Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

He found the restaurant and walked to the door. He took a deep breath, and the anger in his heart seemed to ease a little because of this breath. But when he pushed open the door and saw Zhao Jianguo standing behind the cashier with a smile on his face, the dissatisfaction surged up in his heart again.

"Jianguo, can we talk?" Li Xiangqian suppressed his inner anger, his voice low and weak.

Zhao Jianguo raised his head, glanced at him, then motioned for him to sit down, and said with a smile: "Glad that you're here. I saw you leave just now, why are you back again? Don't you like the soup today?"

Li Xiangqian smiled bitterly, sat down, and glanced at the cashier unconsciously. He subconsciously felt that the girl would appear next to him at this time, and he might not be able to control his emotions. But Zhao Jianguo obviously noticed his change, frowned slightly, and asked: "Why, what happened?"

Li Xiangqian hesitated for a moment, then briefly recounted what had happened. About the wallet, about the girl's confession, and the confusion and uneasiness in his heart at the moment. Zhao Jianguo listened quietly, nodding from time to time, his eyes focused. After Li Xiangqian finished speaking, he sighed softly, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes, "I know, the matter has been figured out, she stole my money. But the problem is-she doesn't look like she really has malicious intentions. She...seems to just want to try her luck, and seeing so much cash in the wallet, she was impulsive and..."

Zhao Jianguo frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "I understand what you mean, Li Xiangqian. This matter is indeed a bit complicated, especially when you see how regretful she is, that feeling is even more difficult to deal with."

Li Xiangqian lowered his head, a bitter smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "But, I just can't calm down. The money is lost, I can find it back, but the trust...how can I rebuild it? She stole my money, should I let her go so easily? What if she makes a mistake again? How can I trust her?"

Zhao Jianguo was silent for a while, then suddenly spoke: "You know, I've been doing business for so many years, and I often come into contact with all kinds of people. Some people are born prone to making mistakes, perhaps because of their family background, upbringing, or their own personality. But most of the time, they do not make mistakes to hurt others, but out of impulse or lack of judgment. You can feel her regret, I think it's not a big problem."

Li Xiangqian raised his head, with a hint of doubt in his eyes, "What do you mean? Are you saying that I should forgive her?"

Zhao Jianguo looked at him calmly: "Forgiving her does not mean forgetting. You have to give her a chance, and you have to give yourself a chance. But you can't be unprincipled and just let this matter go. If she makes a mistake, you have to teach her and let her know that trust cannot be easily destroyed."

Li Xiangqian was silent for a moment, his heart in deep conflict. He has always been a rational person, always considering the consequences before doing anything, but this time he felt unprecedentedly confused. His intuition told him that the girl should be punished, rather than just forgiven; but another part of his voice reminded him that maybe she was really a person who made mistakes only because of impulse, and if he was too harsh, he would miss the opportunity for her to correct herself.

"So, you mean... I can give her a chance, but I have to teach her a lesson?" Li Xiangqian asked.

Zhao Jianguo nodded slightly: "Yes, there should be a limit to the lesson. It can't be too harsh, but you can't let her feel that there are no consequences for making mistakes."

Li Xiangqian suddenly felt that he seemed to have found an answer that could ease his heart a little. He lowered his head and was silent for a few seconds, and suddenly felt a sense of relief on his shoulders. What Zhao Jianguo said made sense. Perhaps in life, he should also learn to give others more space. After all, everyone makes mistakes, and he is no exception.

"Then what should I do? How should I tell her?" Li Xiangqian asked.

Zhao Jianguo smiled and patted Li Xiangqian on the shoulder: "If you were me, I would first give her a warning to let her know that she was wrong. Then tell her that if she does it again, you can't let her off so easily. This is not only for her, but also for yourself. Let her know that not everyone can tolerate this kind of thing."

Li Xiangqian nodded slowly, feeling a little relieved. "Okay, I understand. Thank you, Jianguo." He patted the table and stood up, having basically made up his mind.

Zhao Jianguo smiled and patted him on the back: "You're welcome. It's normal for friends to talk about these things. Go ahead and take care of your own business."

When Li Xiangqian returned home, it was already dark. The neon lights on the street lit up one after another, and the hustle and bustle around was gradually swallowed up by the night. He held the wallet tightly in his hand, as if holding some kind of indescribable heavy mood. Everything today did not seem to make him completely relaxed, but made his heart heavier. Regarding the girl stealing money in the restaurant, he knew he had to make a decision, but the inner struggle never dissipated.

After returning to the door of his house, Li Xiangqian took a deep breath. He hesitated for a moment, but his footsteps unconsciously walked towards He Yuzhu's house. He Yuzhu is an old friend of Li Xiangqian. Although the two have very different personalities, they still have a deep understanding of each other. He Yuzhu has always been an open-minded person who knows how to live and is good at dealing with people. Li Xiangqian often gets some spiritual comfort from him. Today, Li Xiangqian realized that he might need to ask him for help, especially when solving the thing that bothered him.

Walking into He Yuzhu's home, Li Xiangqian knocked on the door directly. After a few seconds, the door was gently pushed open, and He Yuzhu appeared at the door. He was wearing a gray home suit, which looked casual and comfortable.

"Li Xiangqian, why are you here so late?" He Yuzhu looked at him with a smile on his face, "What's the matter?"

Li Xiangqian forced a smile and scratched his head, "Nothing, I just suddenly have something I want to talk to you about."

"Come in, don't stand at the door." He Yuzhu moved aside to open the door and invited Li Xiangqian to come in.

Li Xiangqian followed him into the house. The atmosphere inside was still warm. He Yuzhu turned on the light, and the aroma of food from the kitchen filled his nose. There were several magazines and newspapers scattered on the sofa in the living room, and the paintings on the wall were simple but full of sentiment. Li Xiangqian sat down on the sofa, looking a little tired.

He Yuzhu looked at him with a little concern: "Why do you look a little strange? Did something happen?"