与“邓大人”的不解之缘

文/龚如仲（美国）

提到“邓大人”，您千万不要以为是那位让中国走上改革开放之路的一代伟人邓小平先生。这个“邓大人”是一个土生土长的农民企业家，名叫邓方阳，也是我终生难忘的好朋友。

提到这个人，我还得从二十世纪八十年代初说起。那时候的中国正处于改革开放的前夜，与其它行业一样，外贸国有企业也逐渐意识到“搞计划经济”、“当国营老大”的种种弊端。过分垄断的经营理念和十分刻板的商业管理都很不利于进出口业务的发展。因此，“与时俱进”、“求新求变”便成了轻工总公司迫在眉睫的任务。不久，一项新政问世：允许国家专业公司与民间私营企业合作，构成“工贸联营”、以求公私双赢。当时我作为一名国家公司的部门主管，手头握有资金重权。面对属下遍布全国的几十家分公司、几百家生产商，我决定挑选三个工厂与总公司联营。

通知下达后不久，一份有着几十家候选人以及有关他们资料的名单就摆在了我的面前。经反复研究后，我挑选了江西、福建和江苏的三家工厂。拟定联营具体方案并报请上级批准后便与他们合作。总公司出资金、给配额（当时所经营的产品出口时需要许可证，而许可证是按配额来发放的），而被选工厂则负责抓管理、保质量、以期扩大出口、提高效益、工贸互利。

我之所以选中这家位于江苏省江都县谢桥乡的工厂，并不是因为该厂有规模（恰恰相反，那是一间小厂），也不是因为江苏省的江都是我父辈的出生地（也是我的故乡），而主要是因为这家工厂的厂长邓方阳先生。邓先生当时才四十出头、身材不高，但极为精干。他在创业初期，为了推销产品，曾骑着一部后架上载满样品的加重脚踏车（自行车），从江苏的江都一直骑到了陕西的西安，行程逾千里。为了节省开支，他就随身带了几斤炒面（把面粉炒熟，备食用），背上一大壶凉开水，途中饿了他就吃几口炒面，渴了就饮些许凉水。就这样，他凭着刻苦与顽强打开了市场，推销了产品。邓先生的这种创业精神深深地打动了我。

几十万人民币汇到工厂后，工贸联营的公司便成立了。这时候，处里有些好心人曾警告我：“几十万不是小数字，一个如此不具规模的小工厂，一个才见几回面的农村厂长，就那样让你放心？不要‘肉包子打狗，有去无回’”。然而，我的第六感告诉我：“此厂不会负我，老邓绝非小人”。

果然，邓先生的确没有让我失望。经过几年的经营，联营厂的规模大大发展，不仅成了当地的龙头企业之一，而且还扬名于整个江苏，自然邓先生也因此成了当地的名人。“劳动模范”、“先进工作者”、“优秀企业家”等奖状和桂冠接踵而至，从此以后，人们便不再称邓先生为邓厂长，干脆管他叫“邓大人”。总公司投入的资金也很快得到丰厚的回报，“邓大人”也就成了我的朋友。

按当时人们的逻辑，如果双方仍有业务来往，国营公司的主管与私营工厂的老板是不宜建立私交的，因为这样做难免会让人怀疑他们之间有金钱交易。然而我与“邓大人”的私交是坦然的，因为“邓大人”最大的特点就是从不在钱字上害我。

我们每次见面，彼此间除了一顿饭、一杯茶，谈谈工作、想想未来，别的话题似乎都引不起兴趣。双方共同的的目标无非是加强合作，使产品出口“千尺竿头，更进一步”。也许就是这种事业上的共识，冲淡了彼此在金钱问题上的计较。何况“邓大人”也是懂礼之人。他只要来京访问，都会带一些乡下的土产馈赠我和我的同事们。

后来，随着国家制度的进一步改革，“邓大人”的事业越发有了发展空间。他在原有老产品出口的基础上，又开发了几个新项目，生意越来越红火，“邓大人”成了名符其实的大老板。

过了不久，我被轻工总公司派往美国工作，结束了与“邓大人”的一切工作关系。从现实的角度看，那时侯的“邓大人”业已功成名就，他已经不需要、而且也无从得到我的进一步扶持和帮助了。所以他大可在这个时候和我体面地说一声“再见”，然后从此疏于联系，这是再自然不过的。然而知恩图报的“邓大人”恰恰在这个时刻更是加强了与我的联系。用他的话来说，就是“做人要有良心”。

