Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

His gaze turned to the corner of the yard, where a familiar figure was leaning against the old locust tree, chewing something, as if waiting for someone to arrive.

"Hey, Xiangqian, why are you empty-handed today?" The old man greeted Li Xiangqian with a smile when he saw him coming. He is recognized as a "weirdo" by the neighbors. Although he is old, he is still lively and seems to never feel tired. He and Li Xiangqian have known each other for many years. Although he has a hot temper, he is still a loyal neighbor. Li Xiangqian often chats with him about trivial matters in the yard, and sometimes even lends him some ideas about life. Although the old man is often called a "troublemaker", he can always bring some unexpected joy to the people around him inadvertently.

Li walked over and sat down next to the old man casually, feeling a little relieved. He knew that the old man could always help him relieve his inner depression in some subtle ways.

"I'm not doing anything today. I came here for a stroll." Li Xiangqian forced a smile. "I'm not in a good mood."

The old man glanced at Li Xiangqian, and a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes. "Hey, are you overwhelmed by family matters again?" He laughed, "Your temper is really becoming more and more like Mei Zi, too restrained."

Li Xiangqian smiled, but he couldn't help but feel sad. It seemed that the old man saw through his emotions at a glance. He sighed, "Some things are hard to figure out. Every time I feel that things are getting worse, I don't want to live such a complicated life."

The old man snorted, shook the pipe in his hand, and whispered: "You are too straightforward. You keep too much in your heart and never talk to others. You are a family member, you have too many thoughts, you should learn to let go."

Li Xiangqian was silent for a while, then suddenly asked, "Do you think we can change the current situation?"

The old man looked at Li Xiangqian, with a strange smile on his face. "Change? Humph, change depends on whether you dare to do something. With your courage, you can only do housework with Mei Zi at most. If you get annoyed when you encounter something, what's the point? What can solve problems is often not an impatient mentality, but sometimes it is necessary to make trouble and teach those people a lesson."

Li Xiangqian was stunned, and then his heart was warmed. A different picture appeared in front of him: unconventional and even reckless behavior. Can this impulsive behavior really help him solve the current dilemma?

The old man seemed to have sensed Li Xiangqian's thoughts and said with a smile: "You know, although I haven't done anything big in my life, I have some experience. Life can't always go by the rules. Sometimes, you have to have the courage to make trouble."

Li Xiangqian was shocked. He suddenly remembered his past friendship with the old man, many funny and clever "trouble-making" incidents, and those "clever tricks" that could always resolve troubles in unexpected ways. He suddenly felt that maybe he should really change the way he faced the current predicament.

"You mean, we can go and cause trouble?" Li Xiangqian widened his eyes, raised his eyebrows slightly, and a strange smile appeared on the corners of his mouth.

The old man nodded, his eyes flashing with a meaningful light. "It's just making trouble! Those people who always stand high and mighty always want to control this and that, thinking that everything can be done according to their wishes. We can't always follow their rules, we have to make trouble a little, let them realize that sometimes they don't have the final say in this world. You have to know that change is never achieved in one step, sometimes it's small actions that lead to big trouble."

Li Xiangqian was silent for a moment, as if he was pondering the old man's meaning. The old man's words fermented in his mind, and gradually, Li Xiangqian's eyes lit up. He suddenly understood that the "making trouble" the old man mentioned was not a meaningless disturbance, but to break a certain rigid situation and use an unconventional way to warn those people and make them realize that they are not the masters who can control everything at will.

"You mean, we should make these seemingly impossible to change things more interesting and give them an unexpected surprise?" Li Xiangqian asked softly.

The old man laughed and patted Li Xiangqian on the shoulder: "Yes! That's what I mean! You always take things too seriously. Life is not just about those trivial things. Occasionally, we need a little bit of mischief to let those who always want to control everything know that the world is not as simple as they think!"

Li Xiangqian suddenly felt relieved, as if the originally heavy air suddenly became clear. He began to have an urge to try something. Perhaps it was time to change his way of doing things, to break the current deadlock, and to do something he had never dared to think of before.

"Then where do we start?" Li Xiangqian's voice was filled with excitement, and there was a long-lost gleam in his eyes.

The old man laughed even more happily and patted Li Xiangqian on the back: "Start from the beginning! Haven't you been worrying about things at home? Then start by making trouble at home! Make those things interesting again. Everyone should not be so serious. Everything should not be done according to the routine. Anyway, there is nothing to be afraid of."

Li Xiangqian nodded slightly, with a hint of determination in his eyes. He knew that the current predicament was not impossible to break through, but that he lacked a kind of energy, a kind of courage and determination to break the routine and break free from the shackles.

Li Xiangqian's heart was churning. The situation in the past few days seemed to have suddenly taken a turn for the better. Many things seemed to be gradually moving in the direction he hoped for. Although the road was still full of twists and turns, he always felt that something had finally begun to change subtly.

Especially recently, he actually had some "good news". Although this "good news" did not come smoothly, at least it allowed him to relax a little from the heavy burden of life. This feeling made him a little confused for a while. Should he continue to prepare for the next storm, or should he enjoy this moment of relaxation and joy?

"Li Mei, let's go to your mother's house." One morning, Li Xiangqian was busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen, and suddenly spoke to Li Mei who was sitting at the dining table.

Li Mei was stunned, and looked up at Li Xiangqian, seeming a little surprised. "My mother's home?" She paused, a little hesitant, "Why do you suddenly want to go to my mother's home?"

Li Xiangqian put down the spatula in his hand and looked at his wife with a slightly gentle look: "I have been feeling quite depressed recently. I have told you so many times about my troubles, but I still feel that there is no place to open my heart. It feels very relaxed over there at your mother's house, not as complicated as here. I thought, maybe I should change the environment and get some fresh air."