Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath, crossed the gate, and stepped into the land that he had recalled countless times in his dreams. He walked without hesitation, as if he had already made a decision. The air was filled with the scent of soil and plants. There were all kinds of plants growing in this yard, not only the roses next to the old house, but also several peach trees and persimmon trees. Every autumn, the trees were full of fruits, and the yellow persimmons sparkled in the sun.

Li Xiangqian stopped in front of Xu Damao's house. He looked at the old wooden door, the paint on the door had long since peeled off, revealing the mottled wood texture. A ray of light shone through the crack of the door, and some sounds could be vaguely heard from inside. Li Xiangqian did not rush to knock on the door, but stood quietly outside the door, feeling the tranquility of the moment.

There aren't many people in Damao's family. The most common ones are Damao and his smelly dogs. Occasionally, you can see some of his relatives. Damao's parents passed away early, and there are not many relatives left. But Xu Damao has always been a figure in the yard. Speaking of Xu Damao, everyone knows that he is a very individual person. He does things without paying attention to details, has a bold personality, and is not afraid of anything. However, such a personality often brings trouble.

Li Xiangqian reached out and knocked on the door, and a few crisp knocks echoed in the quiet courtyard.

Soon, hurried footsteps were heard in the house. The door was suddenly pushed open, and Xu Damao stood at the door, wearing a worn vest, with sweat on his head and his breath filling the air, looking a little tired. He glanced at Li Xiangqian and then frowned, as if he didn't quite understand.

"Li Xiangqian?" Xu Damao said in a low voice, with some surprise in his tone.

"Yes, it's me." Li Xiangqian nodded without avoiding his gaze.

Xu Damao seemed a little hesitant, then he stood aside and made an inviting gesture, "Come in."

Li Xiangqian smiled slightly and walked into the house.

The room was not big, and the color of the four walls had begun to peel off, looking a little old. In the middle of the room, there were a few books and some tools on the table. The scattered items gave people a sense of disorder. The atmosphere in the room was not as quiet as the outside world, but rather a little noisy, with the smell of alcohol and cigarettes in the air. Xu Damao waved his hand and pointed to the chair next to the table, "Sit down."

After Li Xiangqian sat down, he looked around the room and found that Xu Damao seemed to have just finished some work, with dirt on his hands. He looked up at Xu Damao and said slowly, "There is something I want to ask you for a favor."

Xu Damao frowned, "Tell me, what's the matter?"

Li Xiangqian was silent for a moment before he took out the bag of potato seedlings from the bag and gently placed them on the table. "These are the potato seedlings I got from Old Yang's house. You see, the seedlings are not very strong yet. I was thinking, could you help me plant some on your land?"

Xu Damao looked down at the potato seedlings and frowned, "Do you think I can grow potatoes in my field? What do you think of these potato seedlings? Can they survive?"

"I know that your soil is good and your craftsmanship is not bad either." Li Xiangqian said softly, "Just think of it as helping me."

Xu Damao suddenly became a little impatient, "Are you just not confident enough to do it yourself?" He glanced at Li Xiangqian with a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and thought to himself, this is Xu Damao's temper. Indeed, he has been used to doing things independently since he was a child, but he has no experience in these land jobs, so he can only rely on him for help.

"It's not that I'm worried," Li Xiangqian paused, but he felt a little worried. "I'm just worried that if no one cares about these seedlings, they won't grow well in the end."

After hearing this, Xu Damao's eyes flashed with a complex expression, as if he was somewhat moved, but then he returned to his disdainful expression. He waved his hand, "Okay, since you said so, I'm not unwilling to help. Just leave the seedlings here, and I'll find someone to plant them later."

"Thank you," Lee whispered forward.

Seeing his sincere attitude, Xu Damao didn't say anything more, but just looked down at the potato seedlings, with a smile unconsciously on his lips. Although he didn't say it, he already knew in his heart that Li Xiangqian was not someone who would ask for help easily. He probably had his own difficulties in suddenly asking for help today.

When Li Xiangqian left Xu Damao's house, the sun was setting slowly, and the golden light sprinkled on the blue brick walls of the courtyard, reflecting a sense of heaviness that had accumulated over the years. His steps were light, but his heart felt heavy, as if a huge stone was pressing on it.

Xu Damao agreed to help plant the potato seedlings, but Li Xiangqian was not at ease. He knew Xu Damao's character very well. He did things according to his mood. If he felt it was troublesome one day and threw them away, these potato seedlings might become waste. But Li Xiangqian also knew that he had no more choices. This piece of land was the most suitable at the moment, and Xu Damao was indeed the most experienced person.

He walked back to his home and opened the door. The house was still quiet, with only the teapot on the table still emitting a trace of residual warmth. Li Xiangqian sat down and his eyes fell on an old map on the corner of the table. It was borrowed from an old worker. It marked the land distribution and topography around the courtyard. His finger gently ran over the edge of the map, thinking of another piece of land.

That piece of land was what he and Yi Zhonghai had discussed recently. It was located in a more remote area, but the soil was fertile and suitable for planting. When he and Yi Zhonghai mentioned this piece of land in a casual chat, Yi Zhonghai's eyes clearly flashed with interest. Yi Zhonghai was a steady person. Although he didn't talk much, every time he spoke, he was very important. Li Xiangqian thought that if he could look at the land with Yi Zhonghai, there might be more possibilities.

Thinking of this, he decided to go to Yi Zhonghai the next day to finalize the matter.

The next morning, Li Xiangqian got up early. He packed his things and took a map and a cloth bag with some dry food and water. He knew that Yi Zhonghai was busy on weekdays and it was not easy for him to take time out to accompany him on this trip, so he had to prepare in advance.

Yi Zhonghai lived at the other end of the courtyard, not far from Li Xiangqian's home, but the two did not often visit each other. When Li Xiangqian arrived at the door of Yi Zhonghai's house, the sun had just filled the yard, and there was a hint of coolness in the early morning air. He knocked gently on the door.

"Who is it?" Yi Zhonghai's low voice came from the room, with a hint of hoarseness from just waking up.

"It's me, Li Xiangqian." Li Xiangqian replied, his voice not loud, but with a hint of expectation in his tone.