Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Mother He nodded slightly, forcing a smile from the corners of her mouth, but her heart was filled with endless gratitude and shame. She silently thought to herself: "Xiang Qian is really too kind... He lives a tight life, but he still cares so much about our family."

After a morning of hard work, Li Xiangqian finally tilled the land smooth and then scattered cucumber seeds one by one. He gently covered the seeds with soil and patted it down with his palms, as if every pat carried his most sincere expectations. He's mother was watching from the side and suddenly said, "Xiangqian, why don't I give you a hand? Although you said cucumbers are easy to grow, you can't worry about everything."

Li Xiangqian smiled and waved his hand, "Sister-in-law, if you really want to help, then help me water this land every day. I will do the rest, and you don't have to worry too much."

As he spoke, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes full of determination. He knew very well that in the near future, when the land would bear fruit, it might become one of the hopes for the He family to temporarily get out of the predicament. This hope gave him a warm sense of satisfaction, and even though he was physically and mentally exhausted, he felt it was worth it.

In the following days, no matter how busy Li Xiangqian was, he would take time out every day to come to the backyard, carefully check the moisture of the soil, and observe the germination of the cucumber seeds. Sometimes he would bring Xiaozhi with him to teach him how to take care of the cucumber seedlings. Although Xiaozhi was young, he was very interested in learning from Li Xiangqian, and carefully cultivated the soil next to the cucumber seedlings with his little hands. Looking at Xiaozhi's serious and focused expression, Li Xiangqian couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment, as if he was not only taking care of the cucumber seedlings, but also planting the seeds of hope.

Finally, on a cool morning, Li Xiangqian was pleasantly surprised to find a few green seedlings sprouting from the land. The cucumber seeds had already sprouted. Looking at the green, Li Xiangqian was immediately filled with joy, as if the small sprouts were the best reward for his hard work. He bent down and gently stroked the tender leaves, praying in his heart: I hope these cucumber seedlings can grow up healthily and bring real harvests to the He family soon.

Li Xiangqian was overjoyed by this discovery and was very excited. He quickly ran to tell He's mother: "Sister-in-law, the cucumber seeds have sprouted! Soon, we will be able to eat fresh cucumbers grown at home!"

Li Xiangqian has been feeling a dull stomachache from time to time recently. At first, he thought it was just a minor problem, probably caused by irregular meals at work. He didn't take it too seriously and simply rubbed his stomach and it went away. He continued to be busy turning the soil, watering, and doing odd jobs at the construction site. He attributed the stomach pain to fatigue and irregular diet, thinking that it would go away if he endured it.

However, as the days passed, the frequency of stomachaches gradually increased, especially in the evening every day, when he returned to the courtyard after a long day of hard work, the pain became more and more obvious. The pain felt like an invisible hand scratching his stomach, sometimes dull, sometimes sharp, and at some points it even hurt so much that sweat broke out on his forehead and his breathing became heavy. Although Li Xiangqian tried hard not to show it, he was worried in his heart.

He tried to distract himself with some small details of life. At night, he sat on a small stool in the yard, listening to the laughter of other people in the yard, as if this could make him relax temporarily. However, the pain still came unexpectedly, and it became increasingly difficult to ignore in those quiet nights.

That evening, He's mother was cooking porridge in the yard. She washed the newly bought rice and put it on the stove to cook, stirring it from time to time. The aroma gradually spread. Li Xiangqian had just finished a day's work. As soon as he walked into the yard and smelled the porridge, his stomach suddenly started to ache. He tried hard not to cover his stomach and slowly walked to his room, gently holding the door frame with his hand, and took deep breaths to relieve the pain.

He's mother just looked up and saw that Li Xiangqian looked unhappy. Her expression tensed and she walked over and asked with concern: "Xiangqian, what's wrong with you? You look so bad, are you feeling unwell?" Her eyes were filled with deep worry, and as she spoke, she wanted to help him.

Li Xiangqian quickly shook his head and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, it's okay. Maybe you are tired from working too much at the construction site today. Just take a rest." He tried to relax his expression, not wanting to worry He's mother, and even made a joke, "But the porridge you cooked is so delicious that it makes my stomach growl."

Mother He looked at his forced smile, but she was not at ease. She knew Li Xiangqian's personality well. He never wanted to make others worry. Even if he was tired or suffered, he never showed any discomfort in front of others. Because of this, she felt that there might be something wrong with Li Xiangqian.

"Xiang Qian, if you feel uncomfortable somewhere, don't force yourself. Health is the foundation of a person. No matter how busy you are, nothing is as important as health." Her voice was soft but full of firm concern, as if reminding him not to always put himself in the second place.

Li Xiangqian knew that she meant well, and he felt a warm feeling in his heart. He nodded and said softly, "Sister-in-law, I understand. Don't worry, I won't force myself if something really happens." However, despite saying this, he didn't want to talk about his health problems. After all, the He family already had enough troubles, and he didn't want to distract everyone from him.

He's mother was still a little worried. After thinking for a while, she brought a bowl of freshly cooked porridge, handed it to him, and whispered, "Xiang Qian, this porridge is warming and nourishing. Drinking some at night may make you feel better." She said with a smile, trying to dispel his uneasiness with a relaxed tone.

Li Xiangqian took the porridge, lowered his head and blew gently, then took a sip. The hot air slid down his throat with the fragrance of the porridge, warming his entire stomach. Although his stomach was still aching, the warmth eased his anxiety a little. As he drank the porridge, he silently thought of He's mother's warmth and care, feeling both grateful and helpless.

That night, the pain was still with him. He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, but kept thinking about how to get through this difficult time. The next morning, Li Xiangqian, exhausted, got up as usual and took care of the cucumber seedlings in the yard. They had grown a few leaves and were working hard to grow towards the sun. The green seedlings seemed to have become his spiritual support, making him feel that all his efforts were worth it.

However, the discomfort still lingered. In the afternoon, Li Xiangqian's stomach ached again, so much so that he could not stand steadily and had to hold on to the wooden frame beside him.