Chapter 458: top of the city

Chapter 458: top of the city

That Ye Village.

Since Deng Shirong moved into the villa, the old blue-bricked house that had been in good condition for several years was left for his niece's family to live in.

Actually, the villa was quite large with plenty of rooms. Deng Shirong wanted his niece's family to move into the villa as well, but his niece insisted on staying in the old house, saying it was quite nice living there and it added some life to the house, slowing down its aging process.

Seeing this, Deng Shirong did not insist, as the old blue bricked house had all the necessary living facilities. Since his niece wanted to stay there, he let her do so!

At this moment, Deng Shirong was sitting under the longan tree in the old house, puffing on a water pipe.

After several puffs, Deng Shirong looked at his niece and asked, "How is the business at your gas station doing?"

Bu Dafang replied happily, "The business is very good. Now I can earn more than ten thousand yuan every month. This income is really shocking."

"It's normal to have such income. Other gas stations don't have the same good conditions as yours."

Deng Shirong put the pipe down and said, "You should hurry and renovate your hotel. Our village's hospital will start operating by the end of this year. Once the hospital starts admitting patients, your hotel will be useful."

Bu Dafang nodded and said, "We are already speeding up the renovation. It will definitely be ready by the end of the year."

Deng Shirong hummed and then asked, "How are Wen Hua and Wen Shang's academic performances?"

Jiang Wen Hua and Jiang Wen Shang are Bu Dafang's sons.

Jiang Wen Hua is 18 years old and is currently in the first year of high school at Songshan High School.

Jiang Wen Shang is 16 years old and is currently in the second year of junior high school at Shuangwang Junior High School.

Bu Dafang shook her head and sighed, "Both of their performances are just average. In a class of 60 students, they are around the 40th place, basically in the middle."

Deng Shirong said, "Reading really depends on the person. Take Xiaodong and Dongzi, for example; they are from the same parents, but Xiaodong has always been excellent, while Dongzi's performance hasn't improved no matter how much encouragement he gets."

Bu Dafang said, "As long as they can finish high school, I'm satisfied. Many of their peers in our village haven't even finished junior high school and dropped out. In comparison, they are doing well."

Deng Shirong said, "It's good if they can get into university, but if they don't have that talent, it's not a big deal. For others, only hard work can lead to a better future, but for them, they can try business after finishing high school, and the family can support them. They might also make a name for themselves."

"Once they graduate from high school, let them seek your guidance, Uncle."

"Of course, no problem. There are many profitable businesses in this era, as long as they are willing to listen."

"They admire you, Uncle. What I say doesn't have the same effect as what you say."

"Alright, we'll see when the time comes."

...

While Deng Shirong was staying at home, a significant event happened in Shuangwang Town: the construction of of Shuangwang No. 2 Middle School began, with plans to start admitting students in the autumn of next year.

In the previous life, after Shuangwang No. 2 Middle School was established, it merged with Shuangwang No. 1 Middle School after just a few years, forming a new junior high school. From then on, the teaching quality of Shuangwang Junior High School improved rapidly, eventually becoming a well-known junior high school in Bobai.

Knowing that the construction of Shuangwang No. 2 Middle School had begun, Deng Shirong had the idea of rebuilding Shuangwang High School.

In 1968, under the slogan of "no need to leave the brigade for junior high school, no need to leave the commune for high school," the number of middle schools in the county surged. By 1976, the 20 communes (towns) in the county had set up 23 high schools and 270 brigades had set up junior high schools.

At that time, the number of junior and high schools was indeed excessive.

Unfortunately, due to blind expansion, the quality of teaching and facilities did not match, leading to a severe decline in educational quality. After the reform and opening up, the county government drastically reduced the number of junior and high schools.

At that time, the poor teaching quality of Shuangwang High School led to its closure, which was a common occurrence.

Now, under the leadership of the Naye Deng clan, the economic conditions of Shuangwang town have greatly improved. If one had to go to other towns to attend high school, it would indeed be unreasonable, like a developed city without a university.

This matter must be taken seriously. For a town to truly develop, education cannot be neglected.

Take their Naye Deng clan as an example. After he initiated a scholarship fund, the entire clan began to value education, producing many talents over the years, contributing to the clan's development, which is a significant change from the previous life.

The state has proposed "education as the foundation of a century," highlighting the importance of education. Rebuilding Shuangwang High school would be entirely beneficial.

With this in mind, Deng Shirong took a car to Bobai, preparing to discuss this matter with County Magistrate Song.

That Ye Village.

Since Deng Shirong moved into the villa, the old blue-bricked house, which had been in good condition for several years, was left for his niece's family to live in.

