Chapter 457: Afraid of Heat, Drink Kangshifu Chilled Tea

Chapter 457: Afraid of Heat, Drink Kangshifu Chilled Tea

Saturday.

8 PM.

In the luxurious residence at the Wuyue Square, Xiaodong'er was performing for her grandfather, father, mother, and fourth uncle.

The instrument she used for the performance was none other than the guzheng she had been learning for four years.

Four years ago, in order to cultivate the hobbies of his grandchildren, Deng Shirong had hired professional private tutors for his grandchildren. Since then, Xiaodong'er had been learning singing, dancing, and guzheng from different teachers.

Dongzi, on the other hand, was learning the drum kit, which he was more interested in.

After four years of study, Xiaodong'er's guzheng skills were not at a professional level, but they were sufficient to perform for laymen.

Now, Xiaodong'er was playing a classic song by the superstar Andy Lau, "Secretly Fascinated," which was undoubtedly a classic. Although Xiaodong'er's guzheng skills still needed improvement, she could play the song quite well.

At the end of the song:

"Good, it sounds really nice," Deng Shirong was the first to applaud and praise her.

"Xiaodong'er is really amazing, the song sounds great," Deng Yuntai praised her.

Deng yuntai also couldn't stop smiling, nodding his head, "It really sounds nice."

Zhang Xiuping also beamed at her daughter, giving her a thumbs up.

Receiving praise from the elders, Xiaodong'er was very happy and asked with a smile, "Grandpa, what other songs do you want to hear? I can play another one for you."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "How about another one by Wong Ka Kui, 'Boundless Sky'?"

Xiaodong'er smiled and replied, "Sure, 'Boundless Sky.'"

After a brief preparation, Xiaodong'er began to play "Boundless Sky."

It must be said that interest is indeed the best teacher. Among all the instruments, Xiaodong'er had a particular fondness for the guzheng. Although she had only been learning for four years, her guzheng skills had already reached a certain level of proficiency, and "Boundless Sky" sounded quite beautiful.

To the laymen like Deng Shirong, the guzheng sounded quite good.

Deng Shirong smiled and praised her, "Not bad, no wonder your music teacher keeps praising you for your talent."

"Yes, Xiaodong'er, you played 'Boundless Sky' really well," Deng Yuntai added, but then sighed with some sadness, "Among all the singers, I liked Wong Ka Kui the most. He was an incredibly talented singer who wrote so many classic songs in his early thirties, but it's a great loss to the music industry that he passed away in Japan last year."

Deng Yuntai agreed, "It's indeed a great loss. If he had another thirty years, his achievements in music would be hard to match."

Deng Shirong also sighed, although he enjoyed listening to music, he was more interested in the songs themselves and not so much in who created or performed them. It's like how many novels are too numerous to finish, and many readers don't care who wrote them, as long as they enjoy reading.

He remembered that in his previous life, Wong Ka Kui had died in Japan, but he couldn't remember the exact year.

After being reborn, he hadn't paid much attention to the music industry, so he had forgotten about this event.

When the news of Wong Ka Kui's death last year came out, he remembered this, but it was too late.

"Fourth Uncle, you don't need to be sad," Xiaodong'er put away the guzheng and comforted him, "As the poem says: Some people are alive, but they are already dead; some people are dead, but they are still alive. A predecessor like Wong Ka Kui will always be remembered by future generations, and his classic songs will be passed down from generation to generation."

Deng Yuntai smiled, "Our Xiaodong'er has learned to comfort people."

Deng Shirong looked at the eager Dongzi and asked, "Dongzi, how is your drum kit study going? Can you also perform for us?"

"Of course I can!"

Dongzi excitedly sat down at the drum kit, picked up the drumsticks, and asked, "Grandpa, what song do you want to hear?"

Deng Shirong smiled, "How about the song you're best at?"

Dongzi nodded and said seriously, "I'll play 'Childhood' for you."

Then, he began his performance.

It must be said that among all the instruments, the drum kit is indeed quite impressive.

The drum kit was dongzi's most interested instrument, and after four years of study, he had also reached a certain level of proficiency. Plus, "Childhood" was one of his best pieces, making his performance quite engaging.

Soon, dongzi finished his performance, and asked with hopeful eyes, "Grandpa, how was my performance?"

Deng Shirong smiled and praised him, "Very good, keep studying hard. When you go to college, you can perform at school events and surely win over many female classmates."

