Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

A few days later, he once again felt that the food at home was consumed too quickly. Although the rice and flour he exchanged for corn temporarily solved the urgent problem, he was still thinking about how to get more food, or simply sell more corn to exchange for more food.

As Li Xiangqian walked around the courtyard, he would occasionally glance at the items piled up at other people's doorsteps, wondering who might still have food in stock. Although the courtyard seemed calm on the surface, he knew that many people were definitely calculating behind the scenes, trying to find ways to protect themselves from being at a disadvantage. The environment in the courtyard was becoming increasingly tense, and these subtle changes made Li Xiangqian even more anxious.

One evening, he decided to go to the market again and sell the remaining corn at home. Although this time the risk was greater, he had to try. Before leaving, Li Xiangqian said to Li Xiuying: "Xiuying, I will go to the market again and sell the remaining corn to exchange for something. Our family can't survive with just this little food."

Li Xiuying hesitated: "Didn't you just go there? It's only been a few days. Isn't it too risky to go again? What if someone is targeting you..."

Li Xiangqian sighed, "There's no other way. We have to find a way to hold on. If we delay any longer, we'll run out of rice and flour, and what will happen to the children? I'll be careful and try to keep a low profile so no one will notice me."

Li Xiuying stopped trying to dissuade him. She knew her husband had made up his mind and it was useless to continue arguing. She nodded and said, "Then you must be careful, don't talk too much with strangers, and come back early."

Li Xiangqian packed the remaining corn at home into a sack. Although he felt a little uneasy, he still set out. He walked out of the courtyard carefully, trying to avoid eye contact with the neighbors, fearing that they would ask more questions. This time he walked more secretly than last time, deliberately choosing a remote road, thinking about not attracting anyone's attention.

When he arrived at the market, it was already getting dark. The vendors were packing up their stalls one after another. The streets were crowded with people, but it was less noisy than during the day. Li Xiangqian walked through the crowd, holding the mouth of the sack tightly, feeling nervous. He chose a secluded corner, hoping to find the man as soon as possible to exchange some rice and flour. But after waiting for a long time, he still didn't see the familiar figure. Just as he was hesitating whether to leave, a rough voice came from behind: "Hey, the corn seller! Wait a minute!"

Li Xiangqian was startled, and when he looked back, he saw three sturdy men approaching. He became alert and quickly glanced around, but found that no one noticed the movement here. The three men walked straight to him, and one of them, a tall and thin man, stood in front and looked at him sideways: "Brother, are you selling food? Let me see your corn."

Li Xiangqian subconsciously took a step back and asked cautiously: "Are you going to buy food?"

The tall and thin man sneered: "Yes, buy it! But today I think your corn is good, so let's not bargain and just take it from you to save trouble."

Li Xiangqian's heart was shaken, and he realized that something was wrong. He quickly grabbed the sack and whispered, "This won't work. This is the last of my family's food. I have to exchange it for something."

The smile on the tall and thin man's face disappeared instantly, and his eyes became fierce. He took a step forward and said in a low voice: "Do you really think you can just sell food? Do you know who has the final say here?"

Li Xiangqian suppressed his fear. He knew that the other party had bad intentions, but he still tried to fight for it: "This food belongs to my family. I didn't steal it. I just want to exchange it for some rice and flour..."

Before he finished speaking, another man next to him suddenly reached out and grabbed Li Xiangqian's shoulder, saying coldly: "No matter what your family's situation is, this place is not a place where anyone can do whatever they want. You're unlucky to run into us today!"

Li Xiangqian struggled hurriedly, trying to get rid of the other party's control: "Let go! This is my corn, why are you snatching it!"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, the tall and thin man became impatient. He winked at the two men next to him, and the two strong men immediately stepped forward, one grabbed the sack, and the other pushed Li Xiangqian away. Li Xiangqian struggled hard, but the other was too strong and he was unable to resist.

"Don't make trouble. You are unlucky today. Don't look for trouble." The tall and thin man sneered, grabbed the sack and stepped back.

Li Xiangqian was sweating profusely, and seeing his corn being forcibly taken away, he was filled with anger. He wanted to rush forward to take back the sack, but was pushed hard by a strong man next to him. He staggered back a few steps and almost fell to the ground.

"You are robbing!" Li Xiangqian's voice was full of anger and powerlessness, but no one around came forward to help. Seeing this, the other vendors in the market silently looked away and no one dared to intervene.

The tall and thin man sneered complacently: "Let's just leave it at that for today. Don't come back to cause trouble again. Go back and think about it carefully." After that, the three of them walked away dragging the bags of corn.

Li Xiangqian stood there helplessly, his hands clenched into fists, his heart filled with humiliation and anger. He watched helplessly as his only food was snatched away, unable to do anything, and despair surged in his heart like a tide. The people around him were still busy with their own business, as if nothing had happened.

After a long while, Li Xiangqian slowly calmed down. He suppressed his inner humiliation and picked up the few corn kernels left on the ground with trembling fingers, muttering to himself in grief and anger: "It was robbed like this... How can I go back and explain this to Xiuying?" His mind was blank, and he didn't know how to face his family and the difficulties that followed.

Li Xiangqian stood at the edge of the market, his mind was blank. The scene just now lingered in his mind, the arrogance of those people, his powerless struggle, and the helplessness of the corn being snatched away... All of this made him feel extremely ashamed and angry. He never thought that he would be bullied so blatantly. What made him even more unacceptable was that the bag of corn was the last life-saving food for the whole family.

After a few seconds of shock, Li Xiangqian's blood began to surge rapidly, and a desperate impulse surged in his heart. "Why! Why do they do this to me!" He clenched his fists, trembling all over, staring at the figures going away. He wanted to rush over and take back their corn, but his legs seemed to be tied by iron chains and he couldn't move a step. The cold eyes around him also made him feel deeply helpless. Those passers-by and those vendors just watched everything that happened, but no one stood up to help him. The hustle and bustle of the market continued, as if what he had just experienced had nothing to do with them.