Actually, the villa was quite large with plenty of rooms. Deng Shirong wanted his niece's family to move into the villa as well, but his niece insisted on staying in the old house, saying it was quite nice living there and it added some life to the house, slowing down its aging process.

Seeing this, Deng Shirong did not insist, as the old blue-bricked house had all the necessary living facilities. Since his niece wanted to stay there, he let her do so!

At this moment, Deng Shirong was sitting under the longan tree in the old house, puffing on a water pipe.

After several puffs, Deng Shirong looked at his niece and asked, "How is the business at your gas station doing?"

Bu Dafang replied happily, "The business is very good. Now I can earn more than ten thousand yuan every month. This income is really shocking."

"It's normal to have such income. Other gas stations don't have the same good conditions as yours."

Deng Shirong put the pipe down and said, "You should hurry and renovate your hotel. Our village's hospital will start operating by the end of this year. Once the hospital starts admitting patients, your hotel will be useful."

Bu Dafang nodded and said, "We are already speeding up the renovation. It will definitely be ready by the end of the year."

Deng Shirong hummed and then asked, "How are Wen Hua and Wen Shang's academic performances?"

Jiang Wen Hua and Jiang Wen Shang are Bu Dafang's sons.

Jiang Wen Hua is 18 years old and is currently in the first year of high school at Songshan High School.

Jiang Wen Shang is 16 years old and is currently in the second year of junior high school at Shuangwang Junior High School.

Bu Dafang shook her head and sighed, "Both of their performances are just average. In a class of 60 students, they are around the 40th place, basically in the middle."

Deng Shirong said, "Reading really depends on the person. Take Xiaodong and Dongzi, for example; they are from the same parents, but Xiaodong has always been excellent, while Dongzi's performance hasn't improved no matter how much encouragement he gets."

Bu Dafang said, "As long as they can finish high school, I'm satisfied. Many of their peers in our village haven't even finished junior high school and dropped out. In comparison, they are doing well."

Deng Shirong said, "It's good if they can get into university, but if they don't have that talent, it's not a big deal. For others, only hard work can lead to a better future, but for them, they can try business after finishing high school, and the family can support them. They might also make a name for themselves."

"Once they graduate from high school, let them seek your guidance, Uncle."

"Of course, no problem. There are many profitable businesses in this era, as long as they are willing to listen."

"They admire you, Uncle. What I say doesn't have the same effect as what you say."

"Alright, we'll see when the time comes."

...

While Deng Shirong was staying at home, a significant event happened in Shuangwang Town: the construction of Shuangwang No. 2 Middle School began, with plans to start admitting students in the autumn of next year.

In the previous life, after Shuangwang No. 2 Middle School was established, it merged with Shuangwang No. 1 Middle School after just a few years, forming a new junior high school. From then on, the teaching quality of Shuangwang Junior High School improved rapidly, eventually becoming a well-known junior high school in Bobai.

Knowing that the construction of Shuangwang No. 2 Middle School had begun, Deng Shirong had the idea of rebuilding Shuangwang High School.

In 1968, under the slogan of "no need to leave the brigade for junior high school, no need to leave the commune for high school," the number of middle schools in the county surged. By 1976, the 20 communes (towns) in the county had set up 23 high schools and 270 brigades had set up junior high schools.

At that time, the number of junior and high schools was indeed excessive.

Unfortunately, due to blind expansion, the quality of teaching and facilities did not match, leading to a severe decline in educational quality. After the reform and opening up, the county government drastically reduced the number of junior and high schools.

At that time, the poor teaching quality of Shuangwang High School led to its closure, which was a common occurrence.

Now, under the leadership of the Naye Deng clan, the economic conditions of Shuangwang town have greatly improved. If one had to go to other towns to attend high school, it would indeed be unreasonable, like a developed city without a university.

This matter must be taken seriously. For a town to truly develop, education cannot be neglected.

Take their Naye Deng clan as an example. After he initiated a scholarship fund, the entire clan began to value education, producing many talents over the years, contributing to the clan's development, which is a significant change from the previous life.

The state has proposed "education as the foundation of a century," highlighting the importance of education. Rebuilding Shuangwang High School would be entirely beneficial.

With this in mind, Deng Shirong took a car to Bobai, preparing to discuss this matter with County Magistrate Song.

Afternoon

Suzhou Restaurant Private Room.

Deng Shirong was drinking and chatting with County Magistrate Song, with his eldest son-in-law, Zhu Junjie, in attendance.

