Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

He thought of the people in the past. Some left and never came back, while others went around in circles and finally returned to this courtyard. It was like he had been around for a long time before he realized that the place that suited him best was actually always there. But he was not a preacher, so he just smiled and said, "Who knows? Where the leaves fly is up to the wind."

The young man nodded thoughtfully. After a while, he suddenly stood up and stretched: "Uncle Li, I'm going back first. I'll come over to accompany you in the sun another day."

Li Xiangqian looked up at him and saw that the irritability in his eyes seemed to be even stronger. He understood a little. He nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He just said, "Go slowly on the road."

The young man responded and walked towards the gate. When he opened the door, the wind blew in from outside, bringing with it the noisy atmosphere of the street and the smell of the outside world. His figure quickly disappeared outside the door, and the door slowly closed again. The yard returned to silence, leaving only the wind chimes ringing softly, as if telling something.

Li Xiangqian sat on the chair, his eyes still fixed on the leaf. The wind blew again, and it was picked up, floating gently to a corner, and finally landed on a bluestone slab, no longer moving.

He sighed softly, picked up the teacup, and found that the tea had gone cold. He frowned, slowly stood up, walked slowly to the teapot, and poured himself a new cup of hot tea. The steam rose up and spread in the sunlight, like a vague old dream.

The yard is still the same yard, the sunshine is still the same sunshine, the wind is still blowing, the leaves are still fluttering, but time seems to have moved forward a step without anyone noticing.

Li Xiangqian held the hot tea in his hand and blew on it slowly, his eyes fixed on the steam rising from the cup, but his thoughts drifted far away like the curling mist. He recalled an afternoon many years ago, when the yard was still very lively, with a few bamboo chairs under the tree, people in the yard gathered together to drink tea, chat, and sometimes even play cards together, shouting and making a lot of noise, it was very lively.

When he was young, he was not as peaceful as he is now. He was running outside all day long, and was always in a hurry when he returned to the yard. How could he have time to sit down and bask in the sun? At that time, he thought that the yard was a place to rest, but not a place to stay for a long time. He walked hurriedly, always thinking that the world outside was bigger, and always thinking that he could go further.

But in this life, no matter how far you go, you will always remember the place where you started.

He remembered that winter, it snowed heavily, and the yard was covered with a thick layer of white snow, which made a "crunching" sound when stepped on. He had just come back from outside and stood at the gate of the yard to shake off the snow on his body. He looked up and saw a group of people gathered in the yard. Several children were running wildly in the snow, and the adults were warming themselves around the brazier, holding wine glasses in their hands, and their faces were red from drinking. He was standing at the door at that time, looking at the scene in front of him, and suddenly an indescribable feeling arose in his heart, as if his heart was gently tugged by something.

He can still recall that feeling clearly, just like the cup of hot tea in his hand at this moment, warm and bringing an indescribable sense of security.

"Oh, Uncle Li, you're really here basking in the sun again!"

The gate was pushed open again, and a middle-aged woman with a round face poked her head in, holding a cloth bag in her hand and with a familiar smile on her face. She walked in, patting the dust off her body and said, "I just passed by and saw that your gate was open, so I thought of coming in to take a look."

Li Xiangqian raised his eyes and glanced at her, with a smile on his face: "You are so sweet, have I always been basking in the moonlight before?"

The woman laughed and put the bag on the table: "I brought you some snacks. My husband bought them at the store yesterday. He said they were new. You can try them."

Li Xiangqian stretched out his hand and opened the cloth bag. Inside were several plump white cakes, emitting a faint sweet fragrance. He picked up one and squeezed it. It was soft and dense, and must have been made not long ago. He casually asked, "What has your wife been busy with recently? I haven't seen her for a few days."

The woman sat down on the bamboo chair next to her and sighed, "What else can I do? I run around outside every day and don't even say a few words when I get home. But I remember clearly buying food."

Li Xiangqian chuckled: "It means he still cares about you."

"Go away, who cares?" The woman said with disgust, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

She watched Li Xiangqian eating his snacks leisurely, and suddenly asked, "Uncle Li, when you were out and about, did you also think about going home all day long?"

Li Xiangqian paused in chewing, as if he had not expected her to ask this question. He raised his head and his eyes fell on the old locust tree in the yard. The breeze blew, and the branches and leaves swayed gently, making a rustling sound. He was silent for a while, then slowly spoke: "When I was young, I didn't think about going home, I just wanted to go outside, thinking that the sky outside was bigger and there were more scenery. But later..."

He paused, lowered his head and blew on the tea, then continued, "Later I realized that nowhere is as peaceful as this yard."

The woman nodded and said, "Is that why you sit here every day to bask in the sun?"

Li Xiangqian smiled slightly and did not answer directly.

The yard returned to silence. The wind blew through the treetops, and a few fallen leaves swirled down and landed on the ground. The woman sat for a while, then stood up and patted her skirt: "I won't disturb you from basking in the sun. I still have a lot of work to do at home. I'll come to see you another day."

Li Xiangqian waved his hand and watched her walk to the gate and push it open to go out. The door creaked, and the light and shadow flickered on the door frame for a moment before returning to calm.

He looked down at the half-cup of tea in his hand. The tea had already cooled down a little, but he was not in a hurry to finish it. He just sat quietly and listened to everything in the yard. The sound of the wind blowing the leaves, the laughter of people in the street in the distance, and the occasional meow of a cat, all intertwined together to form the unique sound of this courtyard.

Li Xiangqian was very familiar with these voices.

He reached out and picked up a fallen leaf on the table, and gently stroked the leaf veins with his fingertips. In the past years, like this leaf, he was blown around by the wind, but in the end, he still fell back into this yard.

The clouds in the sky were floating slowly, and the sunshine shone on his face, warm, like a gentle comfort from the years.

Li Xiangqian was holding the fallen leaf in a daze when he suddenly heard footsteps coming from the gate. They were steady and slow, with a familiar rhythm. He looked up and saw a deaf old lady carrying a basket and walking slowly in from outside. She was thin and had a slightly hunched back. The basket in her hand was filled with some fresh vegetables. The basket swayed gently with her steps, making a rustling sound.