Chapter 466: Sales Surge, Changes in Naye Village

Chapter 466: Sales Surge, Changes in Naye Village

After celebrating the Spring Festival with his children and grandchildren in his hometown, Deng Shirong planned to visit Hangzhou and Shenzhen once the kids went back to school.

It was already 1995, and it was time to meet the famous Ma brothers and Ren Zhengfei.

If there was an opportunity, he would also visit Ren Zhengfei to make an early acquaintance.

The Ma brothers and Ren Zhengfei, as the top business leaders of the future, were well-known to Deng Shirong, though he might not know every detail of their development, he was familiar with most of it.

First, let's talk about the elder Ma. Regardless of what he did later and how his reputation fared, he truly possessed many qualities of a successful person.

For example, perseverance. Due to his poor performance in certain subjects, the elder Ma only managed to get into an ordinary high school after two years of trying. In 1982, he took the college entrance exam for the first time and scored only 1 point in mathematics, inevitably failing.

After a year of retaking the exam, in 1983, his mathematics score improved to 19 points, but he still failed the exam.

His parents thought he was not cut out for studying and repeatedly advised him to give up on university and learn a trade to make a living.

However, the elder Ma was indeed persevering. He did not give up and began preparing for his third attempt at the college entrance exam. Without family support, he worked during the day and attended night school in the evenings.

In this situation, in 1984, the elder Ma took the college entrance exam for the third time and scored 89 points in mathematics, entering Hangzhou Normal University's associate program with a score 5 points below the undergraduate line. However, he was fortunate. Due to the lack of students in the English major, the foreign language department selected some top-performing associate students to complete their bachelor's degrees, and the elder Ma was one of them.

His perseverance was not limited to his studies; it also extended to his entrepreneurial endeavors. Before his success, he faced countless setbacks. Most people would have given up and settled for a quiet life as a teacher, but only someone with the elder Ma's extraordinary perseverance and unwavering belief in his path could persist until success.

Besides perseverance, the elder Ma had a very active personality. He was known as a lively figure during his university days, and in modern terms, he was a typical social butterfly. Because of his excessive activity, the vice president of Hangzhou Normal University even made a "five-year agreement" with him, stipulating that he could not resign from any school within five years.

Successful people don't necessarily have to be outgoing, but it's undeniable that outgoing personalities have an advantage in society.

At this point, the elder Ma's translation agency, after three consecutive years of losses, should be starting to turn a profit. Once the translation agency is on track, the five-year agreement will expire, and the restless elder Ma will surely seek new entrepreneurial opportunities.

At this time, Deng Shirong did not plan to invest in him. The timing was not right. He intended to first build a friendship with the elder Ma and then look for an opportunity to invest when he planned to create Alibaba.

However, just as Deng Shirong was about to set off for Hangzhou, he received a call from his second son.

After exchanging greetings, Deng Yunheng said, "Dad, I'm going to attend a three-month training course at the Party School. Weiwei and Amo staying here would be meaningless, so I plan to send them back to Nanning or the hometown until I return to pick them up."

"I'll send security personnel to bring them back."

At this point, Deng Shirong asked, "Yunheng, are you going to be promoted after this training?"

Deng Yunheng was cautious in his response, "The leadership does have that intention, but we'll see when I return."

Deng Shirong understood. They chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.

Since his daughter-in-law and grandson were coming back, Deng Shirong postponed his trip to Hangzhou and Shenzhen. There was no need to rush since it was still early for the elder Ma to create Alibaba and the younger Ma to create Tencent.

...

Three days later.

Gu Caiewei and her son, along with Deng's eldest daughter, were escorted back by two security personnel.

"Grandpa!"

Seeing Deng Shirong, the 5-year-old Deng Changmao happily ran towards him.

Deng Shirong picked him up and asked with a smile, "Amo, did you miss Grandpa?"

Deng Changmao, with his bright eyes, said in a childlike voice, "I did, did you miss me, Grandpa?"

Deng Shirong replied with a full smile, "Grandpa missed you too, Amo. Have you been well-behaved and eating properly?"

Deng Changmao nodded proudly, "Grandpa, I've been very good. I don't need Big Sister to feed me anymore!"

"Amo is such a good boy. Grandpa will take you out to play later."

"Grandpa, I want to go out to play now."

"That won't do. It's almost time for dinner. You need to finish your meal first, and then Grandpa will take you out to play."

"Okay, then I want to eat now!"

"..."

Gu Caiewei watched with a smile. Her father-in-law was not only kind to his children and daughters-in-law but was even more affectionate towards his grandchildren. All the grandchildren adored their grandfather, and her son always clung to him whenever they met, leaving everyone else in the background.

