On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

As the morning light grew brighter and the mist dissipated, the warm autumn sun shone unreservedly on the clean bluestone road in Xinghuafang, coating the neat buildings, lush green plants, and clear rivers with a layer of warm gold.

Accompanied by Li Xian, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works, Lin Zhen did not leave this revitalized land immediately. Instead, he decided to go deep into the neighborhood, visit ordinary people's homes, and personally experience the details of this housing project.

Li Xian led Lin Zhen to the door of a unit in one of the housing buildings.

The door of the building is made of thick oak and painted dark brown. A small bronze plaque is embedded above the door frame, engraved with the words "Anju Building No. 3, Building A".

Li Xian took out the key and opened the door of the unit. A fresh scent mixed with the fragrance of new wood and a faint scent of soapberry hit him in the face.

The corridor is spacious and bright, and the floor is paved with terrazzo, which is smooth and mirror-clear.

The walls on both sides are painted in a soft off-white paint, and the stair railings are made of polished hardwood.

Li Xian introduced: "Your Highness, each building has two unit doors, and each unit has two households per elevator. The corridors are cleaned and kept clean by the residents in shifts every day."

They climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Li Xian knocked on the door of the east house.

After a while, the door opened and a woman about fifty years old, neatly dressed and with a kind face appeared at the door.

When she saw Li Xian, a warm smile immediately appeared on her face: "Master Li, you are here!"

Then his eyes fell on Lin Zhen. Although he didn't know him, he saw that he had an extraordinary demeanor and was accompanied by Lord Li. He quickly stepped aside respectfully and said, "Please come in! Please come in!"

"Auntie Wang, sorry to bother you." Li Xian introduced with a smile, "This is the official from the Ministry of Works, specially come to check on the living conditions of the residents in our Anju Building."

"Oh! Sir Shangguan, please come in! My humble abode is simple, please don't mind!" Aunt Wang quickly let the two of them in and called out to the inner room, "Old man! Come out quickly! We have distinguished guests!"

Lin Zhen walked into the house.

This is a standard one-bedroom, one-living room apartment.

There is a small square hall at the entrance, about seven or eight steps square. The floor is paved with blue bricks, which are polished to a shine.

Against the wall stood a half-new elm square table and two chairs, on which stood a stoneware teapot and several cups.

On the left side of the square hall is the bedroom. With the door open, you can see a wooden bed with a plain curtain and neatly folded bedding.

On the right is the kitchen and bathroom, separated by a curtain.

Although the whole house is not big, it is clean and tidy without any dust.

The sunlight shines in through the bright glass windows, feeling warm.

"Sir Shangguan, please sit down! Please sit down!" Aunt Wang greeted him a little awkwardly, while nimbly picking up the teapot on the table, "I'll go get you some water!"

"Don't bother, Auntie." Lin Zhen said gently, sitting down on a chair beside the square table and looking around the room. "Are you used to living in this room?"

"I'm used to it! I'm so used to it!" Aunt Wang kept saying as she poured water, a smile from the heart on her face.

"It's a hundred times better than the shabby shed we had before! You have no idea, before, our family of five was crammed into a palm-sized space. It leaked when it rained, was drafty when it was windy, and in the winter, we were freezing to the bone! We cooked on a stove at the door, which was smoky and hot, and we had to queue up at the public bathhouse just to take a shower! Now it's much better!"

She put down the teapot and pointed in the direction of the kitchen. "Look at this kitchen. The stove is made of bricks, and the flue leads to the outside. No smoke comes into the house! And the bathroom."

She lifted a corner of the curtain. "The toilet is porcelain! It flushes clean with just one press of the button! There's even a shower head! Hot water is supplied from the boiler room downstairs, so we can shower whenever we want! This was unthinkable before!"

At this time, an old man with gray hair and vigorous spirit walked out from the inner room. It was Aunt Wang’s husband, Uncle Wang.

