Chapter 435: A Stunning Scroll, Villas completed

Chapter 435: A Stunning Scroll, Villas completed

Mount Tai, with its five-thousand-year-old Chinese civilization, is a symbol of the nation's prosperity and the survival of the ethnic group,, the spiritual homeland of the Chinese nation, the epitome of Eastern culture, and the embodiment of the "Harmony of Heaven and Earth" philosophy. It carries the rich historical and cultural connotations of the region and is regarded as the "Direct Path to the Throne" by the ancients, becoming the mountain worshipped by the people and the emperor.

On this day, Deng Shirong and his grandchildren, after having breakfast, got into a car and arrived at Mount Tai.

At the foot of the mountain, they looked up at the towering peak, and both Xiao Dong'er and Dongzi felt some awe.

This main peak, Yuhuang,1,545 meters above sea level, while the entire Bo Bai's highest peak, Liutangjing, is 929 meters above sea level. This can be said to be the highest peak since the birth of the mountain, and the siblings both felt their insignificance.

Now being the summer vacation, the number of tourists visiting Mount Tai is still considerable.

Of course, it is only the early 1990s, the number of tourists is definitely less compared to later times, after all, tourism in this era is expensive, and the economic conditions are much worse than in later times!

After buying the tickets, Deng Shirong, carrying the luggage, led the grandchildren and other tourists up the mountain.

Just starting the climb, both Xiao Dong'er and Dongzi have ample energy, the siblings are excited, especially Dongzi, who doesn’t know how to conserve energy, and starts to jump around.

Deng Shirong, seeing this, says, “Dongzi, don’t jump around, conserve some energy, or you’ll get tired after walking a bit, and I won’t carry you.”

Dongzi, standing tall, says, “Grandpa, I don’t need you to carry me, I can walk myself.”

Deng Shirong chuckles, “Now, if you don’t need me to carry you, after half an hour, you’ll know if you need me to carry you.” Climbing is different from walking; usually, you can walk for one or two hours without getting tired, but climbing only takes half an hour, and you’ll be too exhausted to continue.

Among the tourists walking with Deng Shirong and his grandchildren, a young woman asks, “Uncle, are you taking two children to climb?”

Deng Shirong, while climbing, smiles, “Yes, young lady, is there a problem?”

The young woman reminds, “Uncle, of course, there is a problem. Climbing Mount Tai, even with good physical condition, takes five to six hours, and kids with such good energy might not last more than a few minutes before getting too tired. What to do with the remaining journey?”

Another tourist follows, “You’re right, this young lady is correct. Before coming, adults wanting to climb to the top need better physical condition, and should be less likely to reach the top.”

Another tourist advises, “They’re right; rather than going halfway and not being able to continue, it’s better not to go up at all, to avoid the difficulty of going up and down.”

Deng Shirong bows to them, “Thank you for the reminder, but don’t stop, I’ll carry you if you get too tired.”

Hearing this, other tourists don’t say much more, after all, they don’t know him, and a reminder is helpful.

Thus, the tourists continue to admire the scenery while climbing.

Now, being the sixth month of the lunar calendar, the sun is scorching hot, and the climb is more physically demanding. Under the scorch, the tourists start to sweat profusely.

Deng Shirong doesn’t feel it, he has been reborn for twelve years, and with age, his physical condition has improved, even though he hasn’t tried, he feels he can carry two or three hundred pounds for dozens of miles without a problem.

All these changes, Deng Shirong is not surprised, as he has been reborn, and bringing some benefits is reasonable.

After a moment, Dongzi, feeling thirsty, says, “Grandpa, I’m so thirsty, I want to drink water.”

Deng Shirong takes out two bottles of mineral water and gives them to his grandchildren. The mineral water is not just any, it’s the new brand Nongfu Spring launched by the Deng Group.

Now, Nongfu Spring mineral water, although launched through the Deng Group’s distribution channels, hasn’t started advertising yet, only slowly gaining traction, waiting for CCTV to air the first classic advertisement, making the mineral water soar to the sky.

After another ten minutes, the mineral water in Dongzi’s hands is almost finished, he looks up at the unreachable peak and asks, “Grandpa, how much longer do we need to walk to reach the top?”

Deng Shirong laughs, “We still have a while, if you get tired, we can rest a bit before continuing.”

Dongzi says, “Then I’ll rest first.”

Although his physical condition is better than many of the same age, he is only 10 years old, and even 9 years old haven’t reached the peak!

After walking for over an hour, he is indeed very tired.

