For any era, cities have always been symbols of civilization and progress. They are the forefront of development, the warehouse of material resources, and densely populated villages.
"Yesterday I entered the city, returned with tears streaming down my face. Those adorned in silk robes are not the silkworm raisers." I've forgotten the author of this poem, but I remember its content and understand its meaning.
The city is the aspiration of many farmers' children; they strive with all their might to escape rural life. Thus, they flock to the city to realize their ideals.
Cities are noisy, but they are also prosperous. When we need prosperity, we can ignore the noise. This is like the psychology of someone buying something; we often unilaterally pursue the desire for high quality at a low price. But in reality, it's difficult to achieve this. If you pursue high quality, the price will be high. If we pursue low price, naturally the quality won't be good. Although this principle isn't absolute, it's widely applied because you can't have your cake and eat it too. Because many things in the world arise from a dual or multi-polar structure. Our instinct to survive in the cracks may determine that we develop needs suited to our own needs amidst opposition.
A city is like a river; what we often see is only its dynamics. Perhaps only in the collision of old and new waves can we see the stillness that a pool should possess.
A city is a hotel; it can welcome you when you are wealthy and drive you away when you are poor.
A city is a home without fences; it can welcome you when you come and bid you farewell when you want to leave.
A city is a strict instructor; it only gives you the tasks after ruthless training, and your life, death, honor, and disgrace are all in your own struggle and control.
A city is also a stage; you can become a pillar of the nation in your own performance, or you can play a minor role in someone else's performance.
A city can have many names, and you can play many roles, but your ending is only twofold: either you are elevated by its excellence or you are neglected by its exclusion. It's not your parents who disregard kinship, not your wife who doesn't care about love, not your friends who don't value friendship. It's merely a referee, judging only your wins and losses, only your strength and weakness; it's weighing the pros and cons. It's just a casino, not caring how much you bring, only how much you take away, only how much your group leaves for it; it's calculating.
Here, there are no winners except it. Because those winners in its eyes, though temporarily victorious, will compete again for even greater gains, merely for the fame and fortune it bestows or controls. As for the losers who depart, they still leave behind the fame and fortune it bestows and controls, only this fame and fortune have been lost to others and to themselves.
The city is a city of people, but people are not necessarily people of the city. In this highly developed era, the city has begun to compete with other cities, and those old houses and dwellings that survived the passage of time are quickly obscured by its new face. Those who construct the city's blueprint are not necessarily city dwellers, nor are those who serve the city, but those who adorn the city are certainly city dwellers.
The city is now crammed with skyscrapers and cars. City dwellers live in these buildings, and city dwellers spend their days in leisure and entertainment. But those who build and repair these buildings are undoubtedly rural people; only their physical strength can shoulder this heavy responsibility. The villages that were once common in the countryside are disappearing. Those who were once farmers, in this current environment of favorable timing, location, and human resources, naturally stand out. They have lost the memory of showing their old homes to their descendants, while outsiders have lost suitable housing.
These outsiders begin a state of homelessness and disarray, and so wave after wave of people begin to drift again. Wave after wave of people move into overpriced luxury housing, and wave after wave of people gradually leave the city, returning to their impoverished hometowns where resources are scarce. Because in their view, at least passive backwardness allows for a break-even situation, rather than the financial strain of proactive advancement.
The city, in their eyes, is a charming geisha, but she only allows admiration when you have money; there is no other way. The wish for "thousands of mansions, so that all the poor may rejoice" may be a matter of a day or two, or a grand dream for eternity; it is the sentiment of the ancients and the aspiration of modern people.
When will cities become places where everyone can go, live, and play? This seems easy, but it is actually very difficult. Because cities are merely places for outsiders to seek their fortune, seek medical treatment, consume, and stay overnight. Yet, for city dwellers, they are their place of residence, their source of income, their playground, and their natural haven. Cities have always favored the strong and expelled the weak; this is the nature of cities, and also the nature of people!
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