The system only arrives when you're old? Then let's create a super-rich family!

As night fell, the daytime heat of Qingshui County subsided, and the county gradually quieted down.

After finishing his day of grassroots visits, Shi Hao said goodbye to Chen Jun and returned home under the cover of night.

The detached courtyard was warmly lit, and the living room door was open, exuding a sense of peace yet a quiet, homely atmosphere.

Inside the house, Shi Hao's parents were gathered around the stroller, playing with their one-year-old grandson, Hu'er.

Old man Shi Wu held a small rattle drum between his fingertips and shook it gently. The drum sounded loud and clear, attracting the attention of the baby in the swaddling clothes.

Jiang Lu, the wife, was busy in the kitchen, wearing a simple apron.

"You're back? Wash your hands and have dinner." Jiang Lu looked up at Shi Hao as he entered, her eyes crinkling with a gentle smile and her tone tender.

Shi Hao nodded slightly, said nothing more, washed his hands, and sat down.

The family sat around the dining table, enjoying four dishes and a soup, all the most ordinary home-style cooking, but the atmosphere at the table was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Shi Wu picked up his bowl and chopsticks, slowly chewing his food while casually asking a question, his gaze always fixed on his son.

"Today we went to the countryside with the newcomer Chen Jun for a visit. What's the situation like at the grassroots level?"

"Hmm," Shi Hao replied calmly.

"Is the work in the township going well? Have you encountered any difficult disputes with villagers?" Shi Wu continued to ask.

"Hmm." It was still a single-word response, with no intention of explaining.

Shi Wu asked again, and Shi Hao just hummed in response.

Shi's mother and Jiang Lu sat quietly to the side, eating silently with their heads down, without saying a word the whole time.

The two men were already used to the way the father and son interacted.

This silent standoff plays out at this dining table every day, without interruption.

This seemingly peaceful dinner table is actually a mask for turbulent undercurrents, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

After eating for a short while, Jiang Lu put down her chopsticks first, gently got up, took the crying and whining Shi Hu from her mother-in-law's hands, and held him in her arms, gently coaxing him.

"Mom, I'm going to breastfeed the baby."

After speaking, she bowed slightly, picked up the child, turned around, and walked into the bedroom, quietly avoiding the oppressive atmosphere of the living room.

Seeing this, Shi's mother also put down her bowl and chopsticks, picked up the milk powder can on the table, and explained with a smile:

"I'll go make a bottle of formula for my grandson. You two can eat it slowly."

As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly left the living room.

In the blink of an eye, only Shi Hao and his son Shi Wu remained sitting facing each other in the huge living room.

The room fell completely silent, with only the soft sound of bowls and chopsticks touching plates remaining.

Shi Hao lowered his eyes, his expression indifferent, mechanically eating his food with chopsticks, as if he was completely unaware of the change in atmosphere, his heart as still as water.

Seeing his son's numb and indifferent appearance, Shi Wu finally couldn't suppress the anger that had been building up in his heart for so long. He took a deep breath, slowly opened his mouth, and began a new round of persuasion.

"Hao'er, it's been so many years, it's time you finally let go."

"You graduated from Tsinghua University, a top-tier university. In terms of knowledge, vision, and ability, no one in the younger generation of the Shi family can surpass you. The family head, Shi Huai, and a group of elders have always held you in high regard from the bottom of their hearts."

"When we sent you down to the grassroots level, it wasn't to suppress you. To put it bluntly, it was to smooth out your overly sharp edges and extinguish your rebellious nature."

"Large families always cultivate their descendants through hardship before reward and through rigorous training before utilization. This is the experience the family gives you, and also your opportunity."

Shi Wu softened his tone, speaking earnestly and with a hint of heartfelt concern.

"The position of Party Secretary of Qingshui County has been reserved for you by your family for so many years, and we have never intended to arrange for someone else to take it over."

"Dad has already spoken to the head of the family in private. As long as you are willing to humble yourself and admit your mistake, the head of the family and the elders will not hold those previous matters against you."

Shi Hao seemed not to hear his father's words and continued eating as usual.

Seeing his son's stubborn and unyielding attitude, Shi Wu's anger instantly surged to the top of his head.

"Snapped!"

A sharp crack suddenly rang out.

Shi Wu slammed his chopsticks hard onto the solid wood dining table, causing them to bounce and the food on the table to shake slightly.

