I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

Each person had a large bowl of noodles with shredded meat and a fried egg. Zhou Zhonghai ate with gusto, sweating profusely.

"Xiao Li, get them two cloves of garlic."

Pu Shizhong instructed the nanny, and Zhou Zhonghai grinned, "The old chief still loves me the most."

"Judging from your eating habits, even as a minister, you should pay attention to your image," Pu Shizhong said, frowning.

"What image do I need to maintain in front of you? You're just like my father."

"I don't have a son like you. The things you did in Huailinqian were rude."

"Sir, what would you do if your grandson were taken hostage?" Zhou Zhonghai asked, taking a bite of garlic.

"It stinks! Don't talk to me."

Pu Shizhong fanned the smell with his hand in disgust and said slowly, "Wu Zhengkai was expelled from the Party and sentenced to ten years. Even if he gets out through connections, he won't be able to return to the leadership. On the battlefield, Wu Wanlong was a real man. How could he have raised such a son? Sigh, what a pity."

"If my son were that scoundrel, I would beat him to death myself to prevent him from harming the people," Zhou Zhonghai said angrily.

"Is Wenhui alright?" The conversation naturally turned to the children.

"Great! His brother-in-law made him a pair of prosthetics, and his confidence has returned. My daughter-in-law is a lucky star. She's good to Wenhui and to us old folks. She's filial and obedient. Back then, I went through so much trouble and asked so many people for help to find such a wonderful daughter-in-law."

Pu Shizhong smiled and said, "You even have to use military strategy when looking for a daughter-in-law."

"A good wife is so important to a man. Take me for example. If it weren't for Meiyun, you would probably only be able to visit me at my grave."

Recalling the past, I can't help but feel emotional.

"That's right. Meiyun went to the Soviet Union alone to treat your illness and managed to bring you back. If it were me, that old woman, I'd probably just cry. Zhonghai, you're a lucky man. You have a strong and considerate wife and a sensible and obedient daughter-in-law. With a peaceful home, you can focus on your career."

"Yes, my daughter-in-law got into university, didn't you know?"

"Really? He got in on his first try?"

"That's why I say I have good judgment. My daughter-in-law passed the exam, and her brother passed it too."

"You little rascal, you make me incredibly jealous."

"The children are capable and competent. When Wu Zhengkai took my grandson hostage, I went with the mindset of fighting to the death. If the children are all well, I can die in peace."

"You're talking nonsense again. You can't die. If you die, who will implement the country's economic reforms?"

"Yes, if the commander doesn't want me to die, then I won't die."

"Eat up, then go upstairs and take a nap. I have to go to work now. We'll have a good chat again tonight."

"Yes."

"Remember to shower before you sleep, or you'll stink and make my guest room dirty."

"Yes! Hehe."

In front of Pu Shizhong, Zhou Zhonghai was like a child, doing whatever he wanted.

At this age, to still have an elder who dotes on him so much—how fortunate he is.

The car to pick up Pu Shizhong for work arrived. Pu Shizhong instructed the driver to load all the potatoes, soybeans, and peanuts that Zhou Zhonghai had brought onto the car and take them to the canteen of the Central Political Commissar Building.

Zhou Zhonghai saw Pu Shizhong off to his car before he and Gu Quan went to the restroom to take a shower and then went to sleep in their guest room on the second floor.

After a day and a night on the train, I was really tired.

Only Pu Shizhong and his nanny lived in this two-story building.

Pu Shizhong's son is still in the military region and has become a major general. His wife lives with their son in the military compound and has not come to Beijing.

When Zhou Zhonghai woke up at five o'clock in the afternoon, he got out of bed and Gu Quan was still snoring.

Commander Pu hadn't returned home yet. The nanny was busy in the kitchen, making a clattering noise. When Zhou Zhonghai went in, he saw a bowl of shredded potatoes.

"Big sister, why are there potatoes too?"

Weren't the potatoes taken away?

Sister Li smiled slyly: "I secretly kept one. These potatoes are so delicious, I can't just give them all to the leaders, can I? Oh, and there's soy milk tonight, I kept a handful too. Clever, right?"