With his grandfather's praise, Dongzi beamed and said, "I will definitely study hard."

Next, Dongzi performed several more songs, receiving praise from everyone. This made him extremely happy; he had never been praised so much by his family before! At that moment, he decided to take his drumming studies more seriously.

Not for any other reason, but to make his grandfather and parents look at him with more respect and praise him more.

As for performing at university events and winning over female classmates, that was just an added bonus.

...

2 PM.

The Fan family, consisting of mother and her two sons, were busy making pickled snacks at home. Some pickled snacks were prepared and eaten immediately, while others required advance processing and pickling.

Although Fan Yuesheng and Fan Yueqiang were not gifted in their studies, they were both obedient and had been helping their mother at home ever since they dropped out of school, unlike other young people who spent their days in game arcades.

This was partly due to their young age when they lost their father. Their mother worked hard from dawn to dusk to support them and their sister, and children from such families were generally more sensible.

While working, Fan Yuesheng said, "Mom, our pickled snack business is doing so well now that during peak hours, the three of us can't handle it. Why don't we hire one or two employees to help us?"

Qin Fengzhen shook her head and said, "If we hire two employees, we'll have to spend at least a couple of hundred yuan a month. How many pickled snacks would we need to sell to make that back? I'd rather work a bit harder myself."

Fan Yuesheng said, "Mom, it's not just about working harder. If we can't keep up during peak hours, the customers won't wait for us. After all, there are other pickled snack vendors on the street now."

Qin Fengzhen understood this and sighed, "Alright, I'll ask your cousin if she's willing to work at our pickled snack shop."

Suddenly, Fan Yueqiang pointed to the door and said, "Mom, Brother, look, Brother-in-law is here!"

Qin Fengzhen and her eldest son looked toward the door, seeing a familiar car driving up and slowly stopping in front of their house.

Seeing this, the mother and her two sons all stood up and went out to greet him.

As soon as Deng Yunhua opened the car door and got out with the gifts he had prepared, he saw his future mother-in-law and two brothers-in-law coming out to greet him with warm smiles. He greeted them with a smile, "Auntie, Yuesheng, Yueqiang."

"Xiaohua!"

"Brother-in-law!"

The Fan family also greeted him.

Hearing the term "brother-in-law," Deng Yunhua's eyes narrowed with a smile. These two brothers-in-law have potential; he should help them out.

He handed over the gifts with a smile and said, "Auntie, these are squids I got from Beihai. They are thick and very tasty."

Qin Fengzhen politely thanked him and then took the squids with a smile.

Fan Yueqiang eagerly brought a chair for his brother-in-law, while Fan Yuesheng boiled water to make tea. Qin Fengzhen put away the squids and then brought a plate of pickled snacks.

Deng Yunhua picked up a bamboo skewer and, while eating the pickled snacks, asked, "Auntie, how has the pickled snack business been recently?"

Qin Fengzhen smiled and said, "The business is several times better than before. When Yuemei was at home, the four of us could manage, but now it's just the three of us, and we can't keep up."

Deng Yunhua said, "If you can't keep up, just hire some help. Hiring a couple of employees will make it much easier."

Fan Yueqiang smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, we were just talking about hiring help!"

"Hiring help is the best solution."

Deng Yunhua picked up a piece of radish with his bamboo skewer and asked, "Yuesheng, Yueqiang, have you ever thought about starting your own business?"

Fan Yuesheng was intrigued and said, "Brother-in-law, what do you mean?"

Deng Yunhua said, "Helping at home with the pickled snacks is good, but this business can only make a small profit. It's not like you're indispensable; you could hire a few more employees to help Auntie. If you want to really make a lot of money, you need to start your own business."

Fan Yuesheng sighed and said, "Brother-in-law, you're right. I've thought about starting my own business, but I don't know what to do. Besides, our family's financial situation wasn't good, so even if there were business opportunities, they wouldn't be for us. We don't have the capital."

Deng Yunhua smiled and said, "Yuesheng, Yueqiang, as Yuemei's brothers, you are also my brothers. If you have any business ideas, let's discuss them. If they seem feasible, I'll invest in you."

The brothers' eyes lit up, and they all looked at their mother.

Previously, their mother had stressed that they should not ask their brother-in-law for help. However, if he offered to help them, they could accept it.

However, that would be after the wedding. Currently, although the wedding date has been set, the marriage has not yet taken place. Whether or not they can accept the help at this point needs to be discussed with their mother.