He frowned, his voice sharp and full of disappointment.

"How long are you going to keep making a scene? If you keep sticking to your guns, what will the patriarch and elders think of you?"

"The position of county party secretary is so coveted, so many sons of the Shi family would kill for it! The family has specially reserved it for you, so don't be ungrateful!"

"Once this opportunity is gone, it's gone forever! If you don't want it, plenty of others will be lining up to buy it!"

The harsh rebuke echoed throughout the living room, instantly lowering the atmosphere to freezing point.

At this moment, Shi Hao finally stopped what he was doing.

He slowly raised his head, his eyes showing no anger or argument, only a deep, gray, lifeless, and weary expression.

He looked quietly at his father, his voice flat and hoarse, devoid of any emotion.

"What's the use of having the position of county party secretary?"

"Will you continue to help the Shi family lock down Qingshui County, trapping hundreds of thousands of people and ensuring generations remain impoverished and unable to escape poverty?"

Shi Hao shook his head gently, his tone filled with utter exhaustion and relief.

"Dad, I've done as you wished, obediently returning to Qingshui County after graduation. I've also married Jiang Lu as you arranged, and started a family."

"I've already given in and compromised enough."

"Don't mention similar things again, lest your family can't even enjoy a meal in peace."

After saying that, he decisively put down his chopsticks and bowl, got up, turned around, and walked straight to the bedroom without the slightest hesitation.

Once again, only Shi Wu remained in the large living room.

Watching his son's resolute and indifferent back as he walked further and further away, Shi Wu's chest heaved violently. He had nowhere to vent his anger, and all that remained was a feeling of frustration and powerlessness.

At that moment, for the first time, a sense of bewilderment and doubt arose in his heart.

Was it really wrong to force Shi Hao to marry Jiang Lu back then, thus completely blocking his son's future?

But he forcibly suppressed the thought as soon as it flashed through his mind.

He quickly denied it, and his eyes regained their firmness.

Jiang Lu is the daughter of Shi Qi, Shi Huai's younger sister, and the niece of the head of the Shi family.

Promoting this marriage was the right choice to strengthen the relationship between their family and Shi Huai's direct descendants and firmly bind the core interests of the family together.

Moreover, Shi Huai himself had taken the initiative to facilitate the match back then, so he was just going with the flow.

Who could have imagined that the usually obedient and sensible son would develop such a rebellious mentality, and even once wanted to sever ties with his father and separate from the family.

If it weren't for the elders of the clan stepping in and forcibly suppressing the conflict with the rules of filial piety, the father and son would have long since become strangers and completely separated.

Shi Wu looked at the largely untouched food on the table, let out a long sigh, and felt utterly helpless.

A bright future was practically handed to Shi Hao, but he just wouldn't open his mouth to accept it.

Why is my son so stubborn?

Shi Wu couldn't understand...

On the other side, in the bedroom, the warm light was soft.

Jiang Lu was feeding her child when she saw Shi Hao push the door open and come in. She quickly got up with a gentle smile on her face.

"Are you finished eating? I'll go clear the dishes."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shi's mother quickly stood up and stopped her with a smile.

"Alu, don't move, I'll take care of it. You keep an eye on Tiger."

Before Jiang Lu could refuse, Shi's mother quickly left the room, closing the door behind her, deliberately leaving the couple alone, hoping to ease their cold relationship through this time of solitude.

The room fell completely silent.

Shi Hao didn't speak, but just glanced at Jiang Lu, then walked to the crib, looked down at his sleeping son, gently stroked the child's soft head with his fingertips, and a rare tenderness appeared in his eyes.

"You've worked hard. Go take a shower and rest first. I'll feed Tiger."

A simple, considerate word warmed Jiang Lu's heart, making her feel as sweet as if she had eaten honey.

Throughout their two-year marriage, they remained cold and distant, with very few moments of tenderness and affection between them.

She nodded immediately, her eyes crinkling with a bright smile: "Yes, don't hold the nipple too high, or the baby might choke."

Shi Hao nodded slightly and laid the pacifier bottle in his hand flat.

Jiang Lu turned and walked into the bathroom, her steps light and quick.

She secretly hoped that their relationship might improve tonight.

……

The night was deep and quiet, and all was still.

The whole family was fast asleep, and the entire courtyard was quiet.