After chatting with his grandson for a few moments, Deng Shirong turned to his second daughter-in-law and said, "Weiwei, what are your plans for the next three months? Do you want to visit your parents' home?"

Gu Caiewei smiled and replied, "Dad, I’ve already made my plans. I’ll stay in Nanning until the Spring Equinox, then we’ll all go back to the hometown to clear the mountain. After Qingming, I’ll visit my parents and stay until Hengge finishes his studies, then we’ll return to Fuzhou together."

"Good, that’s a well-thought-out plan," Deng Shirong nodded in approval. He then turned to his eldest daughter and asked, "Daimei, what about you? Do you want to go home during these three months?"

Deng Damei replied, "Ninth Ancestor, I’ll also return with you after the Spring Equinox."

"That works well," Deng Shirong agreed.

...

Shen Wei was a high-level management talent hired by the Deng Family Group. After joining the group, he was appointed by the chairman to be in charge of the Nongfu Spring mineral water brand.

He was a smart man and understood that the chairman had not continued using the well-known brand Master Kang but had instead invested effort in creating a new brand, showing high hopes for the mineral water product.

Therefore, over the past few years, Shen Wei had quietly followed the chairman’s instructions, waiting for the right opportunity.

Finally, the clouds parted, and the moon shone through. With the Nongfu Spring advertisements airing during prime time on CCTV, the previously unknown Nongfu Spring became an overnight sensation, quickly turning into a highly sought-after mineral water brand.

Sales skyrocketed, and if it weren’t for the chairman’s foresight, which had him prepare everything in advance, it would have been difficult for Shen Wei and his team to handle such a massive surge in demand.

Thanks to the chairman’s guidance and thorough preparation, Nongfu Spring was able to fully capitalize on the surge in sales, enjoying immense profits and unprecedented success.

At that moment, Shen Wei was in his office, reporting to the wise chairman, "Chairman, since our Nongfu Spring advertisements started airing on CCTV, our sales have reached 23 million yuan in just one month. If we can maintain or even increase this level of sales, our profits this year will be substantial."

No wonder he was so confident. The profit margin for mineral water was very high. Even if they deducted the 33 million yuan spent on the CCTV bid, they would still make a significant profit.

"The mineral water business making money this year is not surprising, given that we won the CCTV bid," Deng Shirong said, then sighed. "Unfortunately, the mineral water market is still relatively small. Even if we dominate the market, the profits won’t be substantial. Our next step is to continuously expand the market, encouraging more people to develop the habit of drinking mineral water. Once the market grows, making money will be much easier."

The mineral water market was indeed not large at the time, estimated at around 200 million yuan.

Following the development trajectory from his previous life, even without Nongfu Spring’s sudden rise, the mineral water market was expected to expand rapidly, doubling in sales each year. By the end of the 1990s, the overall sales of mineral water would exceed 3 billion yuan.

In the 21st century, the sales would continue to grow, eventually making the founders of Zonglao and Nongfu Spring billionaires.

Given the strong development trajectory, with Nongfu Spring now backed by the prestige of the CCTV bid, it would undoubtedly accelerate market growth, making mineral water more acceptable to consumers and expanding the market much faster than in his previous life.

Shen Wei, who had long known that the chairman was very optimistic about the mineral water market, said confidently, "Chairman, with the CCTV advertisements leading the way, the mineral water market this year will be larger than ever before. Our Nongfu Spring packaging is excellent, and drinking our mineral water might even become a fashion trend among the young."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "The mineral water market will definitely continue to grow. Our job now is to fuel its growth, speeding up the process. Focus on managing the surge in sales and handle it well."

"Understood, Chairman, I’ll make sure to complete the task."

...

Since the opening of Ye Hospital, which brought over a thousand medical staff and their families to Naye Village, the village has been undergoing constant changes.

First, the number of people doing business in the village has increased significantly.

In the 1990s, even on the busiest market days in Shuangwang, the number of people attending the market rarely exceeded a thousand. Now, the permanent population of Naye Village is around 1,300, effectively making every day a market day. Enterprising clan members and the families of medical staff have started small businesses in the village.

Moreover, relatives and friends of the villagers, seeing the business opportunities, have also flocked to Naye Village.

Thus, the small Naye Village has become a second market town in Shuangwang, and a very successful one at that. Unlike Shuangwang, where the market is only bustling on market days, Naye Village is always bustling with people.

Seeing these changes, Gu Caiewei couldn’t help but marvel, "Now, our village can be considered a small market town. In the future, we won’t need to go to Shuangwang for anything; everything will be available in the village."

Zhang Xiuping smiled and said, "That’s true. Usually, only urban villages experience such a situation. For a rural village to achieve this, it’s probably unique to our Naye Village."

