Chapter 55: One Person Ascends, and All Follow
Chapter 55: One Person Ascends, and All Follow
After Deng Shirong left, Aunt Zhang, who had been silent all this time, looked at her sister-in-law with excitement and said, "Ping, I’ve always said that with your looks, you’re bound to marry into a good family and live a life that others envy. And now, it’s finally coming true!"
Zhang Xiuping’s face flushed as she replied, "Aunt, it’s too early to say that. We haven’t even settled anything yet!"
Zhang’s mother, in a good mood, smiled and said, "When you were young, a fortune-teller passed through our village, and I asked him to read the fortunes of all my children. According to him, your life was destined to be filled with hardships. However, at the age of nineteen, you would have a chance to change your fate. If you could seize that opportunity, you would transform your life from one of struggle to one of comfort and happiness."
"From what I can see now, that opportunity must be with this Deng Yuntao!"
Zhang Xiuping was surprised. "Mom, is that really true? Why didn’t you tell us before?"
Zhang’s mother laughed. "I was skeptical about the fortune-teller’s words, so I didn’t mention it to you. But with a wealthy family like the Dengs coming to propose, I’m starting to believe what he said."
Aunt Zhang asked, "Mom, what did the fortune-teller say about my husband, Shouguo?"
Zhang’s mother had five children: Zhang Xiuping and her four brothers, Shouguo, Shoumin, Shoujun, and Shoushan.
Zhang’s mother recalled, "The fortune-teller only left one sentence about Shouguo and his brothers."
Aunt Zhang, curious, pressed on, "What was it?"
Zhang’s mother, with a deep impression, said, "One person ascends, and all follow!"
Aunt Zhang was taken aback. Although she wasn’t well-educated, she understood the meaning of this simple yet profound saying. Considering her sister-in-law’s situation, she firmly believed in it.
After all, if her sister-in-law married into a wealthy family like the Dengs, she would enjoy a life of comfort. If she could just lend a helping hand to their family, they would certainly live much better than they do now, even if not in luxury.
Thinking about this, Aunt Zhang looked at her sister-in-law as if she were a deity of wealth, and she said with utmost enthusiasm, "Ping, you’ll be visiting the groom’s family soon. It wouldn’t be right to go without a proper outfit. I have some fine fabric that I’ve been saving for years. It was a wedding gift from my relatives, and I’ve never used it. I’ll have it made into a beautiful dress for you."
Zhang Xiuping waved her hands in protest. "Aunt, I appreciate your kindness, but you’ve saved that fabric for so long. I couldn’t possibly use it!"
Knowing her sister-in-law’s future was “beyond measure,” Aunt Zhang was more generous than ever. She said earnestly, "Ping, don’t be so formal with me. The fabric won’t do much good just sitting here. It’s perfect for you. And when you’re capable, remember to help your big brother."
Without waiting for her sister-in-law to refuse, Aunt Zhang dragged her to her room to fetch the fabric.
Zhang’s mother couldn’t help but marvel at her eldest daughter-in-law’s shrewdness.
...
Deng Shirong left the Zhangs’ house, had a bowl of noodles in Longtan Street, and then rode his bicycle home.
By the time they returned home, it was already half past one in the afternoon.
Seeing her father come back, Deng Yunzhen handed him his smoking pipe and asked, "Dad, how did it go? Did you find out everything about Sister Ping's situation?"
Deng Shirong took the pipe, fished out some tobacco and matches, and chuckled, "I got all the information!"
Noticing the smile on her father's face, Deng Yunzhen knew that Sister Ping hadn't yet talked about a potential marriage. She smiled and said, "It looks like Sister Ping really has a chance to become my sister-in-law?"
"Pretty much," Deng Shirong replied.
Deng Yunzhen had complete faith in her father's abilities. Thinking about Sister Ping's beauty, she couldn't help but remark, "My brother is truly blessed!"
Deng Shirong stuffed the tobacco into his pipe and said with a deep look in his eyes, "Your brother is such a good man; he deserves this kind of blessing."
In his previous life, his eldest son had a short and tragic life, passing away in the prime of his youth, leaving him to grieve the loss of a child. Now that he had been reborn, he was determined to find the best wife for his eldest son, ensuring he lived the happiest life possible to make up for his past regrets.
Although Deng Yunzhen didn't know what her father was thinking, she agreed with his words. Her brother was indeed a rare good man.
...
Before they knew it, it was already the eighth month of the lunar calendar, and Deng Shirong had been reborn for two and a half months.
On this day, the Naye production team, after dividing the first batch of fields, began to divide the first batch of hills.
In his previous life, the Naye production team had only divided the hills in the eleventh month of the lunar calendar. This time, thanks to Deng Shirong's suggestion, the production team leaders had moved this date forward by three months.
The division of hills was different from that of fields. Fields could be fertile or barren, so they had to be distributed as evenly as possible to ensure fairness.
Hills, on the other hand, varied in size and distance, and the trees on them were also a valuable resource.
While fields could be assigned through a lottery, the hills couldn't be divided into small plots and distributed that way. Such a method would result in scattered pieces of land, which would be inconvenient for everyone.
Therefore, after consulting with everyone, the production team leaders decided to divide the hills based on the number of people in each household.
Larger households received larger hills, while smaller households received smaller hills.
If a household had too few people to receive a whole hill, they could share one with a close family member.
Deng Shirong's family of eight was of medium size in the village. There were many families with more people and many with fewer. As a result, they received a hill of medium size.
This hill was not the same one they had received in his previous life. Back then, when the hills were divided, Deng Yunzhen's brother, Deng YunTai, had already passed away, leaving only seven people in the family.
Now, with eight people, they received a slightly larger hill.
After the hills were divided, the Naye production team was left with only a few scattered fields and a limited number of communal hills.
Deng Shirong was the first to check out the hill assigned to his family. It had plenty of trees but not much undergrowth, as everyone in the village used wood for cooking and heating, and people went to the hills almost daily to gather firewood. The undergrowth never had a chance to grow as thick as it did in later times.
(End of Chapter)
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