Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

“Yu Zhu,” Li Xiangqian whispered, his voice choking with sobs, “I really don’t know what to do.”

He Yuzhu sighed, walked up to him, patted him on the shoulder, and said firmly, "Go forward, no matter what happens, we will be by your side. You are not alone, we will all help you."

Li Xiangqian's eyes moistened slightly. He felt an unprecedented support and strength. At this moment, he finally understood that no matter how hard he tried, he could not bear all the burdens alone. He needed the help of his friends and needed them to go through this difficult time together.

form top

Life in the courtyard became increasingly difficult. In order to save food, everyone cooked rice until it was as thin as water for every meal. Even corn residue became a luxury. The adults gritted their teeth and would rather go hungry than not eat as much as possible. But even so, the children were still pale and thin, and their eyes had lost their original spirit.

Li Xiangqian knew that he couldn't just sit there and wait for death. He began to look around, looking for any possible way to help everyone get through this difficult time. He remembered the stories his father told him when he was a child. His father said that in the old society, people often used things instead of food to fill their stomachs, such as tree bark, grass roots, and even mud. Although these methods sound a bit extreme now, at this time, he couldn't ignore any glimmer of hope.

One day, Li Xiangqian was sitting under the old locust tree in the yard, thinking about countermeasures. He looked at the grass under the tree, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. He remembered that when he was a child in the countryside, he saw people making rough cakes with wild grass and leaves. Although the taste was bitter, at least it could fill his stomach. He decided to give it a try to see if he could find some edible wild grass or leaves.

Li Xiangqian did not dare to delay and immediately went to the nearby hillside and river to look for food. He walked for several miles, carefully searching every bush and every tree, trying to find plants that could fill his stomach. He spent a whole day and finally brought back several kinds of weeds and leaves that looked relatively safe. After returning home, he cleaned the plants, boiled them into a pot of thin soup, and shared it with his family. Although it tasted a bit bitter, at least the children felt a little better after eating it.

Li Xiangqian's attempt spread in the yard, and neighbors came to ask him how he found these weeds. Li Xiangqian shared his experience with everyone without reservation, and took several families to find those weeds and leaves. Gradually, the adults in the yard learned to identify edible plants. Although this kind of food was far from satisfying everyone's needs, it could at least keep people from starving to death temporarily.

As time went by, a bigger idea gradually emerged in Li Xiangqian's mind. He realized that relying on these wild grasses and leaves alone was far from enough. With so many people in the courtyard, relying on picking wild vegetables to survive was just a stopgap measure. If he didn't find a way to find a more stable source of food, this famine would sooner or later drag everyone into the abyss.

He decided to organize the men in the courtyard to go together to find more food. Li Xiangqian knew that in this difficult time, unity is the most important thing. So he knocked on doors from house to house, mobilizing everyone to work together, even if they contributed a little bit, maybe they could find a new way out together. Although some people were skeptical at first, they were more eager to survive and trusted Li Xiangqian. In the end, the men in the courtyard agreed to follow Li Xiangqian out to find food.

They began to organize teams, taking turns to go out every day, not missing any place where there might be food. Li Xiangqian led everyone deep into the suburbs, into the wasteland that had once been ignored, and even boldly entered abandoned warehouses and factories. They found a few bags of old food, which were moldy but still edible after simple treatment. In addition, they also found several abandoned vegetable plots. Although most of the vegetables had withered, some wild plants still survived tenaciously.

These gains greatly eased the crisis of the courtyard, but Li Xiangqian knew that this was far from enough. He began to think about how to solve the problem in a more permanent way. So he thought of breeding and planting. He told his idea to several elders in the courtyard, who had lived in the countryside and knew a thing or two about agriculture. They hit it off and decided to use the vacant land in the courtyard to open up a small vegetable garden and raise a few chickens and ducks in the backyard to supplement the shortage of food.

In order to save seeds, Li Xiangqian took everyone to the market to find those abandoned rotten vegetables, picked out the parts that could still sprout, and planted them in the land in the yard. After careful care, these vegetables slowly sprouted and grew green leaves. Although the yield was not high, these green vegetables gave people in the yard hope, and everyone seemed to have found a support for life in this small vegetable garden.

At the same time, they built a few simple chicken coops in the backyard. Although there were not many chickens and ducks, they could pick up a few eggs every once in a while to provide some nutrition for the children. The manure of chickens and ducks can also be used as fertilizer to promote the growth of the vegetable garden, forming a simple cycle.

Li Xiangqian's efforts rekindled the people's hope for life. Although life was still difficult, they began to realize that as long as they united and helped each other, they could survive the famine. The people in the courtyard became closer, and every night they would gather together to discuss plans for the next day and share their gains and experiences.

As time went by, although the famine had not yet ended, the atmosphere in the courtyard gradually improved. Li Xiangqian's vegetable garden and farm gradually grew in size, and the children in the courtyard were no longer as pale and thin as before. Their laughter returned to this small courtyard.

As time went by, the life in the courtyard improved slightly due to Li Xiangqian's efforts, but the shadow of famine still could not be escaped. In the morning mist, Li Xiangqian stood by the small vegetable garden in the yard, looking at the vegetables that were working hard to grow. Dewdrops rolled gently on the leaves, reflecting the faint morning light, but he was not at peace. In recent days, Li Xiangqian always felt that something was wrong. The output of the vegetable garden, which should have been more abundant, seemed to be quietly decreasing.

In the morning, Li Xiangqian deliberately got up earlier to see if he was overthinking. However, the vegetable garden looked even more desolate in the morning, with almost no fresh leaves emerging. Li Xiangqian walked closer and found that several cabbages that had grown well were gnawed to bare stems. He frowned and felt uneasy.