Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Master Li, are you there? I have something to tell you." Her voice came through the sound of rain, trembling slightly, as if a ship had lost its direction in the wind and rain.

Li Xiangqian didn't respond immediately, staring at her outside the window, with a complex emotion in his heart. Reason told him that it was best not to get too involved with her, but at the same time, he couldn't ignore her intention. After all, her life was not easy, and he didn't want to let her get wet in the rain in this weather.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his anxiety, and said, "Wait a moment, I'll open the door."

A faint cough came from the He family's small house. Li Xiangqian frowned and walked towards the direction of the sound. The He family has been having some difficulties in the past few months, especially Uncle He's illness, which has been delayed for a long time. Li Xiangqian knocked on the door gently, his voice soft but with his usual calmness. There was a faint sound of footsteps in the house, and the door slowly opened. Aunt He leaned out with a worried face, and when she saw that it was Li Xiangqian, her expression was slightly comforted.

"Xiao Li, why are you here? It's cold outside, come in and warm up." Aunt He's voice was a little hoarse, as if she had been overworked for many years, and there was a hint of fatigue in her words.

Li Xiangqian smiled, handed over the cloth bag in his hand, and said softly: "Auntie, I just happened to bring back some medicinal herbs from my hometown these days. I heard that they are good for Mr. He's illness, so I thought of sending them to you."

When Aunt He heard this, a gleam of light flashed in her eyes. She carefully took the cloth bag and held it in her hands, as if it was a precious treasure. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but her throat was blocked by gratitude and exhaustion in her heart.

The furnishings in the house were simple. A half-dried kettle was placed on the old wooden table. A few faded clothes and quilts were placed in the corner. The heating in the house was obviously insufficient. Grandpa He sat on the kang, his face pale and his eyes sunken. When he saw Li Xiangqian coming in, he smiled slightly and raised his hand weakly, "Xiao Li, thank you for your hard work and bringing us medicine."

Li Xiangqian felt a little bitter, knowing that Mr. He had been frugal all his life and had a lot of prestige among the neighbors. However, his health had deteriorated in recent years, and the He family had become increasingly financially constrained. In order not to worry the old couple, he just smiled and said, "Uncle, don't be so polite. I just brought some medicine. Your health is more important. When you get better, I will have to ask you for more advice in the future."

A smile appeared on Grandpa He's slightly old face, and he coughed twice, as if trying to hide his weakness. Seeing this, Li Xiangqian hurriedly helped him sit down, opened the medicine bag, took out some of the soaked herbs and poured them carefully into the bowl, blew gently for Grandpa He, and then handed it to him.

The medicinal soup exuded a warm aroma, with a strong aroma of medicinal materials. Grandpa He held the bowl, took a deep breath, and drank the medicinal soup slowly with a little difficulty. After drinking it, his face seemed to have a little redness, closed his eyes, and sighed softly. Li Xiangqian sat next to him, silently watching his expression, and couldn't help but think of Grandpa He's care for the courtyard in the past. Although he didn't talk much, he was full of respect for this old man in his heart.

As the night deepened, the wind outside the house howled, as if it was going to push down the doors and windows. Li Xiangqian quietly stuffed some cotton cloth into the gaps in the window and added a few pieces of charcoal to the stove, which slightly raised the temperature in the house. He looked at Mr. He's face, who was gradually falling asleep, and suddenly he was determined to do his best to help the He family get through this difficult time.

The next day, Li Xiangqian got up early and started working in the yard without even having breakfast. He cleared the snow in the yard, checked the doors and windows carefully, and repaired all the gaps. Then, he walked out of the courtyard and went to find a few familiar old neighbors, briefly mentioning the current situation of the He family. Li Xiangqian knew that Mr. He would never take the initiative to ask for help, but in the current situation, he could not care so much and had to take some practical actions.

In the afternoon, several neighbors came to the He family with some food and medicinal materials. They greeted Aunt He with a smile and put the materials on the table lightly, fearing that she would think it was charity. Aunt He clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest, her eyes slightly red, and thanked everyone repeatedly, her gratitude overflowing with words. Li Xiangqian stood silently by, watching all this with deep eyes, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the assistance is not temporary. Li Xiangqian knew that these supplies alone could only help the He family survive the winter at most. If he wanted to truly solve the problem, he had to take a long-term view. He remembered that Grandpa He had a skill in the past - he was proficient in some carpentry work. So he began to think about whether he could find something for the He family to do in this regard, so that Grandpa He could stay at home and earn some money to maintain his daily expenses.

In the following days, Li Xiangqian frequently visited carpentry shops in the city, and even found some old customers, begging them to give the He family more work. With his persistence and sincerity, several merchants finally agreed to outsource some simple carpentry work to the He family. When Li Xiangqian heard the news, he was very happy and immediately rushed back to the courtyard to tell Uncle He the good news.

When Mr. He heard the news, his eyes lit up. Although he had not fully recovered, he felt strong when he thought that he could still do something. He shook Li Xiangqian's hand gratefully, and said in a choked voice: "Little Li, you are really our benefactor."

Li Xiangqian shook his head and said softly, "Uncle, we are all family, why do we have to be so polite? Just take care of your health and take your time with these tasks. There is no rush."

Afterwards, he prepared the tools and materials needed for carpentry work, and specially transformed the He family's hut into a simple workshop. Whenever Mr. He needed some help, Li Xiangqian would always be by his side to help him with things within his ability. The courtyard was still deserted in winter, but Li Xiangqian's company made this small courtyard a little warmer.

At the same time, Li Xiangqian did not relax his attention to Grandpa He's condition. Every day, he would carefully observe Grandpa He's complexion, urge him to take medicine on time, and even make some nourishing soup for him from time to time. Occasionally, Aunt He would bring a bowl of hot porridge to Li Xiangqian with a gratified smile on her face, and urge him to take good care of his body. Aunt He had already regarded Li Xiangqian as her own family in her heart and cared for him very much.