Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Hearing everyone's concerns, Li Xiangqian was silent for a while, then raised his head and said firmly: "Don't worry, we are all neighbors in the same courtyard, and we will face difficulties together. I have been thinking about it these two days. Since everyone is in trouble, why don't we work together to find a solution and see if we can overcome the difficulties together."

Everyone thought Li Xiangqian's words made sense. So, in the next few days, Li Xiangqian began to run around, contacting every household in the courtyard to understand their food reserves and ask if they could use some of their savings to buy food together. Li Xiangqian had an idea in his mind: instead of each household purchasing individually, it would be better to concentrate on purchasing in a unified way, which would save some costs and distribute food more effectively.

After several days of hard work, Li Xiangqian finally convinced most people. They decided to pool their money to buy a batch of grain. Li Xiangqian took the initiative to undertake the task of purchasing. He contacted a grain store outside the city. After some bargaining, he finally bought a batch of rice and flour at a relatively low price. He rode a tricycle to pull the grain back to the courtyard. When the people in the courtyard saw the long-lost grain, they couldn't help but smile.

When distributing food, Li Xiangqian was particularly careful. He took into account the specific situation of each household and distributed food according to the number of family members and actual needs. For those families with elderly, weak, sick and disabled people, Li Xiangqian gave more food. He knew that this might cause some dissatisfaction, but he believed that as long as everyone had a heart to help each other, they would understand and support it.

As the food crisis continued, food prices continued to rise in the market, and the food purchased by Li Xiangqian was soon consumed. However, the success of this centralized food purchase gave everyone confidence. The residents of the Siheyuan decided to continue using this method, and Li Xiangqian became the "food steward" of the Siheyuan. He rode his bike to the market almost every day to inquire about food prices, negotiate with suppliers, and try his best to get the best conditions for the people in the Siheyuan.

Although life was difficult, an atmosphere of solidarity and mutual assistance gradually formed in the courtyard. Everyone cared about each other and would think of sharing good things. For example, if someone made something delicious, they would bring a bowl to their neighbor's house. If someone had any difficulties, everyone would take the initiative to lend a hand. Under the leadership of Li Xiangqian, the courtyard became a warm big family.

One night, Li Xiangqian was doing his housework when he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door and saw that it was Wang Sao who lived in the east courtyard. Wang Sao said anxiously, "Xiangqian, something bad has happened! There's a gas leak in Old Zhang's house and he's fainted on the floor. Come and help!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangqian immediately put down the account book in his hand and followed Wang's wife to Old Zhang's house. As soon as he entered the door, he smelled a strong smell of gas. Old Zhang was lying on the ground, his face pale. Li Xiangqian rushed forward without hesitation, dragged Old Zhang out of the house, and quickly turned off the gas valve. Then he took out his mobile phone and called the emergency number.

The ambulance arrived quickly and Old Zhang was taken to the hospital. Li Xiangqian accompanied Old Zhang's son to the hospital and did not return home until he was sure that Old Zhang was out of danger. The next day, the people in the courtyard knew about this incident and praised Li Xiangqian. Someone said: "Xiangqian is really a good person in our courtyard. Wherever there is trouble, he is there!"

However, Li Xiangqian did not think he had done anything remarkable. He just felt that everyone in the courtyard was his family, and he was willing to do his best to help them. Perhaps it was because of this sincere dedication that the people in the courtyard became more and more united, and their lives gradually became better.

As time went by, the food crisis was finally alleviated. Food prices in the market gradually fell, and Li Xiangqian no longer had to worry about food every day. Despite this, he still maintained his concern and care for his neighbors. Those days of overcoming difficulties together made him cherish his current life more and understand the power of unity more.

A few months later, the weather gradually turned cooler, and the autumn wind blew off the leaves of the old locust tree in the courtyard. The golden leaves spread across the courtyard, giving this familiar place a vicissitudes of life. Although the food crisis was slightly alleviated, Li Xiangqian still couldn't let it go, and always felt that something was wrong.

Recently, people in the yard no longer seem to gather together to chat like before. The once lively place under the locust tree has become deserted. People just say hello and go home in a hurry. Li Xiangqian feels uneasy in his heart. He always feels that something has happened.

One evening, Li Xiangqian planned to visit Aunt Liu's home in the east courtyard. Aunt Liu was old, and her children were working in other places, so she lived alone. Li Xiangqian thought that maybe he could do something to help her. When he arrived at Aunt Liu's door, he heard a slight sigh from inside the house. He pushed the door open and found Aunt Liu sitting at the table, holding a small bowl of porridge in her hand, with a serious expression on her face.

"Auntie, what's wrong with you?" Li Xiangqian asked with concern, "The weather is getting colder and colder. You need to eat more. Why are you only eating this little porridge?"

Aunt Liu looked up and saw that it was Li Xiangqian. A trace of uneasiness flashed in her eyes. She put down the bowl, forced a smile and said, "Xiangqian, you're here. Well, I don't have much appetite, so I just drink some porridge."

Li Xiangqian frowned. He noticed that Aunt Liu had lost a lot of weight. Her originally plump face was now a little sunken. His heart sank, and he asked tentatively, "Aunt, is there not enough food at home? Tell me the truth."

Aunt Liu looked a little embarrassed when she heard this. She hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed and said, "Well, Xiang Qian, to be honest, we don't have much rice and flour at home. You know, there are people of all ages in our yard, so we should save as much as we can. I think that since I'm alone, I don't have any big needs, so I'll just have one meal."

Hearing this, Li Xiangqian felt a pang of sadness. Auntie Liu's words made him realize that there might be more people in the courtyard facing the same problem, but they just didn't want to say it out loud. He suppressed his sadness and said, "Auntie, don't worry, I'll take care of the food. We are a family in this courtyard. If there is a problem, we will shoulder it together. We can't let you bear it alone."

After leaving Aunt Liu's house, Li Xiangqian walked in the yard with a heavy heart. When he passed the west yard, he saw Old Zhang sitting on the steps in front of his house, smoking a pipe with a sad look on his face. Li Xiangqian stepped forward and said hello: "Uncle Zhang, what are you thinking about?"