As spring draws to a close, the weather in the Black Hills has turned warmer.
On a sunny morning, many people gathered in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau in Hewan New City. They were all there to attend a wedding. A few months ago, when most of the functional groups had been established as departments, the Ministry of Civil Affairs was also established. Finally, the committee secretariat no longer had to be responsible for such a small matter as approving marriages.
The crowd outside the Civil Affairs Bureau today was divided into two categories. The first category was Chinese people dressed in modern clothes, including Xiao Chen, Luo Ling, Ye Zi, Tang Feng, Li Tianrui, Liu Yisheng, and even the vice chairman of the committee, Chang Lin. The other category was locals wearing traditional green formal clothes. One of them was a middle-aged man wearing a gorgeous short robe, a cape, and a ceremonial sword. It turned out to be Count Carlos who had left the capital long ago.
The Earl was so excited that he looked beaming with joy and reluctant to leave. Most of the people surrounding him were nobles from the Earldom of Montenegro. They were staring intently at the two people who had just entered the door of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. They were Li Jia and Serinda.
Today, Li Jia was wearing a suit brought from Earth, which made him look quite handsome. And Serinda was wearing the green floral dress that Li Jia gave her. According to local customs, the man's clothes should be brown and the woman's clothes should be green. These are the colors of Mother Earth that nurture life, so this dress with past memories was quite suitable for the occasion.
The two walked into the small hall in the Civil Affairs Hall which was specially used for weddings. In front of the hall was a small podium. Committee Chairman Guo Qian was standing behind it, waiting for the two to come.
The auditorium was small, less than 30 square meters, and there were no seats inside. Li Jia and Serinda stood in front of the small podium, and the other guests stood behind them.
Guo Qian looked at the two newly-dressed couples and smiled as he congratulated them: "Li Jia, Serinda, congratulations to you two. It is a great thing that two people from different cultures and backgrounds can finally come together. I hope you can support and trust each other and start a wonderful life together. Now I want to ask you if you are both ready to face the difficulties you will encounter together? Can you understand each other's differences? Can you shoulder your responsibilities in the family together?"
Li Jia and Serinda looked at each other and nodded together: "We can."
Guo Qian said: "Then on behalf of the China River Bay Municipal Government, I will issue you a marriage certificate."
Guo Qian took out two small pieces of paper, on which were printed a bust of the two of them, their names, ID numbers and a few words proving their marriage.
Li Jia's ID number is a rewritten 18-digit number, and Serinda, as the spouse of a native, was also given a temporary number. If she is able to become a citizen in a few years, she will obtain a formal ID number.
Guo Qian picked up a seal, stamped it on the two marriage certificates, and then handed them to Li Jia and Serinda respectively.
Serinda gently stroked the card with her photo printed on it and whispered, "It's like a dream."
"The dream has become reality." said Li Jia.
The sound of a chapter rang out behind them, and Li Tianrui shouted loudly: "Give me a kiss, give me a kiss!"
Li Jia turned around and said, "This is a government department! What are you yelling about?"
Li Tianrui insisted, "Don't use the tiger's skin to pull the banner, Chairman Guo has no objection, right, Chairman?"
Guo Qian immediately said, "Of course I have no objection. This is a happy moment, and we can celebrate in any way we want. Young people should be more passionate."
"Me neither. Expressing love in public is something that will be blessed by everyone." Count Carlos also said with a smile.
Under the jeers of the onlookers, Li Jia could not stand the pressure and soon backed down. He hugged Serinda and moved his mouth towards her somewhat unnaturally. However, his movements were too slow, which made Serinda's face turn red with embarrassment. She could not stand this slow wait. Li Jia's shy look made her feel itchy. She grabbed his arm, moved her face forward, and kissed him directly on the lips.
There was a burst of cheers from all around, and many people shouted not to stop...
"Your committee chairman is really patient. He actually has the mood to preside over the wedding here." Liu Yisheng, who was standing in the crowd, said to Luo Ling beside him.
"The news hasn't spread yet, and we still have to do what we need to do," Luo Ling said.
"Some things are really hard to change." Liu Yisheng sighed, "For example, Li Jia's fate is to marry a foreign woman."
"Oh? What did you remember?" Luo Ling asked, clapping her hands lightly.
"Yes, today's scene reminded me of something." Liu Yisheng nodded, "I have watched Li Jia's weddings like this several times, and all the people on the opposite side were locals. It seems that he is really hungry."
"Haha, is that Serinda?" Luo Ling asked.
Liu Yisheng stared at the two people kissing for a long time and said, "No. At least not in my memory. It seems that one of them is the daughter of a small businessman, another is the daughter of a nearby farmer, and another is a female slave sold here. In short, none of them are important figures. As for Li Jia herself, she did play a role in the battles of several worlds. But..."
Liu Yisheng suddenly hesitated.
"But did he make bad choices in other worlds?"
Liu Yisheng said: "In one world, he is one of the leaders of the surrender faction. In another world, he is a murderer."
"Who did he kill?"
"His wife, a woman who cheated on him when he was away at war, and the other one is a teacher at the magic school, his wife's lover." Liu Yisheng glanced at Luo Ling and asked curiously, "It seems like you don't feel anything?"
"Li Jia looks shy and honest, but he has deep emotions. Whether it's love or hate, it's much stronger than most people. Given his personality, I don't find it strange that he did something like that. Including surrendering, he doesn't have too many persistent beliefs in his political stance. Instead, he is more easily swayed by personal emotions. If in a certain world, someone like Chang Lin manages his relationship well and makes him follow him wholeheartedly, it wouldn't be difficult. But in the final analysis, none of this happened."
"Hmm... very insightful." Liu Yisheng praised, "Then tell me, what do you want to do after knowing these things?"
"Tell him." Luo Ling answered straightforwardly.
"I thought you wouldn't say anything."
Luo Ling said: "Why can't we tell him? Isn't this a lesson for us? There is no more valuable reminder than knowing in advance the mistakes you made in another world."