Siheyuan: A journey of mountains and rivers

From that day on, He Yuzhu and Lou Xiao'e restarted their emotional journey. He Yuzhu proved his sincerity with practical actions, and his love and consideration for Lou Xiao'e also made her gradually let go of the grudge in her heart.

The rumors in the courtyard gradually subsided, and people began to accept their feelings again. Although their journey was still full of twists and turns, both of them were full of hope and confidence.

In the days of the courtyard, every day is like a new page of the calendar. Whether it is the busy morning light or the quiet evening, the lives of He Yuzhu and Lou Xiao'e are slowly returning to peace. However, the twists and turns in life have never been far away from them. One day, He Yuzhu was once again involved in an unexpected trouble.

That morning, the courtyard was still filled with the coolness of the night. He Yuzhu got up early to prepare for the day's work. He walked into the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast busily, thinking of Lou Xiao'e's gentle smile. However, at this moment, there was a hurried knock on the door in the yard.

"He Yuzhu, come out quickly!" An angry shout came from outside. It was Banggeng's voice. He Yuzhu's heart tightened, and he quickly put down the work in his hands and walked into the yard.

Bang Geng stood in the middle of the yard, holding a captured chicken in his hand, staring at He Yuzhu angrily. "He Yuzhu, how could you do such a thing? Stealing my chicken, do you still have a conscience?"

He Yuzhu was stunned, not knowing what was going on. "Bang Geng, what are you talking about? How could I possibly steal your chicken?"

Bang Geng held up the chicken, pointed at He Yuzhu and shouted, "Look, this is the evidence! Last night, I clearly locked the chicken in the cage, but this morning I discovered that the chicken was missing, and I found it right at your doorstep!"

The neighbors were also attracted by the noise and gathered around to point fingers. He Yuzhu felt ashamed and helpless, but he knew he had never done such a thing.

"Bang Geng, I really didn't steal your chicken. I don't know how this chicken ended up at my doorstep." He Yuzhu tried to stay calm and tried to explain clearly.

However, Bang Geng didn't listen at all and continued to shout: "It's useless for you to say anything now. The evidence is right here! You chicken thief, how shameful!"

The atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly became tense, and many neighbors began to cast suspicious eyes on He Yuzhu. He Yuzhu felt helpless, he knew he was wronged, but he had no evidence to prove his innocence.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai walked out of the crowd and waved his hand to ask everyone to calm down. "Everyone calm down, we need to be reasonable and not accuse people casually."

Yi Zhonghai walked up to He Yuzhu and asked, "Yuzhu, what's going on? Did you really steal Banggeng's chicken?"

He Yuzhu shook his head and said firmly, "Uncle Yi, I definitely didn't steal the chicken. You know me well, I wouldn't do such a thing."

Yi Zhonghai nodded, then turned to Banggeng, "Banggeng, you said that this chicken was found at the doorstep of Yuzhu's house. Is it possible that someone put it there on purpose to frame him?"

Bang Geng was stunned, his face looked a little unnatural, but he still said with a stiff upper lip: "Anyway, the chicken was found at his doorstep, this can't be fake, right?"

Yi Zhonghai frowned, thought for a moment, and then said: "We can't just leave this matter as it is. We have to find out the truth. Take the chicken back first and get to the bottom of this matter."

Although Bang Geng was reluctant, he could only reluctantly agree under Yi Zhonghai's majesty. The neighbors gradually dispersed, but the discussion continued. He Yuzhu returned home, feeling helpless and angry. He knew that he was wrongly accused this time, and he had to find the truth and clear his reputation.

That night, He Yuzhu and Lou Xiao'e sat together, feeling heavy-hearted. Lou Xiao'e looked at He Yuzhu, her eyes full of worry and distress.

"Brother Yuzhu, I believe you didn't do that kind of thing." Lou Xiao'e said softly, holding He Yuzhu's hand, trying to give him some comfort.

He Yuzhu forced a smile, "Xiao'e, thank you for believing in me. I must find out the truth and prove my innocence."

Lou Xiao'e nodded. "We can work together and maybe find some clues."

He Yuzhu looked at Lou Xiao'e with gratitude, and felt a little warm in his heart. With her support, he decided not to be passive anymore, but to actively look for clues to clear his name.

The next day, He Yuzhu began to ask around in the courtyard, trying to find witnesses or some useful clues. However, everyone seemed to avoid the matter and no one was willing to say more. He Yuzhu felt frustrated, but he did not give up.

Finally, in a corner, he met an elderly man. The old man was an old resident of the courtyard. He didn't talk much, but his eyes were sharp. He Yuzhu greeted him and said politely, "Uncle, do you know what happened that night? I really didn't steal the chicken. I want to find some clues to prove my innocence."

The old man looked at He Yuzhu, was silent for a moment, and whispered: "Yuzhu, I believe you are a good boy. I did see some strange things that night."

He Yuzhu was delighted and asked quickly, "Uncle, what did you see? Please tell me."

The old man nodded and continued, "I got up in the middle of the night and saw a dark figure lingering at your door for a while, then dropped something at your door and ran away. I couldn't see who that person was, but I'm sure that the chicken was placed at your door on purpose."

After listening to this, He Yuzhu was excited, and finally found some clues. He hurriedly thanked the old man and decided to tell Yi Zhonghai the news.

He Yuzhu found Yi Zhonghai and repeated the old man's words word for word. Yi Zhonghai nodded and his face became serious. "It seems that this matter is indeed strange. Yuzhu, we have to think of a way to find that black shadow."

He Yuzhu nodded firmly, "Uncle Yi, I am willing to cooperate with you and find out the truth together."

Yi Zhonghai thought for a while, then said: "We can set up some traps in the yard to see if we can lure out that shadow. As long as we catch him, we can prove your innocence."

He Yuzhu agreed to Yi Zhonghai's proposal, and the two began to set up some simple traps in the courtyard, hoping to lure out the mysterious black shadow. A few days passed, and the traps had not moved, but He Yuzhu and Yi Zhonghai did not lose heart, and they decided to continue waiting.