na Ye Deng Clan Head getting married. No wonder the display was so grand.

Nowadays, the reputation of the Na Ye Deng Clan in Baise was well-known. Everyone knew this clan was the wealthiest in the county. According to rumors, each household in the Na Ye Deng Clan had at least several tens of thousands of yuan in savings, truly dripping with wealth.

As for the Clan Head, his economic power was even more formidable.

While distributing the candy to the onlookers, the photographers also captured these scenes.

As for guests like Zhao Jing who had come from all over the country, they were not particularly impressed by the 20 "luxury" wedding cars. After being amazed by the Na Ye Deng housing complex, these wedding cars, though impressive, were no longer shocking.

The county government leaders were even less impressed. They knew the Na Ye Deng Clan's strength best, and using such a small number of wedding cars was already quite low-key.

Once the candy distribution was almost complete, the groom and bride, accompanied by the wedding party and the bridal escort, came out of the Richman Hotel.

The groom and bride's overall appearance was meticulously designed by a stylist, and they became the focus of the entire scene, leaving the onlookers in awe.

"Wow, the bride is so beautiful!"

"Yes, truly beautiful, just like those beautiful actresses on TV."

"The groom isn't bad either, he looks quite impressive, befitting the son of the Na Ye Deng Clan Head."

"Truly a perfect match, ordained by heaven!"

"..."

Amidst the onlookers' discussions, the groom, bride, bridal escort, and wedding party all got into the cars.

The groom and bride naturally sat in the lead car, while the bridal escort and wedding party also took the sedans. Deng Shirong arranged for his second son's former leader, Zhao Jing, and a few old colleagues to sit in the remaining sedans.

As for his second son's classmates and alumni from Peking University and the county government leaders, they were arranged to sit in the coaches.

The family members and other helpers from the clan were seated in the large buses.

Once all the people were in the vehicles and the photographers were in position, the 20 wedding cars, under the watchful eyes of thousands of people, slowly drove away from the Richman Hotel, heading towards Na Ye Village.

The distance from the county to Na Ye Village is about 80 kilometers, passing through the towns of Ya Shan, Wang Mao, He Jiang, Dong Ping, and Song Wang.

In this era, the roads had to pass through the centers of each town, and every time the 20 wedding cars arrived at a town, they would cause a huge sensation, with people who saw the wedding car procession boasting to those who hadn't.

From the county to Song Wang Town, the roads were county-level, and the conditions were still manageable, being asphalt roads. Although the road base was a bit narrow and the road was somewhat winding with many slopes, at least the surface was relatively smooth, without potholes, making the journey quite smooth.

Along the way, the bride's party and the guests from all over the country were very interested in the scenery outside the windows. This place, with its low mountains, winding roads, and unique architectural style, was quite novel to them.

However, from the Tan Lian intersection, when they took a small road towards Shuang Wang, the narrow and bumpy road conditions caused the cars and buses to start shaking, making the wedding party and most of the guests feel dizzy and nauseous.

In the lead car, Gu Caiwei, feeling uncomfortable from the shaking, leaned against Deng Yunheng and said, "Brother Heng, why is the road in your Shuang Wang Township so bad?"

Deng Yunheng sighed, "There's no way around it. Shuang Wang Township isn't on the county road, and the geographical location is poor. Plus, there are many mountains here, making it difficult to build roads. For now, it's just like this."

Gu Caiwei asked, "How much farther is it to your home?"

Deng Yunheng replied, "About ten kilometers. The road is rough, so it will take a bit longer. Please bear with it!"

Gu Caiwei nodded and said, "I'm fine."

In one of the large buses, there were many county government leaders.

At this moment, the bus was constantly shaking, causing the leaders to break out in cold sweat.

These county leaders were well aware of the condition of this road and knew it needed to be repaired. However, the development priorities of the county had to be balanced. Compared to this road, they believed there were other more pressing matters to address, which was why no county leader had agreed to the Shuang Wang Township government's request for funding to repair the road.

But times have changed, and now every leader in the county government wished this road could be fixed immediately.

Because, today, not only were they using this road, but also leaders from all over the country, including provincial leaders, were using it.

If these leaders were just passing by, it wouldn't be a big deal, but now this provincial leader had become a relative of the Na Ye Deng Clan Head. This meant the leader wouldn't just visit once and might come back at any time.

With such poor road conditions, having such a high-ranking leader travel back and forth was something no local leader could sit idly by and watch.

Even though this leader wasn't from their province but from Hubei, with a province in between, they all knew how extensive the network of relationships could be within the system.

The higher the rank, the wider the network. Who could guarantee that this high-ranking leader didn't have connections in Guangxi?

If the leader complained about the road conditions to a leader in Guangxi, the seated leaders would all be in trouble.

Thus, the vice-county magistrate in charge of the Transportation Bureau took the lead and said, "Last year, the Shuang Wang Township government submitted a report requesting funding to repair the township's roads. Previously, due to unripe conditions, I put the report on hold. Now, I believe the conditions are ripe. What do you all think?"

This vice-county magistrate's lead was immediately followed by another vice-county magistrate, who said, "I also believe the conditions are ripe for road repairs."

