Chapter 536

Chapter 536

On a day in April, the much-anticipated TV series "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" finally aired.

In the previous life, the version of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" starring Su Youpeng, Jia Jingwen, and Gao Yuanyuan had premiered in March of the same year. However, in this lifetime, a small butterfly effect seemed to have occurred, and the classic martial arts series was rescheduled to air in April.

Since a lot of the filming took place in Naye Film City, the Naye Deng clan members were naturally very curious about the show. Upon learning that "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" had begun airing, almost every household turned on their TVs to follow the series.

It must be said that this TV series, which featured a cast of beautiful actresses, was truly a feast for the eyes. Moreover, "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" was already a classic among many martial arts dramas, making it impossible to stop watching.

Even Deng Shirong was thoroughly engrossed.

Zhang Xiuping couldn't help but marvel, "Acting is truly magical. We've all seen Jia Jingwen in person, and she doesn't look as beautiful in real life as she does on TV. She really brings the character of Zhao Min to life from the book; it's truly remarkable."

Fan Yue Mei agreed, "Yes, she is indeed very beautiful, and her every smile and frown are incredibly captivating."

Feng Yingying asked, "Big Sister, Fourth Sister, isn't Jia Jingwen beautiful in real life?"

Zhang Xiuping laughed, "She is naturally beautiful, but she isn't as stunning as she is in the TV series. I'm not sure if it's because she suits period costumes better or because she photographs well, but she definitely looks more beautiful in the show."

Fan Yue Mei added, "I think there's another reason: the character of Zhao Min adds to her beauty. We've all read 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber' and have our own interpretations of Zhao Min. Jia Jingwen brings our imagined character to life, making her look incredibly beautiful in our eyes."

Deng Yunzhu, who had been listening, couldn't help but laugh, "Big Sister, you've never acted, but if you did, you wouldn't be any less beautiful than Jia Jingwen."

Deng Yunzhen nodded, "I agree with what Yunzhu said."

Zhang Xiuping waved her hands in protest, "Yue Mei and Yingying are still young and beautiful, but I'm already old, how can I compare?"

Fan Yue Mei and Feng Yingying also shook their heads. Although they were indeed beautiful, they felt they still fell short compared to the Zhao Min in the show.

Deng Yunzhen laughed, "Big Sister, don't be modest. You're only in your early forties, where's the old age? Zhao Yaqi was already 38 when she played Bai Niangzi, but look how beautiful she was. You take care of yourself just as well as she does."

Fan Yue Mei agreed, "Big Sister, you look so well-maintained, you don't look like someone in their early forties at all. You look like you're in your twenties."

Zhang Xiuping smiled, "Stop flattering me, I'm about to be a grandmother or a great-grandmother!"

"You, Big Sister, being a grandmother or a great-grandmother has nothing to do with your age."

"Exactly, when you and Dong'er go out together, who would guess you're mother and daughter? They'd probably think you're sisters."

"..."

The sisters-in-law and aunts chatted and watched TV together, enjoying a harmonious and pleasant time.

Deng Shirong watched with joy in his heart. In his previous life, his four daughters-in-law only maintained a superficial harmony, often speaking ill of each other behind their backs. Compared to the current situation, the difference was stark.

As the saying goes, a harmonious family leads to prosperity. Family harmony is truly more important than anything else.

...

Saturday.

Little Dong'er was on the phone with her roommates, chatting with her good friends.

On the other end of the line, it was clear that the call was on speaker. Tang Yun said with an envious tone, "Li, you really had the foresight to stay home. It's so comfortable, unlike us who have to stay in school all day, it's really boring!"

Chu Junyao echoed, "Yes, we miss the taste of spicy hotpot so much, but we don't know when we can go out to eat again."

Little Dong'er laughed, "Don't worry, the country is taking it seriously now. The pandemic should be under control soon!"

Liu Jingjing said, "It's quite strange, usually staying in school for ten to fifteen days doesn't feel like much, but this time, after just eight or ten days, we can't take it anymore. What's going on?"

Little Dong'er replied, "It's human nature. The more you're not allowed to do something, the more you want to do it."

Jiang Mo said, "That makes sense."

