Chapter 247: Bold
As an uncle, Deng Shirong had the authority to make decisions regarding his nephew's marriage. However, to find a suitable partner for his nephew, he needed to at least inform his third sister and brother-in-law. This was a matter of basic respect.
Therefore, the day after returning from Peace Slope Village, Deng Shirong rode his bicycle to Treasure Mountain Village and explained the woman's situation to his third sister and brother-in-law.
Deng Shilan was very pleased and said, "Brother, after hearing what you've said, this girl sounds like a good match and suitable for a life together."
Bu Erzhu also nodded and said, "Since everyone in the village speaks so highly of her, her personality must be quite good. She does seem like a suitable partner."
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "I thought the same. Since you, Third Sister and Third Brother-in-law, are both satisfied, I'll go inform the girl's family tomorrow and arrange for her to visit the county town to meet Dashi. After all, it's Dashi who will be living with her, so his satisfaction is what matters most."
Deng Shilan asked with some concern, "If we ask the girl to come to the county town to meet him, will she be willing?"
Deng Shirong replied confidently, "Third Sister, don't worry. The girl's family will agree. They'll be thrilled to visit the county town and see where Dashi works!"
Deng Shilan then asked, "Brother, should we go to the county town as well?"
Deng Shirong said, "Yes, you should. You and Third Brother-in-law have never been to my restaurant since it opened. This is a good opportunity to come and take a look."
Deng Shilan was excited to hear this. The last time her younger brother visited, he mentioned that he had invested over 300,000 yuan in the restaurant. Later, her second son went there to learn driving and came back raving about how large the restaurant was. Since this was her younger brother's business, she naturally wanted to see it for herself.
"Okay, let's go and take a look!"
Deng Shirong said, "I'll inform the girl's family tomorrow. Since this is a significant matter, we should give her some time to prepare. Let's set the meeting for three days from now."
Deng Shilan said, "Then we should go up in advance. It would be awkward if we end up traveling with them."
Deng Shirong looked at his second nephew and said, "Zhongshi, your parents have never traveled far. You can take them up the day after tomorrow."
Bu Zhongshi nodded and said, "Okay, Uncle."
Deng Shilan quickly refused, "No, I'm not illiterate. Just write down the restaurant's address for me, and I'll ask for directions when we get to the county town."
Deng Shirong said, "Third Sister, you should let Zhongshi take you. I'm not worried that you and your husband won't find the place. It's mainly because you've never traveled far from home, and I'm concerned you might get cheated without realizing it. The city is different from the countryside."
Deng Shilan wasn't convinced and said, "Brother, are you underestimating me? Although I haven't read as many books as you, I'm not the kind of person who would be foolish enough to help others count money after being cheated. I don't believe anyone can trick me just by asking for directions."
Seeing that his third sister was insistent, Deng Shirong didn't press further. After all, his restaurant was well-known in the county, and his third sister and her husband could easily find their way by asking around. There was no need to worry too much.
However, these weren't peaceful times, so it was still necessary to remind them to be cautious.
Bobai County Bicycle Parts Factory.
Factory Director's Office.
Zhu Maowen, the head of the sales department, was reporting to Factory Director Li Chunhua with a cheerful expression: "Director, previously, our factory's bicycle chain covers were mainly supplied to two bicycle factories in Yulin and Nanning, and also sold in the district's hardware market.
This year, with your strong support, all the staff in our sales department have been working hard to expand the market.
So far, we've established supply and marketing cooperation with 22 bicycle factories across the country, including Guilin, Liuzhou, Hengyang, Changsha, Wuhan, Shashi, Huangshi, Xi'an, Ningxia, Tongchuan, Nanjing, Beijing, Tangshan, Kunming, Harbin, and Zibo.
It can be said that this year has been the fastest period of development for our factory since its establishment."
Li Chunhua smiled upon hearing this and praised, "Yes, you've worked hard this year, Chief Zhu. You've truly been a great contributor to our factory!"
Zhu Maowen smiled and said, "It's all thanks to your excellent leadership that our factory has been improving year after year."
Li Chunhua was very satisfied with his subordinate's response and said, "Chief Zhu, National Day is approaching. The factory has made great progress this year. I'll consult with the higher-ups to see how we can celebrate."
At this point, Li Chunhua looked at Zhu Maowen meaningfully and said, "You should perform well then."
Zhu Maowen was startled and said excitedly, "Thank you, Director!"
Afternoon.
Li Chunhua appeared in the office of a higher-up. This leader was none other than Song Yu's father, the third-in-command of the county.
After Li Chunhua reported the outstanding achievements made by the bicycle parts factory this year, he chuckled and said, "Leader, National Day is coming soon. I'd like to organize a celebration for all the factory employees to boost morale and further the factory's development. What do you think?"
