Chapter 452: Shock

Chapter 452: Shock

Bangjie Team.

After seeing the tremendous changes in their hometown, Deng Changyong's family was no longer in a hurry to return home. Instead, they sat on small stools in front of the convenience store, listening to their clan uncles and other clan members recount the development of the Naye Deng Clan over the past decade.

From the initial fundraising to establish a passenger transport company to the founding of the Deng Group, Deng Changyong's family was left in awe.

They could hardly believe that in just over a decade, their clan had achieved such great success. Every household now lived in beautiful villas and had savings of at least a hundred thousand yuan. It was truly unbelievable.

Even the beautiful Naye Deng Clan residential area they had seen in the county town was built through the collective efforts of the clan members.

All of this was accomplished under the leadership of Naye Jiu Gong, the clan head.

After hearing about all the things Jiu Gong had done for the clan, Deng Changyong was deeply impressed. Jiu Gong's broad-mindedness was truly rare. Most people with such capabilities would be eager to benefit their own families, but Jiu Gong selflessly led the entire clan to prosperity and wealth!

Deng Changyong felt ashamed in comparison.

As the only high-ranking official in the entire Naye Deng Clan, he could be considered one of the clan's prominent members. However, since he started his career, he had returned to his hometown only a few times. In particular, after moving his mother to Beijing over the past decade, he had not returned at all.

He had made no contribution to the clan.

Of course, this was also determined by the nature of his work.

If he had chosen a political career, a county-level leader could have provided significant help to the clan. However, being in the military, even as a high-ranking official, he could not offer much assistance to the clan. Therefore, he could not be blamed for not taking care of the clan members.

After recounting the clan's development over the past decade, Deng Yunqian finally asked, "A Yong, I remember that when you came back to take your mother to Beijing over a decade ago, you were already a deputy division commander. What rank do you hold now?"

Deng Changyong replied, "Deputy..."

At this, the clan members present couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. In this era, rural people, due to their experience with the militia, were more knowledgeable about military ranks than their counterparts in later times, and they understood just how impressive this rank was.

Deng Yunqian drew in a sharp breath and asked, "What is your current military rank?"

Deng Changyong replied, "Major General..."

Deng Yunqian, excited, said, "Damn it, our Naye Deng Clan has produced a high-ranking official. Does anyone know if the clan head is at home? If he is, quickly tell him this good news."

A clan member immediately responded, "The clan head seems to be in Nanning and hasn't returned yet."

Deng Yunsheng, also excited, added, "Then call the clan head. The clan has produced a high-ranking official, and this is a major event. We must inform the clan head."

Deng Yunlin volunteered, "I'll call the clan head."

The other clan members also showered praise, and their gazes toward Deng Changyong's family changed. After all, this is a high-ranking official. Whether in ancient times or modern times, they are remarkable figures. The clan can now boast about having such a prominent figure, and it will certainly add to our prestige."

As the saying goes, "Wealth and honor not returned to one's hometown is like wearing fine clothes at night."

After his son became a high-ranking official, he had never returned to his hometown, which was a small regret for Changyong's mother. Now, on her deathbed, her son had returned, and the clan members learned that her son had become the only high-ranking official in the Naye Deng Clan. Seeing the clan members' praise for her son, a smile appeared on Changyong's mother's pale face.

At this moment, she felt she could die without regrets.

...

Nanning.

Wuyue Square Mansion.

Deng Shirong sat on the sofa in the living room, drinking tea and reading the newspaper.

The telephone next to the sofa suddenly rang, and Deng Shirong answered, "Hello, who is this?"

Deng Yunlin's voice came through the phone, "Uncle Jiu, it's Yunlin. Have you eaten?"

"Already!"

After a brief exchange, Deng Yunlin got straight to the point, "Uncle Jiu, Changyong from the old house, along with his mother, wife, son, and daughter-in-law, has returned. Changyong has become quite a figure; he is now a high-ranking official."

Deng Shirong was not surprised. In his previous life, Deng Changyong had also returned with his mother at this time. If he remembered correctly, his mother was terminally ill, and she passed away within ten days of their return. After the funeral, the family returned to Beijing.

Therefore, Deng Shirong had long known that the Naye Deng Clan had a high-ranking official named Deng Changyong.

If Deng Shirong had wanted to, he could have traced Deng Changyong's unit over a decade ago and contacted him.

However, Deng Shirong felt it was unnecessary and had never taken action.

