Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

He Yuzhu widened his eyes, squinted and recalled carefully: "You mean the big stick? What can it do for us?"

Li Xiangqian did not answer immediately. He lowered his head and thought, his fingers unconsciously rubbing in his trouser pockets. His thoughts raced, and several possibilities emerged in his mind: If the rhizome of the stick stem is indeed strong enough, perhaps it can be made into some kind of tool, such as a simple shovel, or as a material to support some digging tools. At least, in this way, they can dig out the food buried in the soil more efficiently.

"I remember that its roots should be stronger than those of ordinary plants. If we can use it to make a simple tool, digging the soil may be faster." Li Xiangqian's tone was full of determination to explore, "We can give it a try."

Hearing this, He Yuzhu also began to think about this suggestion and nodded: "Then let's give it a try. Besides, this place is too desolate. Apart from the two of us, who can make something useful?"

So, the two decided to dig up the stick stem early the next morning to see if they could find some help from it. At night, Li Xiangqian lay in bed, but he could hardly close his eyes. He recalled today's events over and over again in his mind, and his heart was full of anxiety and uneasiness. The people in the courtyard seemed to have lost the motivation to survive, and they lived a barely maintained life day after day. Although he always thought of various ways, the more he thought about it, the more he realized the seriousness of the problem. From time to time, the eyes of those children appeared in his mind, those eyes full of desire but despair. Whenever he saw this kind of eyes, his heart seemed to be torn apart, and the pain was unbearable.

"What should I do?" He whispered to himself, with the dark roof in front of him, empty. Li Xiangqian suddenly felt a deep sense of loneliness, as if no one in the world could understand what he was going through except him. No one could give him an answer, only a heavy heart, which was suffocating every moment.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax, but found that his inner anxiety surged up like a tide. Li Xiangqian had not thought about how much he could change, but he knew that he could not give up. He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the dim sky outside the window, and suddenly a force of decision surged in his heart.

The next morning, the sky was gray and the fog was so heavy that the mountains in the distance could hardly be seen. Li Xiangqian and He Yuzhu set out early in the morning and walked towards the wasteland. Along the way, Li Xiangqian's steps were not hesitant at all, and every step seemed extremely firm. He Yuzhu followed behind him, occasionally looking down at the ground, as if thinking about Li Xiangqian's proposal.

The two walked to the edge of the field, and Li Xiangqian led He Yuzhu to the place where they had seen the stick stem. The land still looked dry and barren, with almost no life except for some residual dead grass occasionally. They searched for a long time in the empty land and finally found the stick stem in a patch of weeds. It was wrapped in soil, with the roots slightly exposed, and a thin layer of soil covering the thick stem.

Li squatted down and carefully pushed away the soil, revealing the sturdy stem. His heartbeat accelerated, as if he saw the dawn of a breakthrough from this plant.

"That's it." Li Xiangqian whispered, his eyes shining.

He Yuzhu saw this and immediately started to help dig. They cleaned out the roots, and Li Xiangqian picked it up, feeling its heaviness and solidity. Indeed, compared to ordinary plant roots, this stick stem was obviously much stronger, even a bit as hard as wood.

"This thing looks like it can really be made into some tools." He Yuzhu touched the rhizome and nodded, "We can try to cut it into the shape of a hoe."

Li Xiangqian looked at the stick in his hand carefully and thought to himself. "Yes, if I cut it into the shape of a hoe, it should be able to be used for digging." His eyes gradually became firm, "It is not only strong, but also durable. Once it is made, it should be more suitable for our hands than the ordinary hoe."

The two decided to start working immediately. Li Xiangqian and He Yuzhu began to work. They found a knife and cut the stick into the shape of a hoe, and then fixed the handle with stones and branches. Although it was made very crudely, the idea of ​​the tool itself gave Li Xiangqian a glimmer of hope. Every time he swung the knife and sawdust flew, he felt a little more at ease.

"If this tool works, we can dig more soil and perhaps find more food." Li Xiangqian's eyes became brighter and brighter. He was no longer as anxious as before. The hope that surged in his heart made him feel that this attempt was no longer in vain.

He Yuzhu smiled when he heard him say that: "Move forward, the more you think in this direction, the more confident I am. Even if we don't have any other tools, at least this stick can be a start. Who knows what it can bring us in the future."

Li Xiangqian stood beside the crude hoe, staring at it for a long time, with a complex emotion surging in his heart. He held the hoe handle tightly with both hands, feeling the heaviness and hardness of the stick, as if a low power was transmitted from it. This rough tool in front of him witnessed his efforts, and also represented his painstaking efforts and hope.

He didn't know how long this thing would last, but at least now he had a real tool. He looked up and saw He Yuzhu standing by and wiping his sweat, with a look of relief and satisfaction on his face. Neither of them spoke for a while, but smiled at each other, with a hint of emotion and a kind of toughness that came from being tempered.

"How is it? Can this thing be used?" He Yuzhu looked at Li Xiangqian with inquiry and expectation in his eyes.

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath, was silent for a moment, and nodded: "It can be used, at least it is better than the ordinary hoe. I didn't expect that this stick stem has such great potential."

He Yuzhu smiled and reached out to touch the rough hoe. His eyes were filled with a kind of pride and satisfaction that he did not easily reveal: "Although this tool is not very good, it can at least dig deeper than that broken piece of wood. If we have a few more of these, we can dig more in the field."

Li Xiangqian couldn't help but smile as he listened. He looked at He Yuzhu's busy face, and his heart was filled with gratitude. Although his partner was a little slow, he never gave up. Now, they stood together, staring at this imperfect tool, with the same expectation and determination in their hearts.

"I hope it can help us dig out more things." Li Xiangqian whispered, with an undisguised nervousness and expectation in his tone. He didn't know what his efforts would bring, but he knew that this tool was at least the best thing they could get now.