Chapter 413: My Father Is the Head of This Place

Chapter 413: My Father Is the Head of This Place

It was Sunday.

In the capital city, at the Ministry of Finance.

After a simple breakfast outside, Deng Yongsong brought along some common gifts like cigarettes, alcohol, and tea, and took the bus with Pei Qinghua to go back to her home to meet her parents.

Once they got off the bus, Pei Qinghua teased with a smile, "Director Deng, we're about to meet my parents. Are you nervous?"

Deng Yongsong, holding the gifts with his right hand and his chest with his left, exaggeratedly replied, "You mention it, and I am indeed a bit nervous. What are your parents like? I've taken their precious daughter away, will they be upset and give me a cold shoulder?"

Pei Qinghua chuckled, "My parents are reasonable people, they won't make things difficult for you."

Deng Yongsong said, "Reasonable is good, but I'm afraid of parents who beat up doves, that would be hard to handle."

Pei Qinghua, thinking of her mother who always emphasized the family background, said, "My dad is a good talker, and he supports my free love. However, my mom is a bit particular. You'll have to show well, okay?"

Deng Yongsong nodded, "Don't worry, I'll definitely show well and won't let you down."

Pei Qinghua said, "That's about it."

As they talked, other, they had already arrived at a certain family compound.

Deng Yongsong looked at the name of the ministry, not too surprised, after all, their Ministry of Finance is no worse than any other ministry.

However, considering Pei Qinghua's parents' age, if they worked here, their position wouldn't be low. Deng Yongsong then asked, "Qinghua, isn't your father a leader here? What level?"

Pei Qinghua, though not wanting to pressure him, but since he asked, she didn't hide it, blinking her eyes, "My dad is the head of this place."

Deng Yongsong was startled by the news, stopping in his tracks, with a shocked look, "Your dad is the head of this place?"

He had been with Pei Qinghua for so long and knew her family background should be good, way. but never expected it to be this strong, the head of this place, a position equivalent to a true governor, even more powerful than her brother-in-law.

Pei Qinghua smiled, "That's quite a surprise, isn't it?"

Deng Yongsong smiled bitterly, "Who wouldn't be surprised? I never thought your family background would be so good. Luckily, you're low-key, not showing off your background early, otherwise, I wouldn't have had the courage to confess to you."

Pei Qinghua comforted, "Don't worry, my dad is my dad, I am who I am. No matter how high his position is, it doesn't affect our relationship."

Deng Yongsong asked, "In families like yours, don't they all care about the background, do your parents approve?"

Pei Qinghua said, "My parents are very understanding. As long as I'm happy, the background is secondary. Come on, don't stand there dumb, let's go in!"

Deng Yongsong took a deep breath and followed her to her parents' home.

In the living room.

Knowing that today their precious daughter would bring a boyfriend to dinner, Pei's father naturally declined all social engagements, staying home to prepare for the man who could make his daughter's heart.

Pei's mother washed the fruits and placed them in a fruit plate, saying, "Old Pei, wait a bit, and our daughter will bring the person back. We need to ask clearly, and then you can investigate him later to see if he's lying, and we need to know his background before I can let our daughter be with him."

Pei's father said, "Don't worry, I know how to handle it, and I also believe in our daughter's judgment."

Pei's mother said, "I also believe the man our daughter likes won't be bad, but marriage isn't just about the individual; it involves both families. Anyway, my stance is that without a proper background, I won't agree to their marriage."

Pei's father laughed, "Before, our daughter didn't say anything, but your brother-in-law is already a deputy director at a young age, that background is enough."

Pei's mother nodded, "As long as that background is real, I won't interfere with their relationship."

Pei's father said, "Alright, go and make the preparations. We'll talk about the rest when they come."

Pei's mother responded and went into the kitchen to prepare lunch.

...

By ten in the morning, led by Pei Qinghua, Deng Yongsong arrived at her parents' home, meeting Pei's father and mother.

"Mom, Dad, this is my boyfriend, Deng Yongsong."

"Uncle and Aunt, hello!"

"Hello!"

They exchanged greetings, and the formalities were skipped.

As they sat down to drink tea, Pei's father and mother quietly observed the young man.

His appearance was a typical square face, very leader-like, but not particularly handsome or unattractive, just a face that looked somewhat pleasant.

Just in terms of appearance, the man in front of them was definitely not as impressive as their precious daughter, who had an outstanding figure and appearance.

However, as long as a man looks decent, the most important thing is his talent.

Mr. Pei took a sip of tea and asked, "Yongsong, I heard from Qinghua that you're from Yulin, Guangxi?"

