Chapter 223: Family Reunion
May 20th of the lunar calendar, Saturday.
At 4:13 PM, Deng Yunheng and Song Yu walked to the People's Cinema on West City Road and immediately spotted the strikingly eye-catching Suifeng Restaurant diagonally across the street.
Song Yu exclaimed, "Oh my God, is this your restaurant?"
Deng Yunheng was also taken aback. He knew his father had opened a restaurant in the county, but he never imagined it would be such a grand establishment. Although he didn't know exactly how much money had been invested, he could guess it must have been a staggering amount.
Where did my father get so much money to invest in this restaurant? Did he take out another bank loan?
Deng Yunheng's thoughts raced, but he simply said, "Let's go and take a look together."
Although Song Yu was curious, she politely declined, "I won't go over. I need to get home quickly, or I'll miss dinner. After I settle in, I'll come by your restaurant tomorrow morning to check it out."
Deng Yunheng laughed, "You're afraid there won't be anything to eat in my restaurant!"
Song Yu smiled, "Of course not. It's mainly because it's not convenient to carry so much luggage. Besides, I've been away from home for half a year, and I miss my parents. I need to go home and report back."
Deng Yunheng didn't press further and nodded, "Alright, let's meet up tomorrow. Just come to the restaurant to find me. I'll definitely be here."
Song Yu hummed in agreement, waved her hand, and said, "Then I'll go first. See you tomorrow!"
"Okay, see you tomorrow!"
After watching Senior Sister Song leave, Deng Yunheng picked up his luggage and walked toward the restaurantwith a mix of excitement and curiosity.
…
Inside the Suifeng Restaurant, Deng Shirong was still drinking and chatting with Zhang Guangzong.
In truth, drinking from morning to afternoon doesn't involve much eating. Aside from a few bites of food at the start, the rest of the time is spent nibbling on fried peanuts, soybeans, melon seeds, and some pickles.
These snacks don't fill you up much, but they pair perfectly with sips of wine.
Zhang Guangzong was quite content with his current lifestyle. Every morning, he'd come here to eat, drink, and chat, then stroll home slowly when the restaurant closed at night. For someone in his fifties, what more could he ask for?
Deng Yuntai and Zhang Xiuping had also settled into their roles. Deng Yuntai oversaw the overall operations, while Zhang Xiuping handled the cashier duties, took care of the children, and occasionally served tea to important guests.
Deng Yunzhen, in addition to helping her sister-in-law with the children, also assisted with taking orders and serving food when the waiters were overwhelmed during peak hours.
As for Deng Yunzhu, Deng Yunsong, Deng Yunhua, and Deng Yunheng, after helping out on the opening day, they had been focusing on their studies from the second day onward. Their father was strict about this.
For example, at that moment, the four siblings were reviewing their lessons in a private room in the restaurant!
Meanwhile, Zhang Xiuping was sitting at the cashier counter, calculating the day's earnings.
On the first day of the restaurant's opening, they had incurred a small loss of over ten yuan due to advertising expenses. On the second day, the turnover was slightly lower, at 74.6 yuan, but the net profit exceeded 20 yuan, which was acceptable.
Today was the third day. The noon turnover had already surpassed 40 yuan. Since afternoon business was usually better, there was a chance the day's total turnover could exceed the opening day's.
"Sister-in-law!"
Just as Zhang Xiuping was crunching the numbers, a familiar voice called out. She looked up and exclaimed in surprise, "Yunheng, you're back!"
"Yes, I'm back!"
Deng Yunheng responded, then greeted everyone in turn: "Dad, big brother, sister."
Deng Yuntai smiled, "I figured you'd be back in the next few days. Put your luggage down first—just leave it behind the counter. I've heard how uncomfortable train rides can be. You must not have eaten or slept well these past few days. I'll ask the chef to cook whatever you want."
Deng Yunheng set his luggage down and said, "It's really tough sitting on a train for several days and nights. Luckily, a dozen of us from Guangxi came back together. We looked out for each other, so it wasn't too bad. As for food, I'd like some boiled pork. I haven't had it in almost a year, and I've been craving it."
Deng Yuntai smiled, "Alright, I'll have the chef prepare some white-cut pork for you."
At that moment, Deng Yunzhen came over holding her niece and said with a smile, "Xiao Dong'er, this is your second uncle."
Deng Yunheng quickly reached out and said with a grin, "Xiao Dong'er, come here and let your uncle hold you!"
Xiao Dong'er, now over seven months old, was at a playful age. She looked at her second uncle with curious eyes, not shy at all. When she saw his outstretched hands, she started babbling and squirming with excitement.
Deng Yunheng picked her up, making her giggle. She was already adorable, and her laughter made her even more endearing.
Then, Deng Yunheng carried his niece over to his father.
Deng Shirong introduced him, "Yunheng, this is Grandpa Zhang."
Deng Yunheng immediately greeted him, "Grandpa Zhang."
Zhang Guangzong had long known from his nephew that his boss's second son was studying at Peking University. He couldn't help but praise, "He's indeed very handsome. Getting into Peking University is like having the god of literature on your side. He's destined for a bright future!"
Deng Yunheng smiled, "Grandpa Zhang, thank you for the kind words!"
Deng Shirong asked, "Did you arrive in Nanning yesterday or today?"
Deng Yunheng sat down with his niece in his arms and said, "We arrived in Nanning at noon yesterday. I had a meal with a few fellow Guangxi students from Peking University. Since there were no buses back to Bobai, we stayed overnight. I just came back with Sister Song today."
Deng Shirong, who had met Sister Song during his trip to Beijing to buy a courtyard house, asked, "Why didn't you invite Sister Song in for dinner?"
Deng Yunheng replied, "I did, but we all had our luggage, and she was eager to get home. We parted ways at the door. She said she'd come by tomorrow morning."
As they chatted, Deng Yunzhu, Deng Yunsong, Deng Yunhua, and Deng Yunheng, who had been studying in the private room, heard the commotion and came out.
After exchanging greetings, Deng Yunsong said enviously, "Second brother, you're so lucky. You studied in junior high and high school for two years each. After you graduated, both junior high and high school switched to a three-year system. Plus, our Naye Junior High School was abolished. Now, my second sister and I are attending Double Prosperity Junior High."
Deng Yunheng had never mentioned this in his letters home. Although he was surprised to hear it, he wasn't entirely shocked. When he was studying at Pine Mountain High School, some junior and high schools in the county had already switched to a three-year system.
"There's nothing wrong with studying junior high and high school for three years. Although it takes longer, you have more time to study, and your chances of getting into university are much higher."
"I know that, but it still feels like a long time—four more years before I can even think about university."
(End of this chapter)