Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

He asked around the city, looking for possible sources of food. Whether it was rumors in the alleys or whispers at the edge of the market, he tried his best to capture any useful information. He walked quickly, as if there was an indefatigable force in his heart driving him forward.

Finally, in a hidden corner, he heard some rumors about grain. Some people said that there was an abandoned warehouse outside the city where grain was once stored. Although it was forgotten by most people, some stocks might still be found. Li Xiangqian's mind lit up. Although he knew that this was probably nonsense, he had no other choice but to give it a try.

As the night deepened, Li Xiangqian left the courtyard and walked out of the city in the night wind. Along the way, he had mixed feelings, both expectation and anxiety. He knew that he was carrying the hope of the entire courtyard and could not make any mistakes. With every step he took, he was thinking about what to do next. If he really found food, how would he bring it back? If not, how would he face everyone?

The road outside the city was desolate and silent, with only the whistling of the wind in his ears. Li Xiangqian finally found the warehouse he had heard about. It was a dilapidated building with broken doors and windows, and weeds growing all around. As he approached the warehouse, his heartbeat quickened and he felt his palms sweating.

"Is anyone there?" he called out softly, his voice echoing in the empty warehouse, but there was no response.

He took a deep breath, pushed open the rickety wooden door, and walked in. The warehouse was dark and damp, with a musty smell in the air and dust and garbage all over the floor. Li Xiangqian used a flashlight and carefully searched every corner. He knew that this might be his last chance.

After a careful search, Li Xiangqian found a few worn-out sacks in the corner. He ran over excitedly and opened one of them, and found that there were indeed some rice grains inside. Although they were moldy and spoiled, they were still edible. Li Xiangqian was delighted and quickly put the rice grains into the pocket he brought with him.

Although the rice was not much, it was a huge fortune for the current courtyard. Li Xiangqian felt relieved, as if the burden on his shoulders was slightly lighter. He quickly packed the rice, thinking that he would take it back to the courtyard early tomorrow morning.

On the way back, Li Xiangqian was nervous and excited. He imagined everyone's reaction when he brought the rice back. Although the amount was small, he believed that the rice could bring hope to everyone. He knew that the people in the courtyard were now desperate for rice, and even a few mouthfuls could bring them a little comfort.

When he finally returned to the courtyard, it was already dawn. Li Xiangqian did not stop to rest, but immediately went to find Zhang Sao and several other neighbors and quietly distributed the rice he brought back to them.

"Xiang Qian, is this really rice?" Mrs. Zhang took the bag of rice with a look of disbelief in her eyes.

"Yes, Mrs. Zhang, although this rice is not much, it is rice after all." Li Xiangqian said softly, feeling bitter in his heart.

"That's great, that's great! With this little rice, the children can finally have a full meal." Mrs. Zhang's voice trembled and tears glistened in her eyes.

Li Xiangqian nodded. Seeing Mrs. Zhang's happy expression, he felt touched and sad. The rice was so precious, so precious that it made him sad. He knew that this small bag of rice might be the best food for Mrs. Zhang and her children in the past few days.

"Everyone, save this rice for when you need it most." Li Xiangqian urged, "I will continue to look for more food. Everyone must hold on."

Mrs. Zhang nodded heavily and thanked him repeatedly: "Xiang Qian, you are really the savior of our courtyard!"

Li Xiangqian smiled bitterly and shook his head, but he did not feel relieved at all. He knew that this was only a temporary relief, and the shadow of hunger still loomed over the courtyard, and he had to continue to find more ways to fill this bottomless abyss of hunger. The road ahead was still long and full of unknown challenges, but he had no way out and had to keep moving forward.

Li Xiangqian stood in the middle of the courtyard, his hands behind his back, his eyes wandering around every corner of the courtyard. The air in the courtyard was so stuffy that it was hard to breathe. There was silence all around, only the rustling sound of the leaves in the breeze. After so many days of suffering, he felt as if he had merged with the courtyard. The worries in his heart and the dilapidated courtyard were intertwined, becoming an invisible oppression.

His eyes stopped at a large water tank on the west side of the yard, which he had finally found a few days ago. The surface of the water tank was covered with traces of time, and moss grew on the mouth of the tank, but it was still solid and had a huge internal capacity. The reason why Li Xiangqian took the risk to move the water tank back was because he had a new idea - to store water.

The water supply in the courtyard has become tight. Although the well water can still be maintained, the water level is decreasing as the drought becomes more severe, and there have even been a few days when the well water has become muddy. Li Xiangqian knows that water is a more basic survival condition than food. If the water source dries up, all efforts will be in vain. He needs to find a way to deal with the possible water shortage.

Li Xiangqian slowly walked to the water tank, reached out and stroked its rough surface, and the scene of moving it a few days ago came to his mind. That day, he and several young neighbors took great pains to move this huge thing from an abandoned courtyard outside the city back to the courtyard. No one understood why he had to bring this dilapidated water tank back, but Li Xiangqian knew in his heart that keeping it might save his life at a critical moment.

"Xiang Qian, what's the use of this water tank?" Old Wang limped over, leaning on a crutch in his hand, and asked with a frown.

Li Xiangqian turned around and saw that Old Wang's eyes were full of doubt and concern. He knew that Old Wang was the most prestigious elder in the courtyard, and his words could often influence other people's judgment.

"Old Wang, I was thinking that we should prepare some backup water sources," Li Xiangqian explained. "This water tank is big and can store a lot of water. If there is a problem with the well water, we still have a way out."

Old Wang listened and nodded slightly, but his expression was still solemn: "You have a point, but we are used to using this well water, and no one has ever thought that it will be cut off. Do you really think it is necessary?"

"Yes, Old Wang, what use can this water tank be used for?" Mrs. Zhang also came out of the house with needlework in her hands, and was obviously attracted by Li Xiangqian's words.