Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Today's sunshine was not warm, but rather a bit chilly, like a remnant of winter. The air in the yard was still filled with the breath of time, and those long-lost memories began to roll around in his mind - once upon a time, he had also felt warmth and tranquility here, and felt that everything would be so simple and clear.

However, all this no longer matters.

He lowered his head and looked at the purse he was holding tightly. The large sum of money in the bag seemed to have a life, constantly reminding him of the decision he had made. The money was not just an item for trading, but also a threshold that was difficult to cross, making him drift away from his past self.

"I made money, but that's all." Li Xiangqian whispered, not even realizing what he was saying. The sound came out of his mouth, with a sense of fatigue and emptiness. The complicated emotions in his heart were no longer so sharp, as if every choice had been polished to silence.

He turned and walked into the courtyard, his pace slowing down. Memories came flooding back like a tide, making him feel a little lost for a moment. Every time he stepped through this door, he could feel the simple self he once was, but today, he no longer felt as relaxed as before. Every step seemed to be extremely heavy, and every breath seemed to carry a burden like steel. Every stone slab and every tile seemed to be telling stories from the past, but those stories no longer had any real meaning in Li Xiangqian's heart.

His mind echoed with his boss's cold words: "When you get the money, remember, this is your own price." Whenever he recalled these words, Li Xiangqian felt an unspeakable depression in his heart, as if the air had become sticky and making it impossible to breathe.

Li Xiangqian stopped walking in the middle of the yard. He raised his head slightly and looked at the old locust tree above him. The tree had a huge crown and lush branches and leaves. The sun shone through the leaves onto the ground, and the mottled light and shadows intertwined into a network, as if countless hands were caressing him. The stone table under the tree still stood there quietly. He had sat here before and chatted with some familiar people about some trivial matters. It was also a relaxing day.

Now, when he sat down again, he knew that there would be a voice in his heart reminding him that all the simplicity had been broken and all the stability had become a thing of the past.

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath, walked towards the stone table and sat down slowly. He felt a little uncomfortable, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed the stone table. The delicate stone texture made him feel a little strange. Suddenly, a thought popped up in his mind - if he did nothing, could he find another way to belong to himself?

But when this thought flashed through his mind, his heart calmed down again. That "if" was just empty talk after all. In fact, Li Xiangqian already knew that he could never go back to that simple self, nor could he abandon the reality in front of him. In reality, he had too many entanglements, too many things pulling him towards the current path.

His eyes involuntarily looked to the other side of the yard, where there was a shabby flower bed with withered flowers and a few weeds swaying in the wind. At that moment, Li Xiangqian's heart was actually filled with some kind of emotion, as if he saw the image of that part of himself in the past.

"I used to be different." Li Xiangqian suddenly murmured, his voice low and unclear. He himself couldn't hear clearly what he said, and he didn't even know whether it was self-mockery or a sigh. Then he laughed again, a little bitterly, "But this is my life now, isn't it?"

He took the purse out of his arms and stared at the cash inside. Each bill looked so eye-catching, but in his heart, it became more and more unfamiliar. The things that money can buy were originally thought to bring short-term satisfaction, but now, Li Xiangqian only felt endless emptiness. This thing he had always longed for turned out to be a shackle in his heart, binding him, oppressing him, and making him unable to escape.

Suddenly, Li Xiangqian heard a familiar sound of footsteps. Coming to his senses, he saw a person walking into the yard, and the figure was particularly bright in the sun. Li Xiangqian's heartbeat paused slightly, but when he saw who it was, he couldn't help but be stunned.

It was a deaf old lady. She was walking towards him slowly, holding a basket full of vegetables in her hands. She looked calm and not panicked at all. Although her steps were slow, they were still firm and powerful, as if the vicissitudes of life had never left any traces on her.

The deaf old lady did not speak immediately, she just walked in front of Li Xiangqian and kept her eyes on his face, as if she was looking through his heart. Li Xiangqian wanted to speak, but when he saw her calm eyes, all the words seemed to be stuck in his throat.

The old lady slowly put down the basket in her hand, stood next to Li Xiangqian, and asked softly, "Are you okay?"

Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said, "I'm fine, just a little confused." He paused, lowered his head again, and couldn't take his eyes off the pile of banknotes. "I'm confused because I made money, but I don't know if it's what I want."

The old lady nodded slightly, as if she understood what Li Xiangqian said. She was silent for a moment, and suddenly asked: "Do you think that money can solve all problems?"

Li Xiangqian's heart trembled. He raised his head and his eyes flickered. He seemed to want to avoid the question, but he felt that he could not deny it. He said softly: "I always thought that money could make me live a better life, but now, I feel..."

"Money can't change the emptiness in your heart." The deaf old lady's words were like a cold wind, hitting Li Xiangqian's heart. His face changed slightly, he lowered his head and stopped talking. Every word she said was like a truth that hit the depths of his heart, and he couldn't escape.

The deaf old lady smiled and turned away, leaving Li Xiangqian sitting alone at the stone table. He still held the bag, his fingers gradually became cold, but his heart was no longer as tense as before.

He looked at the old lady's back as she left, and a question slowly emerged in his heart: Why on earth have I come to this point today?

He didn't have an answer, and he didn't want to think about it anymore.

Li Xiangqian stood at the door of the shabby supermarket, silent for a moment, his eyes passed through the transparent glass door, and stared at the shelves inside. A few meters away, the sun shone through the mottled window onto the ground, the light was a little dim, illuminating his resolute face and the wrinkles on his clothes. The brand new banknote in his hand was folded into a small corner and tightly held in his palm, as if the only connection with this strange world and strange life was those cold pieces of paper.