Chapter 428: Returning to the Capital Again to Set a Marriage Date for the Third Son

Chapter 428: Returning to the Capital Again to Set a Marriage Date for the Third Son

1992 was indeed a crucial year for our country.

With the sudden collapse of the old leader and the conclusion of Deng's Southern Tour, the country underwent a seismic shift.

First, the wave of migrant workers surged, with a significant number of people heading to Guangdong to work. Second, the wave of entrepreneurs surged, with the elites within the system responding to the nation's call, either resigning or taking unpaid leave to start businesses.

In this era of reform, enterprises from Hong Kong, Macau, and abroad also set their sights on the mainland, a super-potential market.

Among them, the Unification Group, which Deng Shirong had been closely watching, entered the mainland market at this time.

In the previous life, Kangshifu and Unification were both Taiwanese enterprises, and the two had been competing in the mainland for over thirty years, neither able to defeat the other.

In this life, due to Deng Shirong's early move, he took the lead, preventing the original founder of Kangshifu from establishing it, and it was unknown which path the founder of Kangshifu would take in this life.

However, while Kangshifu had changed, its rival, Unification, remained the same, and it would still come.

Even though Kangshifu was the absolute dominant in the instant noodle market with a market share exceeding 95%, it was hard to find a rival.

But Deng Shirong still did not dare underestimate Unification, as Unification, though a newcomer to the mainland market, was a dominant player in the Taiwanese instant noodle industry, not a small player.

Faced with such a rival, even with the memories of the previous life, Deng Shirong was not confident that he could definitely defeat the opponent.

Of course, Kangshifu's current advantage was still significant.

Leading in market share, Kangshifu had a well-established distribution channel, which Deng Shirong valued highly, and the results of years of persistent efforts were very evident.

Without exaggeration, the distribution channel Deng Group was aiming to launch a product that could be found nationwide, was indeed impressive.

With the memories of the previous life, Unification against Kangshifu in this life would undoubtedly suffer a crushing defeat, and Deng Shirong was confident in this.

However, confidence was one thing, and the strength of Unification was another. With the lessons from the previous life, Deng Shirong knew that Unification had to be taken seriously, so after Unification entered the mainland market, Deng Shirong came to the Nanning headquarters of Deng Group for a high-level meeting.

Once everyone was gathered, Deng Shirong, without beating around the bush, placed a pack of instant noodles on the table and said, "Everyone, our Kangshifu's rival has arrived!"

The senior executives in the room were mostly aware of the news.

The vice president, Lin Zhongjun, said, "Chairman, according to the latest news, Unification's new shrimp-flavored noodle has performed very poorly in the market, and it has not affected the sales of our Kangshifu noodles at all."

The marketing manager, Li Guanghui, smiled confidently and said, "While Unification is indeed powerful in Taiwan, the domestic market is Kangshifu's territory. It's not easy for them to challenge our dominance in the domestic market."

Deng Changpei said, "Our Kangshifu noodles have long been deeply rooted in the domestic market. Mention instant noodles, and people think of Kangshifu. Now, Unification's noodles cannot compete with us, and that's a very normal thing."

The others also spoke, all confident in their products.

It's no wonder they were confident. There were many domestic instant noodle producers, with dozens of brands, but except for the previous Huafeng noodles, all other brands were weak and could not stand up to Kangshifu noodles.

The original leader of Huafeng noodles was quite impressive and could still hold a significant market share despite Kangshifu's pressure, but it was acquired by foreign capital, and the leader was replaced, making the brand weak.

In the previous life, Huafeng was acquired by foreign capital this year, but due to Deng Shirong's influence, the butterfly effect made foreign capital acquire Huafeng two years earlier, which helped Kangshifu noodles grow faster and capture over 95% of the market share.

Now, although Unification noodles are impressive, the senior executives were still confident in their own products, especially after the failure of Unification's first product. The senior executives did not take Unification as seriously as before.

After everyone had spoken, the general manager, Deng Changyu, said, "Everyone, don't underestimate Unification's failure with this shrimp-flavored noodle. This is just a small mistake. They thought that a flavor popular in Taiwan would also be popular in the mainland. Once they realize the taste difference, they will adjust their strategy and launch products suitable for the mainland, and they won't make the same mistake with the shrimp-flavored noodle."