Yang Huijuan added, "Maybe it's because Li isn't here. If you were here, we probably wouldn't be so bored."

Little Dong'er laughed, "Don't worry, I think I'll be back to school soon. When I return, I'll treat you to a big meal at Spicy Girl Hotpot."

"Alright, Li, we'll be waiting for your hotpot."

"..."

The phone call lasted nearly an hour before they hung up.

After finishing the call, Little Dong'er continued her self-study. She had her own method for self-study, which she had been using from junior high to high school, and it had proven to be quite effective.

She studied until noon, then after lunch, she began tutoring her younger brother, Dongzi.

After tutoring him, she saw him rushing back to his room and couldn't help but remind him, "Dongzi, don't spend all day in your room playing games. Come out and play some sports or something to exercise."

Dongzi replied, "Sis, I haven't been playing games recently. I'm working on something big!"

Little Dong'er asked casually, "What big thing?"

Dongzi chuckled, "That's a secret for now. You'll find out later, and it will surprise you a lot."

Little Dong'er said nonchalantly, "Alright, I'll wait to be surprised. Just don't spend all day in your room with the computer. Get some exercise."

Dongzi knew his sister wasn't taking him seriously, so he didn't rush to tell her about becoming a writer. He decided to wait until he had made a name for himself and become a popular online author before telling her.

With that in mind, Dongzi didn't say anything more and just replied, "Okay, I got it!"

...

Before they knew it, it was June.

As the temperature rose, the SARS epidemic, which had been rampant, suddenly disappeared.

It came and went abruptly.

With SARS gone, Little Dong'er and Dongzi naturally had to return to school.

"Grandpa, I already have a million words of saved content. You can help me update daily."

Before leaving for Beijing, Dongzi told his grandfather, "Once I get to Beijing, I'll continue writing and will send the drafts back to you every week. If there are any issues with the drafts, call me right away."

Deng Shirong nodded and smiled, "Sure, I can help with the updates. Don't push yourself too hard at school. Even if you don't write while at school, the million words of saved content will last for half a year. Besides, summer vacation is coming up, so you'll have plenty of time to write."

Over the past two months, Deng Shirong had truly witnessed the power of a "touch monster."

Maintaining daily updates of six to seven thousand words while saving a million words of content was no small feat.

Dongzi chuckled, "Grandpa, I get restless if I don't write every day. Writing this novel is so satisfying, especially with so many readers online waiting for my updates. It feels amazing."

Deng Shirong laughed, "Alright, since you write so fast, you can spare an hour or two each day to keep up with the updates."

...

With the disappearance of SARS, the Deng clan of Naye welcomed one joyous event after another. Either daughters were getting married or sons were getting married, and they were all lining up to celebrate with wedding feasts, all of which were the result of the dozens of couples who had been matched last year due to the recruitment drive.

As the clan leader, Deng Shirong was invited to every wedding feast.

As a result, he was so busy attending wedding feasts that he started to dread them, sometimes having to attend three or four in a single day.

His in-laws returned to Guangzhou after SARS ended, and his children, daughters-in-law, and nieces and nephews all got busy. Although they had been managing things over the phone for the past few months, some things still needed to be handled in person.

After that, Deng Shirong enjoyed a peaceful and happy life. He spent his free time wandering around the village, drinking and chatting with Deng YunGui and Deng ChangYong, and occasionally traveling to visit his two grandsons in Fujian and Zhejiang.

Whenever there was a worthwhile investment opportunity, Deng Shirong would seize it.

...

A few years passed, and before they knew it, five years had gone by, bringing them to 2008.

Just after the Spring Festival, a certain scandal erupted online, sparking an unprecedented wave of discussion. Countless people were eagerly following the drama, and this was the first time they had seen such a juicy and free-to-watch scandal.

This incident also woke up many computer novices, teaching them a lesson: if you have private, sensitive learning materials on your computer, don't let unfamiliar people repair it, or your materials might leak.

Amidst the uproar over the scandal, Deng Shirong received a call from his second daughter-in-law.

As soon as the call connected, Gu Caiwei's cheerful voice came through, "Dad, have you had lunch yet?"