After chatting about various topics, Deng Shirong finally brought up the main issue: "Old Song (in the past, Deng Shirong always called him 'leader' or by his surname and position, but after his second son was promoted to deputy director, and both in-laws became so influential, County Magistrate Song insisted that Deng Shirong stop calling him 'leader.' They eventually settled on the current form of address), I invited you here today to discuss something important."

County Magistrate Song replied straightforwardly, "Uncle Jiushu, feel free to speak. If it's something I can handle, I'll do it without hesitation."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "It's not a difficult matter. After the reform and opening up, our Shuangwang High School was shut down. Now, the town's development is getting better day by day, and our economic strength is already the best in the county. It's really not right for our town not to have a high school.

"So, I'm here to suggest to you and the other leaders that we rebuild Shuangwang High School, so our students don't have to go to neighboring towns to attend high school, which is very inconvenient."

"That's indeed something we've overlooked. We should have rebuilt Shuangwang High School sooner."

With that, County Magistrate Song did not hesitate, looking at Zhu Junjie and saying, "County Magistrate, take full responsibility for this. Make sure it gets done as soon as possible."

Zhu Junjie nodded and smiled, "No problem, I'll discuss this with the leaders at the Education Bureau."

In a few words, the matter of rebuilding the high school was settled.

Next, the three of them chatted about other things.

As they talked, the topic shifted to Song Yu's marriage, and County Magistrate Song couldn't help but sigh, "Before we knew it, she's already in her thirties, and she's still single. It's really worrying."

Deng Shirong also expressed his concern, "I've been helping to look for a suitable match these past few years, but unfortunately, I haven't found one."

County Magistrate Song sighed, "She's in a position where she can't find someone who is too high or too low. Unless she's willing to compromise and lower some of her requirements, it's impossible to find someone who meets all her criteria."

Deng Shirong said, "We can lower the requirements for education."

County Magistrate Song replied, "I've talked to her about it, but she neither agreed nor disagreed. I can tell she's not in a hurry at all!"

Deng Shirong said, "Marriage is not something to rush, especially for someone like Little Yu. Once she gets married, the family must be stable, and they can't be arguing and getting divorced every few days. That would have a significant impact on her career."

County Magistrate Song said helplessly, "I understand that, which is why I've been letting her take her time. Fortunately, I'm about to retire, and then I'll have plenty of time to help her find a suitable match. I hope I can find someone good for her!"

Deng Shirong raised his glass, "As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. I believe Little Yu will find someone she's satisfied with."

County Magistrate Song raised his glass to clink with Deng Shirong's, "I hope so."

...

The construction of Shuangwang No. 2 Middle School did not cause much of a stir in Shuangwang Town.

After all, Shuangwang already had a junior high school, so adding another one didn't have much impact on the residents.

However, when the news of rebuilding Shuangwang High School spread, it instantly caused a huge stir in the town.

"Have you heard? Our Shuangwang is going to rebuild the high school. In the future, our children won't have to go to high schools in neighboring towns like Songshan, Longtan, and Shabu."

"Is that true? When will the construction start? My son just started junior high school. I wonder if he can make it in time. If he can, it will be much more convenient for him to attend school right here in the town."

"Of course, it's true. I heard they are already choosing the location for the school. In two or three years, your son will definitely be able to attend."

"Why is the decision to rebuild the high school so sudden?"

"I heard that it was the Naye Deng clan head who personally went to the county to talk to the leaders about this."

"That makes sense. The Naye Deng clan head's eldest son-in-law is our county magistrate. If he's involved, it's not hard to get things done."

"Speaking of the Naye Deng clan head, he has truly made a significant contribution to the development of Shuangwang."

"Indeed. Without him, our roads in Shuangwang would still be narrow and muddy. Now, we have wide asphalt roads. The hospital in their clan is also built, and it's supposed to start operating by the end of the year. Now, rebuilding Shuangwang High School is another effort he's made, and we all benefit from it."

"The Naye Deng clan members have benefited the most. They are now so wealthy, living in villas and eating well every day. Their lives are so enviable."

"Indeed, it's enviable. Having such a clan head is like having a lucky star in the family."

"..."

Even in the rural areas of the future, some villagers do not place much importance on education, with some families not having produced a high school graduate for generations. Therefore, when the news of rebuilding Shuangwang High School spread, these villagers were not particularly impressed.

However, there were more villagers who valued education, and they were all excitedly discussing this matter.

Just as this issue was causing a stir throughout the town, the town leader in charge of education and the director of the education office personally visited Deng Shirong to discuss the location for the new Shuangwang High School.

When they met, the town leader shook hands with Deng Shirong and said with a full smile, "Uncle Jiushu, thank you for securing this opportunity for us in Shuangwang. All the neighboring towns have their own high schools, but only Shuangwang was missing one. Now, we've finally made up for this shortcoming."

