Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian stood there, his heart seemed to be hit hard by something. Some things in Siheyuan cannot be solved by one person? This sentence circled in his mind like a mystery, lingering. Everyone knew something, even Aunt Chen, an old woman who seemed to be indifferent to the world. But he could never figure out why he was always hindered by these invisible warnings.

He sighed, feeling a little irritated, but unwilling to give up. He had to keep going, even if it meant finding the answer, even if it meant finding a clue that had been overlooked.

Just as he was about to move forward, a dog suddenly jumped out from the corner, barking, and pounced at Li Xiangqian's feet, frightening him so much that he almost fell down. The dog did not look ferocious, but rather a little thin, with messy hair on its body, but its eyes were full of alertness and anxiety. Its hair was a little dirty, and it was obviously a stray dog. It exuded an unpleasant odor, but its eyes were unusually clear, revealing a look of seeking help.

Li Xiangqian was stunned and lowered his head to look at the dog that suddenly appeared. It barked and looked at Li Xiangqian with wet eyes, as if seeking some kind of answer. Li Xiangqian raised his hand, hesitated for a moment, and finally reached out and gently touched its head.

"Why are you here?" Li Xiangqian asked in a low voice, with an inexplicable tone of pity. The dog looked like it had just experienced some hard times, and the scars and dirt on its body showed that it had been wandering on this street for a long time.

The dog seemed to sense Li Xiangqian's kindness, raised its head, and licked Li Xiangqian's hand with its tongue. Its movements were very docile, and although there was still a hint of vigilance in its eyes, it was obvious that it wanted to rely on Li Xiangqian.

Li Xiangqian was silent for a moment, looking at the dog's stubborn but helpless appearance, and suddenly an indescribable emotion rose in his heart. He squatted down, stretched out his hand to its neck, and gently touched the rough fur. The dog seemed to suddenly relax its vigilance and lay quietly at Li Xiangqian's feet, as if waiting for Li Xiangqian to make a decision.

He looked down at it, and suddenly an inexplicable impulse surged in his heart: "How about I take you home?" He never thought that he would suddenly make such a decision, and even felt that his behavior at this time was a little unreasonable. However, perhaps it was this irrational impulse that created some inexplicable connection between him and this stray dog.

Li Xiangqian stood up and called softly, "Let's go." As he spoke, he took the dog's collar and decided to take it back to the courtyard.

The dog did not resist, but followed Li Xiangqian obediently, walking on the familiar path. There did not seem to be much communication between the two, but the silent companionship gave Li Xiangqian a strange comfort. The dog walked quietly, looking back at Li Xiangqian from time to time, as if confirming his presence. Although its fur was dirty, Li Xiangqian felt that it seemed to bring a strange warmth, like a new puzzle piece inserted into his world. Although it lacked a perfect shape, it made him feel less lonely.

When he returned to the courtyard, it was already completely dark. Li Xiangqian had just walked into the courtyard when he suddenly heard a burst of hurried footsteps coming from behind. He looked back and saw Aunt Wang rushing in from the alley, her brows furrowed and she looked a little flustered.

"Li Xiangqian!" Aunt Wang walked quickly to him, her tone anxious, "What did you bring back? This dog——"

Li Xiangqian frowned slightly, realizing that Aunt Wang's reaction was not right. "Aunt Wang, the dog is fine. I felt sorry for it, so I brought it back."

"Poor?" Aunt Wang was stunned for a moment, and then her expression became more nervous, "Do you know that this dog once appeared near our courtyard and was related to some not-so-clean things!"

"What dirty things?" Li Xiangqian frowned, and doubts in his heart rose again.

Aunt Wang seemed a little hesitant, but finally whispered: "There are some things you shouldn't know too much. In the courtyard, some things... have been happening in secret. Many things are not what you want to know." Her tone became even lower, and you could almost hear the trembling in her voice.

After returning to the courtyard, Li Xiangqian's mood became more complicated. Aunt Wang's words were like a sharp knife, deeply cutting the originally calm area in his heart, and blood gushed out. He thought he was just bringing back a stray dog, but he accidentally touched some unknown secrets. What happened in the courtyard? Why did Aunt Wang say that the dog was related to something unclean? Li Xiangqian felt that his world suddenly became no longer simple, and all his daily life began to be overshadowed.

Li Xiangqian stood in the yard for a while, with all kinds of complicated thoughts intertwined in his mind, difficult to sort out. He didn't even notice the sound of the door approaching, until the familiar figure appeared in his sight, he suddenly came back to his senses.

His wife Xiaolin came back from outside, carrying a cloth bag, looking a little tired. Seeing Li Xiangqian standing in the yard, she showed a subtle expression on her face, as if she was a little unhappy. She walked up to Li Xiangqian, looked up at him, and said with a bit of blame in her tone: "What did you bring back again?"

Li Xiangqian's heart tightened, and he suddenly didn't know how to answer. His wife had always been a rational and calm person, especially at home, she was very sensible in dealing with everything. However, the dissatisfaction in her eyes at this moment still made him feel uneasy.

"It's a stray dog." Li Xiangqian answered in a low voice, his eyes subconsciously moving towards the dog that was still wandering anxiously in the yard. It didn't look particularly good, with a thin body and messy hair, making it look a bit out of place. Li Xiangqian paused and continued, "It looked a bit pitiful, so I brought it back."

Xiao Lin stared at the dog for a long time, a trace of doubt flashed in her eyes, then she shook her head, her tone somewhat helpless: "You are always like this, bringing this kind of thing back at any time. Our house is already messy enough, and we don't have the extra energy to take care of it. You know, the things that happened in the courtyard, both overt and covert, are not simple matters. How can you be so careless?"

Her words pierced Li Xiangqian's heart, like a heavy blow to his heart, making him feel uncomfortable. He frowned, feeling a little depressed, thinking that he always seemed to be doing something wrong, especially in front of his wife. Whenever she said these words, Li Xiangqian would feel a complex emotion in his heart, as if he was suppressed.