Xiao Dong'er was also quite tired and stopped to rest.

After resting for a few minutes, Deng Shirong continued to lead his grandchildren up the mountain.

Then, they walked and rested intermittently, with the walking time getting shorter and the resting time getting longer.

Seeing that Dongzi was truly unable to walk any further, Deng Shirong started carrying him, walking for a few minutes before putting him down and then carrying the equally tired Xiao Dong'er.

In this way, Deng Shirong took turns carrying his grandchildren up the mountain, and by noon, they finally reached the halfway point.

At this spot, many tourists stopped to rest, eating some of the snacks they had brought to replenish their energy before continuing the climb.

The young woman who had first advised Deng Shirong and his grandchildren not to climb was also there. She was eating a steamed bun and was surprised to see the three of them arrive at the halfway point so quickly.

She nodded at Deng Shirong and continued eating her bun.

Seeing that others were eating, Dongzi's stomach couldn't help but growl. He asked, "Grandpa, what are we going to eat?"

Deng Shirong took out a bag of meat buns wrapped in oil paper and smiled, "Eat these."

Dongzi's eyes lit up, and he started gobbling up the buns.

Xiao Dong'er also took a bun and ate it slowly.

After each of them had eaten two buns and drunk several sips of mineral water, their energy was somewhat restored.

After a short rest, seeing that the other tourists were packing up and continuing their climb, Deng Shirong and his grandchildren followed suit.

After walking for ten minutes, Deng Shirong resumed his earlier method, taking turns carrying the siblings.

By around three in the afternoon, the three of them finally reached the summit of Mount Tai.

Despite the intense heat, the temperature at the summit was several degrees lower than at the base, and the cool breeze made the tourists, who were drenched in sweat, feel refreshed. After wiping the sweat off with towels, they were dry within a few minutes.

Xiao Dong'er and Dongzi, who were so tired they didn't want to move, were instantly revitalized.

Although their ability to appreciate the scenery was limited, the view from the summit was truly a feast for the eyes.

However, Deng Shirong didn't rush them to admire the scenery; instead, he took them to the Shenqi Hotel to check in.

The Shenqi Hotel, which opened last year, is the only three-star hotel at the summit, built by the Tourism Bureau.

Building a hotel on the summit is no easy task, and the room rates are naturally much higher than those at the base. The main purpose of the hotel is to accommodate tourists who want to watch the sunrise.

The sunrise at Mount Tai is one of the four major wonders of the mountain, and who wouldn't want to witness it if they had the chance?

Deng Shirong booked a room for three days. Climbing Mount Tai once is no easy feat, and since they were here, they should take the time to appreciate all four of the mountain's famous wonders.

The Shenqi Hotel is located in front of the Yuhuang Temple, with the Guanfeng Peak to the east and the Confucius Temple to the west, offering a view of the Taixia Temple below.

After checking in, Deng Shirong took his grandchildren to visit the Yuhuang Temple.

After the visit, they returned to the Shenqi Hotel for dinner.

By the time they finished dinner, it was almost time to watch the sunset.

As Deng Shirong led his grandchildren to the best viewing spot, he said, "Xiao Dong'er, Dongzi, the sunset at Mount Tai is one of the four major wonders. After we watch it, I want you two to each write an essay for me to read."

Writing an essay was no problem for Xiao Dong'er, the top student, and she readily agreed.

However, it was a bit challenging for Dongzi. Seeing his sister agree, he reluctantly followed suit.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the viewing spot.

By then, many tourists were already waiting, all eager to witness one of the four major wonders of Mount Tai. Some had even come specifically for this and planned to go down the mountain immediately afterward to save on accommodation costs.

The young woman who had climbed with Deng Shirong and his grandchildren was also among the crowd.

After a long wait, as the sun slowly set in the west, a breathtakingly beautiful scene finally appeared.

(The Sunset at Mount Tai, one of the four major wonders)



Seeing this stunning view, the tourists couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, feeling that the trip was truly worthwhile.

The natural beauty was so mesmerizing that all the tourists were spellbound, and it wasn't until the sun was completely out of sight that they came to their senses.

Then, many tourists started descending the mountain together, while others stayed to watch the sunrise the next morning before leaving.

Of course, those who stayed didn't have the energy to do much else after seeing the wonder. They all planned to return to the hotel for a good rest, as even adults felt tired after several hours of climbing.

Back at the hotel, after showering and changing into clean clothes, Deng Shirong gave his grandchildren paper and pens to write their essays, telling them they could go to bed only after finishing.