Deng Shirong laughed and said, "No need to be so formal. I am also a part of Shuangwang, and I naturally hope my hometown will continue to improve."

"The people of Shuangwang will never forget the contributions you've made for us."

After praising him, the town leader asked, "Uncle Jiushu, do you have a specific place in mind for the location of Shuangwang High School?"

Deng Shirong had already thought about this and suggested, "I think Mangtou Ridge would be a good choice. What do you think?"

The town leader nodded repeatedly and said, "That location is indeed excellent, and Mangtou Ridge is large enough to accommodate a high school without any issues."

The director of the education office smiled flatteringly and said, "Uncle Jiushu, you've chosen a great spot. It connects to the 60-meter-wide avenue and is just two to three hundred meters from the town center, making it very suitable for building a high school."

Deng Shirong said, "We've also built a wastewater treatment plant at the foot of Mangtou Ridge. The school's wastewater can be directly treated there."

The town leader praised, "You've really thought of everything, Uncle Jiushu. Let's finalize the location here, then."

Deng Shirong said, "If we're going to build a high school, we should do it right. On behalf of the Deng Clan Group, I will donate two million yuan to Shuangwang High School to ensure the infrastructure is top-notch. Later, we can focus on improving the faculty to make Shuangwang High School one of the best in the county."

The town leader, surprised by the unexpected bonus, said excitedly, "Rest assured, Uncle Jiushu. We will definitely build Shuangwang High School to your expectations."

After a bit more small talk, the town leader and the director of the education office left feeling very satisfied.

...

Before they knew it, graduation season was approaching again.

Xiaodong did not disappoint, submitting a perfect report card and ranking first in the city for the entrance exam to the best junior high school in the city.

Deng Shirong was overjoyed and asked, "Xiaodong, where do you want to go for the summer vacation?"

Xiaodong said, "Grandpa, I want to visit Wudang Mountain."

Recently, the popular TV series "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber" had sparked a great interest in this famous Taoist mountain, much like how "Shaolin Temple" had turned the once-desolate Shaolin Temple into a tourist attraction.

Movies and TV shows of this era had such a significant impact.

Last year, the hit drama "The Legend of the White Snake" had made countless viewers want to visit the Leifeng Pagoda in Hangzhou's West Lake. Xiaodong had also wanted to go, but Deng Shirong told her that the Leifeng Pagoda had been destroyed and the new one had not been rebuilt yet. He promised to take her once the new Leifeng Pagoda was completed.

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Alright, let's go to Wudang Mountain."

Dongzi quickly jumped in and said, "Grandpa, I want to go to Wudang Mountain too."

Deng Shirong laughed and said, "Sure, we'll all go together."

Xiaodong looked at her parents and said, "Dad, Mom, you should come too!"

Deng Yuntao and Zhang Xiuping exchanged glances and then smiled, agreeing. Although they were both busy as business owners, they could still spare a couple of weeks to travel with their children.

Dongzi looked at his fourth uncle and asked, "Fourth Uncle, do you want to come too?"

Deng Yunhua laughed and said, "Sure, let's all go together."

Zhang Xiuping added, "Xiaohua, you're going to Wuhan to pick up Yuemei, right? Let's fly to Wuhan first, and then you can pick up Yuemei, and we'll all head to Wudang Mountain. What do you think?"

Deng Yunhua chuckled and said, "Big Sister, you've thought of everything. Let's do it that way."

Deng Yuntao said, "We should also call Xiaoheng. He should be on vacation too. Ask if he wants to join us for the trip to Wudang Mountain."

Deng Shirong shook his head and said, "No need to call him. Xiaoheng and a few classmates are visiting another classmate's home this summer. We don't know when they'll be back."

Deng Yunhua asked, "Dad, when are we leaving?"

Deng Shirong said, "We'll leave tomorrow."

...

As Deng Shirong and his family set off for Wuhan and then to Wudang Mountain, Deng Yunheng and his dorm mates also went to visit another classmate's home.

Deng Yunheng lived in a six-person dormitory. The other five classmates were Cheng Xuening from Sichuan, Su Shenghua from Fujian, Bai Haocheng from Hunan, Lu Hanjin from Guizhou, and Tang Shunfeng from Chaozhou, Guangdong.

Deng Yunheng and his five classmates went to visit Tang Shunfeng's home.

After several hours on a long-distance bus, the group arrived at the Chaozhou Bus Station.

Chaozhou's economy ranks near the bottom in all of Guangdong, and logically, it should be an obscure city.

