Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Why, you really can't figure it out?" Uncle Liu's eyes flickered slightly, and he chuckled, "Mr. Li, if you feel embarrassed about these little things, then I won't bother you. See you tomorrow."

When he turned around and prepared to leave, Li Xiangqian suddenly reached out and grabbed the corner of his sleeve. "Wait a minute," he said in a hurried voice, "Should I ask you where these chestnuts came from?"

Uncle Liu paused, and when he turned around, he smiled more cordially, but there was a hint of elusive meaning in his eyes. "Mr. Li, don't take it so seriously. I made the chestnuts at home. Don't worry, there will be absolutely no problem."

Li Xiangqian's heart moved, and his sense of alertness suddenly rose sharply. He felt dizzy, as if a huge secret was being quietly revealed. At that moment, the aroma of chestnuts seemed to be the only confusion and anxiety in his heart. He could hardly control the various images that emerged in his mind - those fragments that had not appeared in his memory for a long time began to emerge in his mind one by one.

"You..." Li Xiangqian took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly became sharp, and his voice became deeper: "Uncle Liu, is there really no problem?"

Uncle Liu seemed a little stunned. After a moment of confusion, he immediately regained his composure. He smiled slightly and patted Li Xiangqian on the shoulder: "You are getting smarter and smarter. Don't worry, they are all good things. There is absolutely no problem."

Li Xiangqian stared at him, thinking about the taste of the chestnuts, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. That strong sweetness was like some unknown chemical mixed in it. Not to mention his uneasiness about the taste, the tone of Uncle Liu's words alone made him feel an indescribable suspicion.

"If you have nothing to do today... please leave." There was a hint of stiffness and displeasure in Li Xiangqian's tone.

Uncle Liu didn't seem to notice the change in Li Xiangqian's words. He still smiled and turned away. Li Xiangqian stood at the door, watching the man's back disappear into the darkness outside the yard, but his heart gradually became heavier. Suddenly, his suspicion about the bag of chestnuts became clearer - it was not just food, but there seemed to be some kind of crisis hidden behind it that he could not express clearly.

Li Xiangqian sat back on the wooden chair, staring at the chestnut bag in his hand, with an indescribable uneasiness in his heart. His fingers pinched the edge of the bag unconsciously, and the texture from his fingertips became heavier in his heart. Although the doubts in his mind had not yet dissipated, he knew that he could not just sit there and wait for death.

The current situation is different from before. A few months ago, the food market in the city was relatively stable. Although prices fluctuated occasionally, you could always buy some food from nearby stalls. But now, as news of food shortages spread, many people began to hoard food, and the phenomenon of hoarding has become more serious. Li Xiangqian himself can feel that the convenience and abundance of the past have gradually been replaced by anxiety and uneasiness.

His eyes involuntarily glanced out the window and saw the dark alley with dim lights flickering faintly. At this moment, the whole yard seemed particularly quiet, with almost no life, as if everything around him was stagnant in a certain uneasy atmosphere. He took a deep breath, raised his head, and looked at the night outside the house. Every time at this time, his mind was always difficult to keep clear, and troubles and anxiety surged towards him like a tide.

"What should I do?" Li Xiangqian asked himself in a low voice.

He didn't know much about the outside world. After all, he lived in such a relatively closed place, and his neighbors and friends all lived a simple and peaceful life. Everyone could maintain this tranquility and help each other. However, when the news of food shortage spread here, everyone's face couldn't hide a trace of worry, and the originally close relationship between neighbors began to seem a little distant. No one was willing to trust each other easily anymore. Everyone closed their doors tightly, worried that others would steal the food they had worked so hard to save.

Especially Li Xiangqian, whose life has been getting more and more tense recently. In addition to the increasing project pressure from the company, daily food is also extremely scarce. If it weren't for the fact that his parents' old house still had some food stored, he would have probably felt the torment brought by the lack of food.

Li Xiangqian placed the bag of chestnuts on the table, but a strong sense of fear surged in his heart. Even ordinary chestnuts were different now - they seemed to be some kind of bait that hid danger. Imagining those potential hidden dangers, his heart was gradually filled with deep anxiety and uneasiness. The doubts in his heart were like a huge whirlpool, swallowing up his originally clear thoughts.

"What if something is really wrong?" he asked himself silently.

Suddenly, there was a slight knocking sound outside the window, breaking the silence in the room. Li Xiangqian turned around abruptly, his eyes locked on the image on the other side of the window. The moonlight poured in through the window, outlining the outline of the window frame, but in that bright light, he still couldn't see any human figure.

"Who is it?" He frowned slightly and raised his voice unconsciously.

He walked to the window, hesitated for a moment, and finally opened it. A cool breeze blew, the night was dark, and there was no one in the yard. Li Xiangqian felt even more depressed, and he couldn't help frowning. He closed the window, turned back to the table, and his eyes fell on the chestnut bag again.

Just as he was about to put aside his doubts and continue to focus on the chestnuts in front of him, suddenly, there was a light knock on the door.

"Li Xiangqian?" A familiar voice came from outside the door. It was the voice of his neighbor, Aunt Zhou.

Li Xiangqian got up in a hurry, walked to the door and opened it. Outside the door, Aunt Zhou was wearing a thick gray coat, holding a medium-sized basket in her hands, and her face was full of worry. Her eyes were no longer as kind as before, but instead had a hint of anxiety. She also looked a little thin, as if she had aged a lot overnight.

"Aunt Zhou, is there anything wrong?" Li Xiangqian's heart moved and he felt vaguely uneasy.

Aunt Zhou looked at him with a hint of hesitation in her eyes, and whispered, "Xiang Qian, I...I heard that your family has been running out of food these days, is that true? I have some here, and I was wondering if I could help."

Li Xiangqian was stunned, and immediately recalled the days of hoarding food. The uneasiness in his heart became stronger. "Auntie Zhou, didn't you just find out about the food shortage?"

Aunt Zhou sighed and lowered her head. "Yes, we don't have much food left here. We are all waiting...waiting for a replenishment, but we find that the longer we wait, the worse the situation becomes. Do you really not have much left?"