Indeed, Deng Changyong was a good nephew. In his previous life, after his mother's death, he returned to the clan every two to three years to pay respects. After retiring from the military, he returned annually and actively provided advice and support for the clan's development.

Even so, he donated a considerable amount of money to the clan, which was quite commendable.

Unfortunately, his children and grandchildren were raised in Beijing and had no sense of belonging to their hometown. While Deng Changyong was still alive, his children and grandchildren rarely visited their hometown, and after his passing, they never returned.

Though their status as descendants of the Deng family could not be changed, those who did not grow up in the village always felt a sense of detachment from the clan. After the elders passed away, they would essentially sever ties with the clan.

This was the reason why Deng Shirong did not make much effort to contact Deng Changyong over a decade ago.

These thoughts flashed through his mind, but Deng Shirong smiled and replied, "Having a high-ranking official in the clan is a great blessing!"

Deng Yunlin laughed heartily and said, "Indeed, it is a great blessing. As the old saying goes, being appointed as a marquis or general is a great honor. Uncle Jiu, would you like to come back for this occasion?"

Deng Shirong replied, "Sure, it's rare for Changyong to come back. I'll return soon."

Deng Yunlin then informed Deng Shirong about the health condition of Third Auntie, and they chatted for a bit before hanging up the phone.

...

Naye Team.

Deng Yunqian said, "Third Auntie, Changyong, I have plenty of room at my place. Why don't you bring your luggage and come stay with me?"

Changyong's mother shook her head and said, "Fifth Uncle, we appreciate your kindness, but given my condition, I might need to be taken to Ah Gong Hall at any moment. It wouldn't be right to bring bad luck to your home. We'll stay at our old house."

Deng Yunqian said, "Third Auntie, what are you talking about? There's no such thing as bad luck. Even if there were, having a high-ranking official like Changyong here would suppress it. Your house has been abandoned for over a decade and is in no condition to be lived in."

Deng Yunsheng added, "That's right, Third Auntie. Your old house is uninhabitable. I also have plenty of room, so you can stay at my place."

Other clan members also invited Deng Changyong's family to stay with them.

In the countryside, it was common to have some superstitions about patients who might pass away soon. If it were other clan members returning, they might not be so generous as to invite them to stay in their homes. However, since Deng Changyong was now a high-ranking official, the clan members wanted to strengthen their ties with him and thus did not mind the potential bad luck.

Seeing the genuine invitations from the clan members, Deng Changyong thought for a moment and asked, "Fifth Uncle, I'd like to ask, how are my Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt?"

Among the clan, the closest relatives by blood were his Fourth Uncle's family. Fourth Uncle and Deng Changyong's father were cousins from the same grandfather, while other uncles and aunts were one generation further removed. Although his mother and Fourth Aunt had not gotten along well in the past, that was over a decade ago, and with his mother's days numbered, it was time to let bygones be bygones.

Therefore, if possible, they should stay with Fourth Uncle's family to avoid any gossip.

Deng Yunqian sighed, "Your Fourth Uncle passed away three years ago, and Fourth Aunt passed away last year."

Hearing this, Deng Changyong was taken aback and looked at his mother.

Changyong's mother was also stunned for a moment, then sighed, "I didn't expect them to go before me. If I had returned earlier, I could have seen Fourth Aunt one last time."

Since both Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt were gone, Deng Changyong said to Fifth Uncle, "Fifth Uncle, I'll trouble you then."

Deng Yunqian replied, "We're family, no trouble at all. Let's go home!"

Deng Changyong agreed and bid farewell to the other clan members before leaving with his family and luggage to Fifth Uncle's home.

Deng Yunqian's villa was only a couple of hundred meters from the team headquarters. Soon, Deng Changyong's family arrived at the villa with Fifth Uncle.

From a distance, the villa looked beautiful, but its true beauty was only apparent upon closer inspection. The interior was exquisitely decorated, with willows and odd rocks lining the riverbanks, and flowers in full bloom. The overall effect was stunning, leaving Deng Changyong's family in awe.

Even though they had lived in Beijing for many years and were accustomed to the city's prosperity, they were still amazed by the beauty of the villa complex in their hometown.

He Jinfeng, looking at the picturesque scene, whispered to her husband, "Husband, your clan is really wealthy. The elders mentioned that our family is also part of the clan. We should talk to the clan head about joining the Deng Group. You must take this seriously!"

Initially, she had not wanted to return to this "backwater," but since her father-in-law had insisted, she had no choice but to come back.

