The next morning,

The aroma of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) filled the air, making people's mouths water.

After a night of simmering over a wood fire, the fragrance of the bamboo leaves had long since seeped into the glutinous rice.

The rice dumplings are most fragrant when they are freshly cooked.

Lin Ziyan woke up early this morning and was able to eat right away, looking very satisfied.

The chubby girl sat down at the table with her, each eating half of their meal, and they chatted about company matters.

The branch office in Teng City is short-staffed and has started recruiting again.

Before Fangjie came back, she interviewed several people, but she wasn't very satisfied.

The two hadn't been chatting for long when Secretary Qin arrived at the Lin family's house and waited at the gate, refusing to come into the yard no matter how much they called him.

Lin Ziyan rubbed her forehead, thinking that the village secretary was probably afraid that she was hiding and not seeing anyone.

The chubby girl's lips twitched. It was no wonder that Secretary Qin was so nervous, after all, Ayan had a history of hiding from people, and more than once.

Grandma hung the rice dumplings up to dry, saying, "You two should hurry up and go after you've eaten your fill, don't keep people waiting."

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a layer of orange-yellow light and shadow.

A few white clouds drifted across the pale blue sky, and birds chirped incessantly, as if they were competing to see who had the best singing voice.

Lin Ziyan and Secretary Qin walked side by side toward the laboratory building, neither of them speaking.

The chubby girl followed behind them, a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.

I wonder what instructions the mayor will give this time.

She hasn't found a suitable mudflat for yellow croaker farming yet. She's visited many places, but either the location is too close to the sea or the water quality isn't suitable.

Actually, they had their eye on the mudflats belonging to Team Seven the most.

now,

Several cars drove into the village one after another.

There were many people present this time, including Minister Min from the Fisheries Association.

Mayor Min and Minister Min are cousins, but they rarely contact each other.

When they came here together for this inspection, the two of them only nodded to each other in greeting.

Minister Min and his colleagues walked behind, discussing the future development of aquaculture.

He's still resentful about the time he was humiliated by being thrown into the sea, and he's come here this time just to pick a fight.

What's worth investigating about a privately owned aquaculture base?

He and his colleagues had previously conducted research in the area, deliberately avoiding Haibi Village.

Without the support of the aquaculture association, he didn't believe the aquaculture company could develop very well.

"Minister Min, you need to ease the tension between you and Professor Shen. I heard he landed a project in Beijing," his colleague Lao Liu whispered.

The two walked at the back of the group. To avoid being overheard, Mayor Min did not have the village secretary come to pick him up this time.

This time, they went directly to the laboratory building for a visit.

It was built with government funding before, and they came once.

Minister Min's expression turned cold, and he asked suspiciously, "What project?"

How come he hasn't heard anything about it?

It's impossible for a project in Beijing to be directly transferred to a private company.

Thinking this way, Minister Min calmed down considerably.

Old Liu lowered his voice: "They said they're going to the west to research some aquaculture projects, but it's still kept secret."

Minister Min looked at the person in front of him thoughtfully, paused in his steps, and then continued walking: "What can be raised in the west? Old Liu, just listen to these rumors and don't spread them and cause gossip."

Old Liu nodded, slapped his forehead, and thought about it carefully; it seemed to make sense.

What kind of projects are possible in the west? There's no sea there.

The marine aquaculture research conducted in the submerged sea has led to the fact that in the western regions, only cattle and sheep can be raised.

The two quickly caught up with the group, looking around at the newly built houses as they walked.

"Hairun Village is developing well; it should be able to win the title of Model Village for Prosperity Creation this year," Mayor Min said with a smile, casually putting on his straw hat, his eyes shining.

The town mayor beside him nodded, following the mayor's lead.

The county head was chatting with village officials and asking about the village's economic situation.

"There's a shrimp paste factory in the village, and the seafood market is almost entirely run by people from the village..." Old Li, the village cadre, deepened the wrinkles around his eyes as he briefly described the situation in the village.

The county head nodded in satisfaction. He was familiar with the situation here and mentioned this village at every meeting.

Mayor Min slowed his pace, listened to their conversation, and a smile played on his lips.

After he was transferred, the Jiang family took over. At that time, he felt it was a pity that he couldn't see the branded shrimp farm develop.

He turned his head and saw his cousin walking at the back, his eyes flashing.

When the group arrived at the laboratory building, Lin Ziyan and Secretary Qin were already waiting for them at the entrance.

"Mayor Min, we meet again." Lin Ziyan stepped forward with a gentle smile.

Secretary Qin stepped forward, shook hands with Mayor Min, and smiled kindly.

The group visited the laboratory.

Mayor Min was envious when he saw the equipment inside, but he also knew that it required a lot of investment.

He was both shocked and gratified when he returned to the laboratory.

This place has undergone a major transformation; the experimental equipment used here is the best, and it has also been renovated.

"I heard you're also thinking of setting up a yellow croaker farming base?" Mayor Min asked as he walked out of the laboratory.

The fishing villages nearby are perfect for developing aquaculture; the location, water quality, and even the climate are all ideal.

He knew about the project that was sinking into the sea, but he had too many questions and was taking a wait-and-see approach.

Lin Ziyan's eyes brightened slightly: "Indeed, I was looking forward to asking for some policy support when you came here this time."

Of course, you can set conditions; we can achieve mutual benefit.

Mayor Min narrowed his eyes, not expecting her to be so direct.

Before coming to Haibi Village, he had already prepared to provide assistance.

This brand of shrimp and its aquaculture company were able to start without any policy support.

"Oh? Then tell me, and I'll sign the contract immediately if I can make the decision." Minister Min winked.

Lin Ziyan laughed out loud: "Aren't you afraid I'll ask for an exorbitant amount?"

"What are you afraid of? You've spent a lot of money on this lab, plus the R&D investment, and you're even willing to share the aquaculture data with other fishing villages. These conditions are enough to get you a bigger one," Mayor Min said with a smile, stopping in front of the notice board.

The tuition fees for technology promotion are very low, and trainees can also apply to have experts come to the farm to provide hands-on training.

Even the aquatic product association couldn't do it this way.

Mayor Min walked in from the village entrance, and everything he saw and heard revealed that the village was already on the road to prosperity.

It's a multi-story building with a courtyard and a small garden on the roof.

He was shocked inside, but remained calm on the surface.

Lin Ziyan: "I want that mudflat near the port, I'm open to long-term lease or purchase."

She thought to herself that it would be better to rent for a long time at a low price.

The finished products from the yellow croaker processing plant need to be shipped overseas through the port, so it's best to be located near the port.

The mudflats over there have always been unmanaged and have never caused any disputes.

"All of them?" Mayor Min asked solemnly.

The aquaculture association also wanted that mudflat, but the higher authorities hadn't given their approval.

"Yes, I want them all." Lin Ziyan's gaze was firm.

She didn't mention that after the yellow croaker processing plant was built, they would need to hire a lot of workers.

The breeding base also needs to hire people, which solves a lot of employment problems for the city.

"no!"

“That mudflat was chosen by our association…”

Minister Min suddenly spoke, his expression solemn, and his gaze toward Lin Ziyan was icy.