Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

He gently flipped the pancake, and the golden egg pancake emitted an attractive luster in the pan, as if temporarily dispelling the haze of last night.

"This omelet is so delicious!" The wife smiled slightly, walked closer and praised, "I didn't have much of an appetite in the morning, this is just right for me." There was a hint of relief in her eyes, as if she was comforted by her husband's slight change.

Li Xiangqian nodded, carefully put the fried pancake on a plate, and handed it to his wife, "Eat more. You've been busy with family matters lately, so don't always worry about me." As he spoke, a hint of tenderness emerged on his face. Her presence made him feel very at ease, as if the troubles he had day after day became insignificant in front of her.

Sitting at the dining table, the wife picked up the chopsticks and took a bite. She chewed it carefully and couldn't help but praise: "This pancake is so fragrant, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I didn't expect you to fry it so well."

Li Xiangqian watched her eat sweetly, and a sense of comfort welled up in his heart. For him, small satisfactions in life are not many, but at this moment, he felt that the heavy pressure in his heart actually dissipated a little. In this quiet atmosphere, the couple enjoyed a simple breakfast in silence, and each of them was immersed in this brief tranquility.

After dinner, his wife cleaned up the dishes while Li Xiangqian stood silently by the window, looking at the gradually brightening sky outside. The doubts from last night seemed to still linger in his mind, unable to be completely dispelled. His fingers tapped the windowsill unconsciously, and the thoughts deep in his heart were tangled for a moment, like a lingering shadow.

"Xiang Qian, what are you thinking about?" His wife patted his shoulder gently, bringing him back to reality from his thoughts.

Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, then smiled and replied, "Nothing, just thinking about the work in the field today." He knew that he couldn't show all his worries on his face, especially in front of his wife. He silently decided in his heart that no matter how difficult it was, he would take it all on.

His wife seemed worried and said, "You haven't looked very well lately. Don't work too hard. Farming is important, but you have to take care of your health, too."

He nodded, a warm feeling in his heart, and secretly determined that no matter what, he would not let these things disturb the harmony of the family. So he took the tools and the prepared kettle, walked out of the house, and walked towards the field. At this moment, he just wanted to put aside these messy thoughts in his mind and concentrate on the work in the field.

Stepping into the fields, the surrounding scene was still as familiar as usual. The smell of soil hit me, the morning dew hung on the grass leaves, and the sun shone through the mist on the ground, slightly shining. Li Xiangqian took a deep breath, trying to calm the uneasiness in his heart and focus on the work at hand. He walked to a piece of land that had been turned over, picked up the hoe and began to turn the soil and weed seriously.

As he dug with his hoe, Li Xiangqian felt the heavy soil slipping off the hoe and sinking into the ground. His hands gradually became sore and beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, but the feeling of labor made him feel comfortable, as if only in this way day after day, he found his own rhythm.

However, just as he was concentrating on his work, he suddenly saw an unusual light flashing on the ground in front of him. He was stunned for a moment, and immediately stopped what he was doing. He focused his eyes on the land and found a thin black line flickering faintly in the soil. It was the trace he encountered last night, as if some kind of creature was quietly crawling in the soil, leaving a clear mark.

The wife sighed and said nothing more. She knew Li Xiangqian's temper, and it would be useless to say more. His heart was filled with everyone in the courtyard, so full that there was nothing left for himself.

In the middle of the night, while his wife and children were asleep, Li Xiangqian gently got up, put on his worn-out coat, and groped his way out of the room. There was a cold wind in the yard, and he shrank his neck, lowered his head, walked over the smooth bluestone slabs, and carefully opened the door. The cold wind blew into his neck, he gritted his teeth, quickened his pace, and walked towards the field outside the yard.

He had only recently discovered this field. At first, he was just wandering around the reed marsh, wondering if he could find some other wild vegetables or tree roots. By chance, he saw some half-dead plants growing in this field. Although the terrain was low, the surrounding soil looked moist, so it was obvious that this piece of land was not completely abandoned.

Arriving at the edge of the field, he put down his sack and shovel and looked around. The field was not large, but he could vaguely see a few wild vegetables. He squatted down and pulled away the grass roots with his hands, revealing a few small tubers, which were wrinkled but much better than the dead grass.

"Can these tubers be eaten?" He wondered, but at the same time he was a little hesitant. He had never seen these things before, and was worried that if he rashly brought them back, something might go wrong.

He remembered that when he was a child, the old man in the village said that you can cut off a small piece of the tuber you dug out and put it in your mouth to chew to see if it tastes piercing or bitter. So he took out the knife he carried with him and carefully cut off a small piece and put it in his mouth. Sure enough, after just two bites, he felt his tongue numb. He immediately spit it out and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, secretly cursing himself for being reckless.

"Inedible things occupy most of this land. If I really find something edible, it will be a blessing from God." He muttered to himself and continued digging farther away.

The night wind gradually became colder, and the fields were quiet, with only the occasional barking of dogs in the distance. Li Xiangqian lowered his head and dug in the soil. His hands were red, swollen and numb from the cold, but he still refused to stop. Whenever he dug up something decent, he would cut it open with a knife, smell it, and then observe it carefully with his eyes. He thought to himself that even if he could only find a little bit of food tonight, it would be worth the trip.

"Xiang Qian, why are you here in the middle of the night?" A deep voice suddenly sounded from behind, scaring Li Xiang Qian so much that he looked up suddenly.

He turned around and saw Uncle Zhang standing not far away, holding a dim lantern in his hand. The light was swaying, making Uncle Zhang's face blurry.

"Uncle Zhang, why are you here too?" Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, feeling a little surprised.

Uncle Zhang walked a few steps closer, put the lantern on the ground, and sighed: "I can't sleep, I'm very anxious. These days...ah, I don't know how long I can hold on. I heard some noise outside just now, and when I came out, I saw you running into the field alone."

Li Xiangqian was silent for a moment, then turned back to digging. "It's all the same. How can we feel at ease? I just thought that maybe we could find something edible in the field. Even if it's just a piece of rotten vegetable root, it's better than starving."

Uncle Zhang didn't say anything after hearing this. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and squatted down. "Okay, you do your thing and I'll lend a hand. How much can you dig out by yourself? I can still move my old bones a little bit."