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "That's right. The Unification Group is the dominant player in the Taiwanese instant noodle market. They won't make the same mistake twice. Their next product will definitely cater to the public's taste. Even if it can't match our products, it will certainly capture a portion of our market share."

"And it's not just about them launching new products to compete with us. What's truly worrying is if they don't play fair and directly copy our products, like launching a Unification Braised Beef Noodles or a Unification Spicy Beef Noodles. That would be a real problem."

Lin Zhongjun was taken aback. "Chairman, they wouldn't go that far, would they? They're a major group, after all. Would they really do something so despicable?"

Deng Shirong replied, "As the saying goes, business is like warfare. As long as it helps them defeat their competitors and make money, what's a little copying? After all, it costs them nothing, and while it may be morally questionable, legally, we can't do much about it."

"If they really stoop to that level, it would be quite unpleasant!"

"It would be unpleasant, but it's also true that such actions would significantly impact our instant noodle sales."

"Indeed, if they copy even the packaging, they would attract a portion of our customers. Even if they can't match us, it would still affect our sales."

"What can we do? Just sit by and watch them copy us?"

"..."

Listening to their discussion, Deng Shirong added, "That's not the worst of it. The worst would be if they copy us and then lower their prices. If we don't follow suit, our sales could be overtaken by theirs."

This statement made everyone uneasy.

"If they really do that, what can we do? Follow their lead and lower our prices?"

"Our instant noodles are profitable now, but if we lower our prices, our profits will drop significantly. That wouldn't be a good thing!"

"There's no need to worry too much. Our distribution network for Kangshifu instant noodles took us years to build. The Unification Group is new to the market and can't match our distribution channels. Additionally, our brand is well-known in the domestic market. While Unification Group is famous in Taiwan, they can't compete with us in terms of recognition here. If the prices are the same, they won't be able to beat us."

"That's true. If they lower their prices, we'll lower ours too and see who backs down first."

"..."

Deng Shirong tapped the table and, once everyone's attention was on him, continued, "A price war should be a last resort. I don't advocate for a price war because it benefits no one and will likely result in both sides losing. However, if it becomes unavoidable, we need to find another way to fight back."

"Another way to fight back?"

Deng Changyu asked eagerly, "Chairman, do you have a plan?"

Deng Shirong said, "Not exactly a plan, but if they lower their prices, we'll keep our prices the same and offer a free sausage with each pack of instant noodles to offset their price cut."

Deng Changpei asked, "What if they also offer a free sausage on top of their price cut?"

Deng Shirong replied, "We'll set up a sausage processing plant now. If they offer a free sausage with their price cut, we'll offer two. This way, even if we don't make a profit on the instant noodles, we can still make money on the sausages."

Lin Zhongjun couldn't help but praise, "That's a great idea, Chairman. While our instant noodles are profitable, if they lower their prices and still offer two free sausages, they'll be losing money. If they don't follow suit, we can make money on both the instant noodles and the sausages. Even if the combined profit is less than what we have now, we'll still be in a better position. This way, we'll come out on top."

Li Guanghui also praised, "Chairman, you're truly far-sighted. By planning ahead, we'll be able to catch them off guard."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "These are just ideas. We don't know what they'll do. For now, let's set up some strategies and wait and see. Everyone, share your thoughts and ideas. We need to brainstorm and prepare several contingency plans. This way, when they make their move, we'll be ready to counter."

With that, everyone eagerly began to offer various suggestions. The meeting lasted for over two hours before concluding. While Deng Shirong was highly vigilant about the Unification Group, he also knew that after the failure of their first product, they would conduct market research and wouldn't rush to launch a second product.

Moreover, the Unification Group still had some pride. Their second, third, and even fourth products would likely be original flavors. They would only resort to copying if they couldn't create a product that could compete with Kangshifu instant noodles.

After all, if there's a chance to defeat the opponent fairly, no one wants to resort to despicable means.

...

After setting the strategy to counter the Unification Group, Deng Shirong boarded a flight to the capital.

This trip to the capital had two purposes. One was to inspect the courtyard house (siheyuan) that had been renovated for the third son. The other was to deliver the engagement gifts to the third son’s fiancee’s family, setting the wedding date.

