Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"How can I impress him?" Li Xiangqian couldn't help asking himself. People like Xu Damao who are good at sweet talk may have their own ways, but he has never been the kind of person who can win benefits with words. After thinking it over, Li Xiangqian felt that the only way to negotiate this matter was to grasp Liu Haizhong's needs or some weak points.

He put down his chopsticks and stared at the plate in front of him in a daze, his thoughts gradually becoming clear.

"What is Liu Haizhong most lacking right now? He has always been a shrewd businessman. If I can find out what he cares about most, maybe I can find a breakthrough."

But the question is, what exactly does Liu Haizhong need? Li Xiangqian felt helpless. The other party hides too deeply and never exposes his weaknesses easily, which is also his headache.

After finishing the last bite of scrambled eggs, Li Xiangqian stood up and casually put the bowl and dishes into the sink. His mood became heavy again. Although this meal solved his physical hunger, his inner anxiety did not ease at all. He knew that he would face a difficult battle next, and all this was just the beginning.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was getting late. He had to find Liu Haizhong as soon as possible today and settle the matter as soon as possible. He couldn't delay it any longer. Although he still felt a little uneasy, Li Xiangqian had made up his mind. No matter how difficult the road ahead was, he had to face it head-on.

"I can't wait any longer. I have to act." He muttered to himself, and the anxiety in his heart gradually turned into an urgent motivation to act. He quickly packed up, walked out the door, and walked towards Liu Haizhong's residence.

The air in the courtyard was still quiet, and the sun shone through the courtyard wall, casting mottled shadows. Li Xiangqian walked on this familiar path, his steps steady and firm. Although he still had many concerns in his heart, he knew that he had to face all of this personally. No one could take this responsibility for him, he could only rely on himself.

"I hope there will be a good result today." Li Xiangqian prayed silently in his heart. Although he never easily had illusions about the future, this time, he really needed some good luck.

After Li Xiangqian walked out of the door, he felt like a heavy stone was pressing on his heart. Liu Haizhong's problem had not been resolved yet, but his inner anxiety was increasing. He felt that he could not handle the situation on his own. In the courtyard, everyone had their own little calculations, and fighting alone was probably not a long-term solution.

Walking on the path of the courtyard, the autumn wind blew gently, and the leaves in the courtyard rustled. Li Xiangqian suddenly thought that if he could find a suitable opportunity to let everyone sit down and discuss this matter together, perhaps he could find a better solution.

He returned to the yard, looked around, and saw a few familiar figures, so he decided to bring up the matter while everyone was together. Xu Damao was leaning against the wall smoking, and when he saw Li Xiangqian coming over, he immediately raised the cigarette butt in his hand and greeted him with a smile: "Hey, Brother Xiangqian, how is the discussion going?"

Li Xiangqian shook his head, a trace of helplessness on his face, "Nothing is certain yet. I was thinking, why don't we all sit down together and talk to see if there is any other solution."

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao squinted his eyes, took a puff of cigarette, and exhaled a circle of white mist. "That's a good idea. There's strength in numbers. Tell me, who should we call first?"

Li Xiangqian thought about it and had several candidates in mind. First, the most talkative neighbors in the courtyard, such as Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu, who had some weight in the courtyard and whose opinions were more valuable for reference. In addition, some people who had dealt with Liu Haizhong might be able to give some inside information.

He nodded to Xu Damao and said, "Call Sha Zhu, Qin Huairu, and those people who are more familiar with Liu Haizhong. Let's discuss it together and see if we can find a compromise." As he said that, he walked to the other end of the yard, ready to find Sha Zhu.

Xu Damao nodded, a meaningful smile on his lips, patted the ashes on his hands, and then turned around to call other people.

Li Xiangqian sighed heavily, he stuck the shovel into the ground, clenched the shovel handle with his fingers, and his knuckles turned white. He never understood why all the potatoes in this field were rotten. He grew up in this courtyard, his parents were good at farming, and he strictly followed every step they taught him, including watering, fertilizing, and loosening the soil. But now, the result is like this, he can't accept it.

There were footsteps coming from the yard. Li Xiangqian turned his head and saw his neighbor, Old Zhang, walking slowly towards him. Old Zhang was wearing a gray felt hat, his body was slightly hunched, and his steps were slow. He stopped at the gate of the yard, looked at the rotten potatoes on the ground, frowned, and made a sound of "tsk tsk".

"Oh, Xiao Li, why did your potatoes become like this?" Old Zhang finally spoke, his voice low and filled with some fatigue of old age.

Li Xiangqian smiled bitterly and shook his head: "I don't know either. I really can't explain it. I planted it according to the old rules, so there shouldn't be any big problems."

Old Zhang took two steps closer, squatted down, picked up a potato that was almost rotten, put it close to his nose and sniffed it, his face suddenly became more serious. He put the potato down, raised his head, looked into Li Xiangqian's eyes, and whispered: "I'm afraid your potato is not just rotten, there may be something wrong with the soil."

Li Xiangqian frowned, and a chill suddenly rose in his heart. Something went wrong in the soil? He subconsciously thought of a strange slippery stone he had dug up when he was turning the soil a few days ago. It was as hard as iron and flashed a strange light. He didn't think much about it at the time and threw the stone away. He didn't expect it to be related to today's rotten potatoes.

"There's a problem with the land? What could be the problem? I turned the soil over last year and added fertilizer this year. There shouldn't be a problem." He muttered unwillingly, feeling a little flustered.

Old Zhang pondered for a moment, stood up, patted the dirt on his hands, and shook his head: "Xiao Li, sometimes it's not the fertilizer or the soil that's bad. The yin and yang of your land are not balanced. It may be a feng shui problem, or it may be that the ground energy is not right. You need to find someone who knows the business to take a look."

Li Xiangqian's heart skipped a beat. Feng Shui? He had never believed in these things, but when Old Zhang said this, he felt strange. Siheyuan has always been an old house, and there are many legends about it. When he was a child, he heard that this place was the site of a temple, and later it was converted into a residential building. Li Xiangqian shook his head, trying to get rid of these weird thoughts, even though he knew that Old Zhang grew up in this area and knew the local customs and practices very well, and what he said would not be aimless.