Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian stood in the middle of the courtyard, looking at the few bags of food. He knew that the remaining food was not enough to fill the stomachs of every household, but this was the only thing he could do. He opened the bags one by one, revealing the few grains of rice and shriveled corn inside. He could feel the complex emotions in the eyes of the people around him, some of them were grateful, some were guilty, and most of them were a silent heaviness.

"We only have so much food here. I know everyone is hungry, but we have to find a way to make this food last longer. When there is another harvest, we will have to rely on this to survive." Li Xiangqian's voice was steady, but his heart was filled with unspeakable bitterness. He knew that his family did not have much food in stock, and the food he gave away was also a huge sacrifice for him.

In the crowd, a young woman looked up, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered, "Brother Xiang Qian, if all this rice is divided, what will happen to your family?"

Li Xiangqian looked at her, his eyes gentle but firm. "My family can only survive for a few days. There are so many children in this yard who need the food more than we do. As long as we work together, there will always be a way. We can't let anyone go hungry, especially the children."

Li Xiangqian's words made the people present silent for a moment, and several people lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at him. They knew in their hearts that Li Xiangqian was not rich, but he was still willing to share what he had with everyone, which made them feel an invisible pressure and shame.

"Brother Li, we will listen to you. We will eat as much as we can and not let anyone go hungry." A middle-aged man said in a deep voice, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

Li Xiangqian nodded, feeling a little relieved. He knew that this decision was not easy and might not completely solve the problem, but it could at least temporarily alleviate the current predicament. Several people in the crowd began to help distribute the food. Each household received a little rice, which was not much, but was enough to make a pot of porridge.

A few days later, Li Xiangqian found that although the urgent need had been temporarily resolved, the people in the courtyard were still obviously starving. Few people in the courtyard could eat delicious rice, and most of them just had rice soup to fill their stomachs. Li Xiangqian also knew that everyone's food was almost exhausted. Whenever he saw those children holding bowls and carefully drinking the thin rice soup, his heart felt like being cut by a knife.

One afternoon, Li Xiangqian stood at the door of his kitchen, looking at Li Xiu'e who was busy at the stove. The fire was weak, and tiny bubbles began to emerge from the water in the pot. The rice grains rolled up and down in the water, making a slight sound. He knew that this was the last bit of rice in their family. Li Xiu'e looked back at him, her eyes full of fatigue, but she was still trying to keep her spirits up.

"Xiang Qian, the rice is almost gone, and we don't know what to do tomorrow." Li Xiu'e's voice was low. She tried hard not to let her voice tremble, but the helplessness and anxiety were evident.

Li Xiangqian walked over and patted her shoulder gently, feeling extremely sad. He knew how worried Li Xiu'e was, but he also knew that he couldn't fall down now and let his family see his weakness. "It's okay, we'll think of a way. We can get through this." When he said this, he felt a chill in his heart.

At night, Li Xiangqian lay in bed, looking at the cold moonlight outside the window, his mind in a mess. The feeling of hunger crawled in his stomach like an ant, and he knew that the other people in the yard were probably tossing and turning like this, unable to fall asleep. He thought back to the past days, when the family was not rich, but at least they had rice to eat. Nowadays, rice has almost become a luxury, and even a bowl of porridge seems rare.

Li Xiangqian knew that this was not a solution. He had to come up with a more permanent solution. But what else could he do besides growing vegetables and raising chickens? He went through all the possibilities in his mind, but none of them seemed feasible. The food supply outside was getting less and less, and the resources he had were becoming increasingly scarce. Was he really at the end of his rope?

Thinking of this, Li Xiangqian turned over, staring at the roof, his mind kept turning. He couldn't give up. No matter how difficult it was, he had to find a way out. He thought, maybe he could try a more sophisticated planting method, or try to contact those more distant villages to see if he could get some food. He knew that these ideas might not work immediately, but it was better than sitting and waiting for death.

The next morning, Li Xiangqian got up early and prepared to go to a farther place to try his luck. He knew that there were certain risks in doing so, but he didn't care about that anymore. He decided to go to a few old friends to see if there were any other ways. Before leaving, he looked at the stove at home. Li Xiu'e was cooking the last bit of rice soup, and the rice grains in the pot were almost invisible.

"Xiu'e, I'm going to go out for a while and see if I can get some food back." Li Xiangqian paused at the door, his heart filled with heavy pressure.

Li Xiu'e looked up at him, a trace of worry flashed in her eyes, but she did not stop him, just nodded. "Go forward, be careful."

Li Xiangqian nodded and walked out the door with a barely perceptible bitter smile. He knew that the rice at home was almost gone, and he had to find a new source of food as soon as possible, otherwise the entire courtyard might not survive.

He walked outside, the autumn wind blew, bringing a hint of chill. There were few pedestrians on the street, and everyone's face was tired and hungry. Li Xiangqian knew that the plight of the Siheyuan was not an isolated case, but a microcosm of the entire community. The shadow of hunger loomed over every family, and everyone was struggling to survive.

He walked to the edge of the city, looking for places where there might still be food. Every step he took was heavy, but he knew he couldn't stop. Even if there was darkness ahead, he had to keep going, for his family, for the courtyard, and for the children who were looking at him eagerly.

As he walked further and further, the feeling of powerlessness in his heart became stronger and stronger. He knew that he was just an ordinary person and had no magical powers and could not conjure food out of thin air, but he still held a glimmer of hope in his heart, hoping to find even a little bit of food and bring it back to relieve everyone's urgent needs.

At this moment, Li Xiangqian's eyes were suddenly attracted by a shabby little shop. The door of the shop was half-open, and people's voices could be heard faintly from inside. He was moved and walked over quickly. He had never noticed this place before, and perhaps there would be some unexpected discoveries here.