Chapter 443: Deng Yunhua's Love at First Sight

Chapter 443: Deng Yunhua's Love at First Sight

---

In the afternoon.

In the capital city, the Siheyuan.

Deng Shirong personally prepared a large table full of delicious dishes.

When they started eating, Deng Shirong raised his glass and clinked with Deng Changfu and his wife, smiling, "Changfu, Ying, I've caused you both to work hard during this time."

Guan Yongying immediately replied, "Jiugong, it's just some ordinary household chores, there's nothing to complain about."

Deng Changfu smiled, "Jiugong, I don't need to complain anymore, it's just a vacation here, and I still need to thank Yunghua for the food and accommodations!"

Deng Yunsong also raised his glass and clinked with Deng Changfu, smiling, "You've been busy here as well."

After a sip of wine, Deng Shirong asked, "Changfu, have you bought the house?"

Deng Changfu replied, "Bought a two-story Siheyuan and a one-story Siheyuan, almost all the money brought is spent."

Deng Shirong asked again, "Not bad, have you rented out the houses?"

Deng Changfu nodded, "All rented out, the monthly rent is not bad, it’s a good source of income."

Deng Shirong said, "Now your mission is complete, you can return whenever you want. If you're not in a hurry to return, then we'll wait until the child is full month old, and I'll return with you."

Guan Yongying added, "Jiugong, when San cousin gave birth, we can stay and help, and we'll return with you when the time comes!"

Deng Shirong laughed, "Sure, we can return together when the time comes, taking this time to bring Deng Ermei and let her get familiar with the surroundings."

"No problem."

Guan Yongying nodded, looking at Deng Ermei, "Ermei, I'll take you out to buy groceries and get familiar with the surroundings."

Deng Ermei smiled shyly, "Thanks, Changfu cousin."

---

It must be said, no matter who, there is a realistic side to everything.

Previously, Pei father and Pei mother treated Deng Shirong with respect, not looking down on him because of his rural background, which was already rare for someone of Pei father's status.

However, that was all.

To say Pei father truly treated Deng Shirong as an equal, that was impossible, given the gap in status!

However, after Pei Qinghua returned to Naye Village for the Spring Festival, feeling the family's formidable financial power, and reported everything to the maternal side, Pei father and Pei mother showed unprecedented respect for Deng Shirong.

Thus, when Deng Shirong arrived in the capital, Pei father and Pei mother invited him to dinner with more enthusiasm than before.

"Family, listen to Qinghua say, Yunsong his second brother moved to Fuzhou for work, and is now a full-time deputy secretary?" Pei father asked during dinner.

Deng Shirong nodded, "Yes, appointed to the position in May this year."

Pei father praised, "Impressive, the full-time deputy secretary, the youngest in the country, and I believe I'll remove the 'deputy' soon, and become the youngest full-time secretary a few years ahead."

Pei mother also praised, "Previously the youngest deputy secretary in the country, now a full-time deputy secretary, and will break the record of the youngest full-time secretary a few years ahead."

Deng Shirong smiled, "The promotion to the next level is not particularly difficult, the real challenge is from middle to high level, and if I can reach this level in my lifetime, I will die without regret."

Pei father half-joking, "At this level, there's no problem, family, You'll enjoy the benefits!"

As a provincial-level official, Pei father naturally understands the difficulty in promotion, even if Yunsong is the youngest deputy secretary in the country, there's a possibility to become the youngest full-time secretary, and he won't stop until he reaches this level.

However, difficulties are inevitable, but he acknowledges Yunsong's potential.

It's a matter of time to see if potential can be transformed into strength, and observe his future development, now there's no way to decide.

---

Ten days passed in a flash.

On May 17th, Pei Qinghua's stomach finally moved.

The details of the process weren't detailed, but by 6:30 PM, Pei Qinghua gave birth to a son, safe and sound.

Always standing outside the delivery room, Deng Yun song heard the news, smiling like a fool, they both worked in the system, destined to have only one child, and naturally, a son is a cause for joy.

As a native of Bobai, Deng Yunsong's preference for sons over daughters was much milder compared to others, but it still had some influence.

---

Pei Mother said joyfully, "In-law, congratulations on having a grandson."

Deng Shirong smiled broadly and said, "In-law Father, In-law Mother, congratulations to you as well for becoming grandparents."

