Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Since Li Xiangqian started to grow vegetables, neighbors in the courtyard often came to him to learn from him and learn planting techniques. Gradually, people not only asked him about planting problems, but also often came to borrow some vegetables and seasonings, and even many people came to his house for free meals. Li Xiangqian was originally warm-hearted and always tried his best to entertain them, but gradually, he found that his life was disrupted.

One night, Li Xiangqian and Liu Hui were preparing to have dinner when they heard a knock on the door. Liu Hui went to open the door and saw her neighbor, Lao Zhang, and his two friends standing at the door.

"Xiang Qian, our family didn't cook today. Can I come to your place for a meal?" Lao Zhang asked with a smile.

Li Xiangqian's heart sank. This kind of situation had been happening more and more frequently recently, and his and Liu Hui's lives were in a mess. Although he was reluctant, he nodded reluctantly for the sake of face. "Okay, come in and sit down."

Liu Hui looked at Li Xiangqian's expression and knew that he was unhappy. She sighed slightly and began to prepare more dishes. Li Xiangqian had to put down his bowl and chopsticks and go to the kitchen to help.

"Xiang Qian, this dish is really good. Your cooking skills are getting better and better." Lao Zhang praised while eating.

"Yes, Xiang Qian, you are such a good person." Lao Zhang's friend also agreed.

Li Xiangqian forced a smile, but his heart felt heavy. After the meal, after seeing off Lao Zhang and the others, Li Xiangqian and Liu Hui finally had a moment of peace and quiet.

"Xiang Qian, we can't go on like this. With so many people coming to eat for free every day, we can hardly make ends meet." Liu Hui said softly, with a hint of helplessness on her face.

"I know." Li Xiangqian nodded, feeling annoyed. He didn't want to hurt the feelings of his neighbors, but he also didn't want his life to be messed up.

The next day, as Li Xiangqian was busy in the vegetable garden, he kept thinking about how to solve this problem. He knew that rejecting his neighbors directly might hurt their feelings, but if he didn't make it clear, the situation would only get worse.

At this moment, Bang Geng ran over and said breathlessly, "Uncle Li, my mother is having trouble cooking today. Can I come to your house for dinner?"

Li Xiangqian looked at Banggeng, feeling helpless, but he knew the child's situation and couldn't refuse him outright. He touched Banggeng's head and said gently, "Banggeng, your uncle's family is a little busy today, so it's really inconvenient. But how about this, I'll send you some food tomorrow and you can cook it yourself, how about that?"

Bang Geng nodded and said in understanding, "Okay, thank you Uncle Li."

Li Xiangqian breathed a sigh of relief and decided to find a suitable opportunity to talk to the neighbors. He thought about it and felt that the evening was a good time. After dinner, he discussed with Liu Hui and decided to invite a few neighbors with whom he had a good relationship to come to his house for tea and take the opportunity to talk about the issue.

As night fell, Li Xiangqian set up tea sets in the yard and waited for the neighbors to arrive. Soon, He Yuzhu, Lao Zhang, Xiao Wang and others came. Everyone sat in the yard, sipping tea and chatting, and the atmosphere was relaxed and happy.

"Xiang Qian, your vegetable garden has been getting better and better recently. Everyone is envious of it." He Yuzhu said with a smile.

Li Xiangqian smiled and nodded, then said seriously: "I invited everyone here today because I have something to discuss with you. Recently, there have been a lot of people coming to my house for free meals, which has made Liu Hui and I a little overwhelmed."

There was silence in the yard, and everyone was looking at Li Xiangqian, seeming a little embarrassed.

"Xiang Qian, we know you're working hard, and we're really sorry," said Lao Zhang.

"Yes, Xiang Qian, we all rely too much on you." Xiao Wang also echoed.

Li Xiangqian sighed and continued, "I understand everyone's difficulties, but it's not appropriate to continue like this. I think we can help each other, but we can't put all the burdens on one person. If everyone has any difficulties, we can work together to find a solution, but our family also needs its own space and time."

He Yuzhu nodded, "Xiang Qian is right, we all need to understand each other. In the future, if there is a need, we can help each other, but we can't always trouble one person."

Lao Zhang also agreed, "Yes, we will pay attention to it in the future. Let's work together to make life in the courtyard better."

Li Xiangqian heaved a sigh of relief, and felt relieved to see that his neighbors understood what he meant. In this way, his life could finally return to normal.

As the night deepened, everyone left one after another, and the yard returned to its peaceful state. Li Xiangqian and Liu Hui sat in the yard, looking at the night sky, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

"Xiang Qian, you did the right thing today. The neighbors understand your difficulties." Liu Hui said gently.

Li Xiangqian nodded and held Liu Hui's hand. "Thank you, Huier. Our lives will get better and better."

On a winter morning, the courtyard was covered with a layer of mist and there was a hint of chill in the air. Li Xiangqian got up early, put on a heavy coat, and prepared to go to the fields to weed. The vegetable garden was the result of his hard work, and it was full of winter-resistant vegetables such as cabbage, radish and garlic. He knew that even in winter, weeds would still pop up from time to time and affect the growth of vegetables.

"Hui'er, I'm going to weed in the fields. You can have breakfast first." Li Xiangqian said to Liu Hui who was busy in the kitchen.

"Okay, don't be too tired." Liu Hui responded gently, her heart full of gratitude and heartache for her husband's hard work.

Li Xiangqian walked towards the vegetable garden with his tools. In the cold wind, the vegetables in the garden were still green and lush, which made him feel relieved. He walked to a row of cabbages and saw a few weeds had sprouted. He squatted down and began to pull out the weeds carefully.

"These weeds are really stubborn," Li Xiangqian thought to himself. As he pulled out the weeds, he was thinking about how to better manage the vegetable garden. He knew that only by careful care could the vegetables grow healthily.

At this time, neighbor Xiao Wang passed by and saw Li Xiangqian busy at work, so he came over to say hello. "Xiangqian, are you weeding so early?"

"Yes, we can't relax even in winter. These vegetables are our winter rations." Li Xiangqian replied with a smile, but his hands did not stop moving.

Xiao Wang squatted down and helped pull out the weeds. "You are really diligent. The weeds in our vegetable garden are almost a disaster."

Li Xiangqian smiled and said, "That's how it is when you grow vegetables. You can't be lazy. Xiao Wang, why don't you spend more time in the fields? With fewer weeds, the vegetables will grow better."

Xiao Wang nodded, "You are right, I have to learn from you."

The two of them were weeding and chatting, and time passed quickly. Li Xiangqian felt satisfied. Although weeding was hard work, with Xiao Wang's company, this morning seemed particularly pleasant.