However, surprisingly, this economically underdeveloped city later became known as the "World Capital of Kung Fu Tea Culture." The Kung Fu tea ceremony, which has gained a significant following, was listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Phoenix Dancong tea, known as the "Perfume of Teas," was included in the China-EU Geographical Indications Agreement for protection.

Chaozhou is also recognized by UNESCO as a "World Capital of Gastronomy." The Chaoshan cuisine, known as the "best Chinese cuisine in the world," is the main branch and representative of Cantonese cuisine. Chaoshan cuisine has been officially designated three times as the sole representative of Chinese culinary culture at the World Expo.

The saying "Food in Guangzhou, flavor in Chaozhou" is renowned both domestically and internationally.

Chaozhou is also the largest production and export base for wedding gowns and evening dresses in the world.

Of course, the most famous aspect is the nickname given to the people from Chaozhou overseas: "Oriental Jews."

As early as the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Chao people, who sailed the red-headed ships to Southeast Asia to establish their territories, were already known as one of the three major merchant groups in China (the Shanxi and Anhui merchants were essentially government-backed merchants, while the Chao merchants were civilian merchants). Today, the Chao merchants have become the world's foremost Chinese business community, producing numerous tycoons such as the richest Chinese person (and richest person in Hong Kong), the richest person in Singapore, the richest person in Thailand, the richest person in mainland China, the richest person in Macau, the richest Chinese person in Australia, the richest Chinese person in Europe, the richest Chinese person in Canada, the richest Chinese person in Africa, and the richest people in many provinces and cities in China, leaving the impression of "the wealthiest are the Chao merchants."

Tang Shunfeng's home was in the city center. Since he had called ahead, his family had already prepared a large table of delicious Chaoshan dishes when he brought his classmates home. The dishes included classics such as vegetarian dishes, soy sauce-braised chicken, deep-fried fruit meat, soy sauce-braised crab, pumpkin taro paste, thick oyster omelet, beef balls, glutinous rice-stuffed pig intestines, braised lion's head goose, double-cooked zongzi, stir-fried cake, oil-soaked shrimp cake, crystal balls, and soup money, among others.

Tang Shunfeng's parents were very welcoming to Deng Yunheng and his classmates. After exchanging greetings, they invited everyone to sit down and eat.

Tang's mother greeted them warmly, "Dear classmates, please don't be shy. Treat this place like your home and enjoy yourselves."

Deng Yunheng politely replied, "Thank you, Auntie. It's really kind of you to prepare so many delicious dishes for us!"

The other classmates also thanked her, appreciating the effort that must have gone into preparing such a large table of dishes.

Tang's mother smiled, "Don't be too formal, classmates. I just hope the dishes suit your taste."

Tang's father also smiled and said, "Fengzi, hurry and invite your classmates to start eating!"

Tang Shunfeng said, "Alright, everyone, don't be shy. My stomach is already growling. Let's start eating!"

Hearing this, Deng Yunheng and his classmates stopped being formal and began to eat.

Then, Deng Yunheng and his classmates entered a mode of eating and praising. While the dishes were indeed good, they weren't necessarily to the taste of students from other provinces who were used to spicy food.

This was due to the dietary differences.

As a native of the two Guang provinces, Deng Yunheng's taste aligned with that of Guangdong. However, with a father who was a master chef, the dishes prepared by Tang's mother, while good, still fell short of his father's standards.

However, Deng Yunheng and his classmates all had high emotional intelligence and praised the dishes enthusiastically, making Tang's mother very happy. The mood was just right.

After the meal, Tang Shunfeng took Deng Yunheng and his classmates out for a walk, which led them to a large supermarket.

Cheng Xuening was surprised, "Old Tang, you have a Yongjia Supermarket in Chaozhou too?"

Tang Shunfeng replied, "What's so strange about that? Our city's Yongjia Supermarket opened last year."

Cheng Xuening asked curiously, "Is this Yongjia Supermarket the same as the one in Guangzhou?"

Tang Shunfeng nodded, "Yes, it's the same owner. Not just in Guangzhou and Chaozhou, Yongjia Supermarket has branches in many other cities, totaling over a hundred."

This statement made the other classmates widen their eyes in surprise.

Only Deng Yunheng smiled, impressed by the rapid development of this chain supermarket.

Lu Hanjin was shocked, "No way, there are over a hundred such Yongjia Supermarkets?"

Bai Haocheng asked curiously, "Old Tang, how do you know so much about it?"

Tang Shunfeng laughed, "Of course I know. My family has a business relationship with Yongjia Supermarket. My father runs a canning factory that processes various fish cans, and Yongjia Supermarket is our factory's largest client."

...

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

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end