因为工作需要，我一年间有数次从美国飞到北京，或向总公司汇报工作，或是参加会议或展销。“邓大人”总能事先从我公司同仁口中得知我确切的归期。然后他便从家乡坐火车，再搭汽车直奔北京，到我家中来看望我和我的家人。而且每次他都一定会带上几斤干货、数包土产。在我家小坐片刻后，他会按惯例把我邀到离家不远的饭馆。二人坐定后，就点上几个家常菜、一壶“碧螺春”，二人边吃边聊。当然，这时候的谈话内容已不再限于工作，同时还会唠叨一下发生在家中的大事小情。因为彼此已是老友，不必再受“公司和工厂”、“上级与下级”的束缚。吃完饭，﹁邓大人﹂就抢着付帐，然后转身直奔火车站，连夜踏上了回家的路程。

当中秋、春节等传统节日来临、而我当时不在中国时，“邓大人”有时会托到北京出差的同事或朋友给我家人送点乡下出产的时令鲜货，同时捎上一句节日问候。随着时代的变化，送礼之风日益盛行，而那个时候的“邓大人”已不仅是善于经营的管理者，而且还渐渐喜欢上了中国传统书画。在得知我将回中国办事的消息时，他偶尔会通过朋友，想方设法地从一些颇有名气的画家手中求购几幅丹青，并让画者在画作上标明“请龚某某先生雅正”等字样，然后郑重地把画送给我。对他这份真诚的用心，我是十分感动的。这些画作一直被我珍藏着，每当我把这些画拿出来鉴赏时，我仿佛总能看见这位满面笑容、敦厚精干的老朋友。

由于老家在江都，我偶尔会回到家乡看望我的大伯母，或是为我去世的父母扫墓。这个时侯，“邓大人”一定会事先与其副厂长，他的侄儿廷虎君（邓厂长的接班人，也是我的好朋友）到机场或车站接我。接到我之后，廷虎君便驱车直奔我的故里。

更令我感动的是，当我居住在上海的生母还健在时，“邓大人”对她也是照顾有加。记得有一回，不知他是如何得知我生母眼神不济的。为了便于老人家看清时间，他便自己悄悄地买了一个大座钟送给了老太太。直到我后来与生母通电话，她在电话中高兴地告诉我“邓厂长前几天让他司机送来了一个大座钟”，我才得知此事。

还有一回，“邓大人”在看望我生母时恰好我大哥传德君也在家。因为彼此很熟，传德君问“邓大人”有无办法弄到一张“彩色电视机购买券”。原来生母一直想有台彩电（彩色电视）以增添她晚年生活的乐趣，而那时的中国彩电是凭票供应的，而“电视机购买券”极为难求。想到“邓大人”一向“路子很广”，所以传德君就试着问了一下）因为有了票，家里便可给老太太买电视了）。“邓大人”听后表示可以试一试。

过了一阵子，生母就在电话中高兴地告诉我：“邓厂长亲自送来了一台大彩电”。后来我从廷虎君口中才了解到，“邓大人”答应搞一张电视票后，几经努力，无法成功，因为那时侯的彩电太走俏了。最后他就干脆把他为大儿子结婚买的彩电从儿子的洞房搬到了我母亲的家中。据说当时他还振振有辞地对他儿子说道：“龚处长的母亲需要一台彩电，你们自己想办法再弄台新的”。

当我得知这个消息后，百感交集，真不知道该对“邓大人”说什么感谢话才好。一台电视固然价格不菲，然而这位老朋友对我的这种友情则是难以用金钱来衡量的。

几年后，“邓大人”不幸患上糖尿病。又过了几年，他变得有些老年性痴呆，渐渐地失去了对往事的记忆，人也开始有些胡涂。据说有一回出门散步，在村子里转了一圈后，“邓大人”竟然找不到家门，幸好一位同村的老乡把他送回家中。然而，每当我抽空去江都探望他时，他只要一见是我，便会立马变得“神清气爽”，依然记得他和我这老哥俩所经历过的风风雨雨。后不久，恶耗传来：“邓大人”离开了人世，我永远地失去了这位令我终身难忘的老友。

