Chapter 451: General Deng: What the heck, is this my hometown?

Chapter 451: General Deng: What the heck, is this my hometown?

When the three Dengs returned to their mansion in the Five Peaks Square, it was already 1:30 AM.

At this time, Zhang Xiuping was still awake, waiting in the living room for news. After all, the incident happened at her brother's snail shop, and she naturally worried until she was sure everything was handled properly.

Seeing her father-in-law and the others return, Zhang Xiuping immediately went up to them and asked, "Dad, you're back. Is everything okay with my brother and sister-in-law? Has the situation been resolved?"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Your brother and sister-in-law are fine, and the situation has been handled."

Sitting down on the sofa in the living room, Deng Yun Tai recounted the events to his wife.

When she heard that her father-in-law had been pointed at with a gun and then disarmed and turned the gun on his attacker, Zhang Xiuping couldn't help but exclaim, "Dad, that was too risky! With so many security personnel, you could have just had them handle it. Why did you have to rush to the front? What if something had gone wrong? What would we do then?"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "It's fine. I only acted when I was sure I could do it. If I had let the security personnel handle it, there was a risk of accidental discharge, which could have caused unnecessary casualties."

Deng Shirong continued, "I understand what you're saying. Handling it that way would indeed establish our authority and make these thugs tremble at the mention of the snack street. But if we do that, we'll make deadly enemies.

While I'm not afraid, your sister-in-law's brothers are all doing business on the snack street. If those people really want to take revenge, it would be very easy for them.

So, for the sake of your sister-in-law's brothers, I didn't take extreme measures. Now the Wolf Gang knows our strength, and my bravery in disarming them by hand has left a deep impression.

In the eyes of outsiders, I now have money, people, and courage. As long as the Wolf Gang's people have any sense, they won't dare to provoke me again.

If anyone really dares to, I'll make sure they regret it for the rest of their lives."

Deng Yun Hua sighed, "You thought of everything, Dad. There are many ruthless people in this era. If we push things to the extreme, unless we completely destroy the other side, it will indeed bring a significant risk of retaliation."

Deng Shirong said, "As the saying goes, porcelain doesn't clash with pottery. Many people in this era are willing to risk their lives, and some are even wanted criminals. It's enough to let others know we're not to be messed with. There's no need to be too harsh, otherwise, we'd have to be on constant alert for a bullet from the crowd, which would be counterproductive."

Thinking about how even someone with A San's status and position couldn't avoid assassination in the future, besides himself, who among his children, daughters-in-law, and relatives could dodge a bullet?

Deng Shirong, after all, was not a hot-blooded youth in his teens or twenties. Collecting protection fees was common in this era, and no one on his side was hurt. The Wolf Gang's leader, although he had the nerve to point a gun at him, was disarmed and made to beg for mercy within three seconds.

That was enough! Using brutal methods to establish authority might scare the weak, but it wouldn't scare the truly desperate.

Deng Yun Tai and Deng Yun Hua both nodded in agreement, and Zhang Xiuping, being a woman, even more so. She was always worried about violence and bloodshed.

Since it was really late, after discussing the matter, they all went to their respective rooms to rest.

...

The next day.

The incident at the snack street last night spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of Nanning.

"Have you heard? Something big happened at the snack street last night!"

"What happened?"

"You know the new Wolf Gang in Nanning?"

"Yeah, I do. My cousin's great-grandfather's son-in-law runs a restaurant that was extorted by the Wolf Gang for protection money, a few hundred bucks a month!"

"Last night, the Wolf Gang went to the snack street to collect protection money. Guess what happened?"

"Stop being mysterious, just tell me what happened!"

"The big boss of the snack street showed up with dozens of people, all armed and looking fierce. The Wolf Gang's leader had a gun and was acting arrogantly, but no one expected the big boss to be a legendary martial arts expert. He disarmed the gun and pointed it at the Wolf Gang leader's head, scaring him so much he wet his pants!"

"What the heck, that's intense. Is that true?"

"Absolutely true. My neighbor's granddaughter told me, she was there last night."

"Did the two sides fight?"

"Yeah, they did. I heard the Wolf Gang was beaten so badly they were crying and screaming for their mothers!"

"Awesome!"

...

