Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Xiaolan, what are you doing?" Li Xiangqian put down the dishes in his hands, leaned back in his chair and looked at her with a hint of concern in his eyes.

Zhao Xiaolan stopped what she was doing, hesitated for a moment, and then said softly, "I want to go back to my parents' home to see my mother and my brother, and bring some things with me. We've been living a more comfortable life these days than before, and bringing some food with us will give them some comfort."

Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, feeling a little complicated. Although he and Zhao Xiaolan had a good relationship over the years, they often had conflicts due to the pressure of life. Especially when it came to her parents' family, Zhao Xiaolan often wanted to help them, but he always felt a little bothered. After all, the food and money at home were not easy to come by, and he always felt that these things should have been left for his family. But he also knew that Zhao Xiaolan was soft-hearted, especially towards her parents' family, and she was always reluctant to be cold.

"Of course there's no problem going back to my parents' home." Li Xiangqian hesitated for a moment, then softened his tone, "But we have to think carefully about the food issue. Although things are better at home these days, we can't be too generous. How much do you want to bring?"

Zhao Xiaolan looked at him with some hesitation in her eyes. She lowered her head and pondered for a while, and her voice was cautious and tentative: "I want to bring five kilograms of flour and some eggs, enough for their family to deal with an emergency."

"Five pounds?" Li Xiangqian frowned, feeling a little dissatisfied. Five pounds of flour was not a small amount at this time. He knew that Zhao Xiaolan wanted to save face for her family, but life was not easy at home, so he felt a little distressed.

"Xiaolan, isn't five kilograms a bit too much? It's not like your parents' family can't make ends meet. They just want us to go and take a look. It's enough to show our appreciation. There's no need to be so practical." Li Xiangqian's tone was a little dissatisfied, but he didn't want to be too direct to avoid causing an argument.

Zhao Xiaolan raised her head, her eyes showing a little more grievance and stubbornness. "Xiang Qian, my family is really in trouble right now, you know that. Besides, my family has always been helping us, is it appropriate for us not to show our gratitude?"

When Li Xiangqian heard this, he felt a little depressed. He knew that what Zhao Xiaolan said was not unreasonable, but the reluctance in his heart still lingered. Every time he thought about the food at home being taken away, he felt as if someone was forcibly taking money out of his pocket, which made him feel very distressed.

He did not answer immediately, but was silent for a while, thinking about the seriousness of the matter. Zhao Xiaolan looked at his expression and felt a little flustered. She knew that Li Xiangqian was a cautious person and always calculated things carefully. The request he made this time was indeed a bit excessive, but she really couldn't bear to see her family suffer too much.

"Alright." Li Xiangqian finally sighed, with a hint of helplessness and compromise in his tone, "Five kilograms is five kilograms. But you have to explain it clearly to them this time. Our family is not well off, so please don't bother us in the future."

When Zhao Xiaolan heard this, the tension on her face finally eased a little. She nodded, with a hint of gratitude in her tone: "I understand, Xiang Qian. Thank you."

Although Li Xiangqian was still a little unhappy, he gradually calmed down when he saw Zhao Xiaolan's expectant eyes. He knew that there would always be some compromise between husband and wife, and Zhao Xiaolan's thoughts about her parents' home were also an emotion that could not be easily abandoned.

That afternoon, Li Xiangqian and Zhao Xiaolan packed their things and set off for her mother's home. Along the way, Zhao Xiaolan seemed to be in a particularly relaxed mood, chatting with Li Xiangqian about trivial matters at home from time to time, and also mentioned some recent developments at her mother's home. Although Li Xiangqian agreed, he was always worried about the family's food, thinking about how to control this "expenditure" in the future to prevent the family from falling into a greater predicament.

Arriving at her mother's house, Zhao Xiaolan knocked on the door with a look of joy on her face. Her mother smiled immediately when she saw them and quickly invited them in. The furnishings in the house were still simple and plain, but full of a friendly atmosphere, which made Li Xiangqian feel a little more relaxed.

When Zhao Xiaolan handed the things she brought to her mother, the old lady's eyes flashed with emotion and she thanked her repeatedly. "Xiaolan, Xiang Qian, it's enough that you came. Why do you bring things? Our family doesn't need this."

"Mom, this is a little gift from us. Please don't refuse it." Zhao Xiaolan said with a smile, her tone full of warmth.

Li Xiangqian and Zhao Xiaolan stayed at her mother's house for one night, and packed up to go home early the next morning. The morning sun shone in the yard, and the air was filled with a fresh scent of grass and trees. Li Xiangqian stood in front of the door, carrying their luggage in his hands, and his eyes couldn't help but look at Zhao Xiaolan. She was helping her mother tidy up the house, with a bright smile and brisk movements. Zhao Xiaolan made Li Xiangqian a little absent-minded for a moment.

Over the years, Zhao Xiaolan has made a lot of sacrifices for this family. Although she occasionally disagrees with him about her family's affairs, that does not prevent her from playing the role of a good wife in Li Xiangqian's heart. Li Xiangqian recalled every detail of the journey and could not help but feel a little emotional. Perhaps he was still too demanding of her.

"Xiaolan, hurry up, we have to go back, don't delay on the road." Li Xiangqian reminded, but his tone was much gentler than before, with a hint of imperceptible pity.

Zhao Xiaolan turned around and smiled, "Okay, I'll be ready soon. Mom, that's it for now at home. If there's anything, just let us know."

"Oh, Xiaolan, don't worry about it. How can your mother's side be without your brother and me? I will feel at ease only when you are doing well." Zhao Xiaolan's mother smiled, her tone containing some comfort but also concern and affection.

Li Xiangqian listened silently, and a faint warmth arose in his heart. He stood aside with his luggage, watching Zhao Xiaolan and her mother say goodbye, and suddenly felt that he seemed to have ignored her feelings over the years. She worried about this family and was always worried about her parents' home, but he always used "the family is not easy" as an excuse and often did not support her approach.

On the way home, Zhao Xiaolan seemed to be in a good mood and chatted with Li Xiangqian about the recent situation of her mother's family. She mentioned that her brother was busy arranging tuition for the children recently, and talked about her mother's health, which was sometimes good and sometimes bad. Although Li Xiangqian did not completely relax, his attitude was no longer as cold as before. He listened carefully, occasionally nodded or agreed with a few words, and even took the initiative to ask a few times: "If your brother's family is really in trouble, let's find a way."