值得欣慰的是，“邓大人”走后，他的家人继续保持着和我及我家人的友好情意，尤其是在金融行业中大展宏图的邓家二公子柏春君。柏春君不仅继承了乃父精明能干、待人诚恳的基因，而且还是一位造诣颇深的书法家。

出于对已故老友的难忘之情，每当清明节来临之际，只要有可能，我总会趁回故乡祭拜父母之便，专程到“邓大人”的墓前和老朋友“说说话”。而柏春君总是恭敬地立于墓侧，时不时地代父还礼。

按我自己定下的惯例，我先到“邓大人”的墓前扫墓，然后才去我的故里祭拜双亲，年复一年，这个做法一直延续至今。

（此文选自拙作【岁月如重---兼谈华国锋】第五章“从商之路”）

题外的话：今天发布此文时，心中油然而生感伤，故草就了一首小词【西江月】，来缅怀老友邓君方阳。

其词如下：

西江月•忆故友方阳邓兄

幸与京都联手，盛名传遍扬州。

身勤志壮斥方遒，起落沉浮看透。

宏业鳌头丰收，功成驾鹤西游。

至交一世两相投，情笃义绵德厚。

注：斥方遒：热情奔放，劲头十足之意。

 Chapter 17: An Indissoluble Bond with “Deng, His Excellency”

Posted by Ralph Gong

When the appellation of “Deng, His Excellency” was mentioned, people might automatically think that this must be referred to Mr. Deng, Xiaoping, the former Chairman of the Central Military Committee of the People’s Republic of China, who made China march forward on the road of “Economy-Reforming & Door-Opening”. But “Deng, His Excellency” I mentioned here has nothing to do with Mr. Deng, Xiaoping. This “Deng, His Excellency” was particularly referred to Mr. Deng, Fangyang, a native farmer entrepreneur as well as an unforgettable friend of mine.

(1)

Please allow me to take you back to early 1980s when China was just about to open the door to the outside world and start the great action of “Economic Reform”.

Like all other state-owned companies under the Ministry of Foreign Trade, China National Light Industrial Products Import & Export Corporation (Chinalight in Short) had also realized that there were a lot of malpractices in the Company’s management. For many years, Chinalight had been monopolizing the whole nation’s import & export business of light industrial products, and following the government policy of “planned economy”. The facts proved that the existing traditional ways of business handling were really conservative and inflexible, which would no longer benefit the further development of the Company’s import and export business. It seemed that effective measures of “keeping up with times and seeking the change and innovation” must be adopted. Thus, a new policy soon came into being: the state-owned companies would be allowed to have joint operations with the private or individualized enterprises or factories in the rural areas of China. The purpose of doing so was to enable both the national trading companies and the private manufacturing factories to promote production in order to gain maximum economic profits.

As the Deputy General Manager of Export Division No. 2 under Chinalight, I was a powerful person who had the right to dispose a huge amount of money. And our division’s financial assistance to any branch companies or factories would play a very important role in developing their designated light industrial products. But the situation at that time was that Chinalight’s Export Division No. 2 administrated over 50 branch corporations at different provincial, municipal and autonomous regions levels. And those branch corporations relied on over several hundred factories for making and exporting the related light industrial products. As per the Company’s new policy, it would be necessary for our Division to set up joint-venture operations with some of those factories. And it was impossible for our Division to give all those factories financial supports. The only way our division could follow was to select a few really outstanding and promising factories as pioneers.

After careful consideration, I decided to choose only three good factories for our joint venture projects. The three factories were respectively from the three Provincial Branch Corporations in Jiangxi, Fujianand Jiangsu. The detailed plan was that Export Division No. 2 was going to invest a certain amount of money to each factory plus issuing them additional but reasonable export quotas (for your information, the products manufactured for exports bythose three factories needed export quotas and I was back then the decisive person to approve the quota issuing). The related factories, on the other hand, were responsible for improving management levels and make enough quality products with economic efficiency. By so doing, both Export Division No. 2 (the Trading Party) and the related factories (the Manufacturing Parties) hoped for mutual benefits.

In terms of the joint-venture actions, I won’t go to details about the two factories located in Jaingxi and Fujian Provinces. I just want to tell you how I selected one factory which was situated in XieqiaoTown, Jiangdu County, of Yangzhou City in JiangsuProvince. I must admit that I did not make the decision easily or casually. As a matter of fact, I read and checked the list of over 10 candidate factories very seriously. The list was presented to me by the Authorities of Jaingsu Light Industrial Products Import & Export Corporation. Prior to my final decision and approval, the whole members of our Division No. 2 had several rounds of collective discussions. You might ask me out of curiosity: “Why did you choose this factory in Jiangsu Provinceinstead of the other two for a joint-venture? Was this factory strong in finance? Or was it really big in scale?” But I’ll have to tell you that this factory was neither strong nor big. It was indeed a small factory.

