Chapter 195: Yaopo Flies High, Nine Out of Ten Sons Pass the Imperial Examination
As the saying goes, "Customs vary every ten miles, and traditions differ every hundred miles." Each place has its own unique customs and habits.
In Double Prosperity, weddings are held in the morning, while funerals are held in the afternoon. However, in many parts of Bobai County, the opposite is true: weddings take place in the afternoon, and funerals in the morning.
These customs have been passed down through generations and have their own reasons. We simply need to respect them.
Following the traditions of Double Prosperity, Deng Shirong scheduled his eldest granddaughter's full-month banquet for the morning.
On the 17th, Deng Shirong woke up early and began directing preparations.
Around nine in the morning, Deng Shirong carried his eldest granddaughter to the ancestral hall to pay respects to their ancestors. One particularly interesting part of the ceremony involved the grandfather or grandmother holding the child, walking to the door of the ancestral hall, looking up at the sky, and chanting auspicious rhymes.
This chant, which rhymes beautifully in the Hakka dialect, goes like this: "Yaopo (a bird flying in the sky) flies high, nine out of ten sons will pass the imperial examinations; Yaopo flies low, and next year you'll take care of your younger brother (meaning you'll give birth to a younger brother next year)..."
This part of the ceremony was so fascinating that many people came to watch.
Deng Shirong held his granddaughter and chanted several auspicious rhymes to the sky, then set off a string of firecrackers. Afterward, he returned to the ancestral hall, clasped his hands together in salute, and completed the ceremony.
The banquet officially began around ten in the morning.
Before the meal started, something happened that amazed all the guests: a photo session.
For his granddaughter's full-month banquet, Deng Shirong had specially hired someone from the Double Prosperity Photo Studio to take photos.
Having lived through later generations, Deng Shirong knew how rare it was to preserve photos in this era. In twenty or thirty years, these photos would become priceless memories for his children and grandchildren. To Deng Shirong, spending a little extra money on this was well worth it.
At Deng Shirong's request, in addition to individual photos of each family member holding the baby, they also took a family portrait of his eldest son's family of three, as well as group photos with relatives.
They even took some background photos, such as shots of the banquet starting, the Bobai County Troupe performing on stage, and crowds from nearby villages coming to watch the show. These background photos would beautifully capture the grandeur of the full-month banquet.
Deng Shirong was determined to keep these photos and show them to his granddaughter when she grew up. He was sure she would be amazed.
While full-month banquets were common in Bobai County, especially for families with a firstborn son, Deng Shirong's banquet for his granddaughter was extraordinary.
Inviting the county drama troupe to perform was already impressive, but hiring a photographer to document the event was truly remarkable. This series of actions left everyone in awe.
The young wives looked at Zhang Xiuping with envy. If they gave birth to a daughter and were treated so well by their in-laws, how much better would it be if they had a son?
This life was truly wonderful!
While others were envious, Mrs. Zhang, who received several photos, was overjoyed.
Her in-laws had invited many relatives and friends from New Dock Village to the banquet. With the event being so grand, Mrs. Zhang felt immense pride in front of her relatives and friends.
It was only natural for her to feel happy.
…
For seven consecutive days, Deng Shirong's house was bustling with activity. In an era with little entertainment, few could resist the allure of a drama performance. As long as they had the time, no one wanted to miss this rare opportunity.
When the play "A Flower" concluded, the crowds who had come from all over to watch the performance left with a sense of lingering satisfaction.
After the troupe packed up, Director Zhou led them to bid farewell to Deng Shirong. "Uncle Jiu, thank you for your hospitality these past few days. We'll head back now and hope to see you again if the opportunity arises."
Deng Shirong smiled. "Captain Zhou, I'll likely be staying in the county town for a while after the New Year. If you don't mind, I'll come by for tea."
Director Zhou replied sincerely, "It would be an honor to have a distinguished guest like you, Uncle Jiu. We'll make sure everything is ready for you."
"Captain Zhou, your words are enough. See you in the county town next year."
"Of course, Uncle Jiu. You're always welcome."
…
Shortly after the full-month banquet, Deng Shirong's loan of 800,000 yuan was approved.
Holding the passbook and seeing the balance displayed, Deng Shirong couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
He had already planned how to use the loan.
Deng Shirong intended to use 500,000 yuan to purchase courtyard houses in Beijing—one for each of his seven children.
With these seven courtyard houses, he could ensure that all seven children would become billionaires in the future.
The remaining 300,000 yuan would be used to build a building and open a restaurant in the county town.
Deng Shirong's plan for his eldest son was to eventually run a chain of supermarkets. However, since it was still early and the supply of goods was a challenge, he decided to start with a restaurant and transition to supermarkets when the time was right.
The restaurant could later be handed over to his eldest daughter to manage.
If his eldest daughter proved capable, she could even venture into the hotel industry.
Of course, this was the ideal scenario, and it would have to be achieved step by step.
If his children had the business acumen to realize his plans, that would be wonderful.
If they didn't, there was no need to force them. Being ordinary billionaires would be enough.
…
After securing the funds, Deng Shirong was tempted to fly to Beijing immediately to settle the matter of the courtyard houses. However, with the Spring Festival travel rush approaching, traveling by car was already a daunting task. Joining the crowds during this period would be pure misery.
Besides, the price of courtyard houses in Beijing wasn't likely to change significantly in the next year or two. Deng Shirong decided to stay home, enjoy a comfortable New Year, and handle the matter afterward.
With this in mind, Deng Shirong wasn't in a rush to buy the houses. He continued to live his leisurely life in his hometown.
(End of this chapter)