She had expected to return to a poor and backward place, with poor relatives, but to her surprise, the clan members were not poor at all; they were rich and lived in beautiful villas, with lives better than her own.

And the reason the clan members could live such a good life was because they all owned shares in the Deng Group.

Thus, she became extremely interested in the Deng Group. "Yeah, I'll talk to Dad about this."

Deng Sigui was clearly also intrigued by the clan's Deng Group. Although he had a high-ranking official as a father, his law-abiding father never sought personal gains, and the help he could offer was very limited. He himself only held a minor position in a public institution.

Even though their family's economic conditions were decent, any random clan member from the village now had better economic conditions than his family. It was difficult for him not to be interested in the Deng Group, which had changed the fate of the entire clan.

...

The news that Deng Changyong, a high-ranking official, had returned with his family from Beijing quickly spread throughout the entire Naye Deng Clan.

Clan members who learned of this news were filled with amazement.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, many clan members had joined the military, but their ranks were generally not high, usually topping out at the regimental level. Deng Changyong, however, had been a deputy division commander for over a decade, which everyone knew.

When clan members gathered, they often mentioned Deng Changyong, the deputy division commander.

Thus, although Deng Changyong was not in his hometown, he was a legend in his hometown.

Now, after more than a decade, Deng Changyong had advanced another major rank to become a full-fledged high-ranking official. This explosive news naturally caused a huge stir in the clan.

So, after Deng Changyong's family settled in with Uncle Five, it wasn't long before clan members like Deng Changbao, Deng Changxiong, Deng YunGui, Deng Shirong, and other prominent figures in the clan came over to greet them and invite Deng Changyong's family to their homes for dinner.

Even the former villagers of the old house came over to invite Deng Changyong's family to their homes for dinner.

The enthusiasm of the clan members made Changyong's mother, who had been away from her hometown for over a decade, extremely happy.

In the past, when she was at home, she had never received such treatment.

...

4:00 PM.

Deng Changyong's family received the news that the clan head had returned from Nanning.

The clan head was an elder of the "Shi" generation and a major contributor to the clan's prosperity. For him to return from Nanning just for Deng Changyong was already a significant gesture. Deng Changyong naturally did not let the clan head come to see him but instead led his family to pay respects to the clan head.

Soon, Deng Changyong's family, led by Uncle Five, arrived at the clan head's villa.

Seeing the clan head sitting by the villa entrance smoking, Changyong's mother greeted him first, "Uncle Jiu!"

Deng Changyong followed, "Uncle Jiu!"

Deng Shirong put aside his pipe, stood up, and asked, "Yunhai's wife, Yunlin has already called me. How is your health now?"

Changyong's mother replied, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Jiu. My health is not good. I estimate I have only a few days left to join Yunhai."

Deng Shirong comforted her, "Birth, aging, illness, and death are natural laws that no one can avoid. It's just a matter of time. You should try to be more open-minded."

Changyong's mother smiled, "Being able to return to my hometown and say goodbye to everyone fulfills my wish, and I have no regrets." Although she said this, her smile was somewhat forced; few people can truly be indifferent to life and death.

Deng Shirong nodded, not dwelling on the topic, and instead turned to Deng Changyong, praising him, "Changyong, I heard you have become a genuine high-ranking official. Well done, the Naye Deng Clan is proud of you."

Deng Changyong felt embarrassed and replied, "Uncle Jiu, I don't deserve such praise. I haven't contributed much to the clan over the years, and I feel ashamed."

Deng Shirong smiled, "It's enough that you have this heart. After all, the military has its own rules, and being far away in Beijing, it's normal not to be able to take care of the clan."

Deng Changyong felt much better and introduced his family, "Uncle Jiu, this is my son, Deng Sigui, and my daughter-in-law, He Jinfeng."

"Ancestor Jiu."

Deng Sigui and He Jinfeng quickly greeted him.

Deng Shirong nodded at them and then casually praised them before inviting them in for tea.

At this time, Deng YunGui, Deng YunQiang, Deng Changbao, and others also arrived, and they all sat down to chat and drink tea.

Seeing that it was getting late, Deng Shirong said, "You all chat for a while. I'll prepare some dishes, and we'll have dinner here."

Deng YunGui laughed, "Sure, it's a rare treat to enjoy Uncle Jiu's cooking. I won't be polite."

Deng YunQiang and Deng Changbao, who were close to the clan head, readily agreed.

Deng Changyong had no choice but to agree as well.

...

Two hours later.