Pei Father was also very happy. He had been a grandfather for many years, and now he finally became a grandfather on the maternal side.

After mutual congratulations, Deng Shirong said, "In-law Mother, now that the child is born, the most important thing next is to help Qinghua recover her health and replenish the energy lost during childbirth. For generations, our ancestors have used ginger wine to help postpartum women, and it has been very effective. Do you have any good nourishing methods here?"

Pei Mother asked curiously, "In-law, what is this ginger wine?"

Deng Shirong explained, "It's a nourishing food made from aged ginger, locally brewed rice wine, and a large castrated chicken. In our area, postpartum women eat this during their confinement, and the more they eat, the better their recovery."

Pei Mother suddenly understood, "So this is ginger wine. Since it has been verified over hundreds of years, it must have its merits. Since we don't have particularly effective nourishing food here, let's use this ginger wine to help Qinghua recover."

Deng Shirong said, "Ginger wine is good, but I'm not sure if Qinghua can eat it. In our area, most postpartum women love it. Some particularly hearty eaters can consume dozens of chickens and over a hundred pounds of wine in a month, along with tens of pounds of aged ginger.

Generally, these particularly hearty eaters recover very well and can fully replenish their lost energy in just one month."

"Let's try it first. If she can eat it, that's great; if not, we'll switch to something else."

"Alright, then after she is discharged tomorrow, I'll make some ginger wine for Qinghua to try."

---

The next noon.

In the three-section Siheyuan.

Deng Shirong had prepared a pot of ginger wine with a fragrant aroma for his third daughter-in-law.

Deng Yunsong served a bowl to his wife and said, "Qinghua, this is the ginger wine that postpartum women in our area must eat during their confinement. Try it and see if you can eat it."

Pei Mother added, "According to In-law, this is the most nourishing food for postpartum women, and eating it will be good for your recovery."

"I'll give it a try and see what it tastes like." Pei Qinghua picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of chicken, and put it in her mouth.

Deng Yunsong asked hopefully, "How does it taste? Can you eat it?"

Pei Qinghua smiled, "Apart from the initial taste of alcohol, the chicken is quite delicious."

Deng Yunsong sighed in relief and said, "Then try a sip of the soup?"

Pei Qinghua took a small spoon and sipped the soup, savoring it as she said, "The soup has the taste of rice wine, but it's much better than rice wine. Although I can drink a couple of cups of rice wine, drinking it feels like a punishment. I don't find rice wine particularly enjoyable, but this ginger wine is different. The taste is much better than rice wine."

"Then there's no problem. The more you eat, the better it tastes. In our area, many women become addicted to ginger wine during their confinement and will even make ginger wine chicken to eat when they feel hungry."

At this point, Deng Shirong looked at Pei Mother and said, "In-law Mother, this is also considered a dish in our area. Would you like to try it?"

Pei Mother didn't hesitate and said, "Sure, I'll give it a try."

The quick-witted Deng Yunsong immediately served a bowl to his mother-in-law.

After tasting it, Pei Mother commented, "It does have a unique flavor. It's a bit unusual to eat it as a dish, but if you treat the soup as a drink, the taste is really good. No wonder women in your area love it."

Deng Shirong smiled, and the group then began discussing the various customs of postpartum confinement and the benefits of ginger wine for recovery.

When the meal was nearly finished, Deng Shirong looked at his third son and daughter-in-law and said, "Have you decided on a name for the child?"

Deng Yunsong nodded and said, "We've decided. We'll name him Deng Changding, hoping that he will grow up to be a man of great character."

Deng Shirong praised, "That's a good name."

Pei Mother also praised and then asked, "What will his nickname be?"

Pei Qinghua said, "We'll call him Lele, hoping that he will be happy all his life."

Deng Shirong naturally approved, thinking that it was indeed much better than the nicknames like Dog One, Dog Two, and Dog Three that were common in their village.

---

Nanning.

The construction of the snack street had attracted widespread attention from the public. During the construction, to enhance the street's reputation, banners with the name "Nanning Snack Street" were set up at both ends of the street.

At the same time, the construction workers were told to answer truthfully if anyone asked about the project. As a result, the construction of the snack street quickly spread throughout the nearby areas and eventually throughout Nanning.

Especially the owners of various snack shops, who were closely following the construction of the snack street, were eagerly waiting for it to be open for rental, ready to secure a shop to operate their snacks.