Some people who have the knowledge towards my family background might then say this to me: “It was natural for you to choose a factory in your hometown for such a joint-venture. Jiangdu County is your native place. Both your Father and Grandfather were born in Putou Town there!” Yes, Putou Town is a place about ten kilometers away from Xieqiao Townwhere that selected factory was located. But I must tell them that they were totally wrong. I selected this factory as a joint-venture partner because of one person, the Factory Director, Mr. Deng Fangyang.

(2)

Mr. Deng was over forty years old. He was not tall, but had an intelligent and capable look. His factory was once very weak in both production capability and sales possibility. In order to make his factory grow fast, Mr. Deng worked very hard and tried all possible means to promote the business. In order to open up the market for the factory’s products, he decided to try his luck in the big city of Xi’an, which was and still is the Capital City of Shanxi Province.

Before he started this long journey, he told his wife to prepare several kilograms of fried flour and a big tank of cold boiled water. After both food and water were ready, Mr. Deng used a long and strong rope to tie them, plus some products samples, to the rack of his heavy-duty bike. Then he rode on the bike and set out from his home village at Xieqiao Town of JiangduCounty in JiangSu Province (South Eastern China) to Xi’an City in Shanxi Province (Northern China), a distance of over 1,300 kilometers.

On his way to Xi’an City, he ate dry fried flour and drank a few mouthful of cold water when feeling hungry and thirsty. When evenings arrived, he had to either lodge at farmers’ homes by asking for a favor or spent nights in the cheapest hotels around. After about three week’s bike-riding, he finally reached the destination. And then he started to visit all possible customers one by one. It was due to his strong will and unyielding persistence that the sales channels were opened up. Consequentially, his factory made rapid increase in both manufacturing and sales, and continued to develop healthily.

I was deeply touched at hearing how Mr. Deng had handled his business. It was nothing but his pioneering spirit which made me decide on choosing his factory as a joint-venture partner.

After several hundred thousand RMB (RenMinBi, meaning Chinese Yen) were wired to this factory, the joint-venture project between the factory and our Export Division No. 2 began. Just at that moment, a couple of colleagues of mine warned me kindly: “Several thousand hundred RMB is not a small amount of money. How can you trust a farmer factory director so much when you have only met with him two or three times? You must know that this small factory is in need of money badly. We are afraid that your relationship with this factory director might be a one-way street, and you should not expect him to do you any favor in return!” But I did believe my own “Sixth Sense” and was not influenced by my colleagues’ words. With confidence, I said to myself: This factory will not let me down! Mr. Deng is an honest guy!

As expected, Mr. Deng did not disappoint me. After two years’ hard work and proper management, the joint-venture factory had made great achievements. It had not only enlarged its production capability and factory scale, but also gained remarkable profits. As a result, this joint-venture factory had become one of the leading enterprises in not only Jiangdu, where the factory was situated, but also Yangzhou, to which Jiangdu belonged. One year later, this factory made further developments and became a “Star Enterprise”, well-known throughout the whole Province of Jiangsu. Mr. Deng Fangyang, the Factory Director, had also been successively honored as “Model Worker”, “Advanced Factory Director” and “Outstanding Entrepreneur”. He was one of the most famous celebrities in Yangzhou area as well as in Jiangsu Province. From that time on, people around him no longer called him “Mr. Deng”, Lao Deng (old Deng) or “Director Deng”. They jokingly called him “Deng, His Excellency”, showing their sincere respect to this real VIP. Since the factory was really strong and profitable, our Export Division No. 2, the investor, got substantial economic returns. What was more, “Deng, His Excellency” became my private good friend.