Deng Yuntao also said with some surprise, "I really didn’t expect that a hospital could bring such significant changes to the village. The sudden increase in population makes it seem like opening a supermarket here would never lack for business."

Deng Shirong, recalling the bustling supermarkets in Shuangwang Town from his past life, affirmed, "Opening a large supermarket in the village would indeed be profitable. Not only would the Naye Deng clan shop there, but even the surrounding clans would be attracted to come here.

"Go ask your cousin if she wants to open a supermarket. If she does, help her set it up."

Deng Yuntao nodded, "No problem."

Back at home, Dongzi eagerly picked up a spade and a bag and took his younger brother Amo to dig for earthworms.

In the countryside, earthworms were the go-to bait for fishing. Digging for earthworms was incredibly simple; just find a shady spot, move some stones, bricks, or wooden boards, and you would find earthworms. Quick hands could grab them directly, while slower hands would have the earthworms burrow into the soil, requiring the use of a spade to dig them out.

Dongzi had dug for earthworms a few times and was already an expert.

It was Amo’s first time encountering this, and he was amazed by how his brother quickly grabbed the earthworms. The earthworms looked a bit disgusting, and he didn’t dare touch them with his hands, so he could only watch from the side.

After catching several earthworms, Dongzi said with a smile, "Let’s go, Amo. Today, I’ll take you fishing."

Amo asked, "Brother, is fishing fun?"

Dongzi nodded, "Of course it’s fun. The fish in the river have grown big, and today I’ll catch some big ones for you to see."

Amo asked again, "Brother, what should I do?"

"Watch how I fish first. If you find it fun, I’ll teach you."

"Okay!"

Back at home, Dongzi put away the spade and took the fishing rod, preparing to go to the river.

Seeing this, Gu Caiewei immediately said, "Dongzi, you’re taking your brother fishing. Watch over him, be careful, and don’t let him get too close to the river, understand?"

Dongzi replied, "Aunt, I understand."

Gu Caiewei then instructed her son, "Amo, listen to your brother and don’t play in the water, understand?"

Amo nodded understandingly, "Mom, I understand. I won’t play in the water."

Gu Caiewei said, "Alright, you two can go play."

Dongzi responded and happily took Amo to go fishing.

...

It was rare for Xiaodongzi to visit the hometown, so she found her good friend to play with.

Xiaodongzi’s friend was none other than Deng Changyuan’s daughter, Deng Siyan, whose nickname was Xiaoyan.

Deng Changyuan and Deng Yuntao had grown up together as childhood friends. His wife, Ou Guohua, was also a childhood friend of Zhang Xiuping, Deng Yuntao’s wife. The two families had always been close, and their relationship had remained strong over the years.

Xiaodongzi was only half a year older than Xiaoyan, making them true contemporaries. With the close relationship between the two families, they naturally became good friends.

As the saying goes, "Those who stay close to vermilion turn red, and those who stay close to ink turn black."

Xiaoyan, influenced by Xiaodongzi’s scholarly attitude, saw a significant improvement in her studies. After several years of effort, although her grades were still far from Xiaodongzi’s, she ranked in the top three of her class, which made her parents extremely proud.

At that moment, the two were together, discussing their study methods.

More accurately, Xiaoyan was seeking advice from Xiaodongzi. She asked, "Aunt Dongzi, I want to ask you, how have you always been the top student in your grade for so many years?"

Xiaodongzi blinked and replied, "Before fourth grade, I followed the usual routine: I listened carefully to the teacher in class, learned what the teacher taught, completed my homework diligently, memorized the required texts, and asked the teacher if I didn’t understand anything."

Xiaoyan was surprised, "That’s it?"

Xiaodongzi replied matter-of-factly, "Isn’t that how everyone studies? Is there something special?"

Xiaoyan, sweating, said, "I thought you had some special study methods. What about after fourth grade?"

Xiaodongzi explained, "After fourth grade, I continued to study the fourth-grade curriculum but also learned the fifth-grade material on my own. If I didn’t understand something, I asked the teacher. It didn’t feel particularly difficult, and I kept this habit.

"For example, I’m in the first year of junior high school now, but I’m already studying the second half of the second-year curriculum."

Xiaoyan’s eyes widened. She had to push herself to the limit to stay in the top three of her class, while her friend effortlessly maintained the top spot in her grade and even had the energy to study ahead.

This comparison was truly shocking. The gap between them was too large.

Xiaoyan sighed, "Aunt Dongzi, comparing myself to you is really discouraging. Your learning talent is truly enviable."

Xiaodongzi smiled, "Xiaoyan, you’re not bad either. You attend the best primary school in Bobai. Being in the top three of your class is already very impressive.

