On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

A few miles away from the port, in the "light industrial zone" planned in the new city of Hu County, a textile workshop converted from a huge warehouse is bustling with activity.

The air was filled with cotton dust, the smell of starch from new fabrics, and the distinctive, slightly burnt smell of fabric being ironed by a steam iron.

The huge space is rationally divided into: spinning area, weaving area, printing and dyeing area, cutting and sewing area... Hundreds of brand-new foot-operated spinning machines and flying shuttle looms manufactured by Wuqing Machinery Factory are neatly arranged, making endless "click-click" and "clang-clang" rhythmic sounds, forming a vibrant industrial symphony!

The protagonists here are no longer shirtless laborers, but hundreds of female workers wearing uniform light blue coarse cloth work clothes and white cloth hats!

Most of them came from Hu County and surrounding counties, and their ages ranged from girls of fifteen or sixteen to women in their thirties and forties.

They are the first batch of members of the "Women Workers Camp" in Huxian Special Zone, and are the result of careful selection and training by Zhang Li and Huanbi.

Wang (Wang Youde's legal wife) was sitting in front of a flying shuttle loom at this moment.

She was wearing the same blue work clothes as the other female workers, her hair was neatly tied up in her hat, her face was no longer made up, but had a long-lost focus and calmness.

She operated the loom with deft hands and feet, her eyes fixed on the shuttle flying back and forth and the cloth gradually taking shape, her movements were skillful and smooth.

Who would have thought that a month ago, she was still the pampered and well-to-do wife of the county magistrate?

The dramatic changes in her life and the pressure of survival made her quickly lose her delicate nature and become tough.

Although her fingers were left with red marks from the cotton thread and her back was sore from sitting for a long time, when she received her first month's salary - a heavy string of copper coins, the sense of security and dignity of being self-reliant made her feel that it was all worth it.

The Sixth Aunt was in the sewing area.

She is very skillful and was assigned to be responsible for the fine sewing and button making of ready-made garments.

She lowered her head, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow under her eyes, her expression focused and calm.

The slender fingers held the silver needle and deftly moved it across the fabric, with the stitches being fine and even.

Here, no one knew her past, and no one looked at her strangely.

She is just an ordinary female worker who makes a living by her skills.

For her, this tranquility and self-sufficiency were like a refreshing rain after a long drought.

Occasionally, when she looked up and saw the busy and hopeful figures of the sisters in the workshop, a faint, heartfelt smile would unconsciously appear on the corners of her mouth.

The ninth concubine was the youngest and was responsible for adding cotton to the spinning machine and cleaning up the flying catkins in the spinning area.

Her movements were still a little clumsy, and her little face was covered with cotton wool, making her look like a little cat.

But she studied very seriously, her big eyes full of curiosity and enthusiasm.

The older women in the workshop took good care of her, taught her skills, and saved delicious snacks for her. Here, she felt a warmth and sense of belonging that she had never experienced before.

"Sisters! Work harder!" Zhang Li, wearing a neat indigo long dress embroidered with silver thread and arrow sleeves, and a plain half-sleeve top, walked through the workshop like a queen inspecting her territory.

Her voice was clear and inspiring. "This batch of 'Shanghai Brocade' was personally ordered by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for winter clothing for the border troops! We must ensure the quality and deliver on time! The performance bonuses and star ratings at the end of the month will depend on your performance!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the female workers responded in unison, their voices clear and energetic.

Their hands moved faster and their eyes became more focused.

His Royal Highness's order!

Winter clothes for border troops!

This is not only a job, but also an honor and responsibility!

The bonus and star rating at the end of the month are real hopes!

Huanbi sat quietly behind a desk in the corner of the workshop, with account books and lists spread out in front of her.

She is responsible for the daily management of the workshop and the attendance and salary payment of the female workers.

She had a gentle expression and delicate movements, recording every detail meticulously.

Occasionally he would look up at the busy scene in the workshop, his eyes filled with satisfaction and tenderness.

These women who were once in deep despair have now found new life and hope here.

This made her feel more satisfied than any gold, silver or treasure.

Outside the workshop window, sunlight shines in through the dusty glass, forming hazy beams of light among the flying cotton wool.

The air smelled of sweat, cotton wool, and hope.

There is no roughness and roar of the port here, but there is another kind of tenacious and warm power, like a trickle of water, nourishing the new body of Hu County.

......

In stark contrast to the vibrant port and workshops, on the edge of Hu County's new city, deep in an area of ​​shanties that has not yet been completely demolished and is temporarily housing refugees and the original lower-class people of Hu County, in a low, dark, dilapidated adobe house that smells of mold and urine, Wang Youde is curled up in the corner of the cold earthen kang, like a dried corpse with its soul sucked out.

The green official uniform he was wearing, which symbolized his meritorious service in redeeming his sentence, was already extremely dirty, stained with dirt and traces of vomit, and emitting a foul sour odor.

The thick makeup on her face had long been washed away by tears, sweat and dirt, revealing the sallow, swollen, wrinkled and lifeless complexion underneath.

