Chapter 407 I am not my father’s greatest pride, my second brother is!

In the hotel.

Deng Shirong and others were having dinner.

Although it was the first time that Deng Shirong met Pei Qinghua, the female colleague of his third son, he had already listed her as a candidate for his daughter-in-law, so he was extremely enthusiastic about her and all the topics of conversation revolved around her.

Deng Yunsong has already fallen in love with her, and he is even more happy that his father does this.

Of course, Deng Shirong knew the limits of the conversation very well. It was not the kind of chat where he would check on someone's household registration. Instead, he started with the topic that his third son had mentioned before, that Pei Qinghua had very good academic performance, and talked about her growth from elementary school to university.

Let’s talk about the college entrance examination enrollment situation, and then extend it to the education gap between Guangxi and Beijing.

And Deng Yunsong would occasionally reply with a word, and they were chatting quite harmoniously.

As for Xiao Dong'er, she was only responsible for eating, so such topics were naturally not something she could participate in discussing.

After the meal, Pei Qinghua could clearly feel that the Uncle Deng in front of him was an elder who was full of wisdom and open-minded. No wonder he could teach such an outstanding son.

After leaving the restaurant, Deng Shirong said, "Xiaosong, I brought you everything you wanted. I'm leaving it at Sihai Hotel now."

"Dad, I know!"

Deng Yunsong responded, then looked at Pei Qinghua and said, "Chief Pei, I told you I have a gift for you. Let's go get it together!"

Pei Qinghua hesitated and said, "Here... Chief Deng, what are you going to give me?"

Deng Yunsong smiled and said, "It's nothing, actually. Last time I mentioned to you the specialty beef brisket we have there, and you said you wanted to try it. It just so happens that my dad knows how to make beef brisket, and when he came to Beijing this time, he personally made a lot of beef brisket and brought it over. There's also the Huishui Zongzi, which is a must-have for New Years in our hometown. I'll give you some to take back and try."

Pei Qinghua was surprised and touched when she heard this, and said, "Chief Deng, I just said this casually when we were chatting, and you even bothered me to make it and bring it over. I can't bear to travel thousands of miles to do it!"

Deng Shirong smiled and continued, "Chief Pei, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. I love to think about cooking, and I enjoy making beef. I also made two flavors, spicy and non-spicy. You can take them back and try them to see which flavor you like. I'll make it for you later."

Pei Qinghua was not the type to be pretentious. Since the other party had already prepared the things and brought them with him, she would not refuse: "Thank you, Uncle Deng."

"You're welcome!"

Next, several people walked towards the hotel where Deng Shirong was staying.

As soon as you enter the hotel room, you can see the beautifully packaged beef brisket and gray water dumplings placed inside.

Deng Shirong said: "There are 48 cans of this beef noodle soup, 4 cans in each bag, the flavor is half spicy and half non-spicy, all marked, there are 30 cans in total."

Deng Yunsong took out 4 bags with 16 cans of Niuba and 4 ash water baskets, handed them to Pei Qinghua and said, "Chief Pei, these are all yours."

This thing is quite heavy. A can of Niuba weighs about one and a half pounds, and 16 cans together weigh 24 pounds. And one gray water basket weighs 5 pounds, and 4 cans together weigh 20 pounds, a total of 44 pounds. It is indeed a bit heavy to hold.

Pei Qinghua only took a bag of beef and a gray water basket, and said, "Chief Deng, I don't need so much, these are enough. You asked Uncle Deng to send so much over, so you should give it to the leaders and other colleagues, right?"

Deng Yunsong smiled and stuffed all the rest to her, saying, "I want to give it to the leader, but as for my colleague, I only plan to give it to you. The remaining amount is more than enough to give to the leader, so don't be polite to me, accept it all, and you can take it back for your uncle and aunt to taste."

Deng Shirong also advised: "Chief Pei, please don't be polite. Just accept it. I made it myself. It's not worth much."

