Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Well, you haven't had an easy time," he said softly, with a hint of a sigh in his tone.

Qin Huairu raised her head and looked at Li Xiangqian, her eyes moistened: "Yes, it's not easy. But there is no other way, people have to survive, don't they?"

Li Xiangqian listened quietly to Qin Huairu's sigh, and his mood became heavy. The sound of rain outside the window became more and more intense, dripping on the eaves, like a silent sad song. The atmosphere in the room began to become a little depressing. He wanted to find a topic to ease the dull atmosphere, but suddenly, his eyes accidentally fell on a corner of the table - there was a small bunch of grapes.

He bought this bunch of grapes at the market a few days ago. He originally wanted to wash and eat them in his spare time, but he was so busy that he forgot about it. Li Xiangqian looked at the purple grapes and suddenly thought that he might be able to use this to relax the atmosphere. After all, Qin Huairu had been standing in the rain and was still cold. Eating some fruit might make her feel better.

He walked over, picked up the bunch of grapes, turned to Qin Huairu and said, "The grapes have been stored for a few days, they should still be quite fresh, do you want to eat some?"

Qin Huairu looked up, seemed a little hesitant, and shook her head gently: "No trouble, my clothes are wet, and I don't want to dirty your things."

Li Xiangqian smiled slightly and waved his hand: "It's okay, we're at home, there's nothing to worry about. I'll go wash them." After that, he took the grapes into the kitchen, put them in the basin, turned on the faucet, and let the cold water wash the purple-red skin. The sound of rain and flowing water intertwined together, and there was a surprising tranquility.

While washing grapes, he thought about his relationship with Qin Huairu. Since her husband passed away, the attitude of people in the courtyard towards her has been complicated. Some people sympathize with her experience, while others avoid her for fear of being contaminated by her "bad luck". And what about himself? Li Xiangqian knew in his heart that he was not really indifferent, but more out of an instinct for self-preservation. He was not the kind of person who was keen to interfere in other people's lives, especially a widow like Qin Huairu, who was involved too much and easily caused gossip. But now, she stood in her own house, with the rain and that faint smell of sadness, and an indescribable emotion gradually welled up in his heart.

Is it pity? Maybe a little. But what concerned him more was that he felt a subtle pressure from her approach. Qin Huairu was a woman with a story. The reason for her approach might not only be the difficulties in life, but also some emotional needs. Would she expect to get some comfort from him? This thought made Li Xiangqian a little uneasy.

After washing the grapes, Li Xiangqian dried his hands, carried a plate of grapes back to the living room, and placed the plate in front of Qin Huairu. "Come on, have a taste."

Qin Huairu looked at the plate and finally smiled. She leaned forward slightly and took a grape and put it in her mouth. "Thank you." She said softly, and the tension on her face seemed to ease a little. The sweetness of the grape spread on her tongue, and seemed to take away a bit of coolness in her heart.

Li Xiangqian sat back in his chair, thinking about how to break the awkward situation. He didn't want the silence to continue, but he didn't want to talk too deeply. After all, the other party's situation was complicated, and he didn't want to become the focus of those rumors.

"How have you been lately?" Li Xiangqian finally asked, trying to make his tone sound relaxed and casual.

Qin Huairu bit a grape, looking a little disappointed. After a few seconds, she whispered, "How can I put it? The children are still young, and there are many things to do at home. Life is not easy, but we have to hold on. You know, a woman with children has a lot of things to deal with. There is nothing we can do."

Li Xiangqian nodded. He understood her difficulties, but he didn't know how to continue the conversation. Too many words of comfort would seem hypocritical, while being too cold would seem heartless. He could only listen silently, nodding occasionally, but in his heart he was thinking about how he should face this complicated woman.

The rain gradually subsided, but the light outside the window was still dim, as if the entire courtyard was shrouded in a layer of wet shadow. Li Xiangqian suddenly realized that it was getting late and Qin Huairu should go home. The longer she stayed here, the more likely she would cause unnecessary trouble. Although it was still raining outside, he felt that he had to gently remind her to leave.

"The rain outside has gotten lighter. Do you still have to take care of the children at home?" Li Xiangqian tried to mention the topic in a concerned tone, hoping that she would realize that it was time to go home.

Qin Huairu was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Well, it's time to go back, the children are still at home." She stood up, the towel in her hand had almost been wiped, she put the towel on the chair, took another look at the grapes that she had not finished eating, and said softly: "Thank you, Master Li, I really trouble you."

Li Xiangqian stood up and walked to the door to open it for her. The rain outside was still dripping, the ground was wet, and the air was filled with the smell of soil. He watched Qin Huairu walk out the door, and her figure gradually disappeared in the rain.

The moment the door closed again, Li Xiangqian breathed a sigh of relief, and the suppressed emotions in his heart seemed to finally relax a little. He walked back to the table, sat down, and looked at the grapes they had just eaten together. He felt an indescribable complex feeling in his heart. It was obviously just an ordinary meeting, not even an in-depth conversation, but he felt an invisible burden.

"Qin Huairu, sigh..." He sighed softly, feeling both sympathy and helplessness.

He knew very well that this matter could not be publicized. If anyone saw Qin Huairu coming out of his house, rumors would inevitably follow. Although everyone's life in this courtyard was not easy, they were used to catching wind and shadows and liked to use other people's lives as gossip. Especially for a widow like Qin Huairu, her every move was particularly eye-catching. Li Xiangqian did not want to become the center of the topic, and he did not want to be too involved with her.

Before he could calm down, the sound of rain outside the window suddenly intensified, and thunder rolled faintly across the sky, as if reminding Li Xiangqian that the night was far from over. He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the blurry rain curtain, and seemed to have made up his mind.

"Tomorrow, I have to buy some chili peppers."

Li Xiangqian sat on the chair, rubbing his temples gently, his eyes gradually blurred. Ever since Qin Huairu left, he has been a little uneasy, and her wet figure and her eyes full of sadness always seem to appear in front of him.