On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

In the deep winter of the imperial capital, the cold wind blew across the bluestone pavement of Zhuque Street, stirring up fine snow foam.

The sunlight shines through the thin clouds, casting a pale light, giving this ancient capital a cool hue.

Lin Zhen was wearing a plain indigo brocade casual suit with a black thin cloak on the outside. He did not bring any ceremonial guards. He was accompanied only by two restrained personal guards in casual clothes. He walked slowly among the bustling crowd.

He deliberately restrained the invisible pressure around him, like an ordinary rich young man, calmly scanning the city he was guarding, feeling the subtle pulse flowing through the city under the implementation of the new policy.

Cross several busy main streets and turn into East City.

The scene in front of me suddenly became clear.

Completely different from the scorched earth ruins after the fire three years ago in his memory, what appeared before Lin Zhen was a neatly planned and brand new residential area - the Xinghuafang reconstruction community.

The blue-gray five-story brick-concrete buildings are neatly arranged, standing like silent guards in the winter sun.

The walls are built with machine-made bricks, with smooth joints, full mortar and a solid luster.

The large, bright glass windows are set in dark green frames, reflecting the cool sunlight.

The roof is covered with special waterproof felt, and the edge is built with a half-person-high parapet, which looks clean and neat.

In front of each building, there is a square open space planted with cold-resistant pines, cypresses and hollies. Although it is deep winter, it is still green.

There are also stone tables and stone benches in the open space for people to rest.

Lin Zhen walked slowly along the wide bluestone main road.

The road surface is spotless, without any snow or mud.

There are brick-built drainage ditches on both sides, with clear water and no debris blocking them.

Every few dozen steps, there is a green-painted wooden trash can with a lid, and on the can is written the slogan "Take care of the market, put your trash in the can" in neat regular script.

"Sir, are you here to see the house?" An old man in a neat cotton-padded jacket and a red armband came towards me with a kind smile on his face.

The words "Health Inspection" are embroidered on the armband.

"I'm passing by and taking a look." Lin Zhen nodded.

"Oh, then you've come to the right place," the old man introduced enthusiastically. "Our Xinghuafang is the premier residential complex in the capital. Look at these buildings, they're made of brick and concrete, so they're sturdy and fireproof and earthquake-resistant. Every household has its own kitchen and bathroom, so you don't have to queue up at the public bathhouse anymore. There's a public washroom in the building with regular water supply. You can even hang clothes on the roof for drying, which is very convenient."

"Is the rent expensive?" Lin Zhen asked.

"Not expensive, not expensive." The old man waved his hand. "The government has a rule that for old residents like us, the rent is 30% of the market price. For example, my one-bedroom apartment only costs 120 wen per month. It's cheaper than living in a shanty town before. And..."

He lowered his voice, a hint of mystery in his voice, "The government said that as long as we pay the rent on time and live here for ten years, the house will be ours. All we have to pay is a symbolic amount of one or two taels of silver."

"Oh, that's good." Lin Zhen said.

"That's right." The old man's face was filled with a satisfied smile. "I live comfortably and feel at ease. Look at the environment here," he pointed to the clean road surface. "The cleaners sweep every day, and the garbage is taken out at designated locations. And we patrol officers are responsible for those who litter and spit. Now, everyone is more conscious, the environment is better, and it's comfortable to live here."

As he was speaking, a little boy about seven or eight years old, holding a fruit core in his hand, ran to a trash can, stood on tiptoe, and threw the fruit core into the can.

"Abao is so good!" the old man praised loudly.

The little boy clapped his hands triumphantly and ran away.

"Look, even children know how to protect the environment." The old man said with a smile.

Lin Zhen nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping over the clean streets and the satisfied smiles on the elderly men's faces. This wasn't just a hardware improvement; it was also an improvement in the residents' spirit. Self-management, mutual supervision, and clear rewards and punishments are the only way to achieve lasting success.

Walk along the main road and you will reach the south side of the community.

A river, about three meters wide, meandered from west to east. The clear water shimmered in the winter sun, reflecting the newly built stone embankments and the bare branches of the weeping willows on both sides.

There was no floating garbage or oil on the river, nor the pungent stench of manure I remembered. A few water birds frolicked in the river, occasionally diving in to pick up small fish.

"This is a tributary of the Jinshui River. It used to be really smelly," the old man said, pointing to the river. "Before, there was illegal construction along the banks, and sewage and manure were dumped directly into the river. The stench was overwhelming, and mosquitoes and flies were breeding. Now it's much better. Look, it's so clean."

"How is it governed?" Lin Zhen asked.

"We've demolished all the illegal buildings along the river, set them back ten feet, built this stone embankment, and installed guardrails," the old man said. "We've also buried large pipes underground, called ceramic pipes for sewage disposal. Sewage and feces from every household are piped into a large pond outside the city for treatment, not into the river. We also have a river chief, who's also the neighborhood chief, who patrols the river daily and strictly prohibits dumping garbage and sewage into the river. Violators will be severely punished. Look, we've also released fish fry and planted aquatic plants to purify the water."

As they were talking, a few half-grown children were playing and catching small fish and shrimps in the shallow water of the river with simple net bags and small buckets.

An old man with white hair and beard, wrapped in a thick cotton jacket, sat on a stone bench under a willow tree, fishing leisurely.

"Old Zhang, did you catch any fish?" the old man with the red armband asked loudly.

"I caught two small crucian carp." The old fisherman raised his head with a satisfied smile on his face. "Thanks to the prince, this river has finally come back to life. I can fish again."

