Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian hesitated for a moment, but finally took the plate and thanked her. Standing in the yard, he felt a little uncomfortable, thinking: "What does she want? We weren't that familiar with each other before, why is she always approaching me now?" Although he was puzzled by this sudden enthusiasm, he couldn't refuse her face to face, so he could only take the plate of fruit into the house.

Back in the house, Li Xiangqian put the fruit on the table and sat down for a while. Qin Huairu's actions became more and more frequent, and he really couldn't figure out her intentions. This inexplicable approach made him a little wary and also made him feel uneasy. Although her words were always friendly, Li Xiangqian always felt a little unnatural.

"What does she want?" he muttered to himself, "Is it because she saw that I have started growing vegetables and my life is getting better, so she wants to get closer to me? Or..." Thinking of this, he suddenly shook his head, thinking that he should not make random guesses.

However, once this thought came up, it was like a thorn in his heart, making him unable to let it go. Whenever Qin Huairu appeared in front of him again, he always subconsciously kept his distance, not wanting to get himself involved in some unclear relationship.

One night, Li Xiangqian had just prepared a plate of fragrant pork belly fried with onions and was about to sit down to eat when he suddenly heard a knock on the door. He opened the door and saw Qin Huairu standing at the door, still with that familiar smile.

"Xiang Qian, what delicious food did you make today?" She looked into the house and asked with a smile.

Li Xiangqian frowned, feeling somewhat resistant, but remained calm on the surface and answered casually, "Stir-fried pork belly with onions."

Qin Huairu smiled even more brightly when she heard this: "This smells so good! If you don't mind, can I come in and try it? I've always wanted to try your cooking, and today's the chance."

Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, a little at a loss. He didn't know how to respond to such a direct request. It seemed a bit too blunt to refuse, but he felt uneasy if he agreed. After a pause, he forced a smile and said, "The quantity is not much today, it may not be enough, I'll treat you next time."

Qin Huairu was obviously stunned for a moment, but soon smiled and waved her hands: "It's okay, it's okay, call me when you have done more." After that, she didn't stay for long and turned back to her room.

Li Xiangqian was getting more and more irritated. Ever since Qin Huairu started to visit him frequently, he always felt that this woman made him uneasy. She used to be a widow, and people in the courtyard sometimes talked about her behind her back. Everyone knew that she had a hard life. Although her life was hard, she was smart and capable. But over the years, her actions always made Li Xiangqian feel a little too warm. Especially now, she came to his house from time to time, making him a little overwhelmed.

After dinner, Li Xiangqian sat in the yard, the dim light sprinkled on the bluestone floor of the courtyard. He sat alone on a wooden chair, thinking about what happened recently, and his heart was upset for no reason. It seemed like an ordinary day, but Qin Huairu's appearance disrupted his peace. He liked to live a quiet life alone, grow some vegetables and cook some meals after a busy day. Although his life was not rich, it was comfortable. But Qin Huairu's approach made him feel as if he would be involved in some trouble at any time.

He looked down at the ground beneath his feet, thinking to himself, "I don't want to have anything to do with her. She's a widow, and I don't care what others say about her. But if I get involved, who knows how many rumors there will be." He thought of those gossipers in the yard and couldn't help feeling annoyed.

"Li Xiangqian and Widow Qin?" This thought suddenly popped up in his mind. His heart sank and he quickly shook his head, trying to get rid of the idea. He knew that if someone in the yard put these two names together, who knows what the gossipy people would say. Li Xiangqian was afraid of getting into trouble since he was a child, and he didn't want to become the topic of others' conversations.

Just as he was thinking this, Qin Huairu's shadow suddenly appeared in his mind again. The way she smiled and handed him the fruit, and the way she stood at the door and tried to come in, made him feel inexplicably oppressive. What did she want? Li Xiangqian pondered in his heart. He and her had no friendship, let alone any special dealings. Qin Huairu approached him so frequently, it must not be a simple greeting.

"Does she really want to establish a relationship?" Li Xiangqian frowned. This thought made him feel even more uneasy. He didn't want to have anything to do with a widow, especially a shrewd woman like Qin Huairu. If she really wanted to get close to him, there might be more thoughts behind it. He has always been afraid of these complicated things, especially the things between men and women. He never wants to get involved.

"What is this woman planning?" Li Xiangqian was becoming more and more alert. He always thought that he was an ordinary man, nothing special for others to pursue, but Qin Huairu's behavior made him feel that something was wrong. She always looked for opportunities to talk, sometimes buying vegetables, sometimes growing vegetables, even if it was just a little bit of trivial matters, she would take the opportunity to get close to him. Li Xiangqian felt that if this continued, things might become more troublesome.

The next morning, Li Xiangqian went out early to buy some fresh pork at the market, thinking that he would make braised pork again when he got home today. He had just walked to the gate of the yard and was about to lock it when Qin Huairu suddenly appeared in front of him again. She was wearing a plain floral shirt, holding a bag of vegetables in her hands, with a smile on her face.

"Hey, Xiang Qian, are you out buying groceries again?" Qin Huairu greeted him with a smile, and there was a hint of friendliness in his tone, as if they were already very familiar with each other.

Li Xiangqian frowned, nodded, and replied in a light tone: "Yes, buy some meat."

"That's perfect. I just came back from the market and bought some vegetables." Qin Huairu raised the bag in her hand and continued, "You like cooking. We can cook together some other day and exchange ideas."

"I'm fine cooking by myself, and it's easy to eat by myself." Li Xiangqian declined calmly, trying to make his tone sound natural, but he had already decided in his heart to avoid too much contact with her as much as possible.

Qin Huairu didn't seem to care too much about his refusal, and still said with a smile: "That's fine, when you want to eat the food I cook, you can come to me, my cooking skills are not bad."

Li Xiangqian nodded, as if to deal with it, and then quickly walked out of the courtyard without saying anything more. Along the way, he was still thinking about Qin Huairu's attitude in his mind, and he felt more and more that there must be some unclear purpose behind this approach.