Deng Yongsong nodded and replied, "Yes, I'm from Bobai County, Yulin, Guangxi."

Mr. Pei said, "I've been to Nanning, Guilin, Wuzhou, and Baise in Guangxi, but I haven't been to Yulin."

Deng Yongsong said, "That's quite normal. Our Yulin doesn't have much presence in Guangxi compared to Nanning, Guilin, Wuzhou, and Baise. Nanning, of course, is the capital of Guangxi. Guilin, besides being a well-known tourist city, is also a historical political, cultural, and economic center of Guangxi. Wuzhou is a city with very strong economic power. As for Baise, although its economic strength is not great, it is a city of uprisings and has a significant reputation nationwide, naturally surpassing our Yulin."

Mr. Pei smiled and said, "On a large scale, there are always some countries that are strong and some that are weak. On a small scale, in a family, there are always some siblings who are successful and some who are not. This is very normal."

Deng Yongsong nodded and said, "Uncle, you're right."

Mr. Pei said, "What I feel about Guangxi is that you all love to eat noodles. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner can all be solved with a bowl of noodles. The one that left the deepest impression on me is the Lao You Fen from Nanning. When I went to Nanning, I accidentally caught a cold, and after eating a bowl of fresh and spicy Lao You Fen, my cold actually got better."

Deng Yongsong laughed and said, "Uncle, that's quite a coincidence. The birth of Lao You Fen is actually related to a cold!"

Mr. Pei asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Deng Yongsong began to tell the story of the origin of Lao You Fen: "In the 1930s in Nanning, a group of friends would gather at a teahouse every day to drink tea."

"One day, one of the friends fell seriously ill and was bedridden. The teahouse owner specially made a bowl of noodles with garlic, fermented black beans, chili, pickled bamboo shoots, minced beef, and black pepper. This dish not only greatly increased the friend's appetite but also helped him sweat and recover from his illness."

"The friend, to thank his friends and the teahouse owner for creating this health-improving and appetite-stimulating dish, wrote a sign reading 'Old Friends Always Come.' Thus, Lao You Fen got its name and, combined with the local preference for rice noodles, developed into Lao You Fen."

Mr. Pei realized, "So, Lao You Fen has such a story behind it!"

Deng Yongsong laughed and said, "It's said that Lao You Fen has unique effects of stimulating the appetite, relieving greasiness, dispelling cold, and refreshing the mind. I'm not sure if it's true, but since Uncle experienced it firsthand, it seems it does have some effect in dispelling cold."

Hearing this, Pei Qinghua couldn't help but interject, "A bowl of noodles can have such magical effects? What does it taste like?"

Deng Yongsong laughed and said, "It tastes very good, fresh and spicy, and it stimulates the appetite. If you ever visit Guangxi, I'll definitely take you to try it."

Pei Qinghua nodded and said, "Sure, I'll definitely try Lao You Fen when the time comes."

Seeing that her husband was taking too long to get to the main point, Pei's mother couldn't help but take the initiative and asked, "Yongsong, Qinghua mentioned that you have an elder brother who graduated from Peking University and is now working in Fujian, and he's already a deputy director at the hall level?"

Deng Yongsong, who had come to meet the parents-in-law, was well-prepared for the questioning. So, when he heard Pei's mother's question, he directly nodded and said, "Yes, Aunt."

Pei's mother followed up, "Yongsong, Qinghua said your elder brother is only four years older than you. Even as a top graduate from Peking University, it's not normal for him to rise to the deputy director level so quickly. Can you tell us the reason?"

Deng Yongsong smiled and said, "My elder brother's rapid rise to the deputy director level is due to his own work ability, but there's also a significant factor of good luck."

Pei's mother was surprised and asked, "Good luck?"

Deng Yongsong explained, "My elder brother, through his own efforts, became the county magistrate of Fuqing. Last year, he married my elder sister-in-law, and with the help of his father-in-law, he smoothly took over the position of county magistrate. Then, he luckily encountered the county's promotion to a city, which smoothly raised his rank to the deputy director level."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Pei suddenly understood and also caught an important piece of information, asking, "Your elder brother's father-in-law is?"

Deng Yongsong replied, "My elder brother's father-in-law is the Master Gu from Wuhan. I don't know if Uncle knows him?"

Mr. Pei smiled and said, "I've met Master Gu a few times. So your elder brother is his son-in-law. To be chosen by him, it seems your elder brother is indeed a standout!"

Deng Yongsong said, "Uncles, you flatter too much."

Upon hearing this, Pei's mother's heart, which had been hanging, finally settled.