(3)

According to that time’s rules and regulations, the leading personnel of the state-owned companies were not supposed to establish any personal relationship with owners of private or individualized factories or enterprises while they were still the cooperative partners. If such private relationship were established, there wound be suspicion that the state-owned company’s leading personnel and the private factory directors have some “secret” or “under-table” deals. But I did not care about it at all because I was sure that my personal relationship with “Deng, His Excellency” was open and unperturbed, and I would be afraid of nothing. Besides, I firmly believed that “Deng, His Excellency” was a decent man who would not use money to corrupt me. The fact was that when we met each other, the only thing we did together was to talk about the current work progress and to think of the future plan. We did have mutual entertainments like having meals at restaurants or cups of tea at tea-houses sometimes. But our common interest was always on the topics of “how to enhance the mutual cooperation” and on “how to further develop the factory’s productivity and gain more profits for both Parties”.

Of course, “Deng, His Excellency” was a man of courtesy. Each time he came to Beijing to visit me and my colleagues, he would always bring with him some gifts, usually special local products, such as dried mushrooms, dried black fungus, preserved or salted eggs, so on and so forth. Those meaningful and inexpensive gifts were regarded as the symbol of true friendship between him and my colleagues and me myself. Therefore, we always accepted those gifts naturally and happily.

The further development of China’s Economy Reform gave “Deng, His Excellency” more space and opportunities. And he and his factory succeeded in manufacturing a few new products for export. With time passing by, Mr. Deng’s business was growing better and better, and “Deng, His Excellency” had become a really big boss in name and in fact.

It was just at the time when our joint venture work was gaining momentum, Chinalight Head Office decided to send me to New York, USA for being the President of the Company’s American Overseas Branch Corporation. That meant that I would no longer be responsible for the joint-venture project. In other words, my working relations with Mr. Deng and his factory completely ended. From a realistic perspective, Mr. Deng’s “Business Kingdom” had already been established and Deng would no longer need my further help and support. It would be only natural and simple for him to just say good-bye to me gracefully and then cut off all relations with me. As a matter of fact, most of the Chinese private owners did do so by such situations. But “Deng, His Excellency” was a man who kept in his heart a famous Chinese saying of “the most great action is that you repay others for their kindness when you have got the ability”. He even said to my colleagues when he went to Beijing for a joint-venture meeting that as a human, he has conscience and will always be grateful to those who once helped him and his factory.

Instead of leaving me alone, he purposefully enhanced his relation with me. Whenever he deemed it necessary for going to Beijing either for work meetings with the people concerned at Export Division No. 2 or for attending any light industrial products export commodity fairs, the first thing he did was to get information on whether I would be in Beijing that period of time. If yes, he would immediately buy a bus ticket and left his hometown of Jiangdu for the city of Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu Province. From there he would take the train to Beijing. Before going to Chinalight Head Office for meetings, he would come to my house to visit me first. inviting me to have lunch or dinner at a restaurant close to my home. He would order several outstanding dishes plus a pot of green tea. We would then chat with each other happily while enjoying our dishes, sometimes very simple ones. The goal was the talk, not the food and the topics were wide-ranged, from our respective routine work to private and family affairs such as children’s education, the health condition and even his village issues. Since there were no business connections between him and me, we could talk with each other freely. Whenever the meal was over, Mr. Deng would manage to pay the bill (never letting me pay). He always went to ChinalightHead Office for meeting people at Export Division No. 2 after our private meeting.

When there was an important traditional Chinese holiday or festival, like the Dragon Boat Festival, the Moon Festival or the Spring Festival but I was abroad, Mr. Deng would ask anyone who would go to Beijing for a visit (no matter whether he or she was from his factory or even from his neighboring factories) to bring some gifts purchased by Mr. Deng himself to Beijing. He would tell the traveler that those gifts, usually Jiangdu County’s native products, must be delivered to my house for my wife or my father who was living in Beijing with us. Those gifts, not necessarily expensive, meant a lot to me and to my family. They showed the sincerity and amicability of “Deng, His Excellency” to his old friends.

With the change of the times, the practice of gift-giving was in vogue in mid of 1980s. By that time, “Deng, His Excellency” was not only a capable factory director who could handle the management skills well, but also an “intellectual” who was interested in and knowledgeable towards the Chinese traditional painting and calligraphy. Upon hearing the news that I would soon get back to Beijing for business, Mr. Deng sometimes went to visit a few famous painters or calligraphers in Jiangsu Provinceto select and buy some good paintings or calligraphy works from them. I remember him coming to my home and my office, solemnly presenting those art works to me as gifts. Mr. Deng had the habit that before paying for those paintings and/or calligraphies, he would usually let the painters and calligraphers put the following Chinese characters on the art works: “Mr. Gong Ruzhong is kindly asked to take this piece of painting (or calligraphy) for appreciation”.  His sincere intention moved me greatly. Those paintings and calligraphies have been wonderful treasures well-kept by me. Whenever I take out those valuable treasurers for appreciation, I feel as if this honest and sincere man were just standing in front of me with his distinct friendly smile.

