Chapter 475: Unprecedented and Unparalleled

Chapter 475: Unprecedented and Unparalleled

Afternoon.

At the entrance of the Yeyu Clan Hall.

Tables had been set up, each covered with a clean tablecloth.

On the tables were various small snacks such as candies, cookies, peanuts, and sunflower seeds, along with a pot of steaming red tea.

At this moment, most of the tables were filled with people, who were chatting and waiting for the birthday banquet to begin.

A birthday banquet of this scale was a first for all the guests present, especially for the medical staff and their families from the Yeyu Hospital, who were discussing the grand celebrant of the banquet.

"My goodness, this birthday banquet is so grand, there must be four or five thousand people here!"

"I just counted, there are exactly 600 tables. If all the guests arrive, it will definitely exceed five thousand people."

"Whew... I've never seen a wedding banquet this big, let alone a birthday banquet."

"Indeed, it's worthy of the clan head of the Yeyu Deng Clan. I heard that all the county leaders have come to wish Uncle Jiu a happy birthday!"

"What's so strange about that? Uncle Jiu's eldest son-in-law is the county magistrate. It's only natural for other county leaders to come and wish him a happy birthday."

"Ah? No way! Uncle Jiu's eldest son-in-law is the county magistrate?"

"How could you not know that?"

"Well, I'm new here, and no one told me these things!"

"Let me tell you, that's not even the best part. Uncle Jiu's second son is already a full-time official at the provincial level."

"Wow, so Uncle Jiu is that powerful!"

"You should go inside the clan hall and check out the introduction of Uncle Jiu's family. Although it's from a few years ago, it can still provide some reference."

"Alright, I'll go take a look."

"..."

While the guests were gathered at the entrance of the Yeyu Clan Hall, Deng Shirong, the grand celebrant, was in his own villa, receiving birthday gifts from his children and their spouses.

Deng Yuntao presented two exquisitely crafted golden peaches and said with a smile, "Dad, I wish you longevity and happiness, like the sea and the mountains. These are the golden peaches I had a master craftsman make specifically for you. I hope you like them."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Deng Shirong took the golden peaches, saying "good" three times, his eyes nearly squinting with joy, clearly showing how pleased he was.

In his previous life, when he celebrated his sixtieth birthday, his eldest son had already passed away. In this life, not only was his eldest son alive, but he had also brought a birthday gift. The contrast was truly heartwarming.

Zhang Xiuping smiled and said, "Dad, I wish you longevity and happiness, like the sea and the mountains. I made a large birthday cake for you myself. I hope you like it."

Deng Shirong smiled warmly and said, "Very thoughtful, thank you."

Deng Yunzhen added, "Dad, I wish you a happy birthday and a healthy life. I'll cook a dish for you later. I hope you like it."

Deng Shirong laughed heartily, "Aizhen's cooking is already very good. I'll definitely enjoy it."

Zhu Junjie respectfully presented a jar of wine, "Dad, this is tiger bone wine I got from a friend. I wish you a happy birthday and a long life."

Deng Shirong took the jar, praising, "This is truly a fine gift. Junjie, you've put a lot of effort into it."

Deng Yunheng smiled, "Weixi, it's your turn."

Gu Caowei took out a set of exquisitely crafted clothes and smiled, "Dad, I wish you a long and prosperous life. I made these clothes for you myself using the finest fabric. I hope you like them."

Deng Shirong knew that his second daughter-in-law was skilled in embroidery. The clothes she made were far superior to anything bought from the market. He touched the unfamiliar fabric and admired the lifelike embroidery, praising, "Caowei's skills are truly remarkable. I'll wear these clothes to the banquet later."

Deng Yunzhu presented an album with a smile, "Dad, I wish you a happy birthday and a long life. I spent a lot of time making this album, which contains our family's memories over the past few years. I hope you like it."

Deng Shirong took the album and flipped through it, admiring the old photos. He praised, "Yunzhu, you've put a lot of thought into this. It's very nice."

Zhou Haidong added, "Dad, I know you love good food. I've prepared over ten pounds of abalone and even invited a chef from Guangzhou to cook it. You must try it later."

Deng Shirong smiled, "That's a very rare ingredient. I'll definitely try it."

Deng Yunshu first said his blessings and then presented a birthday painting, "Dad, this is a birthday painting I commissioned from a contemporary master. I hope you like it."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Deng Shirong looked at the painting with its beautiful imagery and naturally praised it repeatedly.

Pei Qinghua smiled and said, "Dad, this is a 'Hundred Longevity' calligraphy piece I wrote for you. I wish you good health and a long life."

(Hundred Longevity Chart)



Deng Shirong was very pleased and praised, "Qinghua, your calligraphy skills have improved greatly. The characters are truly beautiful!"