Pei Qinghua couldn't refuse, so he took it and said, "Okay, thank you Uncle Deng."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "You're welcome, Xiaosong. This thing is a bit heavy. Please help Chief Pei carry it back. Also, tell Chief Pei clearly how to make the ash water dumplings."

Deng Yunsong responded: "Okay."

Pei Qinghua said quickly: "Uncle Deng, I will go back first. I will treat you and Xiao Dong'er to lunch tomorrow."

Deng Shirong was not polite and directly responded: "Okay."

Xiao Dong'er smiled sweetly and said, "Aunt Pei, see you tomorrow."

Pei Qinghua also replied with a smile on her face: "Well, Xiaodong'er, see you tomorrow."

After saying hello, Deng Yunsong carried the cowhide and the gray water basket and sent Pei Qinghua back to his family compound.

After leaving the restaurant, Pei Qinghua said, "Chief Deng, your father is so good to you. You should be his greatest pride, right?"

Deng Yunsong smiled and said, "My father is really good to me, but I am not his greatest pride. My second brother is."

Hearing this, Pei Qinghua was stunned for a moment and said in disbelief: "Section Chief Deng, are you kidding me? You are the top scorer in the college entrance examination in Guangxi, and a top student at Tsinghua University. Now you work in the Ministry of Finance. Isn't this a source of pride for your father? What does your second brother do?"

Deng Yunsong said: "My second brother is a top student at Peking University. After graduation, he joined the Planning Commission. Now he works in Fujian and his rank is already deputy director."

Pei Qinghua was shocked when he heard this. It was already extremely difficult for this family to produce a top student who could study at Tsinghua University, but now they also had a top student who could study at Peking University?

Moreover, this top student from Peking University is now at the rank of deputy director?

What kind of joke is this?

"Chief Deng, how much older is your second brother than you?"

"Four years older than me."

Pei Qinghua was really annoyed. She and Deng Yunsong were of the same age, and their current rank was just that of a section chief. She knew very well how far they were from being a deputy director. Not to mention that there were only four years, even if she was given ten years, she would not have the confidence to raise her rank to that of a deputy director.

Deng Yunsong's second brother is only four years older than them, but he is already a deputy director. He is really amazing.

Pei Qinghua said in amazement: "Chief Deng, no wonder you said that your second brother is your father's greatest pride. He is already a deputy director at such a young age. Isn't this too amazing? Even if his family has a background, he can't be promoted so quickly!"

Deng Yunsong smiled and said, "My father is a real country boy, so how could he have such a good background? The reason why my second brother was promoted so quickly was not only because he had strong working ability, but also because of some coincidences. Otherwise, he would not have been able to become a deputy director so quickly."

Pei Qinghua said with emotion: "No matter what the reason is, being able to become a deputy director at such a young age shows his ability."

Deng Yunsong smiled and said, "Chief Pei, thank you for the compliment."

Pei Qinghua said: "Chief Deng, it seems that everyone in your family has a talent for studying. You and your second brother are both so good at studying, and Xiao Dong'er is now the top student in the grade. I guess he won't be much worse than you in the future."

Deng Yunsong said: "Xiao Dong'er is still young, and I dare not say what the future will be like. Especially after changing the environment from junior high school to high school, the change in grades is the most obvious. Some people's grades are getting better and better, while others are getting worse and worse. Whether Xiao Dong'er is getting better or worse is still an unknown."

Pei Qinghua said: "That's true, but Xiao Dong'er is so smart, I believe she will become better."

Deng Yunsong said, "I hope so. When my eldest brother took the college entrance examination, he failed to get into university because the number of college admissions was very small at that time. He has always felt very regretful. I hope my niece can get into a good university in the future, so that my eldest brother will feel comforted."

Pei Qinghua asked: "In which year did your elder brother take the college entrance examination?"