"Bro, did you hear? There was a big battle at the snack street last night, and guns were involved!"

"What the heck, a big battle at the snack street? Who fought?"

"I heard it was the Wolf Gang against the snack street's big boss. It was a bloody mess."

"Did anyone die?"

"I haven't heard that, but many were sent to the hospital. I don't know if they survived."

"Too brutal. Who won in the end?"

"The big boss of the snack street won..."

...

Rumors, as they spread, became more and more exaggerated. By the time they reached everyone, the big boss of the snack street was already rumored to be a hidden martial arts expert with incredible gun skills, who had beaten the Wolf Gang to a pulp.

While ordinary people spread these rumors, those in the underworld had more detailed information. They also received word from the Wolf Gang that the big boss of the snack street was the same person as the big boss of the Five Peaks Square.

Although they were unhappy, no one dared to collect protection money from the snack street anymore.

To put it bluntly, besides the Five Peaks Square and the snack street, there were plenty of other merchants in Nanning. They could find easier targets to extort. There was no need to confront the powerful big boss of the snack street. If they couldn't crack that hard nut, they'd end up with broken teeth and become a laughingstock in the underworld.

The four Zhang brothers also gained a reputation on the snack street. The merchants knew they were relatives of the big boss and, after seeing the big boss's authority, were willing to follow the Zhang brothers' lead.

At the same time, Deng Yun Hua, the actual manager of the snack street, promptly hired ten veterans to serve as security for the snack street.

Previously, it was never thought that someone would come to the snack street to collect protection fees, so Deng Yun Hua only hired two staff members to manage the various trivial matters of the snack street. He never considered hiring security. After this incident, hiring security became a necessity.

When these matters were settled, the universities across the country also reopened, and Deng Yun Hua bought plane tickets again to escort his fiancee back to her school.

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, the elders from both sides met and set the wedding date for Deng Yun Hua and Fan Yue Mei. Now, their relationship had progressed further, and they could be called fiance and fiancee.

...

Beijing.

A military hospital.

An old woman lay pale on the hospital bed, looking at her son who was forcing a smile beside her. She said, "A Yong, you don't need to be sad. As the old saying goes, 'Seventy is a rare age to reach.' I am already seventy-three, and I am very content to have lived this long."

Deng Chang Yong, with red eyes, asked, "Mom, do you have any last wishes?"

The old woman replied, "If I have any last wishes, it's that although Beijing is a good place, it is not our hometown. Your grandparents and your father are all buried there. I want to go back and see our hometown one last time before I go, and then be buried next to your father."

Deng Chang Yong nodded and said, "Alright, I will arrange it immediately. It's been over ten years since our family last visited our hometown. It's a good opportunity to see how it has developed over the years."

In China, the concept of "returning to one's roots" has been deeply ingrained since ancient times. Although the old woman had lived in Beijing for over ten years, she could never truly consider it her home. In her heart, only her hometown was her true home.

Over the years, she had many times thought about returning to her hometown to live, but her son was worried about her being alone and without care, so he had always persuaded her to stay. She did not want to worry her son, so she had suppressed her longing for her hometown.

Now, with her health deteriorating, her last thoughts were still of her hometown.

Hearing her son agree to take her back, the old woman smiled, a rare sight. She said, "You just need to accompany me. The round trip will take a lot of time, and preparing for my funeral will also take a lot of time. A Fang and the grandchildren have their own jobs to attend to, and there's no need for them to delay their work for me."

Deng Chang Yong, holding back his tears, said, "Mom, don't worry. I will inform their leaders, and it won't affect their work."

Hearing her son's words, the old woman did not say more. Their family had never been large, with only one child for three generations. If her daughter-in-law and grandchildren did not return, her departure would be cold and lonely, and without her grandchildren to send her off, there would be gossip in the village.

Because his mother did not have much time left, Deng Chang Yong acted quickly. In just two days, the family settled their work affairs and flew directly to Nanning.

After resting in Nanning for a night, the family took a bus to Bobai the next day.

By the time they arrived in Bobai, it was already afternoon. Deng Chang Yong, seeing his mother's lack of energy, said, "Mom, you must be tired after such a long bus ride. Let's stay in Bobai for the night and head back to Shuangwang tomorrow."

