Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian suddenly felt an inexplicable panic in his heart. He quickened his pace and looked around the yard. The old locust tree and the path under the tree, everything seemed so peaceful and comfortable, but now there was a faint sense of uneasiness. There were no people on the street outside the yard, only a few birds circling in the sky, and there seemed to be no sign of Xiaoli.

He whispered, "No, she wouldn't normally just walk away without telling me."

Zhang Lin walked up to him and held his hand. "Don't worry, calm down first. Maybe she just went to a friend's house nearby."

Li Xiangqian was still feeling uneasy, and his eyes unconsciously fell on the kitten on the windowsill. The kitten's eyes were still innocent and naive, as if all the troubles had nothing to do with it. Li Xiangqian felt a little depressed, as if he was oppressed by an invisible force.

He walked outside again, more eagerly than before. He knew that he could not wait any longer and had to find out where Xiaoli was. His pace became faster and faster, and his heartbeat became faster and faster, until he heard a familiar laugh coming from outside the yard.

The voice was gentle and cheerful, with a hint of innocent purity. Li Xiangqian felt relieved and stopped almost subconsciously. The laughter came from the path in front of the yard. He turned around and saw Xiaoli walking back with her neighbor's child Xiaojun. They each held a paper bag in their hands and seemed to have just returned from not far away.

"Xiao Li!" Li Xiangqian's voice was a little suppressed, but also a little relaxed. He walked forward with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

When Xiaoli looked up and saw Li Xiangqian, a sweet smile instantly appeared on her face. "Dad, Xiaojun and I are going to buy candy together!" Her tone was carefree and relaxed.

"Why did you leave without telling me?" Li Xiangqian's tone was a little serious, but he felt relieved in his heart. He looked at his daughter's eyes shining with innocence and suddenly felt that he seemed to be a little too anxious.

"Dad, I forgot to tell you! But it doesn't matter, the candy is delicious!" Xiaoli obviously didn't think there was anything wrong and still smiled brightly.

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and suppressed the uneasiness in his heart. He knew that his daughter was just not careful, but he was overly worried because of a small matter. The unspeakable fear seemed to be resolved at this moment.

"Xiao Li, please tell Daddy next time, okay?" Li Xiangqian said softly, his eyes full of doting.

"I know, Dad!" Xiaoli smiled sweetly and blinked her eyes.

"Okay, go wash your hands and get ready for dinner." Li Xiangqian patted her shoulder gently and turned to walk into the house. Although the uneasiness in his heart had temporarily dissipated, he still felt a little heavy. That inexplicable worry seemed to have never completely left him. He hoped that he could put aside those unnecessary doubts and enjoy the quiet time in front of him, but the vigilance in his heart never completely disappeared.

Zhang Lin saw Li Xiangqian walk into the room and said with a smile, "Is Xiaoli okay?"

"Yeah, it's okay." Li Xiangqian nodded, turned around and looked at the kitten again. It was still lying quietly on the windowsill, with gentle and calm eyes. He couldn't help but sighed and walked into the house, ready to put those messy thoughts aside for the time being.

"If she runs around like this again in the future, you have to keep her under control." Zhang Lin said with a hint of sarcasm.

Li Xiangqian was sorting some trivial items in the house, and his daughter Xiaoli's crisp laughter was still echoing in his mind. Although her departure was not a big deal, the anxiety in his heart had never completely dissipated. When he walked into the kitchen, he noticed the potato basket on the ground. The potatoes in the basket were originally neat, but now a few of them have sprouted, and the white buds have broken through the soil, which is a bit out of place.

Li Xiangqian frowned slightly, squatted down, and reached out to touch the sprouting potatoes. When his fingertips touched the soft part, a subtle coolness came from the surface of the potato. He knew that the sprouting of potatoes was not a good sign. These potatoes were no longer edible and had to be thrown away as soon as possible. Although such a small matter seemed unimportant, Li Xiangqian still muttered quietly in his heart: "Why is it wasted again..."

He sighed unconsciously, stood up, and prepared to take the potatoes out of the basket and throw them away. These little problems in life often come unexpectedly, and he is often troubled by them. It's like the endless trivialities that always make people feel breathless.

When Li Xiangqian brought the basket to the door and was about to throw the potatoes into the garbage heap in the yard, Zhang Lin came over with vegetables just brought out from the kitchen. "I haven't eaten these potatoes yet, how come they sprouted?" She said with a hint of helplessness.

"Yes, it has been stored for too long." Li Xiangqian couldn't help but shake his head, his face a little heavy, "These things, even if they are grown, can't all be eaten, so they are bound to be wasted."

"Don't think so." Zhang Lin patted his shoulder. "We can still afford food, so there's nothing to worry about. Besides, these potatoes can be fed to chickens after they sprout, so there's no waste."

Li Xiangqian looked up at Zhang Lin. Zhang Lin's eyes were always optimistic and calm. She could always easily find the bright spots in life and turn those things that should have been annoying into trivial matters. But Li Xiangqian was always easily trapped in his own world, with a lot on his mind. He frowned, but nodded silently.

"That's right." Li Xiangqian sighed, put the basket on the ground, and planned to sort out the sprouted potatoes. He didn't say anything more, and he was still a little depressed, as if even the details of the sprouting potatoes were silently reminding him that life is full of surprises and uncertainties, but these uncertainties are always out of control.

Li Xiangqian stared at the potato in his hand, his eyes gradually becoming blurred. He was a little dazed thinking that there are too many things in life, like this sprouting potato. You have clearly prepared for it, and you clearly thought that everything was going according to plan, but it would change. Just like his current life, his previous plans and goals are also quietly changing.

"Dad, Mom, there's someone outside looking for you." Xiaoli's voice came from outside the house, breaking Li Xiangqian's thoughts. Li Xiangqian came back to his senses and looked up at Xiaoli outside the door. She was standing at the door, pointing outside the yard, with a curious expression on her face.

Li Xiangqian couldn't help but stop what he was doing and frowned, "Who's looking for us?" There was some vigilance in his tone, and a sense of uneasiness rose in his heart.