Siheyuan: Tathagata's Palm suppresses the entire courtyard!

Jia Xiaoying listened attentively, her eyes full of curiosity: "Then can you tell us the story of these flowers?"

Xu Mingjie nodded and pointed to a field of blooming roses. He said, "These roses are my mother's favorite flowers. She always hoped to have a rose garden in the yard. After she passed away, I planted these roses. Every time I see them blooming, it's as if I see my mother's smile."

Jia Xiaoying nodded with emotion: "What a beautiful story. Every flower carries deep affection."

Niu Tinggui was more interested in the tall trees. He touched a thick tree trunk and asked, "Uncle Xu, these trees are so tall. Are they many years old?"

"Yes, these trees were planted by my grandfather. He always wanted to have a green shade in the yard, so he planted these trees. Now they have grown so tall and protect us from wind and rain." Xu Mingjie said, with deep nostalgia in his eyes.

Everyone walked around the backyard and listened to Xu Mingjie telling the stories of each plant and tree, their hearts filled with warmth and respect. They understood that this courtyard is not just a building, but also a carrier of a family's history and emotions.

Time passed quietly amidst laughter and joy, and in the blink of an eye it was already evening. The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled in the yard, covering everything with a layer of golden brilliance. Jia Shifa and his family said goodbye and left. Xu Mingjie stood at the gate of the yard, watching their backs disappear at the end of the alley, feeling extremely satisfied and happy.

As night fell, Xu Mingjie returned to the house and lit an oil lamp. The soft light shone on the photos on the table. He sat quietly at the table, flipping through the yellowed old photos and recalling every bit of the past.

Suddenly, there was a light knock on the door. Xu Mingjie got up and walked to the door. He opened it and saw a strange young man standing there with a little nervousness and uneasiness on his face.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Xu Mingjie?" the young man asked cautiously.

"Yes, I am. Who are you?" Xu Mingjie looked at him curiously.

"My name is Li Hao, and I'm here to look for a job. I heard that there is a community activity center here, and I wanted to ask if there are any job opportunities." Li Hao said, his eyes full of expectation.

Xu Mingjie nodded and said with a smile: "Of course, we need some help here. Come in and sit down first, and we will talk in detail."

Li Hao followed Xu Mingjie into the yard and saw the beautiful scenery of the quadrangle. He couldn't help but sighed: "It's so beautiful here, full of a warm feeling."

Xu Mingjie smiled and said, "Thank you for your compliment. This courtyard carries many memories of me and my family, and I hope to pass on this warmth to more people."

Li Hao nodded, with a gleam of gratitude in his eyes: "Mr. Xu, I really need this job, I will work hard."

"You're welcome. Just call me Mingjie." Xu Mingjie patted Li Hao on the shoulder and continued, "We need someone to take care of the yard, organize activities, and do some daily maintenance work. What do you think?"

"I can do anything as long as you give me a chance." Li Hao answered firmly.

Xu Mingjie nodded and said with satisfaction: "Okay, that's settled. You will start working tomorrow and I will help you get familiar with the job."

Li Hao thanked him excitedly: "Thank you, Brother Mingjie, I will definitely not let you down."

It was late at night, Li Hao said goodbye and left, Xu Mingjie watched him walk out of the courtyard, his heart full of hope. He knew that the courtyard would welcome a new member and a new story.

Xu Mingjie stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching Li Hao's excited back as he left. He knew that this young man would definitely find his new life here. As the night deepened, the courtyard was quiet and warm. Xu Mingjie thought quietly under the soft light, recalling everything that had just happened. Tomorrow will be a new beginning.

The next morning, Xu Mingjie got up early and began to prepare breakfast in the yard. The morning sun shone through the leaves into the yard, birds sang happily among the treetops, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of flowers. Xu Mingjie placed bowls of hot soy milk, fried dough sticks and pancakes on the stone table, feeling happy.

After a while, Li Hao arrived on time, and walked into the yard with a sunny smile and full of energy. "Brother Mingjie, good morning!" He greeted warmly.

"Good morning, Li Hao, come and have some breakfast first." Xu Mingjie greeted with a smile.

Li Hao looked at the sumptuous breakfast on the table and couldn't help but sigh: "Brother Mingjie, your cooking skills are really great. Just looking at it makes me hungry."

"Hurry up and sit down to eat. Only when you are full will you have the energy to work." Xu Mingjie said with a smile.

The two sat at the stone table, enjoying breakfast and chatting. Xu Mingjie introduced the work content of the courtyard in detail, and Li Hao listened carefully, nodding from time to time to show his understanding.

"Brother Mingjie, this is a really great place. I will definitely cherish this opportunity." Li Hao said firmly.

Xu Mingjie nodded and encouraged, "I'm glad you think so. This is not only a workplace, but also our home. We must work together to build it into a warm community."

After breakfast, Xu Mingjie took Li Hao around the yard and introduced in detail the functions of each corner and the places that need attention. Li Hao carefully wrote down every detail, showing great enthusiasm and sense of responsibility.

"This is the flower bed, which needs to be watered every morning and evening; the trees over there need to be pruned regularly; and this small pavilion is a place for everyone to rest, and it needs to be kept clean and tidy." Xu Mingjie introduced and demonstrated while Li Hao watched carefully at the side and asked questions from time to time.

As the night deepened, the city streets became increasingly deserted. Yang Shumao and Xie Zhiqiang drove through the streets while calling various parties for clues. The dim street lights reflected their anxious faces, and a tense atmosphere filled the car.

"Old Yang, where will Uncle Xu go?" Xie Zhiqiang asked anxiously.

"I don't know either, but he is a stubborn old man. He must have encountered some difficult situation and suddenly disappeared." Yang Shumao gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, his eyes looking straight ahead, his heart full of anxiety.

They visited several teahouses, chess rooms and friends' homes frequented by Uncle Xu, but found nothing. As the sky gradually brightened, they finally got a clue about Uncle Xu from the owner of an old teahouse.

"Uncle Xu came here last night. He seemed to mention that he was going to talk to an old friend about something." The teahouse owner recalled.

"Old friend? Did he mention the name or place?" Yang Shumao asked anxiously.