Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

There was a cool breeze in the yard, and a bright moon hung in the night sky, casting a cool glow. Li Xiangqian stood in the middle of the yard, took a deep breath, and felt a little chilly. He looked up at the moon, and suddenly an indescribable emotion surged in his heart.

"Why has life become like this?" he muttered to himself, his hands in his trouser pockets, his eyes blank.

He thought of his past self, when he was full of energy and always felt that although life was hard, the future would definitely get better. But now, the conflicts at home, the pressure at work, and the trivialities of life all weighed on his shoulders, making him feel breathless.

"Xiang Qian, you're not a coward, but why can't you even take care of your family?" He whispered in self-blame, with mixed feelings in his heart.

Just as he was in a daze, there was a slight sound of footsteps outside the courtyard gate. Li Xiangqian frowned and turned to look at the door. A moment later, a thin figure appeared outside the door. It was the neighbor Lao Yang.

"Xiang Qian, why haven't you slept yet?" Old Yang asked in a low voice, with some concern in his tone.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came out to get some fresh air." Li Xiangqian forced a smile, "Why are you still out so late?"

Old Yang sighed, walked into the yard, and leaned against the door: "Don't mention it. I can't sleep because of the things at home. I came out to smoke a cigarette to relax. How about you? It seems that you have something on your mind recently."

Li Xiangqian smiled bitterly and nodded: "Who doesn't have some worries at home? But in the end, it's all for this family. Sigh, sometimes I feel that it's really not easy for a man to live."

"That's right." Old Yang nodded in agreement, "You have to shoulder everything at home. Who can understand our hardship?"

The two were silent for a while, only the night breeze gently blew through the yard, bringing a hint of coolness. Li Xiangqian suddenly felt that it was good to chat like this, at least someone could listen to his inner thoughts.

"Old Yang, what do you think we are trying to achieve?" Li Xiangqian asked in a low voice, with a hint of confusion in his tone.

"What's the point?" Old Yang smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Isn't it just to make life better for my family? But sometimes, even if we work hard, they may not understand."

Li Xiangqian nodded, somewhat agreeing, but also feeling unwilling. He felt that he had tried his best, but why couldn't he always get the desired result?

"Xiang Qian, I'm telling you the truth." Lao Yang suddenly lowered his voice, "Sometimes, we have to learn to let go. Don't always push yourself too hard. Life will eventually get by."

Li Xiangqian understood what he said, but he found it difficult to do it. He knew that he was a stubborn person and there were some things he couldn't let go of or change.

The two chatted for a while until a glimmer of light began to appear in the sky, and then Lao Yang stood up to say goodbye. Li Xiangqian saw him out of the courtyard, and stood at the door watching his back as he left, and suddenly felt a little relieved.

"Maybe I should try to let it go," he whispered, then turned and went back to the house.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, Li Xiangqian pushed open the wooden door of the courtyard and walked out of the yard. Although he did not sleep well last night, his heart was a little calmer. He thought that going out for a walk and stretching his muscles might make him feel better.

He walked slowly along the path. Dewdrops hung on the weeds beside the path, sparkling in the morning light. It was so quiet that only the chirping of birds and the occasional crowing of roosters could be heard in the distance. As he walked, he thought randomly: I still need to sort out the family affairs, especially the conflict between me and Zhang Guifang. I can't let it go on like this.

"Oh, why is it getting more and more awkward?" He muttered to himself, but did not stop.

When he came to a small road that turned a corner, his eyes were attracted by an object on the ground. It was a walking stick, lying quietly on the side of the road. The wooden shaft was smooth and shiny, and it was obviously carefully polished. There was a red rope tied at the top, and it didn't look like something that was thrown away casually.

Li Xiangqian squatted down and picked up the crutch. He looked at it for a few seconds and wondered, "Who would leave a crutch here? Did they drop it or don't want it anymore?"

He patted the dust off the cane and felt that it was just the right weight and was comfortable to hold. Although he couldn't use it, the cane looked quite new and it was a pity to leave it here.

"This cane must be used by the elderly, right?" he thought, and looked around again, wanting to see if anyone had come back to look for something. But there was no one around, only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the treetops.

"Could it be that an elderly person from some family forgot to take it away?" he wondered to himself, and then he felt that this place was remote and there didn't seem to be many families nearby.

Li Xiangqian stood there hesitating for a while with the cane in his hand, and finally decided to take it for a walk to see if he could find the owner. He thought that if no one claimed it, he would take it home and give it to someone in need.

Along the way, he leaned on a cane and imitated the old man's way of walking, feeling a little funny. Such a simple stick made him forget his troubles temporarily, and even raised a smile at the corner of his mouth.

When he walked to the edge of a field, he saw an old man working in the field not far away. The old man was hunched over and moved slowly, obviously quite old. Li Xiangqian thought that maybe the cane was his, so he walked over quickly.

"Good morning, old man!" Li Xiangqian greeted him, holding up his cane. "Is this cane yours?"

The old man heard the voice, raised his head, squinted at him, looked at the cane in his hand, and shook his head: "It's not mine, I don't use a cane."

Li Xiangqian was stunned and scratched his head: "Oh, then I'll ask someone else."

The old man smiled and said slowly: "If you can't find anyone, just take it back. It looks like this cane is pretty sturdy, don't waste it."

Li Xiangqian nodded, thanked the old man, and continued walking forward. He wondered in his heart, who on earth does this cane belong to? If it was really lost by an old man, it would be inconvenient to walk without the cane.

Along the way, he asked everyone he met: "Do you recognize this crutch? Who in your family lost it?" But everyone shook their heads to indicate that they didn't know.

After walking for a long time, he still couldn't find the owner. As the sun gradually rose, Li Xiangqian began to think: If no one really wants this crutch, then I will take it back and see if anyone will come to claim it later.

When he returned to the courtyard, Zhang Guifang was standing in the yard hanging clothes. Seeing that he was holding a cane, she frowned and asked, "Where did you get this thing?"

"I found it on the roadside." Li Xiangqian put the cane against the wall. "I thought maybe someone nearby had lost it, so I brought it back to see if anyone claims it."