Although Master Gu's position was a step below their family, he was still a deputy minister, a person of high rank and power. The fact that Deng Yongsong's elder Brother could marry into such a family was enough proof.

Anyway, their family didn't demand absolute equality, just that the two families shouldn't have too much of a gap.

With that in mind, Pei's mother gave Deng Yongsong an approving nod and happily went into the kitchen to prepare the meal.

Pei Qinghua gave Deng Yongsong an admiring look. She had been worried that her mother wouldn't be convinced, but she hadn't expected that Deng Yongsong's second brother would have such a powerful father-in-law, which cleared the way for them.

Pei's father praised, "Among my three children, only Qinghua got into a key university. Her two brothers couldn't match her, but your father managed to raise a Tsinghua University graduate and a Peking University graduate. That's truly impressive!"

Deng Yongsong added with a smile, "And my younger brother got into Sun Yat-sen Medical University last year."

Upon hearing this, Pei's father couldn't help but be surprised. While Sun Yat-sen Medical University wasn't as prestigious as Tsinghua or Peking, it was still a key university. Individually, it wouldn't be impressive, but with three brothers—one from Tsinghua, one from Peking, and one from Sun Yat-sen Medical University—it was indeed quite stunning.

Pei Qinghua was equally surprised and looked at him, saying, "Director Deng, such important news, and you didn't tell me?"

Deng Yongsong winked at her, "You never asked me!"

Pei's father couldn't stop praising, "Impressive! How did your father manage to educate you all? Seven siblings, and three of them are key university graduates."

Deng Yongsong laughed and said, "My father used a simple method of rewarding us with money to motivate us, but this method isn't effective for everyone. For example, my second sister and fourth brother, no matter how much we tried to motivate them, their grades just wouldn't improve."

Pei's father sighed, "It seems that besides the right methods, talent is also crucial!"

Pei Qinghua agreed, "Talent is indeed important. When I was in high school, we had a classmate who worked extremely hard, always the first to arrive and the last to leave, but his grades never improved, and he even failed the college entrance exam.

On the other hand, those with talent can easily score high marks with minimal effort and get into key universities. It's really no comparison."

Next, Pei's father and Deng Yongsong chatted about work. As the head of the ministry with decades of experience, Pei's father could easily gauge Deng Yongsong's capabilities. The result was very satisfying. Deng Yongsong, a top graduate from Tsinghua University, indeed had genuine talent and political acumen, though he lacked experience, which would come with time.

For lunch, Pei's mother prepared eight dishes and a soup, a very lavish meal.

After the meal, Deng Yongsong stayed to drink tea with Pei's father for another ten minutes before getting up to leave, "Uncle, Aunt, it's getting late, I'll head back now."

Pei's mother quickly tried to keep him, "Yongsong, stay for dinner!"

Deng Yongsong laughed, "I don't want to disturb your rest, Uncle and Aunt. I'll come to see you next time."

Pei Qinghua added, "Dad, Mom, I'll go back to the office with Yongsong today and come to see you next Sunday."

Pei's father and mother politely tried to keep them a bit longer before saying, "Alright, be careful on the way."

Watching their daughter and Deng Yongsong leave the family compound, Pei's father said contentedly, "Our daughter has good taste. Deng Yongsong is indeed very capable. With his work skills, just a little help at the right time, and he will definitely reach the hall level.

As for whether he can go further, that depends on his destiny."

Pei's mother was surprised, "Old Pei, that's quite a high evaluation. You really think he can reach the hall level?"

Pei's father replied, "Given his demonstrated abilities, even if he relies solely on himself, he has a good 70-80% chance of reaching the hall level. With some support, it's a certainty."

Pei's mother was moved. Although at her husband's level, the hall level wasn't significant for their family, it didn't mean it wasn't impressive. Having a son-in-law who was certain to reach the hall level would be a desirable match for any family.

After all, in China's political system, the hall level was a crucial position.

Pei's mother sighed, "It seems I was worrying too much!"

Pei's father smiled and asked, "Do you still want to investigate him?"

Pei's mother waved her hand, "No need. He's already so capable, and he provided such clear information about his second brother. He knows your position, so he wouldn't lie to you. There's no need for an investigation."

...

Deng Yongsong and Pei Qinghua walked out of the family compound.

On the way to catch the bus, Deng Yongsong asked with a smile, "Director Pei, how was my performance today?"

Pei Qinghua's eyes sparkled as she praised, "Very good. My father rarely praises his juniors like that. Director Deng is indeed capable!"

