Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

In fact, he knew that such concern would not change anything, but he still couldn't help but say it. Perhaps, it was because he didn't want to let himself fall into such despair and wanted to do something, even if it was insignificant.

The middle-aged man nodded, forcing a bitter smile: "Thank you, we know. I hope we can hold on until the end."

Li Xiangqian's pace gradually quickened. The heaviness of the rice bag was no longer the only burden on his mind. With every step he took, an idea flashed through his mind - farming. This idea did not come out of nowhere, but gradually formed in his mind after countless self-struggles. Perhaps farming was the only way out that he could really control. The dried corn and the vegetables that were about to die seemed to remind him that if he did not plant something with his own hands, the current predicament would never end.

However, this idea did not bring him much confidence at first, but made him feel deeply confused. He was not a farmer, and his family did not have much experience in planting. He relied more on some old memories and a little experience from the past. Especially when the land was no longer fertile, farming seemed more like a luxury, an irresistible naivety.

He walked into the gate of the courtyard, and his wife was sitting in the kitchen, looking a little depressed. She heard the noise outside the door, turned her head and looked back, with some dissatisfaction and fatigue in her eyes, as if she was waiting for him to bring back something that could alleviate the predicament.

"Xiang Qian, is Mi brought back?" There was not much expectation in her tone, but there was a kind of helpless persistence.

"I brought it back." Li Xiangqian replied softly, and put the rice bag on the table, but his eyes unconsciously drifted to the window. He was still deeply confused. Rice was their greatest hope at the moment. But how long could these ten kilograms of rice last?

"That's good." The wife's tone was also a little tired. She lowered her head, looked at the small piece of cloth in her hand, and continued to sew. "These past few days, it's really difficult. We have to think of a solution as soon as possible. We can't go on like this."

Li Xiangqian did not answer. He knew his wife's anxiety and helplessness. She was more sensitive than him and had long realized the difficulties of life. And he, apart from trying to find a way to raise food, seemed unable to make more contributions.

"I was thinking, maybe we should try to grow something." Li Xiangqian finally broke the silence and spoke slowly, with an unprecedented firmness in his voice. "Growing the land can at least solve the current problem."

His wife looked up at him, with a hint of surprise in her eyes. She seemed to be evaluating the truth of Li Xiangqian's words, "Farming? Do you mean we grow some vegetables and food ourselves?"

"Yes." Li nodded forward, with an indescribable impulse in his tone. "Although this land doesn't look very suitable for farming, at least we can try. Planting some simple vegetables, or even corn, should be enough to get through this period of time."

The wife had a complicated expression, and she didn't seem to agree with the idea, but she didn't show too much opposition. She slowly put down the needlework in her hand and sighed deeply, "You know, the soil here is not good. Many things can't grow. I've tried several times before, and the harvest was always poor. Do you really think this path is feasible?"

Li Xiangqian was silent for a moment. He understood his wife's concerns. After years of cultivation, the soil of the courtyard had become barren and almost lifeless. In previous attempts, the seedlings always died of drought or were eaten by pests. Despite this, he still had a desire in his heart, a desire to control some parts of his life, even if it was just starting with a seed.

"Maybe, plant something that grows easily." Li Xiangqian couldn't help but mutter to himself, and the once green fields appeared in front of him. He grew up in the countryside. Although his family was not rich, he had some harvests every year. He remembered that when he was a child, his family also relied on growing some vegetables and feeding some chickens and ducks to get through the difficult days. Although that era was different from the present, some primitive wisdom may still be applied to the current predicament.

His wife seemed to sense the determination in Li Xiangqian's eyes and sighed softly. "Have you decided?" She did not say anything against it, but looked at him silently, as if waiting for his final decision.

"Yes, I have decided." Li Xiangqian smiled slightly, as if this decision suddenly brought him some kind of power.

He stood up, walked into the yard, and looked at the deserted land. The land of the courtyard was not large, but it had an indescribable meaning to him. This land carried his expectations for the future and his memories of the past. Whenever he recalled the scene of working in the fields of his hometown when he was a child, he could draw some strength from it.

Li Qianqian squatted down and gently scraped the soil with his fingers, feeling the slightly dry and hard soil. There was a slight heaviness in the soil, as if everything had come to a standstill. Even so, he still wanted to give it a try.

"If I can grow some vegetables that are easy to grow, maybe I can have some harvest before winter." He thought silently, "Or at least I can use it to exchange for some food."

He suddenly realized that this was not just a matter of farming, but also a desire for self-sufficiency and control of one's destiny. In this era that was no longer as stable as in the past, he could no longer rely on the outside world, but only on himself and the land.

"I'll go find some seeds and see if there are any for sale in the market." Li Xiangqian stood up and turned to his wife and said, "Let's start preparing."

His wife nodded, with some worry in her eyes, but she still didn't say anything against it. She knew that Li Xiangqian was a stubborn person, and at this moment, his decision was almost doomed to be irreversible.

Li Xiangqian left the yard and walked towards the market on the corner. He felt a sense of uneasiness and a faint expectation. The market was still quite lively. Although the goods in most stalls were no longer abundant, some small vendors were still trying to make a living. Li Xiangqian walked to a stall selling seeds. The stall owner was a ruddy middle-aged man. When he saw Li Xiangqian coming, he immediately greeted him enthusiastically: "Would you like to buy seeds? There are all kinds of seeds here. What do you want to grow?"

"Do you have anything that can grow in this soil?" Li Xiangqian asked directly.