Chapter 208: An Unexpected Surprise
With nothing pressing in the county town, Deng Shirong stayed only one night before returning home.
His sons, daughters, and daughters-in-law breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that their house in the county town had escaped the hailstorm unscathed.
Zhang Xiuping seized the opportunity to speak to her father-in-law. "Dad, I wanted to tell you something. Ah Hua is due to give birth next month. She should go to the county town at the end of the month to wait for the delivery. I was thinking she could stay in our house. Is that okay?"
In this era, borrowing someone's room was a common practice. Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Of course. In the blink of an eye, Yuan is about to become a father. If Hua goes to the county town to give birth, who will accompany her to take care of her?"
Zhang Xiuping replied, "Originally, her mother-in-law should have gone with her, but given Ah Hua's mother-in-law's temperament, she'd likely nag the whole time. So, Ah Hua decided to have her own parents come to take care of her instead. That way, there's less to worry about."
Deng Shirong thought of Ou Guohua's parents and their deep concern for her. He nodded. "It's good to have her parents there. But what about Yuan? His wife is giving birth—won't he go to help?"
Zhang Xiuping shook her head. "From what Ah Hua said, she doesn't plan to have Ah Yuan go. If he does, he'll miss at least ten days to half a month of work. That's over a hundred yuan lost. It would be heartbreaking to see that money just disappear."
Every family had different circumstances, and Deng Shirong knew better than to judge others by his own standards. He said, "In that case, you and Yuntai should go over at the end of the month to help cook and take care of your little sister and her parents."
Zhang Xiuping smiled happily. "I understand. Thank you, Dad!"
Not long after the Qingming Festival, early-ripening lychee varieties like March Red began to appear on the market.
While the taste of March Red wasn't particularly impressive, its rarity made it valuable. Being the first to mature while other lychees were still growing, it commanded a good price regardless of flavor.
In contrast, the Cinnamon Flavor lychee would take at least two more months to ripen. However, even though it wasn't ready yet, it was possible to sign a purchase contract with the supply and marketing cooperative in advance.
Originally, Deng Shirong didn't need to intervene in this matter. Guan Yongying's uncle, Man, worked at the supply and marketing cooperative, and he could easily secure a high price for the Cinnamon Flavor lychees from the three families within his authority.
In the end, the cooperative offered an unprecedented purchase price of 50 cents per pound, which delighted Deng Changfu's family and his in-laws. Normally, lychees sold for 20 to 30 cents per pound, so 50 cents was a rare and generous offer. Without Guan Yongying's uncle's help, even with the premium Cinnamon Flavor variety, they might not have secured such a high price.
On the day the contract was signed, Guan Yongying's mother-in-law killed an old hen and made soup to celebrate in advance. This year, their family's lychee production was estimated at 2,800 to 3,000 kilograms. At 50 cents per pound, they stood to earn 1,400 to 1,500 yuan—the largest income in their family's history. It was certainly worth celebrating.
In addition to the lychee contract, Deng Shirong also signed a watermelon purchase contract. The cooperative offered 8 cents per pound for watermelons. Given the scale of his family's watermelon planting this year, a good harvest could far surpass the income from lychees—an unexpected surprise.
At the end of March, on County Main Street, Zhang Xiuping helped her pregnant sister, Ou Guohua, visit the two-story building. She pointed to a room with a closet and said, "This is my sister-in-law's room. I've already spoken to her. You can stay here for the next few days."
Ou Guohua looked around the fully furnished house, complete with electric lights in every room, and couldn't help but sigh. "The county town is so different. At night, you don't even need to light a lamp. Just pull the cord, and the lights come on. It's so convenient."
Zhang Xiuping smiled. "Life in the county town is indeed convenient. You can find everything you need just by stepping outside. There are even midnight snack vendors!"
At that moment, Ou Guohua's parents came upstairs. Zhang Xiuping quickly pointed to another room. "Uncle, aunt, you'll stay in this room. The bed and quilts are all new."
Mother Ou protested, "Ah Ping, we just need a place to sleep. Why go to the trouble of new beds and quilts?"
Zhang Xiuping smiled. "Aunt, it's no trouble. It's only for ten days or half a month. Are you worried the bed and quilts will wear out?"
Having watched Zhang Xiuping grow up, Mr. and Mrs. Ou could see her sincerity and accepted her arrangements.
After they settled in, Deng Yuntai suggested, "Uncle, aunt, it's getting late. Let's go out for lunch. We'll buy groceries and cook for ourselves in the afternoon."
Father Ou quickly said, "Yuntai, how can we let you treat us? We should be the ones treating you."
Deng Yuntai smiled. "Uncle, you know how close we are to Sister Hua. It's just a meal—no need to be polite."
Zhang Xiuping added, "Yes, uncle, aunt, you're finally in the county town. You have to let Yuntai show off his hospitality!"
With that, the group went out for a hearty lunch.
After the meal, Ou Guohua asked, "Ah Ping, where's your restaurant? I'm not tired at all. Take us to see it!"
Zhang Xiuping smiled. "Why the rush? You've been busy all morning. Aren't you tired?"
Ou Guohua shook her head. "I'm full of energy. Take me to see your restaurant!"
"Alright, since you're not tired, I'll take you."
Zhang Xiuping led the way to West City Road, explaining, "The hotel is still under construction, so there's not much to see yet."
Both of Ou Guohua's parents knew that after May Day, Deng Yuntai and Zhang Xiuping would open a restaurant in the county town. They were curious, especially since Deng Yuntai had given up his job as a chef earning over 200 yuan a month to do so. This restaurant was clearly no small venture.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the site diagonally across from the People's Cinema on West City Road. The first floor was already built, filled with wood inside and surrounded by a frame of wood and bamboo. The sheer size of the building—thousands of square meters—was visually stunning, leaving the Ou family in awe.
They had expected a sizable restaurant but never imagined it would be this grand. Compared to the massive structure before them, their local Dragon Lake state-owned hotel seemed insignificant.
(End of this chapter)