Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian nodded: "Then thank you for your help. I won't buy much anyway, just one and a half kilograms will be enough."

He Yuzhu shook off the ashes from his cigarette, smiled and patted his shoulder: "Okay, let's go. I also want to go to the market to see if there are any cheap offal."

The two of them walked out of the yard one after the other and walked along the street towards the market. On the way, He Yuzhu asked casually, "Xiang Qian, there has been a big commotion in the yard recently. What do you think?"

Li Xiangqian's heart tightened, knowing that he was talking about Yi Zhonghai. He pretended to be indifferent and said calmly: "What else can we do? No one can say for sure before the matter is clarified. Besides, Master has always been an upright person. I don't believe he can do what he said in the letter."

He Yuzhu nodded, frowning slightly: "You are right. But when the letter came out, many people in the courtyard believed it. Especially Liu Daqiang. Looking at his energy recently, it seems that he can't wait to add fuel to the fire."

Hearing Liu Daqiang's name, Li Xiangqian couldn't help but become alert. He pretended to be casual and asked, "Brother Zhu, why do you think Liu Daqiang is so concerned? Logically speaking, this matter has nothing to do with him, right?"

He Yuzhu snorted, with a bit of disdain in his tone: "He is just a person who likes to watch the fun, and he will go wherever there is trouble. Besides, he and Yi Zhonghai have some grudges to begin with, and now that he sees that the other person is in trouble, he will definitely step on him a few times."

Li Xiangqian nodded, but secretly remembered He Yuzhu's words in his heart. He felt that Liu Daqiang's behavior was not just a simple act of watching the fun, there must be other reasons behind it.

Arriving at the market, He Yuzhu took Li Xiangqian to a seafood stall. The stall owner was a middle-aged man. When he saw He Yuzhu, he immediately smiled and greeted him: "Hey, Yuzhu, how come you have time to come to my place today? What good things do you want to buy?"

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "Today I am not the one buying. This little brother wants to buy some shrimp. Pick some fresh ones for him, and don't be too harsh on the price."

The stall owner smiled and nodded, picked up a net bag and started to scoop up shrimps: "Okay, the goods just arrived this morning, they are very fresh. How many do you want?"

Li Xiangqian looked at the lively shrimps and hesitated for a moment: "One pound, no more."

The stall owner weighed a pound of shrimp neatly, put it in a bag and handed it to him: "Here, three dollars and fifty cents."

Li Xiangqian paid the money and stood beside the stall with the shrimps in his hand, but he was still thinking about Liu Daqiang. He always felt that this man's recent behavior was too abnormal, as if he was deliberately leading the people in the yard to doubt Yi Zhonghai.

He Yuzhu noticed his absent-mindedness and patted his shoulder: "What are you thinking about? After buying the shrimp, what are you going to do when you get home? Boil or fry?"

Li Xiangqian came back to his senses, scratched his head and smiled: "Maybe I cooked it, it's simple."

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "Okay, boiling shrimp is also good, it saves trouble. By the way, Xiang Qian, don't take some things too seriously. People in the yard may gossip, but once the limelight passes, everyone will forget about it."

Li Xiangqian nodded, but he didn't agree with He Yuzhu's words. He knew that once something happened, it was like throwing a stone into the water. The ripples would continue to spread and could not be easily calmed down. He secretly made up his mind that he must find an opportunity to get close to Liu Daqiang after returning and uncover the truth of the matter.

The two of them were walking back with their things. When they passed a corner, Li Xiangqian suddenly saw a familiar figure - Liu Daqiang was standing on the side of the road, talking in a low voice with a strange man. The man was dressed in ordinary clothes, but his every move showed a shrewdness.

Li Xiangqian stopped and pretended to tie his shoelaces, secretly observing them. Liu Daqiang's expression was very serious, as if he was discussing something important. Li Xiangqian's heart moved, thinking that there must be something fishy going on.

He Yuzhu noticed that he stopped, turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"

Li Xiangqian stood up and shook his head: "It's okay, my shoelaces are loose." After that, he glanced in the direction of Liu Daqiang and found that the two had separated and walked in different directions.

When Li Xiangqian returned to the courtyard with a bag of lively shrimps, the sky had gradually darkened. The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled in the yard, stretching the shadow of the old locust tree in the corner. The yard was quiet, with the occasional chirping of sparrows. Li Xiangqian pushed open the door and put the shrimps on the kitchen chopping board, and suddenly felt a sense of fulfillment in his heart.

He looked at the shrimp in the bag and began to imagine what dinner would look like. The bright red color of the boiled shrimp, the fragrant taste, and the chewy texture when bitten seemed to have appeared before his eyes. Such a delicacy was a rare luxury in his current life. He grinned as he thought about it, thinking that today's dinner would definitely make him feel good.

"I have to clean them up properly, so they won't be wasted." Li Xiangqian thought to himself and started to clean the shrimps. He poured the shrimps into a basin and rinsed them repeatedly with clean water to remove impurities. His movements were not fast, but he was very serious. The water splashed on his hands, and the cold touch made him shrink his hands, but he quickly continued.

"Xiang Qian, what are you doing? It smells so good?" He Yuzhu's voice suddenly came from outside the door. Li Xiang Qian looked up and saw He Yuzhu leaning against the door frame, his nose twitching slightly, as if he was sniffing the smell in the air.

Li Xiangqian smiled and said, "Cook some shrimps. I just bought them. Do you smell the fragrance? I haven't started cooking yet."

He Yuzhu laughed, walked into the kitchen, looked at the shrimps in the basin, and said, "Not bad, these shrimps are fresh. Just boil them and eat them? Or I can help you stir-fry them spicy, the taste will be more satisfying."

Li Xiangqian's heart moved. He Yuzhu's cooking skills were well-known in the courtyard. Usually, any home-cooked dish he made could make people drool. But he changed his mind and thought that the purpose of buying shrimps was to simply improve life. He didn't want to make it too complicated, so he shook his head and said, "Forget it. I just want to have something light today. Just boil it. Wait until next time. I will definitely let you show off your skills next time."

He Yuzhu didn't force it and nodded: "Okay, then I'll wait for next time. You know how to enjoy life. It's a good life."

Li Xiangqian smiled and didn't respond. He knew that He Yuzhu's words were half joking and half envy, but he knew in his heart that he just wanted to find some comfort in his predicament.

After washing the shrimp, he began to prepare other ingredients. Ginger slices, green onion segments, and a few peppercorns were all found in the corner of the kitchen. Although these things were insignificant, they were the key to a successful dinner in Li Xiangqian's eyes. He carefully cut the ginger slices, and although his technique was unfamiliar, his movements were very serious.