Chapter 1096 Various Protests

Li Xiangqian lowered his head, feeling a sharp pain in his heart. He wanted to say something, but in the end he just sighed. Lin Xiaoyu in front of him had been enduring his silence and uneasiness in a soft way. He had no way to tell her about his inner troubles, the indescribable fatigue, the anxiety that had nowhere to go. So, he just shook his head and forced a smile: "It's okay, I just didn't sleep well last night."

Lin Xiaoyu glanced at him, nodded silently, and continued to eat without asking any more questions. Li Xiangqian picked up his chopsticks silently and ate his meal, but his mind was full of thoughts. She had been giving silently, but he always found it difficult to give her a complete response.

After dinner, Li Xiangqian went out as usual and decided to go to the fields to see the wasteland. When leaving home, Lin Xiaoyu didn't say anything more, just reminded him: "It's cold, remember to wear more clothes." He felt even more depressed, and such gentleness made it even more difficult for him to face his inner guilt.

He walked along the country road. The autumn sun was still warm, but his mood was as dim as the sunny weather. When he reached the village entrance, he found a worn-out cane leaning against an old tree on the road ahead. The wooden surface of the cane had been eroded by wind and rain, and the surface was a little black and the shape was no longer regular, but it still showed its former strength. Li walked forward, picked up the cane, and looked at it carefully.

The cane seemed to be quite old, the wood surface had faded, and some places were even worn to reveal its original smooth color. He did not put it down immediately, but looked down at the cane, and suddenly a complex emotion surged in his heart. It looked ordinary, but it gave him an inexplicable touch, as if it represented something, or some unspeakable existence. Li Xiangqian's fingers gently stroked the surface of the cane, and the subtle grooves and textures made him unconsciously fall into contemplation.

"How did this thing end up here?" He whispered to himself, but he didn't get any answer. There was no mark on the cane, nor any obvious features, it seemed to be just a randomly discarded item.

Some vague memories flashed through Li Xiangqian's mind - when he was a child, he had seen his grandfather walking in the yard with a similar cane. At that time, his grandfather was already old and always seemed to have difficulty walking. Every time he saw his grandfather using that cane, he could not help but feel sad. The once majestic old man seemed unable to resist the erosion of time. Li Xiangqian raised his head, took a deep breath, and forced these scattered thoughts out of his mind, but his heart was still endlessly heavy.

He finally decided to take the cane home. Although it looked insignificant, Li Xiangqian felt that it seemed to give him some kind of inexplicable strength. Even if it was only temporary, he was willing to grasp that glimmer of possible comfort.

After returning home, Li Xiangqian placed the cane in the corner of the yard and leaned it against the wall. When Lin Xiaoyu saw the cane, she frowned slightly and asked softly, "What is this?"

"I picked it up on the road." Li Xiangqian answered casually, but he was a little overwhelmed. The appearance of the cane made him feel an invisible sense of oppression, as if there was some profound meaning behind it. And he couldn't explain why he brought it back.

Lin Xiaoyu didn't ask any more questions, just nodded, but her momentary doubts still didn't escape Li Xiangqian's eyes. He knew that Lin Xiaoyu didn't fully understand his inner troubles, nor did she understand why he always played a role in life that couldn't meet all expectations. He sighed, feeling an inexplicable sense of loneliness in his heart.

At night, Li Xiangqian lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling, still unable to sleep. The presence of the cane seemed to have become an invisible hindrance, pulling his thoughts and making him unable to sleep peacefully. The moonlight shone through the curtains on the head of the bed, and the silence in the room was almost suffocating. He began to recall the past days, his father's instructions, his grandfather's footsteps, and those figures that had long gone. Li Xiangqian felt an inexplicable fatigue and powerlessness, and the urge to escape came again.

"What am I running away from?" Li Xiangqian asked himself softly, his eyes confused but with no answer in his heart.

Li Xiangqian barely slept that night. The existence of the cane seemed to have planted a silent seed in his heart, influencing him subtly. He stood in front of the window, looking at the cane in the yard in the moonlight, his mind full of scattered thoughts. He gradually realized that this cane had a subtle connection with his life - it symbolized some irresistible force, perhaps time, or perhaps the impermanence of life, and he himself was also bound by these invisible things and unable to break free?

This heavy emotion almost made him breathless. Li Xiangqian knew that he could no longer escape, he needed to make some changes, and even start to re-examine the things he had ignored.

When the first rays of sunlight penetrated the gap in the curtains in the early morning, Li Xiangqian woke up again with a headache. He sat up, rubbed his temples, and looked at the crutch at the head of the bed. He felt a strange impulse in his heart. He knew that he could not continue to treat life as he had in the past, especially his family, especially his daughter. Li Xiangqian's heart was filled with complicated emotions.

Li Xiaoxue, his daughter, is already ten years old. At this age, she has the innocence of a child, but has also begun to get in touch with some adult things. Her intelligence and cleverness have always made Li Xiangqian proud, but sometimes he also feels helpless. Because Xiaoxue sometimes behaves too independently, even a little stubborn, and always seems to keep a certain distance from him, as if he can no longer truly understand her world. Especially recently, Li Xiaoxue's rebellious mood has become stronger and stronger. She seems to be full of dissatisfaction with the rules and restrictions at home, and always raises various protests.

"What are your plans this afternoon?" Lin Xiaoyu's voice came from the kitchen, interrupting Li Xiangqian's thoughts.

Li Xiangqian raised his head and looked at the ceiling. He was silent for a moment, then replied, "I plan to go to the fields and check the farmland at home."

"Go ahead. Xiaoxue is free today and she can help you a little." Lin Xiaoyu's tone was relaxed, but Li Xiangqian could hear the hidden meaning. She seemed to want to give Xiaoxue a sense of "responsibility" and let her learn to take on some family responsibilities.