Chapter 174: The Best of Times
In the hot summer, the happiest thing for rural children is to go swimming in the river.
In later generations, due to severe river pollution and the inherent dangers of swimming in rivers or reservoirs, few children ventured into the water under the strict supervision of parents and teachers.
This led to many rural children in later generations being unable to swim, unlike today's rural children, where almost all the boys can swim.
Deng Shirong's sons are all good swimmers. Every summer, they go swimming in the river with their village friends.
Deng Shirong never paid much attention to this in his previous life, and he didn't intend to in this life either.
This might sound strange, but in later generations, strict controls meant very few students swam in rivers or reservoirs. Yet, despite this, students drowned every year. Even in the Help and Correct Brigade, drownings occurred every few years.
But in this era, no one seems to care. Every summer, countless people from the entire Help and Correct Brigade swim in the river, yet drowning incidents are surprisingly rare.
At noon that day, under the blazing sun, Deng Shirong saw his three sons—Yunsong, Yunhua, and Yunheng—preparing to go to the river to cool off. He said, "Since you're all free, why not take a bucket and go to the shallow water to gather some clams? We can cook them into porridge."
Deng Yunhua responded enthusiastically, "Dad, no problem. I promise to bring back half a bucket."
Deng Shirong had no doubt they could do it. With so many children in the village heading to the river, and given his sons' popularity, mobilizing others to help gather clams would be easy.
As the three sons excitedly carried their buckets to the river, Deng Shirong turned to his eldest daughter-in-law and said, "Ah Ping, Yuan has learned how to make large vats. I'm thinking of having Yuntai finish the current batch of kiln goods and then let Yuan take over the next batch. What do you think?"
Zhang Xiuping's eyes lit up. "Dad, do you have new plans for Brother Tai?"
"There are indeed new arrangements."
Deng Shirong nodded. "The original plan was to have Yuntai finish this year's work at the tile factory, but you're expected to give birth in a little over three months. I thought it would be good for him to come back early to be with you and prepare for next year."
Zhang Xiuping asked curiously, "Dad, what are you planning for Brother Tai? Can you tell me?"
Deng Shirong smiled. "Of course, I can tell you. Let's not talk about long-term plans for now. In the short term, I plan to have him open a restaurant in the county town."
Zhang Xiuping was surprised. "Open a restaurant in the county town?"
Deng Shirong nodded. "Although being a master vat maker pays well, it's exhausting work. Besides, work is just work—it'll never be as profitable as being your own boss."
Zhang Xiuping nodded in agreement. She knew how hard her husband worked. Sometimes, after a long day, he would eat dinner, take a shower, and go straight to bed, leaving her feeling both proud and concerned.
"Dad, do you want Brother Tai to open a restaurant like the Double Prosperity State-Owned Restaurant?"
"We're planning to open a restaurant like that, but it'll definitely be bigger than the Double Prosperity State-Owned Restaurant."
Zhang Xiuping asked anxiously, "Dad, wouldn't it cost a lot of money to open such a big restaurant in the county?"
"It's hard to say exactly how much it'll cost. If we can find a suitable store to rent, we can save a lot. But if we have to build from scratch, it'll be more expensive."
Deng Shirong smiled reassuringly. "But don't worry about the money. I'll handle that. You won't need to contribute."
Zhang Xiuping quickly explained, "Dad, that's not what I meant. It's just that Brother Tai is skilled at making pottery and tiles. But if you ask him to open a restaurant and be the boss, can he handle it? If we invest so much money and it doesn't work out, what then?"
"In business, there are always risks. Our country is now in the early stages of reform and opening up. It's a time of endless opportunities—the best era in history."
Thinking of how later generations would describe this era, Deng Shirong spoke encouragingly. "So you young people shouldn't be afraid of failure. Go out and try boldly. If you fall, get back up and keep trying. Success will come eventually."
Zhang Xiuping had always admired her father-in-law's vision. With just a little guidance, her brother had turned his business around and was now making good money every month. Now that her father-in-law was guiding her own husband, what was there to worry about?
Thinking this, Zhang Xiuping nodded repeatedly. "Dad, you're right. When Brother Tai comes back, I'll tell him to prepare to be a boss."
Deng Shirong smiled. "Next year, once Yuntai has the restaurant set up and the child is weaned, you can leave the child at home for Azhen to take care of. Then you can go to the county town and work hard with Yuntai!"
Zhang Xiuping quickly shook her head. "That would be too much trouble for Ah Zhen. I'll take care of the child myself or ask my mother to help."
Deng Shirong said, "We're all family. It's no trouble. But it's too early to talk about that now. We'll discuss it next year."
…
Two or three hours later, the three sons returned from the river, carrying half a bucket of clams.
Deng Yunhua asked eagerly, "Dad, is this enough? If not, we can go get more."
Deng Shirong glanced at the bucket. "That's plenty. We can cook a big pot of porridge with this."
He paused, then added, "I'll cook some extra porridge later. You can invite all the friends who helped gather the clams over to eat."
Deng Yunhua and Deng Yunheng nodded happily. In this era, rural children often have close friends they've grown up with. They were thrilled to invite their friends over for a good meal.
As the two brothers ran off to inform their friends, Deng Shirong carried the bucket of clams to the kitchen to prepare the porridge.
Deng Yunzhen, who had just finished washing the green onions and ginger, reached out. "Dad, let me wash them."
Deng Shirong said, "I'll handle it. You go boil some water."
"Alright!"
Deng Yunzhen went to the stove to light the fire. Once it was lit, she scooped several ladles of water from the water jar into the pot, stopping only when she felt there was enough to cover the clams.
At this point, Deng Yunzhu came in and sat by the stove to help tend the fire.
Deng Yunzhen asked, "Azhu, why are you here instead of studying with your sister-in-law?"
Deng Yunzhu stirred the burning branches with a fire poker. "Sister, you already know the answer. That book gives me a headache. It's better for me to help with the fire."
Deng Yunzhen, herself not a star student, had no right to criticize her sister. She simply said, "Then study a little later. You're not young anymore. You should learn how to cook. Otherwise, when you get married, you won't even know how to make a dish. Wouldn't that embarrass our dad?"
Deng Yunzhu nodded. "Sister, you're right. Our father's cooking is so delicious, and your skills are pretty good now. I can't fall too far behind. I'll learn a few tricks from you and Dad."
(End of this chapter)