Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"I'm afraid, I'm afraid that once I stop insisting, everything will collapse." Li Xiangqian whispered, with a trace of confusion and helplessness in his eyes, "If I no longer control these things, everything at home will become even more chaotic."

Lin Xiaoyu smiled gently. Although her smile was a little tired, there was a firm light in her eyes: "Li Xiangqian, if you keep worrying about this and that, you will never stop. No one in your family will ask you to be a perfect man, and no one wants you to always bear everything alone. You don't have to face all the problems alone. You are not alone."

However, such peaceful days are occasionally disrupted by some unexpected incidents. That day, Xu Damao stood at the door of Li Xiangqian's house holding a bag of potato seedlings.

Li Xiangqian was pruning flowers and trees in the yard, his scissors dancing on the tender branches, leaving neat cuts. The sun shone through the branches of the locust tree, the air was filled with the fragrance of soil and grass, and occasionally a few butterflies danced among the flowers, flying back and forth. Just as he was concentrating on the work in his hands, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Brother Li, are you home?" It was Xu Damao's voice, with a bit of uncertainty and shyness.

Li Xiangqian stopped what he was doing and looked up at the gate. Xu Damao was standing there, wearing a simple blue shirt, with a worn towel around his neck, and holding an old cloth bag with something in it. Through the gaps in the bag, one could vaguely see tiny potato sprouts.

"Oh, it's you, Damao." Li Xiangqian put down the scissors, walked to the door, and called him in. "Come in, what are you standing there for? The sun is so strong, you'll get burned."

Xu Damao smiled a little embarrassedly and slowed down his pace, "Brother Li, I'm here to give you something."

"Sending something?" Li Xiangqian was a little confused. He glanced at the bag in his hand and was a little puzzled. "What is this?"

Xu Damao shyly handed over the bag. "These are potato seedlings, freshly dug from the ground. I brought them here especially for you. You love growing vegetables, right? These potato seedlings are the best. They will surely grow well if planted in our yard."

Li Xiangqian took the bag and took a closer look. The potato seedlings inside were growing well. Each small seedling was covered with moist soil and looked full of vitality. Li Xiangqian's heart was moved. Although Xu Damao looked a little dull, he was kind-hearted. The neighbors in the courtyard were usually very friendly, but it was rare to see someone like Xu Damao who specially dug potato seedlings from the ground and gave them to himself.

"These potato sprouts look really good. Thank you, Damao." Li Xiangqian smiled unconsciously, his heart filled with warmth.

Xu Damao scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. "Brother Li, you are too polite. You have always been good to me, so it is only natural that I give you some potato seedlings. Besides, the vegetables you grow are better than mine. Everything you plant grows vigorously, so potatoes will surely grow strong as well."

Li Xiangqian smiled and handed the bag back to himself, feeling even warmer. "I would like to try planting some, but I have nothing to do. You said these potato seedlings, I need to find a place to plant them and give them a suitable environment."

"If you're willing, I'll help you plant the potato seedlings." Xu Damao's eyes lit up and he said hastily, as if he saw Li Xiangqian's hesitation. "You have a disability, maybe I can help."

Li Xiangqian was moved. Although Xu Damao was not good at speaking, his words revealed his sincere feelings. Li Xiangqian smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "Okay, let's plant the potato seedlings together."

So, the two of them walked to the back of the courtyard together. The backyard of the courtyard was not as exquisite as the front yard, but more like some fields and vegetable gardens. Potatoes were not the most common vegetable grown by Li Xiangqian. He usually grew more seasonal vegetables, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, etc., but he also knew that potatoes were not only delicious, but also not complicated to grow. Since Xu Damao had sent it with good intentions, it was a token of his appreciation.

Li Xiangqian found several long bamboo poles from the yard to mark the planting area. Xu Damao carefully took the potato seedlings out of the bag one by one and planted them in the soft soil according to the intervals indicated by Li Xiangqian.

After working for a while, the two finally finished planting the potato seedlings. Although the process was not complicated, carefulness and patience were the most important factors in each link. After planting, Li Xiangqian couldn't help but stand beside the seedbed for a moment, looking at the rows of potato seedlings, and an inexplicable feeling of emotion welled up in his heart. This feeling did not come from the potato seedlings themselves, but from Xu Damao's silent dedication to him.

"Okay, Damao, you go and have a rest first. You've worked hard today." Li Xiangqian patted the dirt on his hands and looked at the neatly arranged seedbed in front of him, feeling happy.

Xu Damao smiled brightly, "Then I'll go back first. Brother Li, if you need help, call me anytime."

Li Xiangqian nodded and watched him leave, feeling an indescribable warmth in his heart. To be honest, Xu Damao was a bit introverted and not good at speaking, and there was nothing particularly eye-catching about him, but his sincerity and steadiness were what Li Xiangqian valued. There were many people of all kinds in the courtyard, and Xu Damao was undoubtedly the most simple and reliable one among them.

He stood at the door, watching Xu Damao's back as he left, and a sense of belonging gradually surged in his heart. This courtyard seemed to be an independent little world, and everyone was an organic part of this little world. The relationship between them was not based on any prominent rights or interests, but on an invisible tacit understanding and trust. Everyone has their own unique way to express their concern, and Xu Damao's way was to convey his feelings with a bag of potato sprouts.

Li Xiangqian stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching Xu Damao's figure gradually disappear around the corner. He stood there quietly for a long time, but his heart was still restless. Every inch of land and every leaf in the courtyard carried too many memories and stories for him. He was born and grew up in this courtyard, and he had seen many people's joys and sorrows here. Today, he is still closely connected to this land.

However, he has been feeling an unspeakable anxiety lately. Although the land of the Siheyuan is where he lives, there are always some places where he feels restricted. Whether it is the old locust tree or the moss-covered stone slabs in the yard, they all seem to be silently telling him: this place has its boundaries.