Deng Shirong prepared several dishes, all of which were generous in portion and delicious. Those who had tasted them before always praised them.

After a few rounds of drinks, Deng YunQian finally spoke, "Uncle Jiu, when you led the establishment of the passenger transport company and the food company, we couldn't contact Ah Yong, causing him to miss the most important development in the clan. Now that his family has returned, do you think we should hold a clan meeting to discuss giving Ah Yong's family the opportunity to join the group?"

Deng Changyong shook his head and said, "Fifth Uncle, that's not appropriate."

Liu Fang and her son and daughter-in-law were secretly anxious upon hearing this. They had been back for half a day and had learned quite a bit about the Deng Group. Knowing that clan members received substantial dividends every year, they were envious and eager to become part of it.

Now, with the opportunity to join the group, they were naturally anxious when their husband (father) was hesitant.

Deng Yunqian said, "What's inappropriate about it? You are a member of the clan, and you are the only high-ranking official. I believe the clan members would be happy to have you as a shareholder."

Deng YunGui was speechless. Yunqian really lacked tact. Such matters should be discussed with the clan head in private to see if it was feasible. If it could be done, everyone would be happy; if not, it could be forgotten. However, raising the issue in front of the Changyong family left everyone no choice but to agree, as the impact on their interests would be minimal, almost negligible.

Refusing the request outright would offend the Changyong family, and no one wanted to alienate a high-ranking official.

Deng Changyong said, "Fifth Uncle, I know you mean well, but I haven't contributed much to the clan. I feel unworthy of such shares."

Deng Yunqian said, "A Yong, stop being modest. There are so many people in the clan, and everyone gets a share, not all of whom have contributed to the clan."

Deng Changyong shook his head and said, "That's different. When everyone initially pooled their resources to start the company, they built it from scratch. If I join now, it would be like taking the easy way out. It's not comparable."

Hearing his father repeatedly decline, Deng Sigui and He Jinfeng were on the verge of exploding with frustration, wishing they could make the decision for him.

Seeing Deng Changyong's repeated refusals, Deng Shirong nodded inwardly, acknowledging that this nephew was indeed commendable. However, it was a pity that his children and grandchildren lacked a sense of belonging to the clan. Allowing the Changyong family to join the group would be more detrimental than beneficial in the long run.

"Old saying goes, 'Without rules, nothing can be accomplished.' Allowing Changyong to join the group now might not affect us, but in the long term, it's not appropriate."

Deng Shirong explained, "After all, the Naye Deng Clan has a history of hundreds of years. Those who have moved to other places are still part of the Naye Deng Clan. If we don't establish clear rules, and these people decide to return and claim their place in the clan, and then want to join the Deng Group, it would create chaos."

This statement left Deng Yunqian momentarily stunned.

Deng YunGui, Deng YunQiang, and others nodded in agreement. Jiu Gong's concern was very reasonable. If the news of Changyong joining the group spread, other clan members might also return to claim their place, leading to chaos.

"Jiu Gong is right. Joining the group at this time would indeed be breaking the rules and would be harmful to the clan," said Deng Changyong sincerely. As the clan's only high-ranking official, he felt ashamed for not contributing much to the clan. Enjoying the benefits of the clan's development without contributing would be a moral dilemma for him.

However, his son and daughter-in-law did not share his sentiments and looked disappointed.

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Joining the group at this time is indeed inappropriate, but as a member of the clan and the only high-ranking official, you deserve to benefit from the clan's development.

"I plan to include you in the Aunties' group, and your annual dividend will be ten times that of the other Aunties. This way, we won't break the rules, and you can still enjoy the clan's benefits. What do you think?"

Deng YunGui said, "Jiu Uncle, this is a good idea. The number of Aunties is not fixed, and any clan girl who marries can receive this benefit. Adding Changyong as a special case is completely fine."

Deng YunQiang nodded, "Jiu Uncle has thought this through. I agree."

Deng Yunqian said, "Jiu Uncle is truly far-sighted. I support this plan."

Deng Changbao and Deng Changxiong had no objections either. For the Deng Group, the additional expenditure was minimal and insignificant.

Deng Sigui and his wife exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes. This was a surprising turn of events!

Deng Changyong quickly declined, "Jiu Gong, I appreciate your kindness, but I really can't accept this money."

Deng Shirong waved his hand, "Changyong, don't refuse. If you feel uncomfortable, you can bring your children and grandchildren back to pay respects to the ancestors more often. That would be enough."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end