Qin Fengzhen, who operated a mobile fermented fruit and vegetable stall, was one of them.

Nanning fermented fruit and vegetable is a traditional snack in Nanning. Fermented fruit and vegetable, also known as "suanliao," refers to pickled fruits and vegetables.

This type of pickled snack can be found throughout Guangxi Province.

In northern Guangxi, the characteristics of the pickled snacks are long fermentation time, spiciness, strong acidity, and a rich flavor.

In southern Guangxi, the pickled snacks are known for being fresh, slightly acidic, slightly sweet, and mildly spicy, with Nanning being the most famous, having a history of 300 years.

Due to Nanning's location in the southern frontier with a humid and hot climate, locals rely on eating pickled snacks to quench their thirst, invigorate their spirits, and remove dampness.

Over time, eating pickled snacks has become a local dietary habit.

There is a saying in Nanning: "Heroes find it hard to resist the allure of beautiful women, and beautiful women find it hard to resist the allure of fermented fruit and vegetable stalls."

This pickled snack is indeed the favorite of women.

Since her husband passed away ten years ago, the family lost its main support, and it felt like the sky had fallen. In the end, Qin Fengzhen gritted her teeth and started a stall to sell fermented fruit and vegetable. With the income from selling these snacks, she managed to raise her three children.

Especially her eldest daughter, who studied diligently and successfully got into a prestigious university, finally making those who looked down on their single-parent family look at them with new respect.

Qin Fengzhen had been operating her fermented fruit and vegetable stall for ten years and naturally knew that the profit from these snacks was quite good. However, as a mobile vendor, it was always difficult to scale up. Over the years, she had always wanted to rent a shop to expand her business.

However, finding a suitable shop to rent was not an easy task.

But when the construction of Nanning Snack Street began, Qin Fengzhen was intrigued after learning more about it.

After operating a stall for ten years, she had developed her own understanding of business. She had a hunch that this concentrated food street would attract a large number of customers. If she could rent a shop to do business here, she believed she could make a profit.

This shop could not only be used to sell fermented fruit and vegetable but also to diversify into other products. Her two sons, who lacked academic talent, could join her in the business, providing them with a future path.

Thus, from the start of the construction of the snack street, Qin Fengzhen had been closely following its progress.

Now that the snack street was finally completed and was open for leasing, she immediately brought her eldest daughter, who was on holiday, to the snack street to rent a good location.

At the same time, other merchants who had been following the snack street's progress also rushed over as soon as they learned it was open for leasing.

On the first day of leasing, it wasn't quite a sea of people, but dozens of merchants still came, making it a successful start.

The person in charge of overseeing the snack street that day was none other than Deng Yunhua.

The shops in the snack street were not of uniform size; there were both large and small ones. The larger shops could be used for restaurants, while the smaller ones were suitable for snacks that didn't require much space, catering to the needs of different merchants.

The sizes and locations varied, and so did the rental prices.

Deng Yunhua was only there to oversee the process, while the specific tasks were handled by his subordinates.

At that moment, the idle Deng Yunhua was observing the potential tenants, and his lips couldn't help but curl into a smile.

These tenants, once they rented the shops in the snack street, would continuously provide him with rent. Once all the shops were leased, earning several million a year would be effortless.

He wouldn't have to do anything and could just wait for the quarterly rent. This kind of easy money was perfect for him.

Among the seven siblings, the others were quite ambitious. Even Deng Yunzhu, who was a slacker like him, was only disinterested in studies. After graduating from high school and starting her own business, she diligently operated her chain of hotpot restaurants, earning several million to nearly ten million annually, making her the second most successful after her eldest brother and sister-in-law.

Only Deng Yunhua lacked the talent for studies and wasn't very enthusiastic about business. In modern terms, he had given up.

This was the main reason why he had been content with managing the Wuyue Plaza electronics mall for years without expanding.

However, despite his lack of ambition, Deng Yunhua still loved money.

Now, with his father entrusting him to manage the snack street, he was overjoyed. As long as all the shops were leased, he could sit back and collect the rent quarterly, leaving the day-to-day management to his subordinates.

This kind of no-brainer landlord work was perfect for him.

Deng Yunhua happily observed the potential tenants in front of him when his gaze was suddenly drawn to a beautiful woman in the crowd.

