Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Do you know, Yuzhu?" Li Xiangqian looked deeply into He Yuzhu's eyes, his voice low but full of emotional shock, "You have never really understood the significance of food. You always think it is readily available, but have you ever thought that every grain of food at home is the savings accumulated by our parents throughout their lives. Look at them, being wasted by you, stepped on and kicked casually, don't you feel bad?"

He Yuzhu's eyes flashed with hesitation, and he lowered his head, as if he no longer dared to look Li Xiangqian in the face. At that moment, Li Xiangqian could almost see the complex emotions surging in his eyes, but He Yuzhu quickly covered up these emotions. He stood up straighter, trying to keep a relaxed look: "What you said does make sense, but I really think that life is like this. Don't make yourself too tense. Isn't it better to live more easily? Look at you, you are almost like a wooden man."

Li Xiangqian looked at He Yuzhu's familiar face and suddenly felt disheartened. The brothers and partners he once was were now strangers. In those years, they worked hard in the fields together, carried heavy bags of rice together, and looked at the harvested wheat fields together with hope. However, today, standing here, Li Xiangqian realized that their life philosophy had already undergone earth-shaking changes.

"Easy?" Li Xiangqian repeated the word in a low voice, and suddenly felt that it was extremely ironic, like a sharp needle piercing his heart. "If living an easy life can make you live a good life, then why are you not living as easy as you thought? Every time you see the wasted food, don't you feel guilty?"

Li Xiangqian listened to He Yuzhu's relaxed answer, and the anger in his heart was like a surging river. Not only did it not get relieved, but it became more turbulent. He stood there, almost feeling every bit of anger burning in his blood, and the word "waste" kept echoing in his mind. Every word hit his heart like a hammer, leaving him nowhere to escape. He didn't know if he had lost his mind. No matter how indifferent He Yuzhu was in front of him, he couldn't be so relaxed.

Suddenly, a breeze blew through the yard, bringing a hint of coolness. Li Xiangqian looked down at the pile of scattered grain, and his heart sank. What flashed through his mind was not the argument with He Yuzhu just now, but a more distressing scene -

His wife Li Damei looked a little uneasy, but also with a hint of secret determination. That evening, Li Damei walked into the kitchen and whispered to him, "Xiang Qian, things may be a little tight at home these days. You know about Yu Zhu's matter. Let's give away some of the food at home first." She didn't directly say that it should be given to the poor families in the neighborhood or anyone else, but simply said "give it away." She looked at him with a hint of nervousness in her eyes, as if she was afraid that he would be angry.

At that time, Li Xiangqian didn't think much about it. He knew his wife was soft-hearted and always thought about the neighbors, especially those families who were not doing well and had no good harvest. He knew that Damei had been secretly preparing these days. He heard that several families in the neighborhood had indeed run out of rice jars. Winter was coming, and if some of the food at home could be given away, everyone would have a good New Year. Li Damei was like this, always willing to share some of the wealth at home, even if her family was not very wealthy.

But now, Li Xiangqian felt an irrepressible disappointment and anger - his wife's behavior, like He Yuzhu's attitude, made him feel an unprecedented strangeness. Give it away? He looked at the grain piled up in the yard, and doubts arose in his heart. Grain is the family's savings, earned by a year of hard work. Although the family is not rich, these few bags of grain are enough to support the family through the difficult period in the next few months. Why did Li Damei give it away? She knew how important the grain was, and she knew her hard work and dedication.

Li Xiangqian frowned, his eyes were a little confused, his gaze slowly shifted from He Yuzhu's back to the pile of scattered grain in the distance, but he felt an indescribable sense of loss in his heart. He suddenly felt that he might have been blinded by something, or that he had been trapped by his own stubbornness.

At this time, Li Damei came out of the house and saw her husband standing in the yard. His eyes were a little serious and his face was not as gentle as usual. She walked up to him and asked softly, "Xiang Qian, what's wrong with you? Did you quarrel with Yu Zhu again?"

Li Xiangqian did not answer immediately. He lowered his head and glanced at the basket in Li Damei's hand, which contained the wheat and corn that had just been packed. His heart tightened and he understood instantly - his wife had distributed the grain. She did not tell him, and did not even ask for his consent in advance. At this moment, he felt a deep sense of betrayal and helplessness.

"Who did you give the food to?" Li Xiangqian finally spoke, his voice dull and with a barely perceptible tremor.

Li Damei was stunned for a moment, a trace of surprise flashed across her face, obviously she did not expect her husband to ask this question. "I... I gave it to Auntie Wang's family." Her tone became a little hesitant, and her eyes flickered, as if she was looking for a suitable explanation.

Auntie Wang's family is the family next door. There are many elderly people in the family, and the children are not around. They live in poverty all year round. Li Xiangqian and Li Damei always feel sorry for her. Every winter, Auntie Wang's life becomes more difficult. Li Damei always thinks that she has a hard life, so she secretly prepares some food to help her. She often does this at other times, thinking that other families have a hard time, and she can help a little.

However, Li Xiangqian's feelings at the moment could not be described with simple understanding. Yes, Aunt Wang did need help, but why now? Why at this time? He felt as if he had been blindfolded, and all his trust and understanding collapsed in an instant.

"Why didn't you tell me first?" Li Xiangqian's voice was a little hoarse. He felt a dull pain in his chest, and the feeling of loss spread.

Li Damei lowered her head, a flash of guilt across her face. She bit her lip and said softly, "You also know that Aunt Wang's family has been in a really difficult situation recently, especially with the coming of winter. I... I saw that her rice jar was empty, and the children were always crying because they were hungry. I couldn't help it..." She raised her head, with a hint of pleading in her eyes, as if she hoped that her husband could understand her decision.

Li Xiangqian was silent for a moment. He knew his wife would never do anything to make him angry. She was just too soft-hearted and wanted to help those in need. He used to support her in doing so and thought it was a virtue, but today, he suddenly began to question her "kindness".