Chapter 460: All Eyes on Him

Chapter 460: All Eyes on Him

After failing to secure the position of chief director, Liu Jianzhong truly did not want to stay at the orthopedic hospital for a moment longer.

The next morning, he took leave from the hospital and boarded a bus to Shuangwang with his senior brother.

In the future, transportation would be much more convenient, and the journey from Yulin to Shuangwang would take about two hours at normal speed. If the highway was not congested and the vehicle was driven fast, it could be done in one and a half hours.

However, the transportation in this era was far inferior to that of the future. It took them three and a half hours for Liu Zhenyu and Liu Jianzhong to return to Shuangwang.

The entire journey was on asphalt roads, and Liu Jianzhong couldn't help but marvel, "Senior Brother, I really didn't expect the roads in your hometown to be so well-built."

Liu Zhenyu smiled and said, "The road we're on now is nothing compared to the one that will appear soon. That one will truly broaden your horizons!"

"Broaden my horizons?"

Liu Jianzhong laughed, "You must be joking. What kind of road could a rural area possibly build?"

Liu Zhenyu smiled and said, "What kind of road, you'll see soon. I guarantee it will shock you."

Liu Jianzhong was somewhat skeptical. This was a rural area, after all; could it really have better roads than the city?

However, less than a minute later, the road in front of them left him speechless.

Liu Zhenyu explained, "Junior Brother Liu, this road is called the Sixty-Meter Avenue, meaning the road is sixty meters wide. It was built with the funds from the Naye Deng Clan. The Deng Group I mentioned earlier is their asset.

"And do you see that row of villas on the left? Those are the villas where the Naye Deng Clan members live. Every household has a villa, making them one of the wealthiest clans in Guangxi, and perhaps even in the whole country."

Liu Jianzhong was truly stunned. He never imagined that a rural area in Bobai County could hide such a wealthy clan.

If they weren't incredibly rich, how could they afford to build such a wide and beautiful road in the village? If they weren't fabulously wealthy, how could every household afford such luxurious villas? No wonder Senior Brother said the hospital wouldn't lack funds. Liu Jianzhong now had no doubt about his senior brother's words; the Naye Deng Clan was truly incredibly rich!

It seemed that this privately-owned hospital hidden in the countryside was indeed worth considering for a job change.

Soon, the bus arrived at a fork in the road. Turning left would lead to Naye Village, while going straight up the hill would lead to Shabu Town.

The Naye Deng Clan's hospital was located on Apo Mountain beside this fork in the road.

Liu Zhenyu got off the bus with Liu Jianzhong and pointed to several buildings ahead, saying, "Junior Brother Liu, that's our hospital."

Liu Jianzhong could see the four large red characters "Naye Hospital" welded on the top of the building in front of them.

At this point, the external decoration of the hospital was complete. Apart from the lack of patients, it looked like a fully operational hospital, with comprehensive buildings, outpatient buildings, emergency buildings, and inpatient buildings.

Liu Jianzhong and his senior brother toured the hospital and found it to be a very well-equipped facility, not much different from the orthopedic hospital where he currently worked.

Liu Zhenyu pointed to the surrounding empty land and said, "Junior Brother Liu, you see, all this land belongs to our hospital. If the hospital performs well, we can expand at any time. Upgrading to a tertiary hospital is not impossible."

Liu Jianzhong nodded repeatedly. With all this reserved land, building a tertiary hospital would be more than sufficient.

Liu Zhenyu then pointed to the dozen or so villas about a hundred meters to the left and continued, "Junior Brother Liu, those are the villas provided for our hospital's experts and professors. The boss said that any chief physician is eligible to live there. The one in the middle is mine. I hope you can come and be my neighbor."

Seeing this, Liu Jianzhong had already made his decision. Hearing his senior brother's words, he smiled and replied, "Sure, I'll come and be your neighbor."

Liu Zhenyu couldn't help but smile, extending his hand and saying, "Junior Brother, I welcome you on behalf of the hospital."

Liu Jianzhong shook his hand and said with a smile, "Senior Brother, please take care of me in the future."

...

Villa Complex

Dongzi was fishing by the river with his cousin, Zhu Shiba.

Since last year, when Dongzi learned how to fish, it became another hobby for him. Now that his aunt had brought his cousin over, Dongzi took the opportunity to teach him how to fish.

In the countryside, fishing by the river was simple; everyone just put a worm on the hook and threw it into the river to wait for the fish to bite. Zhu Shiba caught on quickly, though whether he would actually catch fish was another matter.

At that moment, Zhu Shiba cast his line into the river and asked, "Cousin, why are there so many fish in this river?"

