A fierce wife enters the house: She helps up a house full of spineless people.

In early December, the capital city was bitterly cold, but Xiahe Village was a vibrant and bustling place.

After giving the emperor advice, Wang Jinzhu didn't rest. While the imperial machinery crushed the powerful families in the court, her own area on the outskirts of the capital was also undergoing tremendous changes.

After several months of round-the-clock work, the 1,000 courtyard houses, the large-scale breeding farm, and all supporting facilities in Xiahe Village were finally completed in early December.

Looking around, the wide, flat streets crisscross, the courtyards with their blue bricks and gray tiles are neat and uniform, and even the drainage ditches are clearly constructed. If viewed from above, this is no longer a dilapidated village for disabled veterans, but rather a well-planned and fully functional modern town!

Early that morning, Wang Jinzhu led a large group of people to Xiahe Village.

Besides Wang Tianfang by his side, Wang Yunfan also came along with his page, Gu Chang'an.

Accompanying them were Li Zheng, Li Jing'an, Li Jing'an's wife Wei Shuyao, Li Bing, and Liu Mingyuan with his son Liu Jinghong. Feng An, the steward of the Prince's residence, respectfully led the way.

As soon as she stepped off the carriage, Wang Yunshu was like a bird released from its cage, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the dramatically transformed village. She grabbed Liu Jinghong and Li Jingyue, exclaiming, "Brother Jinghong, Brother Jingyue, come on! I'll take you to see our new village, it's so much fun!"

The three teenagers cheered and, with a few guards, disappeared in a flash.

Li Zheng stood at the village entrance, the cold wind blowing his gray hair and beard. He stared blankly at the endless rows of new houses before him, listening to the sounds of chickens and dogs coming from the village and the loud laughter and banter of the old soldiers, and his eyes instantly reddened.

This iron-willed veteran, who shed blood but not tears on the battlefield, was now weeping uncontrollably. He turned around abruptly, faced Wang Jinzhu, clasped his hands in a fist, and bowed deeply.

"Uncle Li, what are you doing!" Wang Jinzhu was startled and quickly reached out to help him.

"Jinzhu, you deserve this bow." Li Zheng's voice choked with emotion as he stubbornly bent over. "On behalf of these brothers who crawled out of piles of corpses, I thank you! The court couldn't give them dignity, but you did; I couldn't give them stability, but you gave them that too. You've given them a second life!"

Wang Tianfang stepped forward and took Li Zheng's arm: "Uncle, Jinzhu is also a citizen of Daliang, and these brothers are my comrades-in-arms. This is what we should do."

Just then, a series of synchronized footsteps came from ahead.

Zhao Dezhu led more than a thousand wounded veterans, who lined up in neat squares on the wide street. Some of them were using crutches, and some had empty sleeves, but the moment they saw Li Zheng and Wang Jinzhu, they all straightened their backs in unison.

"All the veterans of Xiahe Village pay their respects to the General! And greet the Madam!"

The shouts of thousands of people shook the heavens, revealing the indomitable spirit of veteran soldiers and their boundless admiration for Wang Jinzhu.

"Good! Good! Get up, all of you!" Li Zheng wiped away his tears, strode forward, patted the shoulders of several veterans, and nodded repeatedly as he looked at their thick winter clothes and rosy complexions.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhao Dezhu approached Wang Jinzhu, rubbed his hands together, and somewhat hesitantly reported, "Madam, we've already allocated the houses. However... we've taken the liberty of arranging for two families to share one courtyard."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jinzhu raised an eyebrow: "Why not one for each household?"

Zhao Dezhu chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head. "Madam, we all know you mean well. But your money didn't come from thin air; it was earned with real gold and silver! Besides, there are more and more workers in the workshop now, and they have families to support, so they need a place to stay. We're thinking of setting aside more rooms; they'll come in handy if you need to hire more people or expand the workshop in the future."

Looking at the man in front of her who was missing an arm, Wang Jinzhu felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Even at this moment, these veterans were still thinking about saving her money and considering the bigger picture.

"Is it really enough for two households to live together?" Wang Jinzhu asked.

"Enough! Absolutely enough!" Zhao Dezhu patted his chest and assured him, "That courtyard house is huge, with several rooms in total, including the main house and side rooms. Even with two families living there, there will still be extra rooms as guest rooms. It's so much better than the doghouse we used to live in!"

Wang Jinzhu nodded, no longer dwelling on the issue. She simply looked at the open space in the distance and said, "Since you've made the arrangements, then stay here for now. Xiahe Village will continue to expand in the future, and the workshops will double in size. As long as everyone is willing to work hard, there will be many good days ahead, and every household will have a house in the future."

Upon hearing this, the veterans' eyes were filled with anticipation for the future, and they burst into cheers.

Then, led by Feng An, the group arrived at the Wangfu (Prince's Mansion) at the far east end of the village.

This prince's mansion was built entirely according to the regulations of a wealthy family in the capital. It has three courtyards, with carved beams and painted rafters, and is spacious and grand. The backyard not only has a garden, but also a large open space that can be used for martial arts training.

"This house is well-built. In the future, when our whole family comes to Xiahe Village, we will all have a spacious place to stay." Wang Jinzhu looked at the layout of each courtyard with satisfaction.

After visiting the Prince's Mansion, Wang Jinzhu sent someone to call over her second brother, Wang Yinbao, and her two nephews, Wang Yuxuan and Wang Yu'an.

"Second Brother, Yuxuan, Yu'an," Wang Jinzhu said, looking at them, "This mansion is already built, with plenty of rooms. It's not good for you to live in the dormitories over at the workshop all the time, so move into the mansion today."

Wang Yinbao was taken aback for a moment, then waved his hands repeatedly: "Sister, how can this be? This is your residence..."

"What do you mean 'yours' and 'mine'?" Wang Jinzhu interrupted him. "Besides, our parents, eldest brother, eldest sister-in-law, and second sister-in-law should be arriving in the capital soon. You should move in first and warm up the place. You are the head managers of the workshop. It's not convenient for you to work with the workers all the time."

Wang Yuxuan and Wang Yu'an exchanged a glance, then nodded excitedly, "Auntie is right! Second Uncle (Father), let's listen to Auntie!"

Seeing the family enjoying themselves so happily, Li Zheng, Liu Mingyuan, and the others nearby also smiled knowingly.

After Wang Jinzhu led the group, who had toured the various courtyards of the Prince's Mansion, to the spacious and bright reception room.

The house was already warm from the underfloor heating. Servants quickly served hot tea and several exquisite pastries. After Li Zheng, Liu Mingyuan, and the others took their seats, they picked up their teacups and continued to chat enthusiastically about the earth-shaking changes in Xiahe Village.