The two sons' eyes were filled with desire, and Qin Fengzhen naturally saw it. She looked at the prospective son-in-law and said, "Xiaohua, I know you want to help them, but they haven't read much and don't have much business acumen. If you invest in them, it might be like throwing meat buns to a dog—once it's gone, it's gone!"

Deng Yunhua swallowed the spicy and sour radish in his mouth and smiled, "Auntie, once we're a family, helping Yuesheng and Yueqiang is only right. For others, if they lose money in business, it might take them ten or twenty years to recover. But for me, even if Yuesheng and Yueqiang lose money, it's not a big deal. We can just try another business. If one attempt fails, we try again. As my father always says, we have the capital to make mistakes. We just need to try a few times, and we'll eventually succeed.

After all, I don't lack anything but money."

Hearing his wealthy and confident words, the Fan family mother and sons looked at each other in surprise.

Qin Fengzhen hesitated and said, "Xiaohua, why don't we wait until Yuemei graduates and comes back?"

Deng Yunhua smiled, "We can wait until Yuemei returns before making a decision. It won't be long. Yuesheng and Yueqiang, why don't you first tell me what kind of business you want to do? We can discuss it today."

Seeing that his brother-in-law was genuinely willing to help, Fan Yueqiang spoke freely, "Brother-in-law, speaking of business, I do have an idea. A friend told me that game arcades are very popular now. It's said that every day, countless people queue up to play games. If we could invest in opening a game arcade, we would definitely make money."

Fan Yuesheng chimed in, "I've also heard about the popularity of game arcades. A friend even took me there once. The crowd was really overwhelming. The owner makes money every second. Opening such a game arcade, it would be hard not to get rich."

Qin Fengzhen frowned, "Game arcades are not good places. I've heard from neighbors that their children often skip school to play there. They get so angry when they talk about game arcades. If we do such a business, we'll probably be cursed to death."

Deng Yunhua said, "Yuesheng and Yueqiang are right; game arcades are indeed very profitable. But Auntie is also correct. Game arcades are like floods and ferocious beasts to parents. No game arcade owner can avoid being cursed.

Moreover, game arcades are the favorite haunts of delinquent youths. They are full of mixed company and can easily breed crime.

In summary, if the goal is just to make money, it is a good business, but whether we should make such money needs careful consideration."

Qin Fengzhen directly refused for her sons, "We won't make such unethical money."

Fan Yueqiang blinked and said, "If a game arcade isn't feasible, then a billiard hall might be a good option. I've been to a billiard hall a few times with friends. There are two charging methods: one is by the hour, around two or three yuan per hour. The other is by the game, about fifty cents per game.

The business is also very booming, and we always have to queue up.

However, the income from a billiard hall is probably not as high as that of a game arcade."

Qin Fengzhen frowned again, "A billiard hall doesn't seem like a good place either."

Deng Yunhua had heard about billiard halls from his father and had been to one before. He interjected, "Auntie, a billiard hall is not as chaotic as a game arcade. Game arcades mainly attract young people, while billiard halls, though they also attract many young people, primarily cater to adults."

Seeing that his brother-in-law supported him, Fan Yueqiang instantly became enthusiastic, "A billiard hall is very profitable. The one I went to had five tables. I once calculated that a single table can easily make thirty yuan a day. With five tables, they can make at least one hundred and fifty yuan a day.

After deducting rent, utilities, and other expenses, they can earn at least three to four thousand yuan a month."

Qin Fengzhen was stunned and exclaimed, "A billiard hall can make that much money?"

She knew that her pickled snack shop's business was now many times better than before, and they had added high-profit items like pickled chicken feet and duck feet, yet they barely reached this profit level, and that was without paying rent.

To earn this money, the three of them worked tirelessly every day, making it a hard-earned income.

A billiard hall with five tables, managed by just one person, could easily make three to four thousand yuan a day. This completely overturned her worldview.

Fan Yueqiang nodded, "A billiard hall is indeed very profitable. If you don't believe it, you can go to a billiard hall and observe for an hour or two. Calculate their income for that time, and you can basically estimate their daily earnings."

Qin Fengzhen was deeply shocked. If a billiard hall could make so much money, then a game arcade must be like picking up money every day. No wonder game arcade owners don't care about being cursed, with such high income, who would care about the bad reputation?

Even Qin Fengzhen, who originally disliked the chaotic environment of game arcades, felt an impulse to open one.