(4)

It was due to the fact that my hometown is Putou in Jiangdu County, Jiangsu Province, that I occasionally go to my home village to pay respect to my Dad and Mom, because where their tombs are there. I can also visit my aunt, wife of my father’s eldest brother who passed away long time ago. Whenever I decided to go to Jiangdu County for visiting my Aunt and paying respect to my deceased parents at their tombs, “Deng, His Excellency” was always there to help me.

Usually, he and his nephew Mr. Deng Tinghu who was also the factory’s Deputy factory director, would go to Nanjing Airport to pick me up. And then Mr. Deng Tinghu would drive me directly to my home village. Both Mr. Deng and his nephew would accompany me from A to Z when I had such visits. After my mission was completed, they would invite me to the joint-venture factory for a factory tour (even though I was no longer the joint-venture partner), then invite me to lunch or dinner at the factory’s “special canteen” (a small dining-room specially used for entertaining distinguished guests). They were also so kind as to drive me back to Nanjing Airport by car (I had to fly from NanJing to Beijing since no airport was available at either Yangzhou or Jiangdu in 1980s and 1990s. But now an airport is available in Yangzhou).

Something which moved me even more was that my natural mother was living in Shanghai (please read “Chapter One: Fate Transformation” which describes how I was born in the Chen Family and then be given to the Gong Family three days after I was born). When she was alive, “Deng, His Excellency” gave her a lot of help. I was told by my natural mother that one time, she told Mr. Deng (when Deng visited my mother, they had a casual talk) that her eyesight was becoming poor with the time. And she could not see the clock time clearly since the clock available at home was too small. After hearing that, Mr. Deng did not say anything. But a few days later when I called my Mom for a routine greeting, she excitedly told me over phone: “Mr. Deng asked his driver to send me a big wall clock a couple of days ago. Now I can read the time very clearly!”

Another time when “Deng, His Excellency” visited my mom, my natural elder-brother, Mr. Chen Chuande, was also at home. In order to let my mom pass her old years happily, my elder brother wanted to buy her a color TV. But at that time, it was difficult for the Chinese people to get such a kind of valuable electrical appliance. A “Color TV Purchase Coupon” was needed. Without such a coupon, my elder brother would not be able to buy a color TV for my Mom. In view of the fact that Mr. Deng was a VIP who had excellent social connections, my elder brother asked him if he could get such a coupon.

After listening to what my elder brother said, Mr. Deng promised to have a try. Almost one month passed without a reply from “Deng, His Excellency”. Naturally, neither of my mom nor my elder brother was expecting to get a color TV coupon from Mr. Deng. But then, one more week later, Mr. Deng’s driver came to my mom’s house and brought my mom a new color TV. The driver presented the TV to my mom, saying: “My boss asked me to bring this new color TV to you”. My mom and brother were overjoyed.

Upon hearing this piece of news, I immediately called Mr. Deng Tinghu, nephew of “Deng, His Excellency” to ask for reasons. Tinghu told me that even though his uncle tried very hard to get a Color-TV Purchase Coupon, his efforts were in vain because it was simply too difficult. Finally “Deng, His Excellency” went to his elder son’s place and took the color TV from his son’s house. That color TV was bought by Mr. Deng and given to his elder son as a wedding gift. The wedding ceremony did not start yet, but the wedding gift of such a valuable color TV was already taken away from his son, the groom-to-be! As per Tinghu, while taking this TV set out, Mr. Deng even imperatively said to the groom: “The mother of Mr. Gong, the division chief, needs this TV. I must give it to the lady. You just try to get a coupon first and I will then pay for the TV purchasing”.

After listening to what Tingfu told me, mixed feelings surged up in me immediately. I really did not know what I should say to my good friend “Deng, His Excellency”. A color TV was expensive, but the true feelings and friendship expressed by Mr. Deng was just priceless! I was no longer the partner of his factory. What he did for me would not be repaid.

