Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian waved his hand and smiled nonchalantly, "Sister-in-law, don't keep saying those polite words. We are a family and it is my duty to help you." His voice was soft, but his concern was evident. He looked down at Xiaozhi, who was sweating profusely at this moment, digging a hole in the ground with a small shovel. He looked childish but serious. Li Xiangqian felt a warm feeling in his heart, as if he had raised this child himself.

He patted Xiaozhi's shoulder gently and said, "Okay, Xiaozhi, we've almost finished today's work. Go wash your hands quickly. You have to have breakfast soon." Xiaozhi looked at the fertilized land reluctantly, his eyes full of expectation. He nodded and ran to wash his hands.

Li Xiangqian looked at Xiaozhi's back, feeling both relieved and a little worried. He knew that Xiaozhi was still young, and the responsibility of the He family was too heavy for this child to bear. However, he also knew that if this cucumber seedling could grow smoothly, bloom and bear fruit, it would at least relieve some of the pressure on the He family.

After fertilizing, Li Xiangqian carefully watered the plants to ensure that the fertilizer could slowly penetrate into the soil. The leaves of the cucumber seedlings were wetted by the water droplets, revealing a fresh green color. He watched quietly, as if he was looking at a hope in his heart. His mood gradually calmed down along with the green, and the pain seemed to be relieved a little at this moment.

Just as he stood up and prepared to leave, he suddenly felt a sharp pain coming from deep in his stomach, and the pain almost made him lose his balance. He hurriedly held onto the wooden frame next to him, trying to calm himself down, taking a few deep breaths, and didn't let go until the pain eased a little. He didn't want others to see his discomfort, so he pretended to be calm and stood up straight, raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and secretly reminded himself: I have to hold on no matter what, and I can't let the He family worry.

However, the pain lingered around him like a stubborn shadow. That night, Li Xiangqian tossed and turned, unable to sleep due to the pain. He recalled his efforts and hard work over the past few days. Although he was very tired and hard, every time he saw the cucumber seedlings growing well, he felt that everything was worth it. However, the abnormality of his body became increasingly difficult for him to ignore, and he began to worry. If he really collapsed, what would happen to the He family? What about the seedlings?

The next morning, he still managed to go to the backyard to check on the cucumber seedlings. After applying fertilizer this time, the leaves of the seedlings were indeed greener and seemed to have grown taller. He couldn't help but feel relieved and smiled slightly.

He's mother looked at his pale face and couldn't help but asked, "Xiang Qian, your complexion has been getting worse these days. Why don't you go see a doctor and stop holding on." She really couldn't bear it. She always felt that he should think more about herself and not always put their family first.

Li Xiangqian was startled for a moment, then smiled and consoled her: "Sister-in-law, don't worry. I may have been a little tired recently. When the cucumber seedlings grow a little bigger, there will be less work to do, and I can take a break."

Mother He looked at his stubbornness, feeling distressed and helpless. She knew that he would not admit it, so she could only sigh silently, "You are too stubborn. You always think about others first. When can you think about yourself?"

Li Xiangqian watched the cucumber seedlings slowly unfold their green leaves in the sun, and a sense of joy rose in his heart. However, he also knew clearly that these seedlings were always fragile in the external environment, and they were easily damaged by wind, sun and rain. He thought to himself that if there was a shed to protect against bad weather, the survival rate of cucumbers would definitely be greatly improved.

Thinking of this, Li Xiangqian decided to build a simple shed himself. He stood in the middle of the yard, looked around, and gradually sketched out the appearance of the shed in his mind. Although it was not a big project, for him, it was a key step in the success or failure of the cucumbers. He carefully calculated the materials needed in his mind: bamboo poles, plastic sheets, iron wire, and some ropes to fix the brackets. Everything had to be prepared properly, and even the smallest details could not be ignored. He secretly told himself that this shed must be built firmly to be worthy of the hard work of the past few days.

He went to the store to buy some bamboo poles and ropes, and returned to the yard carrying the heavy materials, feeling both excited and nervous. Because building a shed is not an easy job, and his strength and skills alone may not be enough. But even so, he did not plan to ask for help. He did not want others to know that he spent so much time on this cucumber seedling, fearing that they would worry that he was too tired. Besides, if he could build it successfully by himself, he would also get a sense of accomplishment.

That afternoon, Li Xiangqian decided to take action while the sun was not too scorching. He first took out a thick bamboo pole, measured the distance, and inserted it deeply into the soil, then pressed it down hard. Because the bamboo pole needs to support the entire shed, he must ensure that these pillars are deeply and firmly inserted, otherwise the whole shed will be blown to and fro in a strong wind. He held the bamboo pole tightly with both hands, the muscles in his arms tightened as he exerted force, beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead, and his whole body leaned forward slightly, concentrating all his strength on his hands. After several pushes and pulls, the bamboo pole finally penetrated deeply into the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief, and a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Xiao Zhi was just coming home from school at that time. Seeing Li Xiangqian building a shed by himself, he ran over excitedly with curiosity in his eyes. "Uncle Li, what are you doing? Is this big shed for cucumber seedlings?" Xiao Zhi looked up at the bamboo poles with admiration on his face, thinking that Li Xiangqian could do anything.

Li Xiangqian wiped the sweat from his forehead, nodded and smiled, "Yes, Xiaozhi, cucumber seedlings are afraid of wind and rain, so Uncle Li plans to build a shed to protect them. Do you want to help me?"

Xiao Zhi nodded excitedly, "Okay, okay! Uncle Li, I'll help you!" He picked up a shorter bamboo pole and tried to stick it into the soil like Li Xiangqian did. But after all, he was young and not strong enough, so the bamboo pole seemed a little disobedient in his hand, shaking back and forth and unable to keep it steady.

Li Xiangqian looked at his serious and strenuous appearance and could not help laughing. He walked over to help him hold down the bamboo pole, "Xiaozhi, press it hard and press down. Yes, that's it!" Under Li Xiangqian's guidance, Xiaozhi finally fixed the bamboo pole. Although the bamboo pole was not straight, he showed a satisfied smile on his face and felt that he had helped a lot.