Of course, she was just thinking about it and wouldn't actually do it.

Deng Yunhua smiled and said, "Nowadays, more and more people like playing billiards. Opening a billiard hall can indeed be profitable. Yuesheng and Yueqiang, if you two are interested, I'll invest in you and help you open a large-scale billiard hall."

"Thank you, Brother-in-law!"

"Thank you, Brother-in-law!"

The Fan brothers thanked him with excitement, their hearts filled with joy. A billiard hall with only five tables could make three to four thousand yuan a month. If they opened a large-scale billiard hall, how much money could they make in a month?

Deng Yunhua chuckled and said, "We're family, no need to be so formal. When you have time, look for a suitable shop. Find one with a larger area; it doesn't matter if it's on the first, second, or third floor.

Also, the location of the shop is important. Discuss it with your brother.

Let me know once you've found a good place."

Fan Yueqiang nodded and said, "Okay, Brother-in-law, we'll let you know once we've found a good place."

Qin Fengzhen hesitated but ultimately didn't stop them. She could only accept her future son-in-law's kindness and wait for her daughter to graduate and return home to discuss how to repay him. As for how to repay him, that was none of anyone else's business.

...

In 1994, there was a classic martial arts TV series that cannot be overlooked: the famous "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber."

Zhou Haimei's portrayal of Zhou Zhiruo captivated countless people.

In comparison, Ye Tong, who became a sensation last year for her role in "The Legend of the White Snake," played Zhao Min, which was truly hard to stomach.

In the original novel, Zhao Min is described as the most beautiful woman in Mongolia, with unparalleled beauty. However, Ye Tong was chosen to play Zhao Min, and in the end, the male lead chose Ye Tong over Zhou Haimei. Any viewer with normal aesthetic sense would be outraged.

It even became a childhood nightmare for many 80s kids!

When the author was still a primary school student, he would rush home at top speed after evening classes every day to watch "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber." However, the show's Zhang Wuji chose Ye Tong over Zhou Haimei, which was truly nauseating.

So, although the 1994 version of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" is considered a classic, in the hearts of many viewers, it still doesn't match the 2003 version. The reason is simple: the 2003 version is filled with beautiful women.

Gao Yuanyuan's portrayal of Zhou Zhiruo is already very beautiful, but Jia Jingwen's Zhao Min is even more stunning, with her every smile and frown reaching the pinnacle of beauty. Among all the portrayals of Zhao Min, perhaps only Zhang Min can compare.

It's undeniable that Zhang Min's smile in the show is truly a classic.

Of course, Li Zhi's version is also excellent and more faithful to the original. Some fans even said, "After Li Zhi, there is no Zhao Min."

The show premiered in Taiwan in March of this year, causing a huge sensation, and was then introduced to mainland China for broadcast.

Deng Shirong, of course, wouldn't miss the opportunity to sponsor such a classic TV series. Last year, Li Quan Beer's sponsorship of "The Legend of the White Snake" was a huge success, making it the most popular beer in the country.

This year, Kangshifu Chilled Tea is sponsoring "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber."

At the same time, the classic slogan that Deng Shirong had kept hidden for years was finally unveiled: "Afraid of Heat, Drink Kangshifu Chilled Tea."

After the TV series aired, the sales of Kangshifu Chilled Tea saw an immediate surge. For people in Guangdong and Guangxi, the combination of heat and chilled tea is incredibly powerful, so the sales of Kangshifu Chilled Tea exploded in these regions.

People in the north, who don't suffer from heat issues, can't understand the importance of chilled tea to the people in Guangdong and Guangxi.

To put it simply, in rural areas, if someone boils chilled tea, people who know about it will come over to have a bowl, even if they aren't feeling hot. If they are feeling hot, they will definitely come over.

In cities, people enjoy drinking chilled tea as a regular beverage.

Therefore, this sweet, drinkable Kangshifu Chilled Tea, which is both tasty and cooling, is irresistible.

Apart from the Guangdong and Guangxi markets, other southern provinces also contributed to the sales, though not as dramatically. After all, the advertising effect in this era is truly powerful. No matter how bad a product is, if it's advertised on TV, many viewers will be willing to buy it.

This is essentially because the common people trust the state. In their view, if something is advertised on TV, it must be a good product, so they naturally buy it.

The results are truly mixed, and it's hard to understand how some fraudulent ads pass TV censorship...

...

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end