Deng Yunhua took out a beautifully packaged box and said, "Dad, this is a wild ginseng root that is over a hundred years old. I've heard it has many health benefits. You can use a small amount of the root to make tea from time to time. It should be good for your health."

Deng Shirong opened the gift box and took a look, nodding and saying, "This hundred-year-old wild ginseng is becoming increasingly rare. This is indeed a very good gift."

Fan Yuemei smiled and handed over a pair of cloth shoes, saying, "Dad, these are the cloth shoes I made by hand. I hope you like them."

Deng Shirong, upon seeing the craftsmanship of the shoes, knew that his fourth daughter-in-law had put a lot of effort into them. He said with a smile, "These shoes are very well-made. I like them very much."

Deng Yunheng took out a pair of very fine walnuts and said with a smile, "Dad, these walnuts are carefully selected. Playing with them from time to time is good for your health."

Deng Shirong took the walnuts and, with a somewhat clumsy technique, rotated them, smiling, "Alright, I'll play with them when I have nothing to do."

Seeing that his parents and uncles and aunts had all presented their birthday gifts, Xiaodong'er took out a small notebook and said, "Grandpa, this is a birthday article I wrote for you. I wish you longevity and happiness, like the sea and the mountains."

Deng Shirong took the notebook and laughed heartily, "Good, you are indeed my beloved granddaughter. I like this birthday gift very much."

Dongzi, unable to wait, said, "Grandpa, I also prepared a birthday gift for you."

Deng Shirong smiled and asked, "Dongzi, what birthday gift did you prepare for grandpa?"

Dongzi, with a proud look, said, "Grandpa, I caught eight fish today, all over two pounds. I've already given them to the chef. You must try them later."

Deng Shirong laughed happily, "Good, good, good. I will definitely try the big fish Dongzi caught later."

Next, Zhu Shiba and Xiaoshi, his two grandsons, also presented their birthday gifts. However, they were still young, so they only made paper airplanes and paper boats.

Despite this, Deng Shirong still praised them, making the two little boys very happy.

After all his children and grandchildren had presented their gifts, Deng Shirong took the gifts back to his room, put them away, and then changed into the clothes and shoes made by his second daughter-in-law and fourth daughter-in-law.

Deng Shirong came out, his face glowing, and asked, "How does it look? Good, right?"

Zhang Xiuping was the first to praise, "It looks good and fits well. Caiwei's skills are truly impressive."

Pei Qinghua also praised, "Although I don't know much about embroidery, the patterns look very lifelike, which shows how good Erjie's skills are. The clothes also suit Dad very well, and the shoes made by Yuemei complement the outfit perfectly."

Fan Yuemei quickly waved her hands, "Erjie, you're too kind. My skills are very rough, how can they compare to Erjie's incredible skills?"

Gu Caowei humbly said, "You're too kind. I've been learning this for over ten years. If you spent the same amount of time, you could do just as well."

Pei Qinghua laughed, "Erjie is too modest. Embroidery also requires talent. To reach Erjie's level, time alone is not enough; one must have exceptional talent."

Gu Caowei smiled and stopped being modest.

Fan Yuemei asked, "Dad, do the shoes fit you well?"

Deng Shirong nodded and smiled, "They fit well. The shoes are light and soft, making it very comfortable to walk in them."

Deng Yuntao checked the time and said, "Dad, it's getting late. I think most of the guests have arrived. Let's go!"

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Alright, let's go!"

...

5:00 PM.

At the entrance of the Yeyu Clan Hall.

The clan members began to serve various drinks and delicious dishes. The drinks included beer and liquor. The beer was produced by their own brewery, Lijiang Beer, while the liquor was mainly local bulk liquor, with some mid-priced brand liquors as well.

As for high-end liquors like Maotai and Wuliangye, they were not necessary to buy.

The beverages were also produced by their own company, including Master Kang Ice Red Tea and Master Kang Herbal Tea.

The dishes were extremely abundant, with everything from birds in the sky, animals on the ground, to fish in the sea.

As the clan members began to serve the dishes, Deng Shirong took the stage with a megaphone and said, "Dear friends and family, the medical staff and their families from the Yeyu Hospital, and all the clan members, thank you for coming to my birthday banquet.

Next, please enjoy the food and drinks.

However, before we start eating, I want to remind everyone to leave some room in your stomach.

Because after the meal, we will have birthday cake, which I believe many of you have not tried before. It is a very delicious treat.

After the birthday cake, there will be a self-serve barbecue in the evening.

So no matter how delicious the food is, please leave some room in your stomach so you don't miss out on the later treats.