(5)

Several years later, a piece of bad news came to me: “Deng, His Excellency” got ill unfortunately and suffered from diabetes mellitus. The nasty disease of senile dementia began to attack him terribly a couple of years after that. As a result, “Deng, His Excellency” gradually lost his memory. I was told that one time he left home and had a walk in the village. He was so confused after the walk that he could not remember how to get back home. Fortunately, one of his villagers found him and accompanied him home.

One thing was though very “strange”. Every time I went back to my hometown for a visit, I always met with Mr. Deng. Even if he suffered from poor memory, he always immediately became alert and normal at seeing me, his long-time partner and old friend. He could clearly recount to his colleagues and me how he and I worked together to make the factory so strong and profitable. He remembered all details about what he and I did in those old days. What a surprise!

Time flies. Another couple of years passed and the fatal news reached me: “Deng, His Excellency” passed away. I felt extremely painful. I lost my good friend forever! An unforgettable friend, Mr. Deng Fangyang.

Mr. Deng Bochun, the second son of “Deng, His Excellency”, continues the existing relationship with me since he believes I was his Father’s devoted friend. Up to today, Mr. Deng Bochun plus all members of Deng family, are still on very good and friendly terms with me. Mr. Deng, Bochun is an elite in the financial industry. Besides, he is an outstanding Chinese calligrapher who has profound art attainments. Probably inherited from his father’s excellent gene, Mr. Deng BcChun is also a man of honesty, capability and sincerity.

When I go back to my hometown of Jiangdu, it is always he who drives me around.  Like what his father did, Mr. Deng Bochun will drive his car to either Nanjing or Yangzhou Airport (a new airport in Yangzhou City was established years ago) to pick me up and drive me to Jiangdu County. As per my request, I first go to his Father’s tomb which is located at the downtown area of Jiangdu County. I show my respect to “Deng, His Excellency” at his tomb by presenting some offerings of fruits, food and round decorated cakes (all those offerings are prepared by Mr. Deng Bochun). Following the local custom, both Mr. Deng Bochun and I will burn some paper money and incense in front of Mr. Deng Fangyang’s tomb. I usually take the chance to talk to my old friend for a while. At such moments, Mr. Deng Bochun always stands on the left side of his father’s tomb and bows to me from time to time, showing his respect and thanks to me.

After that, Mr. Deng Bochun will drive me to my parents’ tombs.  There I will do the worship ceremony according to the local tradition. Year after year, this kind of practice is lasting. I hope with my whole heart that the close relationship between Deng family and me will be long-lasting…

(END)

About the Author:

Ruzhong Gong (Ralph Gong), born in Shanghai, China, now living in the USA.

Graduated From the English Department of Universityof International Business and Economics, Beijing, China

Before retirement, President of an USA overseas company under China National Light Industrial Products Imp. & Exp. Corp.; President of a joint-venture company in USA, jointly owned by Australia’s Lief Group Company and China National Chemical Products Imp. & Exp. Corp.; President of an American Brach Corp. under China National Foreign Trade Bases Corp.; Chief Representative in Beijing Office under Trade Am, an American Carpets Wholesale Company.

Author of 6 books, including “My Life—Family, Career & VIPs”, “How to Do Business in Mainland of China”, “My Leisure Time”, “My Leisure Time—Poems & Articles” , “Poems and Essays from Leisure Chamber” and “Flowers By My Side”.

Member of the Chinese Poetry Society (CPS), Free Lance Writer for Austrian Sinopress, and Senior Consultant for Taiwan Caiwei Publishing House.

 【作者簡介】

龚如仲（英文名ralph），生于中国上海。中国对外经济贸易大学英语一系毕业，毕业后在铁道部援建坦赞铁路工作组任英语翻译（曾在非洲工作四年）。中国国际广播电台英语部英语播音员、记者，外贸部中国轻工业品进出口总公司出口二处业务员、副处长，外贸部轻工业品进出口总公司驻美国公司总裁（处长）。2012年至2016年，台湾采薇出版社出版自传《岁月如重》《东西南北中国人---细谈如何在大陆做生意》《悠然时光》和《悠然时光---如仲诗语》。2018年4月，中国国际广播出版社出版《悠然斋诗文选》，2018年9月，中国国际广播出版社出版《花儿在身边开放》。现为中华诗词学会会员、中国经典文学网特约作家、台湾采薇出版社顾问。世界詩會聯合總會【北歐總社】、【好萊塢總社】常務總社長。