Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

The cucumber field is not big, but it is not easy to clean it thoroughly. Li Xiangqian squatted down and carefully pulled out a thriving weed. He felt the moisture of the soil and the tenacity of the grass roots in his hands. He couldn't help but sigh that these weeds, like the cucumbers, are desperately growing upwards and not letting go of any nutrients.

In between weeding, Li Xiangqian and Xu Damao chatted for a while. Li Xiangqian said softly, "Damo, in fact, the work we do may seem hard, but as long as we are patient and pay attention to the details, we can make the cucumber seedlings grow better, and then we can harvest more. In a few months, when the cucumbers are ripe, it will be a beautiful green scene."

Hearing this, Xu Damao's eyes showed longing, and he couldn't help but say: "Brother Xiangqian, when that time comes, we will be so comfortable when we pick cucumbers! This tiredness will be worth it."

Li Xiangqian nodded, feeling satisfied and the direction of his efforts becoming clearer. He knew that for the He family and himself, this cucumber field was not only a source of livelihood, but also a place of hope in their hearts. As long as they did their work well day by day and paid attention to every detail, the harvest would be more and more abundant in the future.

Before they knew it, the sun had climbed up the sky, casting its warm rays, illuminating the entire cucumber field. Li Xiangqian wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looking at the cleaned ground, he felt relieved. He patted Xu Damao on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Damo, we did a good job today. The field is clean. We can loosen the soil tomorrow after a little tidying up."

Xu Damao looked at the ground and smiled proudly, "Brother Xiangqian, I have learned a lot today. I never thought there were so many details to weeding. However, working with you, I feel more at ease!"

Li Xiangqian listened, smiled and nodded, secretly sighing in his heart that although Xu Damao was a little impatient on weekdays, he was also serious when he was serious. Through this cooperation, Li Xiangqian felt that Xu Damao could not only help, but also gradually become a reliable assistant. Perhaps in the future, he could teach him more skills so that he could better take on the responsibilities in the yard.

Just as he was thinking about it, Aunt He came over with a basin of cold water and called out, "Xiang Qian, Damao, come, have a drink of water and take a break. You two have done a lot of work today." Her eyes showed gratitude and concern, and it was obvious that she was also pleased with Li Xiangqian and Xu Damao's hard work.

Li Xiangqian took the basin with a smile, handed a bowl to Xu Damao, and scooped a bowl for himself. He drank a mouthful of cool well water, and felt that his fatigue seemed to be relieved. He looked at Aunt He and smiled, "Aunt, we have almost finished weeding today. The land is clean, and the cucumber seedlings will absorb nutrients more smoothly in the future. When we have a good harvest of cucumbers, everyone will see the results."

Li Xiangqian sighed, reached into his pocket and touched the roll of money. He didn't have much savings, and the meager income from his work was just enough to support his family. But at this moment, he couldn't help but think of the various kindnesses the He family had shown him in the past. He remembered that when he just moved into the courtyard that year, He Dahai and his wife specially prepared hot meals for him and showed warm care to him, the "new neighbor" who had just arrived. Since then, whenever Li Xiangqian encountered difficulties in life, the He family always lent a helping hand, even if it was not much, it was heartwarming. Now it was his turn to repay them, and he made up his mind.

However, Li Xiangqian knew that the He family had always had a strong sense of self-esteem. If he directly gave them money, they would probably refuse it, or even feel uneasy. Li Xiangqian stood in the cold wind, thinking about how to lend a helping hand without burdening them. He knew that if he wanted to help the He family, he had to find a proper way to make them accept his help without realizing it.

He lowered his head and thought for a moment, and suddenly an idea came to his mind. Since He Dahai now needs to rest and cannot work, why not take this opportunity to help him under the pretext of work? Li Xiangqian suddenly had an idea, and an unprecedented enthusiasm surged in his heart. He quickly decided to help the He family through the current difficulties by "hiring workers", which would not only make them accept it smoothly, but also bring them some income and avoid embarrassment.

As soon as he was sure of this idea, Li Xiangqian couldn't wait to knock on the door of the He family. The door was gently pushed open, and He Xiaozhi, the son of the He family, leaned out with sleepy eyes. When he saw that it was Uncle Li, he was immediately alert, "Uncle Li, it's so early?"

Li Xiangqian showed a warm smile, "Xiaozhi, Uncle Li has something to ask your mother, go and call her out." Xiaozhi nodded hurriedly, turned around and ran back to the house to call his mother. A moment later, He's mother came out. She looked pale and her eyes were full of fatigue, but when she saw Li Xiangqian, her eyes showed some warmth, "Xiangqian, what's the matter so early?"

Li Xiangqian scratched his head pretending to be natural, and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, I recently took a job. The work is not heavy, but I need someone to help me. I can't do it alone, so I was thinking about whether I could ask Xiaozhi to help me, so that he can find something to do. Do you think it is possible to let Xiaozhi go with me to earn some pocket money?"

When He's mother heard this, her eyes lit up, as if she saw hope. Xiaozhi is the youngest son in the family. Although he is sensible, he has never been far away from home to work. The family conditions have been difficult these days, and He's mother once wanted to let Xiaozhi go out to help with the family expenses, but she was worried that he was still young and afraid that he would suffer. Now hearing Li Xiangqian's proposal, she couldn't help but show a bit of hesitation. She looked at Li Xiangqian, with a bit of helplessness in her tone, "Xiangqian, we remember your kindness. Xiaozhi is still young and not very sensible, I'm afraid he can't help, and I have to cause you trouble."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangqian waved his hands and said, "Sister-in-law, please don't say that! Xiaozhi is a very clever child, and he is not a child anymore. It's time for him to learn some life skills. I don't expect him to do any heavy work, just follow me around, and it will be a lot easier for me to have him helping me." He spoke earnestly and his tone was sincere. He's mother was actually moved for a moment and felt that this suggestion seemed really good.

After weighing the pros and cons, Mother He finally nodded and agreed, and told Xiao Zhi to listen to Uncle Li and not to be naughty. Xiao Zhi was excited and could no longer hold back his excitement, nodding his head like pounding garlic. He had heard of Uncle Li's abilities and that he was a motivated person, so he had long admired him.