Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian listened, smiled gently, and his eyes fell back on the fallen leaf. When the wind blew, it turned over and slid deeper into the crevice. He didn't say anything, and his fingers slowly stroked the armrests of the chair. The texture of the rattan chair was rough and warm, as if it had some kind of indescribable familiarity, which made him feel an indescribable satisfaction. When he was young, how could he be so comfortable as he is now? At that time, even in winter, the yard was bustling, and basking in the sun was a rare thing. People came and went in the yard, and the sounds of footsteps, talking, and the collision of pots and pans merged into a special atmosphere of life. Now, the yard is much quieter. Sometimes you can't hear a few words a day. There is only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the occasional cat's cry.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, the young man paused and asked again: "Uncle Li, did you also run out all day like me in the past?"

Li Xiangqian chuckled and shook his head: "When I was young, I didn't have as much free time as you do. I was busy all day, so how could I have time to think about these things?"

The young man blinked and asked with interest: "Then why did you like sunbathing later? It seems that you are more relaxed than anyone else now."

Li Xiangqian raised his hand and touched his nose, his smile deepened, and he said slowly: "It's not that I like sunbathing, it's just that I'm old and I know how to enjoy it."

The young man said "Oh", nodded as if he understood, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip slowly.

In the yard, the wind was a little stronger, and the leaves on the trees were rustling. Occasionally, a few leaves could not help but break free from the branches, spinning and falling down, floating over the tea table, floating over the old rattan chair, and landing on the stone pavement in the yard, mixing with the previous leaf, as if it was an encounter accidentally arranged by fate.

Li Xiangqian looked at the fallen leaves and suddenly remembered that there was such a scene in the yard when he was a child. At that time, he and a few friends ran around in the yard, chasing fallen leaves. Whoever could catch a leaf before it fell to the ground would win. Thinking about it now, those days seem to be just before my eyes, but looking back at the yard, there are only a few familiar people left. Time is like the wind, quietly taking away many things, except for the fallen leaves, which fall from the trees every year, like a metaphor left by time for him.

Seeing that he was lost in thought, the young man tilted his head to look at him and asked softly, "Uncle Li, what are you thinking about?"

Li Xiangqian came back to his senses, smiled, and said in a light tone: "Nothing, I just feel that these fallen leaves will fall every year, just like people. After a while, some will leave and some will stay."

After hearing this, the young man looked at the leaves on the ground thoughtfully, picked up one, spun it gently between his fingers, and then threw it away. He watched it drift away with the wind and suddenly smiled: "If I leave in the future, will you miss me, Uncle Li?"

Li Xiangqian glanced at him and snorted, "Boy, can you leave? Every time you say you want to leave, don't you end up going back to this yard?"

The young man was exposed by him, scratched his head, laughed, and said nothing more. The yard became quiet for a while, only the wind chimes rang softly, the shadows of the trees swayed, and the sunlight shone through the cracks, shining on the two people, so warm that people couldn't help but close their eyes.

The wind continued to blow and the leaves continued to fall. In the courtyard, time seemed to be infinitely stretched by this quiet afternoon, with no end.

Li Xiangqian felt mixed emotions. The courtyard in front of him still looked familiar, but the people had changed. The bustling time seemed like yesterday, but now only scattered figures were left, like fallen leaves, blown by the wind and could drift away at any time. He picked up the teacup and took a sip slowly. His eyes fell on the stone table. There was a circle of faint ripples on the surface of the tea, as if it was blown by the wind, as if it was stirred by time.

The young man did not speak again, but just sat quietly, as if he had found a rare place to rest. He leaned back in his chair, stretched his legs, still holding the leaf in his hand, rubbing the veins with his fingertips, looking thoughtful. Li Xiangqian glanced at him, thinking, this kid comes here frequently, but he can't stay still. Sooner or later he will go out to explore, just like the young people in the courtyard in the past, who all left one by one, first went out to hang out, and when they came back, they either brought new experiences or a lot of things in their minds.

"Uncle Li," the young man suddenly spoke in a low voice, as if he had considered for a long time before asking, "Tell me, do people really need to go out and try their luck?"

Li Xiangqian didn't rush to answer. He tapped the armrest of the chair with his fingers from time to time. After a while, he said, "It depends on what you want."

The young man looked up at him, his eyes showing a trace of confusion: "I don't know what I want, but I just feel... uneasy in my heart."

Li Xiangqian chuckled and didn't respond. He certainly understood this feeling. When he was young, he was not a person who could live in peace. He always wanted to grab something with his hands and move forward with his feet, like the wind, wherever it blew. But now, he likes to sit like this, looking at the sun and the leaves floating in the wind, and his heart is at ease. But if young people are asked to sit like him, it is impossible. With that kind of restlessness in their bones, how can they rest easily?

"There's nothing wrong with going out for a walk while you're still young." Li Xiangqian finally spoke, his voice light, as if he was talking about something unimportant.

The young man seemed relieved after hearing this. He smiled and nodded, with a glimmer of eagerness in his eyes: "Uncle Li, you have been to many places before, right? Is there anything special?"

Li Xiangqian thought for a moment, shook his head and said with a smile: "There are so many special places, but if you really go there and stay for a long time, they may not be better than this yard."

The young man curled his lips: "You talk like you're tired of going everywhere."

"I'm really tired of it." Li Xiangqian sighed half-seriously, looking up at the clouds slowly drifting across the sky. "I've seen so many landscapes that I can't remember where is where. But I know exactly how this yard changes throughout the seasons."

The young man smiled and didn't say anything. He raised his hand and threw the leaf into the air, watching it spin in the wind, then slowly fall down, and finally quietly stop on the ground. He suddenly asked: "Uncle Li, do you think people will eventually return to the place they are familiar with?"

Li Xiangqian was silent for a moment, his eyes fell on the leaves on the ground, and he suddenly felt an indescribable feeling in his heart.