Deng Yunsong said, "It was the year when the college entrance examination was resumed. The competition was too fierce. My eldest brother's academic performance was already among the best in the class, but the teaching strength of the high school in our commune was not good at that time. Only one or two people in the whole grade could be admitted to university. My eldest brother was not even in the top ten in the whole grade, so it was expected that he would fail the exam."

Pei Qinghua asked: "Didn't your elder brother choose to repeat his studies after failing the exam?"

Deng Yunsong shook his head and said, "I didn't repeat the year. My mom passed away early, and my dad was the only one supporting the family. He also had to support the education of seven of us brothers and sisters. Our family's financial situation was not very good. Even if my eldest brother repeated the year, he had no confidence in being admitted to university, so he gave up the plan of repeating the year."

Pei Qinghua said: "Everyone's conditions were not very good at that time, but your father supported the family alone and was able to support you seven brothers and sisters to study. This was already amazing."

Deng Yunsong nodded and said, "Although my father is from the countryside, he is one of the few people in the village who values ​​his children's education. He sold everything he had to support our education, and even treated my two sisters equally. This is unique in our village."

Pei Qinghua exclaimed: "Uncle Deng is very wise, no wonder he can cultivate talents like you and your second brother who are pillars of the country."

"Chief Pei, you're too kind!"

Deng Yunsong smiled and then said, "By the way, this Huishui Zong is a specialty of our hometown. You probably don't have it here. The way to eat it is actually very simple. Just cut it into pieces, about one centimeter thick, and then add oil to the pan and fry it slowly over low heat.

Fry until both sides are golden and fluffy, then sprinkle salt evenly on it and you can eat it.

If you want a sweeter taste, add sugar, boil it until it melts and evenly coat the dumplings. That’s it.”

Pei Qinghua wrote down the method and asked, "Is it better to eat it sweet or salty?"

Deng Yunsong smiled and said, "It depends on personal taste. In my hometown, we eat it as a snack while drinking tea, so most people eat it salty, and the salty taste can bring out the fragrance of the Huishui Zong itself.

As for the sweet ones, they are also delicious. You can try both and see which one suits your taste. "

Pei Qinghua nodded and said, "Okay, I'll try them all later."

The two walked and talked, and soon returned to the family compound.

Before going upstairs, Pei Qinghua took the gift from Deng Yunsong, looked into his eyes and said, "Chief Deng, thank you for your gift. I... like it very much."

After saying that, Pei Qinghua picked up his things and went upstairs.

Deng Yunsong looked at Pei Qinghua, who was a little different from usual, and felt that there might be something going on between the two of them. He couldn't help but laugh foolishly. It was not until Pei Qinghua entered her room that he skipped towards the Sihai Hotel.

He doesn't look like a section-level cadre at all; he just looks like a child who has not grown up.

…

Sihai Hotel.

Seeing his third son coming back, Deng Shirong, who had been curious for a long time, immediately asked, "Xiaosong, are you and Section Chief Pei dating?"

Deng Yunsong replied: "We are just colleagues at the moment. What do you think of her, Dad?"

Deng Shirong praised: "Very good, well educated, and very good-looking. Her manners seem to be well-educated, so I think her family conditions should be very good. As for her personality, I just met her, so I can't tell.

However, since you brought her to see me, she must have a very good personality.

Such an outstanding girl, and you are also colleagues, it is simply a match made in heaven. I think you must like her, so go for her boldly!"

Deng Yunsong was very happy to get his father's affirmation. He nodded and said, "Okay, I will work hard and try to win her over next year."

"Well, I'll help you transport the remaining cow brisket and ash water baskets to where you live. You can figure out how to deliver them to your boss later."

"Dad, you take a rest. I'll go down and call a car to help transport it back."

"Okay, I don't care then."

…

The next day, after having lunch with his third son and Pei Qinghua, Deng Shirong took Xiao Dong'er out for fun.

