Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

He Yuzhu nodded upon hearing this, and his expression became serious for a moment: "Yes, all we can do is give it a try. The more food we dig out, the more hope we have."

They continued to work together, placing the rough hoe on a relatively flat surface and trying to dig the soil. He Yuzhu held the hoe and looked down to check the tightness of the soil; Li Xiangqian watched the depth and angle of his digging and gave him instructions at any time. Although this method seemed a bit stiff and clumsy, at least they were able to dig out more tubers from the soil.

"Look, this one is better than the last one. This one should be edible." He Yuzhu dug out a round tuber and carefully placed it in front of Li Xiangqian. "Here, take a look for yourself."

Li Xiangqian took the tuber and looked at it, with an indescribable feeling of emotion in his eyes. He knew in his heart that although these tubers were only a barely sufficient source of food, this was only their current situation. He cast his eyes on He Yuzhu and saw a longing smile on his face. That smile, with a silent promise, also made Li Xiangqian's heart surge with an indescribable power.

"At least, this hoe can allow us to dig out more." Li Xiangqian nodded, looking at the tubers he had just dug out, with an inexplicable emotion entangled in his heart.

He Yuzhu listened and smiled: "Yes, we can still dig up some food, which is better than doing nothing."

The two slowly put the tubers into the cloth bag. Looking at the short-lived harvest, their expressions gradually became calm and satisfied. Although this is just the beginning, a beginning of hope, Li Xiangqian feels an incredible power in his heart. He knows that this piece of land still gives them a chance to survive, and he and He Yuzhu are to protect this hope.

"We need to look for more to see if there is anything else that can be used." Li Xiangqian said softly, with a determined look in his eyes, "I hope this joke can bring more help."

He Yuzhu listened and nodded: "Yes, we have to give it a try. This is all we can do, the rest depends on luck."

The two of them continued to dig silently, staring at the soft soil and the tubers and rhizomes that occasionally appeared in the soil. These things were their only hope, and they dared not slack off. The group of children in the courtyard were still waiting, and they were still not sure what they would wait for, but Li Xiangqian and He Yuzhu knew that these harvests were their only hope.

When the sun had risen high, Li Xiangqian raised his head and felt a warm sunlight pouring down from the horizon. He squinted his eyes, took a deep breath, and his heart was filled with an unusual peace. He knew that this land had given them enough opportunities, and he and He Yuzhu could only use their strength to fight for more.

"Yuzhui, we can do it, right?" Li Xiangqian suddenly asked, with a determined and confused light flashing in his eyes.

He Yuzhu smiled and patted Li Xiangqian on the shoulder: "It's okay! We just have to keep doing this, there will always be a way out."

Li Xiangqian looked at He Yuzhu, his eyes moist. He knew that these words were He Yuzhu's consolation. Although he smiled so easily and trustingly, Li Xiangqian understood how complicated his mood was at this time. His eyes became more determined, and there was a will to not give up burning in his heart. That was the power that neither he nor He Yuzhu could give up.

They continued to work hard, digging the soil, looking for more food sources. They didn't know how hard or long it would be, but they knew that no matter how difficult it was, they would stick to it. Because they knew that the children in the yard needed them, and they were their only hope.

Every child in the courtyard stared at the two men. They didn't know whether the tubers would taste good, but they could see the hope brought by the rough hoe. They sat quietly in the courtyard, watching Li Xiangqian and He Yuzhu working silently, their eyes full of expectation and trust. This trust was like the land, heavy and brilliant.

Li Xiangqian stood on the empty land, looking down at the simple hoe he made with stick stems, his heart full of conflicting emotions. He knew that this was just a temporary tool, something that could barely be used, but it carried almost all of his hopes. The air was filled with the smell of soil, and the sun was no longer scorching, but shining on him with a hint of early morning tenderness. Despite this, Li Xiangqian's heart was not comforted by this.

"All we can do now is think of a solution." He whispered to himself, his voice low and weak.

He took a deep breath and his eyes gradually focused forward. In the courtyard, almost everyone's eyes were focused on him and He Yuzhu, as if every action and every effort they made affected everyone's hope. However, this hope and expectation made him feel more pressured. Whenever night came and he lay in bed, the eyes of those children would always echo in his mind, those eyes were full of hunger and desire. And he seemed unable to give them more answers, unable to bring them substantial changes.

Li Xiangqian knew that he could no longer rely on luck or expect any sudden miracles. Now, the only thing he could do was to keep thinking and keep digging out every possible way, even if these ways seemed insignificant.

"No matter how much I think about it, I have to have a plan." Li Xiangqian told himself secretly.

He raised his head and his eyes fell on the hoe in his hand. It was a rough, peeled stick with an irregular shape, but it was indeed the only tool they could rely on at the moment. He grabbed the hoe tightly, and his fingertips turned white. There was an indescribable anxiety spreading in his heart. He wanted to release all these emotions, but he felt that there was no place to vent.

He Yuzhu's voice interrupted Li Xiangqian's thoughts: "Shall we continue digging today?"

Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, then he came to his senses and looked at He Yuzhu. He Yuzhu stood there, his face a little tired, but his eyes were still firm. There were some calluses on his hands, obviously after a long period of labor and grinding. Li Xiangqian looked at him and suddenly felt that he was no longer alone. At least at this moment, he was not fighting against this land alone.

"Keep going," Li nodded forward, his voice low but full of determination, "We have to keep going. We can't stop."