Deng Shirong said, "I just had lunch. Have you and Weiwei eaten yet?"

Gu Caiwei replied, "We just finished eating too."

Deng Shirong asked with a smile, "Weiwei, you sound like something good has happened?"

Gu Caiwei laughed happily, "Ha, indeed, something great has happened. Brother Heng got a promotion again..."

Deng Shirong was excited, "Truly blessed by our ancestors. I'll prepare the offerings and worship the ancestors tomorrow."

Gu Caiwei said, "Dad, wait for me. I'll also go back tomorrow to worship the ancestors with you."

Deng Shirong said, "Alright, I'll wait for you."

The two of them chatted for a while longer, and then Gu Caiwei said, "Dad, I'll give the phone to Brother Heng. You can talk to him for a bit!"

Deng Shirong said, "Sure, give him the phone."

Soon, Deng Yunheng's voice came through, "Dad."

Deng Shirong praised him, "Yunheng, you've done a great job, I'm very proud of you."

Deng Yunheng, who was 45 this year, had always admired his father. Hearing his father's praise, he was even happier than getting the promotion. He said happily, "Dad, you're too kind. You've always been my idol. Without your guidance, I wouldn't be where I am today!"

Deng Shirong laughed, "Let's not be so formal, son. At your level now, everything depends on you. I no longer have the right to guide you. If you need any business support, just speak up. The Deng Group and your siblings' companies are always at your disposal."

Deng Yunheng said, "I understand, Dad. I won't let you down."

They chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.

Deng Shirong then called his other children, nephews, and nieces one by one to share the great news.

Unsurprisingly, everyone was thrilled to hear the news.

In this lifetime, thanks to Deng Shirong's efforts, their family was a model of unity. Whenever one of them achieved something significant, the others genuinely rejoiced for them. Deng Yunheng's promotion was a benefit to the entire family, and it was impossible for them not to be happy.

Without Deng Shirong having to say much, everyone from all over the country rushed back to celebrate with him and Gu Caiwei, preparing to worship the ancestors of the Naye Deng clan together.

The sudden gathering of Deng Shirong's children, daughters-in-law, and nephews and nieces naturally caught the attention of the clan members. Those who were close to them came over to ask what was going on.

A promotion was a big deal, and Deng Shirong didn't hide it. He openly shared the news of his second son's promotion.

Then, the entire Naye Deng clan was in an uproar!

"Heaven, Yunheng has been promoted again! He's truly amazing!"

"If I'm not mistaken, Uncle Yunheng is only 45 this year. To achieve so much at such a young age is simply astounding. Not just in our Naye Deng clan, but even tracing back to the ancestors in Guangdong and Fujian, we've never had such a remarkable descendant."

"Uncle Yunheng deserves a page of his own in our clan's genealogy."

"More than that, the genealogy in Guangdong will surely want to give Uncle Yunheng his own page too."

"It's truly miraculous. With both the Ninth Ancestor and Uncle Yunheng, father and son, having their own pages in the genealogy, this is a unique and unprecedented honor."

"Uncle Yunheng is so young and already at this level. If there are no unexpected setbacks, he will definitely have more opportunities for advancement. I must live a few more years to witness this miracle; I can't die without seeing it."

"Absolutely, I must also live longer to see Uncle Yunheng advance further."

"Indeed, education is crucial. If Uncle Yunheng hadn't been admitted to Peking University, he wouldn't have achieved what he has today. My grandson isn't studying hard enough; I need to go back and discipline him so he doesn't become a wasteful and uneducated good-for-nothing."

"My son isn't putting enough effort into his studies either. I need to be stricter with him. I don't expect him to get into Tsinghua or Peking University, but at least a 211 university."

"My son's grades are terrible; it's because I haven't disciplined him enough. You keep chatting; I need to go home and give him a good beating."

"..."

As the news spread, the Naye Deng clan members were not only amazed but also felt a sense of pride.

Soon, not just the Naye Deng clan, but the villagers from the surrounding areas also heard the news and were envious.

...

PS: As per your request, I've sped up the progress bar for the conclusion. After arranging the third generation, the story will end. I estimate there are still about a hundred thousand words left.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end