Lin Zhen felt gratified as he watched the elderly man's satisfied smile and the children playing. The transformation of the Jinshui River tributary is the result of systematic governance and a microcosm of the new policies benefiting the people.

After passing through several rows of housing estates, we arrived at the convenience market in the center of the community.

The market is located in an open square, and the ground is also paved with clean and tidy bluestone slabs.

The stalls are neatly arranged, selling a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, needles and thread, and daily necessities.

The vendors were neatly dressed and greeted customers warmly. Most of the customers were residents, carrying baskets and shopping leisurely. The sound of bargaining was heard everywhere, but there was no quarrel or noise.

"Fresh winter bamboo shoots, just brought from the southern suburbs this morning, so juicy." A vegetable vendor shouted with full energy.

"Auntie, please take a look at this honeycomb coal made from Beiyan coal. It burns well and lasts for a long time, produces little smoke and ash, and is clean. The government office has a subsidized price for it, so it's a good deal." A coal shop clerk enthusiastically promoted it to an old woman.

"Sir, look at this newly arrived improved spindle from the Gewuyuan. It spins thread quickly and evenly, saving time and effort." A peddler fiddled with the delicate wooden instrument.

Lin Zhen stopped in front of a steaming breakfast stall.

The stall owners were a middle-aged couple. Their stall cart was polished to a shine and the steamers were emitting tempting white steam.

"Sir, would you like some buns? They're stuffed with pork and cabbage, freshly out of the pan, and still hot." The male stall owner greeted warmly.

"Bring a drawer." Lin Zhen signaled to his personal guards.

"Okay." The stall owner picked up the bun swiftly and wrapped it in oil paper. "Three cents, here you go."

When Lin Zhen was paying, he noticed a small wooden sign hanging next to the stall with four red words "Grade A Hygiene" written on it.

"My dear, you have good eyesight." The female stall owner smiled proudly when she saw this.

"This is the monthly hygiene rating from the neighborhood. The inspectors are very strict. They check everything, whether the stove is clean, whether the rags are disinfected, whether the garbage is removed promptly, and whether the ingredients are fresh. With an A rating, the neighbors trust us, and business improves significantly."

A nearby fruit vendor came over and said, "Yeah. This place used to be a mess, with flies buzzing everywhere. Who would want to buy anything here? Now it's so clean. Everyone's more conscious. Not to mention littering, even spitting is a shame because they're afraid of being seen by patrol officers."

Lin Zhen listened to the stall owners' chattering but proud discussions, looked at the satisfied smiles on their faces and the gleam in their eyes, and a warm feeling quietly surged in his heart.

A safe home is the foundation for a happy work life. Environmental improvements and standardized management not only enhance the quality of life but also reshape people’s mental outlook and behavioral habits.

After leaving the market, Lin Zhen was attracted by the crisp sound of reading.

Following the sound, I saw a newly built courtyard in a corner of the community, with green tiles and white walls. A plaque read "Xinghuafang Elementary School." Inside the courtyard, the sound of children reading aloud could be heard.

"When humans are born, their nature is good. Their natures are similar, but their habits are far apart..."

Lin Zhen stopped outside the yard and looked through the open gate.

In the spacious and bright classroom, dozens of children of different ages, wearing neat cotton-padded jackets, sat at brand new wooden tables, following a young official on the podium, reciting the "Three Character Classic" with their heads shaking.

The sunlight shines through the large glass windows onto the children's rosy little faces, reflecting their focused and bright eyes.

"This is the elementary school run by the government office." An old man with a red armband followed beside him and introduced it in a low voice. "It doesn't charge tuition, and all the children of school age in the neighborhood can come here to learn to read and write. The teacher is an official sent by the court. He is well-educated and kind. The children love him very much."

"Abao is in there too." The old man pointed to a chubby little boy in the back row of the classroom, who was the same boy who had thrown the fruit core just now.

Lin Zhen watched quietly.

The clear sound of children reading is like the singing of birds in early spring, full of vitality and hope.

The establishment of free kindergartens not only provides children with the opportunity to learn to read and comprehend, but also subtly cultivates civilized habits and civic awareness in the new generation. This is the fundamental policy that will benefit the long term.

The sun was setting in the west, and dusk was closing in. Lin Zhen said goodbye to the enthusiastic old man with the red armband and slowly walked out of Xinghuafang.

Looking back at this land that has been reborn from the ruins and is full of vitality and hope, the neat buildings are covered with warm light in the twilight, the clean streets are full of people, the clear river is shimmering with waves, bursts of laughter can be heard from the bustling market, and the sound of reading in the elementary school is still crisp and pleasant.

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.

He thought of the grand plans and strategies in the Purple Palace, the roar of steam and the silence of radio waves in the Institute of Gewu, and the iron dragon breaking through the ice and thunder intimidating the enemy in the snowy fields of the northern border.

Those were thunderclaps that changed the world.

This clean and peaceful little world before our eyes, the fireworks rising from the streets, and the sincere smiles on the faces of the common people are the scenes that the thunder will ultimately protect.

Serving the country and the people is not just about fighting with weapons, but also about the warmth of thousands of lights, the fireworks rising from the streets, and the prosperous picture of the people living and working in peace and contentment.

This is the true nature of the country that Lin Zhen is determined to protect throughout his entire life.

The cold wind was still biting. Lin Zhen tightened his thin cloak and turned around to blend into the bustling twilight of the imperial capital.

Although the road ahead is long, where the people’s hearts lead us is where the light lies.