Another vice-county magistrate added, "This road is indeed in dire need of repair."

The county magistrate nodded and said, "This road now concerns the image of our county. Moreover, the development of the Na Ye Deng Clan in Shuang Wang is rapid, and it will eventually boost the development of the entire village and township. Building a wide asphalt road is very necessary. Secretary, what do you think?"

Secretary Song said, "The county magistrate is right. This road does concern the image of our county. Let's have a meeting tomorrow to implement this."

The other leaders nodded in agreement, and with a few simple words, the leaders were unified in their thoughts.

...

If this were a modern highway, the ten-kilometer stretch would take just a few minutes, but on this bumpy, winding small road, the entire convoy took more than half an hour to reach the territory of the Na Ye Deng Clan.

Then, the road conditions drastically improved.

From the narrow, bumpy dirt roads, it suddenly became a 60-meter-wide cement road with a central green belt.

At the junction of the cement and dirt roads, there was a very impressive archway. This archway was not the inflatable kind from the future, which wouldn't appear until the mid-1990s. This archway was built with bamboo and wood, adorned with red cloth and balloons.

Sitting in the lead car, Gu Caiwei was the first to see it, her heart filled with surprise. The groom's family had truly put a lot of effort into this wedding.

Beyond the archway, the path was adorned with vibrant balloons and an abundance of "Double Happiness" symbols, creating a festive atmosphere.

Not only did Gu Caiwei see this, but the bridal party and numerous guests also saw it, all of them marveling at the sight.

In the future, such decorations would be commonplace, and no one would find them strange.

But in this era, such an arrangement was truly groundbreaking, stunning everyone.

It's important to note that the balloons weren't just arranged for a few dozen meters; they covered the entire 60-meter-wide village road, using an astonishing number of balloons.

The photographers recorded these scenes, taking many photos. They had taken many videos and photos before, but never had they captured such a grand wedding scene. As photographers, they were extremely excited.

Of course, besides the groom's family's meticulous arrangements that left everyone in awe, the 60-meter-wide road that shouldn't exist in such a remote village also drew everyone's attention.

Such a wide cement road wouldn't be surprising in a big city, but in this remote, small village, it felt different. Especially when compared to the narrow, bumpy dirt road they had just traveled on, the contrast was truly stark.

Apart from the 60-meter-wide road that shocked the guests, the cluster of buildings several dozen meters to the left also left everyone in awe.

Although these buildings were currently only at the foundation stage, there was still a long way to go before they were completed. However, the scale of this building complex was enormous, stretching from the 60-meter-wide road and continuing for as long as the road itself.

This scene sparked much discussion among the guests.

The 60-meter-wide road was entirely paved with cement, and it took only about three minutes to reach Deng Shirong's home, which was over two kilometers away, thanks to the wide and smooth road.

The area in front of Deng Shirong's house was spacious enough to accommodate the 20 wedding cars without any issues.

At home, Xiao Dong'er and Dongzi had been eagerly waiting. Seeing the wedding cars return, the two little ones were so excited that they cheered. As soon as the cars stopped, they ran over Eagerly.

When the groom and bride got out of the car, Xiao Dong'er exclaimed, "Wow, Aunt Caiwei, you look so beautiful today!"

Gu Caiwei reached out to pat her little head, smiling and praising her, "Xiao Dong'er, you look beautiful too today!"

Deng Yunheng laughed and said, "Xiao Dong'er, Dongzi, do I look handsome today?"

Xiao Dong'er nodded, "Yes, Uncle Yunheng looks especially handsome today."

Dongzi, like a parrot, nodded in agreement, "Uncle Yunheng looks very handsome today."

At this moment, the other guests also got out of the cars. Seeing the green-brick and tile-roofed house of the Deng family, they all breathed a sigh of relief, finding the architecture to be normal.

Deng Shirong came to Zhao Jing and said with a smile, "Leader, you can rest at home first, or you can go to the banquet site to take a look."

Zhao Jing smiled and said, "Okay, where is the banquet site?"

Deng Shirong pointed to a small hill on the left and said, "It's right there."

Zhao Jing followed the direction Deng Shirong pointed to and saw the exquisite building, surprised, she asked, "Uncle Deng, is that?"

Deng Shirong said, "That's the Na Ye Deng Clan Ancestral Hall. If you're interested, you can visit it."

Zhao Jing nodded and said, "Okay, Uncle Deng, you go ahead with your business. I'll go with my colleagues to visit it."

Deng Shirong hummed in acknowledgment and then said the same thing to the in-laws and other guests.

Since the Deng family had made this wedding so grand, Gu Caiwei's parents and the other guests also wanted to see the banquet site.

Thus, everyone set off in a large group toward the Na Ye Deng Clan Ancestral Hall.

As for the groom and bride, they had to follow local customs and first pay respects to the ancestral shrine.

The Na Ye Deng Clan Ancestral Hall was very close to Deng Shirong's house, less than fifty meters away in a straight line. If they took a detour, it was just over a hundred meters. Therefore, the guests quickly arrived at the banquet site.

