Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"What should I do?" Li Xiangqian muttered to himself. After he finished speaking, the silence in the room seemed to respond to his question. Each word was like a cold stone, gently dropped into the lake of his heart, splashing waves that could not be calmed down.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through Li Xiangqian's mind: he needed to buy some cabbage. Although cabbage is simple, it can give people a sense of stability, as if returning to the most basic and peaceful level of life. At this time full of uncertainty and danger, Li Xiangqian longed for this seemingly ordinary but reassuring food, as if it could temporarily erase the chaotic world and bring a little comfort.

He stood up, with an indescribable urge in his heart, like going to the market to find something familiar and simple, to temporarily pull himself out of this fog. Li Xiangqian walked to the door, his father's warning that could not be ignored still in his mind, his heartbeat slightly accelerated, and everything in front of him began to become more and more blurred, as if there was a huge force pulling him in a direction he had not yet noticed.

The hustle and bustle of the market unfolded before his eyes. The vendors' cries, the honking of vehicles, and the fragrance of vegetable leaves in the air made Li Xiangqian find some peace in this noise. He began to walk on this familiar street. The stalls on the roadside were selling fresh vegetables and fruits as usual. The cabbage stall was not far away, and he almost subconsciously walked over there.

In front of the cabbage stall, there was a strong green smell. Li bent forward and picked a fresh cabbage. The moment his fingers touched the leaves of the vegetable, he suddenly felt a little relaxed. The cabbage leaves were smooth and green, exuding a vibrant smell, which seemed to make him temporarily forget the heavy pressure on his heart.

"How about this one?" The stall owner was a middle-aged woman with some traces of time on her face, but a gentle smile. When she saw the cabbage Li Xiangqian picked, she immediately asked with a smile.

"Very good." Li Xiangqian nodded. Although he was still full of doubts and uneasiness, he still handed her the money. "Take this one."

The stall owner took the money, quickly packed the cabbage, and handed it to Li Xiangqian. There was a warm light in her eyes: "Buy it and stir-fry it. It's refreshing and delicious. Don't forget to add some garlic."

Li Xiangqian smiled and nodded, taking the cabbage, feeling that the heavy cabbage seemed to carry his momentary peace. He turned and left the stall, but he felt a sense of uneasiness in his heart, as if the oppressive force was still wandering around him and refused to dissipate. With every step, he seemed to be walking carefully on an invisible edge.

On the way back to the courtyard, Li Xiangqian's steps seemed no longer so firm. With each step, the anxiety in his heart became stronger, as if an invisible hand was constantly pushing him. The weight of the cabbage no longer made him feel comfortable, but became heavier and heavier. Li Xiangqian couldn't help but lower his head and look at the cabbage in his hand. Suddenly, he felt that it, like himself, was carrying some kind of unspeakable heavy burden.

He returned to the courtyard, and when he walked through the door, his eyes subconsciously swept across the path, and suddenly a strange premonition arose in his heart. He unconsciously slowed down his pace. Although he was familiar with this road, it seemed a little different today. The air around him was unusually heavy, and even the wind seemed to be restrained by some invisible force and stopped flowing. Li Xiangqian suddenly remembered what his father once said: "Some people are not as simple as they seem on the surface."

He put the cabbage on the table, holding the edge of the table tightly with both hands, staring at the green leaves, his heart full of entanglement. Today's events, today's market, today's cabbage, all seemed to have some connection with the hidden truth on some level. His fingers trembled slightly, and the confusion and anxiety in his heart made him almost unable to breathe. Suddenly, he thought of something.

"I have to go check out that path." Li Xiangqian's heart tightened, and he suddenly felt something was wrong, as if that path was hiding something. He could no longer endure the unspeakable anxiety, and decided to go and see if he could find anything. He walked to the door, and suddenly looked back at the cabbage in the house, feeling a little uneasy.

Li Xiangqian walked out of the courtyard, still feeling the indescribable depression in his heart. With every step he took, it was as if he was walking through an invisible thick fog. His body moved forward in this silent space, but he could never get rid of that unspeakable existence. The path was still quiet, and the shadows became deeper and deeper under the evening breeze, as if hiding some secrets waiting to be revealed.

He walked for a long time and finally stopped at the entrance of the alley he had never dared to go into. It looked completely different from the courtyard. The dilapidated walls were covered with vines, and something unknown seemed to be lurking in the shadows. Whenever Li Xiangqian approached, he could always feel a strange chill, a chill that did not belong to this small courtyard, as if there was an unfathomable ocean behind all this, and no one could see the depth of it.

Today, he didn't know why, but he had an inexplicable urge in his heart to go in and unravel the mystery.

However, just as Li Xiangqian hesitated for a moment and was about to step forward, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind him: "Where are you going? It's so late?"

Li Xiangqian turned around and saw Aunt Chen standing behind him. Aunt Chen was an older resident in the courtyard. Although she and Li Xiangqian were not close friends on weekdays, she always had a kind smile and occasionally showed concern. But today, when he saw her, Li Xiangqian suddenly felt a little guilty.

"Aunt Chen..." Li Xiangqian was slightly stunned, and tried his best to look calm, "Nothing, just going out for a walk, nothing serious."

Aunt Chen narrowed her eyes, as if she noticed something unusual about him, and whispered, "Aren't you afraid of walking on this path?" Her tone was a little concerned, but more of a faint warning. Her eyes were no longer as peaceful as before, but had an indescribable heaviness, as if hiding some deep concerns.

"Afraid?" Li Xiangqian smiled sarcastically and shook his head, "I'm not afraid."

Aunt Chen glanced at him, as if she was weighing something. Finally, she shook her head and sighed: "If you have any problems, remember to tell everyone. There are some things in the Siheyuan that you cannot solve alone." After she said this, she didn't say anything else and turned back to her room.