"Indeed."

Xiaoyan was also an outgoing person and didn’t dwell on the matter for long. The two then chatted about other topics.

...

After the Spring Equinox, Bobai once again entered the season of ancestor worship and mountain clearing.

In Bobai, the unity of brotherhood could be clearly seen during the annual mountain clearing. If the brothers were united, they would pool their resources and efforts, agreeing on a date to worship their ancestors together. If the brothers were not united, they would each handle their ancestor worship separately, never choosing the same day and always avoiding each other.

There were many examples of this in later times. For instance, if just two out of several brothers were not on good terms, the other brothers would have to handle the mountain clearing separately, as the two who were not on good terms would refuse to participate together, and the others, no matter how harmonious, could not unite them.

Even now, despite the strong unity of the Naye Deng clan, such phenomena still existed. Although Clan Head Deng Shirong was aware of it, he had no way to intervene. After all, as the saying goes, even dragons have nine different sons, and the differences in personality can lead to brothers drifting apart, sometimes to the point of never speaking again. Many brothers have relationships that are not as close as those of friends with no blood ties.

After clearing the public mountain, the Deng Shirong family began to clear their family mountain.

This year, with an additional daughter-in-law, there were more people to share the news with the ancestors.

"Father, Mother, I have good news. Xiaohua got married last year, and this is his wife, Fan Yue Mei. Please bless her so that she can live in peace and prosperity and bring more descendants to our Deng family."

"Old lady, I have good news. Our Xiaohua got married last year, and this is his wife, Fan Yue Mei..."

...

After clearing the mountain, Deng Shirong personally escorted his second daughter-in-law and second grandson to Wuhan. Since he was planning to visit Hangzhou to meet the elder Ma, it was a convenient detour.

Today’s Deng Shirong held a much higher status in the hearts of his in-laws. His arrival was met with great importance by Gu’s parents, and Gu’s mother even prepared a large table of Hubei dishes to welcome him.

During the meal, Deng Shirong praised, "The Jingzhou fish cake from Hubei is truly a delicacy!"

Gu’s mother smiled broadly, "If you like it, take some back with you. Weiwei’s sister has given us quite a bit!"

Deng Shirong shook his head and laughed, "I’ll take some next time. This time, I have to go to Hangzhou."

Gu’s father asked, "Are you going to Hangzhou for business, father-in-law? I have some acquaintances there."

Deng Shirong replied, "Thank you, father-in-law, but it’s just a small business matter, so I don’t want to trouble your friends."

"Alright, I’ll give you a contact number just in case you need help."

"Thank you, father-in-law."

"You’re welcome!"

...

Deng Shirong stayed in Wuhan for one night and the next day boarded the train to Hangzhou.

When he arrived in Hangzhou, it was already 8 PM.

As the saying goes, "Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below." Hangzhou has been economically prosperous since ancient times, making it one of the few cities in China that has remained wealthy from ancient times to the present.

However, this bustling city was later mocked as a culinary desert, which is quite a sad fact.

In reality, Hangzhou has many delicious dishes, such as Longjing Shrimp, Dongpo Pork, West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy, Congbao Hui, Wushan Crispy Pancake, Hangzhou Cat Ears, Zhiwei Xiaolongbao, Beggar’s Chicken, Victory Cake, and Pian’erchuan.

Among these, Longjing Shrimp is a Hangzhou specialty, known for its appealing color and fresh, fragrant taste. It is typically made using live large river shrimp and paired with fresh Longjing tea leaves picked before the Qingming Festival.

After cooking, the shrimp turn a beautiful white, remaining tender and fresh, complemented by the tea’s aroma. The dish is both visually and taste-wise a standout, leaving a lasting impression.

West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy, another Hangzhou classic with a long history dating back to the Song Dynasty, is also notable. According to the Hangzhou Cuisine Museum, the fish is carefully selected from the West Lake and kept in a fish pond for a day to purge any impurities and remove the earthy taste. The cooking process is meticulous, and the fish is served with a hot sweet and sour sauce, which must be served within three minutes to fully appreciate its tenderness and flavor.

If prepared according to the traditional methods, West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy should be a delicious dish, not something that nine out of ten people find unpalatable.

After all, a dish this unappetizing would never have gained such a reputation.

Unfortunately, restaurants that can perfectly recreate the traditional West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy are likely extinct in modern times, and even if there are chefs who know how to make it, it is not something ordinary people can easily taste.

Deng Shirong did not rush to seek out these delicacies. Instead, he checked into a hotel room and planned to explore the city’s culinary scene the next day.

...

PS: I’m speechless. Just before updating, I accidentally clicked something, causing the latter part to become a bit chaotic. It has now been fixed.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end