Xiao Dong'er had clearly already prepared her draft in her mind and started writing immediately after taking the paper and pen.

Dongzi, however, took the paper and pen with a headache and began to gnaw on the pen cap, thinking for a long time before starting to write with corrections and revisions.

Soon, about half an hour later, Xiao Dong'er finished her essay.

Deng Shirong took a look and was increasingly satisfied. The essay not only had a clear theme, smooth and fluent sentences, but it also vividly described the natural beauty of the sunset, making the reader feel as if they were right there.

This was the value of being the top student; her work was indeed impressive.

Since Dongzi was still writing, Deng Shirong quietly gave Xiao Dong'er a thumbs up without disturbing him and waited for Dongzi to finish his essay.

Another half an hour passed, and Dongzi finally handed his completed essay to Deng Shirong.

Deng Shirong took a look and, if Xiao Dong'er's essay could be described as a delicious and well-prepared meal, then Dongzi's was like a difficult-to-swallow dark cuisine. The difference was truly significant.

Seeing Dongzi's anxious expression, Deng Shirong didn't want to discourage him and said, "Dongzi, you need to keep working on your essay. You've had a tiring day, so go to bed now. We'll watch the sunrise early tomorrow morning."

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, Deng Shirong woke up his grandchildren. After they brushed their teeth and washed their faces, they hurried to the viewing spot to watch the sunrise.

When Deng Shirong and his grandchildren arrived, there were already quite a few people at the viewing spot. The sunrise at Mount Tai, being one of the four major wonders, was something tourists definitely did not want to miss.

There was still some time before the sunrise, so the tourists chatted and waited.

Before they knew it, the sun began to rise from the east, presenting another breathtakingly beautiful scene to the visitors.

(The Sunrise at Mount Tai)



Among those watching the sunrise, many were tourists who had stayed overnight on Mount Tai, and others had climbed the mountain at night specifically to see the sunrise. Seeing this stunning natural beauty, those with cameras eagerly took photos.

Only when the sun rose higher did the tourists reluctantly disperse.

After watching the sunrise, Deng Shirong and his grandchildren had a simple breakfast and continued to visit other attractions.

Mount Tai has 29 ancient temple complexes, 128 ancient sites, and over 2,000 stone inscriptions and cliff carvings, enough to keep Deng Shirong and his grandchildren busy for two or three days.

When Deng Shirong and his grandchildren visited the Confucius Temple, they ran into the young woman they had met on the way up. They nodded at each other, and she asked, "Uncle, you haven't gone down the mountain yet?"

Deng Shirong smiled and replied, "No, we rarely come here, so we plan to visit all the attractions on the summit before going down."

The young woman laughed, "I have the same plan. I'm a student here, and I came to climb Mount Tai during the summer vacation. Where are you from, Uncle?"

Deng Shirong said, "We are from Guangxi."

While visiting the Confucius Temple, they chatted casually.

Xiao Dong'er and Dongzi, both outgoing, quickly got along well with the young woman, calling her "Sister Zhou" and making her very happy.

Thus, Deng Shirong and his group spent a full three days sightseeing on Mount Tai.

The expenses for food and accommodation over these three days were not small, which also indicated that Zhou's family background was not bad.

After all, she was still a student, and if her family were not well-off, she wouldn't dare spend so much money!

Of course, they were just casual acquaintances, and no one would pry into each other's family backgrounds.

On this day, after watching the sunrise and having breakfast, Deng Shirong and his grandchildren descended the mountain with Zhou.

Climbing up was exhausting, but going down was much easier. Xiao Dong'er and Dongzi didn't need Deng Shirong to carry them and could walk down the mountain on their own.

After descending, Zhou greeted Deng Shirong and then smiled, "Xiao Dong'er, Dongzi, I'm leaving now. See you if we meet again."

Xiao Dong'er and Dongzi waved goodbye, "Goodbye, Sister Zhou!"

After Zhou left, Deng Shirong also took his grandchildren back home.

This trip to Mount Tai was very satisfying for all three of them, and it was truly a worthwhile journey.

...

When Deng Shirong returned from his trip to MountTaiwithhis grandchildren, the villas of the Ye Deng Clan were finally completed.

The construction of the villa complex began in 1989 and had taken more than three years. When he called his sisters back for a meeting recently, the construction was already nearing completion, with only some finishing touches left.

Now, the villa complex was officially completed.

