Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

At this time, new challenges came one after another. The first frost in late autumn made people feel desperate. Almost all the crops were frozen to death, but the plants in Li Xiangqian's yard still survived stubbornly. It turned out that he used the method he learned from the old carpenter to cover the crops with straw mats and lighted a small fire at night to keep out the cold.

"Xiang Qian, you are really smart!" an elder in the village said with emotion, "If it weren't for you, I really don't know how I would have gotten through this year."

With the coming of winter, the small "field" in Li Xiangqian's yard has become the hope of the village. Although the yield is limited, every leaf and every stem is carefully distributed to those who need it most. He does not seek rewards, but only hopes that everyone can survive this difficult winter.

Li Xiangqian watched all this, but he did not relax at all. He knew that this was just the first step. If he wanted to save the whole village and even more people from famine, he needed to do more. He began to plan that when spring came, he would lead the villagers to open up more land and introduce more crops. He firmly believed that as long as people were united, there would be no difficulties that could not be overcome.

In the dead of night, the courtyard seemed particularly quiet. The wind blew through the locust tree, and the branches swayed gently, as if whispering. Li Xiangqian leaned against the gate of the courtyard, holding a dim lantern in his hand, his eyes fixed on the ground, but he seemed to be thinking about something.

"The frost tonight won't be too heavy, but is the temperature in the soil stable enough?" He whispered to himself, and his voice was blown away by the cold wind into the night sky. He looked back and saw that the light in his mother's room had long been turned off. The entire courtyard was immersed in the tranquility of the night. He gritted his teeth, picked up the lantern and walked out of the yard.

The fields were dark and lonely, and the shadows of trees in the distance stood like giants keeping watch. Every step he took on the path covered with dead grass made a slight rustling sound. Occasionally, he could hear the rustling of grass on the road, but he was not afraid. He was thinking about the crops growing in the fields. He knew that these crops were not only food, but also the hope for the survival of the people in the whole village.

Li stepped forward across the ridge and walked into the field. He held the lantern high, and the weak light barely illuminated a few meters. He squatted down and reached out to touch the leaves of the crops, and found that their surface was slightly wet, which should be the dew that had just condensed. Although the dew was a good sign, the low temperature of the cold night might cause frostbite to these fragile leaves.

"We have to find some way to keep them warm." He muttered, an idea crossed his mind. But the land was too big, there were not enough straw mats, and the fire couldn't cover all the areas. Li Xiangqian frowned, weighing various possibilities in his mind.

"I'll go find Uncle Wang tomorrow and ask if he has any straw I can borrow." He remembered that an old farmer in the village had mentioned that he still had some leftover straw at home. Although it was dry, it could still be used to cover the crops. He stood up, tightened the lid of the lantern, and walked to the other side of the field.

He gave this piece of land to several neighbors to plant together. Many families in the village did not even dare to try, thinking that it would be a waste to sow the seeds. But Li Xiangqian knew that he could not wait until next spring to take risks, and had to take action now. He led everyone to turn the soil, sow seeds, and protect the seedlings. Watching the seedlings grow little by little, he felt that every green leaf was like his own child.

When he reached the middle of the field, he stopped and stood there quietly looking at the field in front of him. Under the lantern light, the ground was faintly green, like a vibrant green belt. He suddenly felt that his persistence these days was not in vain. But behind hope, there is always a heavy layer of pressure. He thought to himself: If we fail this season, we may not even make it to spring.

"What are you doing in the fields so late at night?" A deep voice came from behind. Li Xiangqian was startled and turned around suddenly, only to see Uncle Wang standing a few steps away holding a kerosene lamp.

"Uncle Wang, why are you here too?" He breathed a sigh of relief and an embarrassed smile appeared on his face.

"I heard the wind and thought there was something going on, so I came out to check. I didn't expect it to be you." Uncle Wang walked a few steps closer and scanned the surroundings with the light. "It's late at night, why are you still staring at these seedlings? Could it be that they ran away?"

Li Xiangqian smiled but didn't respond. He glanced at the seedlings in the field and sighed, "Uncle, these seedlings are still too weak. If the temperature drops further tonight, I'm afraid they won't be able to bear it."

Uncle Wang nodded and was silent for a while before speaking: "Xiang Qian, I understand your thoughts. You are just too concerned. Without the help of God, things in the field may not be perfect no matter how carefully you take care of them. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"I know that, but I won't give up unless I try." Li Xiangqian lowered his head, pursed his lips, his voice tinged with stubbornness.

Grandpa Wang looked at the young man in front of him with a look of relief in his eyes: "There are not many young people in our village who are as careful and capable as you. How about this, tomorrow I will go to turn over the straw in the old house, and you can press it on top of the seedlings, maybe you can save these seedlings."

Li Xiangqian nodded quickly after hearing this: "Uncle, thank you so much! I was really worried that these seedlings wouldn't survive."

Uncle Wang waved his hand and said, "Don't thank me. We are all in this together. I will help you if I can. Besides, if you can succeed in this area, we can also learn from it in our village, and the road ahead may be easier."

The two chatted for a few more words before Grandpa Wang slowly walked back with the lantern. Li Xiangqian stood there, watching the old man disappear into the night, but his heart became more determined. After returning, he had to quickly sort out his plans and arrange what he had to do next.

When he dragged his tired body back to the yard, it was already late at night. The door closed gently, he put down the lantern, walked into the house, picked up the pen and a crumpled paper on the table, and began to write down tomorrow's arrangements. Halfway through, he paused and looked out the window. There was no moon in the night sky, only a few dim stars. He suddenly remembered the stories of the hard times that his father often told him, and his heart was filled with complicated emotions.

"Over the years, our Li family has endured many hard times. This time, even if it costs my life, I will make sure our village survive." He swore silently in his heart, a persistent light burning in his eyes.

When he was done with everything, he sat on the edge of the bed, looked at his calloused hands, and suddenly smiled. He felt that no matter how hard and tiring tomorrow was, as long as he could still stand, he would not stop. This year of famine might become their abyss, but as long as they seized the opportunity, it could also become a ladder for them to climb to hope.