The old woman, though eager to return, knew her body couldn't handle it. She nodded and said, "Alright, let's stay for the night. I wonder if Uncle and Aunt are still around. When Aunt heard something from someone, she never looked at me kindly and didn't even greet me when we met. After you brought me to Beijing, we haven't been in touch with them for over ten years. I wonder how they are doing now."

Deng Chang Yong said, "We are all family, and any issues can be resolved through communication. If Uncle and Aunt are still around, I will help them this time."

The old woman nodded and sighed, "I also wonder if the villagers of my age are still around."

"They must be."

Deng Chang Yong checked the time and said, "Mom, it's getting late. Let's go have dinner first, and then find a place to stay for the night."

"Okay!"

Liu Fang supported her mother-in-law and asked, "Mom, what would you like to eat?"

The old woman said, "I'm not very hungry. Just give me some porridge. You can eat whatever you want, don't worry about me."

Liu Fang said, "Let's go to a restaurant and see what they have."

The family walked towards a crowded area, with Deng Si Gui and his wife He Jin Feng following behind.

He Jin Feng, a native of Beijing, had been married to Deng Si Gui for five years but had never accompanied him back to his hometown before. Looking at the well-built buildings, she couldn't help but be surprised and said, "Husband, is this your hometown's county town? It looks pretty nice."

Deng Si Gui was also observing everything. He was born and raised in Beijing and had little emotional connection to his hometown. He had only visited once with his parents over ten years ago, and his impression of his hometown's county town was that it was small and far from the bustling Beijing.

But now, the county town had changed dramatically. There were buildings everywhere, and in some areas, it was no different from Nanning.

Deng Si Gui, while observing, responded, "This is my hometown's county town. I remember it was quite dilapidated over ten years ago. I never expected it to change so much. It seems that my hometown has developed quite well over the years."

Soon, the family arrived at the south gate of the Ye Deng residential complex. Seeing the name of the complex, Deng Chang Yong was slightly taken aback, but he didn't think much of it. He only commented on how beautiful the complex was and nothing more.

Because his mother was not feeling well and needed to rest as soon as possible, Deng Chang Yong and the others had no interest in touring the beautiful complex. They found a small restaurant nearby, had a quick meal, and then found a place to stay for the night.

After a night's rest, the old woman's spirits improved slightly. The family had breakfast and then took a bus back to their hometown.

From Bobai to their hometown, the road from Bobai to Tanlian was a county road and relatively easy to travel. What Deng Chang Yong was more concerned about was the road from Tanlian back to their hometown, which was bumpy and uncomfortable even for a healthy person. His mother's frail body would likely find it even more difficult.

Therefore, Deng Chang Yong had already prepared to ask the driver to drive slowly when they reached that section of the road.

An hour and a half later, the bus arrived at the Tanlian intersection. Deng Chang Yong was ready to speak up, but he noticed that the bus did not turn onto the dirt road he remembered. Instead, it entered a brand new asphalt road that was no smaller than the county road.

At first, Deng Chang Yong thought that only the first hundred or so meters of the road at the intersection had been improved. However, as the bus continued to drive further, the road remained a brand new asphalt road, which truly surprised him. He hadn't expected his hometown to have built such a county road.

After the initial surprise, Deng Chang Yong felt a bit happy. With this smooth asphalt road, his mother would no longer have to endure the bumpy ride when returning to their hometown.

More than twenty minutes later, the bus passed through Shuangwang Town.

Deng Si Gui introduced to his wife, "This is the town where my hometown is located."

He Jin Feng, looking at the small town, whispered, "Even the town is so poor. The village must be even worse. I don't understand why Grandma insisted on coming back. Wouldn't it be better to stay in Beijing?"

Deng Si Gui also whispered in response, "Grandma spent most of her life in the rural hometown and naturally has deep feelings for it. Moreover, if she were to pass away in Beijing, she would be cremated. But in the hometown, she can be buried in the ground, which is one of the reasons she wants to return. The older generation of rural people find it hard to accept cremation."

He Jin Feng nodded, acknowledging her husband's explanation.

Soon, the bus passed through Shuangwang Town and continued toward Ye Village.

Less than two minutes later, as the bus climbed up "Mangtou Ridge" and then descended, Deng Chang Yong and his family were stunned by what they saw.