Upon receiving this news, Deng Shirong naturally rushed back to inspect it.

At this moment, Deng Shirong started from the first villa in Shan Village and walked along the river.

On both sides of the river, there was a long row of giant stones, and a row of weeping willows lined the banks. Since the willows were planted earlier and using transplanting methods, they had already grown, and the long, drooping branches reaching the waterlooked Truly, it was a beautiful sight.

The weeping willows can be considered the most beautiful ornamental trees by the riverside, with no exceptions.

Below these weeping willows, there are also various flowers and grasses that add to the scenery.

Next to the weeping willows is a pedestrian path made of cobblestones, followed by a green belt, and then a two-lane road. Beyond the road, there are the entrances to the villas.

If you go through the villas, there is a private garden behind each one.

As Deng Shirong walked along, he reached a bridge near his villa.

The Ye Deng Clan's villa complex has three bridges in total. The first bridge is near Deng Shirong's villa, the second is near Garden Hill, and the third is at the end of the villa complex.

The first two bridges are elevated, primarily to facilitate traffic and pedestrian access.

The third bridge at the end is different. It serves not only as a bridge but also as a dam, which helps to raise the water level of the river.

Next to the third bridge is a sewage treatment plant.

After walking through the entire complex, Deng Shirong felt very satisfied. The only thing left was the interior decoration of the villas.

Since the villa complex was built to a few standardized specifications, the decoration plans only needed to cover a few styles. Deng Shirong had already entrusted this task to Director Huang. Now that the villas were built, everyone could choose their preferred decoration style, and the unified decoration would begin.

...

The next day.

Deng Shirong notified everyone to convene another clan meeting.

Once everyone had gathered, he began to distribute rewards to the students of the clan. Those who achieved the required rankings in their final exams received awards, and those who were accepted into high school, vocational school, junior college, or university also received generous rewards.

This educational assistance program has been in place for many years, and the results have been very significant.

Now, the Ye Deng Clan has a significant number of students being accepted into high school, vocational school, junior college, and university each year, especially those that guarantee job placements. In the past, only a few students from the clan could achieve this, but now the number of successful students increases every year.

Naturally, Xiao Dong'er's name was on the reward list.

The clan members knew that Xiao Dong'er had once again ranked first in her grade, and they all praised her enthusiastically.

"Xiao Dong'er is truly amazing. She has been the top student in her grade for several years. If she continues like this, she will definitely be able to get into Tsinghua or Peking University, just like the ancestors Yinheng and Yinsong."

"Yes, being the top student in our local primary school is already impressive, but Xiao Dong'er achieved this in Nanning, where the educational resources are much stronger. If she can maintain this, getting into Tsinghua or Peking University is definitely not a problem."

"When it comes to educating children, the clan head is truly remarkable. We can't help but admire him."

"Indeed, we all need to learn from the clan head. Even if we can't get our children into Tsinghua or Peking University, just getting them into any university, even the most ordinary one, would be enough to make us bow in gratitude to our ancestors."

"..."

Amidst the praise from the clan members, Deng Shirong was beaming with pride.

Soon, the educational assistance rewards were distributed, and Deng Shirong took the stage to say, "Clan members, our villa complex is now completed. I have already had the architect design a few decoration styles. Please choose the style you like."

After that, Deng Shirong showed the pre-prepared decoration effect diagrams to the clan members for them to view and choose.

This process took a long time, and by the time everyone had made their choices, it was already 4 PM.

Deng Shirong had someone record the choices and said, "The villa complex will now begin the formal decoration process, and it is expected to be completed by next year. When it is ready, we will invite a master to choose a lucky day for everyone to move into their new homes together."

Hearing this, many clan members became excited.

Since the clan decided to build the villa complex, to save money, many clan members did not build new houses and continued to live in mud-brick houses.

Now, every clan member's wealth is at least 100,000 yuan, but they still live in houses built 20 or 30 years ago, which is far from matching their wealth.

With the villa complex now entering the decoration phase, the clan members are naturally happy, knowing that they will soon be living in villas.

When the time comes, they will definitely invite relatives and friends to celebrate.

It is worth mentioning that Deng Shirong's eldest niece, Bu Dafang, is also building a hotel.

Deng Shirong had already provided the steel and cement he promised.

Of course, with her limited resources, even if the steel and cement were free, she still couldn't afford the bricks. Bu Dafang had to borrow money from her family to start building the hotel.

It's unclear when the hotel will start making money.

...

PS: Thank you to all the relatives for your monthly votes.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end