He obviously heard what was said, and continued, "Yes! Lord Shangguan! This independent kitchen and bathroom really solves a big problem! Before, I had to run a long way to empty the chamber pot, but now it's so convenient! And this window,

He pointed to the bright glass windows and said, "It's so big and bright! The room is bright, and my heart is bright too!"

Lin Zhen picked up the earthenware teacup, took a sip of the warm water, and asked, "How much is the rent for this house? Is it affordable?"

"It's affordable! It's affordable!" Old Man Wang said quickly, "The government has a rule that for old residents like us whose homes were damaged by the disaster, the rent is 30% of the market price! Our one-bedroom apartment only costs 120 coins a month! It's cheaper than renting a shed before! And..."

He lowered his voice, with a hint of mystery,

"Master Li said that as long as we pay the rent on time and live here for ten years, the house will belong to us!"

Li Xian smiled and nodded. "Your Highness... Oh no, Lord Shangguan, this is a new government policy. Tenants of Anju Housing who have rented for ten consecutive years without any rent arrears or major violations can apply to buy out the property at a very low price. This policy is designed to ensure that residents have a home and peace of mind."

Lin Zhen nodded slightly. This is a very good plan.

Low rent solves the current problem, while buying out the property rights gives people long-term hope and a sense of belonging, allowing them to truly live and work in peace and contentment.

"Are there any inconveniences in your life?" Lin Zhen asked again.

"Inconvenience?" Aunt Wang thought for a moment. "If there is any inconvenience, it's that the water is supplied at fixed times. It's supplied for one hour each at dawn, noon, and dusk every day. I have to store water in advance."

She pointed to a half-man-high ceramic vat in the corner. "But I've gotten used to it! It's better than carrying water everywhere! And I heard the people in the Ministry of Industry are researching some kind of pressure water tower. They say it'll be able to provide water all day long!"

"It's a gravity-fed water supply system," Li Xian added. "Designed by Lord Chu, it's already being piloted in the Xicheng New District. If successful, it will be rolled out to all the residential quarters."

"That's great!" Old Man Wang said with a smile, "It will be much more convenient then!"

As she was speaking, a clear childish voice came from outside the door: "Grandma! I'm back!"

A little boy about seven or eight years old, carrying a coarse cloth schoolbag, ran in skipping and jumping. When he saw a stranger in the house, he immediately stopped and stood at the door somewhat stiffly.

"Hu Zi is back!" Aunt Wang waved hurriedly, "Come in! Salute Lord Shangguan!"

The little boy walked in timidly and bowed awkwardly, imitating the adults. "Hello, Lord Shangguan!"

Lin Zhen looked at the child's rosy face and clear eyes and asked gently, "Is school over? What are you learning in class?"

"Sir," the little boy said in a clear voice, "We learned the Thousand Character Classic, arithmetic, and singing! The teacher also taught us to be hygienic, put trash in the bin, and take care of the plants!"

"Good boy." Lin Zhen nodded. "Do you like going to school?"

"I like it!" The little boy nodded vigorously. "The classroom is big and bright! The teacher is so nice and even gives us snacks!" His face was filled with innocent happiness.

Lin Zhen felt relieved.

The establishment of free kindergartens not only provides children with the opportunity to learn to read and understand, but also subtly cultivates civilized habits and civic awareness in the new generation.

This is the fundamental solution that will benefit the long term.

After leaving Mr. Wang's house, Lin Zhen, accompanied by Li Xian, randomly visited several households.

There are young couples who have just moved in and are full of joy about their independent little world; there are elderly people who live alone while their children are away and are full of praise for the community's care; there are also merchants who run small shops and are satisfied with the rent discounts and stable customer flow of the ground floor shops.

All I saw and heard were satisfied smiles, words of gratitude, and beautiful visions of future life.

Back at the convenience market in the central square of the block, it was the peak of the lunch market, and it was bustling with people.

Lin Zhen stopped in front of a grocery stall. The stall owner was a smart and capable middle-aged man.