Dongzi chuckled and said, "There weren't many fish in this river last year. Grandfather saw how much I enjoyed fishing, so he bought a lot of fish fry and released them into the river. That's why you can see so many fish swimming around."

Zhu Shiba nodded and said, "So it was Grandpa who released the fish fry. It's a pity they're still a bit small."

Dongzi said, "They are a bit small now, but by next year, they should be much bigger."

Zhu Shiba said, "Cousin, what's the point of catching these small fish? Why not wait until they grow bigger?"

Dongzi said, "You really are naive. This river isn't just filled with the fish fry Grandpa released. There were already fish in the river, and those fish have been living here for years. There are definitely some big ones hiding, we just need to see if we can catch them."

Zhu Shiba frowned and said, "Cousin, the river is so clear, I can see the bottom, but I don't see any big fish!"

"They're hiding in the holes. Of course, you can't see them. Our job is to lure them out."

As he spoke, Dongzi's float began to move. He immediately closed his mouth and focused intently on the float. When the float suddenly sank, he quickly lifted his fishing rod, and a fish about two fingers wide was caught.

The fish was small, but the sense of accomplishment from catching it made Dongzi laugh heartily.

Seeing this, Zhu Shiba found it quite interesting and eagerly watched his float.

Soon, his float also began to move, and Zhu Shiba got excited.

When the float slightly sank, he impatiently cast his rod.

But...

He didn't catch anything.

Instead, the worm on the hook had been almost entirely eaten.

Zhu Shiba said in frustration, "Cousin, what's going on? The fish bit the hook, but why didn't I catch it?"

Dongzi said, "You might have cast too quickly. If it doesn't work this time, we can try again. We'll catch one eventually."

Zhu Shiba nodded and put another worm on the hook, then cast it into the river to wait for a bite.

Dongzi also removed the fish, put another worm on the hook, and cast it into the river.

While waiting, Dongzi said, "Shiba, I heard from Auntie that you were the king of the kindergarten, picking fights every now and then. Is that true?"

Zhu Shiba said, "That was before. I haven't fought since I started the pre-school class."

Dongzi asked, "Why not?"

Zhu Shiba chuckled and said, "The boys in my class are all scared of me. No one dares to provoke me anymore."

Dongzi gave him a thumbs up and said, "You're really tough!"

Zhu Shiba asked, "Cousin, no one dares to bully you in your class, right?"

Dongzi shook his head and said, "My classmates are more likely to try to please me. Who would dare to bully me?"

Zhu Shiba blinked and asked, "Cousin, why do they try to please you?"

Dongzi said confidently, "Of course, it's because I have my sister as my backup. Everyone in the school knows my sister. Even the older students didn't dare to mess with her, let alone the younger ones."

Zhu Shiba was surprised and said, "So Cousin Sister is so powerful in school!"

Dongzi said proudly, "That's right. She always gets the top score in her grade at the end of each semester. If anyone dares to mess with her, the teacher would definitely whip them!"

In the 1990s, it was common for teachers to discipline students. It was rare to find a mischievous student who hadn't been beaten by a teacher at some point.

Elementary school students still had a healthy fear of their teachers.

Zhu Shiba said enviously, "Cousin Sister is really amazing. No one dares to mess with her without a fight. Unlike me, I have to beat everyone into submission."

Dongzi asked curiously, "Shiba, you said you beat everyone into submission. Does that mean no one in your class can beat you?"

Zhu Shiba said disdainfully, "They're too weak. Just a kick or a punch, and they run crying to the teacher to tattle, like girls. They're useless."

"You are indeed tough."

Dongzi said admiringly, then warned, "But don't bully other students at school. Otherwise, Grandpa will have to discipline you."

Zhu Shiba nodded and said, "I know. Grandpa already told me not to bully other students at school. But he also said that if anyone dares to bully me, I should fight back, no matter who it is."

"You know that's right. Look, your float is moving!"

"Ha, I finally caught you!"

...

At the villa's entrance.

Deng Shirong was smoking his pipe, puffing away.

After several puffs, Deng Shirong asked, "Aizhen, how are your in-laws doing?"

Deng Yunzhen sighed and said, "Probably not this year, but maybe next year."

Deng Shirong said, "They're old and have always been in poor health. It's already a miracle they've made it this far."

Deng Yunzhen nodded and said, "They often say they've had a good life. Every extra day they live is a bonus."

Deng Shirong said, "Aizhen, they've been good to you over the years. Spend more time with them in the coming months."

Deng Yunzhen nodded and said, "Dad, I know."

