Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Am I taking it too seriously?" he said to himself. He habitually picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip slowly. The fragrance of the tea gradually returned to his throat, and his inner thoughts gradually calmed down. However, this feeling of uneasiness did not completely disappear. Instead, it became deeper, as if something was silently lingering behind him, ready to break through the seemingly solid barrier at any time.

He looked out the window. The darkening sky in the distance was like a painting, quiet and empty. His thoughts seemed to drift away with the last ray of light. Just then, he heard a movement outside the yard - a burst of hurried footsteps. Li Xiangqian frowned, walked to the window, and opened the curtains a little. At the gate of the yard, a middle-aged man in coarse cloth was walking into the yard in a hurry, holding a cloth bag in his hand and muttering to himself.

"What are you doing here at this time?" Li Xiangqian couldn't help but feel suspicious. The man didn't seem to notice the sight in the window and continued to walk into the yard. Li Xiangqian was slightly curious, so he stood up and walked towards the door.

"Hey, Xiao Li, are you busy?" The man's voice was a little rough, and he was obviously over 50 years old, with traces of frost and time on his face. Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment before he realized who this person was. He smiled and said, "Old Liu, why are you here so late?"

The man smiled slightly, revealing a few yellow teeth: "I'm just passing by. I thought you've been too busy lately, so I came here to have some fun." As he spoke, he took out a small bag of hot chestnuts from the bag, "I just roasted them. I guarantee they'll be delicious. I'll chat with you tonight."

Li Xiangqian was stunned: "Selling chestnuts?"

"Well, it's roasted just right, try it." Uncle Liu handed him the chestnuts with a smile on his face, as if he was not doing this to make a little money but simply to have some fun in the evening breeze.

Li Xiangqian took the chestnut and gently peeled off the shell. A burst of hot air hit his face. The aroma of the chestnut made him stunned. The smell was so familiar that it almost reminded him of a winter when he was a child. When he was a child, his father liked to take him to the stall at the gate of the yard to buy a bag of roasted chestnuts. His father's smile was always so warm, as if all difficulties and troubles could dissipate in the aroma.

"This smell is quite familiar." Li Xiangqian said softly, and a long-lost memory was evoked in a corner of his heart.

Uncle Liu laughed and said, "Of course, after doing business for so many years, we still have to stick to the traditional way. Only when the heat is well controlled can the food taste good." He didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave. He stood in the yard and glanced around casually. "Look at this small yard. It's quiet and comfortable. It's a great place. Your father was really good at choosing a place. It seems that you are doing well now."

Li Xiangqian smiled slightly, a little unnaturally: "It's not bad."

The two chatted for a while, then Uncle Liu stood up and stretched. "Okay, I won't disturb you tonight, go back and have a rest. I'm leaving now, you should have a good rest and don't be too tired all the time." He waved his hand and walked outside.

Li Xiangqian stood at the door, watching the figure slowly disappear into the dim courtyard, and the confusion in his heart was somewhat relieved unconsciously. He looked down at the chestnut in his hand and slowly put it into his mouth. The sweet taste spread on the tip of his tongue, with a hint of warmth.

Li Xiangqian frowned slightly, and subconsciously rubbed the shell of the chestnut he had just peeled. His eyes were fixed on the chestnut, and a feeling of uneasiness surged in his heart. This emotion had no direct source, but he still clearly felt that an alarm bell had sounded deep in his heart.

"What on earth is going on?" he whispered to himself, with a hint of doubt in his voice.

The aroma of chestnuts was still strong, and the familiar taste almost made him forget the uneasiness in his heart. However, the moment he put the chestnuts into his mouth, the taste was subtly different. The sweet taste was a little too strong, and even made him feel a little weird, as if it was not a real chestnut, but a processed chemical substance. This contrast made him stop chewing suddenly, frowning, and his sense of alertness in his heart became stronger.

He was stunned for a moment, quietly put the remaining chestnuts back into the bag, opened his lips slightly, wanted to say something, but found that he couldn't speak. Uncle Liu's departing figure had disappeared on the dim path outside the yard. Li Xiangqian seemed to be drawn by something and walked towards the bag of chestnuts, but his eyes were somewhat erratic unconsciously.

Suddenly, there was a crisp knock on the door, breaking his meditation. He turned around subconsciously, and his heartbeat accelerated. At this moment, no one outside would disturb him. Li Xiangqian's mind was a little confused, and his steps seemed a little slow. When he walked to the door, he couldn't help but take a deep breath and adjusted his mood almost instinctively.

"Who?" he asked in a low voice.

The person outside the door did not answer immediately. He seemed to wait for a moment before speaking: "Mr. Li, it's me, Uncle Liu."

Hearing Uncle Liu's voice, Li Xiangqian's heartbeat slowed down a little. He hesitated for a moment, stepped back a little, and reached out to open the door. "Uncle Liu? What...can you do for me?"

Uncle Liu stood outside the door, his smile still friendly, but with a hint of nervousness. "Mr. Li, I left in a hurry just now, and I didn't expect to leave something behind. Look, there are still some chestnuts in the bag just now, and I was afraid they would be wasted, so I thought of bringing them to you."

Li Xiangqian was a little confused: "But... you just gave me a bag."

"Really?" Uncle Liu was obviously surprised. "I'm so sorry, maybe I remembered it wrong. Then I'll trouble you again, just hold this bag. It's cold anyway, so it's good to have something hot."

Li Xiangqian's mind was in a mess. To trouble him again? He had just been given a bag, so why did he take out another bag? What was going on?

"Uncle Liu, you...are these really chestnuts?" Li Xiangqian suddenly spoke, his voice a little cold, staring at him steadily.

Uncle Liu was stunned for a moment, his smile a little stiff: "Of course it's chestnuts, how could it not be? But, Mr. Li, are you a little tired today? I see that you don't look very well, don't let these little things disturb your mood."

Li Xiangqian did not answer immediately, but just stared at him blankly, his uneasiness growing stronger. The bag of chestnuts suddenly disappeared from his hands in such a short time, and then mysteriously appeared at the door. This change made it almost impossible for him to ignore the doubts in his heart.