Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

After a long while, Liu Cui'e picked up the bamboo basket, turned around and walked into the kitchen, leaving behind a soft sigh: "Forget about this meal today, and don't do it again next time."

Li Xiangqian sat on a small bench in the yard, looking at the sun rising gradually in the sky, feeling mixed emotions. Liu Guangfu's arrogant expression and He Yuzhu's humiliating expression kept appearing in his mind. Cui'e was right, he really didn't have the confidence to confront them head-on, but he always felt that if even he backed down, what would life be like in this alley?

He was not a person who liked to think too much, but at this moment, he couldn't help asking himself: Is everything he did meaningful? If these things really dragged his family into greater trouble, what should he do? Thinking of this, he clenched his fists, and then slowly loosened them.

At this time, Aunt Wang from next door came over with a basin of water. Seeing him sitting there in a daze, she smiled and joked, "Xiang Qian, what's wrong? You look like you've lost your soul so early in the morning."

Li Xiangqian raised his head and forced a smile: "It's okay, just sit down."

Aunt Wang didn't believe it. She put down the basin and sat down next to him: "Are you worried about the neighbors again? You are too soft-hearted. But everyone in our alley knows what kind of person you are. Don't be so serious. Live a serious life."

Li Xiangqian nodded, but didn't say anything more. His mind was in a mess, like a tangled thread that he couldn't figure out no matter how hard he tried.

As the sun rose higher, more people came into the alley. Some carried hoes, some carried buckets, and were busy with their own affairs. Li Xiangqian looked at all this, and a complex emotion rose in his heart. He knew that these people had their own difficulties. Like him, they lived a hard life, but had to grit their teeth and hold on.

Just as he was thinking, He Yuzhu appeared at the end of the alley. He looked better than in the morning, and he was holding a small cloth bag, which seemed to indicate that he had bought something. Seeing Li Xiangqian sitting at the gate, he stopped and grinned, "Xiangqian, thank you so much this morning."

"It's okay." Li Xiangqian forced a smile and stood up. "Are you okay? Liu Guangfu didn't cause you any more trouble, did he?"

He Yuzhu shook his head with a complicated look on his face: "He didn't look for me, but I heard that he might have been eyeing something else these days. You know him, he won't give up easily."

Li Xiangqian frowned, was silent for a moment, and then said, "Zhu Zi, sometimes we have to unite. One person is weak, but if we are united, there will always be a solution."

He Yuzhu was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "You're right, but don't push yourself too hard. Although we are poor, we are not easy to mess with."

In the evening, the sky gradually darkened, smoke from cooking filled the courtyard, and the air was filled with the aroma of food, but Li Xiangqian had no appetite. He sat under the eaves, staring blankly at the shadows on the ground. Seeing this, Liu Cui'e gently pushed him: "Xiangqian, what are you thinking about? The food is cold, why don't you come in and eat."

Li Xiangqian came back to his senses and curled his lips: "I'm fine, you guys eat first, I'll sit for a while."

Liu Cui'e sighed, stopped persuading her, and went back to her room.

Just as Li Xiangqian was hesitating whether to stand up, Yi Zhonghai pushed open the gate and walked in. He was holding an empty sack in one hand and his other hand in his pocket, his eyes sharp but calm. Yi Zhonghai was an old craftsman, and although he was old, he still maintained the competence and sharpness of a young man.

"Xiang Qian, are you free today?" Yi Zhonghai walked straight up to him and asked straight to the point.

Li Xiangqian stood up and dusted himself off: "Nothing, what do you want me to do?"

"Come with me." Yi Zhonghai nodded, his tone revealing an irresistible tone, "We are short of help in purchasing goods. You are strong and healthy, so you can help."

When Li Xiangqian heard the word "purchase", his heart was moved. He knew that Yi Zhonghai was in the wood business, and he lived in this alley and interacted with people from outside all year round, and he lived a decent life. Following him out, he could not only gain some experience, but also learn something.

"Okay, wait for me for a moment, I'll change my clothes." Li Xiangqian agreed readily.

A few minutes later, Li Xiangqian put on an old but neat coat and followed Yi Zhonghai out of the yard. The street outside the alley was gradually shrouded in the night, and the lights on the roadside lit up, reflecting the long figures of the two people.

"Uncle Zhonghai, how far are we going this time?" Li Xiangqian couldn't help but ask. Although he was willing to help, he was still a little nervous about the journey.

Yi Zhonghai didn't even turn his head, and walked steadily: "It's not far, it's an old acquaintance outside the city. Don't worry, it's not a difficult job, just bring back more goods, I can't spare the time by myself."

Li Xiangqian nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He knew that Yi Zhonghai was a calm person who would never do anything rash, so he felt a little relieved.

The two of them walked in silence for about a cup of tea before finally reaching their destination. This was an old warehouse with a dim lantern hanging at the door, exuding a sense of time. Yi Zhonghai opened the door with a familiar look, and a middle-aged man with a stubble on his face came up to him, holding a cigarette in his mouth, and said in a cheerful tone: "Hey, Brother Yi, you're here."

"Old rules." Yi Zhonghai nodded and threw the sack on the table. "Where are the goods you prepared for me?"

"It's been prepared long ago." The middle-aged man answered while asking the waiter to move the things out.

Li Xiangqian stood aside, looking at the boxes of wood and tools, feeling a little dazed. He had never seen so many neatly arranged goods before, and he immediately felt a little admiration in his heart. It turned out that Yi Zhonghai's business was so organized, no wonder he could gain a foothold in this courtyard.

When the goods were half loaded, Yi Zhonghai suddenly turned around and looked at Li Xiangqian: "Why are you standing there? Come and help me."

Li Xiangqian slapped his head and hurried over to pick up the box. He found that although the wood looked ordinary, it was not light and it took a lot of strength to lift it. He gritted his teeth and tried not to show his fear, sweating profusely.

During the loading process, the middle-aged man casually asked, "Brother Yi, is this little brother your apprentice?"

"I can't call him my apprentice." Yi Zhonghai smiled faintly, "He's a neighbor's kid, he's strong, I'll bring him out to see the world."

Li Xiangqian felt a little complicated when he heard this. He understood what Yi Zhonghai meant, that he was trying to shirk responsibility, but also to give him a way out. He raised his head and looked at Yi Zhonghai's profile, and found that he was concentrating on checking the goods, meticulously, without any unnecessary expression on his face.