Deng Shirong changed the subject and asked, "How is the business at Sufeng Restaurant doing now?"

Deng Yunzhen smiled and said, "It's doing very well. Because our restaurant is large and has the best reputation in Bobai County, most couples who are getting married prefer to hold their weddings here. Just from hosting various banquets, our restaurant earns hundreds of thousands of yuan each year."

Deng Shirong suggested, "Since there are many wedding guests, the restaurant could establish a specialized team dedicated to wedding services. This would further enhance the restaurant's competitiveness and make it the top choice in Bobai County."

"Establish a specialized team for wedding services?"

Deng Yunzhen blinked and asked, "Dad, what do you mean by that?"

It was understandable that she didn't know; the concept of a wedding planning company didn't exist in this era. It wasn't until the 21st century that wedding planning companies started to become popular and widely known across the country. In the future, as long as one could afford it, they would hire professional wedding planning companies to handle their weddings.

In the future, most large restaurants would also have their own professional wedding planning teams.

"The specialized wedding team would include a planner, a host, a bridal makeup artist, a photographer, a videographer, a supervisor, a music and special effects specialist, and a performance team," Deng Shirong explained one by one. "The planner is responsible for the overall planning and coordination of the wedding, ensuring that everything goes according to plan. The host guides the wedding ceremony and manages the flow. The bridal makeup artist is responsible for the bride's makeup and styling, ensuring she looks her best on her wedding day. The photographer and videographer capture the important moments of the wedding. The supervisor manages the day's schedule and handles any unexpected situations. The music and special effects specialist is responsible for the music at the wedding. The performance team provides various entertainment, such as dancing and singing, to add a festive atmosphere to the wedding."

"Wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and the sense of ceremony is very important. A professional service team can provide the ceremony and atmosphere that the guests desire. If we can pull this off, there will be no competition in Bobai County."

Deng Yunzhen nodded in admiration, "Dad, you're amazing. You can come up with such a great idea so easily. I'll start working on this as soon as I get back."

Deng Shirong said, "Rome wasn't built in a day. Remember, don't rush. Start with one position at a time, and let the team grow and develop through practice until it becomes a complete wedding service team."

Deng Yunzhen replied, "Okay, Dad, I understand what to do."

...

During the summer vacation in the rural areas of Bobai County, the thing children loved most was going up the mountain to pick mulberries.

Mulberries, also known as Myrica rubra, are the most famous wild fruit in the rural areas of Bobai County. They are so abundant that they can be found everywhere, with large numbers of mulberry trees on almost every mountain. Picking mulberries when they are ripe is a very enjoyable activity.

At this moment, Jiang Wenshang was leading his cousins up the mountain to pick mulberries under the scorching sun.

As the saying goes, "On the sixth of June, mulberries ripen one by one; on the seventh of July, they are ready to pick." It was currently the time when the mulberries were ripening one by one. Even if someone had picked them the day before, there would still be new fruits ready to be picked the next day. Therefore, it was impossible to come back empty-handed when picking mulberries.

To put it in modern terms, there were so many mulberries that they couldn't be picked all at once.

In this era, when children went up the mountain to pick mulberries, they would wear a straw hat. Initially, they would eat while picking, and once they had eaten their fill, they would take off the hat and use it to hold the mulberries. They would come down the mountain when the hat was full.

Some children would use the front of their shirts as a pocket to hold the mulberries, also coming down when the pocket was full.

Zhu Shiba was still young, and this was his first time following his older cousins up the mountain to pick mulberries. Seeing the mulberries covering the mountains, he was overjoyed, darting from one mulberry tree to another like a busy bee.

The joy of picking was similar to fishing; the fun was in the process, not just the eating.

Of course, the taste of mulberries was also excellent.

Seeing Zhu Shiba constantly stuffing mulberries into his mouth, Xiaodong'er couldn't help but remind him, "Shiba, don't eat too many. Eating too much can cause constipation."

Zhu Shiba widened his eyes and said, "Sis, don't scare me!"

Xiaodong'er said, "Why would I scare you? Don't believe me? Ask Jiang Sis."

Jiang Wenshang laughed and said, "Shiba, eating too many mulberries can indeed cause constipation, but don't be afraid. When we get back, just drink a bowl of salt water, and you'll be fine."

Zhu Shiba let out a sigh of relief and said, "That's a relief. If I couldn't poop, that would be terrible."

Dongzi said, "It's fine to eat a little, just don't overdo it."

Zhu Shiba nodded and said, "Got it, I understand."

Because the mulberries on the mountain were indeed plentiful, the four cousins only had to walk a few mountains to pick enough mulberries.