Jiang Lu lay on her side on the inside of the bed, looking at Shi Hao beside her with his back to her. Her heart was in turmoil, and she was unable to calm down.

Shi Hao's unusual gentleness tonight stirred up her long-dormant thoughts once again.

She took a deep breath, her fingertips gently touching the bedding, and tentatively moved closer to Shi Hao.

One inch, two inches, the distance kept getting closer.

She secretly raised her eyes and saw that Shi Hao did not resist or dodge in the slightest. Her courage grew, and she quietly increased the speed of her fingertips.

She longed to be close to him, to warm him, and to soothe all the pent-up emotions and coldness in his heart.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch Shi Hao's back, a deep, indifferent voice suddenly rang out, shattering all her illusions.

"It's late, go to sleep."

His tone was cold and restrained, distant and indifferent, devoid of any warmth, directly severing all her expectations.

Jiang Lu froze, the color draining from her face instantly, turning her deathly pale.

She and Shi Hao have been married for over two years, and the number of times they have shown affection for each other can be counted on one hand.

Even the decision to have Hu'er was made by Shi Hao after carefully calculating the dates.

Countless cold nights, she tossed and turned alone, grieving, unable to warm the heart of the person beside her.

After a long while, Jiang Lu asked softly, her voice hoarse, filled with endless grievance and resentment.

"Shi Hao, you still hate me, don't you?"

There was a deathly silence around the bed.

Shi Hao did not reply or explain, and remained motionless in his original posture.

But the most hurtful thing in the world is never a heated argument, but extreme silence.

Silence is tacit agreement, the coldest answer.

Jiang Lu's nose tingled, and her eyes instantly reddened. She silently turned her back to Shi Hao, and tears silently streamed down her face, soaking her pillowcase.

She couldn't understand why, despite her wholehearted devotion to him, her kindness to her family, her filial piety towards her elders, and her love for her children, and having never made a single mistake, her married life was so agonizing and cold.

At that moment, for the first time, she felt a deep sense of regret.

She regretted begging her uncle Shi Huai to help her get together with him back then.

If it weren't for her uncle's intervention, and if her father-in-law hadn't used such despicable methods, could she and Shi Hao have lived a respectful life together?

Humans always tend to romanticize things that never happened.

Jiang Lu will never understand that even without Shi Huai's intervention and Shi Wu's scheming, there was never any possibility between her and Shi Hao from the very beginning.

Just because she is Shi Huai's niece and a direct descendant of the Shi family, this inherent identity destined Shi Hao to never accept her.

Shi Hao despises the selfishness and control of the Shi family, so how could he accept her as a core relative of the Shi family?

Midnight has arrived.

Amidst the quiet surge of activity across the national internet, and without anyone noticing, the trending topics lists on major social media platforms underwent a complete reshuffle without a sound.

Entertainment gossip, celebrity scandals, and social hot topics that used to dominate the trending searches have all sunk to the bottom, with the top 20 trending searches being dominated by a strong lineup of entirely new terms.

#A monumental achievement! Zhenshi Group's trillion-yuan investment is reshaping Qingshui County!#

#The benefits of this era are finally coming! Qingshui County is about to be upgraded to a prefecture-level city!#

#Defying Fate! This impoverished county may achieve upward social mobility for all its residents!#

#In-depth analysis: Why was Qingshui County able to secure trillions of yuan in national-level investment?#

#A complete turnaround! Generations of people in Qingshui County will be lifted out of poverty!#

The entry was bright red and eye-catching, its popularity skyrocketed, and it instantly covered the entire internet.

Not only on social media trending topics, but also on all short video platforms, game clients, and news apps across the internet, pop-up notifications, splash screens, and homepage recommendations are all filled with news about Zhenshi Group's trillion-yuan investment in Qingshui County.

Countless bloggers, financial influencers, and local self-media outlets worked overnight to edit videos and write copy, providing a comprehensive interpretation of this mega-investment, instantly igniting a massive online buzz.

Sleeping netizens were jolted awake by the pop-up window on their phones. Half-asleep, they clicked on the link and were instantly jolted awake by the news report. The screen was filled with shock.

"Holy crap! A trillion-dollar investment?! Just what kind of incredible background does Zhenshi Group have? They're incredibly wealthy!"

"Did I read that right? A trillion yuan investment in Qingshui County, which has consistently ranked at the bottom and is dirt poor? This is comparable to the list of first-tier cities back then!"