Leader Song smiled faintly and said, "We must be clear about rewards and punishments. The factory has made such great progress this year, and you, as the factory director, have contributed significantly. Since you want to organize a celebration for the employees, let's celebrate!"
"I dare not take all the credit. It's only thanks to your support that our factory has achieved such results."
Li Chunhua flattered him first, then asked, "Leader, do you have any instructions for this celebration?"
Leader Song suddenly thought of the restaurant owned by his daughter's Peking University alumni and said, "It's not the end of the year yet, so it's not appropriate to give out bonuses or gifts. If you want to celebrate, let's have a dinner at a restaurant!"
"Leader, your suggestion is excellent. A restaurant dinner won't cost much, but it's more prestigious than giving out gifts. I believe it will greatly boost employee morale and provide motivation for the factory's future development..."
Li Chunhua praised the leader's suggestion at length and finally said, "Leader, I'll report back to you after making the arrangements. You must attend the celebration. The employees will be thrilled to see you, and their morale will surely soar."
Leader Song was very satisfied with this flattery and said, "I'll see if I can spare the time then."
As a leader, he would never make definitive statements. Li Chunhua understood this well. Since going to the restaurant for dinner was the leader's suggestion, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, the leader would definitely attend. This put Li Chunhua at ease.
After that, the two chatted for a while longer, and Li Chunhua tactfully took his leave.
From start to finish, Leader Song did not mention which restaurant to go to for the dinner. There was no need to specify such details. After all, with over 260 cadres and employees in the County Bicycle Parts Factory, only Suifeng Restaurant in the county town had the capacity to host such a large event.
Therefore, even without explicit instructions, the Bicycle Parts Factory would undoubtedly choose Suifeng Restaurant for the celebration.
As expected, after Li Chunhua returned to the factory, he discussed the matter and sent someone to Suifeng Restaurant to place an order for food and drinks.
...
2:30 PM.
At Suifeng Restaurant, Deng Yuntai was meeting with the head of the logistics department from the county bicycle parts factory.
As soon as Section Chief Chen spoke, Deng Yuntai was stunned: "Boss, our factory plans to hold a staff dinner on National Day. We'd like to reserve 27 tables for food and drinks at your restaurant. Can your restaurant accommodate this?"
It was no wonder Deng Yuntai was shocked. Although their restaurant had hosted banquets before, the largest had been 16 tables, which had already pushed their restaurant to its limits. If it hadn't been for the help of his siblings, that banquet might not have gone smoothly.
Now, Section Chief Chen was asking for 27 tables—11 more than before. This was a significant test of their restaurant's capacity.
Fortunately, after hosting the previous banquet, his father had identified this issue and informed Uncle Zhang. Whenever their restaurant needed to host a banquet, they could simply notify Uncle Zhang in advance, and he would arrange for as many temporary workers as needed.
Therefore, Deng Yuntai replied confidently, "Section Chief Chen, rest assured. Our restaurant is the largest in the county. Let alone 27 tables, even double that number would be no problem."
Section Chief Chen nodded and then asked, "Boss, how much does your restaurant charge for banquets?"
Deng Yuntai explained the restaurant's set menus priced at 18, 28, 38, and 68 yuan, and finally asked with a smile, "Section Chief Chen, which set menu would your factory like to order?"
Section Chief Chen did a quick mental calculation and, considering the budget approved by the leadership, decided generously, "Book me the deluxe set menu at 68 yuan for 27 tables."
He had already calculated that 27 tables at 68 yuan each would total 1,836 yuan. Even with the addition of alcohol (local bulk rice wine) and other expenses, 2,000 yuan would be more than enough.
While 2,000 yuan was a significant sum for an individual, it was a trivial amount for a bicycle parts factory with an annual revenue of two to three million yuan. When he had sought approval from the factory director, the director had immediately approved a budget of 2,200 yuan, which was more than sufficient.
Deng Yuntai was stunned once again but quickly smiled and nodded, "Okay, no problem."
Next, the two sides discussed the details, and after paying a deposit of 200 yuan, Section Chief Chen hurried back to report to his superiors.
After Section Chief Chen left, Suifeng Restaurant buzzed with excitement.
Since it was the afternoon break and there were no customers, the entire restaurant was quiet. Zhang Xiuping, Deng Yunzhen, and the other employees had overheard Deng Yuntai's conversation with Section Chief Chen.
The restaurant had received such a large order, and not only was the boss thrilled, but the employees were also delighted.
After all, their year-end bonuses were tied to the restaurant's revenue. The higher the revenue, the larger their bonuses. It was a direct correlation.
(End of this chapter)