Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"I have to look for it to see if it was lost by someone nearby." He thought to himself, and walked down the path with the cane. He noticed some fresh dirt marks on the bottom of the cane, which seemed to have been used not long ago, which made him more certain that its owner should be nearby.

After walking for a while, Li Xiangqian saw a hunched figure on the ridge in front of him, who seemed to be bending over to pick up something. The man walked unsteadily, and every step seemed to be laborious, as if he might fall at any time. Li Xiangqian frowned, quickened his pace, and walked closer. It was indeed an elderly man.

"Old man, what are you looking for?" Li Xiangqian asked, raising the crutch in his hand.

The old man heard the voice, slowly straightened up and turned his head. His face was full of wrinkles, his eyes were cloudy, but he was anxious. Seeing the cane in Li Xiangqian's hand, the old man's eyes suddenly lit up and he hurriedly said, "Young man, did you find my cane? It's my lifeblood!"

"Is it yours?" Li Xiangqian breathed a sigh of relief and handed over the cane. "I just saw it on the side of the road and wondered if someone had dropped it. I didn't expect it to be yours."

The old man took the cane with trembling hands and held it tightly in his hand, as if it was a treasure that he had lost and found again. He raised his head and looked at Li Xiangqian gratefully: "Thank you, young man! If it weren't for it, I don't know how I would work in the fields today."

Li Xiangqian scratched his head, a little embarrassed: "It's okay, I'll return it to you if I find it, this is what I should do."

The old man patted his shoulder, his voice choking: "You don't know, this cane was made for me by my son. When he was still at home, he was always afraid that I would fall. But later he went to another place and left this cane to accompany me. This thing reminds me of him."

Li Xiangqian felt sad when he heard this. He suddenly felt that this seemingly ordinary cane actually carried so many emotions of the old man. He looked at the old man's hands holding the cane. Those hands full of calluses must have worked hard for this family.

"Old man, aren't you afraid of falling when you go downstairs alone?" Li Xiangqian hesitated for a moment, but still asked to express his concern.

The old man sighed and smiled bitterly, "What can I do? The children are not around, and someone has to do the work in the fields. If I don't do it, I won't have anything to eat. Besides, while I can still move, I can do it myself, which will save them some trouble."

Li Xiangqian was stunned by these words. He looked at the old man's weathered face and suddenly felt a sense of admiration. The old man's strength and optimism seemed to be a silent force, which made him feel a little courage.

"How about this, uncle? I don't have anything to do today. How about I help you with some work?" Li Xiangqian said.

The old man waved his hand and said with a smile: "No, no, young people have their own things to do. How can they always do these hard labors? It is already a great favor if you can help me find the crutches."

Li Xiangqian insisted, "I'm idle anyway, so let me help. Doing more work can also be considered as exercise for my body."

When the old man heard him say that, he finally nodded and said with a smile: "Thank you, young man. It's rare to find someone as kind-hearted as you in our area."

The two walked into the field together. Li Xiangqian took the old man's hoe and began to turn the soil. The sun gradually rose higher, and the air was filled with the scent of soil and plants. His clothes were soon soaked with sweat, but he felt very at ease in his heart.

The old man watched from the side, occasionally reaching out to support the seedlings that were about to fall, and muttering about family matters. Li Xiangqian listened while working, and occasionally interjected a few words. Although it was just some trivial conversations, it made him feel a long-lost sense of relaxation.

Li Xiangqian worked until the sun was setting. He looked up and stretched. He looked at the tilled land and felt a sense of accomplishment. The old man handed him a bottle of water and said with a smile, "Thank you so much, young man. If I were to work on this land by myself, it would take me three to five days to finish it."

Li Xiangqian took the water and grinned: "It's nothing, don't get too tired, your health is important."

The old man nodded, patted his cane, and said, "Today is all thanks to you. I really can't do without this cane. Young man, if you have any problems in the future, just come to me. Although I can't help much, as long as I can do it, I will never refuse!"

As the night deepened, Li Xiangqian leaned on a broken chair in the yard, holding a bowl of thin porridge in his hands. He gently stirred it with a spoon, but his eyes were looking at the window where the light was flickering. Inside the window, Liu Cui'e was coaxing her child, gently patting her daughter's back and humming an old lullaby. The voice was soft, but it could not hide the tired look on her face.

Li Xiangqian sighed, drank the porridge and put the bowl at his feet. He looked at the dark sky, feeling as if a stone was blocking his heart. He knew that his daughter was still young and could not talk about whether she was sensible or not, but he still couldn't help but hope that the child could grow up earlier and understand the difficulties of the family. Maybe this would make Liu Cui'e worry less.

"Cui'e, when will our daughter stop making trouble?" Li Xiangqian's tone contained a hint of helplessness and expectation.

Liu Cui'e turned around, walked to the door with the sleeping child in her arms, and whispered, "How old is the child? Do you want her to be sensible? Besides, we adults are responsible for the family life. How can we expect the children to help share the burden?"

Li Xiangqian was speechless for a moment and raised his hand to scratch his head. He didn't want his daughter to help them with the work, he just hoped that his daughter would not be so naughty. Every time she cried, the whole family would be disturbed. He lowered his head and murmured, "That's not what I meant... I just thought that if she could make less noise, you could also take a break."

Liu Cui'e understood what he meant, sighed, and sat next to him with her daughter in her arms. She said softly, "Xiang Qian, the child is innocent. The fact that she can cry and make a fuss shows that she is in good health and has nothing wrong with her heart. When she grows up, she will naturally be sensible. When that time comes, don't think she is too well behaved and no longer acts like a child."

Li Xiangqian gave a bitter smile: "How could I dislike it? I'm just afraid that she's too sensible and will lose the joy of being a child."

After saying this, he was stunned. Thinking back, he was also a naughty child when he was young, always wanting to run out to play, but the housework made him come into contact with the adult world early. His childhood was almost tied to the fields, livestock, and those dirty tools. At that time, he also felt that it was unfair, but over time, he no longer had the heart to complain.