On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

There was a low murmur of discussion.

Soon, two members of the "Special Zone Patrol Team" (composed of retired veterans of the Jinwu Guard and locally recruited men) wearing black robes and with iron bars hanging around their waists rushed over after hearing the news.

They walked into the house with frowns and holding their noses.

He briefly inspected the scene, flipped through Wang Youde's dirty official uniform with the blood-written words "The crime... is... mine...", and asked the frightened Lin Ge'er a few questions.

"That's enough! Nothing to see!" The leading patrolman waved his hand, his voice filled with businesslike indifference. "Suicide! Slit his own throat! Dead as a sliver!"

He kicked the porcelain pieces on the ground in disgust. "Wrap him up in a straw mat! Drag him to the mass grave west of the city and bury him! Hurry up! Don't let him stink here!"

"Yes!" another team member responded, and quickly found a torn straw mat. He rolled up Wang Youde's body in it like he was handling garbage, and tied it up with several straw ropes.

The two men lifted the straw mat as if they were carrying a bundle of firewood and walked out of the adobe house with expressionless faces.

Lin Ge'er finally came to his senses and let out a heartbreaking cry: "Dad——!!"

He pounced forward and tried to grab the rolled-up mat.

"Get out of here, you little bastard!" The patrolman kicked him away impatiently. "Bad luck!"

Lin Ge'er was kicked to the ground and covered in mud.

He lay on the ground, watching his father's body being hastily rolled away and disappear at the alley. His small body was shaking violently with great grief and fear, and his cries were shrill and desperate, like a wounded cub.

The fifth concubine rushed over upon hearing the news and happened to see this scene.

She stood at the entrance of the alley, watching Lin Ge'er lying on the ground crying, watching the patrolman's back as he walked away, and then looking at the empty house that was emitting a foul smell.

There was no expression on her face, and her eyes were complicated and difficult to read.

There is satisfaction with Wang Youde's ending, and a hint of pity for Lin Ge'er's experience, but more of it is a kind of coldness after the dust settles.

She walked to Lin Ge'er, but did not help him. She just said coldly:

"Why are you crying? His death is a relief for you and your mother."

"From now on, you are no longer the son of a criminal official. You are just Lin Ge'er, an ordinary child from Hu County."

"If you want to survive, stand up, dry your tears, and go to work."

After saying that, she no longer looked at Lin Ge'er, turned around, straightened her back, and walked towards the textile workshop with firm steps.

There, there is her new life, her dignity, and her future.

Everything about Wang Youde, including his sins and misfortunes, had been completely buried by her.

Lin Ge'er lay on the ground and cried for a long time until his throat was hoarse and his tears dried up.

The fifth aunt's cold words cut into his heart like a knife.

He slowly raised his head, and his dirty little face was covered with tears and dirt.

But in those big eyes, besides sadness and fear, there seemed to be... a faint light of confusion.

He struggled to his feet and staggered to the blackened pool of blood at the door.

He squatted down, stretched out his trembling little hands, and picked up the piece of blue and white porcelain on the ground that was stained with his father's blood and dirt.

The porcelain pieces were cold and sharp, with dark red blood scabs on the edges.

He gripped the porcelain shard tightly, his knuckles turning white from the strain.

He took a last look at the empty, dilapidated adobe house that exuded the smell of death, and then looked towards the distant port - where cranes stood in rows, steam rose, and it was full of power and hope.

He turned around suddenly and, using all his strength, threw the blood-stained piece of porcelain into the stinking ditch behind the house!

"Plop!" With a light sound, the porcelain piece sank to the bottom of the dirty water and disappeared.

Lin Ge'er wiped the tears and dirt from his face with his sleeves and straightened his thin back.

He stopped crying, and his eyes held a determination that was inconsistent with his age and a hint of new life.

He took a step forward, never looking back, and walked towards the port construction site, step by step, firmly.

He wanted to live, like his mother, relying on his own hands, to live a clean life. In the back hall of the Hu County government office, the atmosphere was solemn and full of energy.

The core team for the construction of the Huxian Special Economic Zone sat around the huge rosewood conference table.

Lin Zhen sat in the main seat, still wearing the same plain and elegant moon-white uniform, his demeanor as solemn as a mountain. He played with the warm mutton-fat white jade pendant in his hand, and his eyes swept over the crowd calmly.

Chu Xiling stood in front of the huge "Sand Table of the Overall Plan of the Huxian Special Economic Zone".

The sand table is well-made, and the mountains, rivers, ports, roads, bridges, planned industrial areas, commercial areas, residential areas, and even reserved schools, clinics, parks and green spaces... are all clearly visible!