That afternoon, Deng Shirong arrived in the capital.

He immediately headed to the courtyard house prepared for the third son. Using the perspective provided by the system space, he quickly inspected the entire courtyard, growing more and more satisfied. The renovation team, recommended by President Huang, truly had the capability.

That night, Deng Shirong placed the bed from the system space and rested there for the night.

...

The next noon.

In a department of the Ministry of Finance.

Deng Yongsong was organizing documents when Pei Qinghua walked over.

Deng Yongsong put the documents away and smiled, "Let's go!"

Pei Qinghua smiled in response, and the two walked out of the office side by side.

The other colleagues, seeing this, were no longer surprised. The news of Deng Yongsong and Pei Qinghua dating was no longer a secret in their department, and it had even spread to other departments. Unmarried male colleagues felt a mix of envy and resentment towards Deng Yongsong.

After all, Pei Qinghua was their department's "flower," a goddess of beauty and intelligence. The fact that she had been "picked" by another man within just over a year of joining their department was a source of frustration, not just for the unmarried but even for the married male colleagues.

Unfortunately, no matter how they felt, they couldn't change the fact that she was already taken.

Deng Yongsong and Pei Qinghua walked out of the building, chatting and laughing, and immediately saw Deng Shirong waiting outside.

"Father, you're here already!" Deng Yongsong greeted with surprise.

"Uncle Deng!" Pei Qinghua also greeted him.

Deng Shirong nodded and smiled, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go out for a meal and chat while we eat."

Deng Yongsong and Pei Qinghua agreed, and the three of them walked to a nearby restaurant they had visited before.

After ordering the dishes and waiting for the server to leave, they began to chat.

After some casual conversation about family matters, Deng Shirong mentioned the main reason for his visit, "I already told you over the phone about my trip to the capital. I've also arranged to meet your parents tomorrow to finalize the wedding date."

Hearing this, Deng Yongsong and Pei Qinghua exchanged a glance, both showing joy in their eyes.

In this era, matters of chastity and honor were taken more seriously than in the future. While some couples did engage in premarital relations, most women still valued their reputation and would not go too far before marriage.

Deng Yongsong and Pei Qinghua, deeply in love, naturally felt some restraint but were eager to get married as soon as possible. This would allow them to enjoy their relationship freely.

Deng Yongsong asked, "Father, which of the auspicious days did the master choose?"

"I had the master pick three auspicious days: the third day of the third lunar month, the twenty-second day of the fourth lunar month, and the fourteenth day of the fifth lunar month. All are very auspicious. Tomorrow, we'll let your parents choose one of these days for your wedding."

Turning to them, Deng Shirong asked, "Yongsong, Qinghua, do you want a Western or a traditional Chinese wedding?"

Deng Yongsong and Pei Qinghua hadn't discussed this before. Deng Yongsong looked at Pei Qinghua, "Qinghua, you decide. Do you prefer a traditional or a Western wedding?"

Pei Qinghua, blushing, replied, "Father, you and my parents can decide. I'm fine with either style."

Deng Shirong smiled, "Alright, I'll ask your parents tomorrow and let them decide."

At this point, the server began to serve the dishes, and the three of them focused on their meal.

...

The next morning.

Deng Shirong and his son carried the engagement gifts and were led by Pei Qinghua to the old Pei family residence.

Pei Qinghua's father was the head of a department, and the residential compound was crowded, making it unsuitable for receiving the engagement gifts. Therefore, the meeting was arranged at the old family residence.

The old Pei family residence was a two-courtyard courtyard house. Since the family often returned, it was well-equipped.

Initially, Pei Qinghua's parents had planned to hold the wedding at this old house. While the two-courtyard courtyard wasn as large as a three-courtyard one, it was more than enough for a few tables and to entertain the guests at the wedding.

However, before they could suggest, the groom's father had mentioned that they had a house in the capital, which they planned to renovate for Deng Yongsong and Pei Qinghua to get married.

Hearing this, Pei Qinghua's parents felt it was inappropriate to say anything more.

Now, after several months, the groom's father had come to Beijing again to discuss the wedding date with them. This indicated that the house had already been renovated, and they were also curious about what kind of house the groom's family had in Beijing and whether it was suitable for the wedding.