"Although I don't know why Zhenshi Group is investing in Qingshui County, I feel it's closely related to the visits from various countries yesterday. I suspect there's something big going on up there!"

"The person upstairs guessed correctly. According to unreliable sources, China has launched an international project spanning Eurasia, which will involve significant actions. It's estimated that Qingshui County happens to be located on this route, thus ushering in its own era of opportunity!"

"My God, this isn't an investment, it's like a county town being elevated to new heights! The locals of Qingshui County are winning without lifting a finger!"

Envy, jealousy, shock, and heated discussion instantly flooded the entire internet.

Countless netizens from other places expressed their envy and regret in the comments.

"Why?! Why doesn't my family get this incredible windfall?"

"My hometown is ten times better off than Qingshui County, so why doesn't anyone invest there? If there's a wave of land expropriation and redevelopment, I'll be rolling in millions and never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of my life!"

"I don't mind if they don't demolish my house! My family has a self-built house in our hometown. If they develop and renovate it, we can just sit back and collect rent and achieve financial freedom!"

"I'm so envious! Three generations of hard work can't compare to the impact of a single policy. The people of Qingshui County have defied fate and skipped a lifetime of struggle!"

The topic is being discussed across the internet, and its popularity is steadily rising.

At this moment, Qingshui County was in complete uproar.

Young people who were fast asleep in the middle of the night were gradually awakened by push notifications on their phones. The moment they clicked on the trending topics, everyone was instantly energized and wide awake.

Trillions of yuan in investment, upgrades to prefecture-level cities, policy dividends, demolition and redevelopment, upward mobility...

Every word and every sentence struck a chord deep within the hearts of the young people of Qingshui County.

They have been rooted in this barren land for generations, earning a monthly salary of two or three thousand yuan. Watching the prosperity of the outside world, they felt helpless and resentful, never imagining that their hometown would one day usher in such an incredible opportunity.

"Get up! Wake up! Something terrible has happened!"

"Our family is going to be rich! Zhenshi Group has invested trillions in Qingshui County, and the county seat is going to be upgraded to a prefecture-level city!"

"It's true! It's trending number one online! It's not a rumor! We won't be trapped in the mountains and poor for the rest of our lives anymore!"

One by one, the young people excitedly threw off their blankets and frantically woke up their sleeping parents and family members, their voices trembling with barely suppressed joy.

In the quiet of the night, cheers, exclamations, and discussions rose and fell.

The news spread like wildfire at an alarming rate, from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

In just over ten minutes, not only in the county town, but also in remote towns and villages deep in the mountains, lights came on one after another, illuminating the dark night sky.

The entire Qingshui County was utterly sleepless.

The older villagers, rubbing their sleepy eyes, listened to the younger generation's excited explanation and looked at the real trending news on their phones. At first, they were completely bewildered, but gradually, their pupils contracted and their faces were filled with disbelief.

When young people talk about demolition compensation, million-dollar payouts, industrial upgrading, and doubled salaries, the older generation is completely stunned, their minds going blank.

They toiled their entire lives, facing the loess soil with their backs to the sky, working day and night, struggling to earn just over two thousand yuan a month.

Ten thousand yuan is a huge sum of money that they can hardly accumulate in a lifetime, let alone the demolition compensation that can easily reach millions.

This sum of money is an astronomical figure that they could never have dreamed of even after several lifetimes of hard work.

Young people took out their phones and pulled up comparison videos of the early development of Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen, patiently explaining them to their elders.

"Grandpa and Grandma, look, these cities were very backward back then, but they took off thanks to policy benefits!"

"Once Qingshui County is upgraded to a prefecture-level city, housing prices, cost of living, job opportunities, and welfare benefits will all double, and we will all be able to turn our lives around!"

"This will be a new town in the future. We'll no longer have to leave our homes to work elsewhere; we can earn money and enjoy life right here at home!"

The more I listened, the more excited I became; the more I watched, the more thrilled I became.

A wave of ecstasy swept through every corner of Qingshui County, without exception.

Meanwhile, the trending topic on the internet continues to surge, starting as a local topic of discussion and sweeping across the entire country.

Financial circles, government circles, venture capital circles, and ordinary netizens are all frantically discussing this sudden trillion-dollar investment.

The chessboard is set, and the outcome is decided.

The curtain has been raised.