The woman was estimated to be around 1.65 meters tall, with a very attractive face. She was in her early twenties, with a simple ponytail, and her figure was perfect, with all the right curves.

Although she was dressed rather simply, her youthful and beautiful appearance exuded confidence. She was currently accompanying a middle-aged woman, carefully reading the lease contract for the shop.

Deng Yunhua was 24 years old this year, and it was time for him to think about marriage. Although he was the least accomplished among his siblings, he had a good father. Given his family's economic conditions, he naturally wouldn't be interested in ordinary women.

His wife didn't have to be on the same level as his three sisters-in-law, but she couldn't be too far off either.

Deng Yunhua had already prepared himself for a long search.

After all, true beauties were rare in any era, and it wasn't easy to come across one. Moreover, just having a good figure and appearance wasn't enough; he also needed to consider whether the woman's character was up to par.

As the saying goes:

“Marrying an unvirtuous wife ruins three generations.”

“A generation without a good wife will have three generations without good children.”

“A virtuous wife prospers three generations, while a fierce woman ruins a whole clan.”

These sayings all emphasize that one must marry a wife with outstanding character. However, finding a virtuous and beautiful wife was no easy task.

To his surprise, during the public leasing of the snack street today, he saw a woman who perfectly matched his standards.

The moment he saw her, Deng Yunhua was smitten...

...

While her daughter Fan Yue Mei was reading the contract, Qin Fengzhen was still haggling with the staff: "Comrade, can you extend the renovation time a bit more?"

The staff politely replied, "Auntie, I'm really sorry, but the renovation time can't be modified. Three months should be more than enough for the shop you're renting."

Qin Fengzhen said, "What about extending the rent discount period? After all, this snack street is newly built, and the number of customers will be limited at first. Business will be tough in the beginning, and if the discount period isn't long enough, we small business owners might not be able to survive!"

The staff smiled and said, "Auntie, we have already provided a long discount period. The first three months are rent-free, and the rent is half-price for the first year. I believe such a long discount period will be enough for you to get your business up and running."

Qin Fengzhen didn't give up and continued to plead, "Comrade..."

While her mother was haggling, Fan Yue Mei carefully read through the lease contract. The contract was drafted by a professional lawyer, so there were no issues.

After reading the contract, she didn't interrupt but stood quietly by her mother's side, listening to her mother haggle.

After a long time, the staff finally gave in, saying, "Auntie, I'll extend the rent discount period by two more months."

Qin Fengzhen still wanted to push for more discounts, but she understood that it would be difficult to get any further concessions. She looked at her daughter and asked, "Yue Mei, is there any problem with the contract?"

Fan Yue Mei nodded and said, "No problem, we can sign it."

At that moment, Deng Yunhua walked over with a smile and said, "Auntie, hello. I'm the manager of this snack street, and I'll take over your contract."

As he spoke, Deng Yunhua gave the staff a meaningful look.

The staff, being quick-witted, immediately introduced him, "Auntie, this is our Manager Deng."

"Hello, Manager Deng."

Qin Fengzhen was a bit confused by the greeting. She had already agreed to sign the contract, so why did Manager Deng intervene? Was the two-month discount period she had negotiated going to be nullified?

Deng Yunhua asked, "Auntie, what kind of business do you plan to run in this shop?"

Qin Fengzhen frowned slightly and countered, "Manager Deng, what business I run has nothing to do with renting the shop, does it?"

Deng Yunhua smiled and said, "Auntie, don't misunderstand. Our snack street is positioned as a street of snacks. Although we don't specify what kind of snacks tenants must operate, we have policies to support snacks with unique flavors and good taste.

If the snacks you plan to operate fit our snack street's positioning, I can offer you more discounts."

Qin Fengzhen's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "Manager Deng, I plan to sell fermented fruits and vegetables. I've been in this business for ten years, and the taste is definitely excellent. I also plan to make some chicken feet and duck feet, which should fit the snack street's positioning, right?"

"Indeed, they fit our snack street's positioning."

At this point, Deng Yunhua looked at the youthful and beautiful Fan Yue Mei and asked, "Auntie, is this your daughter? Will you run the shop yourself, or will you have your daughter run it?"

Qin Fengzhen said proudly, "I will run the shop myself. My daughter is still in university!"

...

PS: Just mentioning the update yesterday caused the monthly votes to surge. It seems you've always been there, never leaving. I'm truly lucky to have you all.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end