Li Xian introduced, "This is Shopkeeper Zhang. He used to run a shop in the south of the city, but a fire destroyed both his shop and his home. Now he's rented a shop on the ground floor of Anju Building and is back to business."

Seeing Li Xian accompanying him and Lin Zhen's extraordinary demeanor, Shopkeeper Zhang quickly greeted him warmly, "Master Li, sir, what can you do for me? Our shop has needles and thread, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and daily necessities—everything you could possibly need!"

Lin Zhen picked up a bamboo dustpan, looked at it, and asked, "Manager Zhang, how much is the rent for this shop? Is business good?"

"Your Excellency!" Shopkeeper Zhang said with a smile, "The rent is 30% cheaper than the street prices outside! The government has a rule that priority should be given to disaster victims and laid-off workers in our neighborhood! My shop has a good location, and the neighbors are all familiar with it. Business is pretty good! Compared to my previous job in the south of the city, I have less worries and the profits are more stable! Moreover,"

He lowered his voice, "The government said that as long as we operate with integrity and meet hygiene standards, the rent will not increase for three years! This gives me peace of mind!"

Lin Zhen nodded. Living and working in peace and contentment requires not only a place to live but also a livelihood. The preferential policies and stable environment for ground-floor shops provide small businesses with space to survive and thrive, while also making life more convenient for residents.

When we left Xinghuafang, the sun was already setting.

Lin Zhen stood on the stone bridge at the entrance of the community and looked back at this peaceful place bathed in the golden sunset.

The neat buildings are bathed in warm light, the clean streets are bustling with people, the clear river surface is shimmering with waves, and bursts of laughter can be heard from the bustling market.

The sounds of children playing, the laughter of the elderly, and the shouts of vendors interweave into a vivid and warm symphony of the city.

"Li Xian." Lin Zhen's voice was low.

"The subordinate is here!"

"Xinghuafang has achieved remarkable results," Lin Zhen said, "but this is not the end."

"Your Highness, please give your orders!"

"First," Lin Zhen's eyes were penetrating, "we will carefully record the regulations, construction standards, management rules, and people-friendly policies of Xinghuafang and compile them into a 'Summary of Housing Projects.' We will have the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Personnel jointly review and improve them, and then issue them to all prefectures and cities throughout the country as a model for mandatory implementation!"

"Secondly," he continued, "there are still over ten old shantytowns similar to Xinghuafang within the Imperial Capital. The Ministry of Works is to immediately conduct a comprehensive survey and formulate a phased renovation plan! The required funds will be specially allocated by the Ministry of Revenue. The Fire and Thunder Bureau and the Institute of Gewu will fully cooperate and provide technical support! We must completely eliminate the shantytowns in the Imperial Capital within five years!"

"Third," Lin Zhen's voice turned cold, "All prefectures and cities must not be perfunctory in implementing the 'Essentials of the Code'! The Censorate will be ordered to send censors to conduct open and secret investigations! Anyone who pretends to comply but secretly violates the rules, deducts funds, cuts corners, and oppresses the people will be severely punished! Their property will be confiscated and they will be exiled. There will be no leniency!"

"Fourthly," he concluded, "Xinghuafang's self-governance measures, such as river chiefs, sanitation inspections, and the selection of civilized households, have achieved remarkable results. Instruct the Ministry of Personnel to incorporate these into the 'Regulations on the Performance Evaluation of Local Officials'! Promote them nationwide to strengthen grassroots governance and stimulate public wisdom and energy!"

"I obey your command!" Li Xian bowed and accepted the order, his voice filled with excitement and solemnity.

He knew that His Highness's decree would set off a wave of housing projects across the country, benefiting hundreds of millions of people.

The afterglow of the setting sun stretched Lin Zhen's figure very long.

He took a last look at this land that was reborn from the ruins and full of vitality and hope, then turned and set off on his way home.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone road, making a steady sound.

The prosperous capital gradually lights up in the twilight.

Lin Zhen leaned back in the car and closed his eyes to rest.