The bulldozer rumbled as it flattened the houses. Clay bricks and roof tiles shattered in heaps, while the eaves and beams snapped and collapsed, sending up billowing clouds of dust.
The commotion drew crowds of curious neighbors. Grandpas and grandmas carrying cloth bags of groceries, office workers munching on fried cakes and leek pockets—they gathered in little groups, whispering among themselves.
"Why has Old Zhang's house been demolished before the shantytown renovation notice even came out?"
"Seems his son's in a hurry to get married. He couldn't scrape together the bride's family's betrothal gift, so he sold the house."
"What a loss. They'll be able to move into a new home before long."
"Who knows? They've been talking about renovating the old district every year..."
Qin Shi paused. Talk of demolishing Old Factory Street had been growing livelier these past few days. He hadn't expected a bulldozer to roll in today.
He stood outside the crowd, listening to snatches of conversation all around him.
"The small hotels, massage parlors, and lots of shops on Xinghua Road have been taken over."
"Some tenants on Weigong Street refused to move, so thugs showed up and splashed paint on their doors."
"They haven't even started the renovation. Why are these people making such a fuss?"
"It's new-city development. Shops are worth a lot more than homes..."
Lin Yunqing frowned.
"The paperwork for the old district's shantytown renovation and demolition hasn't even come through. Why are people already grabbing land?"
She had heard her eldest brother, Lin Xiaohan, mention that the original urban development plans had deliberately avoided Dangyang Eastern Suburbs because of unresolved historical issues.
For example, the massive explosion at the military factory, and the fact that the old district covered a large area and had a complicated population—including military factory workers,