Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

entrance to Guangdong Lianzhai Industrial Park

Hearing what Dai Weiguo, the director of the Urban Construction Bureau, said, Chen Dong smiled and said, "Alright, since you've said so, Director Dai, then I'll leave the matter to you."

"Our Guangdong company has a large purchasing volume. As long as the quality meets the standards and construction requirements, we can immediately remit payment upon delivery!"

Dai Weiguo agreed with a smile. The steel plant managers liked clients like Guangdong Company the most. As long as you could pay upon delivery and get their steel plants running again and prevent the workers from stopping work, they would treat you like royalty.

Dai Weiguo left with the blueprints, and Chen Dong and Chen Zaiguang walked towards the village. "Big brother, I'm planning to take my second brother and sister back to America. First, to get them medical treatment, and second, I want to go back to America to discuss the export issues of our factory and the company's procurement in detail."

"Around when are you leaving?" Chen Zaiguang asked, turning his head.

"Once my second brother and sister get their passports, I'll take them to Hong Kong first, and then we'll take my private jet back to America. It should be in the next few days."

Chen Dong and Secretary Lin Deying had discussed the matter of Chen Zaisheng and Chen Lianxiang leaving the country. The two went to America under the guise of being employees of Guangdong Company going abroad for study and inspection.

Needless to say, Chen Zaisheng's export procedures were handled by Chen Dong, who was acting as the purchasing manager of Guangdong Company. Chen Dong submitted both of their documents, and Lin Deying said it would be done in the next few days.

After hearing this, Chen Zaiguang nodded, "Okay, it's good that you're going. Your second brother's health has been getting worse and worse over the years. In the early years, the medical conditions in Nanshan County were poor, and his health was not well taken care of. It's good that he's going to America."

"As for your sister Lianxiang, my father doesn't really agree with your suggestion of divorce. Your sister Lianxiang is also hesitant, mainly because the three children are still young. If we get divorced, there will be a lot of arguments about the custody of the three children."

Chen Dong felt that there was nothing to argue about regarding the child's custody; it was fine as long as the mother got custody. As long as Chen Lianxiang, the mother, insisted on having custody, Liu Guomin, the father, could still win the argument.

But Chen Dong couldn't make the decision for Chen Lianxiang; she had to make up her mind and really want a divorce. So Chen Dong said to Chen Zaiguang, "Let's talk about it when we get back from America. Whether we divorce or not, I'll support Lianxiang as long as she says so."

The two walked back to the ancestral home. At this time, the house next to the Chen family's ancestral home was also under renovation. Chen Dong's grandfather was the second son of the family and should have had his own house. However, it had been in disrepair for many years. In addition, when Chen Shengyu was alive, he did not allow other family members to move in, for fear that his second brother's house would be occupied by others.

Over time, the roof of the house on the second branch collapsed first, and then a typhoon hit and the walls collapsed, leaving it completely in ruins. After Chen Dong returned to look for his relatives, Chen Xiangui, the uncle and clan head, proposed to help Chen Dong's branch rebuild the house, as a memento in Lianzhai.

The Chen clan members chipped in money, contributing one yuan here and fifty cents there, and also offered their labor, wanting to help Chen Dong rebuild his house. Tian Chulian, the village secretary of Lianzhai, naturally turned a blind eye and pretended not to know anything.

According to policy, Chen Dong, an overseas Chinese, was not allowed to purchase land and build houses in the area without permission. Chen Dong also did not bring Chen Shengyu's land deed with him. Therefore, the Chen family's construction was completely "illegal".

However, considering that Chen Dong invested in Lianzhai and contributed greatly to the village's poverty alleviation efforts, it would be rather heartless for the Chen family to refuse to build an old house for Chen Dong.

Chen Dong and Zhang Yi were deeply moved by the help of Chen's family members in building the house. They were determined not to let them pay for it, but they refused to return it. So Chen Dong suggested that they not build any new bungalows, but just demolish them all and build a high-rise instead.

Chen Dong borrowed 200,000 yuan from Guangdong Company's account to build his own new building, and then donated 50,000 US dollars out of his own pocket to the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall for its reconstruction. This made Old Lady Wei Shufen very happy, and she praised it repeatedly.

If Chen Dong were to distribute the $50,000 to the Chen clan members, Old Madam Wei Shufen would definitely lecture him for being extravagant. However, since Chen Dong specifically stated that the money was donated to the Chen clan ancestral hall for its reconstruction, Old Madam Wei Shufen would have nothing to say.

Chen Dong smiled as he watched his son, Xiao Chen Hui, sitting on a small bamboo stool with his older brothers, waiting for their fifth uncle, Chen Zaixing, to dig out the eggs buried in the lime.

In the rural areas of Tuocheng, houses are still built using quicklime mixed with soil. The construction involves using boards to fix the walls on both sides, and then tamping the mixture of quicklime and soil layer by layer with a pestle to slowly build up the earthen walls.

As people began to build multi-story buildings, this type of slab-built house began to disappear. Quicklime, a building material, was gradually replaced by cement and disappeared from the rural areas of Tuocheng.

When quicklime comes into contact with water, it undergoes a violent exothermic reaction, producing a thick, sweltering steam that keeps people away. In rural areas, people sometimes bury raw eggs directly in quicklime, and when water is poured on them, the eggs are immediately cooked.

Little Chen Hui watched as Chen Zaixing dug out the eggs that had been buried in the "white sand" earlier, and clapped his hands excitedly, shouting, "The eggs are out! The eggs are out!"

"Oh, oh, oh! Time to eat eggs!"

The other kids standing nearby also yelled. Chen Zaixing laughed and reached into the bucket to wet his hands. Ruthless Iron Hand quickly picked up the scalding hot eggs and put them into the bucket, making the kids scream in pain.

Several little kids immediately gathered around the wooden tub, looking at the eggs in the water. Chen Rongguo, being young and impatient, was about to reach into the tub to grab the eggs when Chen Zaixing slapped his hand away.

"What's the rush? Let it cool down before scooping it out," Chen Zaixing carried Chen Rongguo to the side and shooed the few kids who were surrounding him away. "Don't crowd around here, or you'll get burned."

"Run! Uncle Wu is hitting someone again!"

The children scattered in a flash. Little Chen Hui, mixed in with the crowd, shouted, "Run! Fifth Uncle is hitting someone! Rongguo, run!"

As he spoke, he grabbed Chen Rongguo and ran off. The two little legs dragged him to the small stool, where he peered at the wooden bucket. Chen Dong smiled and walked over, wiping the sweat from Chen Hui's forehead.

"Daddy!" Little Chen Hui exclaimed excitedly, pointing at Chen Zaixing as his father arrived. "Daddy, Fifth Uncle said he can do magic tricks! He can cook raw eggs without fire if you bury them in that white sand!"

Chen Dong had never seen anything like it before, and he stood there curiously waiting. "Really? Then Daddy will wait here with you and see if your fifth uncle can really do magic tricks."

"Um!"