The main tourist attractions were Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace. In addition, Xiao Dong'er was taken to Tsinghua University and Peking University, and she was told that these two universities were where her second uncle and third uncle studied, and she was encouraged to work hard to be admitted to these two universities in the future.

During this period, the grandfather and grandson were lucky enough to have snow.

The snow lasted for three days. The sight of snowflakes flying all over the sky was very novel to people in the south who had never seen snow. Xiao Dong'er danced with joy and even built a snowman with her grandfather. She had a great time.

Originally, when the second son got married last time, his leader Zhao Jing and classmate Tang Mingjie told Deng Shirong before leaving that when he came to Beijing, he must contact them and give them a chance to entertain them.

Deng Shirong believed that what they said was true, but he didn't like to trouble others after all, so he had no intention of contacting them.

Just like that, a week passed in the blink of an eye.

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

With only a few days left until the Spring Festival, it is time for Deng Shirong to take Xiao Dong'er back to his hometown to celebrate the New Year.

Before leaving, Deng Shirong had another meal with his third son and Pei Qinghua.

While eating, Deng Shirong said to Pei Qinghua: "Chief Pei, the Spring Festival is coming soon. I will go back with Xiao Dong'er tomorrow. If you have the chance, come to Guangxi to play."

Pei Qinghua smiled and said, "Okay, Uncle Deng, I will definitely go if I have the chance."

Xiao Dong'er continued, "Aunt Pei, I have a supermarket at home. There are many delicious foods in it. If you come, I can treat you to a meal."

As a truly top student of this era, Pei Qinghua's knowledge is naturally beyond the reach of ordinary people due to her family background. Of course, she knows what a supermarket is. When she heard Xiao Dong'er say that her family had a supermarket, she felt as if something had suddenly dawned on her.

No wonder Deng Yunsong said that his family’s financial conditions were pretty good. It turned out that his family ran a supermarket. No wonder.

Pei Qinghua said with a smile: "Then I would like to thank Xiao Dong'er first."

…

The next day, Deng Shirong took Xiao Dong'er and flew back to Nanning.

The plane tickets were naturally obtained by the third son with a letter of introduction. Although the third son's current rank is only a regular section chief, he works in a unit like the Ministry of Finance, so he is capable of getting a letter of introduction to allow his father and niece to fly.

When Deng Shirong brought Xiao Dong'er back to his mansion in Wuyue Plaza, it was already the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month.

Seeing his sister coming back, Dongzi ran over and asked, "Sister, you're back. Is Beijing fun?"

“It’s fun, really fun!”

Xiao Dong'er shared with her brother excitedly: "Dongzi, let me tell you, I also went to see the schools of my second and third uncles. Those schools are really beautiful. I also want to be admitted to such a university in the future.

Also, it snowed in Beijing. The snowflakes were floating down from the sky. It was so beautiful. I even made a snowman with my grandfather! I also went to see the Forbidden City with my grandfather. I heard that it was where the emperor lived in the past. I also went to see Tiananmen Square..."

The more Dongzi listened, the more envious he became. He thought about how he had been staying at home doing homework these days while his sister had been traveling around the capital with his grandfather. The difference in treatment was so huge that he couldn't help but want to cry.

Xiao Dong'er was quite good at reading people's expressions. Seeing that her brother looked like he was about to cry, she stopped provoking him and patted his shoulder, encouraging him: "Dongzi, work hard next semester, so that you can travel around with grandpa like your sister."

Dongzi sniffed and replied unsurely, "Okay...Okay!"

…

The twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month.

At 10 a.m., a jeep stopped at the entrance of the staff housing complex of the Ministry of Finance in Beijing.

The car door opened, and a burly man got out of the car. He then walked into the staff quarters and came to the third floor of a building with ease.

“Boom boom boom.”

The sturdy man reached out and knocked on the door.

“Here it comes!”

Pei Qinghua opened the door and saw the burly man outside. He immediately smiled and said, "Second brother, how come you came so quickly?"