If it was suitable, that would be best. If not, they would have to hold the wedding at a restaurant.

...

Around ten o'clock, Deng Shirong and his son arrived at the old Pei family residence.

The greetings and pleasantries upon meeting are omitted here.

The engagement gifts Deng Shirong brought, besides 10,001 yuan in cash, were mostly ordinary wedding items, which are not detailed one by one.

After drinking some tea and chatting about family matters, Deng Shirong got to the main point: "Relatives, the wedding house for Xiaosong and Xiaopei has been renovated. I came this time to set a wedding date and choose an auspicious day for the ceremony."

Pei Qinghua's parents were quite satisfied. The groom's family was far away in Guangxi, and it wasn't easy to buy a house in Beijing. Regardless of the type of house, the fact that they had renovated it to serve as a wedding house for their daughter showed their sincerity.

Since they were quite satisfied with the groom, Pei Qinghua's father had no intention of making things difficult for the groom's family. He nodded and said, "It's time to set the wedding date. I wonder if you have already chosen an auspicious day?"

Deng Shirong took out the auspicious days he had mentioned to the third son and his fiancee and said, "These three are all very auspicious days. You can choose one of them."

Pei Qinghua's parents exchanged a glance and deliberated, "Let's choose the fourteenth day of the fifth lunar month. By then, they might have been promoted, making it a double celebration."

Upon hearing this, Deng Shirong and his son were both invigorated.

Pei Qinghua was also pleasantly surprised, "Dad, you're helping us with our promotions?"

Pei Qinghua's father smiled, "I spoke to your leaders not long ago. With your abilities, you would likely be promoted in a few months even without my intervention. I just helped to ensure it happens sooner.

If everything goes well, you should be promoted within three months."

Pei Qinghua beamed, "Thank you, Dad!"

Deng Yongsong also expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Uncle."

Although his older brother had been promoted to deputy section chief in a timely manner while working in a ministry, Deng Yongsong also had a chance to be promoted on schedule. However, before the promotion, everything was uncertain, even if his work performance often received praise from his superiors. There was no guarantee he would be promoted soon.

But now, with his future father-in-law's intervention, everything changed.

In the political arena, every step of promotion was not easy, and he should be grateful for his future father-in-law's assistance.

Deng Shirong naturally understood this as well and said politely, "Thank you for your help with my son."

Pei Qinghua's father smiled, "We're family, no need to be so formal."

With this friendly start, the subsequent discussions went even more smoothly.

After setting the wedding date, Deng Shirong asked, "Relatives, do you want a traditional Chinese or a Western wedding?"

Pei Qinghua's mother countered, "Relatives, I'd like to ask, does a traditional Chinese wedding refer to the old-style wedding?"

Deng Shirong explained, "Not entirely. If you choose a traditional Chinese wedding, it's not appropriate to have a grand ceremony in this era. My suggestion is to simplify it, removing most of the complex rituals and keeping only the essential parts.

For example, the house decoration, the bride and groom's attire, and the wedding ceremony."

Pei Qinghua's father nodded, "I think a simplified traditional Chinese wedding sounds good."

In the Pei family, the father's word was final. Since he had given his opinion, Pei Qinghua's mother naturally agreed.

As for Pei Qinghua, she left the decision to her parents.

Deng Shirong said, "Alright, I'll prepare a traditional Chinese wedding for them."

Pei Qinghua's mother asked, "Relatives, have you decided where to hold the wedding?"

Deng Shirong replied, "Their wedding house has been renovated. My idea is to hold the wedding there. Since the wedding house is a courtyard house, it is suitable for a traditional Chinese wedding. If we hold it at a restaurant, it would be out of place."

Pei Qinghua's parents' eyes lit up. If the wedding house was a courtyard house, even a simple one would be sufficient for a few tables. If it was a two-courtyard house like their old family residence, the wedding would be even more perfect.

As for a three-courtyard house, they hadn't even considered it.

After all, a three-courtyard courtyard house was very expensive in this era. Even with their financial means, buying one would be a significant financial strain.

Since the Deng family didn't live in Beijing, they wouldn't have bought a three-courtyard courtyard house for their son even if they had bought a house in Beijing.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end