Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Oh," He Zhihua smiled, his eyes still lingering on the door of Li Xiangqian's granary for a moment, then turned back to look at Li Xiangqian, "Your land is growing really well this year, especially those tubers, which seem to be much better than mine."

"Yes, the seeds planted last year finally paid off this year." Li Xiangqian was alert, but still pretended nothing happened. "But it's nothing, at most it can fill my stomach."

He Zhihua smiled, looked up at the sky, and said casually: "Yes, it's good to be full. But who knows what will happen in the days ahead?"

Li Xiangqian was immediately alert and his heartbeat quickened. It seemed unusual for He Zhihua to say such words. He was silent for a moment, raised his eyes to look at He Zhihua, took a few deep breaths in his heart, and managed to stay calm: "Yes, life is really not easy."

He Zhihua smiled even more deeply, and as he turned around to leave, he added casually, "By the way, did you go to the fields a few days ago? I heard that the tubers dug from your fields are very good. I wonder if you can share some with my family."

Li Xiangqian suddenly stopped what he was doing and stared at He Zhihua's back. The words that seemed to be unintentional but with undisguised expectations made him feel a chill rising. A trace of alert passed through his heart, and he felt that he had to be more careful. Food was already a scarce commodity, and if others were to notice their resources, the days ahead would probably become even more difficult.

"Are you serious?" Li Xiangqian finally couldn't help but speak. His eyes were calm and his voice was filled with a hint of caution that could not be ignored. "These grains were all grown by my family with great effort. I have to use them myself, so how can I share them with others?"

He Zhihua was slightly stunned for a moment, then his smile faded a little, a hint of imperceptible disappointment flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his nonchalant look: "Oh, I was too talkative, I didn't mean to embarrass you, haha, just talking casually."

Li Xiangqian smiled faintly, but he did not relax his vigilance. He knew that the matter was not over yet. He Zhihua might have just put his mind at ease for the time being, but his purpose was still clear - he wanted the food in their hands.

"I have to be more careful." Li Xiangqian thought to himself, and his eyes swept over the bags of food around him. He knew that their situation would not get better, but would become more difficult. Everyone's appetite was expanding, everyone's desires were growing, and his food would sooner or later become the object of others' covetousness.

Back inside, Li Xiangqian gently closed the door, leaned against it, and sighed deeply. He held his forehead with both hands, and a trace of fatigue flashed in his eyes. Everyone was struggling for survival, and he was surrounded by these invisible dangers. He dared not take it lightly anymore, and even began to worry about what He Zhihua would do next time.

"We have to find a way to protect these." He whispered to himself, but his eyes gradually became determined, "We can't let them succeed."

Sitting in front of a rough wooden table, Li Xiangqian looked at the soup in the porridge, in which there was hardly a grain of rice, and whispered, "Mom, this is not a solution. We have to think of another way."

The mother sighed, her voice filled with helplessness that could not be concealed: "What else can we do? It's the same in every family here. It's good enough to be alive."

He drank the porridge silently, but his eyes were fixed on the old locust tree in the corner of the yard. The cracked branches of the old locust tree stretched towards the sky, as if silently begging for rain, but a small patch of grass at the root of the locust tree gave him an idea. Perhaps the life-saving straw in these famine years was hidden in this barren land.

"Mom, don't we still have some seeds at home?" he suddenly spoke, his tone somewhat anxious.

“Seeds?” The mother looked up in confusion. “You mean the seeds that are reserved for planting next spring? They are the last hope of the whole family. We can’t move them carelessly.”

"I know, but it's already fall and it's still a long way to go for spring. If we could grow something else in the yard, even if it's just something edible, it would be better than now. Besides, the soil under this old locust tree seems to be better than the soil in the field, so maybe we can give it a try." He put down the bowl, his voice filled with unquestionable firmness.

The mother hesitated for a while, but finally nodded. She knew that although her son was young, he was smart and tenacious. Since he said so, he might really be able to find a way out.

In the following days, Li Xiangqian turned the yard upside down. He made the grass under the old locust tree smooth and fine, and found a few stones to build a simple earthen platform. In order to save water, he would carry an old wooden bucket to the well at the entrance of the village every morning and evening to pour water on this small earthen platform.

The seeds were saved by his mother through years of frugality. The crops were not good in recent years, so there were very few left. Li Xiangqian picked them one by one, making sure each one was full and intact. He carefully buried them in the soil, as if he was burying the hope of the whole family.

For several days, everyone in the village pointed fingers at Li Xiangqian's actions.

"What is he doing? Planting in the fall? Isn't that just a waste of effort?"

"I heard that his mother couldn't bear to part with the seeds, so she asked him to try. I think this is not planting crops, but burying seeds."

Facing these comments, Li Xiangqian remained unmoved. He knew that everyone in the famine was struggling, but that was precisely why it was even more important for someone to dare to try, even if it was something that seemed stupid.

Finally, a few days later, his efforts paid off. The first green sprout poked its head out of the soil. The fragile life had a force that could not be ignored, as if announcing to everyone: as long as there was water and soil, famine could not stop its growth.

"Mom, come and see!" he shouted excitedly.

The mother came running over upon hearing the noise, and when she saw the green sprout, her eyes suddenly became moist: "It's really grown! Go ahead, you can do it!"

However, this was just the beginning. In order to make the seedlings grow better, Li Xiangqian continued to think of ways. He got up early every day to water them and picked up dead grass and rotten vegetable leaves from the village to make simple fertilizer. Seeing his persistence, some elderly people in the village couldn't help but help him. They told him how to improve the soil with plant ash and how to prevent the seedlings from being damaged by autumn frost.

The greenery in the yard became more and more dense, and the courtyard seemed to have regained its vitality in this famine year. Li Xiangqian's efforts gradually infected the villagers. Neighbors began to imitate him and tried to plant in their own small yards. Although the conditions were simple, everyone's confidence was gradually restored.