Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"You picked it up at the village? Then is it..." Li Xiangqian finally couldn't help but ask again, "Is it yours?"

He Yuzhu paused, and panic flashed across his eyes. His hands trembled slightly, as if he was trying to hide something, but Li Xiangqian stared at him closely, not wanting to miss any details.

"How did you know?" He Yuzhu's voice lowered, trembling slightly, and then he quickly hugged the chicken tighter. "Didn't I tell you? I just found it. It's not a big deal."

Li Xiangqian's heart skipped a beat. He stopped talking and just looked at He Yuzhu quietly, his eyes becoming sharper and sharper. He was sure that there must be some secret behind this chicken, and He Yuzhu's behavior was obviously covering up something.

After a few seconds of silence, Li Xiangqian suddenly realized that He Yuzhu seemed to be deliberately avoiding his questions, but no matter how he tried to cover it up, Li Xiangqian could already sense the unusual atmosphere from his nervous demeanor. With a heavy heart, Li Xiangqian finally spoke: "Yuzhu, do you know something?"

He Yuzhu's face turned pale all of a sudden. He slowly put down the chicken in his arms, his eyes wandering, as if he wanted to find an excuse to leave, but seemed to be restrained by some force. "You know too much." He whispered, "There are some things...you shouldn't know."

Li Xiangqian's heart tightened, and countless possibilities flashed through his mind. He had realized that this little chicken in front of him might be hiding something unspeakable. And He Yuzhu's behavior seemed to indicate that he had touched a taboo.

"Yu Zhu..." Li stepped forward and almost asked, "How did you know?"

He Yuzhu stood there, his eyes full of struggle. He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but swallowed it back. Finally, he was silent for a long time, and then whispered: "Do you really want to know? If you know, you may never go back."

Li Xiangqian's heart was shaken violently. He did not ask any more questions, but stared at He Yuzhu's eyes, and suddenly realized that this courtyard was no longer just a shelter, it was becoming a dangerous vortex, attracting everyone who approached. Li Xiangqian's heart was chilled, and suddenly he felt that he could not escape this net no matter what.

"I'm not afraid." Li Xiangqian's voice was low but full of determination. "Whatever it is, tell me. I have no way out."

He Yuzhu's expression became extremely complicated, and he seemed to be having some kind of inner struggle. Finally, he sighed deeply and spoke slowly: "Okay, if you want to know, I'll tell you. In fact... this chicken is not an ordinary chicken at all."

Li Xiangqian's mind was in a mess, and his heartbeat was reverberating in his chest like a drumbeat. The vagueness and uneasiness in He Yuzhu's words made him feel more and more that an unknown danger was approaching quietly. That chicken was not an ordinary chicken? What unknown secret was hidden?

He forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to suppress his inner anxiety. He knew that he could not remain silent any longer and had to find out the truth, otherwise all this would eventually devour everything like a nightmare. He turned and walked towards a corner of the yard, where there was a slightly shabby house with a half-open door. The light inside was dim and almost no one lived there. That was Xu Damao's residence.

Xu Damao is one of the only people Li Xiangqian can trust. Although he is not particularly smart, he has lived in this land for so many years and knows the rules here and the secrets hidden in the shadows better than anyone else. Li Xiangqian decided to find him, maybe he can give him some answers.

When I walked into the low house, the air was filled with dampness and there were some mildew spots on the wooden floor. There were not many furniture in the room. The only wooden table was piled with a few yellowed books and some worn-out tools. The surroundings were extremely simple. There was not even a bright light, only the weak sunlight coming in from outside. A thin figure was sitting at the table in the corner of the room. Xu Damao was looking down and flipping through some unknown papers. He didn't seem to notice Li Xiangqian's arrival.

"Xu Damao." Li Xiangqian called softly.

Xu Damao raised his head, a flash of surprise in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "Li Xiangqian, why are you here?" His voice was a little hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken much for a while.

Li Xiangqian walked to the table and whispered, "I have something to ask you."

Xu Damao narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he knew what Li Xiangqian was referring to, but he did not answer immediately. Instead, he was silent for a moment before he slowly spoke: "Tell me, what's the matter?"

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and sat down. His fingers tapped the table lightly, and he was still full of anxiety. "Just now... you know, He Yuzhu brought back a chicken." He looked at Xu Damao's reaction, "That chicken is not right, Xu Damao, what do you know?"

Xu Damao's eyes flashed a little panic for a moment, but he quickly concealed it. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, as if he was weighing something, and finally spoke: "That chicken, do you really want to know?" His voice was a little low, as if he was hiding some unknown truth.

Li Xiangqian was silent for a moment, his eyes becoming more and more determined. "I want to know."

Xu Damao looked up at Li Xiangqian, his eyes becoming complicated. After a long while, he spoke in a voice so low that it was almost inaudible: "That chicken should have been brought back from outside."

"Outside?" Li Xiangqian repeated. His mind was instantly pulled back to the scene just now, the details of He Yuzhu carrying the chicken back - the chicken had obviously experienced some kind of shock, its feathers were messy, and there were obvious signs of injury, and there was a strange panic in its eyes, as if it was forced to be brought back.

"Yes." Xu Damao nodded, "This chicken... should have been taken from those people."

Li Xiangqian's heart skipped a beat. Those people? He subconsciously thought of the unfamiliar faces in the courtyard, especially the man leading the group. The presence of those people brought a heavy atmosphere to the entire courtyard, and now, Xu Damao's words made him more convinced that this place was not as simple as he had thought before.

"Who are those people?" Li Xiangqian asked.

Xu Damao's eyes became heavier, and he seemed to find it difficult to speak. He swallowed, and a hint of helplessness appeared in his eyes. "Do you really want to know? This is not easy to say."