Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Old Zhou did not answer immediately, but looked Li Xiangqian up and down. His eyes were sharp, as if he wanted to see Li Xiangqian thoroughly from head to toe. Li Xiangqian was a little scared by his stare, but he still tried to stay calm, forced a smile and said: "Brother Zhou, your well water is good. I heard a lot about it from Damao, so I wanted to see if I could borrow some water to help me out in an emergency."

Old Zhou was silent for a moment, frowning slightly, and said in a somewhat cold tone: "There is water, but we don't give water casually. If you want to use water, you have to abide by our rules."

Li Xiangqian nodded quickly: "That's right, that's right, I will follow whatever rules you say."

Old Zhou looked at him coldly, his voice low but majestic: "The rules are not difficult. Our well was dug by several families who pooled their money together. Water must be distributed according to the number of people. If you want to use water, you have to pay a share.

He tightly grasped the pipe in his hand, his fingers trembling slightly. At this time, there was a sound of brisk footsteps outside the door, followed by Qin Huairu's familiar voice: "Xiang Qian, I heard that you have been in touch with Lao Zhou recently? What, are you really planning to get water from him?"

Qin Huairu was a well-known smart person in the courtyard, and she was always very good at dealing with people. Although she didn't talk much, she had sharp eyes and could always see through some details that others overlooked. Li Xiangqian didn't have much of a heart-to-heart with her, but she was a close neighbor of He Yuzhu and had close contact with the people in the courtyard.

Li Xiangqian looked up at her and nodded slightly: "Yeah, there's nothing I can do. My land is about to dry up and crack. I really can't hold on any longer."

Qin Huairu showed a barely perceptible smile on her face, walked into the house gently, and sat down casually on a chair. She looked at Li Xiangqian slowly, and said casually: "Xiangqian, there are all kinds of people in our yard, but you have to be careful. Especially that old Zhou, he has a bad temper and a mean heart, and will never let go if he can take advantage of you. Don't think that you can get away with it once and for all after you pay the ten yuan."

Li Xiangqian frowned slightly. He felt a little unhappy when he heard Qin Huairu's words, but he didn't show it. He just asked calmly, "What do you mean? I don't have any other choice now. I can't just watch the fields go to waste, right?"

Qin Huairu smiled, but her eyes did not leave Li Xiangqian's face: "Xiangqian, I'm not saying that you shouldn't use Lao Zhou's water. It's just that Lao Zhou is very thoughtful. Don't be surprised if he asks you for something else later."

Li Xiangqian was shocked and frowned even more. Qin Huairu's words made sense. People like Lao Zhou might become even more aggressive in the future. But what could he do? With the current water shortage, he had no choice.

"Do you mean that he will blackmail me?" Li Xiangqian asked heavily.

Qin Huairu shrugged and said calmly, "It's hard to say. He sees that you need him now. Do you think he will make other requests of you? It will be difficult for you to refuse him if you want to, right?"

Li Xiangqian's mood became more and more complicated, and his brows were furrowed. He was indeed worried about this situation, but the pressure of reality had left him no choice. He had to rely on the water from this well, otherwise this year's harvest would be bleak. However, if Lao Zhou really took advantage of the situation, would he still be able to cope with it? His heart was full of contradictions and struggles, and he was not sure whether he should believe Qin Huairu's words.

"Then what do you think I should do?" Li Xiangqian asked tentatively, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

Seeing that Li Xiangqian looked a little shaken, Qin Huairu smiled gently and said in a calm tone: "I don't want you to completely give up this path, but it's always a good thing to be prepared. You have to be careful and don't let yourself get too deeply involved. If he really asks for more, you should make some preparations in advance so that you won't be led by the nose at that time."

Li Xiangqian nodded. Although he still had some doubts in his heart, Qin Huairu's words also made him understand the other side of the matter. He needed to be mentally prepared and could not rely entirely on Lao Zhou. He had to leave some way out. Thinking of this, he sighed and the pressure in his heart was slightly relieved.

Seeing this, Qin Huairu said no more. She just stood up and smiled slightly, "Okay, that's all I have to say. You can handle it yourself. If anything happens, the people in our courtyard can still help you." After she said that, she turned and walked out of the house, leaving behind a faint fragrance.

Li Xiangqian looked at her back and fell into deeper thought. He knew that what Qin Huairu said made sense, but the current situation left him with almost no way out. The water source problem must be solved, and Lao Zhou's place was the most direct way at present. He gritted his teeth and secretly decided in his heart that since the current options were limited, he must find a way to gain a foothold with Lao Zhou.

"Let's take it one step at a time." He said to himself.

In the following days, Li Xiangqian began to frequently go to Lao Zhou's well to fetch water. He tried to keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention, while also carefully maintaining his relationship with Lao Zhou. He always paid the water bill on time and brought small gifts from time to time, trying to make Lao Zhou see the point and treat him well.

But just as Qin Huairu warned, although Lao Zhou didn't say anything more on the surface, Li Xiangqian could vaguely feel that his eyes were often filled with a sense of scrutiny and examination. Every time Li Xiangqian went to get water, Lao Zhou would always stand by, with his hands on his waist, looking at him silently. That scrutiny made Li Xiangqian feel a little cold.

Once again, when Li Xiangqian came to fetch water, Lao Zhou suddenly spoke. He said in a deep voice: "Xiangqian, you have fetched water quite often recently, right?"

Li Xiangqian's heart tightened, and he looked up at Lao Zhou's face. As expected, he saw a hint of ambiguity in his eyes. Li Xiangqian was immediately alert, but he tried to remain calm and responded with a smile: "Yes, there is indeed a serious lack of water in the fields recently. There is no other way but to make more trips."

Old Zhou nodded, his tone still calm: "Well, there is no problem getting water. However, the water in our well is limited, what do you think?"

Li Xiangqian heard something behind the words and started to get nervous. He knew what Lao Zhou was hinting at, but he couldn't show his anxiety right away, so he asked tentatively, "Brother Zhou, just tell me what you want to say. Did I fetch water too many times?"

Old Zhou narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly: "It's not a question of how much, go forward. I think that our water source is not easy to come by. Since you use a lot, shouldn't you give more as well? What do you think?"