At this moment, the entrance of the ancestral hall was already filled with tables and chairs, with at least several hundred tables neatly arranged.

The hall was bustling with guests, the tables adorned with red and gold linens, and the air filled with the aroma of traditional wedding delicacies. The atmosphere was lively, with laughter and music echoing through the hall.

On both sides, temporary stoves were set up, and over a dozen hired chefs were busy preparing the food.

However, these sights only caught the guests' attention for a moment. They were soon completely captivated by the grandeur of the ancestral hall.

Then, including Gu Caiwei's parents, all the guests walked toward the ancestral hall in unison.

As they drew closer, they were even more astonished.

The entrance to the ancestral hall was adorned with intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes, and various lifelike reliefs that clearly showed this was no ordinary ancestral hall.

Upon entering the hall, the guests were even more amazed.

Such a magnificent and grand ancestral hall was something they had never seen, let alone heard of. This ancestral hall was undoubtedly the most exquisite and meticulously crafted they had ever seen.

After admiring the poetic and picturesque ancestral hall, the group stood before the family merit stele to read the inscriptions.

After reading the inscriptions, the next step was the family donation ceremony. The first thing that caught everyone's eye was undoubtedly the family merit stele of the Deng Shirong family, which occupied the largest space.

Originally, the guests did not know much about the Deng Shirong family, but after reading the inscriptions on the merit stele, they truly understood the situation of the Deng family.

"My goodness, Uncle Deng is really amazing!"

"Yes, it's really unbelievable. In less than ten years, he developed from having nothing to his current status. It's truly unbelievable."

"No wonder County Chief Deng never lacked money during his school days and was known as one of the wealthiest students. It seems Uncle Deng was already successful back then, and the family certainly wasn't short of money!"

"I admire him. Leading the entire clan to prosperity, Uncle Deng is truly incredible."

"Uncle Deng's vision is truly great. If it were anyone else, they would have kept such a good business opportunity to themselves. Who would share it with the whole clan!"

"As they say, a father's character is reflected in his son. It seems County Chief Deng's success was inevitable, not just a coincidence."

"With such an excellent father leading the family, the entire household is thriving, and each child has their own achievements. They are truly role models for us to learn from."

"Just building this ancestral hall, Uncle Deng donated over 300,000 yuan. This level of wealth is truly terrifying."

"..."

After reading the family merit stele, the guests could not stop praising the Deng family. Even those with distinguished backgrounds, like Zhao Jing and Li Haibo, were impressed.

Indeed, throughout Chinese history, the concept of the primacy of officials has been deeply rooted. Wealthy people were nothing compared to those in power.

However, this comparison depends on the level of the official and the amount of wealth.

Through indirect inquiries, they all knew that the Deng Shirong family's current assets were in the millions, and this wealth was still rapidly growing. This level of wealth in the 1990s was truly remarkable.

More importantly, this wealth was earned through legitimate means, unlike those who gained it through dubious methods.

In short, from this moment on, the guests held Deng Yunheng in even higher regard.

Originally, he was already an outstanding and impressive individual. Now, becoming the son-in-law of a provincial leader and having a father with exceptional abilities, who wouldn't want to form a connection with such a promising person?

When the Gu family read the inscriptions on the family merit stele, they also showed expressions of pleasant surprise. Initially, they only valued Deng Yunheng as an excellent son-in-law and were not particularly concerned about his family background. Neither Gu Father nor Gu Mother were the type to emphasize social status.

However, when they visited Nanning last year to see the family, the Five Peaks Plaza of the son-in-law's family left a small but significant impression on the Gu family, making them realize that the son-in-law's family had a very good economic condition. Although they were from a rural background with no particular connections, their financial status was better than that of most people in the country.

Now, it was even more evident. The in-laws were even more outstanding than they had imagined, which was a pleasant surprise for the Gu family.

While the guests were admiring the family merit stele, the newlyweds, after paying respects to their ancestors, returned to the ancestral hall to worship the ancestors of the Na Ye Deng clan.

By the time these rituals were completed, it was nearly noon.

At this point, the clan members responsible for receiving the guests began to guide them to their seats. The bridal party, guests from all over the country, and the county government leaders were naturally seated at the front in better positions.

Other leaders from the township government and distinguished clan members were seated in slightly less prominent positions.

The remaining seats were for relatives, friends, and clan members.

There was no way around it; in China, seating arrangements have always been important. Since many of the guests were officials, Deng Shirong could not arrange the seating haphazardly. He basically arranged the seats based on rank and the closeness of the relationship.

He also tried to group people together to make the dining experience more comfortable.

For example, Deng Yunheng's colleagues from the ministry were seated at the same table.

His classmates, alumni, and fellow townspeople from Peking University were also seated together.

The county government leaders were seated at one table.

Once all the guests were seated, Deng Shirong, as the father of the groom, took the stage to deliver a speech.

...

PS: This month is almost over, and tomorrow is the start of a new month. The initial monthly support is very important. There will be an update and a monthly summary at midnight. I hope all the relatives can support this book by casting their initial monthly votes. Thank you very much!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end