How clever! Don't be fooled by Zhou Zhonghai's effusive praise of the potatoes from Dashui Village; he doesn't like them at all and feels nauseous just looking at them.

That's true. Even the most delicious food can't be eaten every day. Potatoes can also help remove excess oil. Zhou Zhonghai likes to eat pork belly.

It's a pity I came to Beijing, and all I got was shredded potatoes.

At 5:30, Pu Shizhong returned with a big smile. Upon seeing Zhou Zhonghai, he said, "Kid, you guys really know how to grow potatoes. Everyone in the unit says they're delicious. All the canteens in major government agencies in Beijing are ordering some, probably around 100,000 jin."

"Only 100,000 jin?"

"Don't worry, we've contacted some canteens in Shanghai and Guangdong. They didn't want it, but we forced them to take it. It's 12 cents a pound."

"Why is it two cents more expensive?"

"Are you stupid? Don't you want to pay for shipping and gas? I did a rough calculation, and it's about two cents more."

"Sir, you are like a second parent to Tonggang County! How could I not have thought of the shipping cost?"

Zhou Zhonghai's exaggerated praise was actually misleading; the price of one cent per pound already included shipping costs, and he couldn't tell the superior that.

"Haha, I can't blame you. You're not well-educated and can't do basic economics." Pu Shizhong laughed proudly.

"Yes, yes, I am a military scoundrel."

"We also have soybeans and peanuts. Send them to Beijing first, and the rest to Shanghai and Guangdong. If there's any more, I'll figure something out for you."

"These few places are enough; we don't have that much volume."

"Okay, Xiao Li, let's eat, let's eat."

A large table of dishes, including shredded potatoes, Peking duck from Quanjude, crabs from Yangcheng Lake, braised pork trotters until they melt in your mouth, eggplant stir-fried with pork belly, and stewed chicken with cuttlefish...

As expected of leaders from Beijing, their level of competence is incomparable to that of Huailin.

Zhou Zhonghai, being sensible, placed the shredded potatoes and hairy crabs in front of Pu Shizhong. He wanted to eat meat, to eat meat...

"Zhonghai, go back tomorrow and make arrangements. I need to send a reporter from the Daily News to Tonggang County for interviews."

Zhou Zhonghai suddenly stood up: "What?"

"Tonggang County distributed land to households, allowed poultry farming, and promoted the development of sideline businesses. People now have access to flour and meat. What does this mean? It means that this path is viable. We should promote it extensively to give other provinces confidence."

Tonggang County will soon become a national model county, and you, as the Minister of Agriculture, are a role model for leading farmers to prosperity. Our country needs role models, we need exemplary figures, do you understand?

"I...I've become a role model, could the central government allocate more funds?"

"Zhou Zhonghai, don't get cocky before you've even made a name for yourself. Where does the central government get money? Go ask your provincial finance department for it."

"The Ministry of Finance doesn't have any money either; I'm in debt everywhere."

Zhou Zhonghai plopped down angrily. "All praise and no money? I don't need this reputation."

"Zhou Zhonghai, haven't you ever thought that once Tonggang County becomes famous, your potatoes, soybeans, and peanuts will also become famous? Once they become famous, they can collect deposits, and those deposits can be used to develop other counties. Wouldn't that make the whole thing work?"

"But how much money can such a small amount of potatoes cost?"

"Economic reform isn't just about agriculture; it also includes commerce. Throughout history, the wealthy have always been merchants."

How should businesses be reformed?

"If state-owned enterprises can't make a profit, then they should be privatized. If you can't earn money at your job, then pull a rickshaw. Farmers need to be fed, and workers need to be fed too."

"But I am the Minister of Agriculture; industry is not under my jurisdiction."

"Are you really stupid? Are these words meant for you? They're for Feng Shiguang, to leak the information to him so he'll give you money."

"Sir, you're brilliant, you're brilliant! I understand."

"Haha, silly boy, eat some shredded potatoes, they're delicious."

"There's only one plate, so please have it. I'll have the roast duck."