Deng Yongsong chuckled, "If I weren't capable, how could I win the heart of a beauty like you, Director Pei? Isn't that right?"

Pei Qinghua gave him a sideways look and chided, "Not being serious."

Deng Yongsong took her hand, walking confidently towards the bus stop. Being able to date such a talented and beautiful woman with a decent background, and gaining the recognition of her powerful father, was indeed something to be proud of.

...

On the 16th day of the third lunar month, Tuesday.

Today was the day Deng Shirong was hosting a full moon banquet for his grandson, Er Gou. Relatives, friends, and prominent clan members all gathered to celebrate, and the entire village of Naye mobilized to help.

According to the customs of Shuangwang, full moon banquets generally followed the rule of "male first, female later," meaning that the full moon banquet for a boy could be held in advance, while for a girl, it had to be after one month.

Er Gou was born on the 18th day of the second lunar month, so today was the day for the advanced full moon banquet.

Holding Er Gou was Deng Dami from the Zhang family, who had officially taken up the job.

Seeing this, the villagers were whispering among themselves.

"Hey, why is it Dami from the Zhang family holding Changmao Shu?"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Dami from the Zhang family was chosen by Jiu Gong, who pays her 300 yuan a month to help take care of Changmao Shu! After the full moon banquet, Dami will go to Fujian with him. As long as she takes good care of Changmao Shu, Jiu Gong won't let her down."

"My goodness, to have the chance to help take care of Changmao Shu, Dami's fate is really good!"

"Indeed, her fate is good. The Zhang family is really turning their luck around!"

"Think about before, Zhang Qi had five daughters, and it was really tough back then. If not for Jiu Gong stepping in and scolding her mother-in-law, who knows how much she was despised by her mother-in-law!"

"..."

At the auspicious time, Deng Shirong carried his grandson to the ancestral hall to worship the ancestors, performed the relevant rituals, said some auspicious words, and then returned to start the banquet.

For Er Gou's full moon banquet, Deng Yunheng, the father, was unable to take time off to return and participate. This was inevitable, as Guangxi and Fujian were separated by Guangdong, a distance of thousands of kilometers, making a round trip quite difficult.

After the full moon banquet, Deng Shirong and others returned to Nanning by car in the afternoon, and Deng Dami also went with them.

Upon arriving in Nanning, Deng Dami was undoubtedly stunned by the luxurious mansion at Wuyue Square.

Although the Naye Deng family now had at least 50,000 yuan in savings per household, making them relatively wealthy in rural areas, and they even had houses in the county town, Deng Dami had seen more of the world compared to other villagers.

However, even the Gu family, with their means, was stunned upon their first visit to the mansion, let alone Deng Dami.

Deng Shirong pointed to one of the luxuriously decorated rooms and smiled at Deng Dami, "Dami, you will stay here. Your second mother (Gu Caimei) still needs to recuperate, so we will take you to Fujian in about ten days."

Deng Dami, looking at the extremely beautiful room, was somewhat overwhelmed and said, "Jiuzu, there's no need for such a good room for me. Any room will do."

Deng Shirong laughed, "All the rooms here are like this. You can stay here with peace of mind!"

Deng Dami was truly astonished and thought, "No wonder Jiuzu, his home is truly magnificent." She obediently replied, "Understood, Jiuzu."

Deng Shirong said, "You put your luggage away first, and then we'll go to the second-floor hot pot restaurant for dinner."

Deng Dami nodded, "Okay, Jiuzu."

...

In the following ten days, Deng Dami truly experienced a Life that was hard to imagine before.

Just in terms of clothing, food, housing, and transportation, on the second day in Nanning, her second mother took her shopping and bought a Lot of new clothes. She even took her to a newly opened large hair salon for a haircut, which was said to be opened by Jiuzu's nephew.

In terms of food, it was even better. They either went to the second-floor spicy hot pot restaurant or ate at home. Regardless of where they ate, the meals were extremely abundant, and the taste was so good that she almost wanted to swallow her tongue.

In recent years, her family's economy had improved, and their diet was not lacking in meat and eggs. However, the meals her mother prepared were like pig feed compared to those at Jiuzu's home.

As for housing, Deng Dami didn't know how to describe Jiuzu's super-large and super-luxuriously decorated house.

Even the palaces that emperors lived in probably weren't much better than this, right?

And for transportation, they always used a car, with at least two security personnel accompanying them for protection, just like the tycoons in TV dramas.

In short, this short ten-day life completely refreshed Deng Dami's long-held worldview, making her realize how the wealthy lived.

...

PS: Thank you to all the relatives for your rewards and monthly votes. The author is grateful!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end