She pointed at the sand table with a slender silver pointer, her voice cold and clear:

"For the first phase of the Chongming Deepwater Port project, the foundations for the two 10,000-ton berths have been poured, and the upper steel structure can be hoisted in half a month. The foundations of the supporting storage areas A, B, and C have been compacted, and the materials for the first batch of five steel structure warehouses have arrived, and assembly can begin tomorrow."

"Eighty percent of the roadbed widening and gravel paving on Shanghai-Hong Kong Avenue, the main road connecting the port and the county seat, has been completed. The entire line is expected to be open within ten days. The construction of pre-planned water pipelines and drainage ditches along the route is also being progressed simultaneously."

"The first batch of 20 five-story brick-concrete residential buildings in the core area of ​​the New Town's affordable housing project have been completed. Foundation excavation has been completed, and the first batch of red bricks, cement, and rebar have arrived. Construction officially began today! Design drawings have been issued, and the use of standardized modules will significantly shorten construction timelines. The first residents are expected to move in within five months."

"Demolition and land leveling for the planned first phase of the Hudong Industrial Park have been completed. The first five core supporting enterprises, including the Wuqing Machinery Plant Branch, the Qilu Cement Plant Branch, and the Jiangnan Textile Machinery Plant, have signed settlement agreements, and the plant site plans have been submitted for review..."

Her report was well-organized and contained accurate data, like a grand construction symphony.

Zhang Li reported immediately, her voice steady and powerful. "The first installment of auction proceeds and deposits have all been deposited into the Special Zone Construction Fund, and the inventory and accounting have been completed. The first batch of expenditure budgets have been reviewed and approved, with a focus on ensuring the construction of ports, roads, housing projects, and core factories. The first batch of major trade contracts with Southern Chu, Goryeo, and Japan, such as for grain, timber, and ore, have been signed, and some advance payments have been received. The plan for the establishment of a bank in the Special Zone has been drawn up and is awaiting your husband's approval. The first batch of food and salary for work-for-relief and star-level reward materials have been distributed. The people are stable and the labor force is sufficient."

Mao Meng was very concise: "The port, main roads, and core construction sites are under security control. Three hundred new patrol officers have completed basic training and are now patrolling the streets. Seven people who attempted to sneak into the Xirang area were apprehended. They were actually three Korean merchants and four Japanese ronin. They have been beheaded in accordance with the law. The curfew is strictly enforced, and order is maintained in the city."

His voice was cold and filled with murderous intent.

Xiao Hanzhou is in charge of civil affairs and education. "Registration and screening of residents for the first batch of housing projects has been completed, with priority given to laborers and women involved in the construction, as well as the homeless and impoverished residents of Hu County. The site for the elementary school has been finalized, and simplified versions of the textbooks "Three Character Classic," "Hundred Family Names," and "Basics of Arithmetic" are being compiled. The site for the medical clinic has been selected, and applications have been submitted to the Imperial Medical Bureau for the transfer of physicians and the procurement of medicinal materials. The labor market is functioning well, with transparent employment information and a preliminary dispute mediation mechanism in place."

Lin Zhen listened quietly, his face expressionless. Only after everyone had finished their reports did he slowly speak, his voice calm yet filled with the power of control:

"very good."

"The port is our lifeline, and we must not lose it. Xiling, tell the people over there that the foundation must be maintained strictly, and the steel structure lifting plan must be foolproof. At the same time, we must ensure that the roads are clear."

"The housing project is of great importance to the people. We must ensure quality and not neglect safety issues in the name of rushing the project."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the vast area on the sand table that symbolized the future:

"Fortunately, the auction was quite successful, otherwise such a large project would be unsustainable. Li'er, the construction of the bank cannot be delayed. We need to mobilize funds and leverage more. For foreign trade, we need to expand channels, especially the South China Sea route, which must be opened as soon as possible."

"As for those merchants..." Lin Zhen's lips curled up in a cold arc, "Let them first stake out the land and dream. Once the port is built, the roads are open, industry flourishes, and the population gathers, their sacred land will naturally rise. For now, just let them wait in peace."

Everyone responded in unison, their eyes filled with firm belief in the future.

The meeting ended and everyone dispersed.

Lin Zhen walked to the window alone and looked at the new city outside that was under construction in full swing.

The silhouette of the crane arm at the distant port is particularly clear in the setting sun, and the sound of tamping earth can be faintly heard from the nearby construction site.

His gaze was deep and far-reaching, as if he could penetrate time and space and see the future prosperity of this new city.