The schedule is as follows: the meal starts at 5:00 PM, the cake at 7:00 PM, and the barbecue at 9:00 PM. Please make your preparations accordingly.

As these words were spoken, the clan members all responded with smiles, while the medical staff and their families from the Yeyu Hospital were amazed.

"Birthdays cake, what is that?"

"From the name, it must be a type of cake eaten during birthdays!"

"Even Uncle Jiu says the birthday cake is very delicious. It must be really good. I'm quite looking forward to it."

"What is self-serve barbecue?"

"I saw people preparing for it earlier. There are a lot of chicken wings, chicken claws, large pieces of beef, pork, and lamb, as well as many vegetables. I heard they are for the self-serve barbecue."

"Good heavens, celebrating a birthday can be this elaborate. I'm really broadening my horizons today!"

"Moreover, there's no need to give gifts. Preparing so many good things for thousands of people to eat must cost a fortune."

"It would cost at least 100,000 yuan, or even 200,000 to 300,000 yuan. An ordinary person would go bankrupt trying to host such a grand birthday banquet."

"Uncle Jiu of Yeyu is indeed worthy of his name!"

"..."

Seeing that the dishes were almost all served, Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Alright, no more talk. Don't just stare. Enjoy your meal while it's hot!"

With that, he put the megaphone aside and joined his family at the table to start eating.

At the neighboring table, the old clan head Deng Shiran stood up with a glass of wine and loudly said, "Everyone, today is our clan head's sixtieth birthday. Without the clan head, there would be no prosperity of the Yeyu Deng Clan today. I won't say more. Let's raise our glasses and wish the clan head longevity and happiness, like the sea and the mountains."

"May the clan head have longevity and happiness, like the sea and the mountains."

"May the clan head have longevity and happiness, like the sea and the mountains."

"May the clan head have longevity and happiness, like the sea and the mountains."

Hearing this, everyone stood up and raised their glasses, their blessings becoming more and more synchronized. By the last toast, the entire venue echoed with a single, unified voice, audible even from ten miles away.

Deng Shirong also raised his glass and loudly said, "Thank you all for your blessings. Let's all drink to it!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

After downing the wine in one go, Deng Shirong loudly said, "Alright, I've received everyone's blessings. From now on, let's not go through the formalities of toasting, so everyone can enjoy the meal properly."

He had to say this in advance. Otherwise, with so many guests, if one person after another came to toast, no one would be able to enjoy their meal properly.

This was his birthday celebration, not a formal gathering.

Of course, this being a birthday banquet, the host needed to interact with the guests to some extent.

Thus, after a few minutes of eating and drinking, Deng Yuntao and his six siblings, along with the two sons-in-law Zhu Junjie and Zhou Haidong, took the initiative to drink with their relatives, friends, county leaders, medical staff, and prominent clan members.

As for Deng Shirong, he enjoyed the 'Fu Lu Shou Quan Fish' made by his eldest daughter and the top-grade abalone brought by his youngest son-in-law.

The abalone, also known as the fragrant snail or longxin snail, is a member of the sea snail family and belongs to the marine mollusks.

Its shell is thick and round at the top, with two layers, about 20 to 30 centimeters high. The flesh is extremely plump, resembling a horseshoe and weighing about 1000 to 3000 grams. It lives between rocks on the ocean floor and is very sensitive to water quality, surviving only in temperate seas.

It cannot survive in seas that are too hot or too cold. The coasts of the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea all produce abalone, but in small quantities. For example, the Nan'ao Island off the coast of Fujian and Chaozhou, with its long coastline and gentle waves, is particularly suitable for abalone to thrive. The large abalones produced here are considered a southern delicacy.

The history of consuming abalone in China dates back to the Sui and Tang dynasties. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, its use became more widespread. "Grilled with the shell" and "blanched in high broth" are two ancient techniques that have been passed down to this day. Grilling, in particular, is a test of the chef's skills.

(Grilled Abalone)



Grilling involves cooking the abalone with its shell over charcoal. After cleaning and preparing the abalone, it is seasoned with a specially prepared sauce and grilled for about 40 minutes, alternating between high and low heat. This process requires listening, observing, and smelling, and the abalone is considered complete only when it has fully absorbed the sauce.

Blanching, on the other hand, requires precise knife skills and temperature control. Overcooked abalone can become as tough as rubber, making it difficult to chew. This is why many restaurants, after popularizing abalone, may not dare to attempt this dish.

Deng Shirong carefully savored the abalone blanched in high broth. It tasted like a soft, fresh abalone, rich and aromatic, leaving a lingering flavor in the mouth. Truly a top-grade ingredient, its texture was simply exquisite.

The food at the birthday banquet was prepared by genuine master chefs, and the taste was naturally excellent, satisfying all the guests.