Pei Yuanba smiled and said, "Of course I want to take you home early to celebrate the New Year!"

Pei Qinghua asked: "Are the second sister-in-law and Xiaohu back?"

Pei Yuan said domineeringly: "We are all back, little sister, do you want to take anything? If not, let's go!"

Pei Qinghua said: "Yes, my colleague gave me some local specialties. I tasted them and they were delicious. I brought some back for my parents and you to try."

Pei Yuanba asked: "What local specialties?"

Pei Qinghua smiled and said, "It must be something you haven't eaten before. I have packed it up and put it on the table. Come in and help carry it down."

Pei Yuanba walked in curiously and saw several bags of things on the table in the living room.

When I got closer, I found that three of the bags contained canned food, and the other three bags contained three round, yellow objects.

Pei Yuanba immediately asked: "Little sister, what on earth are these three?"

Pei Qinghua smiled and said, "My colleague said this is called Huishui Zuo, and it is a must-have item for the New Year in their hometown. I have tasted it and it is indeed delicious."

Pei Yuanba was not very particular about food, so he answered and picked up the things on the table and asked, "Little sister, do you want to take anything else?"

Pei Qinghua said: "No, we have some clothes for washing and changing at home."

Pei Yuan said: "Then let's go!"

"Um!"

…

An hour later.

The Pei brothers and sisters returned to the Pei old house.

"Dad, Mom, eldest brother and sister-in-law, second sister-in-law."

"Blue and white."

"Little sister."

"aunt!"

The family greets each other.

When Mrs. Pei saw what her husband was holding, she asked curiously, "Yuanba, what are you holding?"

Pei Yuan said domineeringly: "This is a local specialty given to my younger sister by her colleague. She wanted to bring it back for everyone to taste."

Upon hearing this, Pei's mother asked, "What local specialty? Bring it to me to see."

When the second brother handed the things to his mother, Pei Qinghua said, "Mom, those cans contain beef brisket, and the round and yellow thing is called huishui zongzi, which are both very delicious."

In the Pei family, everyone knows that Pei Qinghua is a famous foodie. When they heard her say that the food was delicious, Mrs. Pei Da and Mrs. Pei Er instantly became interested and gathered around.

Mother Pei took out a can of beef brisket from the bag, looked at it and asked, "Qinghua, what is this beef brisket? Where is it from?"

Pei Qinghua said: "Niuba is a delicacy made from beef. It is a local specialty of Yulin, Guangxi."

Father Pei looked at the dozen cans of Niuba in front of him, frowned slightly and said, "Qinghua, what's going on? These dozen cans of Niuba should not be cheap. How can you be so rude and accept so many gifts from your colleagues?"

Pei Qinghua naturally knew what his father was worried about, and couldn't help but comfort him, "Dad, don't worry, it's not what you think. These canned beef were made by my colleague's father himself. It happened that his father took his granddaughter to visit the capital a few years ago, so he brought a lot of it to him.

I have a good relationship with him, so he naturally wanted to share the good stuff with me, so he gave me some extra. "

Upon hearing this, Father Pei's expression softened and he said, "Even if we have a good relationship, you can't charge so much!"

Mother Pei's heart moved, and she asked, "Qinghua, your colleague should be a man, right? Does he want to pursue you?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the other members of the Pei family also reacted and looked at Pei Qinghua in unison.

Pei Qinghua blinked and said, "It's a man. As for whether he wants to pursue me, I don't know."

In fact, she knew that if Deng Yunsong didn't have that kind of affection for her, how could he invite her to dinner every day, and even ask her father to make so many cans of beef and bring them to her just because of a casual remark she made.

If they were just ordinary colleagues, it wouldn't be like this no matter how good their relationship was.

Therefore, Pei Qinghua was already 80% sure that Deng Yunsong definitely liked her and wanted to pursue her.

…

PS: Thank you all for your rewards and monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)