Siheyuan: Rebirth of Liu Ergou

A suppressed cry, like fallen leaves in the cold autumn wind, floated gently but heavily into Liu Yi's ears. He stopped and frowned slightly. The sound seemed to carry endless sorrow and helplessness, which made his heart tighten.

Liu Yi followed the sound of crying, walked through the narrow alley, and came to a dilapidated corner. In front of him, five children were huddled together, their clothes were worn out, and their faces were covered with dust and tears. One of the little girls was holding a younger child tightly in her arms. The child had fallen asleep, but the tears on his face were still clearly visible.

"Children, what's wrong? Don't be afraid, tell me, I am your friend." Liu Yi squatted down and asked in the gentlest voice possible.

The children looked up, their eyes full of fear and helplessness. After a long while, a little boy timidly said: "We are orphans, no one wants us. Today, we want to find something to eat, but...but..." At this point, he couldn't help crying again.

Liu Yi's heart ached as if it was pierced by a needle. He looked at these pitiful children, his eyes full of heartache and pity. He gently picked up the sleeping little girl, and then said to the rest of the children: "Don't be afraid, I will take you home."

After returning to No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, Liu Yi immediately called the aunts in the yard - the first aunt Yang Yuhua, the second aunt Zhang Min, and the third aunt Xu Xin. When they saw these children, their eyes were full of surprise and distress.

"Come here, children, let us give you a bath." Yang Yuhua said gently, and took the children to the bathroom.

Liu Yi was busy boiling water and cooking noodles. In the kitchen, his busy figure looked particularly tall under the light. Soon, a pot of hot noodles was ready.

He came to the living room with noodles, and the children looked at him stiffly, not daring to come forward. Liu Yi smiled helplessly, knowing that these children might not have had a decent meal for a long time. He gently put down the bowl and chopsticks, and then said to Yang Yuhua: "Auntie, please coax them to eat."

Yang Yuhua nodded, walked to the children, and gently stroked their heads: "Children, don't be afraid, this is the noodles that Uncle Liu made for you, it's delicious. Come, Auntie will feed you."

Under Yang Yuhua's coaxing, the children finally slowly picked up their chopsticks and carefully tasted a mouthful. At that moment, their eyes were shining with surprise and happiness. The bowl of hot noodles not only warmed their stomachs, but also their hearts.

Seeing the children eating with gusto, Liu Yi felt warm in his heart. He decided to do his best to give these children a warm home.

In the following days, Liu Yi not only provided food and shelter for the children, but also taught them to read and write and took them out to play. With his actions, he changed the fate of these children bit by bit.

The children gradually became cheerful and started to communicate and play with Liu Yi and other uncles and aunts in the yard. Whenever Liu Yi saw their happy smiles on their faces, he felt extremely satisfied and relieved.

However, life is like the vast ocean, always full of endless variables. On the days that seem as calm as water, the gears of fate begin to turn quietly.

It was a sunny but slightly cool morning, with a gentle breeze blowing, stirring people's hearts. Suddenly, a hurried knock on the door broke the tranquility of the courtyard. Liu Yi opened the door and saw a strange man standing in front of him. He was wearing a suit and leather shoes, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and a gentle smile on his face. He introduced himself as a distant relative of the children, named Li Ze.

Li Ze sincerely said that he was deeply moved by what the children had experienced. Now that he has a successful career and a happy family, he hopes to adopt these lovely children and give them a stable, rich and loving environment to grow up in, so that they can receive a good education and have a broader space for development, thus opening a new chapter in their lives.

Liu Yi listened to Li Ze's words quietly, and a complex emotion suddenly surged in his heart, as if a bottle of five flavors had been overturned. On the one hand, he was sincerely happy that the children were about to have such a wonderful opportunity; on the other hand, when he thought about parting with these children who he had been with day and night and treated as his own children, the unshakable sadness of parting surged into his heart like a tide, making him heartbroken.

After several days of tossing and turning and careful consideration, Liu Yi finally made a decision - he would respect the children's wishes. So, on a warm night, Liu Yi gathered the children together, sat under the dim light, and said softly: "Dear children, there is an important matter that uncle wants to discuss with you. Recently, a distant relative came to us. His name is Li Ze. Uncle Li expressed his willingness to adopt you and take you to a new place to live. There will be a beautiful big house, delicious food, and many fun toys. Uncle knows that this may be a good opportunity for you to live a better life. However, uncle is also reluctant to let you leave... So, no matter what you choose, uncle will support your decision."

The children listened silently, tears in their eyes. Xiao Ming, who was a little older, bit his lip, raised his head and looked at Liu Yi firmly and said, "Uncle, although we don't want to leave you, if this can give us a better future, we are willing to follow Uncle Li." The other children nodded in agreement.

Hearing the children's sensible words, Liu Yi held back his tears, smiled and touched each child's head, and then told them solemnly: "Children, no matter where you go in the future, this will always be your home. No matter when and where you want to come back, your uncle will definitely be here waiting for you!"

The day of departure finally came. That day, the sky was gloomy, as if it was also sad about the departure. Liu Yi got up early and prepared a hearty breakfast for the children. Everyone sat together, no one spoke, just ate silently, occasionally looking up, and when their eyes met, their eyes revealed deep attachment and reluctance.

After breakfast, Li Ze drove to the gate of the courtyard. The children slowly stood up and walked towards the gate with heavy steps. Liu Yi followed closely behind, and every step seemed to be on cotton, light and without any strength. When the children stopped in front of the car and turned around, Liu Yi could no longer suppress the surging emotions in his heart, and tears burst out. Seeing this, the children also burst into tears like a flood. They flew into Liu Yi's arms and hugged him tightly, as if they wanted to use all their strength to engrave this warmth in their hearts forever.

Time passed by minute by minute, and Li Ze coughed gently, indicating that it was time to set off. The children reluctantly let go of Liu Yi's arms, looked back every few steps, and got on the car. Liu Yi stood there, watching the car go farther and farther until it disappeared at the end of the road. At that moment, he felt that the whole world had become empty, and only the heart filled with longing was still aching...