While everyone was enjoying their meal, Deng Shirong also instructed his staff to distribute plastic bags so that everyone could take home the leftover food for the next day.

It was already the mid-1990s, and taking home leftovers from banquets had become a common practice, unlike in the 1980s when it was considered taboo.

Thus, no matter how much food was prepared, there was no fear of wastage.

Because there were more events in the evening, Deng Shirong also reminded everyone to leave some room in their stomachs. Therefore, apart from a few people who particularly enjoyed drinking, most guests finished their meals by six o'clock, packed up the leftover food, and went home to wait for seven o'clock.

It was now the 24th of the ninth lunar month, close to the tenth month. After half past six, the sky began to darken. However, the entrance of the Yeyu Deng Clan Hall was equipped with lights similar to those in a sports stadium. Under these lights, the large open area in front of the clan hall was as bright as day.

Ten minutes ago, cakes had been delivered to the site. The number of cakes was extremely large, all of them three-layer cakes. The largest one, a six-layer cake, was personally made by Zhang Xiuping for her father-in-law.

(Six-layer cake)



Although it was already the mid-1990s, in rural areas, many people had never seen, let alone tasted, a cake.

Now, seeing so many cakes laid out before them, most people were very curious, except for a few who had seen and tasted cakes before.

"This is a cake? It looks so beautiful. I wonder how it tastes?"

"Even though I've never tasted a cake, just looking at it makes me feel it will be delicious."

"I've never seen such a large pastry before. It looks much more luxurious than the pastries sold at the supply and marketing cooperatives."

"Uncle Jiu said the cake is very delicious, so it must be true."

"Indeed, Uncle Jiu has tasted all kinds of good things. If he praises it, the cake must be exceptional."

"I held back so much during the meal to save room for this cake. I can't wait to enjoy it."

"It's a pity that our town doesn't sell cakes. Otherwise, I would buy one for my father's birthday."

"..."

Many guests gathered around the unfamiliar cakes, discussing them. Some even started thinking about whether they should invest in opening a cake shop in the village.

Soon, it was seven o'clock in the evening, and the guests gathered again at the entrance of the clan hall.

At that time, it was not common to light candles and sing the birthday song. When the time came for the cake, Deng Shirong's seven children led the way in wishing their father a happy birthday, and other guests followed with their blessings.

Amidst the guests' blessings, Deng Shirong made the first cut of the cake.

Then, the pastry chefs took over, cutting the cakes and distributing them to the guests.

With thousands of people present, even if each person received only one piece of cake, the number of cakes required was quite astonishing.

Since there were dozens of pastry chefs working, it only took a few minutes to distribute the cakes, ensuring that every guest received a piece.

Deng Shirong held a piece of cake cut by his eldest daughter-in-law and smiled, "Alright, everyone, don't just stare. Try the cake and see how it tastes."

With that, Deng Shirong was the first to taste the cake made by his eldest daughter-in-law. The taste was quite good, sweet and delicious, showing that she had put a lot of effort into making it.

The other guests, who had been eagerly waiting, also couldn't wait to taste the cake.

"My goodness, the texture of this cake is amazing. It's so delicious, really delicious!"

"Such a delicious cake, no wonder Uncle Jiu couldn't stop praising it."

"This is the best pastry I've ever tasted in my life."

"..."

Although cakes are a common sight for people in the future, in the 1990s rural areas, they were truly rare. For those tasting a cake for the first time, the exquisite flavor left a lasting impression.

After the cake, the self-serve barbecue began to be prepared.

The self-serve barbecue was very simple. Bricks were used to form circles, with charcoal placed inside and lit. On the tables beside the circles, various ingredients suitable for barbecuing were laid out. Some of these ingredients were marinated, and guests could simply skewer them with iron forks and place them over the charcoal to cook.

For those with a bit more skill, they could barbecue unmarinated ingredients, as all the seasonings were available, allowing them to cook however they liked.

This self-serve barbecue style might not be unusual in big cities, but it was the first time it was seen in the countryside.

Therefore, once the self-serve barbecue was ready, the guests all picked up iron forks, skewered their favorite ingredients, and started barbecuing over the charcoal.

As the charcoal heated the ingredients, the aroma began to waft through the air.

There are few people in the world who can resist the charm of barbecue, especially when they cook it themselves. The taste of the food they grill is truly unique.

Once they understood how to barbecue, familiar people gathered around the same charcoal circle, enjoying the barbecue with a drink, making it a delightful experience.

The barbecue continued until around one o'clock in the morning. Deng Shirong's sixtieth birthday celebration was truly unprecedented and unparalleled, leaving all the guests with a broadened horizon.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end