His eye sockets were sunken, his gaze hollow and unfocused, as if covered by a film of gray. His lips were chapped and cracked, and he trembled slightly as he uttered incoherent mumblings.

Ever since the auction ended, he had been thrown into this slum area by the people in the palace like garbage.

The palace fulfilled its promise and gave him and his youngest son, Lin Ge'er, the status of ordinary citizens, and also gave them a job to make a living - cleaning feces in the newly built public toilets.

This job is dirty, menial, and smelly, it's truly the lowest class!

But Wang Youde couldn't even do this job for a few days.

The huge mental blow, the complete physical collapse, and the shame and despair that penetrated deep into his bones caused him to quickly collapse.

He lived like a walking corpse, barely surviving on occasional charity from his neighbors and half a steamed bun his son smuggled back from the construction site.

"Dad... Dad... drink some water..." A childish voice with a tearful tone sounded.

Lin Ge'er was holding a broken bowl with a hole in it, which was filled with turbid cold water.

His little face was dirty and he was wearing patched coarse clothes, but his eyes were much clearer and stronger than they were a month ago.

He worked as a errand boy at the port construction site during the day and came back at night to take care of his crazy father.

Wang Youde's cloudy eyes moved slightly and he looked at the child in front of him blankly.

He seemed to recognize that this was his son, but also seemed not to.

His lips trembled, making a strange "ho ho" sound. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand and grabbed Lin Ge'er's thin arm tightly!

"Money...my money...my silver...gold...where...where did it all go?! Huh?!" His voice was hoarse and sharp, filled with crazy obsession.

"Where's my... my county magistrate's seal?! Where's my official robe?! Give it back to me! Give it back to me!!"

He shook Lin Ge'er hard, and his skinny fingers were like iron pliers, pinching the child so hard that it hurt.

"Dad! Dad! Let go! Let go!" Lin Ge'er was in so much pain that tears streamed down his face. He struggled hard, "There's no more money! No more official robes! We... We are ordinary people now! His Highness the Crown Prince... gave us a way to survive..."

"Survival?! Hahaha...hahaha..." Wang Youde suddenly burst into a shrill and crazy laugh, the laughter was like an owl crying blood in the night, full of endless sadness and despair.

"A way to survive?! This is the way to survive?! Digging out manure?! Living in a doghouse?! Eating pig food?! Hahahaha... Prince... Your Highness... What a cruel heart! What a cruel heart!!"

He suddenly let go of Lin Ge'er, his body shaking violently, and turbid tears mixed with snot covered his face.

He curled up in the corner, holding his head tightly with both hands, and uttered an uncontrollable whimper like a wounded beast:

"It's over... It's all over... My money... My house... My woman... It's all gone... All gone... It's all Lin Zhen's fault! It's all that devil's fault! He... He ruined me! He ruined everything I had!!"

"Dad..." Lin Ge'er looked at his father's appearance, his little face full of fear and sadness, but he held back his tears and did not cry.

He silently picked up the broken bowl that had fallen on the ground and went to fetch water again.

This month, he has experienced so much and grown so much.

He knew that crying was useless.

He wanted to survive, just like his mother, by relying on his own hands.

At this moment, the shabby wooden door was pushed open with a creaky sound.

A figure appeared at the door, blocking the faint light outside.

It’s the fifth concubine.

She was wearing a blue work suit that was washed out, and her hair was neatly tied behind her head. Although her face was tired, there was a kind of determination and calmness that came from being free from all worldly desires.

She was holding a coarse cloth package, which contained a few steaming multi-grain buns and a small piece of pickles.

She looked at Wang Youde, who was curled up in the corner like mud. There was no pity in her eyes, only a cold disgust, as if she was looking at garbage.

She placed the package on a broken table at the door and said in a calm voice:

"Xiao Liu asked me to bring this. She's working in a textile workshop now and is doing very well. Lin'er, your mother asked you to take good care of yourself."

She paused, her eyes sweeping over Wang Youde. "His Royal Highness has given us a way to survive. Although it's hard, it's clean. It's a thousand times better than following you."

After saying that, she turned and left without stopping.

Wang Youde suddenly raised his head, his cloudy eyes fixed on the back of the fifth aunt, and then looked at the steamed buns on the table.

He suddenly pounced over like crazy, grabbed a steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth!

He ate so fast that he choked and rolled his eyes!

As he ate, he uttered incoherent sobs:

"Mine...all mine...you...you bitches...ungrateful...without me...you...you wouldn't be where you are today?! Huh?!All mine!Mine!!"

Lin Ge'er looked at his father in horror, and finally couldn't help but shed tears.

Fifth Aunt walked out of the foul-smelling adobe house and took a deep breath of the cold air outside that smelled of freedom.

She looked up towards the distant port, where cranes stood in rows and steam rose; she looked towards the textile workshop, where the sounds of looms filled the air and the place was full of life.

A complex light flashed in her eyes, and finally turned into determination.

"Oh, Wang Youde, your retribution has just begun." She whispered to herself, then straightened her back and took firm steps towards her new life.