First, the road had transformed from a county road into a "national highway." On both sides and in the middle of the highway, rows of ginkgo trees stood tall. While it wasn't the most picturesque season for the trees, the orderly lines and the expansive concrete path were a sight to behold, garnering admiration even in the provincial capital, let alone in this secluded countryside. This completely upended the expectations of Deng Chang Yong and his family.

Moreover, on the left side of this "national highway," there was a row of villas stretching as far as the eye could see. While a few or even a dozen beautiful villas would be surprising, this endless row of over a hundred villas left Deng Chang Yong and his family speechless.

Because the sixty-meter-wide road was so large and smooth, the bus naturally drove quickly. By the time Deng Chang Yong and his family recovered from their shock, the bus had already arrived at the final destination—the village committee (village office).

Then, Deng Chang Yong and his family got off the bus with excitement, especially Deng Chang Yong and his mother, who were eager to find out what had happened to their hometown and how it had changed so dramatically in just a few decades.

The village committee was the absolute center of Bangjie Village and also the largest information hub. Every day, villagers who had nothing to do would come to the committee to chat and share village gossip.

Especially the elderly, who loved to come here to chat.

At that moment, a few elderly people were sitting outside the convenience store, chatting about village affairs.

When the bus returned, they habitually looked over and quickly recognized Deng Chang Yong helping his mother off the bus. After a closer look, they all couldn't help but exclaim:

"Third Sister, Yong."

Deng Chang Yong and his mother turned to the voices. Although they hadn't seen each other for over a decade, people's appearances don't change much after adulthood. Therefore, the mother and son immediately recognized the identities of these elderly people and greeted them:

"Yunqian, Yunsheng, Yunlin, Yunping."

"Uncle Wu, Uncle Yunsheng, Uncle Yunlin, Uncle Yunping."

"Third Sister, Yong, you're finally back."

Deng Yunqian walked over and looked at Deng Si Gui and his wife, asking, "Yong, are these your son and daughter-in-law?"

Deng Chang Yong nodded and said, "Yes, Si Gui, Jin Feng, quickly greet them."

Deng Si Gui and his wife hurriedly greeted them, "Fifth Uncle, Uncle Yunsheng, Uncle Yunlin, Uncle Yunping."

Among the four elderly men, Deng Yunqian was from the same village as Deng Chang Yong and was a cousin uncle.

At this moment, Deng Yunqian also noticed that Third Sister's complexion wasn't good and asked with concern, "Third Sister, your complexion isn't good. Are you feeling unwell?"

The old woman struggled to smile and said, "I am indeed unwell and don't have many days left. Before I go, I wanted to come back and see my fellow villagers and be buried in my hometown."

The elderly men were all startled by this news and looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

The old woman smiled and said, "There's no need to worry. I've lived a long life. Before I go, being able to come back to my hometown is already a blessing."

Deng Yunqian took a deep breath and asked, "Yong, have you taken your mother to a big hospital?"

Deng Chang Yong felt a bit sad and said, "We've been to a big hospital in Beijing."

The old woman interjected, "That's enough, let's not talk about these sad things. I haven't been back for over a decade, and the changes in my hometown are truly remarkable. Who built those hundreds of beautiful houses by the river?"

Hearing this, Deng Chang Yong and his family perked up their ears, all eager to know who had built those impressive houses.

"Those villas were built by the Ye Deng clan. Every household in the clan has a share."

At this point, Deng Yunqian added with a hint of regret, "Third Sister, Yong, your family should have had a share too, but the clan didn't have your contact information, so you missed out on the clan's most important development.

Now that you're back, after you settle in, I'll accompany you to speak with the clan head and see if he can arrange a clan meeting to give you the opportunity to join the Deng Clan Group."

Deng Chang Yong and his family were all shocked. The beautiful villas were built by the clan, and every household had a share. This was almost unbelievable, and they wouldn't have believed it if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes.

What had happened to the clan in recent years that made them so wealthy?

And what was this Deng Clan Group?

At this moment, Deng Chang Yong and his family were filled with questions.

...

PS: A small attempt in the previous chapter seems to have stirred up a hornet's nest. It looks like I should stick to what I'm good at. Also, I'm very grateful to those who are still following and voting for the monthly ticket.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end