Then, everyone returned home.

In the following days, Zhu Shiba followed his cousins up the mountain to pick mulberries every day. For him, this was a very fun activity, and even when his mother was about to take him back to the county town, he still looked reluctant to leave.

...

The summer vacation passed by unnoticed.

Xiaodong'er officially became a junior high school student.

In the future, many schools adopted a closed teaching system, and once students entered junior high, they had to live on campus. They would stay at school for a week, and students were not allowed to leave the campus without permission during that time.

However, in this era, the management of junior high schools was not as strict. Students were generally not allowed to leave the campus during lunchtime, but the school was open in the afternoon, allowing free entry and exit. The school also had internal and external boarding students. External boarding students could come and go as they pleased.

The school's living and dining conditions were poor, so Deng Shirong naturally did not want his precious granddaughter to eat and sleep at school. He arranged for her to have an external boarding certificate, so she could continue to eat and sleep at home, just like when she was in elementary school.

Upon entering junior high, Xiaodong'er immediately became the most noticeable presence in her class.

On one hand, it was because of her beauty; all the female classmates standing next to her were like green leaves highlighting her.

On the other hand, it was because of her top score in the city's entrance exam. In junior high school, students with outstanding academic performance naturally attracted a lot of attention.

Her homeroom teacher was particularly fond of her and appointed her as the class monitor right at the beginning of the semester.

Most of her classmates were convinced and respected her for this, except for a few.

Thus, Xiaodong'er's junior high school life officially began.

At the same time, Zhu Shiba officially became a student at Bo Bai No. 1 Elementary School.

When Deng Yunzhen took him to school, she repeatedly reminded him, "Shiba, from now on, you are a primary school student. You need to get along well with your new classmates and don't fight with them as you did before, okay?"

Zhu Shiba nodded and said, "I know, Mom. As long as they don't provoke me, I won't fight them."

Deng Yunzhen frowned and said, "What do you mean by 'provoke you'? In kindergarten, someone just touched your pencil, and you made them cry. Is that what you call provoking you?"

Zhu Shiba huffed and said, "Who let them use my pencil without asking?"

Deng Yunzhen was speechless and said, "Is that such a big deal that it warrants a fight?"

Zhu Shiba said firmly, "I don't care. Anyone who takes my things has to ask me first. If I say they can take it, they can; if I say they can't, they can't."

Deng Yunzhen, feeling a headache, said, "Just behave yourself in primary school and don't fight all the time."

Zhu Shiba replied, "I know!"

...

However, just three days into the semester, Zhu Shiba was called to the principal's office because he had fought with a classmate.

In the following days, Zhu Shiba reverted to his old ways from kindergarten, fighting with classmates every now and then. Each time he fought, he had a reason: either a classmate was trying to bully him, or they used his things without permission, or they were bullying other classmates.

After being called to the principal's office again, Deng Yunzhen said angrily, "Zhu Shiba, I'm telling you, if you fight with your classmates again and the teacher calls the parents, your father will have to deal with it. I won't anymore."

Zhu Shiba mumbled, "It's not my fault. Who made them provoke me?"

Deng Yunzhen looked at Zhu Junjie, frustrated, and said, "You see, teach your son. I can't handle him anymore."

Zhu Junjie patted his son's head and smiled, "Don't always make your mother angry. Since these classmates keep provoking you, why don't you challenge them to a fight? Whoever wins, the others will listen to. That will solve the problem, right?"

Zhu Shiba's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly, "I'll go challenge them tomorrow and see who dares to fight me."

Deng Yunzhen glared at Zhu Junjie, "Zhu Junjie, I asked you to discipline your son, not to encourage him to fight others."

Zhu Junjie laughed, "Don't worry. It's better to address the issue directly. If he wins, it will solve the problem once and for all."

Deng Yunzhen frowned, "Will that work?"

Zhu Junjie said, "We'll find out! Try it and see."

Zhu Shiba said confidently, "Dad, don't worry. I'll beat them until they submit. Just like in kindergarten, no one will dare to provoke me."

Zhu Junjie smiled, "Alright, I'm waiting for your good news."

The next day, with his father's support, Zhu Shiba went to school and started challenging his classmates.

He said, "Whoever wins the fight will be the one everyone listens to."

A few of the more mischievous classmates, clearly not convinced by Zhu Shiba, accepted his challenge one by one.

The process is not worth recounting, but in the end, none of these classmates could beat Zhu Shiba.

Seeing how strong Zhu Shiba was, these classmates all submitted to him.

From then on, Zhu Shiba became the class bully, and no one dared to provoke him.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end